Why 12-string?

For several hundred years double course instruments (eight, ten and twelve strings) reigned over Europe. Instruments like the lute, cittern and vihuela came in a variety of shapes, tones and sizes and were seemingly the preferred instruments of the troubador. That all changed in the late 18th century when the six string guitar came into vogue. The larger double course instruments seemed to have vanished while people pursued the allure of single courses. For the next century the six string guitar spread like wildfire through Europe and the Americas.

Then around 1900, a curious thing began to happen, the twelve string started to emerge, as a novelty instrument, in the United States and Mexico. In Mexico double course instruments had been brought over by the Spanish conquistadors and embraced by the indigenous people, who developed a wide variety of instruments. In the U.S., 12 strings began to show up where there were large pockets of Italian immigrants. Places like New Jersey (Oscar Schmidt), Chicago (Lyon & Healy, Regal, Tonk Bros.) and New Orleans (Gruenwald).