DU Guitrarists: what did you do when you had your first 12-string Guitar?

[Taverner]

I remember playing it and playing it - over and over

You had the whole symphony there - if you don't believe me go and listen to some Byrds or Bowie "Space Oddity"

Lasted me 3 years in Peace Corps

[foxfeet]

1. Played it 'til my fingers bled.

Still love the fullness of the sound.

[Taverner]

2. Oh yeah!

The fullness - no other instrument has it save the piano

Harpsichords don't even have it!

[JeffR]

3. What foxfeet said!

My 12 is the first decent guitar I ever got, and I still love it. I've always played it with my head down as close to the soundhole as possible to soak up the cathedral of sound.

[bluesbassman]

4. Try tuning it to DADGAD.

You'll never put it down. :)

[Taverner]

5. Shoot me a link on that

and i will comply

[bluesbassman]

7. Here's a Wiki article on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DADGAD

Works well with slide too.

[mitchum]

10. That's what I do on a 12 string...

also tune (or capo) it a whole step up to EBEABE

It sounds like wizardy magick :)

[MiddleFingerMom]

6. I was never a very GOOD guitarist -- taught myself to play...

.
...a few chords so that I could continue to write songs once
my collaborating rhythm guitarist moved away.
.
It worked -- I could still write... but I only got good enough
to play for good friends around a campfire (though that was
enough.
.
A good friend... a VERY good friend entrusted me at one of
those campfires with his Martin 12-string for a couple of
songs. It was love at first sound/feel... pure, unadulterated,
unabashed, unabated, unlimited love at first sound/feel.
.

[Taverner]

11. love at first sound/feel

Ain't that the truth?

I mean, you're like "Wow I could make music for myself ALL DAY with this thing!!!"

Soloing is another story, but hey, I was never a Lead, I was always Rhythm

[RetroLounge]

8. I played Byrds riffs over and over and over and over

:hi:

RL

[Iggo]

9. Played this over and over til I got bored...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgW3VgCk0aQ

(Note: I was doing it wrong...lol.)

[Sebastian Doyle]

12. And then you played the Zeppelin song they stole it from?

Though of all the Zep wannabes of the 80's, I must admit I kind of liked Zebra.

[Iggo]

13. Yep, Zebra had talent.

Too bad for them they sounded almost exactly like the greatest band in the universe.

But I was looking at some TAB for that song last night, and playing through it really slow on my Harmony baseball bat, and that's one really pretty song with some not-too-shabby acoustic athletics going on. I wish I still had the 12er. I'd do it better justice this time around.

[Taverner]

14. They were Zep wannabe with talent

Kind of like how Stone Temple Pilots were a Pearl Jam wannabe with talent

[old mark]

15. I love a 12 string - I have an old American made Harmony sitting in its

case downstairs...Must be almost 40 years old and has a little neck problem, but it sounds just fine...need new strings, which is another project I am putting off...
It looks like the blonde one here used by Blind Willie McTell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToxSQJrbHi8


mark

"You might cross the ocean,
you might swim the deep blue sea,
Honey, you'll never find
another hot shot like me."

(I have Willie McTell's framed photo in my living room)

[BarbaRosa]

16. Formed a folk trio

yeah, that was back in the day.

[Paladin]

17. Wished I Was Leo Kottke....... (n/t)