12 string guitar

hi sammy01,

i once heard that 12 string tuning was done one full tone down; eg the E strings would be tuned to D, the B strings to A, G to F, D to C, A to G. this would have the effect of reducing the strain on the neck, and you must remember that if you play an E chord, your actually playing D!

i don't personally detune, but if it helps...
phill

Time for the old 12-string joke...."You spend half your time tuning, and the other half playing out of tune..."

Properly-built 12-strings don't need to be de-tuned; as the guys note it's to reduce string tension on the neck.   
I really do like the sound a good 12 produces; sort of instant orchestration.  Some guys get into all sorts of weird tunings with the things, and some even ignore the idea of playing each pair of strings as if it were one...They play all the strings individually! 

Listen to some Leo Kottke to see what the instrument is capable of.

Yes Best to detune one whole tone and capo at 2nd fret, better still buy an electric 12 string dont have the stress problem as much no real need to detune and plugged in they can be acoustic or electric you get the best of both worlds
good luck

I posted a similar question in the Acoustic forum and got some interesting (if not conflicting) answers.

http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14800

My D12X1 is a low end Martin, but I love it.  It sounds like an orchestra.  And no problems keeping it in tune.

12 strings really are special.. a good one sounds like heaven on earth.  The high E and B strings are tuned in unison and the rest are tuned in octaves.  I saw a guy in Tombstone AZ who played an 18 stringed guitar.  This thing sounded like an entire band.  I don't know if the triplets were tuned in chords or unison but the sound of it was stunning.

I've owned two 12-strings over the years. My Guild sounded marvelous and stayed in tune but due to a shoulder problem the jumbo body was painful to play.  I later bought a Fender with a smaller body but it didn't stay in tune and was a pain to play, only in a different area of my anatomy.

For the last few years I've had a small-bodied guitar that I "Nashville high-tune".  It's a six string guitar but the strings are the "octave" or "high" strings from a 12 string.  When played along with another picker on a standard-tuned guitar, the two guitars together sound similar to a 12-string.  When played by itself it kinda sounds like a mandolin but still different.  I often take it to the campfire picking sessions Zurf talks about. It provides a different sound to blend in with the group. 

DE

I love my old (1985 model) Ibanez 12 stringer. Stays in tune pretty well, just a tweak here and there before playing, no big deal. The tip here is to use the best strings you can afford. Elixers are my all time favourite.
I standard tune it these days although have tried different tunings in the past whenever I changed strings.
12'ers are a great guitar if you like doing ballads eg: John Denver, Smokie etc. Also, if your fingers are sore from playing a 6 string, the 12 string allows some relief on the finger tips and you can play on I find.
Just my thoughts.

All the best
Bushy