Guitarists - Those here who play

[Uncensored2008]

I've been hankering to get an electric 12 string. But this is good only for a couple handful of songs. Over the Hills and Far Away, Hard Day's Night, Eight Miles High. I have an older Taylor acoustic 12, but it's not the same.

So I don't want to spend a lot of money. Rickenbacker is the gold standard, but about $4,000, Epiphone has a nice semi-hollow body Riviera 12, but it's landing at about $1,400.

I found two that run less than $700, a Danelectro 59X12 at $659 new. and a Guild SF-1DC Starfire, also $659 at Guitar Center. Neither come with a case or any goodies. Both are set up and ready to play.

The Danelectro has some nice single coils and a broader tone range. The Guild has humbuckers of some unknown Asian version. Interestingly enough, both are build in Singapore.

The Dane has a neck that is fairly narrow, more so than my Taylor, and almost seems the width of a 6 string, which concerns me. And the Guild looks like my Epiphone 335 - which I adore - but looks are not what make a guitar great and the single coils on the Dane sound closer to the P93 single coils of the Epi than the humbuckers on the Guild..

Any other players have an opinion on these?

They will join my '86 Gibson LPS, Fender American Professional, Fender Esprit, and Epiphone E335 Riviera II.

 

[Canon Shooter]

I would go for the Guild. Even their overseas stuff is built really well. I've never been overly impressed with Danelectro stuff. It always just seems so cheap and toy-like. The Guild is big bang-for-the-buck.

I'm actually looking at a 2007 Rickenbacker 330 Maple Glo. A local guy's got it for $1,800 and, while I'm tempted, Sweetwater sells them new for $2,000, and that would come with a warranty...

 

[Uncensored2008]

I would go for the Guild. Even their overseas stuff is built really well. I've never been overly impressed with Danelectro stuff. It always just seems so cheap and toy-like. The Guild is big bang-for-the-buck.

I'm actually looking at a 2007 Rickenbacker 330 Maple Glo. A local guy's got it for $1,800 and, while I'm tempted, Sweetwater sells them new for $2,000, and that would come with a warranty...

That's a 6 string, right?

 

[Uncensored2008]

I should have posted pics

 

[Canon Shooter]

I would go for the Guild. Even their overseas stuff is built really well. I've never been overly impressed with Danelectro stuff. It always just seems so cheap and toy-like. The Guild is big bang-for-the-buck.

I'm actually looking at a 2007 Rickenbacker 330 Maple Glo. A local guy's got it for $1,800 and, while I'm tempted, Sweetwater sells them new for $2,000, and that would come with a warranty...

Yeah, I'm not much for 12 strings. As you alluded to, their application is somewhat limited.

Now, if you're a Taylor fan, check out their baritone 8-string:

It was one of the XXXV Anniversary models back in 2009 and it sounds amazing and, of course, it plays like a Taylor. You'll be hard-pressed to find one for sale. They weren't cheap then, and I doubt they would be now...

 

[Uncensored2008]

Yeah, I'm not much for 12 strings. As you alluded to, their application is somewhat limited.

Now, if you're a Taylor fan, check out their baritone 8-string:

View attachment 703294

It was one of the XXXV Anniversary models back in 2009 and it sounds amazing and, of course, it plays like a Taylor. You'll be hard-pressed to find one for sale. They weren't cheap then, and I doubt they would be now...

Yeah, that's why I don't want to spend a lot.


I take it the 8 string is tuned like a bass?

 

[Canon Shooter]

Yeah, that's why I don't want to spend a lot.


I take it the 8 string is tuned like a bass?

No, not quite that low.

I think it's tuned a 5th down. So, if you play what would be an A chord on baritone guitar, I think it's the equivalent of an E chord on a traditional guitar.

It's been a while since I sold mine, so I may not have the tuning correct...

 

[Uncensored2008]

No, not quite that low.

I think it's tuned a 5th down. So, if you play what would be an A chord on baritone guitar, I think it's the equivalent of an E chord on a traditional guitar.

It's been a while since I sold mine, so I may not have the tuning correct...

Never played a baritone. But then I failed miserably on a 7 string... 6 and 12 are wired into my brain. I keep my 6's tuned all over the place, drop D, open E, open G. But it's always 6 stings.

I read that Keith Richards, a fan of open G tuning, would remove the bass E string and play with 5 strings.

 

[Canon Shooter]

Never played a baritone. But then I failed miserably on a 7 string... 6 and 12 are wired into my brain. I keep my 6's tuned all over the place, drop D, open E, open G. But it's always 6 stings.

I read that Keith Richards, a fan of open G tuning, would remove the bass E string and play with 5 strings.

I used to do tour photography for Goo Goo Dolls about 20 years ago. John Rzeznik would have a dozen or so acoustics in the rack, and only two of them were tuned standard. The tuning on the others was a closely guarded secret, and it's widely believe that no two were the same.

One night I found the tuning sheet on the stage-right floor after they'd rolled the rack out. I nonchalantly slipped it int my pocket.

Somewhere over the course of the following year I lost it, and I've been kicking myself in the ass ever since. All I know about it is that, according to Rzaznik's guitar tech, none of the tabs or chord charts you find online are accurate...

 

[Uncensored2008]

So I bought the Guild;

It plays great - nice setup job. Sounds great. Only complaint is the tone pots - all the adjustment is from 0 to 1 - from 2 to 9 does nothing, It actually has a lot of range, but the pots are low quality.