Hi Paddy, I had a Japanese 12 string of undetermined make and it also had a harpsichordal quality which I really hate in a 12 string. A friend suggested I go with heavier strings and tune it down to compensate for the added tension so I went from light to medium gauge strings and tuned down one and a half or two whole steps. After alot of tweaking I had a really gutsy sounding instrument. CAUTION though, if you try this approach be sure that you never tune your instrument up to concert pitch unless the maker says it's designed to handle it with the heavier gauge strings. Some really calamitous things could happen if you do, like a raised top or bridge or both. Having said that, though I think having a setup done by a luthier who really understands acoustic instruments would be money well spent. f