[Matt McGriff]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Nice choice, boto. Your rationale is spot-on for where you’re at in your guitar journey. The Academy series sits nicely in that GC size at a very affordable price that you’d otherwise have to opt for much more expensive 312 to get. With a bevel to boot, it’s a great choice.

I’m in the market for a Taylor to leave at my SW Florida vacation home. So yesterday, a playing buddy joined me for a visit to the local Guitar Center during a quiet time of day. For the most part, we were alone in the acoustic room. I had called before going and knew that they had all the models in stock that I wanted to try...a 214ceDLX, a 114ce, an Academy A12e, a Big Baby, a GSMini and a 150e 12 string. My buddy and I took turns listening to and playing each. We were in agreement. For my needs, I’ll likely be getting a 214ceDLX and a 150e-12. We were both surprised at how good the Big Baby sounded. The A12 was next in terms of tone, but the size and playability, especially with the bevel was really nice.

There are no bad decisions when it comes to these lower cost Taylors and again, boto, all considered for what you know you need and like, the A12 is a fine choice. Although it looks great in its simplicity, I’ve seen some owners add a pickguard, truss rod cover and abalone bridge bins to dress it up a bit which looks great too. Below is an example...





Enjoy your A12!!!

Hey, that’s mine! Agree completely-I really like the A12e. Even though it will work great as a beginner guitar I also think it is a guitar that you can enjoy playing even as you become more experienced as a player. Enjoy it!