How do I tune a 12 string acoustic guitar?

Pluck one of the strings with your right hand. As the string rings out turn the corresponding tuning key until the desired pitch is achieved. Repeat this procedure with each of the remaining strings.
 
pinkerchook said:
Can anyone tell me the exact way to tune a 12 string acoustic guitar? :confused:
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Four lowest pairs are in octaves... Tune it low to high, just like a 6 string..but one string is the low octave(an octave is 8 notes...the same note, just higher)and the other note is the high octave...it is this way on all the strings except for the last two pairs (the two highest pairs) those two pairs are tuned to the same pitch and should sound exactly the same.

http://www.guitartips.addr.com/12_string_guitar_tuner.html
 
A related question

Please forgive my ignorance, here, but I have a related question. I don't have a 12 string, but I do have two acoustics, one of which I'd like to set up in "Nashville tuning." I assume that I'd buy a 12 string set to accomplish this, correct? As I understand it, for this type of tuning, the four lower strings (EAD&G) are tuned an octave up (just like on a 12 string, in other words) and the B & high E are tuned normally. So, this would simply be the higher pitched strings of a 12 string set, right? I'm assuming that the higher pitched EAD&G strings on a 12 string are NOT bronze-wound, but are just regular steel strings, just like the B & High E. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Brad
 
Bassman Brad said:
Please forgive my ignorance, here, but I have a related question. I don't have a 12 string, but I do have two acoustics, one of which I'd like to set up in "Nashville tuning." I assume that I'd buy a 12 string set to accomplish this, correct? As I understand it, for this type of tuning, the four lower strings (EAD&G) are tuned an octave up (just like on a 12 string, in other words) and the B & high E are tuned normally. So, this would simply be the higher pitched strings of a 12 string set, right? I'm assuming that the higher pitched EAD&G strings on a 12 string are NOT bronze-wound, but are just regular steel strings, just like the B & High E. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Brad
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No....

Depending on what gauge strings you use the E A and D higher pitched strings are wound, sometimes if you use a heavy gauge you can get a wound G string...but generally it is just the higher pitched E A and D strings that are wound.
 
Gorty said:
No....

Depending on what gauge strings you use the E A and D higher pitched strings are wound, sometimes if you use a heavy gauge you can get a wound G string...but generally it is just the higher pitched E A and D strings that are wound.
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do you mean lower pitched?
 
Gorty said:
No....

Depending on what gauge strings you use the E A and D higher pitched strings are wound, sometimes if you use a heavy gauge you can get a wound G string...but generally it is just the higher pitched E A and D strings that are wound.
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Thanks for the info. Then they are, at least, smaller gauge strings, correct? Seems like they'd have to be to tune them up an octave. But I've never tried this before. So, just to make sure I'm clear about this, I WOULD still need to buy a 12 string set if I wanted to string up one of my six strings as a high strung (Nashville tuning) guitar, right?

Thanks again for the info.

Bassman
 
Bassman Brad said:
I WOULD still need to buy a 12 string set if I wanted to string up one of my six strings as a high strung (Nashville tuning) guitar, right?
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you could kill two birds with one stone by doing that... save the leftovers for another guitar or spares. otherwise, my advice is to just go to the store, look at the back of a package for a 12 string for the gauges and buy them singly.
 
ibanezrocks said:
do you mean lower pitched?
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Obviously the Main strings are as follows in general..

E...wound
A...wound
D...wound
G...non wound
B...non wound
E...non wound


Now the second set (unison set)

E...wound
A...wound
D...wound
G...non wound
B...non wound
E...non wound


Some extra heavy gauges will give you a wound G string x2, or you can use a heavy G wound and a non wound G in unison!
 
For high-strung guitar, buy them singlely, and buy the ones for a medium gauge twelve string set (starting at .012"), as the lights are a bit anemiec, and you will break G strings far too often.

And by the by, you could not possibly find a wound string small enough for a D or G string on a high strung guitar. Most typically, the low E is wound (it is, after all, only one step above a standard D string), and the A string is occasionally wound (again, a step above the G string...). I don't like wound A strings on high strungs though, they break too easily (it is, after all, a very small cored string tuned rather high).


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Cool. I just picked that guitar up from the luthier today. Had a little bit of work done to get it ready. Just got to get some strings, now, and I'll have a new toy to play with! ;) :)

Thanks for the info!

Brad
 
Bassman Brad said:
Cool. I just picked that guitar up from the luthier today. Had a little bit of work done to get it ready. Just got to get some strings, now, and I'll have a new toy to play with! ;) :)

Thanks for the info!

Brad
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Enjoy Brad :)

Kev
 
I'm glad you said that Light - I did the high strung/Nashville tuning thing on a guitar I have and then put it in its box and haven't taken it out in six months, but I was sure the only wound string was the low E...

And to answer the original question, the best way to tune a 12 string is the be rich enough to employ a guitar tech to do it for you... :p

Cheers
 
Armistice said:
I'm glad you said that Light - I did the high strung/Nashville tuning thing on a guitar I have and then put it in its box and haven't taken it out in six months, but I was sure the only wound string was the low E...

And to answer the original question, the best way to tune a 12 string is the be rich enough to employ a guitar tech to do it for you... :p

Cheers
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What's so hard about tuning a 12 string guitar?.... :confused: :confused:

....Gees if you need a guitar tech to tune your 12 string guitar, you may as well get someone to play it for you as well! :D :D
 
Gorty said:
What's so hard about tuning a 12 string guitar?.... :confused: :confused:

....Gees if you need a guitar tech to tune your 12 string guitar, you may as well get someone to play it for you as well! :D :D
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It's not so much that it is all that hard as that it is time consuming. They are incredible fussy, and the intonation on twelves is rarly very good, which makes it that much harder. If you have (as I do) a picky ear about such things, twelves can take forever to get in tune.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
It's not so much that it is all that hard as that it is time consuming. They are incredible fussy, and the intonation on twelves is rarly very good, which makes it that much harder. If you have (as I do) a picky ear about such things, twelves can take forever to get in tune.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
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I agree there with you light......I have a Fender 12 string...very nice sound...I don't have too much trouble with the tuning, however the G strings are always a bit touchy when tuning....

..However as far as intonation goes I generally don't venture past the twelth fret when playing the ol girl so the intonation or slight lack of precise tuning doesn't rear it's ugly little head enough to become an issue of overly great importance......It is however or can be time consuming especially re-stringing...but patience is a virtue! :)

Kev
 
cant tune standard

I tune my 12 string to DGCFAD (step down from EADGBE) because if you don't and the guitar isnt braced for the the standard tuning, it'll warp your soundboard. 6 strings puts a lot of psi on the soundboard, so you could imagine what a 12 does. And not many 12's are braced for standard tuning. although there are some out there. and i also like the sound :)
 
Sleddog72 said:
I tune my 12 string to DGCFAD (step down from EADGBE) because if you don't and the guitar isnt braced for the the standard tuning, it'll warp your soundboard. 6 strings puts a lot of psi on the soundboard, so you could imagine what a 12 does. And not many 12's are braced for standard tuning. although there are some out there. and i also like the sound :)
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Funny you should mention that: I have just recently tuned my 12 string down but only a half step for a country tune :eek: that I was playing which involved a few pull offs whilst changing from a C Major chord to a G. The added slackness of the strings and the slightly darker tone was "Heavenly"
 
heh that is cool because what i've been doing is i've been tuning down a full step and capo'ing up a fret. so basically im a half step down. heh. but i also have a deep voice, so the full step is great. i might try your trick though, tuning down a full step can get a little sloppy sometimes. a half step should ease the pressure off the soundboard, no?
 
I don't actually own one yet, which surprises me sometimes seeing I have quite a few guitars - been close but everytime I try one in a guitar shop I come away a little disappointed. Mind you, trying to tune the damn things in a guitar shop with some greasy haired kid doing his Slash cum Yngwie impersonations on a cheap Ibanez electric through a Marshall practice amp is especially frustrating.

I went around with a friend who wanted to buy one and I ended up tuning them all for him as he simply couldn't. I'll get one one day, but it'll have to be a good one.
 
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