[Lcjones]

Aside from budget......

Twelve string guitars, historically have a wider neck. Be sure to sample as many models as available before purchasing. Find the one that best suits the fit of your hand. Some 12er's also have slightly higher action than 6er's. So you want to "feel" the action.

The narrowest acoustic neck I recall on a 12 was an Epiphone Dove some years ago. It seems to me some of the Yamaha's and some of the less expensive 12's had some seriously wide necks almost to the point of being unplayable for any amount of time.

12er's should be tuned down 1/2 to a full step. This alleviates too much tension on the neck. On all of my 12's I use light gauge strings a half step down. No more than 10's.

When replacing strings on your 12, do not remove all the strings at once. Replace them in pairs. Removing them all at once places too much stress on the neck. In other words, you're removing all the tension from the neck and then pulling it back to full tension. You don't want to do that to a 12 unless it is absolutely required.

I've had and played numerous 12's over the years. I have found the Guild Dreadnaught 12's to have the most robust tones. Many 12's sound "tinny" or thin. Of course, Martin/Gibson have good 12's. No question about Taylors. There are many to choose from, so take your time and find the one that is right for you.

My best advice is to find the one that is comfortable in your hands and has a nice warm tone to it. Good luck! Hope this helps.

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Les
Guild F212 Sunburst
Guild D212 Cherry
Rickenbacker 360/12 FireGlo