An electric 12 string guitar is a guitar that has 12 strings in 6 courses that create richer sounds, and have an increased ringing tone sound in comparison to your standard 6 string electric guitar. Electric 12 string guitars offer more of a natural chorus effect because of the differences, which are subtle, in the frequencies that are produced when the 2 strings on each of the courses are played together.

The design of the electric 12 string guitar is slightly different than the standard electric 6 string guitars. When the strings are placed on the guitar, they are aligned in courses, and the 2 strings are generally played at the same time. When the strings are arranged, the first string of every pair of strings are intended to be strummed in a downward motion--which creates the higher octave of the 2 strings--although certain electric 12 string guitars have a reversed effect, such as the 360-12 model made by Rickenbacker.

There is a need for tension to be placed on the strings of your electric 12 string guitar because they are often known to warp after a couple years of use. If you want an electric 12 string guitar that will last, and are willing to sacrifice aesthetics, try a 12 string guitar that has a non-traditional structural support because these will postpone or even prevent your 12 string guitar from wearing out so soon. In addition to the aesthetics decreasing with the non-traditional structural support, the tone changes as well. So, I recommend heavily weighing your options when choosing the right electric 12 string guitar for you. If you are trying to achieve a particular sound when playing your guitar, you need to consider all of your options.

Most electric 12 string guitars were tuned on a universal level until recent years--which were tuned lower than the traditional EADGBE--because this reduced the amount of stress applied to the guitar. The electric 12 string guitar can be set to a standard tuning, possibly even a lower octave, along with the top string and 2 lower string pairs, which can also be tuned to whole-tune intervals--this all achieves a richer and more complex string plucking sound. The double strings also create a chorus effect when string sounds have almost the same tembre sound--but not exactly--and the pitch converge are recognized as one sound. This technique is generally used for long chords.

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