Description

Nylon | Lutz Spruce Top | Layered Walnut Back and Sides | Neo-Tropical Mahogany Neck | West African Crelicam Ebony Fretboard | No Electronics | Non-cutaway | Gig Bag Case

Ideal both for beginner players or experienced guitarists seeking an affordable nylon-string guitar to add to the toolkit, the Academy 12-N generates a rich, snappy acoustic tone with the classical-hued flavor that only comes with nylon strings. It’s made with a solid torrefied spruce top for power, projection and articulation, with Taylor’s special roasting process adding a dash mature, aged-in warmth. This compact Grand Concert model offers a seamless feel thanks to its player-friendly dimensions, built-in armrest and slender Taylor neck, which features a 1-7/8″ nut width that provides ample spacing for fingerstyle arrangements but maintains a relaxed feel for fretting. The acoustic-only Academy 12-N ships with a soft-sided gig bag for transportation.

• Nylon-string guitar offers modern classical tone
• Grand Concert body feels easy to hold and play
• Solid torrefied spruce top generates warmth, projection and clarity
• Armrest included for additional playing comfort
• Comes with lightweight gig bag for protection

FEATURES

Compact Grand Concert, Classical Nylon Tones

The Academy 12-N combines signature Taylor playability with warm, snapply nylon-string tones.

Grand Concert

The small-body Grand Concert debuted in 1984 to meet the needs of a new wave of adventurous acoustic fingerstyle players. In contrast to the traditionally darker, boomier voices of bigger body styles like dreadnoughts and jumbos, the GCs compact size and tapered waist kept the overtones in check. It was also more comfortable to play while sitting down, and the guitars slightly wider neck gave players more room for complex fingerings. The GCs smaller sonic footprint also fit cleanly in a mix with other instruments when tracking in the studio and with a band on stage, making it a useful tool for professional session and side players. Taylor’s current generation of GC models continues to accommodate fingerstylists with finger-friendly traits like a shorter 24 7/8-inch scale length, which makes fretting easier and adds a slightly slinkier feel on the strings due to the lighter string tension. If you feel more comfortable with a small body or favor controlled overtones, a Grand Concert is a great option.

The smallest of Taylors full-size body shapes. Its compact dimensions make for a physically comfortable guitar with an intimate feel and sound. The smaller footprint keeps the overtones in check, contributing to a focused, articulate sound thats well-suited for recording and stage work.

Grand Concert Specifications: 19 1/2″ / Body Width: 15″ / Body Depth: 4 3/8″

Layered Walnut Body Wood

Taylor’s layered wood construction features three wood layers: a middle core of poplar with a thinner layer on each side. Layered walnuts rich brown hues lend a pleasing aesthetic warmth to the guitars that showcase it.

Sound: Taylor uses layered woods for the back and sides of some of Taylor’s guitars for their blend of sound quality, durability, and affordability. Layered wood construction also enables Taylor to preserve tonewood resources. Although layered wood guitars wont yield quite the same level of tonal complexity as an all-solid guitar, all are paired with a solid wood top to produce a rich, responsive voice that will continue to improve with time and extended play. Layered walnut provides a strong backbone for Taylor’s 100 Series, adding subtle touches of high-end sparkle together with midrange presence. An outer layer of walnut is overlaid onto a poplar core (with a layer of sapele on the other side). The layering process also allows Taylor to bend an arch into the back for extra strength and produces a durable that travels well.

Lutz Spruce Top Woods

A naturally occurring hybrid of Sitka and White spruce, Lutz grows in climate zones between where Sitka and White spruce are found. (Sitka grows in more coastal areas, while White spruce thrives in interior regions.) Lutz has is considered very adaptive within those microclimates, which can yield properties that are superior to either species alone.

In terms of acoustic response, Lutz blends the positive characteristics of Sitka and White spruce and its close cousin, Engelmann spruce. The Lutz that Taylor uses for the 500 Series tends to exhibit characteristics of Adirondack spruce. The result is powerful sonic horsepower that translates into strong volume, projection and tonal richness.

Origin: Canada

Goes Well With: Most playing styles. Players with a lively attack will enjoy the tonal output and headroom.

No Electronics

Taylor respects guitar players who know what they wantand what they dont. Most Taylor models that come standard with acoustic electronics can be ordered without them. Just contact your local Taylor dealer and theyll make it happen. The good news is that if you ever change your mind, Taylor’s Service department can install a pickup. Taylor will say that if youre on the fence about it, or think you dont need one right now, its nice to haveyou never know when you might want to do some home recording or play that open mic night and cross it off your bucket list.

SPECIFICATIONS

General

• Number of Strings: 6 String
• Orientation: Right Handed
• Body Shape: Grand Concert
• Cutaway: Non-cutaway
• Color: Natural
• Electronics: None
• Case/Bag: Gig Bag

Body

• Top Wood: Lutz Spruce
• Back/Side Wood: Layered Walnut
• Rosette: Baltic Birch Marquetry 3 Ring
• Back Configuration: Layered, 2-Piece
• Body Binding: None
• Armrest: Beveled Walnut
• Top Finish: Matte
• Back/Side Finish: Matte

Neck

• Neck Wood: Neo-Tropical Mahogany
• Fretboard Wood: West African Crelicam Ebony
• Neck Profile: Standard Carve
• Fretboard Inlay: Faux Pearl 4mm Dots
• Fretboard Binding: None
• Neck Finish: Matte

Peghead

• Nut Width: 1-7/8″
• Peghead Veneer Wood: Copafera
• Scale Length: 25-1/2″
• Peghead Inlay: None
• Peghead Type: Slotted
• Peghead Binding: None
• Peghead Finish: Matte

Other

• Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony
• Nut & Saddle: White TUSQ Nut, White Micarta Saddle
• Bridge Pins: None
• Strings: D’Addario Pro Arte Carbon (.024 – .046)
• Pickguard: None
• Tuners: Classical Nickel with Faux Pearl Buttons
• Strap Pin: Chrome
• End Pin: Nickel