Editing Twelve-string guitar

{{Short description|Fretted string instrument optimized for richer sounds}}
{{About|guitars with six courses|guitars with more than six separate strings|Classical guitar with additional strings}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
[[File:Roland Oetter 12string.jpg|thumb|An acoustic 12-string guitar hand-crafted in 1977]]
A '''twelve-string guitar''' (or '''12-string guitar''') is a steel-string [[guitar]] with 12 [[string (music)|strings]] in six [[Course (music)|courses]], which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in octaves, with those of the upper two courses tuned in unison. The gap between the strings within each dual-string course is narrow, and the strings of each course are fretted and plucked as a single unit. The neck is wider, to accommodate the extra strings, and is similar to the width of a [[classical guitar]] neck. The sound, particularly on acoustic instruments, is fuller and more harmonically resonant than six-string instruments. The 12-string guitar can be played like a 6-string guitar as players still use the same notes, chords and guitar techniques like a standard 6-string guitar, but advanced techniques can be challenging as players need to play or pluck two strings simultaneously.

Structurally, 12-string guitars, especially those built before 1970, differ from six-string guitars in the following ways:
*The headstock is elongated to accommodate 12 tuning machines.
*The added tension of the six additional strings necessitates stronger reinforcement of the neck.
*The body is also reinforced, and built with a stronger structure, to withstand the higher tension.
*The fretting scale is generally shorter to reduce the overall string tension.

Twelve-string guitars are made in both [[acoustic guitar|acoustic]] and [[electric guitar|electric]] forms. However, the acoustic type is more common.

=="Chorus" effect==

The double ranks of strings of the 12-string guitar produce a shimmering effect, because even the strings tuned in unison can never vibrate with precise simultaneity—that is, they vibrate out of [[phase (waves)|phase]]. The result to the ear is a sound that seems to "shimmer", which some describe as resembling strings that are slightly detuned. The interference between the out-of-phase vibrations produces a phenomenon known as a [[Beat (acoustics)|beat]] that results in a periodic rise and fall of intensity which is, in music, often considered pleasing to the ear. [[Pete Seeger]] described the distinctive sound of the 12-string guitar as "the clanging of bells."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simmons |first1=Michael |title=The origins of Twelve String Power |url=http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/History/12string/12stOrigins.html |website=frets.com |publisher=Acoustic Guitar Magazine |access-date=16 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Tolinski, di Perna |title=Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar |date=2016 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0385541008 |edition=Hardcover |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o3J_CwAAQBAJ&q=Pete+Seeger+described+the+distinctive+sound+of+the+12-string+guitar+as+%22the+clanging+of+bells&pg=PT161 |access-date=16 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bogdal |first1=John |title=12-String Guitar: From the Street to the Stage |url=https://www.stringjoy.com/12-string-guitar-street-stage/ |website=Stringjoy.cm |publisher=Stringjoy, LLC |access-date=16 January 2019}}</ref>

==Origin and history==
The origin of the modern 12-string guitar is not clear, but it arose in the closing years of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 2|date=8 May 2003 |page=283|publisher=A&C Black |isbn=9781847144720 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x8KvAwAAQBAJ&dq=origin+of+the+12+string+guitar&pg=PA283}}</ref> The most likely ancestors using courses of doubled strings are some Mexican instruments of such as the ''[[bandolón]]'', the ''guitarra séptima,'' the ''guitarra quinta [[huapanguera]],'' and the ''[[bajo sexto]].''<ref name="Stella">See, Derek; "1930s Stella 12-String"</ref> Pictures such as the 1901 ''Mexican Typical Orchestra'' at the Pan-American Exposition show a chordophone with 12 strings.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Orquestas Típicas | url=https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/ARH07017.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207224614/https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/ARH07017.pdf | archive-date=2022-12-07}}</ref>

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, 12-strings were regarded as "novelty" instruments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.harpguitars.net/history/grunewald/12-string.htm|title=The Birth of the American 12-string Guitar by Gregg Miner|website=Harpguitars.net|access-date=19 April 2021}}</ref> The 12-string guitar did not become a major part of [[blues]] and [[folk music]] till the 1920s and the 1930s, when their "larger than life"<ref name="Stella"/> sound made them ideal as solo accompaniment for vocalists, especially [[Lead Belly]] and [[Blind Willie McTell]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/History/12string/12stOrigins.html|title=FRETS.COM|website=Frets.com|access-date=6 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506174938/http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/History/12string/12stOrigins.html|archive-date=6 May 2018}}</ref> The 12-string guitar has since occupied roles in certain varieties of folk, [[Rock music|rock]], jazz, and [[popular music]]. In the 1930s, Mexican-American guitarist and singer [[Lydia Mendoza]] popularized the instrument. In the 1950s, Lead Belly's protégé, [[Fred Gerlach]], brought the instrument into the American folk music world. Initially, it was primarily used for accompaniment, owing to the greater difficulty of picking or executing string "bends" on its double-strung courses. The Delta Blues guitar virtuoso [[Robert Lockwood Jr.|Robert Lockwood Jr]] was presented a handcrafted acoustic 12-string guitar made by an outstanding Japanese luthier in the end of the sixties, and this became the instrument of choice for Lockwood thereafter. In the later 20th century, however, a number of players devoted themselves to producing solo performances on the 12-string guitar, including [[Roger Hodgson]], [[Leo Kottke]], [[Peter Lang (guitarist)|Peter Lang]], [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]], [[Larry Coryell]], [[Ralph Towner]], [[Robbie Basho]], [[Roger Whittaker]], [[Jack Rose (guitarist)|Jack Rose]], and [[James Blackshaw]].

===Electric 12-string guitars===
[[File:Rickenbacker 360-12WB 12 String.jpg|left|thumb|300x300px|A reissue of the 1964 Rickenbacker 360 12-string guitar]]
Electric 12-strings became a staple in pop and rock music in the 1960s. Early use of the instrument was pioneered by the guitarists of [[The Wrecking Crew (music)|the Wrecking Crew]]; in 1963, [[Carol Kaye]] used a converted Guild six-string on [[the Crystals]]' hit "[[Then He Kissed Me]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/2809/carol-kaye/|title=Carol Kaye interview in Vintage Guitar Magazine|author=Moseley, Willie G.|date=2000}}</ref> and on [[Jackie DeShannon]]'s song "[[When You Walk in the Room]]", [[Glen Campbell]] played a well-known guitar figure, composed by DeShannon, on an electric 12-string.<ref name="Bacon, Tony 2010">{{cite book|title=Rickenbacker Electric 12 String: The Story of the Guitars, the Music, and the Great Players|author=Bacon, Tony|date=2010}}</ref>

One of the first mass-produced electric 12-strings was the Bellzouki.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uniqueguitar.blogspot.com/2010/02/danelectro-bellzouki-model-7010-was.html|date=2010|title=The Bellzouki aka The Danelectro 12 String Guitar|author=Ohara, Marcus}}</ref> Introduced by [[Danelectro]] in 1961 from a design by session guitarist [[Vinnie Bell]], it was initially considered a cross between an electric guitar and a [[bouzouki]] rather than an electric version of the traditional 12-string guitar.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/a-z-of-garage-rock-252837#!2|date=2010|title=B is for... Bellzouki|author=Mitchell, Ed|website=Musicradar.com}}</ref> In the UK in 1963, [[Jennings Musical Instruments|JMI]] briefly produced the Vox Bouzouki, later produced in Italy as The Vox Tempest XII,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/vox/Bouzouki.php|title=Vox Bouzouki Electric Twelve String Guitar|website=Vintageguitarandbass.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> which was used by [[Vic Flick]] on the [[Peter and Gordon]] hit single "[[A World Without Love]]" in 1964.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/blog/writing/british-session-star-vic-flick|title=British Session Star Vic Flick : Song Writing|last=Songfacts|website=Songfacts.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> In late 1963, [[Burns London|Burns]] developed the Double Six,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.burnsguitars.com/doublesix.php|title=Double Six Guitars London|website=Burnsguitars.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> supplying a prototype to [[Hank Marvin]] of [[the Shadows]], who used it on a number of songs for the soundtrack of the 1964 [[Cliff Richard]] movie ''[[Wonderful Life (1964 film)|Wonderful Life]]'';<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvsspecialtyproducts.com/hank-s-guitars.html|title=Hank's Guitars {{!}}TVS Specialty Products|website=Tvsspecialtyproducts.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> the Double Six was also used on [[The Searchers (band)|the Searchers]]' cover version of De Shannon's "When You Walk in the Room."

[[File:NesmithLive2018.jpg|right|thumb|[[The Monkees|Monkees]] guitarist [[Michael Nesmith]] playing his signature model Gretsch Model 6076]]

The electric 12-string gained prominence with the introduction in 1964 of the [[Rickenbacker 360/12|Rickenbacker 360]],<ref name="Bacon, Tony 2010"/> made famous through [[George Harrison]]'s use of it on [[the Beatles]]' album ''[[A Hard Day's Night (album)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' and many subsequent recordings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/beatles-secret-weapon-george-harrison-s-1963-rickenbacker-36012|author=Fanelli, Damian R|publisher=Guitar World|date=17 April 2017|title=The Beatles' Secret Weapon: George Harrison's 1963 Rickenbacker 360/12}}</ref> In 1965, inspired by Harrison, [[Roger McGuinn]] made the Rickenbacker 12-string central to [[the Byrds]]' [[folk rock]] sound, further popularising the instrument.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitaraficionado/guitar-collection-roger-mcguinns-1964-rickenbacker-360-12|author=Beinstock, R|publisher=Guitar Player|date=14 December 2014|title=Guitar Collection: Roger McGuinn's 1964 Rickenbacker 360-12}}</ref> [[File:Rickenbacker 370-12 RM.jpg|left|thumb|300x300px|A limited edition 1988-1989 Rickenbacker 370/12 RM Roger McGuinn 12-string guitar (without his signature on the pickguard and without electronic compressor)]]
By the mid-1960s, most major guitar manufacturers were producing competing instruments, including the [[Fender Electric XII]] (used by [[Roy Wood]] of [[the Move]]), and the [[Vox Phantom|Vox Phantom XII]] (used by [[Tony Hicks]] of [[the Hollies]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-searchers.co.uk/ricky.htm |title=The Rickenbacker Myth (The Searchers' Official Site)|author=Allen, Frank|website=The-searchers.co.uk|date=2016}}</ref> [[Gretsch]], [[Guild Guitar Company|Guild]], and [[Gibson (guitar company)|Gibson]] also produced electric 12-string models from the mid-Sixties and following decades,<ref name="Bacon, Tony 2010"/> with Gretsch promoting theirs by supplying a number of custom made 12-strings for [[the Monkees]] guitarist [[Michael Nesmith]], for use on ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' TV series.<ref name = Monkees>{{cite web |title=The Monkees Instruments and Gear |url=https://www.monkeeslivealmanac.com/gear.html |website=Monkees Live Almanac |access-date=29 October 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Jimmy Page with Robert Plant 2 - Led Zeppelin - 1977.jpg|right|thumb|[[Jimmy Page]] onstage in Chicago with [[Led Zeppelin]], using the Gibson EDS-1275 double neck guitar]]
Standard electric 12-strings became less popular with the end of the American folk rock scene in the late sixties; Fender and Gibson ceased production of the Electric XII and [[Gibson ES-335|ES-335]] 12-string variant respectively, in 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/ring-true-a-history-of-fender-12-string-electric-guitars|title=Ring True: A History of Fender 12-String Electric Guitars|last=Owens|first=Jeff|date=2017-05-19|website=Fender.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://truevintageguitar.com/inventory/1968-gibson-es-335-12/|title=1968 Gibson ES-335-12 {{!}} True Vintage Guitar|website=Truevintageguitar.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> However, from the 1970s, some [[progressive rock]], [[hard rock]], and [[jazz fusion]] guitarists, most notably [[Jimmy Page]] of [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Don Felder]] of [[Eagles (band)|the Eagles]], [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]] of the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]] and [[Alex Lifeson]] of [[Rush (band)|Rush]] used [[double-necked guitars]] such as the [[Gibson EDS-1275]], with six-string and 12-string necks, for live appearances, allowing easy transition between different sounds mid-song.<ref>Simmons, Michael. "12-String Power." ''Acoustic Guitar.'' November 1997, p. 51</ref>

The post punk era of the late '70s and early '80s saw a resurgence of electric 12-string guitar use among '60s-influenced alternative rock, pop, and indie guitarists. Players such as [[Johnny Marr]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smithsonguitar.com/2008/12/johnny-marrs-gear.html|title=Johnny Marr's Gear|website=Smithsonguitar.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> of [[the Smiths]], [[Dave Gregory (musician)|Dave Gregory]] of [[XTC]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chalkhills.org/articles/GuitarPlayer199206.html|title=Chalkhills: "XTC: The Reluctant Gods Of Smart Pop", Guitar Player, 1992|website=chalkhills.org|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> [[Susanna Hoffs]] of [[the Bangles]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/2991/susanna-hoffs/|title=Susanna Hoffs|last=Sollenberger|first=Kraig|date=2006-10-10|website=Vintage Guitar magazine|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> [[Marty Willson-Piper]] of [[The Church (band)|the Church]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rickenbacker.com/news_item.asp?news_id=9&news=old|title=News|website=Rickenbacker.com|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> [[Peter Buck]] of [[R.E.M.]], and [[Tom Petty]] and [[Mike Campbell (musician)|Mike Campbell]] of [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]] often chose 12-strings (particularly Rickenbackers) for many songs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tonybacon.co.uk/rickenbacker-electric-12-string/|title=Tony Bacon: books, words, and more|website=Tonybacon.co.uk|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

In the 1980s John C Hall, president of [[Rickenbacker]], invited Roger McGuinn to participate in a limited-edition signature model. McGuinn was delighted. Roger McGuinn's signature model Rickenbacker 12-string was introduced in 1988 as the 370/12 RME1.<ref name="Bacon, Tony 2010" />

==Design==
The strings are placed in [[Course (music)|courses]] of two strings each that are usually played together. The two strings in each of the lower four courses are normally tuned an [[octave]] apart, while each pair of strings in the top two courses are tuned in [[unison]]. The strings are generally arranged such that the higher string of each pair is struck first on a downward strum. However, [[Rickenbacker]] usually reverses this arrangement on its electric 12-string guitars. The tuning of the second string in the third course (G) varies. Some players use a unison string, while most prefer the distinctive high-pitched, [[bell]]-like quality an octave string makes in this position. Another common variant is to tune the octave string in the sixth (lowest) course ''two'' octaves above the lower string, rather than one. Some players, either in search of distinctive tone or for ease of playing, remove some doubled strings. For example, removing the higher octave from the three bass courses simplifies playing running bass lines, but keeps the extra treble strings for the full strums. Some manufacturers have produced 9-string instruments based on this setup, in which either the lower three courses are singular, or the upper three courses are singular. Additionally; some players adapted more unconventional stringing: for example, [[Big Joe Williams]] used doubled strings on the 1st, 2nd and 4th courses of his guitars; at first adapted six-string instruments and into the sixties and later usually adapted 12-strings.

The extra [[tension (physics)|tension]] placed on the instrument by the doubled strings is high, and because of this additional stress on their necks and soundboards, 12-string guitars long had a reputation for warping after a few years of use. (This is less of a problem in modern instruments, built after 1970.) Until the wide spread adoption by American makers of the [[truss rod]] after WWII, 12-string guitars were frequently tuned lower than the traditional EADGBE to reduce the [[stress (mechanics)|stresses]] on the instrument. For example, Lead Belly often used a low-C tuning, but in some recordings, his tunings can be recognized as low-B and A tunings, partially due to the unusually long scale length (~26.5-27") of the particular models of guitar that he preferred in combination with the heavy strings that were commonly available (14-70).<ref>See [[Julius Lester]]/[[Pete Seeger]] The 12-String Guitar as Played by Leadbelly, Oak Publications, New York, 1965, p. 6.</ref> Some 12-string guitars have nontraditional structural supports to prevent or postpone warping, at the expense of appearance and tone.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} To additionally reduce string tension, 12-string guitars built prior to 1970 typically had shorter necks and scale lengths than six-string guitars, which made frets more closely spaced, with some notable exceptions such as the instruments made by the Oscar Schmidt company before their bankruptcy, which usually had scale lengths of around 26.5". Their bridges, especially in acoustic guitars, had a larger reinforcement plate for the same reason, and tailpiece and floating-bridge setups were far more common than on six string instruments as another way to combat the effect of the high tension.

Advances in materials, design, and construction in such guitars made after 1970 have eliminated most of these accommodations. Contemporary 12 string guitars are commonly built to the same dimensions and scale as their six-string counterparts, albeit still usually with heavier build and bracing.<ref>In his book ''Steel-String Guitar Construction,'' artist and luthier Irving Sloane devoted a chapter to the 12-string guitar that did not mention the subsequent advances.</ref>

==Tuning==
[[File:100 5623.JPG|thumb|right|upright|200px|[[Dave Mustaine]] of [[Megadeth]] playing a [[Dean Guitars|Dean]] twin neck. Note the machine heads for the 12 string secondary strings on the edge of the body.]]
The most common tuning, considered standard today, is a variation on the standard six-string guitar tuning: {{nowrap|E<sub>3</sub>•E<sub>2</sub> A<sub>3</sub>•A<sub>2</sub> D<sub>4</sub>•D<sub>3</sub> G<sub>4</sub>•G<sub>3</sub> B<sub>3</sub>•B<sub>3</sub> E<sub>4</sub>•E<sub>4</sub>}}, moving from lowest (sixth) course to highest (first) course.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq0Ok8lA3xY&t=30s  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/Fq0Ok8lA3xY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live| title=What Is The Difference Between A 6-String & A 12-String Guitar|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Lead Belly and some other players have doubled the lowest course two octaves above instead of one, producing a third string in unison with the top course, and some stringing the third course in unison as well, and some others all courses except the top in octaves.

Some performers use [[open tuning]]s and other non-standard [[guitar tunings]] on 12-string guitars. Some performers have experimented with tuning the two strings within a course to intervals other than octaves or unisons: jazz guitarists such as [[Ralph Towner]] (of [[Oregon (band)|Oregon]]), [[Larry Coryell]], and [[Philip Catherine]] have tuned the bass courses of their 12-string guitars to the upper [[perfect fifth|fifths]] and trebles to the lower [[perfect fourth|fourths]] instead of octaves and unisons;<ref>Whitehill; ''Alternate Tunings for Guitar''; p. 8</ref> [[Michael Gulezian]] tuned strings in the top two courses to whole-tone intervals (and possibly some of the other strings an octave lower) to achieve a very rich, complex sound.<ref>Whitehill, Dave; ''Alternate Tunings for Guitar: A Comprehensive Guide for Over 300 Tunings''; p. 12. {{ISBN|0-7935-8219-9}}</ref> The greater number of strings offers almost endless possibilities.

===Nashville tuning===
[[Nashville tuning (high strung)|Nashville tuning]] is a way of simulating a 12-string guitar sound, using two six-string guitars playing in unison. This is achieved by replacing the lower four courses on one six-string with the higher octave strings for those four courses from a 12-string set, and tuning these four strings an octave higher than normal tuning for those courses on a six-string. [[double tracking|Double-tracking]] this guitar with the standard-tuned six-string is commonly used in recording studios to achieve a "cleaner" 12-string effect.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.daddario.com/Resources/JDCDAD/Videos/DAddario_Nashville_Tuning.pdf | title=High-Strung/ Nashville Tuning | access-date=2017-03-05 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329053027/http://www.daddario.com/Resources/JDCDAD/Videos/DAddario_Nashville_Tuning.pdf | archive-date=29 March 2017}}</ref>

===Mexican 12-string tuning===
[[Mexican twelve-string guitar]]s, also known as requinto style or Sierreño style, are modified 12-string guitars that can approximate the sound of a [[bajo sexto]] or [[bajo quinto]] and play regional Mexican styles, such as [[Norteño (music)|norteño]] (music of Northern Mexico), [[Tejano music|Tejano]] (Tex-Mex), and [[conjunto]] (música mexicana-tejana). In a traditional 12-string setup, the lower four strings (E, A, D, and G) have octave pairs, while the top two (B and E) have unison pairs. However, for regional Mexican styles, all strings are set up with identical unison pairs instead of the traditional octave courses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Takamine 12-String Setup - Requinto-Style |url=https://www.esptakamine.com/articles/2013823-takamine-12-string-setup-requinto-style |website=ESPTakamine.com |access-date=2 October 2023}}</ref> This configuration yields a resonant timbre reminiscent of the venerable bajo sexto, but adds significantly more tension on the bridge and neck. Furthermore, it usually requires the nut to be modified, the neck compensated, and the bridge to be reinforced.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matched-Course 12-Strings and Other Norteño and Sierreño Instruments |url=https://reverb.com/news/a-guide-to-norteno-and-sierreno-instruments#:~:text=This%20modification%20adds%20a%20lot%20more%20strain%20on%20the%20bridge%20and%20neck%20and%20usually%20requires%20the%20nut%20to%20be%20modified%2C%20the%20neck%20to%20be%20compensated%2C%20and%20the%20bridge%20to%20be%20reinforced%20with%20aftermarket%20products. |website=Reverb |access-date=2 October 2023}}</ref>

==Playing==
The 12-string guitar's greater number of strings and higher cumulative string tension complicates playing, in both hands. Fretting chords requires greater force, and the width of the neck and the added string tension combine to make soloing and string-bending challenging. The gap between the dual-string courses is usually narrower than that between the single-string courses of a conventional six-string guitar, so more precision is required with the pick or fingertip when not simply strumming chords. Consequently, the instrument is most commonly used for accompaniment, though several players have taken the time to develop the 12-string guitar as a solo instrument. Flat-picking solos are more frequently seen with electric players, whereas a few acoustic players, such as [[Leo Kottke]], have adapted [[fingerstyle]] techniques to the instrument; players such as Ralph Towner have applied [[Classical guitar|classical]] playing techniques. <br />

Roger McGuinn developed his own style of playing a 12-string guitar. The neck of a [[Rickenbacker 360/12]] 12-string guitar is as wide as the 6-string guitar. Solos are therefore easier to play and he used his banjo techniques to play chords. In addition to applying a [[Dynamic range compression|compressor]], this determined the sound of the Byrds. Lead Belly adapted both the traditional, simple strum style and the finger-style method that was becoming popular at the time as well; Blind Willie McTell also played finger-style 12 string.

==See also==
*[[Colombian tiple]]
*[[Twelve-string bass]]
*[[Portuguese guitar]]
*[[Viola caipira]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://www.fret-dancer.com Vintage Guitar Museum]
*[https://www.harpguitars.net/history/grunewald/12-string.htm The Birth of the American 12-string Guitar]

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