Fingerpicking on a 12 - stringing unison/octave?

[maxr]

I'm learning Celtic accompaniment and flatpicking tunes on a 12 string in DADGAD. Do those of you who flatpick tunes on a 12 stick to the standard unison (U)/octave (O) arrangement of O O O O U U (low to high), or do you vary that, and how please? I find the transition from unison to octave pairs produces a change in tone that I notice - dunno whether it sounds OK or odd

 

[merlin6666]

I do a few flat picking fills here and there on the 12 string but just in regular tuning. I really love the sound of the octave strings for that so try to avoid the unison strings and rather venture up to higher frets.

 

[Cougar]

I just use the standard arrangement. Doyle Dykes switched the low E so the octave comes second. Seems like you'd have to recut the nut to accommodate any changes to the standard arrangement....

Yeah, fingerpicking is a bit of a challenge on a 12. I usually jump my flatpick around. I did happen to get a fair recording of this classic oldie. You can hear that octave G gets picked rather than the regular G since it's the thumb that hits it....

 

[wileypickett]

I eliminate one of the unison Bs and Es, so it's really a 10-string guitar. Since most of my string bending is on the top strings, it makes it slightly easeir to play. (I play fingerstyle.)

 

[Heath]

I eliminate one of the unison Bs and Es, so it's really a 10-string guitar. Since most of my string bending is on the top strings, it makes it slightly easeir to play. (I play fingerstyle.)

I’ve done this ever since you showed me. It’s also great in that it keeps less tension on the neck as well.

 

[maxr]

Has anyone tried tuning the 3rd pair on a 12 string in unison, with say a wound 22 and a plain 18 (or whatever works best) both tuned to G3? I keep busting the octave .008s in the G pair of a Light 12 string set.

 

[Heath]

Has anyone tried tuning the 3rd pair on a 12 string in unison, with say a wound 22 and a plain 18 (or whatever works best) both tuned to G3? I keep busting the octave .008s in the G pair of a Light 12 string set.

I’ve done that before. I also believe Leo Kottke does the same.

 

[chazmo]

Has anyone tried tuning the 3rd pair on a 12 string in unison, with say a wound 22 and a plain 18 (or whatever works best) both tuned to G3? I keep busting the octave .008s in the G pair of a Light 12 string set.

Yup, busting string 6 is a very common problem. It's kind of a signature sound, though, that I wouldn't want to sacrifice. Having said that, if Leo does it...

 

[12 string]

Never saw Leo doing that, but Lead Belly did. He also had 2 octaves between strings in the 6th course.

 

[maxr]

If you tuned string 6 to unison G3 with its pair, what gauge plain string would you use: somewhere 15 to 18? I used to use the Daddario online tension calculator, but it went AWOL.

 

[Heath]

Never saw Leo doing that, but Lead Belly did. He also had 2 octaves between strings in the 6th course.

Correction to what I said. There is a video where he said he was playing an “11 string” because the octave G broke, but he liked the sound of it that way.

 

[merlin6666]

If you tuned string 6 to unison G3 with its pair, what gauge plain string would you use: somewhere 15 to 18? I used to use the Daddario online tension calculator, but it went AWOL.

You don't try to find a thick plain string but get a second identical wound string for unison.

 

[12 string]

What merlin6666 said.

 

[maxr]

You don't try to find a thick plain string but get a second identical wound string for unison.

Ahh - I figured maybe there's a reason why you don't see two wound strings together much, like maybe they buzz together. Here's a 'duh' question I never thought about before - does guitar string thickness tell you the core diameter only, or the total thickness including the winding?

Max

 

[geoguy]

Total diameter, including the winding.

 

[Nuuska]

I have my F212CE as 10-string - missing D & G octaves - reason being that it sounded better that way w the only pup that was shallow enough to fit under strings.

 

[gilded]

I just use the standard arrangement. Doyle Dykes switched the low E so the octave comes second. Seems like you'd have to recut the nut to accommodate any changes to the standard arrangement....

Yeah, fingerpicking is a bit of a challenge on a 12. I usually jump my flatpick around. I did happen to get a fair recording of this classic oldie. You can hear that octave G gets picked rather than the regular G since it's the thumb that hits it....

Cougar,
I loved your playing. Thanks so much,
gilded

 

[maxr]

Thanks all - string tension charts suggest using 2 x plain .020s as the G3 unison 3rd string G3 pair (instead of the current 25/10 octave pair) would work out at sightly lower tension than now. As for sound, we'll see...