The Sad Story of the Beautiful 12-String That Died

I made this video in answer to a viewer’s question about a guitar that was in the thumbnail of a video.

[@geej12]

Beautiful! I didn't know there was such a thing as a 12-string archtop! I love my archtop, and the old MIJ 12-sstring I've just finished restoring. Your videos have helped and inspired me as I embark on this new stage of my guitar journey. Thank you, and keep up the good work. (Subscribed!)

[@GWGuitarStudio]

Thanks for the kind words-and subscribing, too!

[@bradleymonroe6443]

Thank you for this video. This archtop 12 string was definitely a good instrument.

[@wongnaichungrd]

12 string arch top!? Some of those Jazz chord extensions would sound "interesting" with 12 strings!

[@jimhansen5395]

That top could be replaced. I'm very much an amatuer luthier and was able to replace the top on an archtop that I screwed up (early build). I learned the technique from a pro luthier who was also an experienced repair tech. You could, at some expense save that guitars life.

[@GWGuitarStudio]

I’ll have to look into that!

[@jonsnell4751]

The top has suffered moisture issues. If it was steamed and then the top can be pulled back out and left to dry. I have done that on many mandolins and 12 string guitars with great success.

[@GWGuitarStudio]

Does this require removing the top?

[@NDFlyFisher]

If cost wasn’t an issue could it be restored? Or is it just too far gone?

[@GWGuitarStudio]

It’s just that the cost to repair would be more than the cost of the instrument.

[@ahg1358]

It's a beautiful piece of work . I've got a mandolin from bruceweiart from the early 2000's . Again it's a beautiful piece of work but that is all , these things were not built to be players. Wall art at best .

[@GWGuitarStudio]

The guitar did ok in coastal Virginia. The humid climate probably wasn’t all that different from where it was made. The top collapsed when I moved to Oklahoma. It gets really dry here during the winter. Keeping guitars humidified is a challenge here.

[@richardg7758]

Can’t you convert it and use it as 6 string acoustic?……is the truss rod adjustment set to maximum?

[@GWGuitarStudio]

I tried that, but the problem is that the action is too low. The top collapsed inward, or downward, depending on how you look at it.

[@richardg7758]

Check put this Tom Peterson-Guitar and cars……he manages to fix the collapsed top…..If you weren’t on the other side of the world from me I would give the repair a go…..I have a few ideas which I think could work doing them yourself….

[@pietypietduhpiouspoet6408]

out of contrition for bad tacking that box you should make a life time award present of it to Martin Carthy ... no wait, ... what's that Planxty player's name: ... you know who i mean ...

[@dude836]

Why not use proper 12 strings sets? Any top would collapse under the tension of two 6 string sets.

[@GWGuitarStudio]

It collapsed under a 12-string set. As I said in the video, it now uses two Nashville tuning sets, which are significantly lighter.

[@dude836]

@@GWGuitarStudio Oh, I must have missed that part, sorry for the ignorant comment then. Still looks amazing though. Sad story indeed.

[@joewoodrum5160]

Why don't you take it to a qualified Luthier and get it fixed. It would be worth the cost.

[@GWGuitarStudio]

I did see one luthier about it about a year ago. He said it wouldn’t be worth it. Some of the commenters here have given me some ideas. I’ll keep looking for one.

[@mikebennett7261]

RIP