10 strings, 12 string ,11 strings?

Drew Taubenfeld · From: California, USA

Just for my own curiosity I wanted to ask about 10 string vs 12 string vs 11string ext e9th guitars.

I've noticed a lot of great players who have an aversion to playing a 12 string guitar and I've run into some great player who can't live without those 2 extra strings. So I wanted to hear from you guys. How many strings are on your guitar and why. What kind of music do you play? Do those extra strings just get in the way, or do they add a ton of options. Do you play 12 strings all the time, or do you have a 12 string for some gigs and a 10 string for others? And what's up with 11 string guitars.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I play a u-12, although I know little about the B6 side of the tuning, and really use it as an extended E9 taken one degree further.

The reason is that when I first started playing, I found one (the green one shown in my avatar) for sale within my price range. I had planned on getting a D-10, but I couldn't turn down the deal.

I'm glad. It worked out really well for me.
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Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Although I haven't played guitar gigs in years, I think music theory on a six string. My anchor for a lot of that knowledge is a low E and a low A. Both of those anchors are missing on 10 string E9; the rest of the EMaj and AMaj chord and scale structure is there but the bottom tonic note gives me a reference point that is valuable to me.

In addition, I have always been an advocate (and practitioner) of a single tuning that duplicates the tonal movements of both the E9 and C6 tunings.

A 12-string with the E9/B6 universal tuning does it for me. I think that decision is dependent on personal preference and needs.
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Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

And to add to the confusion, my preferred steel is an S10 "Twin Tuned extended E major", which is tuned somewhere between an extended E9 and a Universal. 10 strings covering almost every chord-change of an S12 Universal.
I don't like being without those low strings, so I may end up modifying more of my S10 PSGs to the "twin Tuning" even though I'll lose the 7th and 9th E9 string.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

The guitar I play the most is a D-12 non-pedal and if I have to play traditional, I use a D-11 pedal guitar.

Drew Taubenfeld · From: California, USA

Thanks for the info guys.

I'd love to hear from some 10 stringers why you DON'T play 12 strings.

John McClung · From: Olympia WA, USA

Hey Drew, at your next lesson we can discuss all this and I can of course demo on my Mullen D-12.

I love ext E9's 11th and 12th strings, (G# and E) for some big fat "wide" chords, but even more for rock power chords. Without that low E, at the very least, playing rhythm steel just sounds wimpy and inadequate.

I could get by without the G# 11th string, but if you're going for 11, might as well have 12, imho. I played a Brumley 11-string E9, and loved the guitar, but really missed that string 11 and realized at this point in my playing career, no sense changing my tuning that drastically.

In studio work, I occasionally just temporarily dismount those strings, they aren't too useful in most country tunes, don't sit in the mix all that well, and cause extra string noise grief that forces me to carefully dampen those strings, which changes how I palm block. It's better and cleaner without the low end if they aren't vital to the music at hand.

I've tried the universal, but the 9th string D is vital to everything I play, and having to lower or raise other strings to get that note means the close intervals are gone, so my music suffers. I know Paul Franklin (and others, of course) feels the same way on that narrow topic.
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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Tsk Tsk Tsk Mr. Bovine:

Micky Byrne · From: United Kingdom (deceased)

Drew...A 12 string Universal E9th/B6th does it for me. Changed over from a 10 string to that in 1982. I'm with Mike Perlowin on this...use it as one "BIG" tuning. Like an extended E9th with tons more. Great to flow between the 9th and 6th sounds.

Micky Byrne U.K.

Sho-Bud and Carter Universals

Nashville 400 and Evans Fet 500 in split cabs (keeps my back happy Smile

)

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I used to think I needed 12 strings. Then I thought I needed 24 (a D-12). Now I find I only really need 8. One more would be handy, though. Winking

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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Elton Smith · From: Texas, USA

I have both,10 and 12.I gig with a 10 but practic with the 12.Its an extended e 9th.Playing the 12 i have to pay more attention and tighter grouping with my right hand.Palm blocking is a bit harder.But I figure if I can play the 12 the 10 will be that much easier.If there is such thing as easy.
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Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Robbie Daniels · From: Casper, Wyoming, USA

Around 1968 I went straight from a Fender 400 8 string to an MSA D12 and haven't looked back. D12's have some weight issues, but the benefits I get from the extended tunings on both E9 and C6 far outweigh a little extra weight. IMHO
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John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I started on an S-10 and went to an S-11. The S-11 had a lower octave "E" for the 11th string, a la' Tom Brumley. It's great for playing rock vamps and lower power chords. I played it for 20 some odd years and loved it. In 2005, I bought a U-12 ZumSteel, tuned to E9th/B6th. I wish I had done so sooner. I absolutely love this tuning. It's so easy to switch back and forth from country to jazz/swing tunes. It's really one big tuning. Not having the 9th string "D" isn't a problem for me, I have a knee lever raising the 9th string "B" to "D", if I want. Some people lower the 8th string "E" to get the "D" note. It's whatever you feel comfortable with. I've acclimated well to this tuning and won't go back. I don't want to switch horses in midstream anymore.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I started out with only six strangs and E7th Tuning.....and within a few years had advanced to 32 strangs. Whew! Five different tunings........can you imagine?

Anything I ever wanted to play, I can play with 6-7 strings. My work-horse, is my Dbl-10 Emmons Push/Pull. Why ten strings?....that's the way they shipped it to me. They even tuned it for me.

I know of nothing in my bag o'tricks, that would require me to have twelve strings....ever! In my kind of playing, most of my melody is done on the first 4-5 strings. Other folks play differently and get a lot of miles out of those extra strings.

Additional strings on a steel guitar, is nothing like an extra foot in length in a runabout ski boat, yacht or RV-trailer.

Before pedal steels hit the market, we mostly all started with just six strings, then eight strings, then 10/12 with gobs of foot pedals and knee levers.

It all depends on what YOU plan to do with each one of them. If you don't know, don't fret. Work up to it and in time you'll know which way to go. Lots of luck to you.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Paul Warnik · From: Illinois,USA

In case somebody here doesn't know...
Chas Smith has made some of the most interesting musical instruments in the world.
He has been hailed in "Electronic Musician" magazine and some of his creations (heard in numerous movie sound effects)
actually resemble steel guitars Whoa!

While others, they look (and sound) like nothing you have ever seen Exclamation

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

There is no right or wrong answer. I play a D10, and I don't feel the need for any more strings on the E9 neck (or the C6th neck).

Maybe it's just my ignorance, and I don't know what I'm missing. But my steel is already heavy enough, & strings already cost enough. I see no need to increase both of those items.

You can play an awful lot of music on a 10 string E9 tuning.

Rick Winfield · From: Pickin' beneath the Palmettos

I would prefer to have a 12 String E9th with 5x5 !
I once owned an MSA D12, but $$$ caused us to part !
Right now I've got an Carter E9th SD10, and a C6 non-pedal 12 string. Guess I'll have to make do for now Smile

Rick

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

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