12 String Guitar Godin A12 (2023)

FAQs

What are 12-string guitars good for? ›

12-string acoustic guitars are perfect for adding depth and sparkle to your strumming patterns, particularly on big open chords. They also come alive when you experiment with open tunings.

Q: What is the nut width? A: The nut width is 1.7" (43.18 mm).

The first 12-string electric guitar was introduced by Rickenbacker in 1931. The electric 12-string guitar became popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as the Byrds and Led Zeppelin.

Sharp-eyed fans who have watched Eric Clapton's new release, “The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions,” spotted EC playing a beautiful new dreadnought 12-string guitar. It turns out that Eric had it specially commissioned for the project.

However, you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $2000 for a 12-string guitar. The average price of a guitar has risen in the United States since 2005, but it has decreased slightly in 2021.

Tuning a 12-string guitar is a little more complicated than a regular 6 string. There are twice as many strings and a lot more tension on the guitar.

The neck is wider, to accommodate the extra strings, and is similar to the width of a classical guitar neck. The sound, particularly on acoustic instruments, is fuller and more harmonically resonant than six-string instruments.

A wider nut width can make the guitar easier to play and can provide a fuller sound. A narrower nut width can make the guitar more challenging to play and can provide a brighter sound. The nut is a small piece of wood or synthetic material found between the fretboard and headstock of an acoustic guitar.

Eventually, even rock artists such as Jimmy Page, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan would all incorporate the 12-string guitar into their work.

Album: Houses of the Holy (1973)

Stairway might be the most revered song on this list, but there's no denying Over The Hills and Far Away as the quintessential 12-string guitar song in Led Zeppelin's catalog.

Did Led Zeppelin use a 12-string guitar? ›

Led Zeppelin, the Who and the Velvet Underground all made use of Fender's 12-string electrics.

447 :: Jimi Hendrix - wood shavings from the 1960s Zemaitis 12 string acoustic guitar used by Jimi Hendrix in 1967, framed, with certificate of authenticity from Keith Smart *From the collection of Keith Smart - Keith who runs the Zemaitis Owners' Club was contacted by a luthier friend and Z Club member, who was ...

Keith strums his 1963 Harmony H-1270 jumbo 12-string acoustic guitar, which was used to record the Stones' earliest acoustic tracks, including As Tears Go By, Not Fade Away, Good Times, Bad Times and Tell Me (You're Coming Back).

Lead belly aka Huddie Ledbetter is the embodiment of American roots music. Not only did he perform and play music, but he also lived it.

The biggest, and most obvious, positive to having a 12-string guitar is that they have a rich, beautiful sound that you will never get from a traditional guitar. With 12 strings, you get a fuller effect that can transform a song from just about any genre into something special.

Tuning a 12-string guitar in standard E tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E, thick to thin) is very common. To tune your 12-string, tune the E, A, D, and G string pairs within an octave of each other. For the remaining high B and E strings, tune their string pairs in unison to the same frequency.

In order to play some of your favorite classics, the 12 string is essential. In addition, if you are looking for a guitar that can give you a certain sound that you feel is missing in your playing but you can't figure out what it is, a 12 string guitar just might be able to give it to you.

You can tune a 12-string guitar to any open tuning you want. As long as you remember to tune the string in pairs and tune the lower four pairs an octave apart, you can use any open tuning.

The main causes of guitars going out of tune are the strings not being stretched properly, low quality or old strings, the climate where you play, or parts like capos, tuning pegs or nuts messing with the tuning.

Swift is known for her ability to play both acoustic and electric guitar. She often uses a 12-string guitar to give her songs a unique sound.

How many hours does it take to master guitar? ›

On average, it takes about 300 hours of practice to learn the basic chords and feel comfortable playing the guitar. If you practice for two hours a day – every day – it will take five months to master the basics. If you practice for an hour every day, it will take you ten months.

The response from a 12-string guitar can sound more blended compared to a 6-string, which tends to generate more clarity and definition between notes. Twelve-string guitars are often appreciated for their shimmering musical character—it's a sound that leaps out at the audience, whether played live or recorded.

Second, choose a nut width.

In reality, most learners desire some versatility, but perhaps with a hair more breathing room to allow for mistakes. For this reason, consider starting with a nut width of 1 3/4". Classical guitars tend to have a nut width of 2". That's it.

Hold the pick firmly, but not too tightly. There needs to be a solid amount of thumb on top of the pick to keep it from shifting while playing-if you are strumming, you'll want to have a larger portion of the pick exposed. Less exposed pick surface can give you better accuracy to hit single notes.

No, absolutely not. There are thousands of great guitarists with normal or short fingers. Whilst having smaller hands and fingers may make some big stretches and certain chords a bit harder you can still play virtually everything without any issues whatsoever. Your finger length doesn't really come into it.

The effect of nut slots that are too high

Nut slots that are too high create a situation where the guitar is difficult to play in first position. They can also throw off the tuning and intonation. Nut slots that are too low will create what many players refer to as a “sitar” effect.

High strings at the nut can cause sharp intonation and make playing in first position difficult, while low or worn slots can result in open-string fret buzz.

Replace or shim nut. A rule of thumb for assessing slot height: Fret a string at the third fret and look for some clearance between the string and the top of the first fret. If it's touching or has a very small clearance, it's a good indicator your slot is too low.

Since then, the 12-string guitar has been used by an amazing variety of artists and bands – R.E.M, The Smiths, Bon Jovi, Tom Petty, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and John Butler have all made use of this unique sound in some very different ways.

Rickenbacker was not the first company with an electric 12, but when its models were taken up by The Beatles, The Byrds, and many more, the brand became synonymous with the big, bold jangle that this instrument could produce.

Can you use a capo on a 12-string guitar? ›

Capoing a 12 string is tricky. Most capos aren't built specifically for 12 strings, and fail to apply adequate tension to octave strings. And if you try to compensate with greater tension, you tend to pull the regular strings horribly sharp. I've lucked into trigger capos that work well.

Guitars used on Stairway To Heaven

The main parts of the song used two guitars, a Harmony Sovereign H1260 acoustic guitar and a Fender Electric XII 12 string played directly into the board.

Today, Eric Clapton is best associated with the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar (he endorses a signature model) and Martin Acoustic Guitars (five models have been issued over the years). In concert, he primarily plays his signature model Fender Stratocaster.

Super-Strats became Eddie's guitars of choice by the 1980s. But, in the early days of Van Halen, the Ibanez Destroyer was the king of his rig. And, it's the guitar that he played for some of VH's defining early moments.

The Frankenstrat, also known as "Frankie", is a guitar created by Eddie Van Halen. Its name is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who created a monster by combining body parts of the recently deceased, and the Stratocaster, a model of electric guitar made by Fender.

The extended Jimmy Page guitar solo in the song's final section was played for the recording on a 1959 Fender Telecaster given to him by Jeff Beck (an instrument he used extensively with the Yardbirds) plugged into a Supro amplifier, although in an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine, Page said, "It could have ...

For his electric guitars, Eric Clapton uses Ernie Ball . 10 to . 46 gauge strings.

Firstly, What Are The Benefits of Heavy Gauge Strings? Further, heavier guitar strings have better tuning stability under more aggressive playing styles and/or lower tunings. With the extra tension and stability you'll find yourself playing more boldly and confidently… you'll have to!

Furthermore, the isolated guitar track shows just how technically gifted Hendrix was. His signature Fender Stratocaster tone is laid bare, and as if connected to his heart, it augments the honest nature of the lyrics.

Why do 12-string guitars sound so good? ›

The top two pairs of strings are tuned in unison (the same pitch) and the bottom four pairs are tuned in octaves i.e. the doubled up string will be the same pitch as the open string played at the 12^th fret. The resulting sound is bright, shimmery and almost chorus like.

John Denver was a multi-talented singer, performer, and guitar player, often noted for his use of 12-string guitar in his music. His relationship with the 12-string was centered around Guild, where he was seen playing many different variations of the F-212, F-512 and F-612 throughout the years.

With its similarly epic 27.75″ scale and distinctive triangular soundhole, Pete Seeger's 12-string guitar is nearly as iconic as his banjo. The original 12-string was created by Liverpool engineer Stanley Francis within a few years of Seeger making his banjo.

Trigger is the Martin N-20 nylon-string classical acoustic guitar used by country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. Early in his career, Nelson tested several guitars by different companies.

"Clapton is God" is a 1960s meme referencing the English guitarist Eric Clapton. The line was popularised after being spray-painted on a wall in London during the mid-1960s, when Clapton was a member of the Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, creating the cult of the guitar hero.

A 12-fret guitar has its bridge further from the soundhole, closer to the lower bout, allowing it to sit on a more flexible place on the top and offering more sustain on smaller bodies.

Yes - just like you might play a tune on any music instrument. However some songs may not be well suited for this particular instrument. If you ask if we can play the same accompaniments or solo pieces as on 6 string guitars it may be very inconvenient - sometimes maybe even bordering on the impossible.

Beginners and smaller players may find that 12-fret guitars are easier and more comfortable to play, since their fretting hand doesn't have to extend quite as far to reach open position.

Pros of a 12-String Guitar

The biggest, and most obvious, positive to having a 12-string guitar is that they have a rich, beautiful sound that you will never get from a traditional guitar. With 12 strings, you get a fuller effect that can transform a song from just about any genre into something special.

A 12-fret guitar has its bridge further from the soundhole, closer to the lower bout, allowing it to sit on a more flexible place on the top and offering more sustain on smaller bodies.

Are chords the same on a 12-string guitar? ›

The 12-string guitar can be played like a 6-string guitar as players still use the same notes, chords and guitar techniques like a standard 6-string guitar, but advanced techniques might be tough as players need to play or pluck two strings simultaneously.

What Kinds Of Strings Do 12-String Guitars Use? 12-string guitar strings aren't any different than regular acoustic ones. They use the same gauges, and you can find them in all of the same materials such as: Phosphor Bronze.