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Hi
I bought myself a second-hand Double Six for Christmas. What strings would you suggest are best?

The absolute toppermost of the poppermost for electric twelves is Pyramid (fitted as OEM on 60s Rickenbackers). But they're pricey, even from Thomann:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/pyramid_31012.htm

Otherwise, you could try a basic set of 10-46 (as the "normal" set) and supplement them with custom gauge strings as follows (with the supplementary gauges marked in red):

e: 010p / 010p
B: 013p / 013p
G: 017p / 008p
D: 026w / 014p
A: 036w / 018p
E: 046w / 024w

Cost: easily under £10.

JN

You might try Barry Gibson. He uses 10's from Newtone. More expensive, but good.

One thing to watch out for is the light G string. My experience is that this breaks easily (and very quickly), so Barry supplies sets with the 2 G strings the same, rather than one an octave higher. I use a Doublesix Custom regularly in my band and I find the Newtone strings (with the modification suggested above), last a long time.

All the best,

Nick

Hi Barry gibson told me hank had had nearly had a heart
attack at the thought of breaking a hg string at the o2 and decided to use 17s as thirds , if you listen to a live recording ! And not a studio version you can hear the differece.

Sorry for the finger trouble.

What's an hg string?

Fat fingers!

I had two plain .17 G strings fitted, but I have recently fitted the 12 string neck on my double neck with a wound .20 gauge G with a .07 gauge octave string. I bought these as separates ( but I did make sure I bought two of each!)

I think the sound is better and more 'authentic' 12 string somehow- with that high ringing octave string , and the balance between the gauges of the string courses is improved.

Rickenbacker supply a twelve-string set (Compressed Round Wound, Part No. 95404):

10/10
13/13
20/10
26/13
34/20
42/26

DaveC

davec wrote:Rickenbacker supply a twelve-string set (Compressed Round Wound, Part No. 95404):

10/10
13/13
20/10
26/13
34/20
42/26

That's clearly not of the same gauges as the "standard" Pyramid set (lighter at the bass end), and the 20/10 pairing on the third course suggests that the 0.010" string is meant for tuning to the G (1st string, 3rd fret on an "ordinary" guitar). The other string in that course is a wound 0.020" (source: http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm#strings) and the gauge pairing obviously precludes unison tuning.

A "10" can theoretically be tuned to the G. In fact, if viewed as the logical extension to a 56-13 set, it should even stretch - at medium gauge tension - to the A (1st string, 5th fret).

Unison tuning was often used on the third course of 12-strings in the dark days of the 1960s, when sufficiently light strings for tuning to the high G were difficult or impossible to get in the UK. But it's an unnecessary compromise...

JN