Members mrlucky7 Posted July 15, 2005 Members Share Posted July 15, 2005 Hello, I am looking to buy my first 12 string acoustic guitar. I have been playing for about 20 years for my own pleasure an have a Yamaha FG-335II acoustic that is still going strong. Being left handed, my choices for 12 string guitars is kind of limited. I have been looking at Norman guitars models B18 and B20 and find they have a great sound. The store has 2 B18s and a B20 in stock an even the two B18s dont sound alike.... I guess that is due that they are handmade... Could you help me in choosing ? What should I look for as defects or irregularities on a handmade guitar. Does anyone have a buyers guide ? Thank you for any information you can give me ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hockeygabor Posted July 15, 2005 Members Share Posted July 15, 2005 I have the B20-12....it's a wonderful guitar for the price.make sure it has a nice low easy action.You should be able to purchase it for a decent price...under $400 USIf you could get the store to order a B50-12 that would be an alternative butI don't think you could go wrong with the B20.The B18s are being discontinued in the 12 string....The only guitar that was superior was a Larrivee model costing 3X as much.If you buy it make sure they have a 48 hour return policy and you could then have it evaluated by a luthier.good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hondro Posted July 16, 2005 Members Share Posted July 16, 2005 I really like martins. i have a dm-12, which is basically a satin 12 string, if you want better quality, you can get a d-28/12 but i really like the dm and it can be had for about 850 new although i hear the taylor 355 is a pretty nice guitar (it plays like an electric as i have heard--thin neck?) for about 1200 i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t60 fan Posted July 16, 2005 Members Share Posted July 16, 2005 I'd love to have a Taylor 354. A friend of mine has a 354-CE Limited model (I'm not sure which year) that has Maple b/s. Best sounding 12s I've heard, and definitely the easiest playing I've tried. Unfortunately, as Hondro said, their a bit more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrlucky7 Posted July 16, 2005 Author Members Share Posted July 16, 2005 Thank you for the information given ! I really cant judge the playability of the Taylors since they only have right handed models in stock....not very playable to me playing backwards I was not aware that the B18s were going out of production the wood is cedar compared to the B20 who is made of spruce. Do you think the B20 is a better guitar ? They had two B18s in stock....one was on the rack and had a dent and also a small gap between the neck and body but this one sounded better than the other one in the box that had no apparent flaws to me except the action seemed a bit higher. Thank you for the tip on getting it analyzed by a luthier...I'll find one and will surely bring my new guitar when I decide which one I'll get. I play mostly strumming with a bit of picking. My budget is about 500$. The B18 goes for about 270$ (in usd) and the B20 for about 350$. Thanks a lot for any information ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted July 16, 2005 Members Share Posted July 16, 2005 While several companies do put out a decent 12-string from time to time, only Taylor and Guild put out a consistently superior 12er...Many 12-strings (even ones with popular names and/or American origin) "implode" over the years...you don't want that hassle...save your money until you can buy quality, you won't regret buying a guitar that can (and will) last you the rest of your life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hondro Posted July 17, 2005 Members Share Posted July 17, 2005 yeah, those guilds sure are a nice guitar, beautiful and sound great! just a little on the pricey side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LeGreatOne Posted July 17, 2005 Members Share Posted July 17, 2005 I have a Taylor big bodied 12 string I bought a few years ago.It has great tone using Martin silk & Steel or Martin Marquis lights.It doesn't have the depth and volume of my Martin D-35, and I think that's due to the bracing and the woods used, but I highly recommend the guitar. It's rather pricey; more so now than it was when I bought it. In recent weeks I've seen Guild and Epiphone 12 strings on Ebay at relatively low prices. Not new of course, but usually in good playing condition. You may want to check Ebay. Trade-ins at guitar shops can sometimes be had at good prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members digitalsnipe Posted July 17, 2005 Members Share Posted July 17, 2005 Definitely save your dough and buy a Guild. I have the Guild F-412 and the Norman B20-12. The F-412 has been bullet-proof (32 years) but the Norman is also one sturdy guitar. It just doesn't play like a Guild and that alone is worth the extra scratch. I bought the Norman because it is one great guitar for the money, and as a back-up to the Guild. Had a Martin D-35-12 (1975) and it was also a great guitar. But, it had the shorter scale and I outgrew it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members geddyentwistle Posted July 18, 2005 Members Share Posted July 18, 2005 the absolute best bang for your buck is the alvarez jumbo 12 string taylor's 12 string sounds like a tin can and i haven't heard the martin larrivee has a nice one too, but $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrlucky7 Posted August 2, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 2, 2005 Just to keep you updated regarding my purchase..... The Guilds do look incredibly nice but are way out of my price range costing 10 times more. Maybe one day I'll upgrade to that I would love to try one but havent seen a left handed model. The store had a right handed F-412 and just a quick strum revealed an incredible sound. I also just quickly strummed right handed models of Seagull and Simon & Patrick they had who did sound nice but, I could only order left handed models....I'd rather try it out before buying. The store had received more Norman B20s and B18s left handed. I played with 2 B20s for about 45 minutes in a booth. I tried a B18 right after this and it blew the B20s away. The sound was much richer and fuller....very warm as the bass response seemed a lot better. The B20s sounded more "jingly" to me but I guess that is a matter of preference. The solid cedar top B18 sounded more pleasant to my ears. An interesting note is that I tried 3 different B18s and could notice small differences between them. I purchased the one that felt the best in my hands and to my ears. I'm getting it tomorrow Thank you all for the info given.....I'll keep the Guild in mind for the future ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 54merk Posted August 2, 2005 Members Share Posted August 2, 2005 Originally posted by mrlucky7 Just to keep you updated regarding my purchase..... The Guilds do look incredibly nice but are way out of my price range costing 10 times more. Maybe one day I'll upgrade to that I would love to try one but havent seen a left handed model. The store had a right handed F-412 and just a quick strum revealed an incredible sound. The big Jumbo 412 (Maple) and 512 (Rosewood) models are Guild's top of the line 12's. The list price on new ones is over $2K however they can be had used for less. TAH was referring to the 212 models which can be had for around $500-$700 or so used. They are built as well as their big brothers but are not as fancy, and usually have mahog bodies. IMO these are the best bargains in 12's out there. Double truss rods, heavily braced, they hold together and Guild sold a lot of them. They are always on ebay. Good luck with the Norman. LaSiDo (Seagull) makes fine guitars although I have never played one of their 12's. Since you are left handed you really do not have many choices so if you find something you like you're best to jump on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrlucky7 Posted August 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 Here is my new baby ! Been playing it for a few weeks and it just sounds amazing. The Norman B18-12 made by the Godin folks : -Solid cedar top -Laminated cherrywood back and sides -Rosewood fretboard -Mahogany neck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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