Will it cause any harm to string a 12 string acoustic with only 6 strings?
I was about to change strings on my 12 string Seagull tonight, and decided to clip off the octave strings and play it as a 6 string for a bit (for now it is my only guitar). Although, I'm starting to get GAS pretty bad. Such tough choices though, electric or 6 string acoustic guitar, mandolin...
Thanks for your thoughts folks.
"What kind of music do you usually have here?"
"Oh, we got both kinds. We got country AND western."
I did that with a 12' er and had no problems.
It's been done for generations.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Thanks. That's what I thought, just wanted to be sure. I would hate to do any permanent damage to an instrument I've grown to love.
"What kind of music do you usually have here?"
"Oh, we got both kinds. We got country AND western."
done it on my 12 for years with no problems.
however, should you get fret some buzzing, the neck relief (bow) may need to be tweaked via the truss rod adjustment. less tension from fewer strings means less force on the neck, so it may bow back a bit. this is not damage, but only an adjustment issue.
-=tension & release=-
why not try stringing it as a nine string? double up 1,2, and 3 and leave the bass 4,5, and 6 as singles. Easier to play and still cool sounding.
I was thinking of trying that Nick, though I was going to go 10 strings, double strings for 1 thru 4, but I might try your suggestion first and start with 9 strings. So many things to try.
"What kind of music do you usually have here?"
"Oh, we got both kinds. We got country AND western."
Ignorant question: What's wrong with 12?
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Obviously, nothing is wrong with 12. It's just my only guitar for now and I wanted to play and hear the difference with just 6 strings for a bit. Started the thread just to make sure I wouldn't cause any damage to my 12 string due to the lower tension.
One of the other reasons I wanted just 6 stings for awhile was to practice finger picking more too. I'm finding that quite challenging with all 12 strings.
"What kind of music do you usually have here?"
"Oh, we got both kinds. We got country AND western."
Ignorant question: What's wrong with 12?
I bought a 12-er a few years back, when I could just about manage half-a-dozen chords.....my answer to that, at the time, would have been, "There's about 6 strings too many!" An ignorant answer for the time.....
To an average, or fairly competent guitarist, the 12-string opens up an exciting new world of tonal possibilities - to the complete duffer, which I pretty much was back than, it offers twice as many opportunities to mess up!
Hey Ric - have you, or has anyone else you know of, ever tried playing slide on a 12-string? Just curious.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I don't own a 12 string, and have only played one once. But lots of people over on Big Road Blues slide on 12 strings.
One of my neighbors has one and plays it in church a lot. But he doesn't play slide.
I'm sitting around here now trying to figure stuff out on an 8-string lap steel in C6/Am7.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
