Taylor

105
april 2017 Guitarist
review TAYLOR ACADEMY SERIES 10E & 12E
and warped necks that some of us still
shudder at. Like a lot of Powers’ concepts,
it makes good sense and manifests in the
designs he’s worked on here.
The Academy aesthetic is simple. The
notably light hue of the solid Sitka spruce
here won’t be to some traditionalist tastes,
but it gives the guitars a clean, defined
look that, as we’ll find out, is reflective
of performance. Nevertheless, despite
the simple acrylic dot fret markers, it’s
not completely utilitarian; the laminated
birch and fiber rope braid design rosette is
understated but stylish.
Eyebrows will be raised at the sight of
the upper body’s armrest. It’s a high-end
feature we saw on last issue’s 814ce DLX,
but, again, it’s not here for cosmetic
purposes. The inclusion underlines
not just the Academy ‘form following
function’ manifesto, but also Taylor’s
approach to sustainability; this simplified
version is made from mahogany left over
from cutting neck blanks. While that’s
commendable, the choice of mahogany
sandwiched between the sapele and spruce
looks a little conspicuous for our liking.
In practice, though, it’s an inspired design
that can encourage a player to connect in
those crucial first moments when interest
with a guitar can switch to a must-have. It
does this by physically making the guitar
easier to bring closer to the player’s body,
and is especially beneficial on the larger
dreadnought 10e.
T
he idea that newcomers to the
world of acoustic have never
had it so good could be a double-
edged sword for those who find it hard to
settle on their guitar choice. As the level
of instrument quality your money buys
continues to increase, so does the list of
options out there. The last few years have
seen interesting developments from some
of the acoustic world’s biggest names:
Martin embraced the beginner and budget-
conscious side of the market with its
Dreadnought Juniors, and Guild’s Westerly
series affirmed its commitment to the
entry-level buyer. But before them, Taylor
was putting its instruments into new hands
thanks to the Baby and GS Mini travel-sized
lines. Now the Californians have turned
their attention to a full-size series that could
put a Taylor in reach of aspiring players
sooner. And we’re all ears.
“It’s important to give a beginning player
the most comfortable, gratifying experience
to make a welcoming first impression,”
says Taylor’s master luthier Andy Powers
of the genesis behind the Academy Series.
“Ironically, in many respects, a player who
is just beginning deserves the best-playing
guitar,” he adds. “An experienced player
can make almost anything work; they’ll
simply appreciate a good guitar more. But
when you’re starting out, you really need
everything going for you.”
It’s an idea that shatters those first guitar
memories of cheese-gratingly high action
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A brand new series aimed at entry-level players certainly sounds very
promising on paper, but how does it fare in practice?
TAYLOR ACADEMY SERIES 10E
& 12E
BOTH £659
What You Need To Know
Are entry-level models really a
new thing for Taylor?
The company has certainly reached
out to that side of the market before
with Mexican-made models such
as the Baby, Big Baby, GS Mini and
full-size 114 and 110, but this is its first
series aimed squarely at new players
and those who want to experience a
Taylor at a lower price point.
Are all the models electro?
There are three models in the series
currently and each one is available in
electro and non-electro options: the
grand concert 12 and dreadnought 10
we have here, and 12-N nylon grand
concert. The Academy Series uses
Taylor’s ES-B, an offset of the ES-2
concept already used on lower-end
guitars such as the Baby and Big Baby
Taylor electros.
What’s that on the lower bout?
It’s an armrest, previously seen on
Taylor’s premium high-end models
and now brought to the Academy
Series for comfort that could be
beneficial to all players, not just
the beginners.
Words Rob Laing Photography Neil Godwin
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GIT418.rev_taylor.indd 105 2/22/17 3:12 PM