If You Find Ric 12-String Necks Too Narrow, Here's Gibson...

[stsang]

Are the narrow RIC 12-string necks cramping your style, or your fingers? Do you find it hard to cleanly play an open C chord on a RIC 12-string? Are you looking for a "beefier" 12-string sound?

If so, Gibson may have the solution for you in the form of the Gibson Les Paul Traditional 12-string:
http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri ... tring.aspx

Gibson Les Paul Standard 12-String

[Grey]

I played one of the 50th Anniversary 12-string SG's last year, felt good and sounded really nice. The headstock is large, but it uses mini tuners so its not too unwieldy.

[jps]

Gibson Les Paul Traditional 12-string

That's an oxymoron, right, or just moronic?

[weemac]

Just get a 660. It would be cheaper..

Eden.

[stsang]

I played one of the 50th Anniversary 12-string SG's last year, felt good and sounded really nice. The headstock is large, but it uses mini tuners so its not too unwieldy.

I tried that out too last year at Sam Ash in NYC and agree it was actually pretty nice to play. It sounded very full, not particularly jangly or chimey. (It was also the same day and time that I got to try out a 370/12RM too ) I wonder how balanced the Les Paul 12-string will be with that large looking headstock.

[Kingbreaker]

I played one of the 50th Anniversary 12-string SG's last year, felt good and sounded really nice. The headstock is large, but it uses mini tuners so its not too unwieldy.

How was the balance on it? Even 6-string SG's have the reputation for neck-diving.

[doctorwho]

Gibson Les Paul Traditional 12-string

That's an oxymoron, right, or just moronic?

Gibson wasn't inhaling oxygen when they came up with that, so ...

[Danotron]

I played one of the 50th Anniversary 12-string SG's last year, felt good and sounded really nice. The headstock is large, but it uses mini tuners so its not too unwieldy.

I have one of these SG 12's.

Different sound than a Rick (obviously) but it's a nice guitar. The Les Paul 12 does look a bit odd to me though. Maybe I'm just more used to the SG shape for a 12 because it's more or less half of a Gibson doubleneck.

[iiipopes]

I've played the Hamer double-cutaway version. Let's see, regarding the tone on both of these guitars: Mahogany body -- more mids. Soapbars or humbuckers -- even more mids. About the same scale as a 360-12 -- so playable, but even more mids unless tamed by all maple body construction. Indian rosewood fingerboard: compared to Brazilian, cocobolo, ebony, maple, bubinga or chechen: looser bass and -- you guessed it -- adding more mids.

Too much mids and it quits sounding like a 12-string and just sounds like a Les Paul Custom with a maple neck and ebony fingerboard through a Boss CE-2 chorus.

[electrofaro]

Gibson wasn't inhaling oxygen when they came up with that, so ...

lol

I know the guy who came up with the idea - we went out a couple of night in Nashville. He's a really cool and great guy although he looks like the stereotypical nerd

[Chrome Aardvark]

Personally, I'm glad that both Gibson and Gretsch are still playing around with 12-strings, though I'm not sure the world needs a Les Paul 12-string. I've got a '68 ES-335 12-String, like Richie Furay used to play in Buffalo Springfield. It's LOUD and tonally pretty dark, almost baroque sounding. It has a 6 saddle bridge, so there are intonation issues and then there are the nylon bridge saddles, which were standard at the time - these have since swapped out for graphite saddles, which go a long way towards "brightening" the sound. It also has the super slim late 60's neck, which those of us that complain about neck width on a 330 or 360 12 shouldn't even attempt to play.

I love it as an oddity of the time and despite the issues it has a place in my arsenal of guitars. Now, if only Gibson made a 12 saddle bridge...

[jps]

I know the guy who came up with the idea - we went out a couple of night in Nashville. He's a really cool and great guy although he looks like the stereotypical nerd

So, the 12 string LP was dreamed up by an engineer playing around with his CAD system?

[JakeK]

Personally, I'm glad that both Gibson and Gretsch are still playing around with 12-strings, though I'm not sure the world needs a Les Paul 12-string.

+1, I prefer the SG 12-string better.

[stsang]

So, the 12 string LP was dreamed up by an engineer playing around with his CAD system?

If so... maybe it was a copy'n'paste error? Seriously though, I'm glad this guitar exists too.

[electrofaro]

I know the guy who came up with the idea - we went out a couple of night in Nashville. He's a really cool and great guy although he looks like the stereotypical nerd

So, the 12 string LP was dreamed up by an engineer playing around with his CAD system?

Uhm... no... he did it while playing with his pencil!