Universal 12 string

[joehw]

Hello steelies.

I currently play a ShoBud Pro iii D10 which I absolutely love, but.... I've started to fly with the steel a fair bit in the last year and the ShoBud is 32kgs. As you can imagine I get absolutely crippled for cash at baggage check in.

Thankfully a fellow member lent me a lightweight keyless Bennett S10 for the last few months which at 19Kgs has been amazing!

But as this was just a loan I'm now looking for a second, lighter weight steel.

I've also been thinking of getting into Universal tunings for a while (Not just for getting both C6 and E9 on one neck but also to stretch my playing to incorporate both). So putting 2 and 2 together... I'm thinking that a keyless U12 might help to solve my D10 weight problem whilst also give me something new to tackle.

I've checked for a U12 every day for the last couple of months but found nothing up on the US forum or here.

Just wondering if any of our British Steelies have one that they might be thinking of selling?

Additionally, as the whole U12 thing will be a departure from what I'm used to, do any of our steelies have a U12 available for a short-term loan?

Any input/advise would be most welcome.

Many Thanks.
Joe.

[Alan Cook]

Hi Joe

12 string universal and keyless is the way to go especially if you want to keep the weight down. GFI, Williams and Excel are the only new options I can think off. And all three are fabulous guitars. Kline are great, I play one, but they are not easy to get hold of and they are a bit heavy. Promenade music have a new keyless Gfi in at about £3500.00 which is what you will pay new if you import at today's exchange rates, unless you get lucky it will cost you about £2500 for second hand one. The transfer between d10 and u12 is not that hard unless you frequently used your 9th string on the e9th tuning and are well established on c6th. Again in my opinion you need to decide and stick with it keep changing back and forth is counter productive once you start to see it as one tuning on a bigger neck you laughing. Hope this helps. Alan

[joehw]

Thanks for the advise Alan. I have not fully got to grips with the C6th Neck so hopefully that won't hold me back. Also I believe there's a change you can put on the E9/B6 which will give you the 9 string Dsharp on a lever/pedal so if I feel i desperately need it I could always find that Dsharp.

Still on the hunt - I have family up in the north so I might be able to have a wander over to Promenade to try out the GFI. Either way I need to get saving.

All the best,
Joe.

[Will C]

Joe, I think you'll find the change to raise the 9th (B) string to D (to replace the missing D string from the E9) is standard. There is no raise to D#, after all, why would you need it when you have the knee lever to lower the E to Eb? I mean, Basil will no doubt remind us that D# and Eb are different, but for most purposes, you'd never hear it.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

I have a Bennett 12 string that at the moment I am playing as a 10 string but I have the pedals to make it up to a 7 pedal guitar instead of the 4 that it has at the moment also have the hardware to put it back to uni.

[joehw]

Thanks for the advice Will!

I'll have to have a look at yours properly next time there's a meet down south!

John,
I'd be interested to check that little Bennett out as long as you don't mind getting it close to working as a u12?

Thanks!
Joe.