12 Fretted Guitars You/ve Tried and Loved

[AlanSam]

Yes I own one 12 fret model the E10 00 that along with the E10/20P, E20 00 models that come with Eastman's widest string spacing and fattest necks are just a joy to play. The reason bought the E10 is that I feel is their wood combo of Adi and their version of mahogany is sonically their best sounding models throughout their line. I'm a fingerstyle player and their small body 12 fret models to me were designed specifically for fingerstyle. 

I was on track to buy a 13 fret Santa Cruz guitar when a family member needed some financial help and I was glad that I was able to help out. Recently my wife told me if I still wanted to buy the H13 Santa Cruz guitar model just go ahead and pull the needed funds out of our savings. Well for some reason doing that way seems to make the situation too easy and not really earned as it was when I was saving up doing things to help finance my own purchase. I don't know if I'm making sense but I'm sitting back thinking the whole process over. 

Anyways the 13 fret is the same setup as the 12 fret with all the advantages the 12 fret brings. Here's what SCGC's specs are for the H13.

https://santacruzguitar.com/h13/

Tom - re your 'I don't know if I'm making sense but I'm sitting back thinking the whole process over.' Yes, it makes a lot of sense. But, your wife wants you to buy the guitar because she knows left to your own devices you would likely always find something 'more worthwhile' to spend the money on. Her blessing is her gift to you - be big enough to take it!

[sagebrush tom]

Yes I own one 12 fret model the E10 00 that along with the E10/20P, E20 00 models that come with Eastman's widest string spacing and fattest necks are just a joy to play. The reason bought the E10 is that I feel is their wood combo of Adi and their version of mahogany is sonically their best sounding models throughout their line. I'm a fingerstyle player and their small body 12 fret models to me were designed specifically for fingerstyle. 

I was on track to buy a 13 fret Santa Cruz guitar when a family member needed some financial help and I was glad that I was able to help out. Recently my wife told me if I still wanted to buy the H13 Santa Cruz guitar model just go ahead and pull the needed funds out of our savings. Well for some reason doing that way seems to make the situation too easy and not really earned as it was when I was saving up doing things to help finance my own purchase. I don't know if I'm making sense but I'm sitting back thinking the whole process over.

https://santacruzguitar.com/h13/

I'm both thankful and perhaps lucky.  Maybe because I'm not an overly accomplished guitar player, I feel no need or desire to upgrade my E20P.  It does everything I ask it to do - it sounds, plays and looks great.     

Pszy22, Originally I wanted to get a boutique guitar before it was too late in my life and the closet I got was the 00-18 as I always wanted to own a standard series Martin while I had the chance. Now I don't feel comfortable pulling out around $6-8K out of savings for a somewhat selfish personal desire even though Alan the wife has given her blessing. Soon having Five guitars for an intermediate level talent (maybe!?) just seems like overkill and I'm nowhere close to becoming a professional, not at 70! And I like each of my current guitars too much to get rid of any of them.
I've been kicking around the idea of adding a E20 00 or a 000-15sm Martin as I would definitely like having another 12 fret around.

[Sausage fingers]

My good friend has an Alvarez Yairi 12 fret dread in sunburst.  DySr70 sb I think.  He can make it sing. I just like playing it  . Really beautiful instrument visually and sonically.  Tough to find in shops to demo or so he says.

Maybe this - maybe not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flAOlXO8W-8    

Yep that is the one.  Funny thing my friend bears a striking resemblance but no accent, at least not a euro accent. More of a SoCal surfer dude.

edit: Don’t know if there is a hog version. Here is a link. 


https://www.alvarezguitars.com/instrumen...ri-series/  

I"ve never explored Alvarez guitars.  Didn't realize that they made a full range of guitars.  Always thought of them as lower end but have heard lots of good about them.  Thanks  or the link.  From a born in SoCal beach rat! 

A local shop is an Alvarez dealer. They had two Honduran hogs, an OM and a dread. I am not as experienced as most here but I have never heard a sweeter sounding dread. Ever. Period. I have come to learn they are handmade by one person on a bench and it sounded like it. They were both spoken for but the owner of the dread came in to pick it up and played it to check out the set Up. He is a local gigging musician and does alot of studio work for which this was destined. He played a couple of songs and everyone in the place stopped to listen.  Pure is the thought I had. Every note clear and distinct and the woody fundamental just accented the balance across all strings. I had the same impression initially as you. But between that axe and the MD60 BG another dread…I think one might be in my future.  If I can find one ised.

[Silly Moustache]

Just curious, 12 frets are intriguing to me and I'm wondering what you've tried (any brand) and what you thought about them?

Hi, I am now a long time 12 fret "evangelist!" - it all started back in 1996, when I bought a Martin J40, and quickly discovered that the neck was too thin and too narrow for the styles that I'd developed. Isaac Guillory lent me his D35-S (12 fret 1 & 7/8" nut width, and I spent a couple of years searching for one,finally settling on a Collings DS2h in 1999.    (12 fret dread - 1 & 13/16" nut width)  Then followed a Collings 0002h and a DS1, and another DS2h.

See: https://youtu.be/kfpMciG92oY

My most recent acquisitions are an E20-P and a rare but beauteous E40-00.

See: https://youtu.be/NEoTLQL7AaE

[vashondan]

Just curious, 12 frets are intriguing to me and I'm wondering what you've tried (any brand) and what you thought about them?

Hi, I am now a long time 12 fret "evangelist!" - it all started back in 1996, when I bought a Martin J40, and quickly discovered that the neck was too thin and too narrow for the styles that I'd developed. Isaac Guillory lent me his D35-S (12 fret 1 & 7/8" nut width, and I spent a couple of years searching for one,finally settling on a Collings DS2h in 1999.    (12 fret dread - 1 & 13/16" nut width)  Then followed a Collings 0002h and a DS1, and another DS2h.

See: https://youtu.be/kfpMciG92oY

My most recent acquisitions are an E20-P and a rare but beauteous E40-00.

See: https://youtu.be/NEoTLQL7AaE 

Thanks SM.  I'll look forward to watching your vids.  Love the dreads of late and haven't played any of the parlor sized guitars.  A Collins or a Martin would be great but my D18 broke the bank and I will be looking at less expensive options.

[Zissou Intern]

Dan, I just found out that Pono is still making their DS20 and DS30 12 fret dreads. I thought they stopped producing all their large body guitars. They are very well built, affordable, and sound great. Those of us who used to hang out on the UBGF knew Curt. He had a Pono DS-20 that he loved. There are several Pono threads on the AGF from back around 2014 and 2015. Link to the Pono website. 

I was bugging Eastman for years to build a Smeckman. I was told by a friend at a shop who knows the Eastman guys quite well that it'll probably never happen, so I gave up asking when I found my Guild Orpheum 12 Fret D. It is basically a Gibson Smeck. It was built in the New Hartford factory during the 2 short years that Ren Ferguson ran to the shop after he left Gibson... Adirondack top and bracing over Cuban mahogany back and sides, all hide glue construction, big D profile neck, 1 13/16" neck, deep body, slope shoulder, short scale.

[Mitch]

Dan, I just found out that Pono is still making their DS20 and DS30 12 fret dreads. I thought they stopped producing all their large body guitars. They are very well built, affordable, and sound great. Those of us who used to hang out on the UBGF knew Curt. He had a Pono DS-20 that he loved. There are several Pono threads on the AGF from back around 2014 and 2015. Link to the Pono website. 

I was bugging Eastman for years to build a Smeckman. I was told by a friend at a shop who knows the Eastman guys quite well that it'll probably never happen, so I gave up asking when I found my Guild Orpheum 12 Fret D. It is basically a Gibson Smeck. It was built in the New Hartford factory during the 2 short years that Ren Ferguson ran to the shop after he left Gibson... Adirondack top and bracing over Cuban mahogany back and sides, all hide glue construction, big D profile neck, 1 13/16" neck, deep body, slope shoulder, short scale.

Hey ZI
I was interested in Pono Guitars a long while ago, kinda forgot about them really. Especially as you wouldn't really come across them over here in Europe. 
What do people think about them? good rep? Any first hand experience? seem to be well made at a great price.
trying to gather infos on the Web. thanks for the link. 

cheers
Mitch

[vashondan]

Dan, I just found out that Pono is still making their DS20 and DS30 12 fret dreads. I thought they stopped producing all their large body guitars. They are very well built, affordable, and sound great. Those of us who used to hang out on the UBGF knew Curt. He had a Pono DS-20 that he loved. There are several Pono threads on the AGF from back around 2014 and 2015. Link to the Pono website. 

I was bugging Eastman for years to build a Smeckman. I was told by a friend at a shop who knows the Eastman guys quite well that it'll probably never happen, so I gave up asking when I found my Guild Orpheum 12 Fret D. It is basically a Gibson Smeck. It was built in the New Hartford factory during the 2 short years that Ren Ferguson ran to the shop after he left Gibson... Adirondack top and bracing over Cuban mahogany back and sides, all hide glue construction, big D profile neck, 1 13/16" neck, deep body, slope shoulder, short scale.

Thanks Zissou.  Is the pic you included a Pono or your Guild which sounds to be a nice guitar?

[Zissou Intern]

That picture is of my Guild. The Pono 12 fretters are long scale in the vein of Martin S models. I have played only one Pono guitar and a few of their ukes. The guitar was a D30, which it seems they don't make any longer. It was a long scale, slope shoulder, 14 fret, rosewood/Sitka dreadnought... think Gibson Advanced Jumbo. I liked it enough to try to buy it from the owner. There was a lot of Pono love on the Acoustic Guitar Forum 5-7 years ago.

[Mitch]

That picture is of my Guild. The Pono 12 fretters are long scale in the vein of Martin S models. I have played only one Pono guitar and a few of their ukes. The guitar was a D30, which it seems they don't make any longer. It was a long scale, slope shoulder, 14 fret, rosewood/Sitka dreadnought... think Gibson Advanced Jumbo. I liked it enough to try to buy it from the owner. There was a lot of Pono love on the Acoustic Guitar Forum 5-7 years ago.

Cheers ZI

Are the Ponos made in Hawaii or import vom Asia? Couldn‘t find infos on it. Just wondering. The OM30 from the Website you posted sounds very nice in the clip, kinda martin omjm like with Engelman/Rosewood. Very sweet. 

There is a used Guild Orpheum Adi/Rosewood  but 14 Frets on sale at the TFOA in Europe/Netherlands

---

That picture is of my Guild. The Pono 12 fretters are long scale in the vein of Martin S models. I have played only one Pono guitar and a few of their ukes. The guitar was a D30, which it seems they don't make any longer. It was a long scale, slope shoulder, 14 fret, rosewood/Sitka dreadnought... think Gibson Advanced Jumbo. I liked it enough to try to buy it from the owner. There was a lot of Pono love on the Acoustic Guitar Forum 5-7 years ago.

Cheers Zissou

couldn‘t find much infos online about Pono. do they import their Guitars from Asia or are they made by themselves?

there is a used Guild Orpheum RW/Adi but it is a 14 Fret, at the TFOA in The Netherlands, Europe.