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Academy 12e
6-String | Torrefied Spruce Top | Walnut Back and Sides | Mahogany or Maple Neck | Ebony or Eucalyptus (based on availability) Fretboard | ES-B Electronics | Non-cutaway
6-String | Torrefied Spruce Top | Walnut Back and Sides | Mahogany or Maple... More
Series:
Academy
UPC: #00887766127543
Note: Each guitar has unique visual traits due to differences in wood grain. Guitars ordered through this website or found in stores may feature minor visual variations from the ones pictured here.
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For model availability, check with an authorized Taylor dealer near you. (See local options below.)
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Left!
Preorder Today
Coming Soon!
Call to order!
For model availability, check with an authorized Taylor dealer near you. (See local options below.)
Get It Today Locally
Responsibly Sourced Materials
Materiales obtenidos de forma responsable.
Taylor está comprometido con el abastecimiento ético de materiales y la búsqueda continua de prácticas más sostenibles.
Gig Bag Included
Lightweight, portable, and protective Gig Bag included at no extra charge.
Lifetime Warranty with Registration
Garantía de por vida con registro
Factory Expert Service & Support
Servicio y Soporte Técnico de Fábrica
Responsive customer service from factory experts trained to help you get the most out of your guitar.
Expertos en servicio al cliente de fábrica capacitados para ayudarte a aprovechar al máximo tu guitarra.
Overview
- Solid torrefied spruce top for seasoned warmth and depth
- Compact Grand Concert body with an inviting feel
- Taylor Neck makes fretting notes and chords easier
- Built-in armrest for enhanced playing comfort
- Includes electronics, built-in tuner and lightweight gig bag
Overview
Academy 12e
Built with a solid spruce top and layered walnut back and sides, the compact, inviting Academy 12e offers an approachable playing experience for guitarists of all skill levels. The torrefied spruce top, treated with our special roasting process, serves up bold sound with plenty of projection and a touch of aged-in warmth and sweetness. The armrest carved into the lower bout makes for a more comfortable feel for your strumming arm, while the Taylor neck features a slender profile that accommodates your fretting hand, making this a great choice for new learners. With built-in ES-B electronics for easy amplification and a padded gig bag for transportation, the Academy 12e is more than ready for the next step in your musical journey.
Features
A Comfortable Playing Experience for Learners and Experts
A smaller-bodied guitar with ergonomic contours, a built-in pickup and a bold, articulate sound, the Academy 12e is a pleasure to play.
Grand Concert
A compact shape with a clear, articulate voice, strong sustain, and a highly touch-sensitive, expressive response.
Walnut
Walnut’s crisp highs are balanced by a deep, woody low end that emerges as the guitar is played in.
The Taylor Neck
Introduced in 1999, the patented Taylor Neck offers legendary playing comfort, exceptional intonation and easy adjustability.
Torrefied Spruce
Treated with our special roasting process, torrefied spruce tops deliver all the clarity, balance and projection you’d expect from a traditional spruce top with an extra dash of warmth and played-in depth.
Specifications
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Number of Strings 6 String
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Orientation Right Handed
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Body Shape Grand Concert
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Bracing System X Bracing
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Cutaway Non-cutaway
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Color Natural
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Electronics ES-B
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Questions & Answers
Preguntas frecuentes
11 questions
Were any Academy 12e guitars ever made in the US? Thanks.
No. They have always been manufactured in Tecate, Mexico.
What string gauge comes out of factory and what brand ?
D'Addario XS lights (012"-053")
What is the fretboard wood?
Ebony.
Will Taylor Academy 12e fit in Taylor (Grand Concert) Deluxe Brown Hardshell Case?
The guitar is a little small for that case. You may want to take a look at the TKL Grand Concert series cases.
What strings do i use for the Taylor Academy 12e acoustic guitar?
D'Addario XS lights (012"-053")
Show all 11 questions
What kind of finish is on this guitar?
Water based Acrylic, matte.
Nut size on the Academy 12e and Academy 10?
1 11/16"
What is the scale length on the Academy 22e?
24-7/8"
Are the back and sides wood or are they layered?
Both, they are layered wood. Outer layer of Walnut with an inner core of poplar.
nut width?
1 11/16"
What Battery goes into guitar?
9 Volt.
Reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 from 7 ratings
Highly Recommend
I bought this guitar over a year ago and play almost every day. The guitar is very comfortable to play, and the quality is excellent with no issues. I like the size and beveled armrest very much. Highly recommend.
- How I Use It
- Home/Recreational
- Describe Yourself
- I've been playing for a while now
- Would you recommend this to a friend?
- Yes
I want a full refund
Neck reset 3 times and now it is maxxed. No more Taylor shims to insert.
Taken care of like all my guitars. Only this one gave me a problem.
Humidity is controlled and measured all through my house in Toronto.
I was sold a lemon in December 2022 that’s not fit for purpose. And I want a full refund.
Taken care of like all my guitars. Only this one gave me a problem.
Humidity is controlled and measured all through my house in Toronto.
I was sold a lemon in December 2022 that’s not fit for purpose. And I want a full refund.
- How I Use It
- Stage/Live Performance
- Describe Yourself
- I've played for many years
- Describe Yourself
- Mostly acoustic player
- Would you recommend this to a friend?
- No
We're sorry to hear about your experience and understand your frustration.
The first step would be to have the guitar evaluated by one of our certified Taylor service technicians in your area. They can inspect the instrument in person and determine exactly what is going on with the neck geometry and overall structure.
If a structural issue is identified, the technician can work directly with the factory to discuss possible solutions.
Certified Taylor service options near Toronto include:
Ryan Storkson
2616 Woodchester Drive
Mississauga, ON L5K 3Z7
Phone: 416-473-8629
Email: ryan.storkson@gmail.com
Aaron Law Guitar Repair
Ajax, ON L1S 2N1
Phone: 647-460-9663 (by appointment only)
Email: aaron.law.luthier@gmail.com
Once the guitar has been evaluated, we'll be in a much better position to determine the appropriate next steps.
The first step would be to have the guitar evaluated by one of our certified Taylor service technicians in your area. They can inspect the instrument in person and determine exactly what is going on with the neck geometry and overall structure.
If a structural issue is identified, the technician can work directly with the factory to discuss possible solutions.
Certified Taylor service options near Toronto include:
Ryan Storkson
2616 Woodchester Drive
Mississauga, ON L5K 3Z7
Phone: 416-473-8629
Email: ryan.storkson@gmail.com
Aaron Law Guitar Repair
Ajax, ON L1S 2N1
Phone: 647-460-9663 (by appointment only)
Email: aaron.law.luthier@gmail.com
Once the guitar has been evaluated, we'll be in a much better position to determine the appropriate next steps.
Very satisfied
Awesome guitar, especially for beginner to intermediate.
- How I Use It
- Home/Recreational
- How I Use It
- Stage/Live Performance
- Describe Yourself
- I've been playing for a while now
I love this guitar.
I have owned one of these for 6 months or so now. I went into my local UK guitar shop several times and tried a number of guitars but I kept coming back to this Taylor before I finally bought it. We're all individuals so our needs and expectations may be different however, for me there's no denying the clear, sweet and bell-like tone you get from this guitar. It's also very punchy for it's size. It has a lovely natural feel to it, there's a beautiful simplicity to the design and the materials used are flawless. I traded in a more expense guitar for this one but this Taylor is a much, much better guitar in my opinion. It certainly spoke to me, and most important of all it makes you want to pick it up and play it. Armrest is great, size is very comfortable, stays in tune for a long time and the action is instantly accessible. I'm an intermediate player but the sound I make has advanced with this guitar. Interestingly it also makes strumming more coherent. My old guitar always sounded like I hit the low-e too hard. With this all strings are ringing far more evenly when I strum. I recommend it.
- How I Use It
- Home/Recreational
- Describe Yourself
- I've been playing for a while now
- Describe Yourself
- I play both acoustic and electric
Good But Needs Improvement
I've only had it for a day and only played it for an hour, so this review is an "initial impression" one. It tuned up like a dream. The sound is clear and loud, but bass is lacking. I'm used to Dreadnought size & sound, and I wanted this smaller body because the Dred's are a touch too big for me, but I expected a bit more bottom-end on this guitar. I've played other similarly bodied guitars that have had more bottom. Machine heads are good and feel precise. Playing feels good. Subjectively, the fret board is wider and flatter than I'm used to, and my fingers don't magically land where they need to to play properly, but I surmise my other guitars neck's & fretboards must be very similar to each other, but different than this Taylor, and that all I need is more quality time being touchy-feely with the guitar. Objectively, the guitar's finish needs major improvement. In the Q&A, it lists the finish as "matte acrylic." It is certainly a matte finish. If there is acrylic there, it is a microscopic amount, so thin as to be invisible to the naked eye. When I got the guitar, I thought it was unfinished, until I read the Q&A. The body's sides are listed as walnut. There are very slight natural striations in the wood that this insufficiently generous acrylic layer should otherwise normally fill-in, but the acrylic is so very thin, these striations stand out visually. Pictures on the Web site are a tad deceiving when it comes to the guitar's finish, as other guitars are sometimes shown to illustrate some feature, like the neck joint, only the photo is of a different guitar. I've been saying great things to others about Taylor guitars for years. My experiences playing Taylor guitars was brief, but good. I've had a good experience with their pre-sales folks. They are one of the few pre-eminent acoustic guitar manufacturers, and they're right here in southern California maybe an hour & a half from where I live. Now i feel a bit like I've been jilted, that my generous praise wasn't rewarded by recieivng a spectacular guitar. Was I expecting too much? I don't think so. I read another review where someone complained about the nickel frets. I was under the impression that nickel-alloy frets were a pretty standard thing on guitars. I have a dozen other guitars and only one of them DOESN'T have nickel frets, and that's because it was custom made and a non-nickel material was specified for those frets. Nickel is a good fret material because it is smooth under the strings and plays well and feels good. it doesn't last forever, but nickel's softness helps the player out by not needing string changes as often as other harder fret materials would necessitate. I dinged the guitar one star for not playing like a super-beast out of the box and another star for the issue with the finish. Bottom line is that it is a well playing guitar that seems well put together, sounds amazingly clear, doesn't cost as much as most used cars do, and seems like it will serve me well, lasting until I can afford a guitar so nice that I'll barely have to touch it and it'll sing out the notes as if by magic.
- How I Use It
- Home/Recreational
- Describe Yourself
- I've been playing for a while now
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed and thoughtful review. We're glad to hear the guitar is already playing well and sounding clear right out of the box. Regarding the finish, you're absolutely right that it’s intentionally thin. Our open-pore, water-based acrylic finish is just 3 mils thick and designed to be minimal by design. This ultra-thin finish allows the guitar to vibrate more freely, contributing to its full tonal response and sonic character. It's part of what lets the instrument truly "drive" and perform at its fullest potential. We hope it continues to grow with you the more you play it, and we appreciate your honest feedback
Cheap fret materials
It's an okay guitar. I payed nearly 1200 canadian for one of these a few months ago.
The frets are made of cheap nickel which is why they don't tell you fret material in the specifications. I've owned guitars for years and am very disappointed that the frets are already corroding badly enough in some areas to create holes which need to be buffed and ground out.
2 out of 5, would not recommend.
The frets are made of cheap nickel which is why they don't tell you fret material in the specifications. I've owned guitars for years and am very disappointed that the frets are already corroding badly enough in some areas to create holes which need to be buffed and ground out.
2 out of 5, would not recommend.
- How I Use It
- Studio/Recording
- Describe Yourself
- I've played for many years
Hi Mike, thanks for your review and for reaching out. The frets on your Academy 12e are made from high-quality nickel silver, a trusted material used on many premium guitars. Fret tarnish can occur in certain environments, especially on frets that aren’t played often or in areas with high humidity. Oils, sweat, or even cloths stored in the case can contribute. A quick cleaning with 0000-grade steel wool will remove oxidation and restore shine. This doesn’t indicate poor quality, and regular cleaning can help prevent it. Let us know if we can walk you through the process or assist further.
Comfy playing, bright rich sound!
This beauty is a dream to play. It's got a rich bright sound with lots of deep tones, it feels easy on the hands and the armrest makes a great sounding instrument with a slightly smaller scale effortless to play. It sounds incredible with effects. Perfect for my Metallica needs. Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you Taylor.
- How I Use It
- Home/Recreational
- Describe Yourself
- I've played for many years
- Describe Yourself
- Mostly electric player
- Describe Yourself
- I play both acoustic and electric