12 String Guitars

(Originally written by leruisseau/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Made in Canada. Massive cedar top, cherrywood back and sides, silver maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. There's also a peamp version available. Classic dimensions for a dreadnought model. Plain and natural finish. UTILIZATION Round and comfortable neck. It's my first 12-string and I was afraid I would have difficulties playing it but it's not the case. It's even easier to play open chords than with a 6-string. The guitar stays in tune but you'll have to tune it again if you transport it, even if in a hard case. Easy to reach the 15th fret, but it isn't as easy to get to the 17th. But this is quite normal since the guitar has no cutaway. SOUNDS I find the sound very nice: It can be light and crystal-clear when you play it soft and it becomes fuller when you play it harder. The sound seems well balanced to me. It's great for arpeggios and rhythm guitar. Be careful because the sound is much bigger than that of a 6-string and it can fill up a room easily. It's exactly the sound I was looking for. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for 3 months and I'd say it's a good 12-string guitar for beginners (like me). I don't really have anything to criticize and I haven't had any ugly surprises for the time being. I believe the guitar is great for the money! Then again, I couldn't really compare it to other models so my opinion is quite biased. (update from 11/06/2008: after nearly one year of use, I still have nothing to criticize and I like the sound more and more. Arpeggio playing is interesting but not for every song. It's good to also have a 6-string for "standard" playing. In short, the sound is powerful and it's a real pleasure!

The Epiphone AJ-18S 12 is a 12 string acoustic guitar. I recently bought one of these used, and let me say for the price I've been extremely used. It's not an acoustic/electric instrument, which is no worry for me as I was mostly looking for something to write and record with and when and if I ever decided to gig with it, I can always just mic it up. I'm not 100% sure where the guitar was made, but it's definitely not the good old US of A. UTILIZATION The Epiphone AJ-18S 12 has a pretty good overall feel and is quite easy to play. It's fluid feeling, but when compared to higher end 12 string guitars, you'll notice the difference right away. Don't get me wrong, it's very easy to play and I've got no complaints for the price. SOUNDS The sound of the Epiphone AJ-18S 12 is pretty bright overall, although I do have some pretty bright strings on it that is probably adding to this factor. I do like the way the guitar sounds both live and recorded as it seems to cut through well in both applications. Again, when compared to higher end 12 string guitars you're going to notice the difference, but as far as bang for your buck is concerned, the AJ-18S 12 sounds pretty darn good. It's definitely a recordable guitar! OVERALL OPINION Being that I only paid $100 US for a used Epiphone AJ-18S 12, I can't say a bad thing about it. It's worth a bit more than that and unless you're going to be spending a bunch more on a truly professional 12 string acoustic, this is one of the best deals you're going to find. Unfortunately there aren't many of these out there and if you are going to get one it's going to be used. It's still worth a look out if you're looking for an inexpensive 12 string acoustic guitar.

The Taylor GA3-12 is a 12 string acoustic guitar, made in the good old US of A. It's strictly an acoustic, meaning there are no electronics on this guitar. I don't know exactly what kinds of materials the guitar is made out of, but when you're dealing with a Taylor you know you're getting the finest parts and woods available. The guitar has about 21 frets as well... UTILIZATION The Taylor GA3-12 wasn't as easy to play as I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, but no means is a difficult 12 string to play, but for the price I was expecting something a lot smoother. When compared to most 12 string guitars it plays quite well, but I've definitely played some cheaper 12 strings that I thought were easier to play. Maybe it was the set up on this particular guitar. SOUNDS The sound of the Taylor GA3-12 is extremely bright. It's by no stretch of the imagination a bad sounding 12 string guitar, but for me I prefer a sound that's a bit more full bodied and a bit less tinny than this. Again, perhaps it was just this guitar or maybe the strings were new, but I was definitely expecting a bit more depth than what I heard from the GA3-12. In general Taylor guitars are bright, so as always it's a personal preference thing when you get to these higher end guitars. OVERALL OPINION While the Taylor GA3-12 is definitely a nice overall 12 string acoustic guitar, I think it's overpriced. For $1300 US dollars I was expecting something a lot more lush sounding and for it to play better than most other 12 strings that I've used before. Maybe my expectations were a bit too high, but considering that it's a Taylor and that it costs this steep price, I really don't think I'm asking all that much. I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there who will love this guitar, and I can't argue with personal preference, but for me I know I could find a 12 string that I like better than this for half the price or less. At least do yourself the favor of doing some serious shopping around in lower and comparable price ranges before picking this guitar up.

This is a quality twelve-string guitar, made by Gibson, an all around legendary manufacturer. This is acoustic, and has no electronic capabilities. There are 20 frets but only 15 are easily accessible. There is a rosewood fingerboard, a maple neck and a sunburst body. The bridge is a trapeze tailpiece. UTILIZATION This is twelve-string guitar land, and playability is always going to be an issue. I think that this guitar especially suffers from an extreme difficulty in playing. Also, intonation and dead frets are a common occurrence. I think that is the reason I got this guitar so relatively cheap (considering it's at least from the 70s). The twelve strings put too much pressure on the headstock and cause it to lift. Also, the neck is really wide and difficult to really play all the way. Doing work on these is almost necessary to ensure lifelong playability. SOUNDS I really am disappointed that it is so hard to play this thing, because it sounds amazing. The tones are really rich and bright and cover the entire depth of the sonic spectrum. There is no annoying midrange buzz, and none of the tones are harsh, but also not too dull either. I can't believe how good this thing sounds for how cheap I got it, until I consider the already mentioned issues of playability and intonation. This is great for both folk and rock/pop tunes. I wouldn't be able to imagine twelve-strings for much else, so this is great. OVERALL OPINION I really liked how this thing sounded, but it's so hard to play that it's a problem. It's good that it's a twelve-string and that as such, it won't be used often (unless you are extremely partial to them). But it's still difficult to play and can actually give a seasoned player some tendonitis, which is unfortunate. Buy at your own risk.

The Martin DM-12 is a 12-string guitar that was made in the USA and is not an acoustic/electric, so it doesn't have any pick ups or controls. The neck is made out of solid mahogany and is extremely easy to play as far as 12-string guitars go. UTILIZATION The Martin DM-12 is very easy to play as the mahogany neck has a fluid feel that makes it easy to play both lead and rhythm 12-string guitar parts. It is easy to play all around the neck, but I usually don't play too many lead parts and especially don't play too much on the top notes as I stick to mostly rhythmic parts on the lower part of the neck. The Martin DM-12 isn't too heavy and has the classic look and feel that Martin guitars bring to the table. Getting a good sound is extremely easy as the inherent tone is pretty awesome on this guitar. SOUNDS The Martin DM-12 has a great overall tone to it, whether you want to use it for recording, live shows, or just for practicing. It has an extremely vibrant sound that is full of life, while it covers the full frequency range very well with crisp high end and tight low end sounds. It is suitable for any type of music that you would want to use it with, but I use it mostly for rock, pop, and folk music as that is mostly what I play. I love the sounds I get from the Martin DM-12 while recording and it is honestly one of the best sounding 12-string guitars that I have used. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Martin DM-12 for about two years for recording and it is one of my favorite 12-string guitars to use for this application as I find it is very easy to get a nice sound from this guitar. Martin makes some of, if not the best acoustic guitars in the world and I always trust the products they offer. This particular guitar is perfect for the guitar player who plays 12-string a lot and wants a great feeling and sounding 12-string that will last a lifetime. This guitar isn't cheap, but the price is definitely reasonable considering the amazing guitar that you are getting. Overall, one of my favorite 12-string guitars that are currently being made.

The Taylor 855 is a 12 string guitar that is made in the USA and is not an acoustic/electric instrument, so there are no pick ups or knobs on this guitar. The Taylor 855 has a beautiful finish and is made extremely well. UTILIZATION The neck of the Taylor 855 feels great and is as easy to play as any 12 string guitar that I have played before. It is easy to play all around the neck, and the neck is round and fat, with plenty of room to fit your fingers around the guitar. This guitar isn't too light or small, but isn't inconveniently heavy or too big. Getting a good sound is extremely easy if you know how to play, whether you are talking about recording or playing live. SOUNDS The sound quality of the Taylor 855 12 string guitar is top notch when it comes to 12 string acoustic guitars. I've played a few different types of 12 string guitars, this is definitely one of the best. Each string has a huge sound to it that is both rich sounding and full. I love the way that 12 string guitars sound, and this is one of the best sounding ones that I've ever played. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Taylor 855 12 string guitar for about a year and it is truly a great guitar. It not only sounds incredible, but it has a beautiful look to it, with an awesome looking inlay and body colors. The Taylor 855 isn't a cheap guitar and is designed for professionals, so I would only really recommend this guitar if you are looking for a 12 string guitar to last a lifetime and have a good amount of money to spend on it. For those who can afford it, the Taylor 855 is one of the best 12 string acoustic guitars out there.

I use this guitar for recording and some song writing. mostly playing with my fingers although if I want a big sound I use a plectrum. Solid build with great sound, I prefer the sound to many far more expensive models I have performed alongside. Not the easiest to play and the frets up around 10 on the higher strings start to buzz a tiny bit. The action on mine requires a little attention but I set my acoustics as if they were a Tele, so not bad really. The sound is very loud and it stays in tune. It is easy to get in tune, the tuners are as good as anything I have encountered. Cons- Its huge and after playing my fingers feel tired.;).

This is Fender's new 12 string put out for 2011. I was loaned on out for a few weeks to give it a go. I couldn't be happier with the tone and feel of it. This guitar costs $230 and it brand new for 2011. It should be available now at any store or website that sells Fender. The tone! First thing I do when I pickup a 12 string and play the intro chords to Boston's More Than A Feeling. I listen closely for tuning and tone. That is how you tell the real guitars from the toys. If it sounds over trebly and thin, set it down. This guitar you could really feel in your gut as you strummed an open chord. Nothing that I can think of. The guitar is built with a spruce top and mahogany is the wood of the neck, back and sides. The fretboard is rosewood. The nut, saddle and tuners do their job well, but I was wondering if I could just get a wee bit more thicker tone with some more heavy duty hardware. No complaints though. If you have always wanted a 12-string to keep around for inspiration this is a low risk full sounding instrument. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a 12-string version of the FG720S. It has solid spruce top, laminate nato back and sides, nato neck, and rosewood fretboard, bridge and headstock overlay. It has a natural finish. It is advertised as a dreadnought, but the lower bout is larger than the standard dreadnaught size, so this is closer to a mini-jumbo. I've been playing guitar for over 40 years now and playing 12-string off and on for over 35 years. Although I played in various combos when I was in high school and college, I do mostly singer-songwriter stuff now. I purchased this from a Best Buy store for a beater guitar to have to take on picnics, vacations, etc. I paid less than $300 for it but the store gave me a discount since all they had in stock was the display model. The first positive feature of this guitar is the construction quality. It had no loose braces or glue joins on the inside. There were no sloppy glue joins either. Secondly, since this was purchased from a 'box store,' it was apparent they did not do any setup to the guitar, so this is a factory setup. The setup at the factory is excellent. The action was perfect and the frets were dressed so there were no burrs or fret wires extending over the edges of the fret board. I could not find any negative features given the quality of construction and materials used. The construction quality: It had no loose braces or glue joins on the inside. There were no sloppy glue joins either. The frets were dressed so there were no burrs or fret wires extending over the edges of the fretboard. The setup was done at the factory since this was purchased through a box store and it was perfect: It played smooth as silk even down to the 14th fret. Over the past 35 years I've owned a half dozen different 12-strings (including this one), I've played or demo'ed at least two dozen more from Taylors and Guilds to models from Alvarez, Washburn, Samick, Ibanez, Walden, and Epiphone. Playing this evoked memories of my first 12-string, a Conn F-28-12 that I owned 35 years ago, which also was closer to a mini-jumbo size masquerading as a dreadnought. This has enough bass presence to sound rich and full, without losing any of the chime-like quality for which 12-strings are known. The only way I can imagine having a better 12-string guitar would be if I had $2k or more to spend on one. <img src=" " /> This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Stared with a Harmony 12-string, got an EKO Ranger XII E in the Navy. Self-taught, got a Gibson 335 when I got out and have a few others, only sold one, gave one away and demolished one. I'm playing folk-rock, blues, rock n roll and original stuff. I was introduced to my 212 by a friend who saw it and had to get a job to buy it in '74. Had to pay full price ($775 w/ case - Akron Music Center) It's been my baby for 35 years. It sounds great, good intonation, does well with a bone saddle or a brass one. Consistent. Double truss rod helps alot. Guild's finish started checking after two years and they didn't bother with it when I sent it back to them (what a mistake) in the late 80's as the bridge was coming up. They left out the bridge hold-downs that Virgil Lay put in for me when they replaced the bridge, the saddle was way off intonation-wise and the finish wasn't touched out side of asome kind of black stuff across a check scrape on the back of the neck. I sanded it all down a couple of years ago when it was flaking off and did a temp finish until I learn how to do it better or can afford a RAL refinish job. I did put a Highlander pickup system in it and it sounds like a 12-string when it's amped, so I can use it all the time, if I want. I bought a Carvin electric 12-string because the neck was similar, I can reccomend that one. Under the beautiful looking finish lies a sweetheart of a 12-string. Plays extremely well. Great action. Very forgiving of me, that's for sure. I think I'm gonna have it put in the crematorium with me (gotta have your sword to get to Valhalla). All the 212's, 312's 412's and 512's of that vintage have been really good soundingguitars. The Guild 12-strings I've been picking up lately just ain't got it. I wonder what happened. I've been considering asking Taylor to make me one with this neck's measurements. That might be as near as I would get to this one. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar in Ozark, Alabama at a store called Fuda's Music. I had been looking for a 12-string to accompany my 6- string acoustics. I accquired this guitar for about $480 with a hard case. This guitar is a real looker. It has a glossy finish that really shines. I has a Hopi pattern surrounding the sound hole and for the fret markers on the neck. It has a very colorful binding and matching back stripe. It has a really mellow sound that projects very well. Chords are well defined when strummed and have a rich fullness to them. The guitar has a solid feel and a low action. I have not found anything that I really dislike about this guitar. It has a solid Canadian spruce top with North American Quilted ash back and sides. It has the Washburn Rosewood butterfly bridge and Rosewood fingerboard with Hopi inlays. It has a Hopi binding and back strip. It has Grover 18:1 gear ratio tuners that stay in tune very well. Looking inside, the bracing and assembly work look very well done. The neck is very straight and the low action makes it very playable. Everything fits together very nicely and the finish is flawless. This guitar could rival any Martin or Gibson in sound or construction. I love this guitar! It looks great and sounds great. It is built by a company that has been building great guitars for years. I also own a Washburn 6-string and enjoy it very much. This guitar is built very well and should stand up to many years of use. I would definitely recomend this to anyone who needs a good quality 12-string that would make them sound good and look good at the same time. Get one. You won't regret it. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this at Guitar Center (they gave me a great trade in on some old 'beater' guitars I had lying around) Paid $689 w/ case after trade. I have always wanted another 12 string (my brother got my original 12 stomped on 25 years ago -- I've finally forgiven him). Tried this at the store and knew that I was going to get it. The construction and appearance is fantastic! The glossy black finish really looks good. As far as playing, this guitar is a dream. The action is fantastic! Acoustically this guitar sounds great! Plugged in is when it really shines. The Takaminie Electronics really add to the sound. Haven't found anythin yet! As I said above this is a very well constructed guitar. The finish is fantastic, I wondered why I waited so long to get another 12 string -- This one made it worth the wait! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com