The Complete Guide To 12 String Guitars
Six Courses, Not Twelve Separate Strings
A 12 string guitar is strung as six courses, which are pairs rather than twelve independent strings. The lower four courses are tuned in octaves, with a thinner string sounding an octave above its partner, while the top two courses, B and E, are tuned in unison. Chord shapes stay exactly the same as a six string, because both strings in a course are fretted together.
That doubling is where the sound comes from. Two strings tuned to the same note never vibrate in perfect agreement, so they drift slightly in and out of phase and produce a gentle beating that the ear reads as shimmer. It is a chorus effect built into the instrument, with no pedal and no amplifier involved, and it is the reason a single instrument can fill a room that a six string leaves half empty.
Two Traditions, And What They Suit
Two traditions sit behind the instrument. The big-bodied acoustic twelve became a blues and folk instrument for singer-songwriters, and the electric twelve produced the jingle-jangle rhythm sound of sixties rock. Either way, the instrument earns its keep on strummed rhythm behind a vocal, on solo and unplugged performance, in worship settings, and on any recording that needs width without layering two separate guitar takes. It is less suited to fast single-note lead lines and expressive bends, which is the honest trade for all that body.
Double The Tension Changes The Build
A 12 string guitar carries far more pull on its neck and top than a six string does, and the whole instrument is designed around that load. The headstock is elongated to take twelve machine heads, the neck is reinforced and usually carries a heavier truss rod, the body and top bracing are built stronger, and the neck is wider than a six string neck, closer to the width of a classical neck, so that twelve strings have somewhere to sit. The fretting scale is generally shorter as well, which reduces overall string tension and takes some of the fight out of the instrument. Playability follows from the same arithmetic. Every fretted note means pressing two strings instead of one, barre chords ask considerably more of the hand, and bends are hard work. We generally suggest a twelve string as a second acoustic rather than a first one, because fretting two strings per course while still building hand strength makes early progress slower, and that is a different conversation from our best starter guitar guide.
Tension Sits Behind The Common Faults
Tension sits behind the faults a twelve string is known for. The classic pattern is the top bellying up into a convex shape behind the bridge, a bridge unglueing and lifting at its edges, and more neck relief than the truss rod can comfortably pull back. Those problems appear on lightly braced and budget-built instruments more readily than on well-made ones. For a sense of where that line falls, our Acoustic Guitars Under $500 and Acoustic Guitars Under $1000 collections show what the money buys at each level, so a buyer can place themselves before walking in.
A Proper Setup Decides How It Plays
The other pattern is action. Budget twelve strings commonly arrive with the strings sitting high enough to be close to unplayable and need a paid setup before they are worth owning. A well-set-up inexpensive instrument will often play better than an expensive one with a poor setup, so we would rather see the servicing budgeted for from the start than treated as an afterthought. We do servicing, repairs and re-strings, and quotes are free in-store in Joondalup on 08 9300 0033. Because there are twice as many strings to seat and stretch, a re-string is a longer job than on a six string, so it is worth asking at the counter for a time rather than expecting it on the spot. Where refurbished goods or parts might be used in a repair, the Australian Consumer Law requires the repairer to give the customer a written repair notice before the goods are accepted, and the ACCC publishes that requirement and the wording it calls for.
Strings, Tuning and Storage Through a Perth Summer
Light gauge is the standard recommendation on a twelve string, and a light set is where we would start. Phosphor bronze is the warmer winding and holds its tone longer, 80/20 bronze is brighter at first but loses its high end faster, and a coating such as D'Addario XS retards corrosion to extend string life. We stock Acoustic Guitar Strings from D'Addario, Elixir, Ernie Ball, Martin and Stringjoy. A string winder is worth owning.
Tuning the whole instrument down a semitone, then clamping a capo at the first fret to return to concert pitch, is the most practical fix we know for an instrument that feels stiff. It relieves tension across the neck and top and makes barre chords noticeably easier, and combined with a shorter fretting scale and a smaller body it is what makes the instrument viable for smaller or sorer hands. Tune course by course and judge each pair by ear, because octave courses beat against one another by nature. Amplified, an under-saddle pickup has to read six courses rather than six strings, and phase interaction between pairs can leave the sound thin or quacky.
A doubled-tension instrument is also the one most punished by our climate. Dry inland heat shrinks timber and can drop the action to the point of buzzing, while coastal humidity swells a top and lifts it. We suggest a closed case rather than a stand in a hot room, away from windows, car boots and air conditioning outlets, and a case humidifier through the driest months. For storage measured in months, slackening the strings a little reduces the standing load on the top. A case matters more here than on a six string, so our Acoustic Guitar Hard Cases are worth looking at alongside our comparison of a hard case or gig bag.
Trying One and Buying One Second Hand
Neck width, body depth and sheer effort vary enormously between models, and no specification sheet conveys that. Our 12 String Acoustic Guitars sit alongside the rest of our range in Joondalup, including the Maton range, and we would rather a buyer spent twenty minutes with two or three of them than ordered on a photograph. Look for a solid top, a neck that still has adjustment left in the truss rod, a bridge sitting flat, and tuners that hold all twelve strings through a few minutes of playing.
Timber is worth more attention on this instrument than on most, because rosewood is commonly used on twelve string backs, sides and fretboards. Since 26 November 2019, finished musical instruments made from Dalbergia rosewood have required no CITES permit to be imported or exported, as set out in the Department of Agriculture CITES timber species factsheet. That exemption does not cover Brazilian rosewood, Dalbergia nigra, which remains CITES Appendix I, so a vintage twelve string built with it still needs a permit to cross the border in either direction. That is the position the Department of Agriculture set out in its 2019 factsheet.
Buying used deserves extra care on this instrument, and the checks in our guide to buying a second hand guitar apply. In Western Australia a business that buys, sells or exchanges second-hand goods must hold a Second-Hand Dealer's Licence under the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act 1994, issued by WA Police Force Licensing Services, and any instrument bought from a business comes with consumer guarantees that it is of acceptable quality and matches its description, enforced by the ACCC.
Our contact information is Unit 4/101 Winton Rd, Joondalup, open 7 days, phone 08 9300 0033, and we ship Australia-wide. Any 12 string guitar can be brought to the counter for a free servicing, re-string or repair quote, and tuition runs through the Joondalup School of Music on 08 9300 0965.