Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've only been playing my 330 a short time but I love the sound of Rick 12-Strings and hope to have one someday.Is it difficult to learn to play a 12-string?I mean it's difficult to play my 330 but that is because of my lack of talent and coordination not because the 330 is hard to play.Maybe I should learn to play it better before I start thinking about a 12-String,but still,if you have any sage advice about learning 12 string and which 12 string would complement my 330 I would appreciate it.

In a word - No! But if is a Rickenbacker 12 string make sure that you can fit your fingers in before you buy one! Oops, thats 21 words isn't it? My fingers are not big but I can't cleanly fret a 300 series, and I can only manage my 660/12 with care. Finger picking takes a bit more care on a 12 string than a 6 string, but strumming is easy peasy and sounds great!

A twelve should be no problem, just a matter of getting use to it. I have small hands/fingers and can play my 12 just as easy as my 6's.

Going from a 330/6 to a 660/12, I found that I had to concentrate a lot more in order to 'nail' the finger positions with the left hand. It was all very frustrating at first, but persistence helped a lot! I started by not looking at my left hand when chording and slowly hitting the 12 strings individually to see how many I was muting. Small adjustments after that (and remembering that I was playing the 12 and not the 6!) sorted it out to a reasonable degree.

I also found that using a lot of upstrokes made the right hand work a lot easier (and it sounds better, too, IMO).

Well, here's the last word on it. Always good to find an expert opinion. One man and his "wisdom" about neck width.
http://cgi.ebay.com/1966-Fender-Electric-12-XII-blows-away-Rickenbacker_W0QQitemZ7343529525QQcategoryZ33039QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


No chance of trying to trade your 1993 or OS 12 for that either guys...
Now that's "anoying"...

Well! that told us, didn't it? Andrew!

Ebay didn't agree and so they pulled his ad.

Any recommendations on which 12 to get(when I get one)?By the way I been playing my 330 thru my new AD30VT and it sounds great with the compressor on.

To answer your first question, 12 strings on a nut that is 1 5/8" is undeniably tight. Most of us get used to it and/or adjust our styles accordingly because it's worth it to us.

If playability is what you're after, most non-Rickenbacker players I know agree the 660 is the easiest playing 12 because of the wider fingerboard. I probably would've done a 660 myself, but I have a weird hangup about solid body guitars. I just don't like 'em. A Rickenbacker without a cat's eye soundhole? Humbug!

660/12
neck width at nut = 44.45 mm (1 3/4")
neck width at 12th fret = 53.52mm (2.107")

330/12 and 360/12
neck width at nut = 41.4 mm (1.63")
neck width at 12th fret = 49.05 mm (1 .931")

.... I have a 660/12 and when I pick up a 330/12 or a 360/12 (in a store), I can feel the difference. Even the 660/12 is fairly tight but I think the extra width makes for a better feel than the 300 series. However, I suppose the most important things are a combination of what you get used to and how fat your finger are. For instance, my fat fingers just cant deal with a 325.

Here's my two cents:
As a teacher, I usually recommend NOT learning on a 12--if for no other reason than the extra effort required, particularly when learning bar chords. Most beginners have a tough enough time making a decent F, let alone a Bb. Of course, you may be past that point, in which case my point is moot. Yes, picking on a 12 is different, and it depends on your picking style. I play my 12 more often than my 6 stringers, and find it takes a few progressions to get acclimated to the different feel. Having short, thin fingers, I like smaller necks (almost died trying to learn on a full-sized classical back in the '60s--

Bottom line: if you practice regularly with your 12, you'll probably do fine.

Valenti

I'll go with Seth here - I didn't play a 12 until well after I'd learnt to play a 6, and I was glad I'd waited. Not only could I do the basics, but my fingers were a bit stronger...I think if I'd started on a 12 the difficulty of fretting and tuning the 12 strings, added to the usual frustrations of learning to play guitar at all, might well have meant I just gave up.

I keep meaning to look into things like Roger McGuinn's 12 string DVD and some old Leadbelly recordings to get more of a feel for what makes the 12 special. But I never get round to it, and have to settle for fronting our band with a 620/12 and believing that it makes a real contribution to our sounding different from the next set of guys with guitar/bass/drums...

Thanks to all for info and sage advice.You are both right that I would be better off waiting until I can play my 330-6 better.I have really only been taking lessons for a couple of months and being over 50 I find it challenging to say the least but I have a good teacher and I enjoy learning(or trying to).Still I do think that someday I would like to have a 12 and that is why I posed this question so that I could learn as much as possible about the different Rick 12-Strings.Thanks again to all.

Mitch,

It's not just someday you'd like to - you absolutely must do! You hit a chord and it sings - but only if you've done the work to fret it right!

A lot of people like the 660/12 neck 'cos it's a bit wider than the usual Ric 12 neck (which is narrow compared to just about any other 12 string neck - acoustic or electric - which you'll come across) and thus easier to play. I reckon that you should just try some out when the time comes. And it will.

Good luck, keep practicing!

One option is to tune down and then capo up.... string tension is then much less.

Naturally you may encounter other unwanted things like fret buzzing, but I did this on a 12-string acoustic with great results. (capo is on 2nd fret and the top string is still E)