# 12 String Owners Club



## GuitarsCanada

I am looking at getting another 12 string. I had one for several years and gave it away to a family members a few years back. How many 12 string players do we have on here?


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## Ship of fools

Count me in.








ship


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## Mooh

In my teen years (the '70s) I had a Fender acoustic 12 string, which at the time was as good as I could afford and it started me down a disappointing road searching for a better one. I tried everything that came my way but was always disappointed in something. The big Martins and Guilds were great but beyond my budget and really too big for my comfort. I remember a borrowed Martin 12 string dread that was killer, but again, it was more than I could afford. 

In the '90s I met Marc Beneteau and bought a 6 string. My wife, God bless her, thought I should approach him for a 12 string. I thought it might be my last chance, but if I could explain my needs to him maybe he'd do what I wanted. He did. It's everything I wanted and still want in a 12 string. 

I love the jingle-jangle, and it doesn't have the strident shreak of some 12s, it's balanced because of the 12 fret neck and ebony tuner buttons (amazing how much leverage is applied by steel buttons), it sits lower on my lap due to the slightly tighter waist, it's just as powerful due to being pretty deep in the body and having the bridge shifted back to the wider part of the top (because of the 12 fret neck, the X brace was also shifted back a bit to accomodate this). Other stuff: classical style rosette, some inlay, Indian rosewood body with spruce top, great Schaller machines (though I might replace them with Gotoh 510s sometime), bone nut and saddle, pin bridge. 

Since then I still haven't played many good factory acoustic 12s other than the obvious big names, though there are some hidden gems from Yamaha and Ibanez and Godin. 

If I were to do it again I'd likely do something very much the same but maybe different woods.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Crossroads

I have a 12er as well a Sigma-Martin D12-7R, early seventies..... doesn't get played nearly enough, but I love the sound, and it is a nice looking guitar.


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## crashaholic

GuitarsCanada said:


> I am looking at getting another 12 string. I had one for several years and gave it away to a family members a few years back. How many 12 string players do we have on here?


Ibanez ew2012









Hmm...supposed to be an image, not a link


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## simescan

Cort jumbo 12-string, and an
old Vantage 12, that just won't die


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## zontar

Here's my beat up S&P Cedar 12.
Even with a crack in the top it sounds and plays great.

I love it.


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## dodgechargerfan

I have a Fender 12. 

I used to have an Eterna by Yamaha. Such as it was, it stayed in tune and played pretty good. When I'm learning, I just want something that is no fuss no muss and that one was that. It got damaged beyond repair and I missed it.


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## Guest

Seagull Coastline Cedar 12string ! I just love the sound and feel of this guitar. I will never need any other 12string........


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## Lincoln

I'm 12 string all the way. Been playing virtually nothing but 12's since the late 70's. 
I have a 70's Fender F80-12, a newer Takamine 12, a good japanese copy of a Gibson ES335-12, a home built Strat style 12,
and I'm currently working on a home built Tele-12. My son has a 60's Vox Tempest 12. 

PLug me into an amp with a little bit of tape/delay turned on to fill the sound in even more......and turn me loose!


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## zontar

Lincoln said:


> I'm 12 string all the way. Been playing virtually nothing but 12's since the late 70's.
> I have a 70's Fender F80-12, a newer Takamine 12, a good japanese copy of a Gibson ES335-12, a home built Strat style 12,
> and I'm currently working on a home built Tele-12. My son has a 60's Vox Tempest 12.
> 
> PLug me into an amp with a little bit of tape/delay turned on to fill the sound in even more......and turn me loose!


One day I would like to get a solidbody 12 string. But not in the next year or so--unless I come across a deal I can't resist...


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## WarrenG

1989 Martin D12-28. Owned it since new.


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## 335Bob

I have a Taylor 855CE and I love it.


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## Milkman

I have an Ibanez.

It's not bad at all for the price.
Here's a clip with me playing it.
YouTube - ‪Pigs on the Wing / Wish You Were Here/ Knocking on Heaven's Door.MPG‬&lrm;


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## GuitarsCanada

Thats a nice one, Mike. Sounds pretty damn good too


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## zontar

GuitarsCanada said:


> Thats a nice one, Mike. Sounds pretty damn good too


I'll agree with that--and I'm sure you posted that one a while back.

I love the look of the top on that one.


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## Milkman

zontar said:


> I'll agree with that--and I'm sure you posted that one a while back.
> 
> I love the look of the top on that one.


Thanks, and yes it's a clip from last fall I think.

This is also a 12 string, but not a guitar. It's called a trichordio and I bought it in Guadalajara this spring.


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## Milkman

zontar said:


> One day I would like to get a solidbody 12 string. But not in the next year or so--unless I come across a deal I can't resist...



Me too. If I could find a decent double neck that wasn't neck heavy I might consier that as well.


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## Lincoln

zontar said:


> One day I would like to get a solidbody 12 string. But not in the next year or so--unless I come across a deal I can't resist...





Milkman said:


> Me too. If I could find a decent double neck that wasn't neck heavy I might consier that as well.


A little tip......
I searched long & hard to find one that was "playable". Most of them seem to want to put 12 strings on a 1-5/8" nut and I'm sorry but I can't play them. The strings are too close. I find I need 1-3/4" minimum nut width to make it work. 1-7/8" "feels" chunky but works great too.


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## Milkman

Lincoln said:


> A little tip......
> I searched long & hard to find one that was "playable". Most of them seem to want to put 12 strings on a 1-5/8" nut and I'm sorry but I can't play them. The strings are too close. I find I need 1-3/4" minimum nut width to make it work. 1-7/8" "feels" chunky but works great too.



I tried a Ricky 12 and that was the only issue I had. The neck width at the nut was way too narrow for my tasts.


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## zontar

Milkman said:


> This is also a 12 string, but not a guitar. It's called a trichordio and I bought it in Guadalajara this spring.


I like that one--I once tried a bajo sexto I found in a local store.
It's like a 12 string, but a bit different.

The Atlas of Plucked Instruments defines it as-


> This is the 12-string bass guitar used in the Mexican country music, a kind of TexMex. It differs from the guitarro doble by having octave strings in the 3 lower courses, and is tuned a whole octave lower. There is also a bajo quinto, which has 5 double strings - the 6th course is taken away, as apparently it is almost never used on a bajo sexto anyway.
> 
> The bajo sexto guitar is made like a normal guitar, with a flat back. Usually it has a cut-out, and decorative extensions to the bridge. Often there is extra decoration around the soundhole and the edge of the body. The fingerboard is raised above the front. It has normal guitar frets.
> 
> The tuning is a like a 12-string guitar, but one octave deeper (!), so the lowest stings are really like a bass guitar. The left string of the course is the high octave: EE' AA' dD GG cc ff.
> 
> Playing is with a combination of bass notes and strumming to give the rhythm basis for the music.


It was a bit different to play. ANd it did look like the picture they have it on their Mexico page-(Be sure to scroll down.)





Milkman said:


> I tried a Ricky 12 and that was the only issue I had. The neck width at the nut was way too narrow for my tasts.


The 12 string Strat I tired was okay for my hand, but still may not be wide enough for evrybody. I didn't measure the nut width.


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## HarpBoy

I'm the proud owner of a Martin J12-16GT. This guitar has a beautiful sound and is supremely playable. Everyone who plays it loves it.

Cheers


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## mrmatt1972

I have an EKO Ranger 12 string that my son turned into an 11 string by knocking it over and busting off a tuning peg. My fault, since he was 2 at the time. It's huge, made of plywood and has a bolt on neck. It's saving grace is the zero fret, which gives neck chords a really nice sound. Despite it's size, it is pretty quiet, but loud enough for campfire singalongs. I've tuned it Nashville style in the past (octave strings only) and used it that way to fill out rhythm parts in recordings and/or in multi guitar bands. I really like it that way.


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## Guest

I haven't played my Seagull 12 string in months. Sure enough I read the recent posts over the last few days and I pick it up and fell deeply in love with its charm again. I'd been playing nothing but my parlor lately, but that just came to a screeching hault...


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## zontar

12 strings will do that to you.

Mine wa slike that when I first got it, I hardly touched my other guitars--and it gets its turn since then as well.


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## Mooh

wiley said:


> I haven't played my Seagull 12 string in months. Sure enough I read the recent posts over the last few days and I pick it up and fell deeply in love with its charm again. I'd been playing nothing but my parlor lately, but that just came to a screeching hault...


I used to get stuck in the habit (might have been a rut) of playing only a couple of guitars most of the time, but these days I rotate them on purpose. It's too easy to get lulled into the assumption that one has certain preferences based on use and habit, when preferences should be guided by sound. So throughout the day I try to play at least 4 different guitars to help keep my mind and ears open. Wish I had more than one 12 string.

Peace, Mooh.


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## zontar

Usually when I go to grab a guitar I'll think about what I'm going to do with it, and which one's gone the longest without getting used.

So I try to rotate them.


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## stringer

I've owned a Yamaha 12 string since the late 80's. A big part of why I never learned to play for 30 years or so as it was my only guitar. I'm a pack rat and never turfed it and around the time I turned 40 and armed with youtube, I gave it another shot. Replaced a broken nut and got the frets replaced with jumbos. I've since learned to play a few songs that sound nice and I'm happy. I love the sound of my fg 440 12 12 string, but haven't had the pleasure to play with the expensive stuff. I am pretty sure I will always have a 12 string around.


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## Rick31797

i have a late 70s Yamaha FG-312 model.. it needs a set up, but other then that it in nice condition.


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## jazzmaster61

I have the pleasure of owning the following all purchased new---1976 Yamaki 12 string,1989 fender strat 12, 1996 Ovation celebrity 12,2001 Godin a-12,Rick 360-12 in f.g..,Dot on shaft 12 6 double neck


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## jazzmaster61

Also a Fender 1966 12 string sunburst


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## Thornton Davis

My 1970 Eko Ranger XII.










TD


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## Rick31797

NIce 12 string, the name sounds like a truck i once had, much rather have your guitar..lol


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## Jocko

I have a Tanglewood TW28/12. Its a lovely guitar. Strung with 8's it plays like a Strat! I once had an Eko Ranger XII, back in the early 70's. Nice guitar. Mine was an XI though. Had a broken machine head so only had one top E! One bought a secondhand Yamaha and it was crap. It had 12 individual strings, not 6 pairs if you get my drift. Then the back of the bridge started to lift so It got the heave.


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## bolero

I've got a seagull 12 string, not sure which model but it has a solid spruce top

sounds great, and the tapered headstock really helps keep the strings in tune...looks sorta like this


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## fraser

69 silvertone 1226. its a harmony made, rebadged 12 string stella.










more here-
http://www.guitarscanada.com/vintage/33051-silvertone-1226-a.html


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## Buzzard

My 12 string. :acigar:


Yamaha Pacifica 303-12


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## 335Bob

I have a Taylor 855CE 12 string. I've had a few different 12s in the past and the Taylor is the best sounding I've had so far.


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## GuitarsCanada

I still have not gotten one since my original post, should prolly get on that


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## Jim DaddyO

After a year and a half I am still liking my Simon and Patrick Woodland 12..


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## Steadfastly

GuitarsCanada said:


> I still have not gotten one since my original post, should prolly get on that


Yes, it has been about four years now.


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