Taylor Academy 12e Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

I decided to find a new addition to my Acoustic Guitar family in pursuit of a new Gibson or Martin acoustic guitar. After playing the newer Martin Guitars I did not find that either Martin had any of the qualities that I would expect.

I tried 2 of the latest Gibson's and was shocked with the overall Sound qualities that I have with my older Gibson Acoustics Guitars.

The Sales person asked if I would like to try the Taylor Guitars? After playing two higher end Taylor's I tried the Academy 12E and was shocked hearing most everything lost playing the Martin and Gibson's. Taylor blew them away.

Overall the resonation lingered under my note changes a quality I had always found in much more expensive Gibson's and Martins along with the plain beauty and weight so light along with the beveled arm rest and almost perfect setup out of the box. Who needs a pick guard or fancy rosette? Priced below it's actual sound and playability.

I've heard nothing but great things about this guitar yet after all of that, it's still better than expected. It's supposed to be a beginner's guitar. If it is, I can't wait to see how Taylor's higher end guitars are like. I'm totally impressed with how well this guitar is built. There's nothing fancy about it, but the sound that comes out of it, the playability of it, the overall feel of it, it's the best acoustic guitar I've ever owned to date. I can't say enough good things about this guitar. Buy it. It's worth every penny.

I often switch between electric and acoustic guitar while playing at church. I was looking for a more comfortable acoustic that felt closer to an electric. When I saw the arm carve on this guitar, I wanted it. Then when my wife asked what I wanted for our 20 year anniversary, at first I said a silver sky…then the reality set in that I REALLY didn't need another electric, but my old Fender acoustic could use replacing. As soon as I started playing this one, I couldn't stop playing it. Now I often choose playing it over my electrics. Only this I wish it had was a 25 1/2" scale length…but that's for the next one.

I'm really not good or experienced enough to give an honest review. This is a comfortable guitar and holds nicely in your arms. The armrest groove really has no affect and is just marketing. I was baffled over the battery not working or always being dead until I read somewhere that a good Duracell or energizer battery does not have the exact fit. But cheap batteries do. So I bought a dozen pack of cheap china batteries and now they work fine. I like this guitar and it puts a smile on my face. The body is narrow which I like. I'm thinking about getting a GS Mini as well.

Great sound and feels good to play. The only problem that I have is that the battery seems to die quickly and it's difficult to insert and keep the cover closed...poor fit.

I bought this guitar when it was less expensive and I really enjoy it. The tone is great, the electronics work well, the arm bevel is a very nice touch, and it has a unique woody tone that the more expensive (and comparable) Taylor 114e doesn't seem to have. It was a tough decision between this and the 114e, but I ultimately chose this Taylor due towards the slightly scaled down size and comfort. To be honest, if I had to make this decision again, I would have bought the 114e, because it is not that much more expensive, and you get a lot more bang for your buck. If you're specifically looking for a smaller guitar, this is a great "in between" the GS mini and the 114e.

After reading lots of positive reviews online, I bought the Taylor Academy 12e Acoustic-electric. It really surprised me... but NOT in a good way.

It looks beautiful and has great tonality all the way up the neck, but everything else sounds like a nice 200 dollar guitar. Actually when I took it out of the box and started playing it, my first thought was, "where's the sound?"

The projection, sustain, richness, and depth of sound are all several notches below what I was hoping for. The low volume was the biggest surprise. When playing unplugged, I felt like I was listening to someone playing in another room. It's also unbalanced--the mid range dominates over the highs and lows. The action is nice, but that will probably have to be adjusted since both the A and D strings are buzzing pretty bad.

If you are always going to be plugged in, this might be a good guitar for you. The playability is descent (but NOT like the more expensive Taylors) and it doesn't really sound bad (other than the buzzing), I just expect a little bit more for $. I'd give it a higher rating if it cost half as much.

Overall, in comparing it to my beat up Alvarez that I bought $400 for 25 years ago, this Taylor sounds like its baby sister. After playing it for a while, desperately trying to find things to like about it, I've decided to return it. Fortunately, the folks at Sweetwater made that pretty easy.

This lacks in many areas. Do yourself a favor and get a GS mini or a 114. Taylor should discontinue this Academy lineup!