12 STRING ARTISTS

brettster · #1 04-11-2002, 01:48 AM

as well as my 6 stringers i also have a LKSM 12
string which i love,
does anyone else have one?
and any tips on good 12 string artists?
im into leo kottke,
ed gerhard plays a few 12 string peices as well.
even chris proctor is giving it a go.

dmsnyder · #2 04-15-2002, 11:37 AM

For traditional 12-string, Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter), Jesse Fuller and Blind Blake.

David

gmyoung · #3 04-15-2002, 01:29 PM

My first good guitar was a 12 string (Takamine). Carefull on the wise cracks. It still is a good sounding 12-string. I mostly did Gordon Lightfoot stuff at the time. Just recently had the frets redone and the neck tweeked. Plays great. Sounds great. If it only was so jealous of the Taylor.

Atlantis · #4 04-15-2002, 03:01 PM

If you play a twelver at all, you owe it to yourself to get some the Leadbelly stuff out there. Some of the best bass runs I've ever heard on a twelve originate from him.

JW · #5 04-15-2002, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gmyoung
My first good guitar was a 12 string (Takamine). Carefull on the wise cracks. It still is a good sounding 12-string. I mostly did Gordon Lightfoot stuff at the time. Just recently had the frets redone and the neck tweeked. Plays great. Sounds great. If it only was so jealous of the Taylor.

Ive got a EF400 Takamine 12 string that knocks the socks off a guild 12(JMO) so I think they are quite good. The 355 still sounds better. But that 12 string Tak is a good guitar. JW

Iceman · #6 04-15-2002, 03:20 PM

John Stewart, a great singer-songwriter, has played a twelve string for a long time, going back to his "California Bloodlines" album. He plays a Taylor 12 string, either a 655 or a LKSM. I had read that on some newer material he plays an altered 12 string with only 8 strings(only the first and second strings were doubled). I'd recommend "Front Row Music, Before the War" a live double cd that is a live retospective with just John Stewart and his Taylor. I believe it's available on at chillywinds.com, it's worth finding.

JohnZ · #7 04-16-2002, 11:02 AM

Wanna try something different? Tune all the pairs of strings to fifths. You'll have suspend your V chord but it's pretty interesting. 12 voices, and that beats a piano.

Guitar Dad · #8 04-16-2002, 12:59 PM

Blind Willie McTell.

Lonesome Picker · #9 04-16-2002, 10:13 PM

Ref Iceman..
"John Stewart, a great singer-songwriter, has played a twelve string for a long time, going back to his "California Bloodlines" album."

Hey Iceman, I didn't think there was anyone else here old enough to appreciate John Stewart. I used to see him a lot in the ahem...late 60's and 70's. Great songwriter! He plays a 12 string more these days I think.

" Oh I'm be-lieving, be-lieving, believing that, even when I'm wrong,
Some Lonesome Picker, will find some feeling in this song".

As you can see from my handle on the forum I really appreciate this guy.

<><
Ron
Lonesome Picker (NC)

Lonesome Picker · #10 04-16-2002, 10:23 PM

Ref brettster..
"and any tips on good 12 string artists?
im into leo kottke, ed gerhard plays a few 12 string peices as well."

You may laugh at my two recommendations but Roger Mcguinn of Byrds fame is an excellent 12 string musician. The infamous sound of his Rickenbacker 12 string (can't remember the model), was obtained by reversing the strings (octaves below). Tr it, it is agreat sound. Unfortunately you have to have the proper nut with reversed grooves.

Are you sitting down? Good. Glen Campbell is a fantastic 12 string musician. He was a well known and sought after studio musician before making it big with ..dare I say it, Witchita Lineman, a great song. Anyway they are very good techinical musicians who do awesome work with 12 strings. Unfortunately Glen Campbells recent appearance on Larry King didn;t support his reputation. He has had a rough 10-12 years.

Anyway, for what it's worth.

<><
Ron
Lonesome Picker (NC)

cpmusic · #11 04-16-2002, 11:24 PM

I've got an old record around here somewhere (yeah, that's right, a record) that's called "Masters of the Twelve-String" or something like that. I think it was compiled in the 60s, and I believe Glen Campbell is on it. The recordings were rough, as I recall, but pretty hot.

I'm not at all surprised to hear Roger (Jim) McGuinn mentioned. He was a popular backup and session guitarist during the Great Folk Music Scare (before The Byrds), and acoustic 12-string was his main axe. There's quite a bit of a nice interview with him in the PBS series on rock & roll in which he talks about coming up with the riff for "Mr. Tambourine Man," for which he borrowed from Bach.

I don't know much about John Stewart's solo career except for a single in the 70s that I didn't care much for, but I remember him stepping into Dave Guard's shoes in the Kingston Trio. No significance here except to show off my knowledge of trivia.

Pete Seeger played a lot of 12-string over the years, and I think "Living in the Country" is his composition. He had an odd model with a triangular soundhole that, for a time, was the only guitar with which he traveled.

I'm sold on Kottke, of course. To me, he's still the king of the 12.

Lonesome Picker · #12 04-17-2002, 07:08 AM

It is hard to talk about Kotke without talking about John Fahey. Fayey who sadly, passed away last year, was a lot of influence on Kotke in the early years. In fact, I think John Fahey produced Kotke's first album. John Fahey used to play with Kotke and Peter Lang quite a bit. Anyway I thought I would add John Fahey to the list. I haf the priveledge of hearing John play on two occasions in the very early 70's. Here is a quote I picked up and saved on John Fahey,

" John Fahey was a huge influence on me. He will always be one of my favorite guitar players, but I have stopped trying to emulate him. The power of his simple melodies and strong rhythm in the right hand cannot be touched. There is also the heavy mood of his compositions that will never be replicated."

Here is a summary from one of John Fahey's long time musician friends upon hearing of his death last year. He will be missed...

http://www.sonicyouth.com/main/arch-2001winter.html

<><
Ron
Lonesome Picker (NC)

buddiesorg · #13 04-17-2002, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnZ
Wanna try something different? Tune all the pairs of strings to fifths. You'll have suspend your V chord but it's pretty interesting. 12 voices, and that beats a piano.

Do you mean fifths as in E-B, etc.? or are you downtuning?

Or are you talking about frets as in E-G#?

cpmusic · #14 04-17-2002, 09:15 AM

Ron, you're absolutely right about Fahey. I don't recall hearing him play much 12-string, but he was a pioneer of modern fingerstyle guitar, and his influence cannot be overestimated.

JohnZ · #15 04-17-2002, 11:04 AM

buddiesorg
Detune the octave string to a fifth above, same for the pairs.