Members jerime Posted June 17, 2007 Members Share Posted June 17, 2007 I've gotten a little gas for a 12 string and my one problem with getting one is the wide neck. I have smaller hands and prefer smaller necks. Obviously being a 12 it needs to have a bigger neck, but what are some of the easier playing 12 strings you've played? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerime Posted June 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 Surely someone has a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AK47 Posted June 18, 2007 Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 The action on a 12 shouldn't be any different than a 6, it's all in the setup. The wide neck is an issue to get used to and using a little more preasure to press the strings down. Either is easy to get used to in time. My only 12 is an old made in Sweden Goya with a slotted headstock. Great guitar but they haven't made these since about 1970. I played a Breedlove that had one of the nicest 12 string necks that I've ever played. Taylor has a rep for building guitars with very playable necks. The truth is if you want to buy a 12 string then you really need to try many out and compare. IMHO a guitar unlike a spark plug must be judged on an individual basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted June 18, 2007 Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 Almost all 12 strings will be 1-7/8 at the nut and I believe that almost any can be set up to play "easily". Out of the box Taylors are some of the best and I think the 355 is one of the best bang for the buck 12s available (you didn't say what your budget is - the 355 is pretty much in the middle). Taylors tend to have fairly modern feeling necks - moderately shallow for a 12. Guilds are very popular, but they have a fairly "chunky" neck - built like a tank and if you are going to play in concert pitch they are worth looking into. Many 12 string players thing that Martin made their best ones back in the 60's and so. Others like Larrivee and Breedlove are supposed to be quite good but most people keep coming back to Taylor and Guild. I haven't played one but the general feeling is that the Seagull S12+ is among the top of the "inexpensive" 12s. Both my old Martin and my little home made 12's are very easy to play, but both have a lot of attention to their setups. Some people are doing OK with the really inexpensive 12's but I think they are trouble. Ditto inexpensive used ones - many have serious structural issues. How about telling us a little more - how much do you want to spend, how do you plan to play it (strummed, fingerpicked, flatpicked), do you want to tune to concert or tune down, who do you admire as a 12 string player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarist21 Posted June 18, 2007 Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 I've gotten a little gas for a 12 string and my one problem with getting one is the wide neck. I have smaller hands and prefer smaller necks. Obviously being a 12 it needs to have a bigger neck, but what are some of the easier playing 12 strings you've played? If by "small" and "easy" you mean "slim," (which I'm assuming you do) I recommend you check out Alvarez. Of course, get it set up to whatever action you want, but I have a buddy with an Alvarez 12 and it has a pretty slim neck in addition. Ellen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerime Posted June 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 How about telling us a little more - how much do you want to spend, how do you plan to play it (strummed, fingerpicked, flatpicked), do you want to tune to concert or tune down, who do you admire as a 12 string player? Well I don't want to spend a lot to start with. I would play a combination of the 3 styles mentioned above, but mostly strummed. I would want to tune in standard E. And as far as who I admire, I really can't think of anyone in particular right now but after watching Stevie Ray Vaughn on an old MTV unplugged a while back it kind of gave me the bug to try one out. A friend of mine has a Seagull 12er that I'm sure he'd let go, so that might be what I go after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rickkkk Posted June 18, 2007 Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 +1 on the Seagull. I've tried 'em in the shops and their necks seem uncharacteristically narrow compared to most 12s, which seems to be what you're looking for. On top of that, I'm a huge fan of the Godin products in general, so I don't think you could go wrong with anything that they make. One caveat. Any 12 I've ever owned/played had to be tuned down a whole tone if strung with standard strings. Ovations were the exception, given their construction. Check this out if it is important to you. Cheers ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JerseyGuy Posted June 18, 2007 Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 I bought the Seagull 12 solid cedar top and cherry lam sides and back a few weeks ago and it is lovely. The neck is narrower than my old Taylor, and the sound is more mellow than the loud, boomy Taylor. Easy to play and very affordable. It doesn't have the brightness and clarity of the Taylor, and certainly not the boomy bass, but then it doesn't cost 2g either, and I was looking for a mellower tone for certain songs. Seems to have been very well made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted June 18, 2007 Members Share Posted June 18, 2007 Well I don't want to spend a lot to start with. I would play a combination of the 3 styles mentioned above, but mostly strummed. I would want to tune in standard E. And as far as who I admire, I really can't think of anyone in particular right now but after watching Stevie Ray Vaughn on an old MTV unplugged a while back it kind of gave me the bug to try one out. A friend of mine has a Seagull 12er that I'm sure he'd let go, so that might be what I go after. SRV played Guild 12's - definitely play those to see if you can deal with the neck (I've heard them called "baseball bats"). You can probabl find a good used T355 for 800 or so and new I think the Seagull is a little less than 500. Anther 12 with a really slim neck is the Carvin Cobalt - it might be a good choice if you wanted to plug in, but I hesitate to recommend it as a purely acoustic 12. The mahogany Martin J12-15 is also well liked in some circles - probably Martin's best moden offering. But everyone that owns them thinks the 'gull is about as good as you can get. There have been several threads at the 12 String Cafe' about moderate priced ones - http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunofficialmartinguitarforumfrm150.showMessage?topicID=310.topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AHart Posted June 6, 2013 Members Share Posted June 6, 2013 I picked up a 12-string in the music store and fell in love. It was the easiest I'd ever played--like butter.Looked at the headstock, and it was a Yamaha.The only other easy play I've picked up is a Luna.I have a Mayfair, and it's like a medicine ball... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Graeca Posted June 6, 2013 Members Share Posted June 6, 2013 I have a Taylor 355 and a pair of Guild F-212XLs, and most folks tell me the Taylor is easier due to, as Freeman said, the Guilds having heftier necks.BTW, snazzy avatar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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