For the love of God, SOMEONE help me tune my 12 string guitar!

M

Mike Richardson

New member
Ok, I just got hold of a 12-string Ibanez acoustic guitar.

Firstly, I think the person that put the strings on it has done it incorrectly. For example, the first low E string is actually the thin low E string... if that makes sense. So the whole guitar goes thin, thick, thin, thick. Shouldn't be it around the other way? I don't know, but that seems to make more sense.

Secondly, how do I tune all the strings? This is what I was going to do :

String 1 (thin low E) : 1 octave above the other low E string
String 2 (thick low E): Standard low E string tuning
String 3 (thin A) : 1 octave above the other A string
String 4 (thick A): Standard A string tuning
String 5 (thin D) : 1 octave above the other D string
String 6 (thick D): Standard D string tuning
String 7 (thin G) : 1 octave above the G string
String 8 (thick G): Standard G

This is where I don't know what to do. Both B and high E strings are actually the same width; so it seems. So if I try and tune one of them an octave apart from the other, the strings will surely break. So.... what do I do? And have I been doing it correctly so far?

Please help. I need to record some stuff for an assignment and this damn guitar needs to be tuned :)

Thanks. Bye.
 
you have everything correct so far. Your b strings and high e strings get the same tuning, thats why they are the same gauge.
 
Mike,
You've got it pretty much right - it DOES go thin/thick when you hold the guitar in playing position and look down . The tuning is as you stated for E, A, D, G.
But, the B and E pairs (that are the same gauge) are tuned in UNISON.
One BIG thing to remember is that most 12 strings cannot support the added tension at concert pitch for extended periods of time (live and learn..), so if you want to record at concert pitch, please, please, tune down a tone when you finish.
I leave my 12 string tuned to D (sometimes Eb) 'cause it exploded once...

Cheers, and have fun !

tekno - Mike
 
capo

i have an old crestwood 12 string acoustic guitar, and i always keep a capo on the 2d fret and tune it 2 steps low so that its normal with the capo on. and it stays in tune just fine, probably because theres less tension.
 
teknomike said:
One BIG thing to remember is that most 12 strings cannot support the added tension at concert pitch for extended periods of time (live and learn..), so if you want to record at concert pitch, please, please, tune down a tone when you finish.
Click to expand...

Two of my bandmates have 12 string guitars, and neither of them do that. My brother's 12 string has been tuned to concert pitch continuously for over 35 years and it's still just fine, and it's not a very expensive one. Pick up a 12 string in a music store; it will be tuned E to E.

Maybe some 12 strings can't stand the tension, but that's not true for most of them.
 
Mike Richardson said:
Ok, I just got hold of a 12-string Ibanez acoustic guitar.

Firstly, I think the person that put the strings on it has done it incorrectly. For example, the first low E string is actually the thin low E string... if that makes sense. So the whole guitar goes thin, thick, thin, thick. Shouldn't be it around the other way? I don't know, but that seems to make more sense.

Secondly, how do I tune all the strings? This is what I was going to do :

String 1 (thin low E) : 1 octave above the other low E string
String 2 (thick low E): Standard low E string tuning
String 3 (thin A) : 1 octave above the other A string
String 4 (thick A): Standard A string tuning
String 5 (thin D) : 1 octave above the other D string
String 6 (thick D): Standard D string tuning
String 7 (thin G) : 1 octave above the G string
String 8 (thick G): Standard G

This is where I don't know what to do. Both B and high E strings are actually the same width; so it seems. So if I try and tune one of them an octave apart from the other, the strings will surely break. So.... what do I do? And have I been doing it correctly so far?

Please help. I need to record some stuff for an assignment and this damn guitar needs to be tuned :)

Thanks. Bye.
Click to expand...


The high string in an octave pair has to be above the low one, otherwise when you strum, the pick would skip over the thin string and you'd never hear it.

The B and E (and sometimes the G) are not octave pairs; they have the same pitch.
 
ggunn said:
Two of my bandmates have 12 string guitars, and neither of them do that. My brother's 12 string has been tuned to concert pitch continuously for over 35 years and it's still just fine, and it's not a very expensive one. Pick up a 12 string in a music store; it will be tuned E to E.

Maybe some 12 strings can't stand the tension, but that's not true for most of them.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. I have a nice Takamine 12 that's been tuned concert for at least 10 years .... no problems.
If a 12 won't hold up to tension then it's not properly designed. A good luthier is gonna take the tension in account when they design the bracing system.
 
Bob is correct. I usually keep mine tuned to D-C, because I might not play her for months. Sometimes I leave it at E for long stretches, no warpage.
 
i've never had a problem having my yamaha 12er tuned to E-E either. however, i do leave it tuned D-D and capo at 2. the reason? the string tension is less and it's nicer to play that way.

and IMO, an intellitouch tuner is almost essential when tuning a 12 string acoustic or mandolin, etc.


cheers,
wade
 
I got my 12-string back in either January or February, and it's been tuned to concert pitch the entire time with no ill effects.

It's an Ibanez too, one of the new "Sage" series ones.
 
I keep my 12 strings either at D or Eb it's just a lot easier on the fingers and a slightly lower action. I would not have to worry about the exta tension at all. My Guild has dual truss rods so I don't think the guitar would have a problem with concert pitch, just me ;)
 
Mike, you have your string numbering backwards, I think.

On a six-string, the numbering is as follows:

E (low) = 6
A = 5
D = 4
G = 3
B = 2
E (high) = 1

Not that it matters that much, but when you start throwing string numbers around things can get confusing.
 
mrface2112 said:
i've never had a problem having my yamaha 12er tuned to E-E either. however, i do leave it tuned D-D and capo at 2. the reason? the string tension is less and it's nicer to play that way.

and IMO, an intellitouch tuner is almost essential when tuning a 12 string acoustic or mandolin, etc.

cheers,
wade
Click to expand...

I keep mine tuned down D to D as well just to play it safe and I agree it really makes playing it SO much easier. Mine came with an onboard tuner as well and it's great-I also think the lower tension keeps it in tune better.:)

I had a friend that tuned his 12 string to concert pitch and the bridge pulled up on it. Somewhere on its trip to the factory UPS accidently destroyed it-so you can see why I play it safe and tune it down!;)
 
teknomike said:
... it DOES go thin/thick when you hold the guitar in playing position and look down.
Click to expand...
With the notable exception of the Rickenbacker 360/12. George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, remember those guys? The Rick not only had the unique dual action headstock but the strings were ordered backasswards from regular 12s as well. Supposed to be what made the characteristic chimey sound.


lou
 
Holy crap, this is an old thread .... :eek::D

BTW, to clarify my 12 that exploded - I always had it tuned E - e. Probably 10 to 15 years with no issues.
But after not playing it for upwards of a year, with the attendant humidity changes in Canada, the neck separated from the soundblock due to the tension.
All fixed now, but I still don't play it as often as I should, so it's tuned D- d with no problems (and no more repairs). And I ALWAYS humidify now.

I would say that those of you who haven't had a problem with concert pitch play your 12's more often than I (meaning more than every 6 months ... ;) )
 
teknomike said:
Holy crap, this is an old thread .... :eek::D

BTW, to clarify my 12 that exploded - I always had it tuned E - e. Probably 10 to 15 years with no issues.
But after not playing it for upwards of a year, with the attendant humidity changes in Canada, the neck separated from the soundblock due to the tension.
All fixed now, but I still don't play it as often as I should, so it's tuned D- d with no problems (and no more repairs). And I ALWAYS humidify now.

I would say that those of you who haven't had a problem with concert pitch play your 12's more often than I (meaning more than every 6 months ... ;) )
Click to expand...

Well, YMMV of course, but my brother's 12 string is very rarely used, and once that I know of it sat untouched in its case for over 5 years. It's been tuned E to E since he got it some time in the 70's. No problems yet.
 
I don't think that from the gits point of view it matters if you ever play it or not.
Tension is tension and doesn't get less because you play or don't play it. If it's gonna damge the git it will and if not, then it won't.
About the only possibility I can see is if taking it out of the case could make a tremendous difference in whether the air it was in was humid enough or not and that doesn't seem too likely.
 
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