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New Taylor Academy 12e Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural

6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar with Spruce Top, Walnut Back and Sides, Maple Neck, and Ebony Fingerboard - Natural
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Taylor Academy 12e Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural
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Taylor Craftsmanship Meets Empowered Learning

Whether you’re a student or set for the stage, Taylor’s Academy series is a superb choice for any guitarist seeking a slimmed-down, stripped-back 6-string with signature Taylor tone. Refreshed with a remarkably responsive torrefied spruce top and crisp-sounding walnut back and sides, this Grand Auditorium-sized instrument delivers lush sonic depth and perfect string-to-string balance when played unplugged. The neck’s premium specs more than match this guitar’s top-notch body construction, with a stout shaft of maple supporting a gorgeous ebony fingerboard. You also get excellent Taylor ES-B electronics that allow you to effortlessly take the stage with dynamic and rich-sounding acoustic-electric tones. The Academy series is built not just for the extra mile but also for the long haul — grab yours from Sweetwater today.

Comfortable from your first chord

Taylor really has gone the extra mile in crafting Academy Series acoustic guitars. Not only do they boast the company's legendary quality, but they are jam-packed with revolutionary touches that make them supremely playable for beginners and seasoned players alike. The most obvious addition is the built-in armrest for softening the contact point between the guitar's body and the player's arm. The guitar's neck is a bit shorter, softening the action of the strings. And light-gauge strings are used to further create an instant bond between fingertips and the guitar's sleek ebony fretboard.

Perfectly worn-in spruce top

It’s an almost universally accepted fact among musicians that acoustic instruments develop a more mellow and responsive tone over time, often taking a lifetime’s worth of breaking in until they reach their full sonic potential. For those of us who would rather skip ahead a few decades of hard-won tonewood aging, Taylor’s cutting-edge torrefaction process perfectly mimics the feel of an aged top right out of the box. How does it work? By roasting this guitar’s spruce top in a specialized oven, Taylor dramatically accelerates the natural “opening up” of the top to capture all the touch-sensitive resonance and lush vibrance of an acoustic guitar that’s been played in for years.

Plug-in anytime

The onboard Taylor ES-B electronics let you plug the Academy 12e in at a moment’s notice. The ES-B system is one of the most natural and warm-sounding acoustic-electric designs on the market because it’s based on elements of Taylor's acclaimed Expression System 2. ES-B’s separate volume and EQ sliders allow you to tweak your sound to perfection, and an onboard tuner ensures pitch-perfect performances every time.

Taylor Academy 12e Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:

  • Grand Concert body shape’s slim articulate profile is perfect for fingerstyle
  • Torrefied spruce top provides a rich, resonant, and aged-in response from first strum
  • Layered walnut back and sides sculpt sound with depth and dimension
  • Hard-rock maple neck with ebony fingerboard and a slim profile is easy to play
  • 1.6875-inch nut width creates a softer string feel for easier fretting and less fatigue
  • Nubone nut and micarta saddle enhance vibrational transfer from string to body
  • Closed-back Taylor tuners enhance tuning stability
  • Taylor ES-B electronics feature a built-in tuner and tone/volume controls

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

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Tech Specs

  • String Type: Steel
  • Number of Strings: 6
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Academy 12e Grand Concert
  • Back & Sides Wood: Layered Walnut
  • Top Wood: Torrefied Spruce
  • Top Finish: Matte
  • Color: Natural
  • Body Bracing: Academy Series Bracing
  • Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple
  • Neck Shape: Standard Carve
  • Radius: 15"
  • Fingerboard Material: Crelicam Ebony
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Italian Acrylic Dots
  • Number of Frets: 20
  • Scale Length: 24.875"
  • Nut Width: 1.6875"
  • Nut/Saddle Material: Tusq/Micarta
  • Bridge Material: Crelicam Ebony
  • Tuning Machines: Die-cast Chrome
  • Electronics: Taylor ES-B 1.2
  • Strings: D'Addario XS Coated, .012-.053
  • Case/Gig Bag: Softshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: FA03033017007951000

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

The Impossible Guitar

I tore my rotator cuff in my shoulder. 4 hour gigs with my 2002 Taylor 314 are out. Actually I can't play it 10 minutes, the angle is wrong and my shoulder ends up with an ice pick in it. So the plan was to try a smaller concert size Taylor and see if it was playable then get an 812CE... BUT, the Academy 12e is so good, I am having a real hard time justifying buying the 812. The Academy 12e does everything I need a guitar to do. It was 100% set up out of the box. The action is low and fast, no buzz anywhere. It's actually one of the best playing guitars I own and it is even better than my 2022 American Pro II Tele with a custom set up job. So I need an acoustic guitar for gigging with a 5 piece country and southern rock band. I run through a Fender Acoustic Junior (soon to be replaced with the Circa 74,) and then out to the board and through the PA. The amp is my monitor or used for a house mix in smaller venues. The Academy works perfectly, is easy to play and sounds great. But it's a "student" guitar... Is it really worth another $to not play a "student" guitar? At gigs where a drunk might throw up on it? I got the money, I want the 812... But really?

Another thing I learned, it's the arm rest built into the Academy that makes it playable with my shoulder. I might try to add an arm rest to my 314 and see how I get on, that's an option. I might also just gig with the Academy 12e. It really is that good and worth every penny. The arm rest is amazing at this price point, as is the whole guitar really. I just can't believe Taylor pulled this off at this level of quality at this price.
Music background: Both kinds, Country AND Western...

As one of the nation's top Taylor Guitars dealers, Sweetwater receives regular on-site training from Bob, Andy, and the rest of the Taylor crew. We're also, many of us, Taylor players ourselves, and we're happy to steer you in the right direction once you're ready to make the leap. New to Taylor? Our Find Your Fit guide simplifies Taylor body shapes, woods, and series. Longtime player? Our Taylor Custom Shop, annual limited editions, and in-house mods offer a level of exclusivity you won't find in stores. Whatever your pleasure, Sweetwater's climate-controlled warehouse and 55-point Inspection ensure your Taylor guitar arrives ready to play just as the manufacturer intended.

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