Colin North wrote:
Freeman wrote:
I have three twelve strings but frankly can't remember the exact spacing that I used when I built them. I'll check later today and post the measurements (and string gauges that I'm using).
This may save you the trouble? http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=44733&p=591414&hilit=12+string+pair+spacing#p591414
Yup, that sounds right. 0.095 is about what I remember (I was going to say 0.100) As I look down thru that thread there is no way I could play that falcate braced one - that nut simply wouldn't work. The compensation at the nut and saddle are interesting on it, but in my humble experience just compensating at the saddle has worked fine. One of the joys of a twelve string is that some of the strings are just slightly out of tune with each other, one of the frustrations of a twelve string is that some of the strings are just slightly out of tune with each other.....
I'm also going to say the you probably won't notice a few thousands difference in spacing as long as each pair is close enough to fret with one finger tip and play with one down or up stroke, and each pair is far enough from the next that you don't end up playing extra strings when you don't want to.
Here is the nut on the Stella clone - string are probably 0.013 to 0.056 (which is huge for a twelve), tuned to C or C# depending on my mood and finger strength.
Not a great picture of the slotted saddle and tailpiece.
If I was ever going to make another twelve I would make the saddle as thick as I could (1/4?) to have lots of bone for doing the compensation and if I was doing a pinned bridge I would put the primaries forward, both for break angle and so the thinner octaves can sneak by the pins.
It will be interesting to see what you build, Colin
