Octave twelve (original) (raw)

An octave twelve is a type of 12-string guitar fitted with a short-scale neck (15.5inches) and a small solid body. It is tuned one octave higher than a standard guitar giving it the tonal range of a mandolin and enabling a guitarist to achieve a mandolin sound without learning mandolin fingering. The effect is similar to that of applying a capo to a standard 12-string guitar at its twelfth fret. However, unlike a standard 12-string guitar, the courses of strings are tuned in unison, rather than in octaves.