Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I know this sounds kinda silly, but anyway, how do you tune your 12-string?

When I use a digital tuner (mostly software), I always end up with a guitar that is tuned up too precisely. There's just not enough of this great natural chorus, almost none of it really. This is especially evident on the first two couples os strings. I guess I should tune some strings flat or sharp. Is there some common method?

Tried tuning by ear instead but much to my surprise I just couldn't do it well enough. Oh.

Try this, it has a set of sweetened tuning that may help you.

try turning those little knobby things on the headstock.

R McGuinn explains in his video/dvd how he "tempers" the tuning on his Rick 12. IIRC, once tuned to pitch (half-step down or not) and properly intonated with bridge saddle adjustments where necessary, he tunes the low "E" and the open "G" strings down a tad so the chording on the lower frets sounds right.

I've tried it and it works for me.

libratune wrote:R McGuinn explains in his video/dvd how he "tempers" the tuning on his Rick 12. IIRC, once tuned to pitch (half-step down or not) and properly intonated with bridge saddle adjustments where necessary, he tunes the low "E" and the open "G" strings down a tad so the chording on the lower frets sounds right.

I've tried it and it works for me.

Yeah, I do something similar. I usually fudge the B pair of strings a bit.
JimK

Bighouse wrote:try turning those little knobby things on the headstock.

.... one at a time.



[ducks and runs]

I tune the A, D and G pairs pretty much in synch with the tuner, then tune the Bs down a touch flat until the third fret agrees with the open D strings and tune the high E pair checking its third fret position against the open G strings. The Low E octave can usually be tuned with the tuner. The primary low E string usually gets tuned a hair flat, again checking it's third fret position against the G strings or a G chord. Different string gauges seem to require different amounts of flattening on the thick lower E (and sometimes A) strings - from very little to enough to make the open low E sound a bit funky.

After that, there are those special chords that should really ring nicely on a Ric twelve and you can run through some of them as a check and tweak as needed:
- Open G with the 3rd fret on the B pair added,
- Am, C, and open F with the third fret on the high E strings added,
- Em with the third fret on both the B pair and High E pair added,
- Open E chord - run all the way up an octave,
- Open C7 run up from its normal third fret position to the seventh for an E7and the 12th for an A7th chord.
- Open D chord with the fifth fret added on the high E pair with your little finger.
- Dm run up to the fifth fret
- etc., etc. - depending on what keys you usually find yourself playing in.

Here's my "trick of the trade" ... I use an older Seiko chromatic tuner similar to the one in this eBay ad:
When tuning with this device, a string is indicated to be in tune by a green LED when it is within ± 5 cents of center. On the B and high-E pairs, I tune one of each pair to the (-) side of center and the other to the (+) side of center. On this type of tuner, it's really easy to do, and it creates just enough ringing to allow those strings to chime. If I want really strong 'ringing' in the all notes, I tune all of the strings that way.

Another vote here for the Strobo-Flip from Peterson, on its "12 STR sweetened" setting.

First I tune the bass string and then the 2 octave strings.
(I have a 12 string bass.)

I use a white Korg tuner to tune my V64, and it does a good job. I am contemplating a Boss tuner pedal, though. I've heard those are extremely useful.

I have issues similar to JimK and Teb. I have used the Boss tuner pedal and it works fine. I've heard good things about the Peterson as well.

Or, if you have tinnitus, like I do, you can just tune literally "by ear". Mine ring 24/7 with a really high D. If I concentrate on the note and drop it down a couple octaves, most of the time it's spot on. In stereo-mixing terms, mine is about 20% left of center and once in a while the two sides don't agree perfectly. The resulting warble is a good definition of "seriously annoying".

Janglyman wrote:I have issues similar to JimK and Teb. I have used the Boss tuner pedal and it works fine. I've heard good things about the Peterson as well.

I have nothing but good things to say about my Boss pedal tuner.

This is an interesting thread; I've never really heard much about sweetened tunings for a 12 string before.

teb wrote:I tune the A, D and G pairs pretty much in synch with the tuner, then tune the Bs down a touch flat until the third fret agrees with the open D strings and tune the high E pair checking its third fret position against the open G strings. The Low E octave can usually be tuned with the tuner. The primary low E string usually gets tuned a hair flat, again checking it's third fret position against the G strings or a G chord....

Similar to Todd, I tune the B pairs a little flat, and same with the primary low E string; while tuning the Octave Low E string to natural with the tuner ... and check everything against that just-right sounding G chord.

But isn't there another secret formula for Ric-fan-atics ... to have a second Ric-12 in your collection that you can tune the first one up to the second ....