Academy Series 12e-N

ManualsBrandsTaylor ManualsClassical GuitarsAcoustic guitar

aylor Academy’s proposition is proper

guitars for – in Taylor terms – not a

lot of money: making the “acoustic

guitar accessible to more players”. This nylon

string is also, by design, aimed at the younger

starter player. It might be entry level in terms

of Taylor’s range but, not least in this nylon

electro form, it’s hardly low-end with serious

competition from the likes of Yamaha and

Cordoba, who have ‘posher’ spec’d nylon

electros at the same, or lower, price-points.

Another example would be La Patrie – made

by Godin in Canada, who have taken the wraps

off a new four-strong Arena mini-range priced

£469-£799. While our model doesn’t include

a gigbag like the Taylor it’s well-spec’d and

much lower in price.

Taylor’s smallest full-scale shape, the Grand

Concert, is the perfect size for a ‘classical’

nylon-string. The 12e-N falls, slightly, into the

‘crossover’ style, not least with its ES-N under-

saddle and small-footprint basic preamp,

lightly cambered fingerboard and relatively

narrow neck. That said, its full depth and non-

Words Dave Burrluck Photography Olly Curtis

If you’re looking to find your nylon string

voice, take a look at these ‘entry level’

guitars from Mexico and Canada

Classic

Lines

GuitaRist NOVEMBER 2017

first play

TAYLOR ACADEMY 12E-N

£799

WHAT IS IT? 12-fret non-cutaway

nylon string electro from Taylor’s

entry-level Academy range

LA PATRIE ARENA CW Q1T

£469

12-fret cutaway thinline nylon

string electro from the Godin

brand La Patrie’s new stage-aimed

Arena series

If you’re looking to find your nylon string

voice, take a look at these ‘entry level’

GIT426.rev_taylor.indd 16 05/10/2017 14:18

Summary of content (5 pages)

PAGE 1
f i r st p l ay TAYLOR ACADEMY 12E-N £799 WHAT IS IT? 12-fret non-cutaway nylon string electro from Taylor’s entry-level Academy range LA PATRIE ARENA CW Q1T £469 12-fret cutaway thinline nylon string electro from the Godin brand La Patrie’s new stage-aimed Arena series Classic Lines If you’re looking to find your nylon string voice, take a look at these ‘entry level’ guitars from Mexico and Canada Words Dave Burrluck Photography Olly Curtis T aylor Academy’s proposition is proper guitars for – in Ta
PAGE 2
Video Demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra Taylor Academy 12e-N & La Patrie Arena CW Q1T first play NOVEMBER 2017 Guitarist GIT426.rev_taylor.
PAGE 3
first play TAYLOR ACADEMY 12E-N & LA PATRIE ARENA CW Q1T 2 3 1 cutaway style, not to mention its dot inlaid fingerboard, makes it look more like a 00/000 with the ‘wrong’ strings. In typical Taylor style, however, its build is as clean as a whistle.
PAGE 4
Video demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra TAYLOR ACADEMY 12E-N & LA PATRIE ARENA CW Q1T first play 1. The Taylor’s petite body size, slightly cambered neck and position markers move it away from the traditional classical design 2. Typically for a ‘crossover’ style nylon string the nut width is smaller than a concert classical guitar. That said, the string spacing maximises the width and is virtually identical to the string spacing of the La Patrie which comes with a wider neck 3.
PAGE 5
first play TAYLOR ACADEMY 12E-N & LA PATRIE ARENA CW Q1T Inspired by Godin’s unique Multiac series, the headstock here adds some modern class. Nuts on both guitars are made from Graph Tech’s Tusq Tuners – machineheads and the onboard digital tuner – work efficiently on both. The latter is extremely handy on a nylon string, as they take more time to settle to consistent pitch compared to steel. Plugged in the differences continue but, bearing in mind the price, they are narrowed.