Need Advice From 12 String Players

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

G'Mornin'
I just recently went from a 10 string steel to a 12 string.
It's quite an adventure, but I'm all over the place, lots of misses with the picks.
Can y'all offer any advice in adapting to a 12 string?
Practice tips, tricks, etc to help me get a handle on this beast?
Thanks Fellas.
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Slow down, THINK about the process of selecting and striking the strings. Watching your picking hand will initially speed things up, but slow down the process of internalizing what goes where.
Slow down, think about each thumb excursion.
You'll find that it, like all other skills, improves with concentration.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I played D-10 for 8 years before switching to U-12. For me, it was more like a depth perception problem. Compared to a typewriter, strings 8,6 & 5, I refer to as home base strings. I would grab the wrong home base too often. I found that I needed to stay on the U-12 and not jump back to my comfortable D-10 to play in the band. So, I practiced and struggled every night for a week, then just jumped into the band on the next weekend. After that, I was comfortable again and didn't look back.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.

Les Cargill · From: Oklahoma City, Ok, USA

String 8 is still string 8. I thought about using a Sharpie to mark string 8 when I first transitioned from 10 to 12. Seems less a problem now.

Tom Campbell · From: Houston, Texas, USA

I used a red sharpie to mark the tenth string on my 12 string expanded E9. I did this a few years ago and still do it for a quick reference point.

Players of the harp have a number of color coded strings...no big deal!

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

String 8, which is the thumb anchor for E9..after a lot of practise is found by the feel of the corner of the pickup against the palm of the right hand.

I switch back and forth between a Uni and D10's and the ability to anchor using palm feel is the biggest issue switching to the Uni.

Eventually the brain will intuitively sense this, and you won't even know until you sit at a tenstring again and have to figure out how you used to anchor on it.

On the whole, this anchoring process is the most difficult for some in the switch.

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

Thanks Guys,
Great suggestions and great encouragement.
OK, I think I'll try the magic marker trick initially, but only concentration, repetition and and perspiration will truly get me there.
I know one thing fer sure, I'm not gonna go back to 10 strings (like I've seen a couple guys do)
and I'll be da#ned if I'll cut two strings off. There's some great sounds down there on 11 and 12 Laughing

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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

You mean on 10, 11, and 12.. Smile

Lee Dassow · From: Jefferson, Georgia USA

The 8th string E seems to be my go to string.
I mark it with a red magic marker for a reference
for my thumb. Works for me. You can do a lot of comping on those bass strings. Hey John, I like
that definition of a musician! Hah Tenn. Lee
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2015 Mullen D-10 Royal Precision 9x8,-1990 BMI S-10 5x5-1972 Silver face Fender pro Reverb amp,-1965 Fender Super Reverb Amp,- 1966 Fender Showman Amp Two 15" JBL speakers,- 2006 65 Fender Twin Reverb reissue Amp,- 1982 Peavey Session 500 amp,-1978 Peavey Session 400,Goodrich Volume Pedals,John Pearse Steel Bars,

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

Really all that you can do is "Let It Rip!" on the S12U.
Put on some songs that you like to play along with, and play all the stuff you already know how to play, on the S12U.
Do you play the 6th side of the tuning? If not, have somebody show you how to get around on the 6th pedals and incorporate the low end, Boo-wha, etc.
Is there another Pedal Steel player in your area that is more expierienced than you that you can get together with? That always seems to help jump start things.

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

On a U-12, strings 8-1 are identical to an S-10, E-9th tuning. Strings 9,10,11 are a lower register of strings 5,6 and 8 with the same pulls as them. String 12, a B note, is the root of the B6th tuning. It seems daunting at first, but, it's really not. Jeff Newman has a E9th-B6th course. It's not extensive, but, it can get you started. As a matter of fact, you can use any C6th course to play the 6th side of the tuning. You just have to remember that, you are tuned to B instead of C. I've been playing a U-12 for 10 years and I love it. There's so much music to be found on the neck with the advantage of having the lower strings for a true D-10, 6th sound or just an extended E9th with a lower guitar register.
It's a way of playing multiple sounds with one neck and not switch back and forth to a second neck. I went with a U-12 because I have short arms and am not comfortable with a D-10. I'm so glad I did it and am very happy that I did. There are many different steel players with lots of other ideas and certainly, to each their own, but, give it an honest try, I think you'll like it.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

I am changing a S12 Unie steel from Nashville to Day pedals and knee levers and getting ready to dive in. On Jeff Newmans's 12 String Universal 1st lesson, He says, Sell your D10 or dig an 8 hole and bury it if you go to a 12 U. I spent 15 years as a Police Firearms Instructor. When you are learning a specific task, Practice, Practice, Practice, with the same equipment. Once you have practiced some particular move enough times it goes into what is called Nuoro Memory when you See, Hear or Feel the Exciter your body will react without thinking about it, The body just performs the act without sending the though to the brain for processing. Your Eyes on Tablature or Chart is the Exciter is seeing the move, Music by Ear the Sound is the Exciter. You have already practiced enough that when the song in say C goes to an Am or Dm you do not think about it, Just move your foot and or knees and pick the right strings and the right sound appears. You now have the move in Nuoro Memory, Your body does the act without thinking about it. Good Luck.

James Jacoby · From: Ohio, USA

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

I'm glad it's not just me. Since I finished building my uni 12 a month ago the D10 has been sitting in the corner. Then the other day I sat down at it to demonstrate something to a friend and I was all over the place. I still get a little bit lost sometimes on the 12-string but I've definitely passed a point of no return.

BTW on an orchestral harp all the C strings are red and the F strings are black - I guess they'd never find their way around otherwise.
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I'm pretty sure Jim Palanscar at Steel Guitar of North County can hook you up with parts.

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

Thanks,
I have an email out to him as we speak.
JB
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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