Epiphone Songmaker DR-212 Acoustic 12 String Guitar, Natural

After being on the fence with this guitar for over a year, I went ahead and took the plunge. I was worried that I was going to blow $170 on a child’s toy that didn’t look, play, or sound right, but I was so wrong. This guitar is great! Do not worry about the price because this is a quality Epiphone guitar. If you have been wanting a 12-string, get this one now.Looks: This is the best surprise. It’s a great looking guitar. The fit and finish are on par with much more expensive guitars. The color of the top on my guitar is very light, and I like that. The back and sides are a nice, dark finish that really pops.Tuning: Tuning a 12-string is always rough, so considering the challenge, I am pleased so far. When I got it out of the box, the strings were very low and had very little tension. Not sure if this is a function of the cold weather or if it was shipped that way to protect the guitar from breaking. I actually used a string winder to help tighten them up while tuning it for the first time. I tuned it the first day I had it, then left it alone for about a day and had to really tune it again, but after that it has just needed fine adjustments.Playability: The action is nice. Even for a 12-string, it doesn’t require much more pressure than my 6-string. I played for a while, and my fingers did not feel any more fatigued than normal. The guitar body is big which is fine for me because I’m a big guy, but smaller framed players might struggle. The neck, however, is about as flat as any 12-string I’ve ever played. Players with small hands or short fingers will be pleasantly surprised.Sound: This is really all that matters, after all. I really like the sound. It’s a little brassy, but it does have some deep rich tones in there. It’s also nice and loud (probably due to the large body mentioned above). I haven’t replaced the factory strings yet (and one of them broke, so I guess I have an 11-string guitar right now!), so I will hold off on a final judgment until I get some quality strings.

I had a lot of questions and concerns when I ordered this. Well, it arrived today, I've been playing it for the past few hours, and here's the answers to those questions:1. Is it worth the money?Absolutely yes. This is an amazing bargain. There are better guitars out there, but not for $170. This really is a great deal.2. How does it sound?Fantastic. It's definitely "bright", which a few of the other reviews pointed out, but it also has new strings on it, so it might be a little too early to judge. That said, it's got a nice full sound and if you play up closer to the neck you get more bass in the mix.3. How's the action?Just right. Low enough that it's easy to play (for a 12 string) but no buzzing strings.4. How about the neck?Wider than a 6 string, but not much. Probably a centimeter or so wider. I have small hands and had no problem playing it. The main thing is the added pressure it takes to push down twice as many strings as normal.5. How does it play?Great.6. How does it look?Great. Nice natural finish, all shiny and new. What's not to love? (Note: the picture shows a more whitish finish, but it's a normal natural finish like you'd see on most acoustic guitars. Natural wood color.So if any of you guitarists have been thinking of buying an acoustic 12 string, take a look at this one for sure. I wish I'd bought it long ago. There are just some songs that need to be played on a 12 string.

Well I've only had this for a few days, but so far I love it. I would characterize myself as an advanced beginner (or perhaps intermediate) guitar player - I can play most of your basic chords and barre chords and I enjoy fingerpicking with some melody picking, mostly folk and '60s-'80s singer-songwriter type pop music. I'm not a serious performer, or any type of performer; I just play for my own enjoyment and for any member of my family that cares to listen.Anyway I love the sound of 12-string, acoustic or electric, but since I'm just playing to entertain myself, I wasn't looking to spend $1000 or more on a high end 12-string. For $200, I am really impressed with this. Right out of the box, it plays well. I'm still getting used to fretting and picking it, and I sometimes make it buzz or hit the wrong strings or mute an adjacent string, or whatever. But it's easier than I expected, and I've been really impressed with the sound that I get out of it when I do it all right - like the sound of bells chiming (I think Pete Seeger said that about the 12-string). The only thing I find somewhat less than ideal is the octave G-string, seems like it's set a little bit low compared to its partner. So if I am plucking "up" with my right index finger, or a finger pick, I am apt to hit the regular G-string and miss the octave G-string. If on the other hand I am using a flat pick on a down-strum then I hit both with no problem.So if you're concerned about the quality of instrument you're getting for $200 - if you're like me, and just playing to entertain yourself, or maybe your friends, just go ahead and do it. If you're planning to play at the local coffee shop, then maybe/maybe not. A better guitar player (or more serious performer) might want something with a built-in pickup, or a cutaway so you can play higher up the neck. But for a 6-string player unsure whether you can pick up the 12-string - I think it just takes getting used to. I find my left hand gets tired more quickly so I am working on strengthening my grip. And there is a different level of dexterity that you need to develop. I am so far having the best success just picking with my bare fingers & thumb - same as I do on 6-string. I bought some light-gauge metal fingerpicks but haven't gotten used to using them, and for strumming with picking some bass notes I use a thin flatpick. This guitar has a nice sound, holds tune surprisingly well for a 12-string, action is set just about right (except my note above about the octave G).So give yourself a couple of weeks, learn how to play it. If you're like a lot guys who learn to play the guitar to impress girls - imagine how much cooler you will seem, playing a 12-string!!