Strings for 360 12 String?

[andyenobs]

I would stick to Rickenbacker Nickel Round Wound. It is what they put on and I do not have a problem with them on either my 6 0r 12 strings.

[kennyhowes]

If you like flat wounds and want the vintage vibe:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -12-string

[iiipopes]

I have not read all three pages. Two pointers:
1) Purchase a set that has a wound 3rd unison G string so it will intonate properly with the octave plain G string. That excludes D'A and some others.
2) The low E string will have issues unless the octave E string is a large diameter compared to the unison E string. Here's what I did instead to keep a reasonable gauge to the octave low E string: order a blank saddle from RIC and file it to have the unison E string intonate off the back of the saddle and the octave string intonate off the front of the saddle. Issue solved.

[Blomp]

Has anyone tried elixir 12 string 10-46 gauge?

It's got lighter octave strings, an unwound 3rd, and a slightly heavier E and A string than the Rickenbacker brand set. I'd guess this might be troublesome intonation-wise with a 6 saddle bridge, but my 330/12 has a 12 saddle bridge that a previous owner installed. It appeals to me mainly because I use elixirs on most of my 6 strings and they last a long time, and anything that reduces the frequency of string changes on my Rickenbacker 12 string is a good thing

I'm probably gonna try a set, so long as it's not likely to explode the tailpiece!

[fabandgear]

I installed a set of "Infeld 12" strings on my 360/12V64 and WOW! They sound great, are easy to play (the old strings were Ernie Ball 12 String Slinkeys!) and I LOVE the feel of the flatwounds! My brother was so impressed with them that he got a set for his Vox Phantom XII. I'm going to get another set for my '66 360/12!

[iiipopes]

Has anyone tried elixir 12 string 10-46 gauge?

It's got lighter octave strings, an unwound 3rd, and a slightly heavier E and A string than the Rickenbacker brand set. I'd guess this might be troublesome intonation-wise with a 6 saddle bridge, but my 330/12 has a 12 saddle bridge that a previous owner installed. It appeals to me mainly because I use elixirs on most of my 6 strings and they last a long time, and anything that reduces the frequency of string changes on my Rickenbacker 12 string is a good thing

I'm probably gonna try a set, so long as it's not likely to explode the tailpiece!

No because of the problems with this set as set forth in my earlier post.

[Blomp]

No because of the problems with this set as set forth in my earlier post.

I went back to find your earlier post in this thread and it refers to intonation issues with an unwound 3rd in relation to the octave 3rd on a 6 saddle bridge specifically. I have a 12 saddle bridge, which I clarified in the very next sentence of my post after the part you highlighted

My concern is more about tension/not breaking the R tailpiece.

[iiipopes]

No because of the problems with this set as set forth in my earlier post.

I went back to find your earlier post in this thread and it refers to intonation issues with an unwound 3rd in relation to the octave 3rd on a 6 saddle bridge specifically. I have a 12 saddle bridge, which I clarified in the very next sentence of my post after the part you highlighted

My concern is more about tension/not breaking the R tailpiece.

Yes, but 99 44/100 percent of players have the six-string bridge, so my comments are relevant and necessary to the vast majority of Rickenbacker 12-string guitar players. Moreover, on the old Rickenbacker forum, which has now been deleted in the factory website rebuild, Mr. JH himself said that due to the increased mass of two strings on one saddle (albeit only slightly, but there because of drilling only one intonation screw instead of two per pair along with the combined downforce of both strings on one saddle), the six-string bridge has better tone and sustain than the 12-saddle bridge. Finally, the newer R-tailpieces have a better construction. So any 10-46 set should not cause any issue, with one exception. Again, Mr. JH said that a set of Pyramids have too much tension and actually posted that the company would not honor the warranty if it was found that these strings had been used on an instrument. Other than that (without going through all the math) that a typical 12-string set of 10's has about the same tension as a 6-string set starting with a 14, so the discussion is effectively moot.

[Blomp]

Yes, but 99 44/100 percent of players have the six-string bridge, so my comments are relevant and necessary to the vast majority of Rickenbacker 12-string guitar players. Moreover, on the old Rickenbacker forum, which has now been deleted in the factory website rebuild, Mr. JH himself said that due to the increased mass of two strings on one saddle (albeit only slightly, but there because of drilling only one intonation screw instead of two per pair along with the combined downforce of both strings on one saddle), the six-string bridge has better tone and sustain than the 12-saddle bridge. Finally, the newer R-tailpieces have a better construction. So any 10-46 set should not cause any issue, with one exception. Again, Mr. JH said that a set of Pyramids have too much tension and actually posted that the company would not honor the warranty if it was found that these strings had been used on an instrument. Other than that (without going through all the math) that a typical 12-string set of 10's has about the same tension as a 6-string set starting with a 14, so the discussion is effectively moot.

Gotcha! TBH I thought the 12 saddle bridge was a standard feature outside of the v/c series until recently. I guess 12 saddle bridges are even less common than I thought.

Would a Rickenbacker from 1998 have one of these more solid tailpieces? Or am I just being over-cautious as I'm not intending to put anything heavier than a 10-46 gauge set on it anyway? I believe elixir's plain steels are actually a little higher tension overall than other plain steels the same gauge due to the process of making them rust resistant, but they compensate for this on the low strings by using a thinner core. (this might be why thinner octave strings are used on the 12 string sets, too!).

I do actually have a spare set of those pyramids, which I bought for my danelectro 12 when it was my only 12 string. That dano needs flatwounds, to compensate for the thin, weedy output of the pickups, and the pyramids sounded great but made it an absolute chore to play due because of the high tension and the effect it had on the neck. No way am I putting them on my 330 (I want roundwounds on a rick 12 anyway!).