Thanks Tanglewood your posting just popped up Im confident that folk will show me.
I assume finger picking on a 12 string is easy am I correct in thinking that.

I don't find it easy to get clean picking on the 12 but then I'm not a good guitarist on a 6 either.

RE tuning down a tone or so - my 12 string (Hohner) was bought in 1980 and always kept in standard tuning with no problems. It's always had very light strings on though.