Epiphone DR-212

Devil#20

I was thinking about getting a 12 stringer rather than go the emulation route with a 6 string. I don't want to spend a lot because I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of it. I was just having a nosey around and saw an Epiphone DR-212 for just over £200 new. Are they any good or should I go for something else in that price range? Is the tuning likely to be stable on it for instance? It's a pure acoustic insofar as it has no EQ on it but if needs must I have a Fender soundhole pickup I could use. Thanks in advance for any help or advice you may have? 

--
Ian

Funkfingers

Is your interest in the DR-212 prompted by specific features or by its retail price?

Also, what six string acoustic guitar do you currently own? 

In my opinion, if you already have a six string acoustic guitar worth, say, four hundred Pounds, you are likely to be disappointed by any twelve stringer that retails for half as much.

Devil#20

Funkfingers said:

Is your interest in the DR-212 prompted by specific features or by its retail price?

Also, what six string acoustic guitar do you currently own? 

In my opinion, if you already have a six string acoustic guitar worth, say, four hundred Pounds, you are likely to be disappointed by any twelve stringer that retails for half as much.

I looked at the DR-212 because it has a lack of features. ie. no EQ pickup for example, so I'm not paying for features that aren't necessary so the money is used on a better basic guitar. It can always be mic'd or a soundhole pickup put in it. I have a couple of acoustics. I have a tanglewood electro acoustic which was about £350 and a Martin D16GT acoustic which I bought in the States for $1000 about 20 years ago. I realise I'd have to spend a lot to get a decent 12 string but it's a case of how much I'm likely to use it. If that's hardly at all then I've only pooped off £200 but if I find I use it a lot then maybe I'll regret getting a cheap one. If it plays lousy then I'm not likely to use it. Alternatively, I might get a decent used one off ebay for £200. Will the DR-212 be utter rubbish. I know nothing about 12 strings except it cost you twice as much everytime you change the strings. 

Funkfingers

I understand your reasoning.

Tanglewood, minus notional value of transducer and control electronics, provides a realistic guide figure.

I’ve not tried the Epiphone but some of the recent Guild, Sigma and Chinese Fender stuff is very good for the money.

Devil#20

Funkfingers said:

I understand your reasoning.

Tanglewood, minus notional value of transducer and control electronics, provides a realistic guide figure.

I’ve not tried the Epiphone but some of the recent Guild, Sigma and Chinese Fender stuff is very good for the money.

I assume this Epiphone 12 string will be made in the far east too. In that respect I don't suppose the name Epiphone on the headstock will guarantee it's any better than any of those you mentioned. I'm wondering if ebay might be my best bet.

Sleepyscholar

I have a DR-212, and for comparison purposes, my other (6-string) acoustic is a Yamaha LJ-16. As Funkfingers suggested, you can't expect a DR-212 to be comparable. Like you, I just wanted a 12-string because I thought it would be nice, and there were occasions it would be useful live (it turned out to perform perfectly well in that regard). I haven't experienced any problems, and the tuning has been stable. Tone-wise, it's quite a light sound: nothing like the projection of the Yamaha. But then you wouldn't expect otherwise. I got mine second-hand for the equivalent of about 80 quid (but then Japanese 2nd hand prices are generally low). New, I see Ishibashi is selling a 'starter set' with one for 216 pounds, which matches what you are looking at -- not always the case with guitar prices.

Others I was looking at in the same price range included one by my neighbour, Aria, but I found the Epiphone clearly superior to the Aria I tried. Another second-hand one (can't remember the company: possibly Morris) I tried suffered badly from a bowed top, apparently a common problem, especially with cheap 12-strings, because of the high tension of the strings. So well worth making sure the top is as flat as it should be: though with a new guitar I can't imagine this would be an issue.

Sorry I can't be of more use.

Funkfingers

Devil#20 said:

change the strings. 

Now, there’s a thought. 

As an experiment, try a set of Nashville High Tuning strings on your Tanglewood. (D’Addario do Phosphur-Bronze sets.) This will provide some of the jangly “texture” of a twelve string guitar without the discomfort of holding down the string courses. Very handy for multi-track recording.

I keep my beaten-up old Rickenbacker 230 in NHT for precisely this purpose. 

Devil#20

Sleepyscholar said:

Sorry I can't be of more use.

Not a all. It's all useful stuff to me. I've now decided it might be better and going with Funkfingers Sigma suggestion. Purely on the basis that I've owned an Epiphone 6 string acoustic before and fancy trying out another manufacturer. I saw a guy playing a Sigma in a pub in Liverpool not long before lockdown. I asked him about it and it wasn't that expensive, looked well put together and importantly sounded good. I'd forgotten about Sigma until Funkfingers mentioned them. 

Funkfingers

Glad to be of assistance.

Ultimately, you need to visit guitar shops and try out the options for yourself. The Fender stuff has come on in leaps and bounds.

The only possible fly in the ointment is that the plain acoustic models tend to be non-cutaway. Cutaways and onboard electronics seem to have become regarded as chargeable “upgrade” options. Hence, it may be difficult to get a cutaway without also having to accept a piezo undersaddle transducer and a plastic control panel.

Sleepyscholar

I think going for a Sigma probably is a good move. I don't regret my purchase, but then I paid 120 quid less than you're planning to, for the same guitar! It might be useful you having the option of getting at least some of your money back if you decide to sell. I knew when I got mine that it was sunk money, pretty well zero resale value.

Devil#20

That's a good point. However, I find when you get down the dusty end on an acoustic the strings tend to damp out quickly and it sounds a bit dead. They typically join the body at the 14 fret I think. Just looking across at my Tanglewood it looks like you could play up to the 17th as it has a cutaway. 

Devil#20

Well unless you guys missed my other post I got a Sigma DM12 1ST yesterday and it's great. It cost me £259 from Peach. Many places were out of stock, and so are they now because that was the last one. Those that did have it in stock were £295 to £350 so I'm happy in that respect. It seems to stay in tune very well. I tuned it down to Gsus4 tuning D-G-C-G-C-D to play Led Zeppelin's Rain Song on it and it seemed quite happy and the action didn't seem to change noticeably. Sounds brilliant played on a 12er, even with me playing it.