That’s the Guitar!
I have always liked 12-string guitars, but one thing bothers me. Builders seem to think 12 strings require a big guitar. That’s fine if you are a really big person (I’m not). It seems to me that twice as many strings as a regular guitar would drive the guitar twice as hard, producing twice the volume. This being so, a small body guitar should be loud enough.
While shopping in Franklin, Tennessee, I discovered the Artisan Guitar Shop. Looking through their selection of instruments, I found that Bill Collings of Austin, Texas, had the same idea about 12-strings. The small bodied Collings 12-string was exactly what I wanted, so I bought it.
My wife Carol joined a local garden club, where she met a lady newly arrived from Texas. Since we had “Texas in common”, the two couples decided to meet for drinks. The conversation came around to music, and I mentioned Artisan. The lady’s husband then complained that he had his eye on a 12-string guitar, but someone had bought it before he could try it out. I then produced the Collings 12-string. “That’s the guitar!”