Some "Easy-to-play" 12 string STRINGS...??

[soma89]

So I have a old 70`s Yamaha fg 230 12-string that has a thick neck and action that is a little on the high side. Are there any strings that can make the playability easier without sacrificing too much tone?

Thanks!

[Andromeda]

I would take it in to a reputable luthier or guitar tech and have the action adjusted. If the action is bad the choice of strings will not solve the issue.

[Glennwillow]

I absolutely agree with Bill -- strings are not likely to make much difference. The action is key.

I recently had my 1972 Guild F212 worked on to improve the action by my longtime technician and I can attest that this guitar is now easier to play than it ever was from the day I bought it used in 1975.

You might consider having a good technician look at your guitar.

Thanks, Glenn

[Shabby Chic]

Good luck with that... one popular way to fight high tension and high action is to tune down a half step and play with a capo on the 1st fret. Have a luthier look at it, but usually for a 30+ year old 12 string with really high action there's not much to be done outside of a neck reset which is generally more than those guitars are worth.

[Kabalan]

Originally Posted by Shabby Chic

Good luck with that... one popular way to fight high tension and high action is to tune down a half step and play with a capo on the 1st fret. Have a luthier look at it, but usually for a 30+ year old 12 string with really high action there's not much to be done outside of a neck reset which is generally more than those guitars are worth.

i did the same with an old 12 strings, not a half step, in my case one step,
with capo in 2st fret.
Eblen

[RustyAxe]

I agree that getting the action right is key. And for me, it's usually the nut slot height that needs to adjusted properly to get those open chords and low barre chords easier to play. For strings I use D'Addario PB EJ38 lights.

[grampa]

Set-up and maybe Silk and Steel strings.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by grampa

Set-up and maybe Silk and Steel strings.

Silk and steel strings can help, no question about it. For me, however, they sort of wrecked the sound, but it would be worth a try, maybe along with tuning down a little and possibly using a capo, as others have suggested.

- Glenn

[soma89]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Silk and steel strings can help, no question about it. For me, however, they sort of wrecked the sound, but it would be worth a try, maybe along with tuning down a little and possibly using a capo, as others have suggested.

- Glenn

Interesting. How would you say it "wrecked" the sound? I've read reviews saying that they sound too dull and have very low volume.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by soma89

Interesting. How would you say it "wrecked" the sound? I've read reviews saying that they sound too dull and have very low volume.

Hi Soma,

I would say that is a perfect summary of my experience, too -- dull and low volume.

However, if the guitar is too hard to play and you can't get it set up right, silk and steel might still be a possible solution. I hate to limit the possibilities here just because of my personal tastes.

Regards, Glenn

[Chazmo]

Setup is #1. That said, if you don't like the feel of the neck, try various brands.

I think Taylors are very easy to play, and of course they're easy to set up as well.

[cpmusic]

I'll echo the comments about the setup. Nothing else will matter until that is done. There's nothing to be done about a chunky neck, but a proper setup makes a world of difference.

Once that's done, consider DR Rare strings. They're lower in tension than others of the same gauge and could prove useful.