Members Abando Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Never owned one or played one for more than a very short time. Tell me all the benefits of playing one that you don't get from a regular 6 string guitar.Thanks. Abando Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 The 12-er possesses a depth, richness and fullness that simply can't be matched by a 6-er. It's often said that the 12-string is the grand piano of the guitar world. I agree with that assessment. I started playing 12-ers at the grand old age of 11 and never found them to be more difficult to play than a 6-er. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Umm...it's a new guitar! What more do you need? lol...jk I've never owned a 12 string--not even for a short time, but whenever I play them, I always like what I hear. A nice full sound, a little natural phase on the strings, a real nice shimmer. I would say it would be worth owning one just to have an extra sound in your arsenal. You never know when you'll come across a song that's just begging to be played on a 12 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NotDead Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 It makes you more like Lead Belly. Which we all know is nothing but a good thing. Except, y'know, if you kill a guy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Well, they aren't for everyone, IMO. The fretboards are dramatically wider and the second course puts that much more burden on fretting. Hand strength will improve which is a plus but fast fretwork is a biatch until hand strength and technique are matured. Keeping them in tune is also something of a pisser in contrast to a six but that becomes a normal expectation so the mindset becomes adjusted to it as well. Changing strings...see previous statement. So much for adapting to them.Rewards? They sound frickin' marvelous. If you like Chris Proctor and/or Leo Kottke you will need a 12. I tend to disagree with that. Like I said, I've been playing a 12-er since I was a kid and my hand strength wasn't anything great. Yes, the wider fretboard takes some getting used to, but not much, IMO. As for tuning and changing strings, tuning is not a PITA for me and changing strings is 40 minutes max for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members freetime Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I'm opposed to 12 strings. I don't buy the full sound bull{censored}. I can play octaves and find ways to fill sound all day long. I'm not the norm obviously because there's a market. I think they're a pain in the ass to play. Its completely different than playing a 6er -freetime PS - Ima go make a sammich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimmy Chaos Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I've been looking at 12 strings recently, played a Tanglewood TW28 12 in a guitar shop last week. Like a previous poster said certain songs sound amazing on a 12 string. The scale takes a bit of getting used to, when I went back to a standard scale 6 string the neck felt small for a while, but I play bass & mandolin so I'm already used to playing on different sized necks. Anyway it's a lovely sounding instrument, and every chord sounded like it belonged in a Byrds song (which can only be a good thing!) I've got GAS for one now, they're only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Palmer Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I've been looking at 12 strings recently, played a Tanglewood TW28 12 in a guitar shop last week. Like a previous poster said certain songs sound amazing on a 12 string. The scale takes a bit of getting used to, when I went back to a standard scale 6 string the neck felt small for a while, but I play bass & mandolin so I'm already used to playing on different sized necks. Anyway it's a lovely sounding instrument, and every chord sounded like it belonged in a Byrds song (which can only be a good thing!) I've got GAS for one now, they're only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Greymuzzle Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 "Tanglewood make some nice instruments" Is that still the current position? I have a TW 1000 SR Dread which is a wondrous beast, but I never came across another of the same spec. Strangely the back brace is marked Earth 1000, but I've seen others of those and mine ain't the same (WOT is yours made of?) 'cos if they are on form at the moment that is a pretty 12-er at an attractive price... Santa are ye listenin', Santa... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhancox Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I've played nothing but 12-strings since my early days in high school. I think the "dramatic" assessment of the fretboard size difference is a bit overdone. A classical guitar's fretboard is dramatically larger than a steel string guitar. A 12'er is only slightly larger, for obvious reasons. Tuning is not really a problem, but I think if you have any intonation issues, they get magnified on a 12-string, so a good set-up is important. Barre chords can be an issue on some models, depending on the action. I had an old Hohner as my first 12-string in high school and it was a little difficult, at first, to barre anything further up the neck. But I wouldn't rate hand strength, as a difficulty issue, higher than any other difficulty. I played an Alvarez during my search a few weeks ago and it was like a hot knife through butter playing anywhere on the neck. As for advantages and disadvantages, there are none. It's an apples and oranges comparison. Is a convertible better than a minivan? For pickin' up chiquitas down by the shore, sure, but can you pack all your crap in a convertible and head to the shore for week's vacation? The point is, a 12'er has it's place and purpose just like any other instrument. You're not going to play Dust in the Wind on a trombone, but then you're not going to see a 12-string in the brass section either. The 12-string is a beautiful instrument in it's own right, and I love playing mine. But I don't think it's any better than any other kind of instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Tanglewood make some nice instruments. They do - so do Crafter and Cort. All excellent value for money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Listen to Leo Kottke. You will be able to answer your own question. Here's a taste...http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=7605944&extid=df_shopping&srccode=cii_13736960&cpncode=24-8689409-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gerry Guitar Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Played well, they sound bloody awesome!! The last time I went to the local open mic, someone was playing one and I just wanted to go out and buy one the next day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stormin1155 Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I'm suprised nobody mentioned that one big advantage of 12-strings we all want ---- image. People who don't know think that so many strings must take spectacular talent to play, so if you're on a 12-string.... well, you must be twice as good as the guy on the 6-string. A disadvantage is that they are a bitch to tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 "Tanglewood make some nice instruments"I have a TW 1000 SR Dread which is a wondrous beast, but I never came across another of the same spec. Strangely the back brace is marked Earth 1000, but I've seen others of those and mine ain't the same (WOT is yours made of?)... It's no secret that Tanglewood (among many others) has used Cort manufacturing; hence, the Earth 1000 marking on your instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael Martin Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 You're not going to play Dust in the Wind on a trombone Actually, it's been done. I heard a high school marching band do it at a football game. I have a 12, but I rarely play it. It's a very nice guitar (Tak F395, the counterfeit Guild), but for me, a specialty instrument that I only take out on rare occasions. I discovered that I'm just more of a "6" guy. I have heard many guitarists say the same thing about themselves. The Tak plays very nicely--good action, neck not much wider than my yammie jumbo. You play it for a few minutes and it seems normal. Intonation not a problem, but I do have to tune it a lot. I'm guessing the tuning thing is just a fact of life for a 12, because if you have paired strings of the same pitch (as with B and e standard tuning), they have to be dead-on identical or you hear it loud and clear. Mandos share this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spruce goose Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I'm opposed to 12 strings. I don't buy the full sound bull{censored}. I can play octaves and find ways to fill sound all day long.I'm not the norm obviously because there's a market. I think they're a pain in the ass to play. Its completely different than playing a 6er-freetimePS - Ima go make a sammich You mean you're gonna take two slices of bread, put some roasted turkey between them, and then add some mayo and a bunch of bacon? Seems like a PITA to me. Plus, a sandwich is completely different from eating bacon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Selsaral Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Some 12-strings play about as easily as a 6-string. For those that do there's very little adjustment required. I've been playing tons of 12-string lately. Almost any normal strumming song (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, the Beatles, Cat Stevens) will play and sound fantastic on a 12. One of the types of songs that don't do well on a 12 are things like Jethro Tull which involve tons of alternate picking and dramatic upstrokes. For Thick as a Brick, or Dun Ringil, or One White Duck I need my 6-string. My current band is me playing guitar and 2 singers. So when I have to hold down the entire sound of the instrumentation by myself, the 12-string really helps me sound bigger than I otherwise would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael Martin Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 One more thing about twelves--there's a thread close by inquiring about "loud" guitars--twelves can be extremely volume-icious. The sound is "fuller", but in the case of my Tak, also noticeably louder than my sixes. I don't know whether this is generally true of twelves; mine is a jumbo with solid spruce top/rosewood body (but so is my Yammie). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MattSkibaIsGOD Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 The advantages are the sound and the vibe they create. The disadvantage, IMO, is that it's too hard to fingerpick one accurately. I know there are plenty of people who can do it, but I'm not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NotDead Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 They should start making partial capos for 12 strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members panhandler Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Mine is just fun to play. It makes coolerer, differenter, twangier, kinderer sounds. And to me... That = fun! FUN IS GOOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richierobins Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 I wouldn't want to choose between a six and a twelve; I like both. Don't be put off fingerpicking a twelve - it is just a matter of doing it again and again until it works. Mine is a Yamaha FG-411C-12, I'm extremely happy with it, it was a reasonable price and plays nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guildfire Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 Wish I had a 12er, be great for some of the early rock stuff our band does, Beatles, Byrds, etc. I see a 12 as a complement to a 6 string - great for certain songs, but not as a steady diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 24, 2008 Members Share Posted November 24, 2008 My gigs are approx. divided about 50/50, 6 to 12-string...some songs work best on one, some the other, so I do about 5-6 songs with one, then 5-6 w/ the other. Be it finger-picked, flat-picked or played w/ a slide, a 12-string adds some great sounds to solo and ensemble gigs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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