12 string questions

[Pelagaard]

Two questions about hardware for a 12 string:

1) On the neck builder, when you go to select the type of nut you want, it gives you the option of "above," or "below."  Above or below what?

2) With the Gotoh 12 string bridge Warmoth sells, does one of the twwo sets have strings need to go through the body, or can both go through the back of the bridge?

I tried using the search feature to look for answers, but was unable to find them.

 

[greywolf]

above or below would be the octave sting , Rickenbacker had them above , normal is below

 

[Pelagaard]

Ok, that's what I thought.  I was racking my brain trying to think what else it could possibly be referring to.

 

[swarfrat]

As for the string termination question - a close look at the picture should show.

The  bottom string (meaning top,  so that you hit it first on the downstroke - I always hated that convention of referring to string order - and it's rooted in something that clearly does not apply to putting octave strings on. We say the 6th string is below the 5th string because its tuned lower, even though it resides physically above the 5th string. When you put an octave there, it's no longer below in any sense, yet people still call it the bottom string)..

Anyway the added string exits through a hole in the back of the bridge. The primary string has nowhere to go because of the intonation screw, and must go through the back.

 

[Pelagaard]

Rather than starting a new topic, I'll just resurrect my own.  Is there any particular reason why above might be "better" than below, or vice versa? 

 

[swarfrat]

I think it comes down to if you prefer 'Jingle' to 'Jangle'. Being smart there, but it's also true, because essentially, that is the difference.

The only reasons to prefer one over the other are:
1) You're able to take advantage of the difference with the picking style. For some reason I have a harder time analyzing and altering my picking style than I do my fretting. A lot harder.
2) You're trying to emulate a sound you've heard
3) Your hardware limits you to, or strongly encourages one over the other.

 

[drewfx]

Upstrokes vs. downstrokes hitting the strings first is the obvious answer. But I suppose it might conceivably be easier to finger both strings cleanly one way vs. the other.

But I don't really know as all of mine (2 acoustics, my 8-string bass and my W Twelecaster) have the octave strings on the bass side.

 

[Pelagaard]

I'm thinking having the octave string below might be more effective for my purposes.  Most of my guitar time is spent chugging along in C-standard.

 

[bgavin]

above or below would be the octave sting , Rickenbacker had them above , normal is below

Here is the Warmoth text:
12 string nuts can be cut with the drones above or drones below. Most 12 string guitars are strung with the higher octave string on top (drones above) so it is struck first when strummed. Rickenbacker reverses this for their 12 strings and places the higher octave string below (drones below).

I just received my Warmoth 12-string Strat.
I ordered it specifically as Drones Below in the Rickenbacker style.
The smaller (octave up) drone string is below the primary string, reference to a downstroke with the pick.

 

[Pelagaard]

Bored at work, and I stumbled across these at JustStrings.com.  All kinds of crazy ideas just popped into my head.

 

[greywolf]

I play a lot of fingerstyle , and I like hitting the octave/drone first

 

[Pelagaard]

Anyone have any bridge suggestions?  I'm not too keen on the look of the Gotoh W sells, and I'd like to avoid the angled neck requirement of the TOM option.

 

[Jeremiah]

There's this 12 string bridge from ABM. It ain't exactly cheap and would require some pretty specific routing to be used as it has a separate back piece instead of ferrules on the back of the body.

I've also heard of people modifying a Tele bridge to use the saddles from the Gotoh 12-string bridge, though I doubt there is much advantage to this unless you want to use a Tele pickup.

Apart from that, 12-string bridges aren't really that common so I guess your options are limited.

 

[mayfly]

I have the Gotoh 12 string bridge.  It's a great bridge and may be your best option anyway.  If you don't like how it looks, you can always cover it with an old strat ashtray or something... or paint your guitar so well that no one notices the bridge.

 

[alterbridgefan]

Or, if it's a jazzy, you can use a typical offset trem and a jaguar bridge, no mods required. Then you can either lock the trem into place, or you can have a twelver with a tremolo.