Anyone try stringing Guild 12 string like a Rickenbacker?

[rmoretti49]

I saw a fellow demonstrating 3 different Taylor 12 strings. The last one had the strings reversed, like a Rickenbacker. He was asked what the experience was like. While he mentioned the difference in tone, he mentioned twice that the instrument was easier to play. I'm wondering if any of you have tried it and stayed with it. What did you think?

I realize that the guitar will need a new nut (which is why I am asking about it before trying it.).

 

[kostask]

Theoretically, you .also need to at least re-intonate the saddle, or even replace it, in addition to the new nut

 

[wileypickett]

I tried switching ‘em on one of my 12-strings years ago and after a week of playing, switched 'em back.

It may have been that I simply wasn't hearing what I was used to hearing, but to my ears reversing the strings compromised what I think of as "the 12-string sound," by dulling the clarity of the high octave strings.

If I don't want to hear octave strings, I play six-string.

 

[Aristera]

My Doyle Dykes 12 string has the 5th and 6th strings reversed.

 

[12 string]

I learned to get good sound out of both strings whether played by a thumb downstroke or an upstroke with the fingers. Flatpicker Dan Crary always got good sound picking down or up. A lot of Rev. Gary Davis runs require rapid alternations between thumb and index finger on all the courses. You can set up your Guild like a Ric if you want to, nothing wrong with that but for the styles I play it really wouldn't solve anything. You can learn the touch required to get good sound with thumb or finger, regardless of whether you're hitting the thicker string first or second.

' Strang

 

[plaidseason]

My Doyle Dykes 12 string has the 5th and 6th strings reversed.

I'm continually considering removing the octave strings from the E, A, D strings, but I imagine this might be a better compromise.

 

[chazmo]

My Doyle Dykes 12 string has the 5th and 6th strings reversed.

Yup, that was Doyle's preference. I think when you're using finger picks, you get more thump on the bass strings with that kind of setup.

I learned to get good sound out of both strings whether played by a thumb downstroke or an upstroke with the fingers. Flatpicker Dan Crary always got good sound picking down or up. A lot of Rev. Gary Davis runs require rapid alternations between thumb and index finger on all the courses. You can set up your Guild like a Ric if you want to, nothing wrong with that but for the styles I play it really wouldn't solve anything. You can learn the touch required to get good sound with thumb or finger, regardless of whether you're hitting the thicker string first or second.

' Strang

Excellent points, 'Strang! I "flatten" my finger tips to get both strings in a course to ring out when I'm using my fingers (no picks) on my 12s... which is all the time.

 

[chazmo]

I'm continually considering removing the octave strings from the E, A, D strings, but I imagine this might be a better compromise.

Interesting thought, Chris. For me, as a practical matter, if I were considering removing octave strings, it'd be on the G course (string 6, that is)... Mostly because that's the string that's the hardest one to string up (IMO) and breaks the most frequently.

 

[wileypickett]

I'm continually considering removing the octave strings from the E, A, D strings, but I imagine this might be a better compromise.

What works best for me is to remove one each of the unison strings (B and high E) and sometimes the high octave G, meaning I'm really playing a 10-string or a 9-string guitar.

Since I do most string bending on the top three strings, having single courses instead of doubles makes that easier to do, and yet removing those strings doesn't rob the guitar of its 12-string character.

Also, stringing the guitar with just one high E means I can substitue the other high E for the octave G which means fewer string breaks, the high E being a heavier gauge than the octave G.

 

[PreacherBob]

I think should you reverse the octave strings, along with nut and saddle, the bridge would be fine even though the bridge pin hole offsets would be now reversed. It would now be the way Martin and Gibson drilled their 12 string bridges from the 60’s through the 80’s. Guild had always went opposite those guys. Either way has proved to work just fine.

I had got some unused NOS Guild bridges dating back to the 60’s from someone who was an assembler in the Westerly plant late 60’s through early 70’s before moving on to Gretsch. Some ebony, Brazilian, and EI. So he had saved a Gaboon ebony bridge cut for an F212XL at the transition from rosewood to ebony for bridges and fretboards. This was one of some early prototypes that were drilled in the pattern of Martin and Gibson, though Guild never used any in production. Notice the bridge pin holes are offset opposite from standard Guild. Some still have the old yellowed unbleached bone saddle blanks.

 

[newhalljones]

I saw a fellow demonstrating 3 different Taylor 12 strings. The last one had the strings reversed, like a Rickenbacker. He was asked what the experience was like. While he mentioned the difference in tone, he mentioned twice that the instrument was easier to play. I'm wondering if any of you have tried it and stayed with it. What did you think?

I realize that the guitar will need a new nut (which is why I am asking about it before trying it.).

I have owned a Taylor 12 string and a Guild F212 but the only guitar I’ve ever handled with the strings set up like that was a Rickenbacker electric. The octave low E and A strings usually weren’t plucked, Distracting. I was fingerpicking with a thumb pick at the time. I got rhe D and G strings to ring right. That, plus the use of metal fingerpicks on an electric produced little high pitched plinks splitting the strings that were distracting. You get that on an acoustic, too, but not to the same degree.

My Taylor was stolen from me at the airport in Honolulu - the tour guides lost it together with a nice guitar my sister owned. It was a very early Taylor, built by him at maybe 12-13 years of age. Unison G-strings and fret zero. Rare guitar, Fret zero guitars automatically have great action when playing open first position chords. Easy to play… I really wish I still had it. If I took it into the Taylor factory now they would venerate it.