Twelve-string guitar
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
The twelve-string guitar is an steel-string guitar with 12 strings in 6 courses, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Essentially, it is a type of guitar with a natural chorus effect due to the subtle differences in the frequencies produced by each of the two strings on each course. The strings are generally arranged such that the first string of each pair to be struck on a downward strum is the higher octave string; however, this arrangement was reversed by Rickenbacker on their electric 360/12.
Twelve-string guitars are made in both acoustic and electric forms. However, it is the acoustic type that is most common. Some progressive rock, hard rock (Jimmy Page) and heavy metal (Dave Mustaine) musicians use double-necked guitars, which have both six-string and twelve-string components, allowing the guitarist easy transition between different sounds.
See also
- Portuguese guitar
- Cümbüş
- Eight string bass guitar
- Guitar
- Guitarist
- Lute
- Bajo sexto
- Lutenist
- Classical guitar
- Electric guitar
- Mandolin
- Viola caipira
- Theorbo
- Octavina
