Epiphone Songmaker DR-212 12-String Acoustic Guitar - Natural Reviews

The Epiphone DR-212 is great. I've tried several brands of 12 string guitars over the years and always found them to be too hard to play or to have an unbalanced sound. The DR-212 plays as easy as my best 6 string guitar and the tone is perfect. It also has more sustain than any acoustic I've ever heard, and it's built well. There are no structural or cosmetic flaws on it.

This guitar plays super well for the price and is perfect for players will smaller hands.The fit and finish are great as well.The DR-212 also has amazing resonance.I would recomend this guitar to anyone looking for a resonably priced and great playing and sounding 12 string acoustic guitar.

What a beautiful instrument! Equal to guitars costing five to ten times as much. Built by one of the oldest musical instrument companies in the world. While the top is "select" (meaning laminate) spruce, the tonewoods in this guitar are fine indeed. Fretboard and neck straight as an arrow, no fret buzz, and beautifully finished. The pau Ferro bridge has a very nice natural finish. The guitar comes strung with decent Gibson strings. The action is excellent right out of the box, and the guitar is very easy to play, always a big concern with a twelve-string. After a week of stretching, the strings are staying very well in tune. Tone is deep and full, and LOUD, great for leading group singing outdoors without amplification (guitar is pure acoustic without any pickups). With Sweetwater's fast and free shipping, great packing, and supportive, personalized customer service, you can't go wrong. This guitar was as flawless as if I had picked it up personally at the factory. All for the aforementioned incredibly reasonable price. With a two year warranty from Sweetwater and a LIFETIME warranty from Epiphone, including a serial number. Very pleased with this addition to my collection.

I own the same guitar and love the harmonic sound that comes from it.

I would recommend this guitar to anyone who is looking for a great 12 string.

Happy Strumming

I was between a Martin 12 string and the epiphone, I was completely willing to dish out the additional 400 for the Martin but due to the positive reviews and I'm not a brand elitist I wanted to try the songmaker. I cannot tell you how incredible the guitar is, if you are only looking for a 12 string and don't care if it has any electronics or an output jack. Don't waste any money on anything else and don't waste your time this is soooo worth it. I will be keeping this guitar forever.

I bought one of these a few years back brand new. I've always liked this guitar but What do I know, right? Just an arthritic oldster who enjoys playing. For me, it's good therapy. All I did was change to 8s and adjust the truss rod to make it easier to play et voila! Pure 12 string magic. THe 8s do thin out the sound a bit but I still love playing it. After reading so many 5 star reviews of this guitar, I'm quite sure I didn't make a mistake buying it. You really can't go wrong with the DR212.

it was unfortunate that my go to sweetwater didnt have this guitar in stock, as was the case with other retailers. I ended up buying one used ,that had been purchased from sweetwater by a customer that ,after recieving ,decided she needed to sell it a week later. seeing as how it was purchased at sweetwater, and their reputation is impeccable for guitar sales, i purchased the guitar. i was not disappointed at all. The guitar was brand new and set up ready to play. This is a very fine guitar.even at its price it is remarkably well built. I made some changes, bone saddle, nut and ebony bridge pins, and my favorite martin strings.This is a keeper guitar. And as usual, sweetwaters inspection and set up was very good.couldnt be happier,

This was my first 12 string guitar and is still my favorite. Some say it is a bit thin sounding. But, I loved the sound and never noticed. Maybe I was lucky and the string heights were setup perfectly. But, this is the easiest to play 12 string acoustic that I have owned.

The bad news is that it was hanging on the wall 10 years ago, when it fell off the neck broke. So, I had to get rid of it.

Since then I have owned 2 more 12 string acoustics (acoustic/electric). Both guitars are much more expensive than the DR-212 model was (and still is). But, neither guitar has giving me as much enjoyment as the 212 did. I really miss it.

And, you can beat the price/value. If you get a chance, go to a music store and play this guitar, before shelling out money for something more expensive.

I've had this Epiphone 12-string for over a year... It is as good a 12-string as I've ever owned... As I stated in my previous review I have Sweetwater install a bone. And do a professional set up on the guitar... I've had Martin 12 strings d-35 and a D-28... I have a good friend who has a Taylor 12 string.. I own several Taylor's I believe they are one of the finest guitars on the market... But this Epiphone 12 string... with full set up my Sweetwater will easily compete with the two Martin's that I own and the tailor that I play... As I said in my previous review Epiphone has figured out the entry level Market... This 12-string acoustic is a shining example... The only other thing I did was bought. Top 10 case for this guitar and add a Seymour Duncan Woody electric pickup... You won't go wrong with this great guitar...

Purchased in April and is my first 12 string. Was perfect out of the box. I have always loved epiphones and this one was the best from go. Sweetwater's service was fantastic and the job they did while being hampered with this covid 19 stuff was amazing. They earned a lifelong customer. If you are thinking about trying a 12 string this is the one.

Another amazing guitar from Epiphone! I am an unabashed fan of epiphone Guitars. This is the second acoustic I purchased in the last two and a half months. The fit and finish on the guitar is superb! One caveat, I have found important to do on Epiphone Guitars. When buying from a site like Sweetwater, someone made the suggestion to pay for a professional set-up before delivery. Great idea! I had Sweetwater install a bone nut and do a full professional set up, checking fret ends and the overall action and intonation of the guitar. This guitar performs and sounds like most $1,000 and up 12-string guitars. For the money you can't find a better deal anywhere! Whether you're a beginner Four Seasons professional this guitar is perfect for performing and recording. It does not come with onboard Electronics. I have purchased a Seymour Duncan Woody acoustic pickup. It is perfect for this guitar! With the bone nut and professional setup giving me Perfect action on the fingerboard and a strong blooming 12 string sound oh, you won't find anything better from this acoustic 12-string from Epiphone in this price range and even up to $1,000 to $1,500. Epiphone has figured out inexpensive guitar Market.

It's all about customer service in my book. These guys rock.

This guitar is a steal if you"re trying to get a 12 String in your collection. Great sound and sustain. Solid wood guitar that lives up to the reviews. The strings that came with the guitar aren"t the best but newer, higher quality strings will make this guitar sound even better. Mike in sales was extremely helpful in the process that lead me to purchasing this guitar. Thankful for the customer service at Sweetwater!

I had this one and for the money you can"t go wrong on it"s beautiful sound.

wow wow wow

First guitar arrived sooner than expected.
Guitar exccedded the quality and craftsmanship.
This instrument came well packed and arrived safely.
Awesomeness buying from sweetwater great experience with this instrument definitely buying here from now on.
Dont think it twice buy from Sweetwater money well spent.

This guitar that I bought from sweetwater.com has a beautiful sound and sounds like a expensive 12 string acoustic guitar and also looks great. I recommend changing the strings but overall a great guitar for the price.

plays well...inexpensive and GREAT SERVICE can't beat this 12 for the money....all the tone at minimal cost....easy to mod.....if you want a 12..this is an excellent choice...

Unbelievable service wth fast free shipping

This is my first 12 strings guitar. When i opened the box, I was so nervous because the fedex guy threw my guitar over the fence. I was so mad. He could have done better job :( . Luckily, there is no damage and It sounds great. I read a lot reviews and tried different guitars before purchasing my guitar. I am so happy with my decision. It sounds lovely and the price is unbeatable. I would recommend this guitar for anyone who want to try a 12 strings guitar and doesn't want to break the bank.

There is nothing less than a five star rating in any aspect of this guitar.
The neck is a chunk, and I suppose that could be a problem for some. It's difficult, if not impossible, to wrap your thumb around for barred chords. I think that's the only issue the guitar has.
It is fast action, it is good tone and volume. It is beautiful woods, back top and sides.
the tuners are just fine. (They might need adjusting a bit for tension at the peg, but that's as simple as
a half turn with a screwdriver.)
It tunes just fine, and holds it's tune ---as well as you tune it---. (If you rush, and don't stretch strings, or don't bother to slide a sharp no. 2 pencil in each nut slot for slickness, you aren't tuning well. for example)
The strings tended to make my finger tips black. But only a very little. They are light guage, typical is starting at .010.
The guitar is just so much more than what I hoped for. Not a thing about it couldn't be adjusted easily for my own tastes. It's a fabulous 12 string at a price that makes me gasp.
I lowered the action at the nut, about a pencil line off the bottom of the saddle. I could take that much off again, with no issues. But it already plays fast.. it was pretty good right out of the box.
I wish, (I dare to wish after getting all the above for a paltry 250.00) it came with an output jack built into the
lower strap button.
I use a Fishman Neo D single coil and I'll mount an output jack to the body so I don't have that cable to contend with all the time. (That pickup, by the way, works beauty with this guitar) So you can see why I wish it already had the output jack. But that's pushing the picky picky pickyness for sure.
Man, if you don't have a 12 string.. this is the one to get. I don't see why this wouldn't last decades.
The Epiphone hardshell case is also a gem. Really glad I got that!
I've been playing since 1965.. I've owned three other 12 strings. I think you can trust this review.

I just got my DR212 today and I'm more than happy with it. First of all it came 2 days early. I was super pumped to see that fed ex driver pull up and get out with that box. Props to Sweetwater for that. The guitar itself is everything I wanted. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I was very hesitant after reading reviews online. There seems to be a large amount of people who think you have to spend at least 500 on a 12 string to get something playable. I've been playing all the Zeppelin tunes that I wanted this thing for and it sounds great to me. I can't wait to jam with it around a camp fire.

I can't thank you guys enough for the exceptional customer service I have received. I was a CSR,so I know what you have to deal with on a daily basis. I have gained a lot of knowledge from Ashton and he's been right there when I have a question. What I really like is the customer follow up. I'm loving my new guitar but I really want a Taylor guitar now, so when I'm ready to invest in another guitar, I will buy from Sweetwater. Thank you Ashton and everyone who got my guitar ready to ship. Merry Christmas!

When this showed up, I put on a great set of ultra-lights, tightened the truss rod and I am super impressed. At this price, I was keeping my expectations low but I got it to play so nicely and I love the sound. I have never owned a 12-string before so I had to go the the interwebs to learn some of the finer points of tuning one (and no, if you want to get some of the most interesting sounds out of it, it is not as simple as just using a tuner to find A440), but once I learned how to tune it, I can't put this thing down.

for the price you cant go wrong the best thing you could buy for 200 bucks

I bought the Epiphone on a whim and want. It arrived as promised, the guys at Sweetwater kept their promise. I pulled it out of the box, tuned it up, and it sounded a little flat. However, I was not disappointed. All the reviews I read had recommended changing out strings and doing a set-up. My local music store, charged me 45 bills, plus strings. Once my purchase went through a set up and changed out the strings, it sounds phenomenal. So don't let the price fool you, drop the 200, get a set-up, and you will not be disappointed. I also think that Sweetwater can do a set-up as well. Silent Lucidity sounds awesome...

What an awesome guitar at such an affordable price, I've had Ovations that didn't play any better!!

f;or the price, this 12 string delivers a very good sound, but I'm kind of bias since I own 5 epiphone
guitars. Try It, you"ll love it!

This review will be short and sweet.
I wanted to purchase my first 12 string to see if it was something of interest to me without breaking the bank.
I have purchased MANY Epiphones in the past and have never been disappointed. Once again, Kudos to Gibson for producing a fine product for cheap money.
It took some getting used to stringing and tuning it but that just the nature of the beast. The stock string were cut off immediately, Epiphone always puts junk strings on their guitars so I don't even bother with them. After putting on good strings and tuning I was off and running.
Stunning guitar at any price!!! How do they do this for the money?
I would buy this guitar at almost any price. I played several expensive 12 strings at my local guitar shop, this one is equal to anything I played/
If you are considering purchasing a 12 string but not sure whether it's something you will use or not, BUY IT. If you KNOW you want a nice 12 String, BUY IT. This one can't be beat at ANY price!!!!
I'm no idiot, I own 3 Martin acoustics. I will NOT purchase another 12 String, I am good with this one for as little as I will use it.
Fit, finish, sound quality and playability....A PLUS.
5 stars, regardless of price

This guitar sounds big and bright. I keep it tuned to e-minor and the action is still great.

Big bright sound. Nice and clear. No dead spots or chatter. Super deal.

Amazing value! Great 12 string guitar for an amazing price. If you always wanted to try out a 12 string then grab a DR-212 now. Quality and playability of a more expensive instrument at a very affordable price.

This guitar is beautiful with a flawless finish. I was a little concerned as it isn't very expensive but I am totally blown away at the looks, the sound and the build quality. The tuning machines all turn smoothly and the neck is strong and (after a truss rod adjustment) straight. Action is surprisingly good. I especially like the compensated bridge, a nice touch.

I had considered a different guitars that costs a few times more but I am so glad I didn't pay the extra money. This is without a doubt the best bang for the buck in for a 12-string guitar you will ever find!

If you're looking for an acoustic 12 string give this one serious consideration. I just recieved mine the other day and I was very pleased and not surprised because I own several EPI guitars and I enjoy all of them. This is a beautiful and well made guitar as I expected it would be. I made a very LIGHT adjustment to the truss rod and, the action improved GREATLY. The strings that it came with aren't the best, most aren't but, I'll play them till their done, I've already ordered some D'Addario EJ41's and I'm sure these will improve the sound and playability to suit my taste. There aren't a whole lot of cases that fit this instrument just do the overall length but the one I'm looking at is the Gator GL Dread 12-string Lightweight Guitar Case
It appears to be the best choice for my needs. I have an SKB case for my Flying V that is this type of case and, it's perfect for my needs. Think I'll do a Seymour Duncan SA-3HC Hum-Canceling Woody PU to complete this purchase as I do not wish to install anything permanent or alter the instrument in any way. Great sounding,Great looking and, for the right price.

I'm really amazed at the sound of this guitar. I have been unable to get the action so that it isn't such a chore to play chords without really laying into the fingerboard, but it has a very nice resonant sound. The way the electronics are set into the body so snugly is just awesome. I have a Cordoba, parent company of Guild guitars that I paid around 700 U.S. you-know-whats for that is incredibly beautiful but the way the electronics are fit into the body you'd think if judging by that alone it was in the 300 you know what range.

If you want a 12 string and want to take a chance whether you will be comfortable playing it or get sore fingers fast from action hard to get right, you're taking your chances anyway imo you're crazy if you don't get this. I have a Gibson Firebird that arrived with a crummy set up. I've got a LOT of guitars. It's a crap shoot I'm telling you. Good luck. I hope you get a good one that makes a liar out of me action-wise.Otherwise I doubt you'll be disappointed. I mean, you could always go for an 800 range Martin only to find the neck isn't made of wood. Seriously. Proceed with caution on the big-name pricey ones.

I needed a 12-string for one song that my band is covering. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a high-end instrument or anything with electronics, but I needed something with at least minimum performance quality that I could mic for live play so I didn't want a cheap toy, either. I researched the Epiphone DR-212 and a couple of other comparably priced options. I went with Epiphone based on brand reputation, how it sounded in videos (and, yes, you have to be very careful about that), online reviews, and price. This is a great basic guitar with excellent tone and playability. I've been playing it right out of the box, and I'm entirely satisfied with the factory setup. I will change out the strings, but what it came with are serviceable. I've seen some reviewers say they changed out the nut, which isn't a bad idea as plastic nuts tend to bind, but I have not had a serious binding problem so far. The tuners hold the tension just fine, the action is good, it sounds good all the way up the neck, and it projects well. I highly recommend it for a first 12-string, as it looks like it will work in a variety of situations for a long time.

I also want to throw in five stars for Sweetwater's customer service. They are very high touch and communicative. This is my first experience with Sweetwater, but it will now be my one-stop-shop for musical needs.

A very decent guitar for the money. Brian Froshour came through again for me. His team did a perfect set up on the guitar along with new strings. I will always go to Brian/Sweetwater for all my guitar needs. Their customer service is the best!

An incredible guitar for a great price.I love the way a nice 12 string has a sound that shimmers.This one is like that,just beautiful.Brings me back to the '70's.

This was my first 12 string. I wasn't looking for anything super fancy, just enough to mess around with. This guitar is incredible for the price range. I've been playing for 15+ years and i've played all brands ranging from high end to bare bones and I can say this thing plays a lot better than its price tag portrays. smooth action, strong bridge. bright clear tone without being "twangy". Pair this with some clear tones or elixur polywebs and you can't go wrong. As always sweetwater received my order Thursday afternoon on 03/12/15 and I received my guitar on Friday morning 03/13/15. Best online shopping experiences ever. Thanks again Ian roegels!

Wow! Plays great, looks like something you would pay 400 or more. The strings it came with needed to be replaced immediately. Otherwise I would have rated 5 stars. Oh well, can't have it all

Got this guitar on a whim and I am totally surprised by its build quality, and sound. First and foremost it has new bracing inside so as to prevent warping. Cheap 12s usually warp and become impossible to fine tune. This guitar has better body bracing and it does not sacrifice tone. I had to tweak the neck. Too much relief at first but now the neck is straight and the action is fine. Great sound and easy to get around on. I dig that it's dreadnought sized. It's a good backup to your #1. Don't be surprised if it does become your number 1 go to guitar. It's that good. Thanks to Tiberius. He's an awesome sales rep.

i bought one because i sold a dangelico 12 string ,and was remorseful after.lol. This is a pretty well built guitar.Im satisfied with it. i changed nut, and saddle to bone, and went with ebony bridge pins, and john pearse nickel med/ light strings, 11 - 52,s. It is a very versatile 12 string.

Great price, right? One reason I bought it. It's a 12 string. That was reason #2. It's an Epiphone, good enough quality AND they DO emphasize "Great for a 1st - 12 string," right? well, I find it's really not a bad guitar. A problem I have with it is that I have not yet been able to get the "buzz" out of the 11th string at the 12th fret. Got ALL the buzz out elsewhere. 1st I 'loosened' the neck. That helped and I will eventually get that fixed, it's ALMOSt fixed. It's better than it was. See, the neck appears to be irreparably 'twisted' a little downward from the top. There is no way possible to straighten this, I'm certain. However, it is very playable. It can be a pain in the butt to tune. I broke 'B' string once by tuning at the wrong peg. My mistake of course and IF this is your first 12 string, don't think you won't make the same mistake.

I do NOT recommend Nanoweb strings for this particular guitar because they JUST refused to tune at the Low E (11th string.) (That was my next broken string) and when you replace one string, unless you buy the EXACT same type and brand string to replace the broken one, you REALLY need to replace all of them and TRUST me, you DON'T want to buy cheap strings.

So be careful tuning. I think this is totally worth the money. Don't expect to get perfect harmonic balance, rather don't expect to tune to the open E string, then get a perfect G at the 3rd fret, something REAL near an A at the 5th, BUT as I saw somewhere in a description elsewhere on this site for another product, "It's close enough for Rock and Roll." Still, the buzzing has to go on mine at that 12th fret 11th string. I'm all over that though. Good luck

I had played this model guitar before, so I knew what I was getting into. But, this was my first time purchasing a guitar on-line. It came, on time, well set up out of the box. The high "G" string snapped on the second day, but I was prepared and had ordered a set of strings with the guitar. No problems so far, 30 days in. Holds a tune well.

For the price i couldn't be happier.

I'm new to the 12-string world. That's why I felt I could only rate it a 4.0. It seems to be beautifully made and sounds fantastic. The price is unbelievable. I was shocked when I opened the box and saw what a nice guitar it is. The people at Sweetwater were fantastic to work with. They treated me like I had just bought a $4000. guitar. And the shipping was incredible. I received my guitar in two days!! I'll definitely be making all of my future purchases from Sweetwater !! BEST company EVER !!

I originally bought an Epiphone 12 string in Sacramento around 73.
Traded a Gibson in at the same time.
Loved that guitar, it was the Japanese version of the Gibson 12 string I believe and I knew I couldn't afford the Gibson version then.
Last year I decided to replace it and ordered this one and was pleasantly surprised .
I added a Gold Plus Martin pickup to it and play it daily.
I have had it almost a year now and consider it a fine addition to my other instruments ........maybe it isn't as expensive as other models, but you really do get your money's worth .
I did as others, replaced the strings, in my case, GHS bronze lights , I use them on my Martins too, and I had the neck set up .

I was pleasantly surprised with the guitar. I immediately changed the strings and slightly touched up the neck truss and started to play. Very good tuners, stay in tune with hard playing and after days of non use. The neck is not too wide as many 12 strings are. The finish is as good as any guitar. If I have any criticism it would be it does not project quite as good as a $2000.00 guitar. But then I did not pay that much, did I? I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone of any playing caliber.

Bought this based on Acoustic Guitar Mag's reccomendation. Was looking for a 12 string again, but for the limited use I knew it would get did not want to spend a lot. This guitar is the answer. It's a bit "thin" sounding for a 12 string, but for the money, the fit, finish, quality, etc. is spot on. Highly recommended if you're looking for a "once in a while" or fill in guitar

The sound is much better then I expected out of a Guitar this price range.
Did up grade tuning machines to Grover mini, as I found factory tuning machines a little hard to tune with.
But honestly it now aggravates a friend who bought a much more expensive brand Guitar and this one at about 1/5 the price including the new tuning Machines plays as good, says tuned as well,has slightly better sound. Would have been 5 Stars but tuning machines were less than desirable.

This guitar was great right outta the box, the only thing i done was change the strings. If your looking for a good starter 12 string this is the one you need.

i bought this guitar becouse i can't aford a guild or martin it is well worth 170 dollars so if you wan;t a guitar that sounds good this is the one

Maybe I got the dud

The bad:

The guitar sounds thin and has no real depth.

Certain chords sound out of tune, and when I check tune my tuner shows the strings in tune., I've used two different tuners

I chose this guitar based on the reviews I read, (looking back on some of the reviews, they aren't about the guitar, they're are about excellent customer service which Sweetwater does have)

I wish I could have played this first before I purchased it.

The good:

Very handsome guitar my wife likes it's sound, (I don't always agree with my wife) it does have good sustain.

Other thoughts:

I will get another 12 string, this one however leaves me wanting more, not of this one though

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from buying this guitar; however in my case, this guitar is a dud and is going back.

Good starter 12 string. Had to put new strings on it, the ones it comes with are not good! But, I looked at the reviews on this guitar, and every one said put new strings on it, so I made sure I ordered strings for it when I bought it. You will have to replace them. Anyway after I replaced the strings it sounded 100 times better. If you want a 12 string, and you don't want to shell a lot of money, this one is not bad for the money. Im having fun with it, but I will be buying a better one down the road.. I love the sound of them... Thanks sweetwater for your help .