WHat is the difference between sound of 6-string and 12-string?

I really don't know! What determines which guitar Gordon uses in a song. Also, does it depend on what Terry Clements is doing?

I really don't know! What determines which guitar Gordon uses in a song. Also, does it depend on what Terry Clements is doing?

Gord uses whichever guitar he feels is necessary. Mainly the 12 for strumming. But in a few songs now he strums his 6, I wish he'd play his SG again like in "Salute" that would be cool to see. Of course he has even fingerpicked on his 12 back in the early days like on "Softly". Well enough ramble for now.

Gord uses whichever guitar he feels is necessary. Mainly the 12 for strumming. But in a few songs now he strums his 6, I wish he'd play his SG again like in "Salute" that would be cool to see. Of course he has even fingerpicked on his 12 back in the early days like on "Softly". Well enough ramble for now.

quote:Originally posted by endlesswire78:
Gord uses whichever guitar he feels is necessary. Mainly the 12 for strumming. But in a few songs now he strums his 6, I wish he'd play his SG again like in "Salute" that would be cool to see. Of course he has even fingerpicked on his 12 back in the early days like on "Softly". Well enough ramble for now.


I think you are right. I think Gordon played the same songs in 6 and 12 strings.

I realy think GL highlighted the 12 string in many ways especially in alternative folk music. Many of the new alternative bands sound like they have benefited from Gl's 12 string style.It seems like GL 1970's music was the most harmoneous.

quote:Originally posted by endlesswire78:
Gord uses whichever guitar he feels is necessary. Mainly the 12 for strumming. But in a few songs now he strums his 6, I wish he'd play his SG again like in "Salute" that would be cool to see. Of course he has even fingerpicked on his 12 back in the early days like on "Softly". Well enough ramble for now.


I think you are right. I think Gordon played the same songs in 6 and 12 strings.

I realy think GL highlighted the 12 string in many ways especially in alternative folk music. Many of the new alternative bands sound like they have benefited from Gl's 12 string style.It seems like GL 1970's music was the most harmoneous.

[srodts-palenik]

as a musician, i have and play both 6 and 12 string Guilds. ( for the techies, a '73 D25 Arch back and a '75 F312 )

i think it depends on the mood you wish to portray. certain lyrics lend themselves to a 12 string and likewise the 6 string.

dreamy, airy lyrics, at least to me, are prime candidates for the 12. In Gordon's 'Songs The Minstral Sang' or 'Song For A Winters Night', the singular tone of the finger picked 6 string create a shroud of mystery surrounding the melody. in Winters Night, notice how the two 6's play off each other, . that most beautiful sound would not have happened with a 12 and a 6.

you can drive lyrics using either style guitar. check out Cherokee Bend (6) vs CRT (12). in Cherokee, the 6 literally keeps the rythym and moves the lyric from point A to point B. While in CRT the 12 is so emmersed 'in' the lyric, the harmonics of the 12 and the lyrics become one, creating an ethereal world of near fantasy. The cystal clear ringing of Gord's 12 in the background not only keeps the heartbeart, as well, it lets the 6 string build an alternative life of its own within the melody.

headphones and CRT rock the world.

ambrose

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Plant Trees & Play Music

[ambrose]

as a musician, i have and play both 6 and 12 string Guilds. ( for the techies, a '73 D25 Arch back and a '75 F312 )

i think it depends on the mood you wish to portray. certain lyrics lend themselves to a 12 string and likewise the 6 string.

dreamy, airy lyrics, at least to me, are prime candidates for the 12. In Gordon's 'Songs The Minstral Sang' or 'Song For A Winters Night', the singular tone of the finger picked 6 string create a shroud of mystery surrounding the melody. in Winters Night, notice how the two 6's play off each other, . that most beautiful sound would not have happened with a 12 and a 6.

you can drive lyrics using either style guitar. check out Cherokee Bend (6) vs CRT (12). in Cherokee, the 6 literally keeps the rythym and moves the lyric from point A to point B. While in CRT the 12 is so emmersed 'in' the lyric, the harmonics of the 12 and the lyrics become one, creating an ethereal world of near fantasy. The cystal clear ringing of Gord's 12 in the background not only keeps the heartbeart, as well, it lets the 6 string build an alternative life of its own within the melody.

headphones and CRT rock the world.

ambrose

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Plant Trees & Play Music

[MaryEllen]

quote:Originally posted by ambrose:
as a musician, i have and play both 6 and 12 string Guilds. ( for the techies, a '73 D25 Arch back and a '75 F312 )

i think it depends on the mood you wish to portray. certain lyrics lend themselves to a 12 string and likewise the 6 string.

dreamy, airy lyrics, at least to me, are prime candidates for the 12. In Gordon's 'Songs The Minstral Sang' or 'Song For A Winters Night', the singular tone of the finger picked 6 string create a shroud of mystery surrounding the melody. in Winters Night, notice how the two 6's play off each other, . that most beautiful sound would not have happened with a 12 and a 6.

you can drive lyrics using either style guitar. check out Cherokee Bend (6) vs CRT (12). in Cherokee, the 6 literally keeps the rythym and moves the lyric from point A to point B. While in CRT the 12 is so emmersed 'in' the lyric, the harmonics of the 12 and the lyrics become one, creating an ethereal world of near fantasy. The cystal clear ringing of Gord's 12 in the background not only keeps the heartbeart, as well, it lets the 6 string build an alternative life of its own within the melody.

headphones and CRT rock the world.

ambrose



I owned the very same Gibson B45-12N 12 string that GL has used since around 1967. It was a fabulous instrument, but I chickened out and sold it. It was reported that it was poorly braced from the inside, and that in time the bridge would pop off the face of the guitar, tearing a gaping hole out of the guitar top. I wish I hadn't caved to that rumor. There was some truth to it, I'm told, but never actually heard of it happening. Here's the post-script: I've bought (and returned) several other 12 strings since--most recently a Martin D-28 12 string, touted to be a great 12 string. It ain't. I bought an Ovation 12 string. It wasn't bad, but in 3 days I'd had enough and returned it too. I'm not in the process of trying to "reclaim" another B-45. Mine, of course, was the best one ever made (haha) and I'll never see it again. But if I do, I'll be a happy boy. It looked and sounded exactly like the one on the "The Way I Feel" album by GL. Gorgeous instrument. I have 16 guitars, and I'm looking forward to finding a B-45 in great shape to make #17. I've never seen or played another 12 string I could live with. GL uses the 12 and the 6's for various sounds. Some are easier to finger pick and have richer sounds. Some are good for cross-picking with a think flat pick, used almost as one would fingerpick a guitar (a method he learned from Don Gibson). Some are good for strumming (especially the 12 string), but in general, as a player of several guitars, I think he chooses the precise guitar for the precise sound he wants to achieve in a particular song. It's a personal thing, but it comes down to things such as which play best/sound best in high registers, low registers, whether one needs a little more "action" (which means you can noodle around more with individual notes while playing the chords). Some guitars have a very high action, meaning you can't do much on them, but they might have a booming, bell-like sound that is good for the recording, but bad for trying to play certain figures. Fortunately for GL, he has Terry Clements (and others sometimes) to play intricacies and single notes. But any good player likes to add his own little fills when he plays. James Taylor has several guitars. Most people wouldn't be able to tell any differences among them, but I assure you that while the differences may be subtle to the listener, they're monumental to the player. The other reason GL uses different guitars, is that he often tunes to different tunings, especially lowering the "E" or bottom (6th) string and sometimes even the "A" (5th) string to a low "D." You can hear this tuning in many of his more "epic" songs, such as Canadian RR Trilogy, BossMan, Mountains and Marian--stuff like that. You can always tell because there is a booming sound that almost sounds like Haynes's bass. It's an open "D" that he hits when he plays songs whose chords usually progress thus: D, G, A (a7) and back to D. He usually does not use the tuning when he has to barre chords, so if there's a B minor in a song, he might play it open or he just won't use that tuning. He will use it when an E minor is in the progression, but he does not then hit the A string. The tuning, which usually dictates use of the 12 string, is most effective. It's easy to pick out when he's using it if you're a player. It's like, if you're a Beatles fan, you can always tell which songs were written by Lennon and which were written by McCartney (and of course Harrison...who has the strangest progressions). But suffice it to say that GL's choice as to which guitar he'll use on which song is not arbitrary. It has to do with how much bass he wants to supply to go along with Richard Haynes's and whether he'll be cross-picking, finger-picking Travis style, finger-picking in a more traditional plucking/bossa nova style or strumming. GL is a very very effective guitar player, if very limited. There's not a lot he can do, but what he does, he does with a rich and almost flawless approach. He ain't no Clapton, but then, who is?



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Rick