String Order on Rickenbacker 12 String Models

[wkfoot]

Ok I've had this question for 33 years. I hope there is some reason beyond "Why not?" Why are the hi octave strings on Rics strung the other way around from every other twelve I have owned? I.E. Big string first, little string second. It makes a very big difference in the way a bass run sounds when using finger picks.

[grsnovi]

I don't know if there is any reason other than "why not" HOWEVER the fact that they are opposite from (most) every other tweleve out there is essentially THE reason (as far as I can tell) that a RIC 12 sounds so distinctive.

The reason I've heard for that unique sound is that with the high octave hit 2nd (on the down stroke) the higher pitched note will ring out and decay AFTER the lower note and won't be over-shadowed by the lower note.

I sort of doubt there was any logic behind the why. I do believe that RIC's 1st twelve (the one they gave to the female country artist) was strung in the traditional way. Perhaps they simply were fooling around and after the one they gave to GH (12 # 2) became sort of "famous" they kept stringing them that way?

John Hall probably knows, but I've not seen him post here in a while.

[rickplayer]

I had heard somewhere that FC Hall did some research and found that he liked the sound best this way. The reasoning being the difference in volume and tone between the octive strings. On a downward stroke, the thin string would be the last hit and would resonate at the same rate as the thick string. The other way around tends to lose the higher octave string. It's only what I heard, but I like it and agree.

[markthemd]

I have re strung many acoustic 12 string the Rick method over the years .

When I worked for a retail store in the 1980's we would "get in" numerous YAMAHA acoustic 12 strings at one time .

I would take 4 of these and do my thing to them .

one was to recut the nut and restring it like a Rick .
Another was to compensation using 1/4" wide stock , the saddle in typical stringing BUT with the tops of the strings following the fretboard radius so that you got a smooth picking action . This is NOT found normally . The octave is always below the radius as the strings follow this arch on the bottoms of the strings .

I also would make a compensated saddle for Rick stringing ...... Then I would set up all of these ......and adjust the pricing , and watch to see what sold first , and why they would choose that particular one .

I found many players using finger picks liking the all the mods .

My acoustic 12 string is in fact strung like a Rick . I find it more even sounding and less TWANGY in a group of guitars . Less shrill .

I also use Phosphor Bronze string as they are 'smoother' in tone . I have a Rosewood side and back 'Heavily ' modified Takamine . The electronics are changed , the braces , scalloped , the bridge plate is now maple and smaller , the frets are Dunlop 6230 , the nut and saddle are both MICARTA and the saddle is compensated fully ...1/4" wide .
It was given to me ......it is now very nice . I hated it when I strated . It blows away some of my friends Taylors,Guilds and Martins .

[wkfoot]

Well, I guess that will give me something to chew on. I personally prefer My Ric 12s for flat picking stuff, and another 12 electric for finger pics. It is 3/16" wider at the nut and I tend to find it easier to hit the exact note I want with the thumbpick. This of course speaks more to my innepitude than anything else. As to the different sounds, I have to admit I like them all. I even have an 8 string bass around here with the same "Octaveapart" setup. It was just one of those little niggly Hmmmmm questions. Thanks..

[admin]

Wkfoot: When strumming downward with the Rickenbacker 12 String one moves from larger to smaller strings which is a much smoother transition (at least to me) than when using the traditional arrangement which has the player moving from smaller to larger strings. Of course the opposite is the case for strumming upward! Nonetheless there is a sense, for me, that it is easier to play with the Rickenbacker string arrangement. Perhaps this is why you have come to prefer the Rickenbacker for flat picking.

[shiraz]

Are Ric acoustic 12s strung in the traditional Ric fashion or the standard octave-on-top way?
I enjoyed flat-picking on my Ric 340/12. 'course I've gotten into the habit of attacking the E,A, and D strings from below.
And nothing beats the tremendous ring of a Ric 12 when you downstroke across all 12 strings. Beautiful.
Cheers, Noel

[markthemd]

according to the photo in the issue of GUITAR WORLD -ACOUSTIC #56 2002 ,with James Taylor on the cover ,turn to page 21 ,there you will see the advertisement for Rickenbacker's 700C/12 Comstock .....even with the goofy lighting and shadows , you can see the strings are installed just as they are on the electric 12 strings .

COOL!!!

JH ...note , Delmar has reddish/brown "latrinium" stock . It would look very cool on that guitar .
Yes ... I do know what they want to "say hello".