[donlyn]

Taylor Grand Concert 12 strings (Taylor 552ce cedar)

I like playing 12 string guitar.

Might have bought an X-braced 552 when they came out, but a combination of factors worked against it.
Never got to play one.
No stores in the Greater Boston/Eastern MA area had any.
I like(d) the sound of a big body Jumbo better.
And I was able to get a used Taylor 458e-R (R for rosewood) Grand Orchestra in great shape.
So it was no contest. All my guitars are X-braced, and I guess so are my ears.

If i ever come across an X-braced 552, I might have some choices to make, but it might not happen anyway. I did get to play a couple of the other Taylor Grand Concert 12 strings and kind of liked them overall, but none of them really whispered "buy me".

More than happy with my two Taylor 12 strings, and also my two Guild 12 strings. I also have a 2512 arch-back in addition to the 1512. I got the 1512 all solid-wood rosewood version with no electronics on board and it was noticeably less expensive. And it comes with a great well padded gig bag that makes a huge difference. It is also noticeably better than the 2512 version. I wanted a laminate because of some very humid times of the year around here, and large body solid wood guitars can sound a little wonky in wicked high humidity.

Net result is that a 1512 is a far better buy in terms of bang-for-the-buck than the 2512 for not much more scratch. Tone is better, tuners are better, and it also feels a bit better. But they do sound different, which can be important too.

I tune my 12 string guitars to D# and fingerpick all my instruments using my nails as picks.

Be well and play well,

Don
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