We’ve got another Stella-inspired twelve string that we have in the shop! Ralph Bown, while better known for his smaller fingerstyle guitars like the OM that Clive Carrol plays, has proven himself an exceptionally dynamic luthier, building everything from Baritones and Harp Guitars to this Stella 12-string. Bown’s given us an extended scale length to allow for heavier gauge strings to be used in lowered tunings. We find that standard C or D works beautifully on this guitar; the voice is huge, lush, and projects outward with a cataclismic force. Moreover, at the reduced string tension of lowered tunings (which we recommend keeping this guitar in) fretting notes becomes fretless, so smooth is the action.

Decked out with a Sitka Spruce top and some seriously gorgeous Koa for the back and sides, the octave strings pairs exude rich tone like chocolate mousse. Designed for the Leadbelly approach to Country Blues, all thumbpicks and crackling treble strings, this guitar also behaves famously for flatpicked solos a la Jimi Hendrix (there’s a great clip of Jimi playing a 12-string on Youtube, if you haven’t seen it yet). If you’re looking for a 12-string with more snap, crackle, and pop than a bag full of flatpicks, this is the guitar for you.

Here we have a 2013 Collings 02-G 12 string in German Spruce and East Indian Rosewood that will absolutely steal your heart away. We have rarely had this much fun playing a guitar here in the shop, the combination of the small body and the shorter scale make this one of the easiest twelve strings we have ever played. The smaller body works surprisingly well for a twelve strings, the octave strings shine through the way they should giving this guitar a perfect shimmering chorus effect. With the excellent quality and tone that comes from Collings, you can’t help but fall in love with this little gem.

This Franklin twelve string built by Nick Kukich may just be the most exciting twelve string you will ever play. Modeled after the old Stella twelve strings, this Franklin is meant to be tuned down low to a D standard tuning which makes for a great string feel. We have always found a good twelve string to be rejuvenating to a weary six string player, this one will pick you right up and have you writing new songs in a heartbeat. The combination of Mahogany and Sitka Spruce make for a lively tone with plenty of sparkle on those octave and unison strings.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill 12-string, either: thanks to the metal tailpiece aned floating bridge, this guitar has a more dynamic, mellow voice than its fixed-bridge relatives, because the string tension is distributed more evenly across the top. The result is a 12-string that doesn’t have the bell-like sparkle of a Taylor 12, but instead has a more fully formed fundamental that is easy on the ears and the hands.

Charlie Hoffman simply makes one of the best sounding, easiest to play 12 string guitars available today. This beautiful Indian Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Hoffman 12 string is built on his shallow Jumbo body, so you get a big sound that remains clear and a guitar that is easy to hold. This one is set up with low action that plays like a dream at standard pitch.

From longtime luthier Michael Keller, we’ve got a dynamite 12-String guitar in the shop from 2012 in Indian Rosewood and Spruce. This beauty takes the cake for clarity and dynamism on the 12-string front; here there’s none of the tinny jangle that’s given them a bad rep, just meaty, powerful tone. Additionally, Michael added an arm bevel for creature comfort, and a soundport to the upper bout to keep the player dialed in to their sound, plus a sharp florentine cutaway for getting to those pesky uppermost frets. The neck-to-body weight ratio is excellent by normal standards, even better so for a 12-string. We found playing this Keller 12 was very easy, and we didn’t have to waste precious left hand energy holding up the neck.

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Sometimes, big sounds come in big packages—and this Klein 457 12-string is precisely that. This is an instrument that fills the room, and then some. One of our clients, in love with the 6-string 457 we built for him, decided to immediately commission this beauty to complement it. Premium Brazilian Rosewood back and sides with Sitka Spruce on top, a one-piece Rosewood neck (!), and a 26.25-25” multiscale setup for even more power and clarity. This 457 plays like butter, and is equally at home with a light touch and a more aggressive attack; it’s got gears for days, which isn’t something we often see with 12-strings.
Ready for a custom Klein of your own? Give us a shout to start the build process!

Other keywords: custom guitar, custom build, lutherie, luthier, steve kauffman, steve klein, klein & kauffmam, steve kaufman, fan fret, fanned fret, multi scale, multi-scale, fingerstyle