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This is a question based on ignorance.
I am going to make a 12 string and I know very little about them. Here in
town is one of the best known 12 string builders....Taylor. It is was Bob
Taylor started from. He make them in Grand Auditoriums and Jumbos.

Would and SJ be a good body for a 12 string? Is it too small??? What would
be ideal? What are the key points?

Thanks
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy it seems they are frequently built on Jumbo bodies. I've had a couple. An Alvarez maple and spruce it's a jumbo. Then an Epiphone Texas Dreadnaught, so the two examples I know of besides stock models are bigger instruments.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Andy, Here's a Yamaha 12string SJ shape of mine.I like the tone it has,not too boomy.It also sounds very good plugged in.Not bad at all for an import!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

The only difference between the 6 and 12 strings are
1 bridge plate
2 bridge
   3 neck and fret board

    I have built a few 12er and other than the few items mentioned you will make a 12 string easy as pie
john

i believe taylor's first production instrumants back in the '70's were 6 strings, and also his earlier 12's were dreadnaught shaped; my 450 from the early '90's is. the switch to using the jumbo shape for taylor 12's dates, i believe, from the mid '90's, whilst the ga sized 12 is a relatively recent introduction. and martin's 12's have, i believe, always been dreds.

   Martin makes 12s in Jumbo , dred and there were a few others. I have seen 1 om 12 custom. THe Jumbo and Dreds are a production line items at Martin
john hall
blues creek guitars

John, After my kid's science project measuring string tension, I can't imagine strapping on another set of strings without adding beefier bracing. I've not studied the 12 string though. But if it adds an additional 120 to 140 pounds of pull, gee, that's incredible. How can it handle the extra pressure?

Any 12 string builders out there? Great question!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I have built 2 SJ 12 string. approxmently 10% extra x-brace and tone bar mass (10% per brace), larger bridge and bridge plate. .130 vs .110 top thickness, then the obvious 12 sting neck and fretboard. Outsude of that all were just as normal.

I've only built one 12 string, since given away, but that was on an OM body size and I used a AXX bracing pattern not particularly beefed up, but then I believe that we over brace most of out guitars anyway. 12 string sets are usually light gauge anyway and the additional 6 strings only pull about 16lb each adding about 100lb altogether. So total pull will only be about 230-240lb not emormously greater than a medium-heavy six string set.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Besides, folks aren't actually tuning 12 strings to E, right? D, C#, even C is much friendlier on the fingers, the neck, and gives you a nice, rich, full ryhthm sound. But I likes my dropped tunings, so...

Here is a picture of Bob Taylor with the 1st that he made.
[IMG]useruploads/azimmer1/2006-02-08_132017_1971-1972_menu.jpg[/
IMG]

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

trying again
[IMG]useruploads/azimmer1/2006-02-08_132108_1971-1972_menu.jpg[/
IMG]

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Here is the address.
http://www.taylorguitars.com/history/timeline/year.asp?year= 1964-1969
I guess the 1st he made himself was a 12 string.
The Company..American Dream made 6 strings

http://www.taylorguitars.com/history/timeline/year.asp?year= %
201964-1969azimmer138756.5616203704

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com