Photo credit: Ray Larsen Sierra 12_0889.tif

Strumming with the Sierra SS112

Twelve-strings provide some of the richest tonal territory that a guitarist can explore. Chiming with an expansive palate of harmonics and overtones, they can spice up an ordinary sing-along jam or enliven an otherwise flat recording. For the cost-conscious player, however—and particularly for beginning and intermediate players still working hard at mastering the intricacies of six strings—the prospect of shelling out hard-earned dough for anything other than a primary instrument can be more trouble than it’s worth.

Sierra Guitars, which is just two years old as a company and distributed exclusively in North America by Musicorp, is doing its part to minimize the mystery of a 12-string investment with the debut of the SS112. At just under $350 street, it’s affordable enough for the more reticent 12-string neophyte. But it’s also sonically satisfying enough to win over a player on the fence.

UNCONVENTIONAL STYLE, UNEXPECTED WOODS

In its short history, Sierra has explored a number of less-than-conventional design motifs to differentiate itself in the crowded budget- to mid-price flattop market. And apart from its traditional dreadnought profile, the SS112 adheres to the Sierra philosophy. The largish headstock, which might seem ungainly to purists, recalls some of the designs that graced European brands like Eko and Burns in the ′60s, and details such as a star inlay at the twelfth fret make it clear that Sierra is aiming for the less traditional acoustic player.

The solid Engelman spruce top, mahogany binding, and ring-of-diamonds wood rosette reinforce Sierra’s stated “natural” design emphasis and help offset the less traditional headstock design. But the heavy-grained ash back and sides could seem particularly unconventional to players accustomed to the more subtle appearance of rosewood or mahogany.

The spruce top’s gloss finish was even and accented the grain nicely, but seemed heavy on the back and sides—particularly around the heel joint, where it turns a milky, opaque color. Elsewhere, fit and finish were quite precise. Bracing and kerfing were clean and free of the unsanded look that plagues many inexpensive guitars, and apart from a stray dollop of glue around the neck block, the interior of the dreadnought looked tidy and attentively put-together.

SUMMONING THE JANGLE

Tuning up the SS112 was fast, straightforward, and simple—particularly with an electronic tuner, which is invaluable and highly recommended for any 12-string slinger. The die-cast tuners proved stable, even for the exceptionally light G-octave string.

A series of first position G, C, and D chords all rang with a rich and satisfying chime that rewarded languid, spacious picking. Some Peter Buck-style, up-tempo arpeggios played on open chords also possessed the requisite shimmer that any prospective 12-string player would expect. Here the Sierra demonstrated the capability to deliver a sweet, if somewhat compressed, midrange bite that would make this guitar a great partner for a crowded hootenanny, a recording project with a thinner-than-desired mix, or a strumming vocalist.

Flatpicking with a capo at the fifth fret invited a series of bell-toned chiming vamps that, again, suggested a wealth of ensemble, recording, and compositional uses for the SS112. Chording further up the Sierra’s large neck without a capo, however, involved discernibly more effort, and underscored the fingering struggles and fretting-hand fatigue that many new 12-string players might face with a larger neck.

The Sierra displayed some limitations under heavier strumming, and much of the harmonic nuance so prevalent and enjoyable under a softer touch disappeared in a somewhat dissonant wash under a more aggressive “Pinball Wizard”–like strumming approach. Fortunately, the SS112 projects well when picked lightly, proving loud enough to require a lighter pick for a vocalist-accompanied version of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” to compensate for the guitar’s basically boisterous voice.

THE WRAP

For guitarists who envision the 12-string as a secondary vehicle for enhancing their repertoire, accenting a same-sounding set of tunes or breaking up the harmonic clutter of a jam circle, the SS112 is a fine fit. Its limitations in range and more minor issues with playability up the neck may render it less useful to players seeking a 12 as their exclusive means of acoustic expression or a player with a small or weak fretting hand. But for players seeking a harmonic playground beyond what their six-string will afford them, the SS112 is an accessibly priced launch pad to a much wider world of sonic exploration.