Unique Taylor Academy 12 (Flame Maple Back and Sides??)

[darylcrisp]

wonder if it was a taylor factory prototype, they do things like this at times and sale them i think at certain times thru the year at the factory. i think it looks really sweet, and it could have a nice tone. i like the academy series. if you don't buy it please let me know, i'd like to inquire.

i picked up a prototype Flatiron mandolin a while back, a one off with an interesting back story. its a killer mandolin. has similar looking maple on the back. everybody that has heard it say they are blown away by it.

[gr81dorn]

Taylor does do "Demo" models all the time and do eventually sell them and it's often overlooked because they end up usually changing to that spec and it blends in with the standard version.

They did some maple necks before they fully switched over to them for the Academy, 100 series, etc.

I wouldn't be suprised if they move the academy to maple veneers in line with their move to maple necks - sustainability and access to lumber. Bob's lumber interests have driven much of their decisions in recent years and they're sound from a business sense as much as they are environmentally.

[mgstax]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

wonder if it was a taylor factory prototype, they do things like this at times and sale them i think at certain times thru the year at the factory. i think it looks really sweet, and it could have a nice tone. i like the academy series. if you don't buy it please let me know, i'd like to inquire.
.

I wasn't really comfortable, so he allowed me to cancel the order.

[mgstax]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

i picked up a prototype Flatiron mandolin a while back, a one off with an interesting back story. its a killer mandolin. has similar looking maple on the back. everybody that has heard it say they are blown away by it.

No apparent "back story" to this one. In email he said the stamp usually indicates a refurbished or factory second, but the guitar is in excellent shape with no noticeable flaws. A good back story would most likely have compelled me to stay in.

[darylcrisp]

Thanks. I checked and he has it priced $100 higher than what I can get a new one, and wants $60 to ship.
Neat looking guitar. Would be interested to hear it with all that maple, it might be good, but it might be kinda thin sounding. The maple necks have thinned the tone out on these vs the original sapele, to my ears.
Thanks
d

[mgstax]

The maple is certainly layered, so won't sound much, if any, different from layered sapele. Read and article in Taylor's magazine where Bob Taylor said that there isn't a difference in sound when using different veneers for "all wood" layered back and sides, as Taylor does.

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by mgstax

The maple is certainly layered, so won't sound much, if any, different from layered sapele. Read and article in Taylor's magazine where Bob Taylor said that there isn't a difference in sound when using different veneers for "all wood" layered back and sides, as Taylor does.

In the 214s there can be audible tonal differences with regards to the layered rosewood,koa,and seems like there's been another wood used on those. I've found a similar difference in GS minis, had quite a few pass thru for setup and there's always been telling differences between the sapele, rosewood,koa. I don't put those differences just on the individual instrument because they've seemed consistent.
The larger factor is that maple neck,imo. That can tighten/brighten a tone quickly.
Still, a very pretty guitar, love to try it.

[John Arnold]

The maple is certainly layered, so won't sound much, if any, different from layered sapele.

I would agree, but that back looks like solid wood to me. Check the edge of the back in the photo of the end of the body.
The side laminations are clearly visible at the armrest section.
This is likely a prototype, probably sold after it was displayed at a trade show.

[mgstax]

Look at the picture with the tuner - Looks like layered back to me. Surely I could be wrong...

[gr81dorn]

It’s for sure layered. You can tell in a couple
Photos but mostly by the fact that Taylor wouldn’t use highly flamed back and side set on their lowest level guitar.

[taylor800]

I have the Taylor academy 12e nylon string guitar with the flame maple back and sides. It also has “used “ stamp on the back of the head stock. This guitar was purchased through reverb. Great little guitar. Every other Taylor academy guitar is Sapele back and sides. Do I have something unique?

[beninma]

I would expect this to be some kind of Andy Powers prototype.. but the question is how or why did it get out of the factory?

The other weird thing with this one is it has the wood overlay on the headstock and the maple neck.

Those are both later features on these guitars, which point towards it being something else or a prototype from when they made the switchover.

I have a 2017 Academy 12e. Mine is plastic overlay, mahogany neck, layered Sapele b/s.

I remember going in 2019 to the factory and they had an A12e in the showroom that was: Wood overlay, mahogany neck, layered sapele b/s.

By 2020 they were changed to wood overlay, maple neck, layered sapele b/s.

So Taylor has certainly changed them without talking much about it.

I actually like the look of mine better than the later ones. It'd be interesting to know the build date on this one. I kind of wonder if they would have tried this when they were switching the neck to Maple. The lighter body on this one matches the neck better, just like the Mahogany neck matched the layered sapele look. I kind of think the current ones look mismatched.

[Lewis S]

These were made for the Japanese market to show sustainable woods. A few prototypes remained in the US. They sound the same as the sapele laminates, they just look better.