12 strings guitar. Finally I tried one!

I have an ES-335 112-string. It’s a challenge to tune (more then 2x the effort of a 6-string, IMO) but sounds just amazing when plugged in. They are definitely “their own thing” but as the OP said, a great deal of fun. That said, he’s probably having more of a challenge playing it fingerstyle than I am strumming with a pick. :slight_smile:

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One day I was in the local guitar shop, and one of the employees was behind the counter working on one. I said “tuning a 12-string?” He said “yeah, I’ll be here all afternoon.”

I have owned a Yamaha FG 312 since the late 1980s. I have always been a big Byrds/Roger McGuinn fan and back then I read that the Rick 12 is strung differently to other 12s in that the top 4 pairs have the low octave on top.

So I thought I would try that on the Yamaha and had the nut replaced to fit the top 4 strings reversed.

I definitely liked the sound it gave and have left it like that. Playing a 12 is definitely a whole different thing especially if you like to fingerpick. Your fretting hand has more effort to put in, holding two strings down. And as for barre chords…

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The old FGs are cool. I would like to pick up a sweet 1970s FG. Maybe not a 12 string. Very interesting way to set up the strings. Remeinds me of Dick Dales set up… sort of.
:laughing: