Originally Posted by
Sputnik
The idea of tuning down a half step on an acoustic 12-string is not fear of neck problems, but rather with the bridge being pulled away from the body, or the body starting to buckle under the tension. In theory, the truss rod will compensate for the neck, but the bodies of 12-strings are vulnerable to this issue, unless it's a trapeze tailpiece.
When you say "a step," I'm not sure if you mean a full step (so your E string is now tuned to D) or if you meant tuning to Eb, which is a half step. If you are tuning a full step down, try a half step, that should address some of the feel of the strings. I actually really like the 12 string tuned down a half step, I think it sounds meatier. In cases where I really needed to go to standard A 440 tuning, I would use a capo. But when I had a 12-string acoustic, I'd mostly just play it by itself, so tuning it down worked fine and I'd only capo if I wanted to change the key.
tuning down may or may not work with your electric 12-string. Using a capo, you might lose some of that "jangle" 12-string electrics are known for. You might like that sound, you might not. Your electric is presumably a solid body, so the body buckling isn't an issue. You should be able to tune it to pitch. Hopefully your graphite and lube job will work. You didn't mention where the strings were breaking, at the bridge, at the nut, right in the middle? That may give a clue as to what is causing the problem.
Bill
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