Taylor Academy 12

The specialist's opinion

The Taylor Academy 12 has been designed to offer the beginner guitarist the best possible experience and the most consistent playing field possible to hone their skills and master their musical art.

A compact Grand Concert body with premium features at an affordable price, the Academy 12 is crafted with a solid Sitka spruce top framed by a sapele back and sides, a combination that produces a vibrant acoustic tone with clear highs and warm lows.

This model also incorporates features that typically only appear on more expensive models, such as a built-in armrest that is both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The Grand Concert shape's smaller body lends itself to fingerstyle players, light strummers, and those who prefer a more intimate playing experience, but its vocals far exceed its frame, lush with high-end character and overtones controlled. Despite its small size, the massive soundboard can deliver significant volume when called upon. Experienced players will also appreciate the Academy 12 for its ease of play, with a shorter scale length that reduces string tension, making the neck even smoother for the fretting hand. With a sturdy gig bag for easy transport and protection, the Academy 12 offers all the classic Taylor features in terms of build quality, craftsmanship, stability, playability and reliability at an affordable price.