For guitarists seeking a rich, full sound, the 12 string guitar is a captivating instrument. Adding extra strings in octaves and unison creates a shimmering, chorus-like effect that’s perfect for everything from folk and rock to country and pop. And for left-handed players, finding the right 12 string can sometimes be a challenge. But when you do, the experience is truly special. Let’s dive into the key features that make a 12 string guitar exceptional, paying close attention to aspects that benefit all players, including those who play left-handed.
Custom Pickups
To capture the complex tones of a 12 string guitar, custom pickups are essential. These aren’t just standard pickups thrown into a different configuration. They are meticulously designed to complement the instrument’s unique voice. The goal is to achieve optimal tonal balance, ensuring each string rings clear and true without muddiness. Specifically designed for each position on the guitar, these pickups ensure balanced volume and tone, whether you’re strumming chords or picking out individual notes across the expanded range of a 12 string.
Five-Piece Korina and Walnut Neck
The neck of a 12 string guitar faces significantly more tension than a standard six-string. To handle this, a robust neck construction is crucial. A five-piece neck, often crafted from korina and walnut, offers exceptional strength and stability. The multiple layers of wood reinforce each other, creating a neck that can withstand the immense pressure exerted by twelve strings. Despite its strength, korina keeps the neck relatively lightweight, ensuring playing comfort even during extended sessions. This thoughtful design is beneficial for all players, providing a reliable and comfortable platform for navigating the wider neck of a 12 string.
Korina Body
The body wood plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall tone of any guitar, and 12 strings are no exception. Korina, also known as White Limba, is a prized tonewood favored for its medium-light weight and consistent tonal properties. Often found in high-end and vintage instruments, korina bodies are a hallmark of quality. Its resonant nature is key to producing lively, responsive instruments that are rich in harmonics – qualities that are especially desirable in a 12 string to enhance its natural lushness and depth.
Bass Contour
Versatility is a valuable asset in any guitar, and the bass contour control offers a unique way to shape your tone. This passive bass roll-off feature allows you to tighten up the low end, preventing a 12 string from sounding boomy or muddy, especially in lower tunings or with heavier playing styles. It also acts as a pickup voicing tool, capable of subtly or dramatically re-voicing your pickups. You can make a humbucker sound closer to a single-coil for brighter tones, or give a P-90-style pickup a classic twang, offering a wide palette of tonal options at your fingertips, perfect for exploring the sonic landscape of a 12 string.
Pin-Lock Tuners
Tuning stability is paramount, especially on a 12 string guitar, which is inherently more susceptible to going out of tune due to the increased string count and tension. Pin-lock tuners are a game-changer in this regard. A simple thumbwheel mechanism locks the string securely in place, dramatically improving tuning stability. Beyond stability, pin-lock tuners also make string changes incredibly fast and hassle-free, a welcome feature when restringing a 12 string.
Thin Finish
The finish on a guitar isn’t just about aesthetics; it significantly impacts the instrument’s resonance. A thinner finish allows the body wood to vibrate more freely, resulting in a more resonant and lively tone. While thicker finishes might appear glossier, they can dampen the natural vibrations of the wood. Prioritizing tone, a thinner finish allows the natural voice of the korina body to shine through, enhancing the rich harmonic content of the 12 string. Furthermore, a UV-cured finish ensures it’s 100% dry from day one, unlike traditional nitrocellulose finishes that can take years to fully cure.
Initialed Headstock
Every guitar receives individual attention and quality checks. A hand-initialed headstock serves as a mark of pride and craftsmanship. It signifies that each instrument has been personally inspected and tested by a skilled technician, ensuring it meets high standards of setup and playability before it reaches the player. This attention to detail provides assurance of quality and care in every instrument.
Fully Intonateable Bridge
Accurate intonation is crucial for any guitar, but especially for a 12 string where slight discrepancies are amplified across multiple strings. A fully intonateable bridge allows for independent adjustment of each of the 12 strings. This ensures that chords sound sweet and in tune across the entire fretboard, eliminating the dreaded 12-string dissonance that can plague lesser instruments.
1-3/4″ Wide Boneite Nut
The nut, though small, plays a vital role in string spacing, action, and tuning stability. A 1-3/4″ wide nut offers comfortable spacing for 12 strings, making it easier to fret cleanly without accidentally muting adjacent strings. Using “Boneite,” a synthetic bone material, provides consistency superior to natural bone. Boneite reduces friction, allowing strings to glide smoothly through the nut slots, further enhancing tuning stability, which is particularly important on a 12 string.
Custom Dome Knobs
Thoughtful design extends to even the smallest details. Custom dome knobs feature a lower profile, reducing the chance of accidental bumps or changes to your settings while playing. The white dot indicator provides clear visual feedback of your knob positions at a glance. These ergonomic considerations contribute to a smoother and more intuitive playing experience.
Dual-Action Truss Rod
Neck relief adjustment is essential for maintaining optimal playability, especially on a 12 string which experiences greater neck stress. A dual-action truss rod offers bidirectional adjustment, allowing for correction of both back bow and forward bow in the neck. This ensures the correct adjustment range is achievable regardless of string tension, climate changes, or long-term aging effects. The headstock location also provides easy access for adjustments.
Custom Jack Plate & Pure Tone Jack
Durability and reliable connections are crucial for performance. A custom jack plate with four mounting screws, instead of the standard two, prevents the plate from tearing out of the body, a common point of failure on some guitars. Constructed from steel for added robustness, it also features a laser-etched logo for a touch of class. Paired with a Pure Tone jack, which utilizes dual contacts for improved grip, audio signal, and overall reliability compared to standard single-contact jacks, these components ensure a dependable connection.
Treble Bleed Circuit
Maintaining clarity and brightness at lower volumes is a desirable trait. A treble bleed circuit preserves the high frequencies as you roll back the volume control. Without this circuit, guitars typically lose treble and become muddy-sounding when the volume is reduced. This feature allows you to achieve a wider range of tones and dynamic control without sacrificing clarity, even at lower volume levels.
10% Pots & 10% Poly Caps
Quality electronic components contribute to overall reliability and tonal consistency. Utilizing Alpha control pots and polyester capacitors with a tight +-10% tolerance, compared to the typical +-20%, ensures greater consistency and precision in the electronic circuit. These higher-quality components, often found in boutique guitars, contribute to a more refined and dependable performance.
In conclusion, these features collectively demonstrate a thoughtful approach to guitar design, resulting in instruments that are not only sonically rich and versatile but also built for lasting playability and reliability. While specifically discussed in general terms, the benefits of these features translate directly to left-handed 12 string guitars, ensuring that left-handed players can also experience the magic and quality craftsmanship inherent in these instruments.
