Bought A New Guitar

[ProfessorGAC]

Got a Martin D12X. It's the cheapest 12 string Martin makes. (List $819. I paid $540 out the door.)

It has laminated sides and back (one piece) but here's the thing:

The action is UNBELIEVABLE(!) for a 12 string, even at standard tuning. It the easiest 12 string to play i've ever tried, except for a really expensive Guild i messed with.

The sound has a clear low end and is bright, but not pingy like some 12 strings.

I saw the price, and the brand name, and thought "I should at least try it." Wow! After 20 minutes, i told the guy "Let's rock!" He came back with the price above.

I figured that worked out to about $300 off which means i paid around 5/8ths of list. That seems like a pretty good deal given how much i liked the sound and how it played.

Not sure what i'm going to tune it in. I had the old Harmony set to GCGEGC, but now i have more options given the low action.

Big fun.
The Professor

[pepperbear]

1. that's great! I am a drummer myself...

who is also a sound engineer and I always get a great sound with a martin.Very sweet in the high end.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. I've Got A High End 6 String Martin, So I Know

Not a D-45 or anything up there ($5k), but a DCME, which is a $2800 model. The reason i bought this one, though, is that the price was amazing, (both list and the deal) and it sounds, looks, and plays like a very good Martin. I'm more stoked by the price/quality connection than by the brand name.

My friend stopped by last night and played it. After hearing it and feeling the action and response, he said "Well, with no purfling, simple binding, minimum rosette, this must be their plain jane. I'm guessing you paid under two thousand." His jaw dropped when i told him i paid a bit over five and a quarter.

It's that good, for the money.
The Professor

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. Cool. I love the sound of a 12 string...........

but I haven't had an acoustic 12 string in years. Sounds like you got a great deal. Enjoy. For now I'm content with my Rick 330-12 but am always keeping my options open especially since I have a regular acoustic gig going on.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Well, Now I've Got Two

But, the other one is an old Harmony Marquis (from around 1970, i think). The design is flawed so the action has gotten pretty high. But that's ok! I keep it tuned c-g-e-c-g-c (1 -6, or high to low) and learned about 40 chords in that tuning. So, it's really cool for John Fahey/Leo Kottke type stuff.

Now i have one i can keep standard tuned, and the other for my eclectic messing around.

I'm excited about it.
The Professor

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. LOL, I had a Harmony 12 in the 70's.

If I remember right I paid $300.0 for the Harmony and a Guild D-25 combined. The neck on the Harmony gave out and I traded it for a Larwence pickup and my Guild was stolen out of my car when I was on a road trip. I actually got my Martin D-18 with the insurance money from the Guild.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Bummer!

My Harmony sounds ok. Not as rich and clear as the new one, but more than merely acceptable. It plays ok, as long as it slack tuned. Standard tuned, however, the strings would be more like trampolines. There's probably 10 people in the world that could apply enough pressure to play at the 12th fret! LOL!

Bummer on the Guild. I always liked those. Always thought they sounded big! At least you got a great guitar as a replacement.

Nice chattting with ya!
The Professor

[freethought]

7. Sigh! A Martin twelve-string! I can only imagine

what that guitar sounds like! Twelve strings have that rich sound, just beautiful!
Just remember to tune down the strings when it is put away or when you're not playing it.

Some time ago I used to have an Ovation twelve string. And I used to keep it at standard tuning all the time. It wasn't long before I had noticed that the bridge was separating from the body. I was able to get it repaired before the bridge was totally torn off. That's when the repair tech told me to tune down the twelve-string between playing or gigs. There's alot of pull on that bridge when you've tuned it up.

Have fun with it! I admit I am jealous.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. You Know I Wrote Them About That

They replied that the bracing pattern they use for their 12 string designs, no matter the price tag, are intended to be standard tuned with no negative long term effects. I always thought the same way you did, but they say no. I think i'll trust them and just admit that what i knew doesn't apply to their guitars.

However, i might end up using another exotic tuning on this one, so their advice notwithstanding, i might not have it tuned standard anyway.
The Professor

[leftofthedial]

9. sweet!

great deal too.