Guitar shopping during UK lockdown 2021. All the guitar shops were closed so I ordered four 12 strings online that I thought I may like. I kept one and sent the other three back. I learned a lot along the way so made this video! Please let me know your favourite in the comments!
I’ve owned a few Yamaha acoustics over the years. I played an FG410 for about 15 years, including when I was a busker on the London Underground. I wish I could have kept the Breedlove too, but I could only keep one!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I currently play a Yamaha live, it’s my 2nd one..actually maybe 3rd..can’t remember…I always come back to them…just has the sound and feel I want at a price I can afford. Recently fell in love with a Breedlove 12 string..haven’t pulled the trigger but I just might.
@@MrFirerobb Yamaha are generally good value guitars, they just missed the mark with the pickup system on the 12 string in this video. I love the look of the Breedlove guitars.
Thanks! I will vote for the Breedlove for more reasons than the subjective sound test. A 12-string IMHO should be balanced with just a hint of jangle at the end of the stroke. Not too warm and not to tinny or thin sounding. But you can customize your sound with on board electronics too and being more balanced acoustically makes it better for the equalizer, amp and weird pedal to work any necessary magic. The Breedlove is all about string tensions and has a better bracing system (IMHO) and because much of the tension is countered behind the saddle then theoretically it is a little easier playing with more accurate intonation at all frets (if they all had the same brand strings etc.) Consistent intonation is a huge problem on 12 strings. To help correct it usually you will see compensated saddles etc. but that's another long read. If these models were not electronic then I would have still voted the same in this matchup but likely would have wanted to hear something balanced in a jumbo or dreadnaught size and built like a tank for medium strings striving for loud projection. Taylor is probably (just a guess) the better built one and acoustically it may not sound how you would expect because they assume you are playing it through an amp and designed it that way. My point on the Taylor is its difficult to compare these models because of intended use/design etc. But all in all I enjoyed it and it was quite interesting and useful to me as I just put in an order for a Breedlove and this test help confirm a few thoughts. Let's hope my thinking is right for once.
Hi Robert, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Breedlove, it sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
I too, really liked the Breedlove sound. And even more than that, it was a very thoughtful and attractive design; enough so that when I do go shopping for a 12-string later this month, I hope they have a Breedlove so that I can compare it with the Martin that I plan on "test-driving". And the winner will come home with me. Yes, you do want balance, and not too much emphasis on treble (aka tinnyness.)
Thank you, Cliff for this review of these 12-strings, especially the Breedlove. I am in the market and was undecided between the Breedlove and a Washburn Comfort 12-string. You helped me make my decision . . . the Washburn.
He`s not hearing while playing what we heard listening. Auden really shined, Breedlove was second very nice good lows and had some jangle,Taylor muted akmost toyish sound,Yamaha nice jangle but almost no audible low end.
Hi Rob, thanks for watching. That’s pretty much what I said in the summary! I liked the Auden so much I kept it - huge sound with lots of bass. Breedlove nicely balanced. Taylor was nice acoustically but disappointing plugged in. Yamaha nice acoustically but very weak plugged in. Different people hear different things. A lot of people preferred the Yamaha. I think they all sounded good acoustically, but offered different representations of what a 12 string ‘should’ sound like. It depends what you want it for. Stand-alone, I don’t think you can beat the Auden, but if you want a 12 string to sit in the mix with a whole band and electric guitars etc, then perhaps one of the other less dominant guitars would be better. The plugged in sound was very obvious though - the Taylor does sound quite cheap, and the Yamaha is unusable. The Auden sounds massive plugged in, and the Breedlove is quite neutral, but balanced and useable. Just my opinions anyway!
Great comparison video! To my ears the Auden sounds better, closely followed by the Breedlove. The Breedlove sounded more balanced in the heavy strumming, where I thought the Auden was just a little too bassy. Both the Taylor and the Yamaha were slightly disappointing. Not bad per se, but definitely worse in comparison.
Cheers Cassiano! The Breedlove was really nice, and great value for the price. I think it was the most balanced of all the guitars, bust strangely the least inspiring for me. The Taylor was number 2 for me acoustically, and it was a tough call. I probably could have got a better plugged in sound from the Taylor if I'd tweaked the EQ a bit, but I was doing my best to compare like for like.
Wow... fabulous comparison and a big difference between each. Amazed how the Auden and Breedlove in acoustic only sound so big compared with the others (IMHO). The Yamaha and Taylor are good, but just seem to lack that big sound I associate with a 12 string acoustic. The pickups seem to level things out a bit but for my taste, the Auden and Breedlove come through. Would love to hear your thoughts on the Epiphone Hummingbird 12-string 'Inspired by Gibson' series.
Thanks Donald! I honestly liked them all acoustically but the Auden does sound massive. I agree on the Auden and Breedlove having the best sounding pickups. I spent over £4,000 on guitars for this video so it's not something I can do very often! If anyone would like to send me some Epiphone 12 strings I will happily review them though!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Not so far but thank goodness for video reviews it gives me some help. Maybe have choices narrowed down to 2. Good problems to have but did not expect decision to be so difficult.
@@happytrails1963 Try to play them before you decide. It's a very personal choice. The guitar I or somebody else likes may not be the guitar you like, and that is OK!
I wanted to add a Guild to the test but none of the ones I was interested in were in stock at the time. They are legendary 12 strings and I have always had a fondness for Guild. Sounds like you have an awesome example too!
The Yamaha is amazing value for money for a guitar of that quality. I have the FG820 12 string and will be upgrading to the LL-16 in the near future. The string spacing is easy to get used too, and I have fatish fingers. I was impressed with the Auden but it would be hard for me to justify paying almost double the price of the Yamaha. Excellent review.
Thanks Mike! I really liked the acoustic sound and look of the Yamaha - it is beautifully put together and the gold hardware looks awesome. The strings are almost equidistant from eachother which I found quite hard to deal with when picking with a plectrum. It all depends what you're used to and how much work you're willing to put in I guess! If you want to plug it in live you may need some kind of boost/preamp/EQ pedal to give it a bit more signal strength and round the sound out a bit.
I'm looking to upgrade my old cheap-o 12-string to something better in the next year, and the Yamaha LL16-12 is in the running; did you end up buying one, and if so how has it held up over time in terms of the neck and soundboard? I'm also considering a Taylor, Guild, and Breedlove in the same price range, and durability under 12-string stress is an important factor.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I'd gotten back to you sooner but I've been playing on & working with my new 12string. I really love it, it gives me sound I'm unable to get with my other guitars. I'll get the action adjusted I reckon, that's it. I'd happy to seek with you anytime.
@@gregoryforde7447 I'm so glad you like it! I remember it was a great guitar but the Auden was more the sound I was looking for. I would have kept them all if I had the space/funds 🤑
I wished to buy an Eastman 12-string (having been sorely tempted by an Auden) but the alleged supplier down in England was flaky about delivery dates. I gave up on them and went to Guitar Guitar Glasgow and bought a 12-fret Koa Taylor instead. Acoustically it's a lot like the Breedlove here, but plugged in is when it shines. The Taylor Expression System 2 is something else. I'm sure the Eastman or an Auden would have been excellent but I'm glad the retailer was so useless, as I ended up with a very special guitar.
Sorry you had issues, but glad it all worked out! Which model of Taylor did you end up with? I've been impressed with the service from GuitarGuitar over the last few years.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons K62ce. For an acoustic session my Guild F-2512E is much louder, but the Taylor is the one for gigs. All of the guitars that you review here are very good. Thanks for letting us hear them together. Edit: The Guild was showing hints of maybe not being made to last. I parted with it. The high level Guilds have a good reputation though.
Great video! I love 12s, and have bought and sold many 12 strings over the last 30 years. My favorite is still an ancient (1970s) Japanese Alvarez that I will have buried with me. That said, the Taylor sounds like a toy (like all their lower-end guitars do), the Breedlove is thin...just OK, the Yamaha is really sweet (I'm a fan), but the Auden takes it.
Interesting comparison, and very instructive on just how different the tone between different 12-string guitars can be. To my ears, the Auden is in a league of its own across the board, whether it's through a mic or using the internal pickup. The Breedlove is a somewhat distant second, followed by the Yamaha (which sounded pretty bad and gutless through its pickup), with the Taylor comfortably last. In fact I'm surprised at just how bad and lifeless the Taylor sounds: compared to the others it's so lacking in top end it's like it's being heard through a sock - absolutely awful. Shocking for a £1500 guitar, especially one equipped with usually very toppy Elixir strings. Of the four, the only one I'd really consider to replace my own 12-strings (a Faith Saturn Natural and an Eastman AC330e) is the Auden. The others really don't quite make it for me, and the Taylor not at all. In fact I'm quite surprised at your concluding comments about the Taylor being quite bright: it really doesn't come across at all on the video.
Nice comparison video. My preference: 1. Breedlove( balanced, great overtones, unique) 2. Yamaha (engelmann is awesome) gap ↓ 3 tie. Auden ,Taylor I'm always on the look out for a 12 string. I was hoping to find a deal on a used d12-20 or d12-28. Or a Guild.
Thanks for your comments, and I'm glad you liked the video! That Breedlove was the most balanced guitar, and the best set up out of the box. But the power and beauty of the Auden sound did it for me - that's what I was looking for in a 12-string. It's all subjective of course!
Great reviews, thanks for this! The Auden is a cannon! I am in agreement with your summaries. I have a Yamaha LJ16 ARE and the pickup, though passive, is very natural sounding compared to some other piezo pickups. The newer Taylor electronics are very weak, I have an AD27 which plays nicely, but needs a lot of tweaking plugged in. Cheers!
Cheers Ernest - I love my Auden, it's so inspiring to play! I honestly expected to prefer the Taylor as I usually get on really well with their 6 strings.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Taylor makes a very good quality guitar. But they have their quirks. One is the lack of a voltmeter/tuner, which can burn you in the middle of a performance (happened to me last month). Also, mine needed a set up too, and why they can't set it up when you buy it for a couple of grand is a mystery to me. But yes, Taylor is a consistent guitar. That Auden though, was a seriously good sounding 12-string. But I can't see having to access a battery through the sound hole with great difficulty.
@@Anthony-ll4nh I didn’t register the lack of a voltmeter! I don’t mind the lack of a tuner as I use a clip on or pedal tuner. I find them more accurate than on-board tuners. The Taylor has a very minimalist design for the controls, which I really like, and I guess that is why there is no tuner or voltmeter - they would have to make an extra/bigger hole in the guitar to install it.
@@Anthony-ll4nh The battery in the Auden lasts for ages. Changing it with the included tool is not too bad, but if you don’t have the tool with you then you’d pretty much need to destring it to get your hand in through the sound hole.
Hi Cliff! I saw your response and thank you! Others comments have reflected my own! There are several videos that confirm my concern here! (Guitar Palace?) is one using a mic system no where near as good as yours! What you tweak on EQ, Pick pressure, pick thickness, the pressure used on both hands and against your body! What did you do to the guitar as was stated by another comment? Is there a sock in the guitar? What I’m saying is that is NOT even close to what that Yamaha sounds like! That first guitar is a start up company going against giant brands! I have Taylor’s , Martins, Guild, Takamine and I have played nearly all the rest! The narrow string spacing you are correct on, the sound is not even close my friend! Folks on here will shy away from Taylor and Yamaha because of this video and that’s not fair to them or those company’s! If you want I will track down that off brand and do a video like yours to prove how incorrect yours is! You seem like a nice soft spoken man with good guitar skills but you wanted the Taylor and Yamaha to fail and you know it! Thanks for your response and stay on your excellent playing ability’s!
You haven't answered my question - what do you plug your Yamaha into? In my video I demonstrate the acoustic sound of the Yamaha, which I think sounds very good and I say so in the video. I used stereo mics and no EQ or processing whatsoever on any of the guitars. I also demonstrate the 'plugged in' sound of the Yamaha, via it's pickup. Again with no added EQ or processing on any of the guitars. The Yamaha 'plugged in' sound is what sounds weak to me, and I think most people listening. What do you plug your Yamaha into via it's pickup to make it sound so much better? I had no agenda when making this video other than getting myself a nice 12-string. I would have loved the Yamaha to have been my favourite, it looks great and was the cheapest! Why would I want Taylor and Yamaha to fail? Nobody paid me to make this video. I would have loved to get a nicer Taylor 12-string, but the one in the video was the best I could find in my price range. I look forward to seeing your video!
Hi again! I don’t often use the built in pickups in my acoustics! I enjoy my Taylor’s but the Expression system is not so good! Same with Yamaha’s and most others! I generally mic with a 57 or install a sound hole pickup, like the California Lace, (affordable and lovely pickup) or both! Now if that video was a pickup review then that’s altogether different, but what I see in the video is a very Pro looking set up there, and you choosing a guitar based on many things? An AKG instrument condenser or one comparable also works well but brings in lots of unwanted things into the mix!
@@simmerend3154 In this video I record the acoustic sound of the guitars using microphones, and the pickup sound plugged straight in to an audio interface. You'll see that the acoustic sound of both Yamaha and Taylor is good, and I say as much in the video. The pickup sound on the Taylor is not great, and the Yamaha pickup sound is poor. I think you may be comparing the pickup sound of the Yamaha in this video to the acoustic sound of your Yamaha. Those sounds are not comparable. If you plug in your Yamaha and Taylor and compare the two pickup sounds, I think you'll hear the difference. This is a review of four electro-acoustic guitars, so of course I need to review the acoustic sound and the pickup sound of each guitar. I do choose a guitar based on many things, you have to look at the whole package.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thanks for responding to my concerns! I looked briefly for an Auden to demo in the Seattle area but haven’t found one yet! I am, of course, looking forward to playing one as I’m sure it’s an excellent guitar! I use finger picks on all fingers, (except my pinky), so the string spacing is critical for me! I use them on my Strats and 6 string acoustics as well! A strange approach for electrics, but after years it’s given me my own style! I can jump around without having to retrain my right hand muscle memory for each instrument! Honestly I’m to uncoordinated for that! As you noticed the string spacing is even narrow at the bridge of the Yamaha and the finger picks allow me to reach between the string pairs without muffling the adjacent set! ,, Or accidentally plucking a set that is meant to be muffled or silent! So with that being said, the Auden will be hard for me to demo but string spacing can be changed with some clever bridge, neck and nut work! Also I understand the Acoustic Electric comment you make and it clarifies the sound differences! I really don’t like the built pickups on any 12 string but I still buy them and use one or two sound hole pickups! There in a movable situation and reflect the placement of almost all electrics! Just below the pick! If you know of an Auden dealer around my area, which includes Vancouver BC, let us know! Thank you Sir and keep up that smooth 12 playing of yours!
@@simmerend3154 Thank you. I asked Auden if they ship to the US a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't reply! I'll ask them about Canada too, maybe they will reply. I was kayaking around Vancouver Island a few years ago - amazing place!
Hi Keith, they all had the stock strings that were on the guitars out of the box. Yamaha: unspecified, Auden: unspecified, Taylor: Elixir Phosphor Bronze NANOWEB Light Gauge (.010 -.047) Breedlove: D'Addario EXP 38.
I have two 12 strings 🎸🎸 1 acoustic for open slide blues and electric acoustic guitars 1960 Italian vintage buetiful sound. Sitting gathering dust got for free of a good friend of mine. Still in tune been sitting for how long who nos 😮but still in great playing order. Love them both 🎸🎸😎. Brand EKO Italian.
Great format thanks for your effort in getting this video out to us guitar geeks. Unfortunately, Auden guitars are not available here in the states. What was your number two pick?
Thanks Jim, I really enjoyed making this video! I didn't rank them 1,2,3,4, but I probably should have! I would say as an all rounder, the Breedlove would be number 2. It had a balanced sound, was easy to play (for a 12 string) and sounded good plugged in. I really liked the acoustic sound of the Taylor and Yamaha, but they were both quite weak plugged in, particularly the Yamaha. The Yamaha nut width also made it very hard to play for me, but players with smaller hands may see this as a benefit. The Taylor was almost the same price as the Auden, but a lot less guitar for the money in my opinion.
1. Auden - rich, balanced 2. Taylor - clarity, sustain 3. Yamaha - balanced, a bit bland 4. Breedlove - too thin, too bright Thanks for the lovely review. Agreed on Auden!
Yamaha has my heart. That LL-16 is the perfect one for me. I love the narrower neck, I love how it feels in my hands. I have a few Yamaha 12 string guitars already (the FG 411CE-12, and the FG 820-12), both are my go-to guitars. The LL-16 12’s pickup is something that is manageable. Actually playing an earlier LL series 12 string, the sound both acoustically and plugged in is fine to my ears. My Epiphone DR 212-12 string has a wider neck than my two Yamaha’s. That Epiphone at times is hard to play because of it. And actually, another critique I have for you. I record my Yamaha guitars into garage band raw (not plugged in) with my phone mic and I get pretty excellent quality bass. It sounded to me like the LL-16 you played on this video was done a great injustice when you recorded it in garage band. Then again, that is my opinion of it because I have a feeling it could’ve been recorded better.
Hi Zachary, thanks for your comment. I liked the acoustic sound of the Yamaha too, but the strings were just too close together for me. There is nothing wrong with that, it will suit some people and not others. I recorded the Yamaha raw (not plugged in) in this video, as well as directly via the pickup. I used the same recording equipment for all the guitars, and the pickup sound of the Yamaha was very poor in comparison to the others. The Yamaha uses a passive pickup, whereas the other guitars have a pickup with built in preamp. Yamaha sell this as being a positive feature which doesn't 'colour' the sound, but for most people plugging it in it would be a negative feature, as the plugged in sound is unusable without some treatment. The other three guitars all sounded much better plugged into the same equipment. I used a spaced pair of Rode NT5 microphones into a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 interface to record the raw acoustic sound, but if you prefer the sound of a phone mic, that's your preference!
@@YpsiJoshmcculloughI've had it for almost two years now. Never had to adjust the neck, the only maintenance I've done is change the strings and keep the dust off of it. It is my main guitar I play. It is PERFECT! It is a solid guitar and the electronics are phenomenal on it too!
@@YpsiJoshmcculloughStandard. It's got a five-ply neck. And looking at how they built it, that neck ain't going anywhere. It was well worth the price I paid for it. And, tuning, this guitar has no problems at all staying in tune. It holds tune even in cold weather. And that's without humidifiers too! You cannot go wrong with this guitar. I dressed it up too with the strap and case. It is the best guitar I own!
Mic comparison is really good. Thank you 🙏 Pick-ups are quite different, like Yamaha has a passive pickup, so no fair comparison is possible. Looking at the specs/price/acoustic sound, once again I'd go for Yamaha. Very balanced and good wood combination. Cedar is relatively soft wood, it wouldn't stand the 12 string tension for decades.
Hi Ozan, thanks for watching! The Yamaha passive pickup is sold as being a positive thing, that doesn't 'colour' the acoustic sound, but I think it would be a negative thing for most people expecting to 'plug and play' with their acoustic - the difference in sound is massive and I wanted to demonstrate that. The Yamaha passive pickup would be hard work at a gig without a serious boost and EQ. The Yamaha is great on paper and the build quality is excellent. The narrow fretboard made it too challenging to play for me, but it may suit other players. I'm not sure about the Auden cedar top not holding up, I'll let you know in 20 years!
To be honest, I don't care about the plugged in sound. If you like the acoustic sound, you can ask a luthier to add an endpin preamp, use a di box or both. If you have a sound guy on the venue, they always prefer root sound. To my ears, Yamaha was the clear winner on acoustic sound with the good string balance. Obviously yours is different 😃
@@toyotozan You could, but that's extra time and money and no guarantee that the end result is the sound you want. I agree that the Yamaha had a really nice string balance, and I really wanted to like it more but it just didn't suit me. Some of my friends preferred the Taylor and the Breedlove, you prefer the Yamaha and I like the Auden - it just goes to show how subjective this all is!
Have a Maton FG150/12 that I've had for over 50 years (except when a motorcycle gang stole it and it disappeared for nearly 3 years) and I got a new Englemann top on it. Also have a Guild D212 made in 1982, which has no struts in the back (Guild's famous bulge back based on their D25, which I have one of as well) so the sound just booms out of them - they're LOUD even with light strings! All of them are fantastic acoustically, and all of them have K+K transducers in them, so it's just plug 'n' play - adjust at the amp. The two 12-strings would blow all 4 of these into the weeds, both in quality of tone and quantity - the only one close would be the Auden!
Yamaha has always had a smoother tone and more balanced overall sound. I have a 35 year old Yamaha cut away I paid $300 for and it sounds better than my $1000 Taylor.
My first 'proper' acoustic was a Yamaha FG400 which I played for 15 years! It mellowed nicely over time. I busked on the London Underground with that guitar for 3 years. I sold it to one of my pupils in the end - I should have kept it!
It was a beautiful guitar - great if you have small hands as the neck was the most narrow in the test. I loved the acoustic sound but I thought the plugged in sound was very weak in comparison to the others. I really liked the look of the spruce top and gold hardware.
I made this video during UK COVID-19 lockdown and there wasn't much available. I did want to try a Guild but couldn't get one (Taylor and Guild were my first choices). The Martin and Gibson you mention are beyond my budget - they cost more than double the most expensive guitar in this test (although I'm sure they are both amazing). And as for Ovation, I just don't like them!
To me the Yamaha issue is their "ends". They use urea for nut and saddle which adds crispness but at the loss of some depth and warmth. Some blame the Chinese build, but that is bunk. Those are built under close Japanese luther supervision. The next series up (LL26) uses bone. I have a red label FG3 that a bone saddle and bone pins transformed into a great guitar. And some folks don't really care about pickups playing at home or among friends.
Cheers Tom, I couldn’t fault the build quality, and you’re right about the nut and saddle material. Bone may improve the tone, I really couldn’t say. I liked the acoustic tone of this guitar, just not the pick-up sound. That was a big part of it for me as I often use it plugged in for Zoom lessons. I kept the Auden in the end and it sounds amazing plugged in. Thanks for watching!
To my ear, the Aiden comes first and the Yamaha definitely last.Ot had a very thin sound with poor bass. I'd be happy with any of them except the Yamaha. Thanks for the review. Very helpful 👍
Thanks for watching, and I glad you found it helpful! I've been playing the Auden today, it's an inspiring guitar to play. I like a strong bass in a 12-string, but I know that's not what everybody is looking for.
In a really excellent comparison one would have the same strings on all guitars. Coated string, like here on the Taylor, typically do not have the crisp high end of sound and are accepted as sounding a little bit „warmer“. So it is not necessarily the Taylor that sounds warmer, it is only the strings on it.
I get your point but I was reviewing them as they came out of the box which is how people would buy them. If I was to put the same strings on all the guitars, how would I choose the strings? I could be accused of bias/doctoring the test whichever string I chose!
Fair enough. Your straight forward approach is usually also followed by everybody else. Also your argument that the producers have chosen the strings they sell their guitars with and that those should lead to best results in their view - with no bias - is correct. Unfortunately, it does not really help to judge on the quality of a guitar by itself. The influence of the strings is just too big.. In your particular comparison, for me, the Taylor comes out third. I tend to believe that with the same uncoated D’Addario strings it would easily make the top of the list.
@@PeterSchuett To prove your point you'll just have to buy all these guitars, string them with your preferred string, and then make a comparison video! I'd watch it :)
So while I agree this Auden sounds best, it's easily the most expensive guitar here $1,800-$2,500). It's more than twice the price of the Yamaha (around $800) and the Breedlove (around $700) you chose. If you had gotten a Breedlove Oregon (around $2,000) series or Masterclass it would've matched better but it's not a fair comparison. It's like comparing McDonalds to Outback or something. The Taylor is closer in price (around $1,600) but in my personal opinion Taylor's are usually priced about $300-$400 more than they are really worth sound wise. The point is this Auden is a much better guitar and it's not a fair comparison. Not saying this to be critical, just pointing it out. Wish I could find this Auden in the US though.
Hi Ryan, thanks for your comments, and I should have addressed this in the video. Here is what I paid at time of review: Yamaha £822, Breedlove £939, Taylor £1,499, Auden £1,574. There wasn't much available during UK lockdown so I bought four 12 strings that I thought I would like. I probably would have chosen a Guild or a better Taylor if I could have found one. You're right that they don't all cost the same, but I thought it was worth comparing them. I thought the Yamaha was as good as any acoustically and it had a fully solid construction unlike the Taylor (laminate back and sides) and Breedlove (not specified, so probably laminate). The Auden and Taylor (the two most expensive of the 4 guitars) were badly set up (really high action) out of the box, but the Yamaha and Breedlove were nicely set up. Not everything was better on the expensive guitars, particularly the Taylor, which had a weak pickup sound (not the worst) and a bad setup. The Breedlove was probably the best value overall, but I went with my ears and chose the Auden. You are right that the more expensive guitar often sounds the best! This is why I try not to play guitars I can't afford when guitar shopping!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons yeah I like the Auden a lot and I am a Breedlove guy for several reasons. I would love an Auden or yes a Guild. I'm not surprised about the Taylor set up. Seems to be a consistent thing with Taylor. Overall I thought it was a great video and would love to see more of them.
After watching your videos, I had considered the Auden, but finally bought an Eastman AC330-E-12, which in my view provides at least a similar great sound and is very likely even better value for the money (about $1200). But I have nowhere seen any direct comparison and Audens are hard to get/test in Germany. So I might be wrong, but happy with my Eastman, anyway.
Auden is a beast. The only Cedar top here, and thats quite unusual for a 12. Loved the tone, and the guy also thinks it sounded best acoustic and plugged in. He’s right about the Yam. I had a LL16-12. Great value and build. 7/10 for tone, but a little cramped for bigger hands. I think I’ve just sold myself a new 12 string!😂
Ha! The Auden is an awesome guitar. A great discovery for me as I wasn't familiar with the brand before playing this 12 string. The spec looked so good on paper that I thought it was worth taking a chance and ordering one and I wasn't disappointed!
I’m amazed that although it sounds nice, the Taylor was my least favourite, it was a tie between the Breedlove and the Yamaha for me but tbh, I’d be quite happy with any of them. Great video, thanks 😁😁🎸😍🔥🔥🔥
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thank you for responding to my comment! It is a lovely melody with a lot of warmth to it. If you completed the song, do you mind sharing a link to it? I'd love to hear the full version.
@@prashanthariharan6310 Thanks Prashant, I got quite far with the song, but ultimately I didn't like the lyrics I wrote so didn't finish it. Perhaps I should just record an instrumental version!
Thank you for the wonderful review. You were very thorough. One thing I was hoping for was a commentary on what you thought of the intonation, particularly between the zero fret and the 12th fret, as this is a concern with 12-strings. If the guitar is poorly set up, then you end up really struggling with finding intonation that sounds good between those frets; being as how the higher octave strings have to be tuned to the lower octave strings on the 12th fret. In the 1970's, my favorite 12-string was the Takemine Lawsuit-era type; as they were basically rebadged Martins that were higher quality than an actual Martin. However, Takemine really did a lot of harm to their reputation by having their 12-strings made in China out of green wood. And that is unfortunate, because they are otherwise a very nicely designed cutout Dread with a thoughtful tuner layout; kind of like the Breedlove. I would, however, love to see you review the really sweet-sounding Auden with a Martin and maybe a different Taylor; the 150E, which might actually be a better guitar than the one in this review. My issue with Taylor is the complete lack of an on-board tuner, or even a voltmeter. It's not hard to replace the battery, but if it goes out on you in the middle of a performance, the stage is a very bad place to find that out...which has recently happened to me. On stage, in the middle of a song, no less. Otherwise they are nice playing guitars...a little too much emphasis on the treble and not enough bass, but still a good competent guitar you can otherwise count on. Just keep new batteries handy.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I didn’t notice any intonation issues on any of the guitars, but I wasn’t looking for that. If I had tested it I’m sure they would have all had some minor issues. I think part of the sound of a 12 string is it often being slightly out of tune, like the ukulele. I’m not sure that perfect intonation is possible on either instrument.
I would have loved to test a better Taylor or a nice Martin, but there was very limited stock within my budget in the UK during the COVID peak, which is when I did this test.
Hi again Cliff! I know you came up empty on the Seattle availability for the Audin but have you heard anything since? I’m sure you inspired a few sales for those folks! I’m anxious to play that Artist! Thank you
I spoke to Auden and they don't have a US distributor, but they do ship to the US. I think you can return it if you don't like it, but you'd have to pay shipping both ways so that's a big commitment. Plus you may get hit with import tax. I'm not sure how it works for you, but when I order stuff from the US to be delivered to me in the UK, I sometimes get stung with import tax which is always painful!
Trying to figure out if I should go for a dreadnought or a concert type body for my 12 string, as a lefty I would have never been able to find out with this video Thanks a lot mate
Wow that Auden sounds magical! If I had the budget, that would have been my choice without a doubt. I bought a Guild D-1212 which going by what I've heard so far on videos was closest to having a nice bass like the Auden does in a dreadnought body. Great playing too by the way, what song is it that you were playing during the heavy strumming parts of the video?
Yes I was very surprised by the Auden! I was playing a riff based on the loud bit of Stairway to Heaven as I recall. I hope you're enjoying your Guild!
I have the Yamaha LL16-12 and my tech fixed the "narrow spacing" playability issue by installing a new nut with wider spacing (off the shelf bone 12-string nut) and by cutting small notches in the saddle for wider spacing there too. It's like a normal 12-string spacing now, but with super low action. The playability is like night and day. I don't know why Yamaha made the spacing so narrow when they had room for wider spacing. You also didn't talk much about value for money: You've got £1574, £1499, £939, £822, a wide range. The Auden is almost twice the cost of the Yamaha, but is it twice as good?
Thanks for watching and for your comments! It sounds like your tech did a great job on the Yamaha. How much was the work? I'm guessing about £100 or so? That bumps the Yamaha up to £922, but it still has an unusable plugged in sound which requires some kind of external preamp to make it sound presentable. This would push it up above the price of the Breedlove. I do think that the Auden is way better than the Yamaha in terms of playability and plugged in sound. and worth every penny. The Auden's plugged in sound is a fantastic representation of it's impressive acoustic sound. I do think the Yamaha's acoustic sound is great too - just different than the sound I was looking for personally. But I know what you're saying. You would expect the more expensive guitars to sound and play better, up to a point.
How has your LL16-12 held up over time in terms of neck and soundboard stability? I'm considering purchasing one, or a Breedlove which has several 'architectural' improvements to help with stability.....but I love the sound of a big-body 12-string!
the breedlove sounds the best imo. Isn't that breedlove just like 700 or 800 dollars? How is the playablity on it? and how does it sound plugged up (not miced)?
It was £939 at time of recording. The playability and DI sound was good. You can hear the pickup at 7:58 10:16 12:14 15:34 and playability summary at 19:45 .
Cheers Jim, I hope you enjoy the Washburn! I'm yet to see a Washburn Comfort 12 string for sale in the UK, there were very limited stocks for me to choose from post-Brexit in lockdown!
@@jimferry4751 Thanks Jim, the Breedlove was the most balanced tone of all the guitars. You could hear every note of every chord in detail, with no strings dominating over the others.
Wonderful test. I'm curious how mine compares with these others. I just purchased a Taylor 562ce. The action is quite low, unlike the one you played here. I'm very happy with it-but it's my first 12 string, so I've got no experience from which to draw any conclusions.
Thank you. I'd imagine your Taylor is excellent - they generally are. The one I reviewed came badly set up, but most Taylors I have played are much nicer than that. I could have got it set up, but then i would have had to keep it! I only had the space and funds to keep one 12 string. I felt that the plugged in sound was a bit weak, but some of my friends preferred it. It's all a matter of taste, and finding the guitar that feels and sounds right to your ears and playing style.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thank you for your response. One problem I do have is finding a satisfactory capo. Because the partner strings (of the low E, A and D especially) rest below the height of the standard strings, my old capo only mutes them after tightening it to a disheartening degree. I did try another (12 string) capo, and it's better, but still not satisfying. Any tips?
It's the best one I've found. I have a Schubb 12 string capo but I had the same problem as you - way too much pressure required so it pushes the strings out of tune. The G7th Newport capo fixes this problem. I'm using it at 4:53 in this video: czcams.com/video/rZoHFuA2rqo/video.html
I wanted to try a Martin during the test, but this was during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown and there was nothing available in my price range. I have still never played a Martin 12-string but I would love to see how it compares to my Auden!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I have a Martin 12-string, and a Takamine 12-string. The Martin is just superior to everything I have tried. It fits every recording purpose overall, and it stays in tune. So, I bought it. The Takamine is a good guitar with a good built in tuner for general jamming, and gigs. I throw the Tak in the truck and good, but I perform with the Martin because it delivers every time.
Fantastic comparison! Thanks so much. I’m looking at the Auden Smokehouse 12 do you (or any readers) have any experience of this? Anyone have long term experience of an Auden 12 string (structural stability etc)? I’m new to 12 strings and as a fingerstyle (James Blackshaw style) player would love to know if you can just switch the Low E and it’s pair around so that when fingerpicking you get that Bass attack/presence. Does this require replacing the nut and saddle? Presumably intonation is affected but would it affect stability or anything else? I’d really love for all the bass strings to be low string up, I’m not sure why they don’t make ‘em like this. I know the Taylor Builder’s choice sometimes come with the low e swapped but I haven’t seen it anywhere else. The Yamaha is great but is let down by the electronics imo. The LR Baggs pickups are great but the Breedlove isn’t all solid. So Auden or possibly Guild are all that is left.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I haven't tried a Smokehouse. I kept the Auden Colton 12 string from this video and it is still awesome. You can switch the strings around but you will probably need a new nut at least, maybe a new saddle. This is pretty basic work for a good guitar tech. Intonation on 12 strings can only be adjusted so much - pick your strings and set up and then adjust the intonation. The intonation can only be adjusted by adding or removing material from the saddle so it's good to get everything else set up first or you may end up getting an extra saddle made. Be prepared to take it back to the tech a couple of times until it's just how you like it. Playing it for 5 minutes in the workshop often isn't enough to really know if the setup is exactly what you want or not. Let us know how you get on!
Where are you based? Auden is a UK company, based near Northampton. They sell direct and a few shops also stock them (Manns Music and Richards Guitars).
Out of the box, it was really hard to play. I took it to Auden and they adjusted the truss rod for me (it was completely loose for some reason) and it played much better. I've since had it set up and had a new nut made for it and now it is amazing to play. The setup & new nut cost me £50. The Taylor in this review was around the same price, and that also had a really high action and was difficult to play. I find that many new guitars just aren't set up that well. My USA Strat deluxe was horrible, I set it up and now it's awesome. My USA SG Standard was badly set up, a visit to the guitar tech sorted it out. I have played £3,000 Gibsons with awfully cut nuts on them. The Breedlove in this review was the most playable out of the box.
Just stumbled onto your channel. I have and play the Taylor 250ce blk and it’s sounds much different then your maybe bc I’m using different stings. That being said just listening to the sound only I would have kept the Auden and the Breedlove and sent the others two back :-( however I do love my Taylor 250. Many thanks from sunny So. Cal.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I used the strings that came with the guitar, which I think are Elixir. They were all nice guitars in their own way. It was a close call for me between the Taylor and the Auden, but the plugged in sound of the Auden sounded much better to my ears. There is often differentiation in sound between two guitars of the same model.. Often due to the wood used being from a different part of the tree/different tree etc. Also the glue joins and bracing will not be 100% identical from one guitar to the next. Also the setup will make a difference, and the player of course! If I had the space and the money I would have kept them all :)
@@cliffsmithbackingtracks With Carbon Fibre Guitars, especially from Emerald, they are so strong that nothing moves to alter the tuning as soon as the strings have settled. The Carbon strength means the extreme loads of a 12 string are easily handled and managed. The constant tuning that I see from musicians between songs at gigs is a thing of the past with an Emerald. I own three, an X20 and X7 with Hyvibe and a Virtuo… a 12 string is next on my list, I wouldn’t even look at anything else now.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons They have an ambassador program where you can find owners in your area will to let you asses their instruments for yourself. No sales pitch, just sharing the love. Check out their website and CZcams etc You'll find all you need
Flat EQ On the guitar pickups, the same mics used at the same spacing and distance from the same points on the guitars. Input gain levels matched on the audio interface at time of recording. No EQ, compression, reverb or anything else added to the recordings. What else could I have done to give an accurate comparison?
Exactly the same thing as the other three guitars. Stereo mics for the acoustic sound, and DI with nothing added for the pickup. I didn’t add any EQ, compression or reverb to any of the guitars. The only thing I adjusted was the input gain level to get them all the same volume. I could have made it sound a lot better if I had treated the sound, but the whole point was a direct comparison with no variables.
The Taylor almost sounds like its intonation is too good. I'm no expert but I think it might sound closer to that classic 12 chorus effect if the tuning wasn't as precise.
Not a phrase I hear often - "the intonation on this guitar is too good"! I'm taking it as a compliment. Funnily enough, this guitar had a really high action and I had to press the strings really hard. Perhaps this helped in some way.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I picked up a demo of this guitar off a store rack before landing on this video, and it was the most playable with smooth action. Maybe this one needed an adjustment. But I also might be biased bc my taylor 6 string is the only acoustic I've played for the last 20 years. I agree with your read that the pickup was disappointing, and nice playing!
@@JeffCooper86 The one I had definitely needed adjustment. Truss rod, nut and saddle all need attention I think. Production models often vary from guitar to guitar, also the one you played may have been set up in the shop. I generally love Taylor acoustics and liked this one acoustically, the setup is an easy fix so no biggie, but I would expect better out of the box for that price. I just didn't rate the pickup sound very highly.
thanks for the video Cliff…I’ve been looking into this Yamaha model, and I’m glad that I watched this! The tone was thin and weak compared to the others, this demo really knocked it to the bottom of the pile for me. 👎
What stood out to me (and it's just my opinion) was how bad the Taylor sounded compared to the others. I don't feel it compared well at all to any of the other three. In person, it might be different...but...it was definitely dead last to my ears.
They are all just opinions (including mine)! If you read the rest of the comments, you'll see that the jury is split! I liked the Taylor as a strumming 12 string acoustically, but it had a very high action out of the box, and the pickup sound was very weak to my ears. Also I didn't like the black paint job!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I was thinking about getting a Zager 12-String in the following 3 years but now I really want a guitar with my name although I really wish they would make a 12-String with a cutaway.
@@AudenLassoChaveztigre Sorry, what is your name in relation to these guitars? I can't tell from your CZcams username.I wasn't familiar with Zager guitars. Just looked them up and they look great! If you ask them perhaps they will build you a 12 string with a cutaway!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons my name is Auden and I was wondering if Auden Guitars would be likely to make a 12-String with a cutaway, the Zager looks pretty too but I would rather have a guitar with my name
Guild 12 strings smoke all those guitars. The $499 F-2512 sounds better than all of these. The $999 F-1512 even more so...and the $3800 F-512 obliterates them.
Guild was my first choice, but there was nothing available during UK lockdown so I couldn't get my hands on one to compare. Send me yours and I'll compare it to my Auden :)
Love the Auden - and Yamaha. But frankly the Taylor is not even in this for comparison. Lacks in pretty much every area and considering the cost - not my cup of tea.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Yes a basic undersaddle pickup, however, with a good acoustic amp - have the Boss Acoustic Singer - with the EQ on board it can really bring out the sound back to the acoustic without pickup.
@@quigley4440 I'm sure it can, but I guess my point was that you shouldn't need that to get a good sound out of the guitar - most people will be going straight into a PA live or audio interface when recording. The preamp in all the other guitars in this test improves the sound massively and gives the player a lot of control over their sound. Yamaha sell this pickup system as being an advantage, (not colouring the sound) but to most people it would be a drawback.
They were all reviewed as is - straight out of the box. I think that's what most people want to see a review of. The Yamaha and Breedlove were nicely set up out of the box - the Taylor and Auden were not. I was planning on keeping one guitar and sending the other three back, so I wasn't about to start making modifications to the guitars and risk not having my return accepted.
@@MrBroJH I have owned other Yamaha models that sounded better plugged in. The one I reviewed in this video has a passive pickup, which Yamaha sell as being a positive feature, but for most players it would be a negative one as it’s pretty much unusable unless you boost it with a separate guitar preamp.
Looks nice - ebony back and sides too which you don't see often! Guild was my first choice, but during UK lockdown, there were no electro-acoustic Guild 12 strings available.
Guitar shopping during UK lockdown 2021. All the guitar shops were closed so I ordered four 12 strings online that I thought I may like. I kept one and sent the other three back. I learned a lot along the way so made this video! Please let me know your favourite in the comments!
Nice shootout! Curious which one you kept? Was it the Auden? It seemed to me the most full sounding of all.
Oh, I just watched it to the end and you confirmed my guess: you kept the Auden
@@77guitarts22 Yes I did - I love that Auden! I made an in depth review of it here: czcams.com/video/rZoHFuA2rqo/video.html
Thank you for this work and sharing. Very helpful
I have a TAKAMINE12 strings and just love
Nice, I used to own a maple Takamine 12 string.
Very helpful indeed, thanks!
Really good review. Great work. Thanks, Cliff!
Thanks for watching!
I love Yamaha acoustics. The Breedlove sounded great
I’ve owned a few Yamaha acoustics over the years. I played an FG410 for about 15 years, including when I was a busker on the London Underground. I wish I could have kept the Breedlove too, but I could only keep one!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I currently play a Yamaha live, it’s my 2nd one..actually maybe 3rd..can’t remember…I always come back to them…just has the sound and feel I want at a price I can afford. Recently fell in love with a Breedlove 12 string..haven’t pulled the trigger but I just might.
@@MrFirerobb Yamaha are generally good value guitars, they just missed the mark with the pickup system on the 12 string in this video. I love the look of the Breedlove guitars.
Thanks! I will vote for the Breedlove for more reasons than the subjective sound test. A 12-string IMHO should be balanced with just a hint of jangle at the end of the stroke. Not too warm and not to tinny or thin sounding. But you can customize your sound with on board electronics too and being more balanced acoustically makes it better for the equalizer, amp and weird pedal to work any necessary magic. The Breedlove is all about string tensions and has a better bracing system (IMHO) and because much of the tension is countered behind the saddle then theoretically it is a little easier playing with more accurate intonation at all frets (if they all had the same brand strings etc.) Consistent intonation is a huge problem on 12 strings. To help correct it usually you will see compensated saddles etc. but that's another long read. If these models were not electronic then I would have still voted the same in this matchup but likely would have wanted to hear something balanced in a jumbo or dreadnaught size and built like a tank for medium strings striving for loud projection. Taylor is probably (just a guess) the better built one and acoustically it may not sound how you would expect because they assume you are playing it through an amp and designed it that way. My point on the Taylor is its difficult to compare these models because of intended use/design etc. But all in all I enjoyed it and it was quite interesting and useful to me as I just put in an order for a Breedlove and this test help confirm a few thoughts. Let's hope my thinking is right for once.
Hi Robert, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Breedlove, it sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
I too, really liked the Breedlove sound. And even more than that, it was a very thoughtful and attractive design; enough so that when I do go shopping for a 12-string later this month, I hope they have a Breedlove so that I can compare it with the Martin that I plan on "test-driving". And the winner will come home with me. Yes, you do want balance, and not too much emphasis on treble (aka tinnyness.)
Thank you, Cliff for this review of these 12-strings, especially the Breedlove. I am in the market and was undecided between the Breedlove and a Washburn Comfort 12-string. You helped me make my decision . . . the Washburn.
Hi Dee, glad to help! The Breedlove was nice, but that extra sound hole really bothered me!
Great job and analysis, thanks
Beautiful done! Great sound, and very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you! It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed it and learned a lot!
He`s not hearing while playing what we heard listening. Auden really shined, Breedlove was second very nice good lows and had some jangle,Taylor muted akmost toyish sound,Yamaha nice jangle but almost no audible low end.
Hi Rob, thanks for watching. That’s pretty much what I said in the summary! I liked the Auden so much I kept it - huge sound with lots of bass. Breedlove nicely balanced. Taylor was nice acoustically but disappointing plugged in. Yamaha nice acoustically but very weak plugged in. Different people hear different things. A lot of people preferred the Yamaha. I think they all sounded good acoustically, but offered different representations of what a 12 string ‘should’ sound like. It depends what you want it for. Stand-alone, I don’t think you can beat the Auden, but if you want a 12 string to sit in the mix with a whole band and electric guitars etc, then perhaps one of the other less dominant guitars would be better. The plugged in sound was very obvious though - the Taylor does sound quite cheap, and the Yamaha is unusable. The Auden sounds massive plugged in, and the Breedlove is quite neutral, but balanced and useable. Just my opinions anyway!
Best advise for guitars with those LR Baggs systems like the Breedlove, replace your battery when you change your string.
Yes - otherwise a mission awaits you when you need it least!
Great comparison video! To my ears the Auden sounds better, closely followed by the Breedlove. The Breedlove sounded more balanced in the heavy strumming, where I thought the Auden was just a little too bassy. Both the Taylor and the Yamaha were slightly disappointing. Not bad per se, but definitely worse in comparison.
Cheers Cassiano! The Breedlove was really nice, and great value for the price. I think it was the most balanced of all the guitars, bust strangely the least inspiring for me. The Taylor was number 2 for me acoustically, and it was a tough call. I probably could have got a better plugged in sound from the Taylor if I'd tweaked the EQ a bit, but I was doing my best to compare like for like.
Wow... fabulous comparison and a big difference between each. Amazed how the Auden and Breedlove in acoustic only sound so big compared with the others (IMHO). The Yamaha and Taylor are good, but just seem to lack that big sound I associate with a 12 string acoustic. The pickups seem to level things out a bit but for my taste, the Auden and Breedlove come through. Would love to hear your thoughts on the Epiphone Hummingbird 12-string 'Inspired by Gibson' series.
Thanks Donald! I honestly liked them all acoustically but the Auden does sound massive. I agree on the Auden and Breedlove having the best sounding pickups. I spent over £4,000 on guitars for this video so it's not something I can do very often! If anyone would like to send me some Epiphone 12 strings I will happily review them though!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Taylor 12 string Builder's Edition 652ce is nice though, expensive though.
@@jonksmodels 😲That does look like a great guitar! A bit out of my price range though 😬
Breedlove sounds amazing !
Yeah it was a nice guitar - the most playable of the four guitars out of the box, and a very balanced sound.
Video was so helpful! Have been looking for a 12 string.
Thanks for your comment, and I'm glad you found it useful! did you buy a 12 string in the end?
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Not so far but thank goodness for video reviews it gives me some help. Maybe have choices narrowed down to 2. Good problems to have but did not expect decision to be so difficult.
@@happytrails1963 Try to play them before you decide. It's a very personal choice. The guitar I or somebody else likes may not be the guitar you like, and that is OK!
That Auden!!!! Wow😮
Yes that was a nice surprise - from a brand I'd previously never heard of!
I really liked the concert CE
It's a great guitar. The easiest to play out of the box for me, and very well balanced. Good value too.
Best tone I've heard from a 12... Guild. I have a 1979 Guild F212XL NT. Total cannon with loads of chime. Will not top out with heavy attack.
I wanted to add a Guild to the test but none of the ones I was interested in were in stock at the time. They are legendary 12 strings and I have always had a fondness for Guild. Sounds like you have an awesome example too!
The Yamaha is amazing value for money for a guitar of that quality. I have the FG820 12 string and will be upgrading to the LL-16 in the near future. The string spacing is easy to get used too, and I have fatish fingers. I was impressed with the Auden but it would be hard for me to justify paying almost double the price of the Yamaha. Excellent review.
Thanks Mike! I really liked the acoustic sound and look of the Yamaha - it is beautifully put together and the gold hardware looks awesome. The strings are almost equidistant from eachother which I found quite hard to deal with when picking with a plectrum. It all depends what you're used to and how much work you're willing to put in I guess! If you want to plug it in live you may need some kind of boost/preamp/EQ pedal to give it a bit more signal strength and round the sound out a bit.
I'm looking to upgrade my old cheap-o 12-string to something better in the next year, and the Yamaha LL16-12 is in the running; did you end up buying one, and if so how has it held up over time in terms of the neck and soundboard? I'm also considering a Taylor, Guild, and Breedlove in the same price range, and durability under 12-string stress is an important factor.
@@YpsiJoshmccullough In the end I stuck with the 820-12 as I started a small collection of vintage ukulele banjos.
I just ordered the Breedlove. Just Now!!
Thanks !
Wow! Please let me know what you think of it when it arrives!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I'd gotten back to you sooner but I've been playing on & working with my new 12string.
I really love it, it gives me sound I'm unable to get with my other guitars.
I'll get the action adjusted I reckon, that's it.
I'd happy to seek with you anytime.
@@gregoryforde7447 I'm so glad you like it! I remember it was a great guitar but the Auden was more the sound I was looking for. I would have kept them all if I had the space/funds 🤑
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons
I understand completely.
Enjoy your day.
I wished to buy an Eastman 12-string (having been sorely tempted by an Auden) but the alleged supplier down in England was flaky about delivery dates. I gave up on them and went to Guitar Guitar Glasgow and bought a 12-fret Koa Taylor instead. Acoustically it's a lot like the Breedlove here, but plugged in is when it shines. The Taylor Expression System 2 is something else. I'm sure the Eastman or an Auden would have been excellent but I'm glad the retailer was so useless, as I ended up with a very special guitar.
Sorry you had issues, but glad it all worked out! Which model of Taylor did you end up with? I've been impressed with the service from GuitarGuitar over the last few years.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons K62ce. For an acoustic session my Guild F-2512E is much louder, but the Taylor is the one for gigs.
All of the guitars that you review here are very good. Thanks for letting us hear them together.
Edit: The Guild was showing hints of maybe not being made to last. I parted with it. The high level Guilds have a good reputation though.
@@markharwood7573 Whoa - that Taylor looks awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Great video! I love 12s, and have bought and sold many 12 strings over the last 30 years. My favorite is still an ancient (1970s) Japanese Alvarez that I will have buried with me. That said, the Taylor sounds like a toy (like all their lower-end guitars do), the Breedlove is thin...just OK, the Yamaha is really sweet (I'm a fan), but the Auden takes it.
Thank you! If I could have kept them all, I would have done, but only the Auden stayed in my collection.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I thought the Auden took it easily. Brighter, louder, surprising for cedar. I would have bet on the Yamaha. Good for Auden!
@@seanhallahan14 yes I was surprised that a brand I’d not previously heard of wiped the floor with the bigger names!
Overall I like the Auden's sound best but the Yamaha surprisingly has a lot of clarity in the individual notes and chords.
Yes I was surprised by Auden - I had never heard of them before this test. I rarely hear of them now but they are still making and selling guitars!
great video, thank you!
Cheers Daniel, I'm glad you liked it!
Interesting comparison, and very instructive on just how different the tone between different 12-string guitars can be. To my ears, the Auden is in a league of its own across the board, whether it's through a mic or using the internal pickup. The Breedlove is a somewhat distant second, followed by the Yamaha (which sounded pretty bad and gutless through its pickup), with the Taylor comfortably last. In fact I'm surprised at just how bad and lifeless the Taylor sounds: compared to the others it's so lacking in top end it's like it's being heard through a sock - absolutely awful. Shocking for a £1500 guitar, especially one equipped with usually very toppy Elixir strings. Of the four, the only one I'd really consider to replace my own 12-strings (a Faith Saturn Natural and an Eastman AC330e) is the Auden. The others really don't quite make it for me, and the Taylor not at all. In fact I'm quite surprised at your concluding comments about the Taylor being quite bright: it really doesn't come across at all on the video.
Thank you. I did quite like the Taylor acoustically but the pickup sound was disappointing. I still have the Auden 3 years later!
Nice comparison video. My preference:
1. Breedlove( balanced, great overtones, unique)
2. Yamaha (engelmann is awesome)
gap ↓
3 tie. Auden ,Taylor
I'm always on the look out for a 12 string. I was hoping to find a deal on a used d12-20 or d12-28. Or a Guild.
Thanks for your comments, and I'm glad you liked the video! That Breedlove was the most balanced guitar, and the best set up out of the box. But the power and beauty of the Auden sound did it for me - that's what I was looking for in a 12-string. It's all subjective of course!
Great reviews, thanks for this! The Auden is a cannon! I am in agreement with your summaries. I have a Yamaha LJ16 ARE and the pickup, though passive, is very natural sounding compared to some other piezo pickups. The newer Taylor electronics are very weak, I have an AD27 which plays nicely, but needs a lot of tweaking plugged in. Cheers!
Cheers Ernest - I love my Auden, it's so inspiring to play! I honestly expected to prefer the Taylor as I usually get on really well with their 6 strings.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Taylor makes a very good quality guitar. But they have their quirks. One is the lack of a voltmeter/tuner, which can burn you in the middle of a performance (happened to me last month). Also, mine needed a set up too, and why they can't set it up when you buy it for a couple of grand is a mystery to me. But yes, Taylor is a consistent guitar. That Auden though, was a seriously good sounding 12-string. But I can't see having to access a battery through the sound hole with great difficulty.
@@Anthony-ll4nh I didn’t register the lack of a voltmeter! I don’t mind the lack of a tuner as I use a clip on or pedal tuner. I find them more accurate than on-board tuners. The Taylor has a very minimalist design for the controls, which I really like, and I guess that is why there is no tuner or voltmeter - they would have to make an extra/bigger hole in the guitar to install it.
@@Anthony-ll4nh The battery in the Auden lasts for ages. Changing it with the included tool is not too bad, but if you don’t have the tool with you then you’d pretty much need to destring it to get your hand in through the sound hole.
Hi Cliff! I saw your response and thank you! Others comments have reflected my own! There are several videos that confirm my concern here! (Guitar Palace?) is one using a mic system no where near as good as yours! What you tweak on EQ, Pick pressure, pick thickness, the pressure used on both hands and against your body! What did you do to the guitar as was stated by another comment? Is there a sock in the guitar? What I’m saying is that is NOT even close to what that Yamaha sounds like! That first guitar is a start up company going against giant brands! I have Taylor’s , Martins, Guild, Takamine and I have played nearly all the rest! The narrow string spacing you are correct on, the sound is not even close my friend! Folks on here will shy away from Taylor and Yamaha because of this video and that’s not fair to them or those company’s! If you want I will track down that off brand and do a video like yours to prove how incorrect yours is! You seem like a nice soft spoken man with good guitar skills but you wanted the Taylor and Yamaha to fail and you know it! Thanks for your response and stay on your excellent playing ability’s!
You haven't answered my question - what do you plug your Yamaha into? In my video I demonstrate the acoustic sound of the Yamaha, which I think sounds very good and I say so in the video. I used stereo mics and no EQ or processing whatsoever on any of the guitars. I also demonstrate the 'plugged in' sound of the Yamaha, via it's pickup. Again with no added EQ or processing on any of the guitars. The Yamaha 'plugged in' sound is what sounds weak to me, and I think most people listening. What do you plug your Yamaha into via it's pickup to make it sound so much better? I had no agenda when making this video other than getting myself a nice 12-string. I would have loved the Yamaha to have been my favourite, it looks great and was the cheapest! Why would I want Taylor and Yamaha to fail? Nobody paid me to make this video. I would have loved to get a nicer Taylor 12-string, but the one in the video was the best I could find in my price range. I look forward to seeing your video!
Hi again! I don’t often use the built in pickups in my acoustics! I enjoy my Taylor’s but the Expression system is not so good! Same with Yamaha’s and most others! I generally mic with a 57 or install a sound hole pickup, like the California Lace, (affordable and lovely pickup) or both! Now if that video was a pickup review then that’s altogether different, but what I see in the video is a very Pro looking set up there, and you choosing a guitar based on many things? An AKG instrument condenser or one comparable also works well but brings in lots of unwanted things into the mix!
@@simmerend3154 In this video I record the acoustic sound of the guitars using microphones, and the pickup sound plugged straight in to an audio interface. You'll see that the acoustic sound of both Yamaha and Taylor is good, and I say as much in the video. The pickup sound on the Taylor is not great, and the Yamaha pickup sound is poor. I think you may be comparing the pickup sound of the Yamaha in this video to the acoustic sound of your Yamaha. Those sounds are not comparable. If you plug in your Yamaha and Taylor and compare the two pickup sounds, I think you'll hear the difference. This is a review of four electro-acoustic guitars, so of course I need to review the acoustic sound and the pickup sound of each guitar. I do choose a guitar based on many things, you have to look at the whole package.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thanks for responding to my concerns! I looked briefly for an Auden to demo in the Seattle area but haven’t found one yet! I am, of course, looking forward to playing one as I’m sure it’s an excellent guitar! I use finger picks on all fingers, (except my pinky), so the string spacing is critical for me! I use them on my Strats and 6 string acoustics as well! A strange approach for electrics, but after years it’s given me my own style! I can jump around without having to retrain my right hand muscle memory for each instrument! Honestly I’m to uncoordinated for that! As you noticed the string spacing is even narrow at the bridge of the Yamaha and the finger picks allow me to reach between the string pairs without muffling the adjacent set! ,, Or accidentally plucking a set that is meant to be muffled or silent! So with that being said, the Auden will be hard for me to demo but string spacing can be changed with some clever bridge, neck and nut work! Also I understand the Acoustic Electric comment you make and it clarifies the sound differences! I really don’t like the built pickups on any 12 string but I still buy them and use one or two sound hole pickups! There in a movable situation and reflect the placement of almost all electrics! Just below the pick! If you know of an Auden dealer around my area, which includes Vancouver BC, let us know! Thank you Sir and keep up that smooth 12 playing of yours!
@@simmerend3154 Thank you. I asked Auden if they ship to the US a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't reply! I'll ask them about Canada too, maybe they will reply. I was kayaking around Vancouver Island a few years ago - amazing place!
What strings are you using? Are they the same on each guitar?
Hi Keith, they all had the stock strings that were on the guitars out of the box. Yamaha: unspecified, Auden: unspecified, Taylor: Elixir Phosphor Bronze NANOWEB Light Gauge (.010 -.047) Breedlove: D'Addario EXP 38.
D’Addaro sweet talking bronze my favorite strings ever
They sound great on my new Auden!
I have two 12 strings 🎸🎸 1 acoustic for open slide blues and electric acoustic guitars 1960 Italian vintage buetiful sound. Sitting gathering dust got for free of a good friend of mine. Still in tune been sitting for how long who nos 😮but still in great playing order. Love them both 🎸🎸😎. Brand EKO Italian.
Nice! My brother has an old EKO 12 string - it's a beast. Still going strong!
Great format thanks for your effort in getting this video out to us guitar geeks. Unfortunately, Auden guitars are not available here in the states. What was your number two pick?
Thanks Jim, I really enjoyed making this video! I didn't rank them 1,2,3,4, but I probably should have! I would say as an all rounder, the Breedlove would be number 2. It had a balanced sound, was easy to play (for a 12 string) and sounded good plugged in. I really liked the acoustic sound of the Taylor and Yamaha, but they were both quite weak plugged in, particularly the Yamaha. The Yamaha nut width also made it very hard to play for me, but players with smaller hands may see this as a benefit. The Taylor was almost the same price as the Auden, but a lot less guitar for the money in my opinion.
I love my Taylor 12
Which one do you have?
1. Auden - rich, balanced
2. Taylor - clarity, sustain
3. Yamaha - balanced, a bit bland
4. Breedlove - too thin, too bright
Thanks for the lovely review. Agreed on Auden!
Thanks Bill!
Yamaha has my heart. That LL-16 is the perfect one for me. I love the narrower neck, I love how it feels in my hands. I have a few Yamaha 12 string guitars already (the FG 411CE-12, and the FG 820-12), both are my go-to guitars. The LL-16 12’s pickup is something that is manageable. Actually playing an earlier LL series 12 string, the sound both acoustically and plugged in is fine to my ears.
My Epiphone DR 212-12 string has a wider neck than my two Yamaha’s. That Epiphone at times is hard to play because of it.
And actually, another critique I have for you. I record my Yamaha guitars into garage band raw (not plugged in) with my phone mic and I get pretty excellent quality bass. It sounded to me like the LL-16 you played on this video was done a great injustice when you recorded it in garage band. Then again, that is my opinion of it because I have a feeling it could’ve been recorded better.
Hi Zachary, thanks for your comment. I liked the acoustic sound of the Yamaha too, but the strings were just too close together for me. There is nothing wrong with that, it will suit some people and not others. I recorded the Yamaha raw (not plugged in) in this video, as well as directly via the pickup. I used the same recording equipment for all the guitars, and the pickup sound of the Yamaha was very poor in comparison to the others. The Yamaha uses a passive pickup, whereas the other guitars have a pickup with built in preamp. Yamaha sell this as being a positive feature which doesn't 'colour' the sound, but for most people plugging it in it would be a negative feature, as the plugged in sound is unusable without some treatment. The other three guitars all sounded much better plugged into the same equipment. I used a spaced pair of Rode NT5 microphones into a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 interface to record the raw acoustic sound, but if you prefer the sound of a phone mic, that's your preference!
How has the LL16-12 held up for you over time? Any issues with neck and soundboard stability?
@@YpsiJoshmcculloughI've had it for almost two years now. Never had to adjust the neck, the only maintenance I've done is change the strings and keep the dust off of it. It is my main guitar I play. It is PERFECT! It is a solid guitar and the electronics are phenomenal on it too!
@@ZacharyWhite25 Great to know, thank you! And are you keeping it in standard tuning, or down-tuning it?
@@YpsiJoshmcculloughStandard. It's got a five-ply neck. And looking at how they built it, that neck ain't going anywhere. It was well worth the price I paid for it. And, tuning, this guitar has no problems at all staying in tune. It holds tune even in cold weather. And that's without humidifiers too! You cannot go wrong with this guitar. I dressed it up too with the strap and case. It is the best guitar I own!
Mic comparison is really good. Thank you 🙏 Pick-ups are quite different, like Yamaha has a passive pickup, so no fair comparison is possible. Looking at the specs/price/acoustic sound, once again I'd go for Yamaha. Very balanced and good wood combination. Cedar is relatively soft wood, it wouldn't stand the 12 string tension for decades.
Hi Ozan, thanks for watching! The Yamaha passive pickup is sold as being a positive thing, that doesn't 'colour' the acoustic sound, but I think it would be a negative thing for most people expecting to 'plug and play' with their acoustic - the difference in sound is massive and I wanted to demonstrate that. The Yamaha passive pickup would be hard work at a gig without a serious boost and EQ. The Yamaha is great on paper and the build quality is excellent. The narrow fretboard made it too challenging to play for me, but it may suit other players. I'm not sure about the Auden cedar top not holding up, I'll let you know in 20 years!
To be honest, I don't care about the plugged in sound. If you like the acoustic sound, you can ask a luthier to add an endpin preamp, use a di box or both. If you have a sound guy on the venue, they always prefer root sound. To my ears, Yamaha was the clear winner on acoustic sound with the good string balance. Obviously yours is different 😃
@@toyotozan You could, but that's extra time and money and no guarantee that the end result is the sound you want. I agree that the Yamaha had a really nice string balance, and I really wanted to like it more but it just didn't suit me. Some of my friends preferred the Taylor and the Breedlove, you prefer the Yamaha and I like the Auden - it just goes to show how subjective this all is!
Have a Maton FG150/12 that I've had for over 50 years (except when a motorcycle gang stole it and it disappeared for nearly 3 years) and I got a new Englemann top on it. Also have a Guild D212 made in 1982, which has no struts in the back (Guild's famous bulge back based on their D25, which I have one of as well) so the sound just booms out of them - they're LOUD even with light strings! All of them are fantastic acoustically, and all of them have K+K transducers in them, so it's just plug 'n' play - adjust at the amp. The two 12-strings would blow all 4 of these into the weeds, both in quality of tone and quantity - the only one close would be the Auden!
I'm sure they are great guitars, but I have one question... how did you get your 12 string back from the motorcycle gang?!
Very well done video.
Excellent playing
Time codes
Even thing on point.
Thank you!
Yamaha has always had a smoother tone and more balanced overall sound. I have a 35 year old Yamaha cut away I paid $300 for and it sounds better than my $1000 Taylor.
My first 'proper' acoustic was a Yamaha FG400 which I played for 15 years! It mellowed nicely over time. I busked on the London Underground with that guitar for 3 years. I sold it to one of my pupils in the end - I should have kept it!
Very helpful. Thank you.
Cheers Kevin!
I really like that Yamaha
It was a beautiful guitar - great if you have small hands as the neck was the most narrow in the test. I loved the acoustic sound but I thought the plugged in sound was very weak in comparison to the others. I really liked the look of the spruce top and gold hardware.
Four of the big guns of 12-strings are missing: Guild F-412, Gibson J-185-12, Martin D-35-12, and Ovation.
I made this video during UK COVID-19 lockdown and there wasn't much available. I did want to try a Guild but couldn't get one (Taylor and Guild were my first choices). The Martin and Gibson you mention are beyond my budget - they cost more than double the most expensive guitar in this test (although I'm sure they are both amazing). And as for Ovation, I just don't like them!
To me the Yamaha issue is their "ends". They use urea for nut and saddle which adds crispness but at the loss of some depth and warmth. Some blame the Chinese build, but that is bunk. Those are built under close Japanese luther supervision.
The next series up (LL26) uses bone. I have a red label FG3 that a bone saddle and bone pins transformed into a great guitar.
And some folks don't really care about pickups playing at home or among friends.
Cheers Tom, I couldn’t fault the build quality, and you’re right about the nut and saddle material. Bone may improve the tone, I really couldn’t say. I liked the acoustic tone of this guitar, just not the pick-up sound. That was a big part of it for me as I often use it plugged in for Zoom lessons. I kept the Auden in the end and it sounds amazing plugged in. Thanks for watching!
Taylor for the win!!
The jury is really split on these guitars! Some people love the Taylor, others hate it. It just goes to show how subjective ‘good’ tone is.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Agreed
To my ear, the Aiden comes first and the Yamaha definitely last.Ot had a very thin sound with poor bass. I'd be happy with any of them except the Yamaha. Thanks for the review. Very helpful 👍
Thanks for watching, and I glad you found it helpful! I've been playing the Auden today, it's an inspiring guitar to play. I like a strong bass in a 12-string, but I know that's not what everybody is looking for.
Breedlove sound...amazing
In a really excellent comparison one would have the same strings on all guitars. Coated string, like here on the Taylor, typically do not have the crisp high end of sound and are accepted as sounding a little bit „warmer“. So it is not necessarily the Taylor that sounds warmer, it is only the strings on it.
I get your point but I was reviewing them as they came out of the box which is how people would buy them. If I was to put the same strings on all the guitars, how would I choose the strings? I could be accused of bias/doctoring the test whichever string I chose!
Fair enough. Your straight forward approach is usually also followed by everybody else. Also your argument that the producers have chosen the strings they sell their guitars with and that those should lead to best results in their view - with no bias - is correct.
Unfortunately, it does not really help to judge on the quality of a guitar by itself. The influence of the strings is just too big..
In your particular comparison, for me, the Taylor comes out third. I tend to believe that with the same uncoated D’Addario strings it would easily make the top of the list.
@@PeterSchuett To prove your point you'll just have to buy all these guitars, string them with your preferred string, and then make a comparison video! I'd watch it :)
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Excellent idea! But please don‘t tell my wife.
😂@@PeterSchuett
So while I agree this Auden sounds best, it's easily the most expensive guitar here $1,800-$2,500). It's more than twice the price of the Yamaha (around $800) and the Breedlove (around $700) you chose. If you had gotten a Breedlove Oregon (around $2,000) series or Masterclass it would've matched better but it's not a fair comparison. It's like comparing McDonalds to Outback or something. The Taylor is closer in price (around $1,600) but in my personal opinion Taylor's are usually priced about $300-$400 more than they are really worth sound wise. The point is this Auden is a much better guitar and it's not a fair comparison. Not saying this to be critical, just pointing it out. Wish I could find this Auden in the US though.
Hi Ryan, thanks for your comments, and I should have addressed this in the video. Here is what I paid at time of review: Yamaha £822, Breedlove £939, Taylor £1,499, Auden £1,574. There wasn't much available during UK lockdown so I bought four 12 strings that I thought I would like. I probably would have chosen a Guild or a better Taylor if I could have found one. You're right that they don't all cost the same, but I thought it was worth comparing them. I thought the Yamaha was as good as any acoustically and it had a fully solid construction unlike the Taylor (laminate back and sides) and Breedlove (not specified, so probably laminate). The Auden and Taylor (the two most expensive of the 4 guitars) were badly set up (really high action) out of the box, but the Yamaha and Breedlove were nicely set up. Not everything was better on the expensive guitars, particularly the Taylor, which had a weak pickup sound (not the worst) and a bad setup. The Breedlove was probably the best value overall, but I went with my ears and chose the Auden. You are right that the more expensive guitar often sounds the best! This is why I try not to play guitars I can't afford when guitar shopping!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons yeah I like the Auden a lot and I am a Breedlove guy for several reasons. I would love an Auden or yes a Guild. I'm not surprised about the Taylor set up. Seems to be a consistent thing with Taylor. Overall I thought it was a great video and would love to see more of them.
After watching your videos, I had considered the Auden, but finally bought an Eastman AC330-E-12, which in my view provides at least a similar great sound and is very likely even better value for the money (about $1200). But I have nowhere seen any direct comparison and Audens are hard to get/test in Germany. So I might be wrong, but happy with my Eastman, anyway.
Auden 👌
Excellent in depth review, much appreciated. Yamaha or Auden for me! Thankyou 👍
Cheers Brian, I’m glad you found it useful. I kept the Auden and it’s awesome.
Auden is a beast. The only Cedar top here, and thats quite unusual for a 12. Loved the tone, and the guy also thinks it sounded best acoustic and plugged in. He’s right about the Yam. I had a LL16-12. Great value and build. 7/10 for tone, but a little cramped for bigger hands. I think I’ve just sold myself a new 12 string!😂
Ha! The Auden is an awesome guitar. A great discovery for me as I wasn't familiar with the brand before playing this 12 string. The spec looked so good on paper that I thought it was worth taking a chance and ordering one and I wasn't disappointed!
The Breedlove has a solid western red Cedar top you must've missed that. not just the Auden.
I’m amazed that although it sounds nice, the Taylor was my least favourite, it was a tie between the Breedlove and the Yamaha for me but tbh, I’d be quite happy with any of them. Great video, thanks 😁😁🎸😍🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for watching - they all had their good and bad points for sure! I was expecting to prefer the Taylor as well, but ended up keeping the Auden.
Does anyone know the name of the melody that he plays starting at 0.49 for the fingerstyle demo? Is it an original?
Hi Prashant, that's part of an original song I was working on at the time.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thank you for responding to my comment! It is a lovely melody with a lot of warmth to it. If you completed the song, do you mind sharing a link to it? I'd love to hear the full version.
@@prashanthariharan6310 Thanks Prashant, I got quite far with the song, but ultimately I didn't like the lyrics I wrote so didn't finish it. Perhaps I should just record an instrumental version!
Thank you for the wonderful review. You were very thorough. One thing I was hoping for was a commentary on what you thought of the intonation, particularly between the zero fret and the 12th fret, as this is a concern with 12-strings. If the guitar is poorly set up, then you end up really struggling with finding intonation that sounds good between those frets; being as how the higher octave strings have to be tuned to the lower octave strings on the 12th fret. In the 1970's, my favorite 12-string was the Takemine Lawsuit-era type; as they were basically rebadged Martins that were higher quality than an actual Martin. However, Takemine really did a lot of harm to their reputation by having their 12-strings made in China out of green wood. And that is unfortunate, because they are otherwise a very nicely designed cutout Dread with a thoughtful tuner layout; kind of like the Breedlove. I would, however, love to see you review the really sweet-sounding Auden with a Martin and maybe a different Taylor; the 150E, which might actually be a better guitar than the one in this review. My issue with Taylor is the complete lack of an on-board tuner, or even a voltmeter. It's not hard to replace the battery, but if it goes out on you in the middle of a performance, the stage is a very bad place to find that out...which has recently happened to me. On stage, in the middle of a song, no less. Otherwise they are nice playing guitars...a little too much emphasis on the treble and not enough bass, but still a good competent guitar you can otherwise count on. Just keep new batteries handy.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I didn’t notice any intonation issues on any of the guitars, but I wasn’t looking for that. If I had tested it I’m sure they would have all had some minor issues. I think part of the sound of a 12 string is it often being slightly out of tune, like the ukulele. I’m not sure that perfect intonation is possible on either instrument.
I would have loved to test a better Taylor or a nice Martin, but there was very limited stock within my budget in the UK during the COVID peak, which is when I did this test.
The Breedlove hands down!
It's a great guitar for sure, but I just couldn't live with the battery design where you have to remove all the strings to change it!
Nice review. Auden is way better in all categories - class for it self. Second is Breedlove
Thank you. I thought the same and that Auden is now in my collection. Every time I play it, I am amazed at how good it sounds!
Hi again Cliff! I know you came up empty on the Seattle availability for the Audin but have you heard anything since? I’m sure you inspired a few sales for those folks! I’m anxious to play that Artist! Thank you
I spoke to Auden and they don't have a US distributor, but they do ship to the US. I think you can return it if you don't like it, but you'd have to pay shipping both ways so that's a big commitment. Plus you may get hit with import tax. I'm not sure how it works for you, but when I order stuff from the US to be delivered to me in the UK, I sometimes get stung with import tax which is always painful!
Breedlove all the way for me!
It is a great guitar for sure!
Trying to figure out if I should go for a dreadnought or a concert type body for my 12 string, as a lefty I would have never been able to find out with this video
Thanks a lot mate
I'm glad you found my video useful! So what are you going to get?
Oh the Auden sounds amazing though
I thought so too, and kept it! I made an in depth review of it here: czcams.com/video/rZoHFuA2rqo/video.html
Wow that Auden sounds magical! If I had the budget, that would have been my choice without a doubt. I bought a Guild D-1212 which going by what I've heard so far on videos was closest to having a nice bass like the Auden does in a dreadnought body.
Great playing too by the way, what song is it that you were playing during the heavy strumming parts of the video?
Yes I was very surprised by the Auden! I was playing a riff based on the loud bit of Stairway to Heaven as I recall. I hope you're enjoying your Guild!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons thanks for the info! I should have it in the next day or two so I'm looking forward to it!
Yamaha seems to have muted bass notes. Breedlove is better than I thought. I have a Canyon Creek Alvarez DY 80. Direct coupled bridge. Great sound.
Thanks for watching Mark!
I have the Yamaha LL16-12 and my tech fixed the "narrow spacing" playability issue by installing a new nut with wider spacing (off the shelf bone 12-string nut) and by cutting small notches in the saddle for wider spacing there too. It's like a normal 12-string spacing now, but with super low action. The playability is like night and day. I don't know why Yamaha made the spacing so narrow when they had room for wider spacing. You also didn't talk much about value for money: You've got £1574, £1499, £939, £822, a wide range. The Auden is almost twice the cost of the Yamaha, but is it twice as good?
Thanks for watching and for your comments! It sounds like your tech did a great job on the Yamaha. How much was the work? I'm guessing about £100 or so? That bumps the Yamaha up to £922, but it still has an unusable plugged in sound which requires some kind of external preamp to make it sound presentable. This would push it up above the price of the Breedlove. I do think that the Auden is way better than the Yamaha in terms of playability and plugged in sound. and worth every penny. The Auden's plugged in sound is a fantastic representation of it's impressive acoustic sound. I do think the Yamaha's acoustic sound is great too - just different than the sound I was looking for personally. But I know what you're saying. You would expect the more expensive guitars to sound and play better, up to a point.
How has your LL16-12 held up over time in terms of neck and soundboard stability? I'm considering purchasing one, or a Breedlove which has several 'architectural' improvements to help with stability.....but I love the sound of a big-body 12-string!
Breedlove and Auden sound the best out of the four.
Yeah I'd agree with that! I love the look of the Breedlove too.
I'm just a fan of 12 string guitar I have a Fender people probably don't like them I think they're okay.
Well if you like it , that's all that matters!
the breedlove sounds the best imo. Isn't that breedlove just like 700 or 800 dollars? How is the playablity on it? and how does it sound plugged up (not miced)?
It was £939 at time of recording. The playability and DI sound was good. You can hear the pickup at 7:58 10:16 12:14 15:34 and playability summary at 19:45 .
#3 is the best sound
Don’t know if your still answering these after a year but what pickup system in the Auden? Awesome sounds
It's a Brad Clark Supernatural. It's the best pickup system I've heard in an acoustic.
I really like the auden and the breedlove, I have never heard of auden are they available in the United States?
Last time I checked, Auden didn't have a US distributor but you can order from their website and they ship to the US. audenguitars.com/
The Washburn Comfort would have been a good choice for this demo. Like Dee James I will be picking one up
Cheers Jim, I hope you enjoy the Washburn! I'm yet to see a Washburn Comfort 12 string for sale in the UK, there were very limited stocks for me to choose from post-Brexit in lockdown!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Sorry to hear they are N/A in the UK. Great demo and I think the Breedlove sounded the best. Great playing too!!!
@@jimferry4751 Thanks Jim, the Breedlove was the most balanced tone of all the guitars. You could hear every note of every chord in detail, with no strings dominating over the others.
Try a Guild! My '69 sounds fantastic.
I wanted to, but there wasn't much available during UK lockdown 2021! I bet your '69 is a beast!
I would choose breedlove
It’s a great guitar!
The Breedlove was singing bro if you can hear that I don’t no man . Breedlove definitely sounds way better than the other ones.
If you're telling me that I made that Breedlove sing, I'll take it! Thank you very much ☺
Wonderful test. I'm curious how mine compares with these others. I just purchased a Taylor 562ce. The action is quite low, unlike the one you played here. I'm very happy with it-but it's my first 12 string, so I've got no experience from which to draw any conclusions.
Thank you. I'd imagine your Taylor is excellent - they generally are. The one I reviewed came badly set up, but most Taylors I have played are much nicer than that. I could have got it set up, but then i would have had to keep it! I only had the space and funds to keep one 12 string. I felt that the plugged in sound was a bit weak, but some of my friends preferred it. It's all a matter of taste, and finding the guitar that feels and sounds right to your ears and playing style.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thank you for your response. One problem I do have is finding a satisfactory capo. Because the partner strings (of the low E, A and D especially) rest below the height of the standard strings, my old capo only mutes them after tightening it to a disheartening degree. I did try another (12 string) capo, and it's better, but still not satisfying. Any tips?
@@dusty3913 Get one of these www.g7th.com/12-string
It's the best one I've found. I have a Schubb 12 string capo but I had the same problem as you - way too much pressure required so it pushes the strings out of tune. The G7th Newport capo fixes this problem. I'm using it at 4:53 in this video: czcams.com/video/rZoHFuA2rqo/video.html
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Thanks so much!
Breedlove all the way.
Martin guitars for playability and sound, or forget it.
I wanted to try a Martin during the test, but this was during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown and there was nothing available in my price range. I have still never played a Martin 12-string but I would love to see how it compares to my Auden!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons
I have a Martin 12-string, and a Takamine 12-string. The Martin is just superior to everything I have tried. It fits every recording purpose overall, and it stays in tune. So, I bought it. The Takamine is a good guitar with a good built in tuner for general jamming, and gigs. I throw the Tak in the truck and good, but I perform with the Martin because it delivers every time.
@@99hwy Thanks for the info - which Martin 12 do you have?
Fantastic comparison! Thanks so much. I’m looking at the Auden Smokehouse 12 do you (or any readers) have any experience of this? Anyone have long term experience of an Auden 12 string (structural stability etc)?
I’m new to 12 strings and as a fingerstyle (James Blackshaw style) player would love to know if you can just switch the Low E and it’s pair around so that when fingerpicking you get that Bass attack/presence. Does this require replacing the nut and saddle? Presumably intonation is affected but would it affect stability or anything else? I’d really love for all the bass strings to be low string up, I’m not sure why they don’t make ‘em like this. I know the Taylor Builder’s choice sometimes come with the low e swapped but I haven’t seen it anywhere else.
The Yamaha is great but is let down by the electronics imo. The LR Baggs pickups are great but the Breedlove isn’t all solid. So Auden or possibly Guild are all that is left.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I haven't tried a Smokehouse. I kept the Auden Colton 12 string from this video and it is still awesome. You can switch the strings around but you will probably need a new nut at least, maybe a new saddle. This is pretty basic work for a good guitar tech. Intonation on 12 strings can only be adjusted so much - pick your strings and set up and then adjust the intonation. The intonation can only be adjusted by adding or removing material from the saddle so it's good to get everything else set up first or you may end up getting an extra saddle made. Be prepared to take it back to the tech a couple of times until it's just how you like it. Playing it for 5 minutes in the workshop often isn't enough to really know if the setup is exactly what you want or not. Let us know how you get on!
@@cliffsmithbackingtracks That is all super helpful. Thanks so much. Have a great weekend. 👍
Cheers, good luck! @@dr_lulz
I recently bought a Sigma GJ200 12 string. Amazing sound and looks. Enjoyed the comparisons , thanks
Cheers Scott! I've played a few Sigma 6 strings, but never tried their 12 strings.
I really liked the sound of the auden,
Who sells them? I googled it but couldn't find them. Thnx for a reply.
Where are you based? Auden is a UK company, based near Northampton. They sell direct and a few shops also stock them (Manns Music and Richards Guitars).
I love the tone of the Auden. What is your opinion of its playability compared to other products in its price range?
Out of the box, it was really hard to play. I took it to Auden and they adjusted the truss rod for me (it was completely loose for some reason) and it played much better. I've since had it set up and had a new nut made for it and now it is amazing to play. The setup & new nut cost me £50. The Taylor in this review was around the same price, and that also had a really high action and was difficult to play. I find that many new guitars just aren't set up that well. My USA Strat deluxe was horrible, I set it up and now it's awesome. My USA SG Standard was badly set up, a visit to the guitar tech sorted it out. I have played £3,000 Gibsons with awfully cut nuts on them. The Breedlove in this review was the most playable out of the box.
Just stumbled onto your channel. I have and play the Taylor 250ce blk and it’s sounds much different then your maybe bc I’m using different stings. That being said just listening to the sound only I would have kept the Auden and the Breedlove and sent the others two back :-( however I do love my Taylor 250.
Many thanks from sunny So. Cal.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I used the strings that came with the guitar, which I think are Elixir. They were all nice guitars in their own way. It was a close call for me between the Taylor and the Auden, but the plugged in sound of the Auden sounded much better to my ears. There is often differentiation in sound between two guitars of the same model.. Often due to the wood used being from a different part of the tree/different tree etc. Also the glue joins and bracing will not be 100% identical from one guitar to the next. Also the setup will make a difference, and the player of course! If I had the space and the money I would have kept them all :)
Very informative. Also surprised at the bad quality of some them plugged in. Would've been nice with an Ovation in the mix.
I was surprised too. I didn't really consider Ovation, as I don't like the curved back. I prefer wood to fibreglass, but each to their own!
You should have had an Emerald Guitars 12 string in the mix… Carbon Fibre makes all the tinning issues go away…
I must admit I didn't think of those - what do you mean by tinning issues? Tuning?
@@cliffsmithbackingtracks With Carbon Fibre Guitars, especially from Emerald, they are so strong that nothing moves to alter the tuning as soon as the strings have settled. The Carbon strength means the extreme loads of a 12 string are easily handled and managed. The constant tuning that I see from musicians between songs at gigs is a thing of the past with an Emerald. I own three, an X20 and X7 with Hyvibe and a Virtuo… a 12 string is next on my list, I wouldn’t even look at anything else now.
@@Chrislayeruk1 sounds great! How is the tone compared to some nice solid rosewood and spruce/cedar?
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons The tone and is lovely
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons They have an ambassador program where you can find owners in your area will to let you asses their instruments for yourself. No sales pitch, just sharing the love. Check out their website and CZcams etc You'll find all you need
Breedlove blows them all out of the water!
Cheers Paul! It was definitely the most balanced guitar - easiest to fit into a mix, I'd say.
Auden and Breedlove were awesome. Taylor a little weak. Yamaha was tinny and thin.
Hey Christopher, I'd agree with that. Although I did like the acoustic sound of the Yamaha! Thanks for watching!
Nice measuring tape
I measured the distance between the microphones and the strings before every take!
I'm hearing a lot of production differences. To say these guitars we're all recorded with the exact same settings is ridiculas.
Flat EQ On the guitar pickups, the same mics used at the same spacing and distance from the same points on the guitars. Input gain levels matched on the audio interface at time of recording. No EQ, compression, reverb or anything else added to the recordings. What else could I have done to give an accurate comparison?
Breedlove, Yamaha,Auden, Taylor
That poor Taylor is not getting much love in these comments!
that's the wosrt i ever heard the LL16 sound, what did you do to it?
Exactly the same thing as the other three guitars. Stereo mics for the acoustic sound, and DI with nothing added for the pickup. I didn’t add any EQ, compression or reverb to any of the guitars. The only thing I adjusted was the input gain level to get them all the same volume. I could have made it sound a lot better if I had treated the sound, but the whole point was a direct comparison with no variables.
I own that Yamaha and it sounds nothing like that! Absolutely nothing! This is an Audin endorsement!
The Taylor almost sounds like its intonation is too good. I'm no expert but I think it might sound closer to that classic 12 chorus effect if the tuning wasn't as precise.
Not a phrase I hear often - "the intonation on this guitar is too good"! I'm taking it as a compliment. Funnily enough, this guitar had a really high action and I had to press the strings really hard. Perhaps this helped in some way.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I picked up a demo of this guitar off a store rack before landing on this video, and it was the most playable with smooth action. Maybe this one needed an adjustment.
But I also might be biased bc my taylor 6 string is the only acoustic I've played for the last 20 years.
I agree with your read that the pickup was disappointing, and nice playing!
@@JeffCooper86 The one I had definitely needed adjustment. Truss rod, nut and saddle all need attention I think. Production models often vary from guitar to guitar, also the one you played may have been set up in the shop. I generally love Taylor acoustics and liked this one acoustically, the setup is an easy fix so no biggie, but I would expect better out of the box for that price. I just didn't rate the pickup sound very highly.
thanks for the video Cliff…I’ve been looking into this Yamaha model, and I’m glad that I watched this! The tone was thin and weak compared to the others, this demo really knocked it to the bottom of the pile for me. 👎
I’m glad my video helped you! I liked the Yamaha acoustically but it was very disappointing plugged in.
What stood out to me (and it's just my opinion) was how bad the Taylor sounded compared to the others. I don't feel it compared well at all to any of the other three. In person, it might be different...but...it was definitely dead last to my ears.
They are all just opinions (including mine)! If you read the rest of the comments, you'll see that the jury is split! I liked the Taylor as a strumming 12 string acoustically, but it had a very high action out of the box, and the pickup sound was very weak to my ears. Also I didn't like the black paint job!
I didn't know there was a guitar brand with my name on it, I love the sound but I still wonder how it would compare to a guild 12 string
Guild was my first choice, but there were none available during UK lockdown when I made this video!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I was thinking about getting a Zager 12-String in the following 3 years but now I really want a guitar with my name although I really wish they would make a 12-String with a cutaway.
@@AudenLassoChaveztigre Sorry, what is your name in relation to these guitars? I can't tell from your CZcams username.I wasn't familiar with Zager guitars. Just looked them up and they look great! If you ask them perhaps they will build you a 12 string with a cutaway!
@@AudenLassoChaveztigre In fact there is one here: zagerguitar.com/guitars/zad900ce-12string/
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons my name is Auden and I was wondering if Auden Guitars would be likely to make a 12-String with a cutaway, the Zager looks pretty too but I would rather have a guitar with my name
Guild 12 strings smoke all those guitars. The $499 F-2512 sounds better than all of these. The $999 F-1512 even more so...and the $3800 F-512 obliterates them.
Guild was my first choice, but there was nothing available during UK lockdown so I couldn't get my hands on one to compare. Send me yours and I'll compare it to my Auden :)
Acoustically, not so when plugged in
@@jackchow6668 The plugged in sound of all acoustics is trash compared to mic'ing them acoustically
Love the Auden - and Yamaha. But frankly the Taylor is not even in this for comparison. Lacks in pretty much every area and considering the cost - not my cup of tea.
I did like the sound of it acoustically, but the setup and pickup sound were very disappointing!
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Yes a basic undersaddle pickup, however, with a good acoustic amp - have the Boss Acoustic Singer - with the EQ on board it can really bring out the sound back to the acoustic without pickup.
@@quigley4440 I'm sure it can, but I guess my point was that you shouldn't need that to get a good sound out of the guitar - most people will be going straight into a PA live or audio interface when recording. The preamp in all the other guitars in this test improves the sound massively and gives the player a lot of control over their sound. Yamaha sell this pickup system as being an advantage, (not colouring the sound) but to most people it would be a drawback.
A bit disappointing that you were trying to compare playability with guitars that had not been set up.
They were all reviewed as is - straight out of the box. I think that's what most people want to see a review of. The Yamaha and Breedlove were nicely set up out of the box - the Taylor and Auden were not. I was planning on keeping one guitar and sending the other three back, so I wasn't about to start making modifications to the guitars and risk not having my return accepted.
Auden and Breedlove took this one pretty much all around the Taylor so so and in this case Yamaha not so so...
I’d say that’s a pretty good summary! Although I did like the Yamaha acoustic sound.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons I've just heard Yamahas sound better than this one!
@@MrBroJH I have owned other Yamaha models that sounded better plugged in. The one I reviewed in this video has a passive pickup, which Yamaha sell as being a positive feature, but for most players it would be a negative one as it’s pretty much unusable unless you boost it with a separate guitar preamp.
@@cliffsmithguitarlessons Perhaps if I had heard it alone but the Auden led off that was my first experience with that brand and I really liked it!
@@MrBroJH that was also my first experience of an Auden. I was very impressed by it.
Guild D-2612 CE Deluxe
Looks nice - ebony back and sides too which you don't see often! Guild was my first choice, but during UK lockdown, there were no electro-acoustic Guild 12 strings available.
.Auden artist is the winner
It is an awesome guitar!
Do you know other chords?
Because viewers want to hear the sounds of all major & minor chords..
Hahahaha! All of them? Even Eb? I’ll do it again! I’m not doing any 7th chords though - I charge extra for those 😂
Why be a dick?