Why choose an Emerald 12-String guitar?

In-depth Guide

The 12-string guitar provides a beautiful sound, with shimmering brilliance and beautiful deep lows. The effect of the octave and unison string pairs produces a wonderful ‘chorus’ effect which adds a new dimension to the sound of the guitar. 

Featuring the regular 6 strings found along with octave strings on the bottom 4 and unison pairs on the top 2, the 12-string guitar produces an iconic sound which has been an integral part of many classic recordings. Consider the impact it has had on popular music, being featured on tracks by Pink Floyd (‘Wish You were here’), The Eagles (‘Hotel California’), Tom Petty (‘Free Fallin’) amongst many other great productions. The iconic sound is a recognisable part of so many classic songs and it’s hard to imagine them without the phenomenal impact of the 12-string.

With a range of great tones available from the 12-string guitar, let’s have a look at why we think you should choose Emerald for your next 12-string guitar.

Carbon Fiber vs Wood

Strength and Stability

At Emerald, we strive for innovation, putting the player at the heart of everything that we do. The use of Carbon fiber construction has allowed us to develop new and exciting designs and features in our instruments. With a range of 25 models in our range, we have a selection of fantastic models available and when it comes to the 12-string models we can confidently say that we produce the finest 12-string guitars anywhere on the market!

Our unique one-piece carbon fiber construction means that the body and neck are all built together from carbon fiber. Using this method and these materials mean that all of our instruments deliver incredible strength and stability. This is particularly useful when it comes to instruments with more than the regular 6 strings. One of the main problems that players face when considering a wooden 12-string guitar is the lack of tuning stability. Trying to keep the instrument in tune is a challenge as the natural materials react to the atmosphere and temperature constantly. With our Carbon Fiber models’ inherent stability, tuning woes become a thing of the past.

Another problem that occurs in wooden guitars is having a 12-string with a neck wide enough to accommodate the extra strings but also to be comfortable enough to play for hours on end. With all of our 12-string guitars we have a comfortable neck design that allows for enough space on the fingerboard to fret and pick individual pairs easily but which also is not too wide to be unnecessarily large.

Travel and Touring

When it comes to taking a 12-string to the stage or on tour, the multiple benefits from owning an Emerald solve a lot of your problems.

When traveling through different climates and dealing with airplanes and airports, guitars go through a lot. Wooden built guitars can swell and contract with all of the changes in atmosphere and temperature, leading to adjustments and setups being needed and if the changes are too drastic, the guitars themselves can need extensive repairs.

Luckily with our trademark strength and stability, these instruments can take on whatever you can throw at them and perform under pressure. Our customers regularly choose Emerald for these reasons, to back them up time and time again through the rigors of touring and travel.

From sailing at sea for months on end, touring in vans and being played on stage every night to simply living in unforgiving climates through hot and cold, Emerald are with you every step of the way.

Wide Range of Custom Options

With our 3D builder you can customize your guitar with a whole range of options from aesthetic to practical.

We have a range of aesthetic options available to enhance the look of your guitar. With a choice of colors available on both our standard and vibrant carbon weave and 40+ exotic real wood veneers for the front of your guitar, you can stand out from the crowd with a unique look. 

Custom inlays and a choice of hardware colors let you compliment your color scheme and make it even more personal with your own choice of engraving on the 12th fret.

You can add a pickup to your guitar for performing, using external FX and recording in busy environments and even turn your guitar into a smart guitar with the inclusion of a built in Hyvibe system providing a host of onboard FX and looping and playback possibilities which emanate from the guitar itself in real-time. 

Custom options for scale length, neck width and fretboard radius are also available for even more personalized customization.

Our 12 string models: X7, X20, X30

In terms of selection, we have something for everyone when it comes to 12-string guitars. Our 3 main acoustic models, the X7, X20 and X30 are all available in 12-string options and between them we have something for everyone.

For some players, they are limited in their guitar selection because of their size. Those who find it uncomfortable to play larger guitars such as dreadnought and jumbo sizes are restricted in the amount of choice that they will have in choosing a 12-string acoustic.

With our range, we have a choice in models from the compact bodied X7, the X20 and the X30 jumbo. Each of these models have the benefit of our beautiful ergonomic curves meaning that the bodies conform to the player for incredible comfort.

X7-12

With the X7-12, our smallest full size acoustic, we have a compact 12-string with a great sound. Perfect for those who require great tones in a smaller package. For those traveling a lot or looking for a couch guitar, the X7-12 is a great choice.

X20-12

Our X20 model is our signature acoustic in the range, with a body design that falls between the size of a typical OM and Dreadnought size. With a great balanced sound and size, the X20 is a do it all guitar with balanced tones suitable for punchy single note lines as well as big strums. 

For those left-handed players out there, don’t worry! We also provide the X20-12 in a left-handed model.

X30-12

The X30-12 is our biggest 12 string with a big jumbo body. The bass response and overall projection in the X30-12 makes it a fantastic choice for the fullest and richest sound, excelling at strumming big open chords and being heard in acoustic jams.

With all of these models we feature our unique player-facing soundhole that projects the sound directly up to the player giving you a fantastic playing experience where you can experience the wealth of tones.

The Amicus

The Amicus is the guitar player’s answer to the mandolin, providing a wealth of new tonal possibilities in a familiar package. With a compact body and short scale neck, the Amicus features 6 pairs of unison strings like a mandolin but is tuned to D-standard. Think of this like having a capo on the 12th fret of a 12-string but strung like a mandolin. For the guitar player, this gives you a new realm of tones. The Amicus is perfect for anyone who wants the sound of the mandolin but has difficulty with the small neck or doesn’t want to learn a new instrument.

Because of this, the Amicus is ideal for session players and studios to have on hand for a range of new textures in a familiar package.

Something for every player

With a range of models covering different body sizes, tones and sonic possibilities, Emerald have developed a range of world-class 12 string guitars to suit everyone. With the range of options in our 3D builder, we can build your dream guitar! We reckon our range of 12-string guitars are the finest you’ll find anywhere in the world.

Choose Emerald for your next 12-string guitar.

Build your own in the 3D builder or choose from our wide range of stock online. 
You can also get in touch with our experts, Kev and Davy via the online chat or contact them via email at sales@emeraldguitars.com for any questions or for help in designing your next guitar.