I play one, but havent ever live. Tuning takes longer, but I wouldnt worry about string breakage. One, its gonna be harder to dig in and break a string. And two, if you break one, fuck it! You maybe lose the octave on one string? It'll be fine.

More specifically, who here plays them live? Any do's or don'ts?I'm currently daunted by the endless re-tuning and the prospect of changing them fiddly little strings in a hurry. Tell me I'm a fool.

It's been awhile, but....Start with having an electric 12-string that stays in tune. Many don't. The strings that usually break are the thicker strings. Put new damn strings on it. Stretch out the strings after you tune it to pitch. More than you would a six-string. You don't need the string stretcher tool, just use your fingers. Then tune it again. Repeat as necessary before you have a stable guitar. It's a pain, but a 12-string blazing through an overdriven amp is awesome.

The Burns Double Six is a mighty thing. The made-in-Korea ones ('Club Series') are great. The neck is like a cricket bat, it's stiff enough that tuning is very solid and wide enough that you can do just about anything you'd possibly want to on it, although consequently playing thumb-over would be hard for most people.Very sensible hardtail bridge. One course strings through the body and the other loads in through the back of the bridge plate. Good quality electrics. The tri-sonic pickups are fabulous.It weighed about as much as a heavy bass. I contend that you also need a compressor. IMO a compressor pedal is as essential to lap/pedal steels and electric 12s as the strings are.The D'Addario EXL150 strings are totally fine.

dfglove wrote:I contend that you also need a compressor. IMO a compressor pedal is as essential to lap/pedal steels and electric 12s as the strings are.+1 on this. It doesn't have to be some expensive thing either - the cheap-o blue Boss compressor has always done me well in that role.

Redline wrote:You don't need a compressor. I never used a compressor with the 12-string ever.I am sure it's quite possible to do it without. I just found that a compressor helped the octave strings stand out more.

You don't need a compressor. I never used a compressor with the 12-string ever.

I do not but I would like too

Had a toe in with a danelectro 12 a few years back. Great guitar, sure, neck dive and all that, but sounded great. Always wanted a rickenbacker, though it was just a crazy whim to buy one fueled by my job paying insane piles of overtime fed into a œspillage account I had that my wife never paid attention to. Picked up a walnut 360. Man, I love that thing. Ricks are unique though, as they are strung in reverse which gives them a signature (though not necessarily ideal) sound. They are also crazy narrow- like ordinary guitar narrow, which is a blessing in some regards, but also a bit of an obstacle- you have to focus on precision if you want the most from it as far as 12 string resonance. That narrow profile makes it a joy to play, and coupled with the walnut finish (unique in that they are maple necks sans the lacquer ricks are usually slathered in) it inspired me to suddenly desire another 6 string rick as well (and that one turned out to be a matte finish black 330).Anyway, as for 12 strings themselves, I love mine for almost anything, and the rick seems to me less of a œgossamer ethereal sound than the dano was producing, and more just a kind of articulation and doubling, as it s more deeper string forward. Playing arpeggios or single note lines just brings with it a real world slight chorus, but a distinctly defined attack too- so you could get along playing most anything, and feel your way around emphasizing its 12-y ness. It s actially my go to these days, and feels less like an indulgent œadded icing instrument than a work a day guitar that just kind of also can sound really full and beautiful too. I figured it d be a crazy, indulgent purchase mistake id sell a bit later, when my insatiable desire for some other bullshit tickled me - more of a œwell, I had to get one at some point! guitar, but ive come to really love the thing, and if it were not such a headache to tune quickly, I d use it live as a main guitar (for many things). Can t quite tell if that s more the 12 string thing, or just that it turns out I m a big fan of rickenbacker guitars in general, and find their necks and feel right in my wheelhouse.

endofanera wrote:Redline wrote:You don't need a compressor. I never used a compressor with the 12-string ever.I am sure it's quite possible to do it without. I just found that a compressor helped the octave strings stand out more.I think it's going to largely be a "Does It Work For Me?" question that each player has to work out for him or her self.That said, a compressor is the very first stop you should make if a 12 string or lap steel seems like a puzzle piece is missing. It will be like a whole other world once you get a compressor.