I'd be remiss if I didn't post this. John Denver and his F-612. IMO, one of the best examples of how a 12-string does some things you can't get on a 6-string:
12-strings - what do you play on them?
- Thread starter deejayen
- Start date
They'll really hate it when you play faux-mandolin parts on the top two strings.
Cougar
Enlightened Member
OMG, that was emotional listening to that! Whew!
I don't know how many times I've heard this, but it grabs me every time. The vocals, the guitar... It's just right.
Thanks, Chaz
Balderdash
Member
Only 12ers.
Only thumb and fingers.
Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin, Bill Morrissey, etc.
But, mostly my own stuff.
For fun, here’s part of one;
This guitar has twelve strings and it takes a while to tune,
If I start right after breakfast, it might be ready by afternoon.
I’ve gotta be twice as strong as any six string guy on the street,
Sometimes my left hand gets so tired I have to play this thing with my feet.
When they squeeze twelve strings on the neck, fat fingers get in the way,
Sometimes I get tangled up in the strings with my fat fingers on display.
Only thumb and fingers.
Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin, Bill Morrissey, etc.
But, mostly my own stuff.
For fun, here’s part of one;
This guitar has twelve strings and it takes a while to tune,
If I start right after breakfast, it might be ready by afternoon.
I’ve gotta be twice as strong as any six string guy on the street,
Sometimes my left hand gets so tired I have to play this thing with my feet.
When they squeeze twelve strings on the neck, fat fingers get in the way,
Sometimes I get tangled up in the strings with my fat fingers on display.
jgmaute
Member
Back in the 60s and 70s when I was performing a lot I had two guitars, first my Martin 00-21NY and then I added a Framus 12 which was replaced by my Guild f312. I definitely had 6- and 12-string songs. Two of my favorite 12-string songs were Suzanne (finger picked) and Hard Lovin’ Loser (strummed the hell out of that one). Songs by Pete Seeger, John Denver, and Gordon Lightfoot also were frequently played on my 12. I always kept my 12 in standard tuning at concert pitch. The action on my f322 was just amazing. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Tom O
Member
Here is what got me interested in 12 strings in the 60s. Snaker Dave Ray: He fingerpicked until he hurt his hand
davismanLV
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I'm with Rocky. It was thought that a 12-string was needed around here. So this sweet little Martin was purchased. It's a really nice guitar with great electronics and all. But tuning is a pain in the butt, and now that it needs new strings, the thought of changing them makes me cringe. So it sits and doesn't get played. So it will soon go on the chopping block when the weather warms up. I guess we didn't need one as much as I thought.
Boneman
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See now if you got a Guild, you’d have been more inclined to play it, and be excited to put new strings on it.
Not currently, but for a long time, '60s-early '70s, my F212 was my only guitar, so I played everything on it.
rg2002
Junior Member
West R Lee
Venerated Member
West
I recently customized a 1999 Guild JF65-12 (the artist formerly known as the F-412) for a customer. It came out so luscious that I re-recorded one of my own instrumentals on it as a testament to what a Guild 12 string has the potential to sound like...
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Drop D, Chris?
Ray, it's awfully hard to see anything clearly with this recording (videotape, low rez).... I don't think JD did anything strange with his finger picks, but I don't know for certain.
Snaker Ray along with Leadbelly influenced me to buy my F212. FWIW, Spider John is the last of the trio, don't know if he is still performing, but was not too many years ago.
Yes.