First 12-string

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Andy Getch on August 4, 2010 at 9:25pm

My first 12 string was also the Taylor 355CE that I still have. Still learning to play it. My second 12 is the Epiphone PR350 that was a rescue project, it had a cracked neck which I had repaired and now tune it down a step.

Permalink Reply by Marty McKimmey on August 7, 2010 at 8:50am

First one was a borrowed Yamaha I played for a summer. In 1980 I bought a Washburn Prairie Song (D-66). Dreadnaught with rosewood back and sides. Very pretty almost like streaked long auburn hair. Maple fret inlays spruce top, very thin, I still have it. It has had some work due to the top warping but it still sounds like no other guitar. Very low action and wonderful to play. I did buy an Alvares PJ-85, a jumbo style with mahogony back and sides. It has a very odd sound for a 12 string.

Permalink Reply by Mark on November 2, 2010 at 8:19pm

In 1964 I bought a new Gibson B-25 metal bridge model. Currently a Taylor 855 with a Yamaha nylon string and Tak 12's in between

Permalink Reply by Edward Sparks on November 9, 2010 at 8:25am

Hey Mark, still got that B-25? If so, can you post pics? We just love this kinda "stuff!" Thanks, Edward

Permalink Reply by Mark on November 17, 2010 at 2:51pm

Unfortunately no. It left me in 1967 when I was in the Air Force and went to Guam.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Collins on July 28, 2011 at 10:22am

Seagull S12. still have it, still love it

Permalink Reply by mark schmidt on February 6, 2012 at 1:58pm

I just bought a Penco Model A24 from eBay last month. It has a spruce top,rosewood sides and back rosewood fingerboard. It also has the zero fret. It had some damage, and I got it for around a hundred bucks. Took nearly a month to get it straightened out and glued back together (NOT my neatest job) but it is all working now and sounds great. I tune it down to D to keep it going strong and the top straight. It is a fine sounding guitar.

They were made in Japan for a Philadelphia music store, and there are still a lot of them around...they were very well made despite the low original price.

My first 12 string was a Mexican Guitarra Double' I got while in the Army in 1968. It was destroyed in 1971.

mark

Permalink Reply by mark schmidt on April 8, 2012 at 3:11pm

ADDED: I just bought another old 12 string, made in Korea in the '70's. It looks nearly identical to my old Penco, even though that was made in Japan about the same time...they both copied Gibson 12 strings of the time.

FWIW, the Penco guitars were made in the same factory that made Ibanez for sale in the US and Greco for sale in Japan. I have a Greco Les Paul Custom copy from the '80's that is an almost exact replica of my long gone'74 Gibson LP Custom...but I think the Greco plays and sounds better. Evidently a lot of other people do , too. The prices on these copies are climbing steadily. (It weighs at least 10 pounds, all solid mahogany.)

I will be interested to see who made my Korean 12 sting- It's labeled a Franciscan, and I think it might be made by Samick.

mark

Permalink Reply by Robert B. Adair on February 15, 2012 at 11:48am

My first 12 string was hand made by a local luthier in Lawton, OK. in 1965.  It was an ok guitar.  My first name-brand  12 string guitar was a 1968 Fender Villager.

Permalink Reply by JB Maddox on February 17, 2012 at 11:33am

My first was a Martin D12-28 I picked up from a needy player at a festival.  It needed some work.  I took it up to Nazareth and had pickup put in and the neck reset and intonation set.

I loved it for a while but rosewood is really too dark for a 12 string.  I sold it for way more than I paid and now I have a Takamine EF381SC maple like Springsteen plays.  Much brighter.  I compared it to a similar Guild and liked the Takamine better--better tone and fantastic action for a 12 string.

Permalink Reply by Tracy Clark on September 19, 2012 at 6:33am

I just got my first 12 string ever. It's an inexpensive used Applause AA35. It's a little on the bright side but I am liking it's swirling chorus/flanger effect if gives when strummed or picked. I keep it tuned down a 1/2 step and it seems to sound nicer like that.

Permalink Reply by Ellen Rugowski on October 13, 2012 at 10:17am

Mine was a Seagull Coastline 12 (although, I'd occasionally played the 12-strings other friends had, over the years).  It was a pretty nice guitar, that sadly ended up getting sold during a money crunch.  I've tried out other Seagulls since then.  None of them seem to sound as good as that guitar sounded.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next ›
• Page