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  • 12 string guitar

    I don't know anything about 12 string guitars, but my friend's 12 string guitar sound different than others I,ve heard. I think he mispaired the strings. How's that arrangement of the strings?

  • #2
    Re: 12 string guitar

    You mean how are they tuned? The four bottom courses are the E/A/D/G strings that are tuned one octave apart, while the two top courses are the B/E strings that are tuned to the same octave.

    Some people tune their the extra strings so that they're very slightly out of pitch and this creates a chorusy and very big sound. However, I hated that when I had my 12-string acoustic. I tuned them as close to pitch as possible just to double up the sound rather than to create chorus.

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    • #3
      Re: 12 string guitar

      Thanks for the tune tip Number... OK... The main set of strings are from top to bottom, like a regular six string: E A D G B E. I want to know wich are the second or extra strings that goes with those in that order. From bottom to top: EE, BB, GG...?

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      • #4
        Re: 12 string guitar

        Starting from the lowest tuned strings:

        Normal low E string, and low E tuned one octave above. The two strings have different gauges.

        Normal A, and A tuned one octave above. The two strings have different gauges.

        Normal D, and D tuned one octave above. The two strings have different gauges.

        Normal G, and G tuned one octave above. The two strings have different gauges.

        B and B tuned like normal Bs. The two strings are the same gauge.

        High E and high E tuned like normal high E. The two strings are the same gauge.

        So basically you still have the normal E A D G B E order, except the 6th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings have a partner that is tuned one octave above, while the 2nd and 1st strings have a partner that is tuned the same way and are just doubled up.

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        • #5
          Re: 12 string guitar

          Thanks a lot my friend, that's why my friend's guitar sounds that bad. He got from high to low: high E with high E normal tuned, B with B normal tuned, G with G normal tuned, D normal tuned with high E normal tune, A normal tuned with B normal tuned, and low E normal tuned with G normal tuned... What do ya' think? Man this is dificult for me ya' know.. he's an old sir and he told me the way he has tuned the guitar was the right way. The thing is I got my electronic tuner and all the strings were 440 at their normal octaves, showing me his ear is good... but, How can I tell this? [img]/images/graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

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          • #6
            Re: 12 string guitar

            Maybe that's his signature tuning... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

            Truly it is a unique, if strange, method of tuning! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] But if he's an old sir, he may not appreciate you telling him that the paired strings are supposed to be tuned to the same pitch... you may get a lecture about "This is how we used to do it back in nineteen-dickety-two, con-sarnit young whippersnapper"... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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            • #7
              Re: 12 string guitar

              I'm thinking, Do you know a string instrument called Cuatro from Puerto Rico? It uses 5 pair of strings. I think that maybe he think it's the same for 12 string guitar. The Cuatro has, from high to low: two Es tuned equal, two Bs tuned equal, two Gs tuned equal, a E with a G each one tuned to their normal tune, and a B with a G each one tuned to their normal tune. If I'm not in an error with the Cuatro. Hey, Where I can find that book you told? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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              • #8
                Re: 12 string guitar

                Well, see, with the E and G, they're a minor third apart, so I can see logic in that. And between G and B, there's another minor third. I'm thinking PERHAPS they tuned that way for harmony. HOWEVER, your old friend here is clearly tuning the pairs of strings with only a whole tone apart, which just sounds weird to me. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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                • #9
                  Re: 12 string guitar

                  For me too... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]. End of this thing... Thanks.

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                  • #10
                    Re: 12 string guitar

                    [ QUOTE ]
                    Maybe that's his signature tuning... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

                    Truly it is a unique, if strange, method of tuning! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] But if he's an old sir, he may not appreciate you telling him that the paired strings are supposed to be tuned to the same pitch... you may get a lecture about "This is how we used to do it back in nineteen-dickety-two, con-sarnit young whippersnapper"... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

                    [/ QUOTE ]

                    Know something Priest? Talked with my old friend today and he told me his brother was the guy who tuned the guitar that way. I told him what you told me about 12 string tuning, and he'll let me tune his guitar the correct way. You told me some strings should be different gauge, on the pair of strings, the top one hevier than the bottom one, or vise versa?

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                    • #11
                      Re: 12 string guitar

                      The string closest to you should be the thinner one for each pair of strings except the high B and high E since those are duplicate strings. See these pictures I took of my former 12-string Takamine acoustic:



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                      • #12
                        Re: 12 string guitar

                        Cool man... but, should it be the lightest gauge with the heaviest gauge same string match?

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                        • #13
                          Re: 12 string guitar

                          I am not sure that I understand what you mean... [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

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                          • #14
                            Re: 12 string guitar

                            Ok, as an example, the two low E's, the upper one is of diferent gauge from the lower one, the top one tuned normal and the lower one tuned one octave above... The gauge between the lower E's, are the lightest gauge of E string with the heavier gauge of E string? Well, wich two gauges sets you could tell me to use?

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                            • #15
                              Re: 12 string guitar

                              Ohh!!! I see. The major string companies should sell packages of 12-string sets, so you don't have to buy two separate packs of strings. For example, I used the following D'Addario 12-string set on my Takamine acoustic tuned to D:

                              http://daddariostrings.com/DADProdDe...amp;Class=ABPA

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