Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I got my new 1997 12 string. It played great, good action etc.
I decided to tune down 1/2 step, when I did this I got a little fret buzz, which was expected but didn't want to make any adjustments.

I tuned back up to standard tune and was still getting buzz on the low E. The way I tuned it was Ee Aa Dd Gg Bb ee in that order.

I thought about it overnight and decided to tune it what way Rickenbacker suggests E A D G B e -- e a d g b e. When I tuned it this way my fret buzz went away.

Has anyone else had this happen?

kharri wrote:I got my new 1997 12 string. It played great, good action etc.
I decided to tune down 1/2 step, when I did this I got a little fret buzz, which was expected but didn't want to make any adjustments.

I tuned back up to standard tune and was still getting buzz on the low E. The way I tuned it was Ee Aa Dd Gg Bb ee in that order.

I thought about it overnight and decided to tune it what way Rickenbacker suggests E A D G B e -- e a d g b e. When I tuned it this way my fret buzz went away.

Has anyone else had this happen?

Congrats on your 1997! If the string buzz returns and the neck on your guitar is straight, you may want to adjust the string height ever so slightly from the saddle. Thar said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Enjoy the guitar.

I always tune "from outside in", E(12) then e(1) then e(2) then e(11) then B(3) then b(4) then A(11) then a(10) ...

I messed up, it's a new 1993plus. Really like the wider string spacing.

kharri wrote:I messed up, it's a new 1993plus. Really like the wider string spacing.

Sweet!

I tune mine...
- the regular 6 strings first, from low to high: EADGBe
- the unison strings, high to low: eB
- the octave strings, low to high: eadg
- start again and check everything is still in tune (12 strings put a lot of tension on the neck, and a small adjustment to each string is enough to move the neck to put the first string out again)

If it's a really new guitar, the wood might still be settling to it's new environment (temperature, humidity, or just the fact that it's been mobile)... Especially if the strings were (unnecessarily) detuned for moving. So make sure it's had a few days to settle before playing with truss rods, action, etc.

Other things to mention: only worry about fret buzz if you can here it amplified. Your ears can sometimes detect a bit when played acoustically that isn't noticeable when you're going through and amp... And it's the through amp sound you care about! Different sitting positions / posture and playing on a strap can all make just enough of a subtle difference in pressure on the neck to make an amount of buzz noticeable if the action is set close to the line.

But anyway, that's how I tune my 12 string.

Raise the low E side of the bridge a half turn on each of the two screws; make sure the neck is straight; and enjoy. Tension is tension. It should not matter which strings are tuned up how, so long as you let it set awhile before declaring whether or not there is any buzz.

I've always tuned my Ric 12-strings from the lowest string to the highest in ascending order, without running into any hitches. I always tune to concert pitch. And one thing that no one has mentioned that does make a difference is always tuning up to the note (flat to sharp, rather than vice versa). If I don't tune this way, the strings tend to slip out of tune.

Has anyone discovered the new Ninja tuners? They clip or mount onto the headstock, like a Snark, but they're easier to read and much more accurate. Plus they're not as fragile as Snarks. I tried my new one with my 330/12 and 360/12c63 today and was quite pleased with the results!