12 string guitars include twin sets of strings paired very close together on the neck and are tuned octaves apart. Checkout the best acoustic, electric and acoustic-electric guitars with 12 strings that will be a welcome addition to your collection of stringed instruments.
Introduction
The richer and unique sound produced as a result has been used in some of the most iconic music ever produced. Musicians, including some top names, have been creating music on the 12-string acoustic guitar for decades.
Known for its loud & distinct sound (because of the twin sets of strings tuned octaves apart), this instrument quickly became popular when it was first introduced; many were happy that because the instrument could produce a loud, natural sound even without the help of additional amplification.
Some of the top musicians have been jamming, performing and creating music with their 12-string guitars for decades, and many consider it as one of the most important instruments in the history of popular music.
Guitar players can opt for a variety of tuning options on a 12 string guitar. You can also chose from a wide range of 12-string guitars. For any budding guitar player, a 12-string guitar is the next step on the road to becoming an accomplished guitarist.
Best 12-String Guitars
While the best 12-string guitars cost a fortune, there are some that are reasonably priced as well. These 12-strings sound great, look and sound beautiful and in the priced in the mid-range. You can create several chime and chorus-type effects with this 12-string acoustic guitars.
Martin D12X1AE 12-String Dreadnought Acoustic Electric
The Martin D12X1AE acoustic-electric 12-string guitar is perfect for the advanced player, comes with built-in Fishman Sonitone electronics. Gives out warm, vintage, full, robust sound that can fill the room. Adds a modern flair to a vintage instrument.
Epiphone DR-212 12-String Acoustic Guitar
For the price it is a pure bargain. The sound is great, and the action is pretty good for a 12 string.
25.5 scale, Mahogany body, Select Spruce top.
Ovation Celebrity CC245 12-string Acoustic-electric Guitar
Looking for a beautiful guitar sound? This one sounds like a dream and clearly is on a different plain compared to six string guitars. Spruce Top, Center Soundhole, Mid-Depth Cutaway.
Dean BOCA 12 String Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitar
The Dean Boca 12-String Electric Guitar features a semi-hollow body with arched top, dual humbuckers, Grover tuners, adjustable bridge with stop bar tailpiece, and rosewood fretboard with dot markers. Its great for that jangly classic rock sound.
Danelectro 12SDC 12-String Electric Guitar
Cool guitar for the price. Looks good, good build quality, and sounds beautiful.
Nut width: 1-3/4″, Scale length: 25″ (635mm), light nickel wound strings.
Yamaha FG82012 12-String Acoustic Guitar
Solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides offer superior balanced tone.
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12-String Guitars: Buying Guide
Types of 12-String Guitars
The Twelve String Guitar is usually a natural progression for most guitar players, who graduate from being a beginner to an intermediate or expert guitar player. This is because a twelve string guitar produce a much richer tone than your standard six-string guitar, and makes your guitar sounds a lot better (because there are two strings on each course).
Here you get the usual variants of guitars, just the number of strings are 12.
- 12-String Acoustic Guitar
- Twelve String Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Electric 12 String Guitar
- Bass 12 String Guitar
- Vintage 12 String Guitar
- Left Handed 12 String Guitar
Produces Richer & Distinct Tone
The 12-string acoustic is pretty much like a 6-stringed guitar but comes with doubled strings that allow it to produce richer, and more ringing tones.
On this guitar, 12-strings are accommodated into 6 courses on the neck, with 2 strings per course that are tuned octaves apart. Strumming the two strings on the course produces a natural chorus effect, a louder and fuller tone, something that cannot be produced on a six string guitar.
This very fact made it a popular instrument among the early blues musicians, most notably Lead Belly (often dubbed the “King of the 12 string”).
Preferred by Top Performers
12 string guitars have been enjoyed by a wide spectrum of performers, who play in different genres, although traditionally these instruments have been played in folk, rock and other forms of popular music.
Some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Robert Smith, Melissa Ethridge, Thom Yorke, John Lennon and more have used the unique sound of the 12 string guitar to create some of the most memorable music of all time. Free Fallin’, Maggie Mae, Hotel California, all feature the distinctive sound of the 12-string guitar.
Tuning a 12-String Guitar
A 12 string guitar allows a variety of tuning options.
- Standard 12-string tuning: The two strings in each bass course are typically tuned an octave apart, while strings in the treble course are tuned in unison.
- Open tuning: Open strings are tuned to form a chord, allowing the sound of a chord to be produced wven without fretting any strings.
- From lush open tuning with near orchestral tones, to the captivating sounds of down-tuning, to the legendary Nashville tuning, with its jangle qualities, the possibilities with a 12 string guitar are nearly limitless. Those not content with standard tunings can opt for a variety of tuning options on a 12 string guitar.
Initially, those six extra tuning pegs on a 12-string can seem challenging, but tuning it becomes easier once you learn how to do it. Besides, its very likely that you already know how to tune a 6-string guitar (usually the first instrument for many). Both instruments are usually tuned to the same E tuning. The only difference is that the 12-string guitar has pairs of the same note strings (instead of 6 single ones). Also, depending on the guitar, some string pairs are tuned to the same note while others are in different octaves. So for example, on a 12-string acoustic guitar, in the bass course, the strings are tuned an octave apart, whereas the strings in the treble course are tuned in unison. The strings on the third course can be either in unison or an octave apart depending on the musician.
Those who are new to a 12-string guitar should take the time to completely familiarize with the instrument; this will help you make the guitar produce the sound you desire.
Use of Wood
Like most other guitars, the sound produced also depends on the type of wood used to make the instrument.
Most 12-string hollow-bodied acoustic guitars are crafted from durable tonewoods with a curved body and lengthy neck. An alder-bodied guitar gives off a full-bodied sound with heavy mids and sizzling highs, while maple is said to provide crisper, clear tones with super-tight lows.
How To Play a 12-String Guitar
Its not difficult at all; its just like playing the usual guitar. The only difference is that when you play a cord, you’re actually pressing two strings at once, thus making the overall tone produced sound better.
Buying a 12-string guitar
12 String Guitars provide rich tones (compared to the normal 6-strings), as well as a natural chorus effect, because of the presence of those extra 6 strings. In order to get a fuller sound, the extra 6-strings are traditionally tuned one octave higher than the standard strings. These guitars can be used for a variety of musical styles.
Take time to understand the different types and the various options available before settling on one specific instrument. A 12-string guitar produce a distinct sound, and with its cool looks, should be a welcome addition to every guitarists’s collection of stringed instruments.
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