12 String Glory

[wnpgguy]

Any 12 string owners? Love em' Hate em'...? Best songs to learn on your 12 strings? Would love to hear your thoughts.

[Mooh]

Love the idea, just not all 12s.

I've only owned two. The first was a cheap '70s Fender because it was all I could afford in the '70s. It had decent action and playability but crapola tone. It was dealt for some other now long gone piece of gear.

After years of dissatisfaction with 12 strings I tried, I pretty much gave up on them. That was until I discovered Marc Beneteau's guitars and decided if anyone could build me one I actually liked, it would be Marc. After months of indecision, my good bride helped me fund (as a Christmas present) the purchase.

The 1996 Beneteau 12 string has rosewood back/sides, spruce top, ebony fingerboard/bridge/pins/buttons, Schaller tuners (maybe will replace with Gotoh 510 minis soon), deep body, tight waist, a couple of small personalized inlays, classical style rosette, 12 fret to body neck, and tone upon tone upon tone. Usually strung with light guage D'Addarios and tuned to standard, though sometimes it's strung heavier and tuned down a half step. It has never ever had issues. Excellent physical balance due to the 12 fret neck, ebony tuner buttons which are lighter than steel, and the body proportions. Excellent tonal balance due to the bridge being further back to accommodate the neck, the deeper body, tighter waist, solid woods blah blah blah...you get the idea.

I'd like another but I don't make the same coin I used to. However, this one is a keeper. If I ever did get another it would be the same as the one I have except different woods, maybe maple or walnut.

The only other ones that have impressed me much are some other custom built ones, one particular Martin, and the occassional Guild, though jumbos are big for me.

Peace, Mooh.

[simescan]

I have a Cort sj-3/12 jumbo. It produces excellent sound and it is quite loud (I guess that's partly because it's a jumbo). I don't play it as often as I used to because I now have a little A/E Washburn that has become my favorite "pick-up-and-play" toy. I still play that 12-string (mostly when other people want to hear it) and I will never get rid of it.

[millenium_03]

I love 12 strings... I own an fender DG16E-12 BLK...

My favorite song to play on her are:
Eagles --- Hotel California
Kansas --- Dust in the wind (fingerpicking)
Pink Floyd --- Wish you were here
Harmonium --- any songs they made !!
etc...
etc...

[Tony Burns]

Just was thinking how nice it would be to pull out that old 1971 Yamaha 12 string next week , put new strings on her and relive some of those old songs from the seventies -- thanks for the jumpstart !

[zontar]

I have a Simon & Patrick 12 string--with a cedar top.
I love the sound.
The guitar plays quite well.
It does take some getting used to with the doubling of strings--and it takes longer to tune & change strings--but it's worth it.

I play my 12 string more than my others right now--I mostly use it at church--so my favorite songs tend to be old hymns.

But I also like trying unlikely songs on it--songs that wouldn't normally be associated with 12 string.

[Graham]

I had a Seagull S-12 that was very nice, cedar top, very warm sounding, almost mellow, should have kept it.

My Guild F-512 is a full on orchestra when it needs to be. RW and spruce, jumbo body just a treat to play. Beautiful sound all over the place.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r126/Graham_61/F-512/F-512-1-2.jpg

[wnpgguy]

I love 12 strings... I own an fender DG16E-12 BLK...

My favorite song to play on her are:
Eagles --- Hotel California
Kansas --- Dust in the wind (fingerpicking)
Pink Floyd --- Wish you were here
Harmonium --- any songs they made !!
etc...
etc...

On my student budget I just bought a Greg Bernnett. Love the sound but I think those are the only songs I play on my 12 string (besides harmonium). I love to play them but it feels so limited when I'm just jamming, I usually jump back to my electric. For christmas I just got a Dean Markley acoustic pickup so I jumped back on my 12 string again. :)

I think its best to learn the songs on my electric, then play them on my 12 string because learning a new song on a 12 string can be frustrating.