Urban Ironbark Meets 12-string Sonics
Urban red ironbark has graced the likes of several Taylor acoustics with its sweet sonics and revolutionary projection. The Taylor 552ce acoustic-electric guitar has raised the bar by adding this environmentally friendly tonewood to a 12-string chassis. Complete with a punchy Sitka spruce top, the 552ce combines projection and warmth, making it a valuable asset to the arsenal of rhythm guitarists, fingerpickers, and chicken-pickin' players alike. Sightly additions to the 552ce's appearance include faux tortoise binding and black/maple purfling, a single ring rosette, and aerial-style faux pearl fretboard inlays. Finished with Taylor's proprietary Expression System 2 electronics, the 552ce acoustic-electric guitar is among the top 12-string models fit for both sightly solo sessions and stage performances.
Related Videos: 552ce Urban Red Ironbark 12-string Acoustic-electric Guitar - Tobacco
An upscale 12-string experience
From its Taylor tuning machines down to its ebony bridge, the 552ce 12-string exhibits nothing less than first-rate performance. A neo-tropical mahogany neck and supple ebony fingerboard promote enhanced maneuverability along all 18 frets — a feat made comfortable by the guitar’s standard Venetian cutaway. Additionally, a TUSQ nut and micarta saddle supply sturdy string placement, exceptional vibration authenticity, and improved intonation stability, aiding continuous performance with less setup hassle. Exceptional 12-string tone requires quality construction and formidable hardware — Sweetwater guitarists concur that the 552ce has delivered both.
Channel the candied character of urban ironbark
Red ironbark eucalyptus (known to guitarists as urban ironbark) is favored for its sturdy physical properties and rosewood-similar sonics. Sourced in California through a dedicated urban woods initiative, players of any style will enjoy the rich resonance and high-fidelity projection that this luxurious tonewood has to offer. Its character is sweet, yet powerful, allowing authentic projection that easily fills the bounds of any room or recording studio. If you're looking to pack a punch while retaining the warmth and clarity of rosewood, you can't go wrong with urban ironbark.
V-class bracing: a sonic innovation
Bracing supports each acoustic guitar’s interior, and, though it's almost invisible, bracing shapes guitar acoustics in a big way! X-shape bracing was standard on acoustics for over a century, but Taylor’s revolutionary V-bracing is able to tease more volume and sustain out of a guitar’s sound chamber. V-bracing allows wooden acoustic tops to vibrate with more richness, projection, and sustain, with more space inside the sound chamber for note maturation. And if that wasn’t enough, this groundbreaking innovation also improves intonation and adds more overtones — those subtle harmonic eccentricities that add sparkle to top-of-the-line acoustic guitars like the 552ce.
Taylor Expression System 2 electronics
Need to plug in? Then you’re going to love the Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2) electronics built into the 552ce! The ES2 system features a revolutionary segmented pickup located behind the bridge saddle; this pickup position delivers remarkably accurate and clear sound production that’s authentic to your playing. Each ES2 system features a handy master volume knob for fast level adjustments as well as a 2-band EQ for independent treble/bass adjustments to dial in the sound you need. Plus, the ES2 system also has a built-in phase switch that offers essential feedback suppression whenever the system is active.
Taylor 552ce 12-string Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:
- Illustrious acoustic 12-string with upscale Taylor tonewoods and appointments
- Sitka spruce top combines articulation and breadth for crystal-clear tones on all frequencies
- Urban ironbark back and sides emulate an amplified Indian rosewood — boosted resonance and intense fidelity
- Grand concert body shape corrals and projects the nuances of your sound with utmost authenticity
- Proprietary Taylor V-class bracing design allots louder, richer vibration transfer
- Neo-tropical mahogany neck with standard carve neck profile is a dream to maneuver
- Crelicam ebony fingerboard featuring beautiful faux pearl Aerial-style inlays
- TUSQ nut for enhanced intonation stability
- Expression System 2 (ES2) electronics provide natural sound reproduction and a full dynamic response
- Complimentary Taylor nickel hardware and tuning machines
