First gig on a U-12

Charlie Thompson · From: South Carolina, USA

After playing gigs on E-9 for 35 years, I played my first gig on a U-12 last night. Mixed results. The front man reported "sounds the same to me" but I felt like I was either playing upper register or lower register as the I keep hitting the 7th string when playing in the middle. The upper middle postions are obviously the hardest top adapt to. I'm timid about playing pickups from the low end. Only had the steel a week so I keep telling myself to give it time. U-12 early experience feedback appreciated.
Charlie

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I might offer one suggestion Charlie. I've been playing gigs on the U12 about as long as you have E9 and it will become much easier as you play it more.

Have that guitar set up at home and whenever you walk by it, sit down with your hands in your lap, then put your hands on the strings and grab 8, 6, and 5. Keep doing this until you can get it right EVERY TIME.

Key in on E9 from the top down and B6 from the bottom up. It is muscle memory -- take the time to teach your picking muscles and they will remember.
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Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

My adaptation curve from E9 to E9/B6 U-12 was a number of weeks/couple of months. I forced myself to accept as absolute truth the encouragement from other people who had been there/done that that within a certain amount of time it would come to feel totally comfortable. They were right.

The biggest hurdle is getting over the depression of 'have I made a big mistake here? I feel like I have taken one step forward and 3 steps back!' and having faith that the solid foundation that you have shaken up will firm up again, strong as before.

Charlie Thompson · From: South Carolina, USA

Charlie Thompson · From: South Carolina, USA

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Mike Ester · From: New Braunfels, Texas, USA

I changed to a U12 after about 22 years on a D10. It took about 2 weeks to get comfortable with it, but I don't regret the change. I have yet to have somebody complain.

Mike Poholsky · From: Kansas, USA

I played a SD10 for a long time before I went to a U12. It just takes some time to get used to. Once you put in the time, the tuning and setup really have a lot going for it. Having those lower strings is fun. Now, when I sit down at a 10 string, I have the same problem in reverse. I really have to pay attention to my grabs. I think part of it is just developing your perception as you look at the strings and fret board.
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John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I had been an E-9th player for about 26 yrs, when I got my U-12 Zum in 2005. It fit me perfectly, so, playability adjustment wasn't necessary. I just had to get used to using the low strings and not having a dedicated D note. I played it out for the first time at a steel show. Here I was doing a show and being the feature on an instrument that, I hadn't truly become efficient on. My wife even said... "You're going to play your new Zum on the show?" Well, I did hit a few clams, but, nobody but me heard them except me. The experience was really great. I continued to play it and only it on gigs from then on. I have to admit that, it was quite an adventure, though. I would never go back to strictly playing E-9th because the U-12 is so "Universal". The best of both worlds for what I want to accomplish. There will always be detractors and supporters of the U-12, that's OK with me. I'm definitely sold on it and will conyinue to play the U-12, hopefully, for a long time.

David Doggett · Posted 15 Dec 2008 8:06 am

When I switched to uni, I was lost with all those strings. I discovered that for my grips I had been keying on where the fret markers down the center of the neck fall under the strings. With a 12-string the center of the neck shifts lower. I took a red marking pen and ran it down the side of the 8th string facing me (nobody else could see it). That helped me reset my visual orientation. Eventually the marking wore off and I changed strings. I discovered I had started keying on where the wound strings begin. Also, my right hand had just learned to settle on the right strings without looking. Keying on where the wound strings start works the same for both 10- and 12-strings, unless you sit down at someone's steel with a wound 6th.

Now when I sit down at a 10-string I am very rusty at skipping that 9th sting most of the time. I don't really use the lower uni strings much for country, but I miss them being there for the occasional use, and they are indispensable for blues, rock, jazz and classical.

Charlie Thompson · From: South Carolina, USA

I took Larry's suggestion of Grabbing 8,6,5 and that has really helped alot.
THANKS to ALL!

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