Question: I have an old 12 string I bought back in the late 60s. My tuning instructions show that the number 12 string is the LOW E and number 11 is an octave above. Likewise the 9th is an octave higher, etc. I see this on some sites on the web, but then I see sites like yours with the 4 lower sets reversed. What gives?

Answer: You'll see a picture of a 12 string guitar neck. The top string is numbered 12, then 11, etc. on down. You'll also see the top string 12 is thinner than the next one 11. Because the string is thinner, it is tuned higher. The same is true with the next 3 pairs of strings. The important reason the top strings are thinner is so when you strum, the pick or your fingernails won't skip over the next string in the pair.

One thing really cool about guitars in general is you can usually think outside the box. If for some reason a guitarist wants to reverse the order here, it's okay but the picture at the right, all the 12 string guitars I've ever seen, and all new 12 string packages I've ever bought, all have it numbered this way.

Gman ( o )==#