New toy: Sierra 12 String

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 19 Jul 2022 1:49 pm

Only two made and I now own one. My good buddy HowardR owns the other and I was at the Dallas show when this one was bought by someone else and Howard bought his. This is slightly different than Howards as it has a third switch which cycles it through different treble and bass settings (Correction: I was going by Howards memory. Turns out his has this switch as well and they are identical in every way). Really amazing sound and sustain, I've never heard anything quite like it.

Could this be the holy grail I've sought for so many years? I'm think the answer is yes!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 19 Jul 2022 2:13 pm

That is a lovely guitar. Like looking at an older Bentley. I once owned an 8 string and I really liked it. Was super heavy, so definitely best on a stand like you have. That is a prize catch right there.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 19 Jul 2022 2:37 pm

Some of the later models have leg sockets.

I have an 8-string which I love for its tone and wide string spacing, but it is heavy. Serial #002 so it doesn't have leg sockets. I use a stand.

Is that a Tonealigner pickup?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 19 Jul 2022 2:51 pm

Really has perfect scale length and string spacing. The sound is indescribable.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 19 Jul 2022 2:56 pm

bob, this has leg sockets. It looks like a Tonealigner, but I'm not certainer. do any other pickups look like that?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 19 Jul 2022 3:02 pm

I literally can't believe I am the owner of this beauty. It puts everything I've ever played (and I've played just about everything) to shame. Especially for a 12 string. I'll get some recordings up as soon as my string order arrives from juststrings.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Jul 2022 3:26 pm

And I just happen to have the only other one ever made.....

I remember these two at the Dallas Show.....I forget the year but I believe it was the last year that Don Christianson had the company......

Bill, I have the same switch on mine......our guitars are identical........and yes, we were both at that show......funny how things come around in circles sometimes.......but what took you so long?.....

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 19 Jul 2022 3:41 pm

It must have bern 2005 or 2006. That is when i ordered my first superslide, so it would have been about that time. 17 years ago !

Travis Brown · Post by **Travis Brown** » 21 Jul 2022 9:32 am

Wow, that's a purty guitar!

How are you going to tweak the Eharp tuning with two additional strings?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 21 Jul 2022 9:40 am

Travis, I've added an F# and G# to the top. It gives me a beautiful root position Major 7 on strings 1, 3, 4, 6. And the top 5 notes are a minor pentatonic scale. Great for improvising over blues and rock stuff.

The sound is amazing.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 21 Jul 2022 10:31 am

Bill, I'm confused as to why you refer to that as a 12-string guitar.

Based on the photos posted, it is obviously an 8-string guitar.

Congrats on your new toy!

~Lee

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 21 Jul 2022 10:42 am

Fixed.

Gary Newcomb · Post by **Gary Newcomb** » 28 Jul 2022 3:24 pm

Hey Bill congrats on that badass Sierra, what tuning are you playing and what is the idea of leaving strings off? (Forgive my ignorance I’m a pedals guy who is nursing a rapidly growing fascination with the non-pedals world)

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 Jul 2022 3:36 am

Hi Gary. First, I am not leaving strings off. I just hadn’t received my string order from juststrings when I took possession. It has all 12 strings on now. I am using an extended alkire eharp tuning. From bottom to top C#, E, F, F#, G G# A B C# E F# G#