The twelve-string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with 12 strings in 6 courses, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Essentially, it is a type of guitar with a natural chorus effect due to the subtle differences in the frequencies produced by each of the two strings on each course.
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The strings are placed in courses of two strings each that are usually played together. The two strings in each bass course are normally tuned an octave apart, while each pair of strings in the treble courses are tuned in unison. The tuning of the second string in the third course (G) varies: some players use a unison string while others prefer the distinctive high-pitched, bell-like quality an octave string makes in this position. Some players, either in search of distinctive tone or for ease of playing, will remove some of the doubled strings. For example, removing the higher octave from the three bass courses simplifies playing running bass lines, but keeps the extra treble strings for the full strums.
The strings are generally arranged such that the first string of each pair to be struck on a downward strum is the higher octave string; however, this arrangement was reversed by Rickenbacker on their electric 360/12.
The tension placed on the instrument by the strings is high, and because of this, 12 string guitars have a reputation for warping after a few years of use. Some twelve-string guitars have non-traditional structural supports to prevent or postpone such a fate, at the expense of appearance and tone. Until the invention of the truss rod in 1921, twelve-string guitars were nearly universally tuned lower than the traditional EADGBe, to reduce the stresses on the instrument. Leadbelly often used a low C-tuning, but in some recordings can be recognisible low B and A-tunings.[1]
Some performers prefer the richness of an open tuning due to its near-orchestral sound. For a very complex plucked-string sound, the 12-string can be set to standard tuning (or possibly an octave lower), then the top one and low two string pairs can be tuned to whole-tone intervals. The usual gamut of guitar tunings are also available.
The twelve-string guitar has traditionally occupied rhythm or accompaniment roles in folk, rock, and popular music. This is largely because it is more difficult to pluck individual strings on the twelve-string guitar and substantially more difficult to bend notes than on a comparable six-string instrument.
Some hard rock and progressive rock musicians use double-necked guitars, which have both six-string and twelve-string components, allowing the guitarist easy transition between different sounds.
The greater number of strings complicates playing, particularly for the plucking (or picking) hand. The gap between the dual-string courses is usually narrower than that between the single-string courses of a conventional six-string guitar, so more precision is required with the pick or fingertip when not simply strumming chords. Note bending and some forms of extended playing techniques are also complicated by the presence of doubled strings.
Twelve-string guitars are made in both acoustic and electric forms. However, it is the acoustic type that is most common.
The double ranks of strings of the 12-string guitar produce a chorus effect, because the individual string sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly (but never exactly) the same pitch converge and are perceived as one. When the effect is produced successfully, none of the constituent sounds is perceived as being out of tune because of the minute difference in pitch. The interference between the slightly different frequencies produces a phenomenon known as a beat that results in a periodic rise and fall of intensity is, in music, often considered pleasing to the ear. The effect is more apparent when listening to notes that sustain for longer periods of time.
The Nashville Tuning attempts to emulate the chorus, or jangle-like quality of the 12-string guitar on a 6-string guitar by tuning the last 4 strings an octave higher. This is commonly used in recording studios to double-track an existing guitar to achieve a natural 12-string effect. Very light strings must be used to achieve this, as well as adjustments to the guitar neck in order to avoid long term damage to the instrument.
Use of the twelve-string guitar almost appears to be cyclical: beginning with Blind Willie McTell in the 1920s and 1930s, Lead Belly in the 1940s, and continuing with Bob Gibson in the 1950s and early 1960s, performers and Gibson acolytes such as Mike Pender of The Searchers, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, and singer-songwriter Tim Buckley brought it to the fore for a decade, until it fell out of favor and was largely limited to niche use by progressive rockers in the 1970s. The instrument was revived in the 1980s by alternative rockers such as Robert Smith of The Cure, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Dave Gregory of XTC, Peter Buck of R.E.M., Marty Willson-Piper of The Church, and Johnny Marr of The Smiths. During the 1990s, its popularity waned again, although it plays a key part in the sound of indie rock acts such as Low and The Decemberists. Another exception was Warren Zevon, who utilized a 12-string regularly, most notably on his solo live LP Learning to Flinch (on which the guitar seemed characteristically out of tune on some songs). The most popular electric twelve-string model since the 1960s has been the Rickenbacker 360/12, first popularized by George Harrison. Many double-neck guitars have a twelve-string neck so guitarists can switch between tones during live performances. Slash, Jimmy Page and Dave Mustaine often appeared on their live shows bearing a double neck which added to their popularity. The acoustic twelve-string guitar is rarely played in the finger picking style due to the difficulty of applying the finger style to the instrument. Leo Kottke and Guthrie Thomas are the most notable performers who finger style pick the acoustic twelve-string masterfully.
Performers who use acoustic 12-string guitars span a range of genres, from folk (Arlo Guthrie, Keith Potger, John Denver, Guthrie Thomas, Gordon Lightfoot, Ben Woodward, and Pete Seeger), and reggae (Bob Marley), and traditional blues (Lead Belly, Blind Willie McTell, and Guy Davis) to folk rock (Paul Simon, Neil Young, Tim Buckley, Gerry Beckley, John Allan Cameron), country (Pinmonkey's Michael Reynolds and Taylor Swift) and rock bands (Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge) uses an acoustic twelve-string on many songs on Full Circle, Jimi Hendrix on "Hear My Train A-Comin", Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, George Harrison,[2] Robert Smith (musician) of The Cure, and John Lennon of The Beatles, David Bowie for his "Space Oddity" live performances, Pete Townshend of The Who, Roger Hodgson (ex-Supertramp), who used acoustic 12-string on "Give a Little Bit", "Even in the Quietest Moments", "C'est le Bon" and "Know Who You Are"; Melissa Etheridge, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Greg Lake ("Lucky Man"; "Still... You Turn Me On"), Brian May of Queen, Andy Partridge[3] and Dave Gregory[4] of XTC, and Nick Valensi of The Strokes.[5] Dave Matthews (Dave Matthews Band) uses one for several songs in the band's catalog. Numerous other musicians, including Robbie Basho, Leo Kottke, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, Marvin B Naylor, Matt Nathanson, James Blackshaw, John Butler, both Justin Hayward and John Lodge of the Moody Blues,Marvin B Naylor, David Arkenstone Cory Stuteville and former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips use it as their main instrument. Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Steve Hackett all played the instrument on Genesis albums in the 1970s.
Electric Rickenbacker 12-string users include a range of jangle pop guitarists, ranging from McGuinn (The Byrds), George Harrison (The Beatles), John McNally (The Searchers) and Peter Buck (R.E.M.) to Les Fradkin and Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Marvin B Naylor. The Gibson EDS-1275 electric 12-string was used by jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and The Allman Brothers Band, Cory Stuteville of Premonition/The Dragon Cult, Alex Lifeson of Rush, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth, Jeff Buckley and System of a Down and Scars on Broadway guitarist Daron Malakian.
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