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Question: 6 or 12 string guitar for accompanying vocalist at a coffee house!? !?
i'm a vocalist (formerly fronting rock bands) - i hate bars/drunks!.!.!.i don't care if i don't make a dime playing at coffee houses - ok, a dime would be nice, to help cover gas expenses!. ;)
anyway, in regards to a guitarist accompanying me:
if one is quite skilled on a 6-string, can they make an easy transition to a 12 string!? - would it be worth it for them to buy one and try!? - would the sound be that much better for small venues!?
oh, and one more thing - regardless of whether 6 or 12 string, is acoustic decent (with a professional mic), or would an electric acoustic be far superior for playing small venues!?
THANKS for any and all advice!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You play a 12 string EXACTLY like a 6 string, just instead of individual strings it has 'courses' of two strings close together!. A six-string guitarist could pick up a 12-string and play it right away, but it would take him a while to get used to it, to sound really good!.
What kind of guitar you'd use to accompany a singer depends on what kind of songs the singer is singing!. If we're talking acoustics here, I would think a steel-string 6-string would cover the most bases!. I think an acoustic with a good mic!. would sound better than an electric/acoustic!. In a small venue you might not need the mic either!. A 12-string is for singing REALLLLY LOOUUUDDD! or perhaps a group of singers!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
too hard to answer without hearing your stuff- My personal opinion is that 12s are great for some things, but a 6 suits most other situations!. it would sound 'slightly' fuller, but then with a 6 string and a few effects, you can sound amazing!. I can get a bit tired of the sound of a 12 string, but that's just me!.
Both a mic and a pickup can sound great or awful, depending on the make, placement, mix, etc!. Too many variables!. There are great 'blend' pickups that combine the best qualities of both- they have a pickup and also a small condenser mic inside the guitar, and you can blend the signal strength for either source to suit your liking- that would be my choice!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
12 string is honestly a bit different than 6 string!. You need to hold down more fingers, the chords are a little different!.!.!.you know!. It sounds better, but a lot of practice is required first!. It's worth it for them to buy one if they want to, but if they can't use it for a while it's okay!. 6 string should work fine!.
Acoustic is decent, and I think actually sounds better in coffee shops!.!.!.gives it more of a homey feel, you know!? :)
And if you want money, leave a hat sitting at the edge of the stage!. Yeah, I know, begging is bad!.!.!.but people do drop tips in!Www@QuestionHome@Com