12 string guitars

[warhead]

Does anyone have some experience with the 12 string guitars? I`m interested how would that work for Thrash and Death metal with some monster high gain amp. Will the riffs sound fuller or mushier because of more strings?

[toejam]

Re: 12 string guitars

I had a Carvin 12-string (DC120) that was awesome for metal... it definitely added some fullness and brightness to the sound (the E and B strings are doubled, the rest of the extra strings are an octave higher than the normal ones). There used to be a guy on the Carvin board who was in a death metal band and swore by using his 12-string for it! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[jazzman]

Re: 12 string guitars

I guess you can never know unless you try.

[warhead]

Re: 12 string guitars

[ QUOTE ]
I guess you can never know unless you try.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but I`d rather ask first somebody who already knows, than shell out money for nothing.

[jazzman]

Re: 12 string guitars

I take it there's no 30 day money back stores near you? Guitar Center or something? I guess I don't know where Croatia is. Sorry.

[mm2002]

Re: 12 string guitars

Hey, buy the 12 string and if you don't like it all you need is pair of wire cutters to convert it to a 6 string! [img]/images/graemlins/idea2.gif[/img]

[Ace]

Re: 12 string guitars

That sort of defeats the purpose of having a 12 string in the first place.

I play death metal, and as far as 12 string guitars go, they have a pretty cool and unique sound for death metal. However, they don't play(feel) the same way as a 6 string guitar, and if your like me and like to play faster parts that challenge yourself, some of those parts might be a lot harder to play on a 12 string. Also, they do sound DIFFERENT, so you might not like the way it sounds in some parts. If I owned a 12 string, I would try it out and use it for certains songs/parts of songs, but I would use it as a main guitar, or switch out from my 6 string all together.

[warhead]

Re: 12 string guitars

Man, thanx for a helpful reply!!
I also thought that with really fast, palm muted parts, the 12 might sound funny. I simply thought that on some slower parts/songs, the riffs on 12 might sound fuller(I might be wrong). I asked the question about the 12 with double neck in mind. So that I have the option of both, IF the 12 is suitable for my style at all.

[ QUOTE ]
That sort of defeats the purpose of having a 12 string in the first place.

I play death metal, and as far as 12 string guitars go, they have a pretty cool and unique sound for death metal. However, they don't play(feel) the same way as a 6 string guitar, and if your like me and like to play faster parts that challenge yourself, some of those parts might be a lot harder to play on a 12 string. Also, they do sound DIFFERENT, so you might not like the way it sounds in some parts. If I owned a 12 string, I would try it out and use it for certains songs/parts of songs, but I would use it as a main guitar, or switch out from my 6 string all together.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Twisteramps]

Re: 12 string guitars

If you're looking for a fuller sound, run a really fast delay (like 30ms) or a chorus pedal. Chorus pedals can imitate a 12 string fairly well.

Thing is, when I think 12 string, I don't think metal so much as I do major 7th chords and songs by gordon lightfoot and the byrds. Maybe if you used an octave pedal that went an octave LOWER that might help?

Pete

[Ace]

Re: 12 string guitars

I use my octave pedal that goes an octave lower(EH Octave Multiplexer) for metal sometimes. It has a real full, powerful sound to it. It's way too boomy to leave on for much riffing though.

[Newc]

Re: 12 string guitars

Octave devices usually don't track well, especially for fast Thrash-type rhythms.
You would actually not need as much gain on your amp with a 12 string as you would for 6, because it would sound a bit mushy with high gain.

If all you were doing was sustained major/minor chords with palm-muted power chord rhythm, then a 12 would probably kick ass, but when it comes to doing fast riffs and solos, you might find it slightly difficult to maintain accuracy and speed in both picking and fretting unless you've got very strong fingers.

Then again you could also simply leave off the bottom two double strings (High E and B) like Danny Spitz did with his, and have a 10-string that has doubled "rhythm" strings but single "lead" strings.

Newc

[RacerX]

Re: 12 string guitars

Check out this Agile double neck!

http://www.rondomusic.net/doublevalkyrie.html

[nonamemx]

Re: 12 string guitars

I saw that. Looks pretty cool, Page fans will rejoice.

But you might want more fret access for metal (if you solo)

[Ace]

Re: 12 string guitars

Newc is right about the tracking thing with the Octave pedal. I use mine for single string and "two string" slow parts. It makes a real powerful, droning sound that shakes the whole building. Really cool for that, but I wouldn't play Holy Wars with it or anything.