Designed with new players in mind, the Taylor Academy 12's compact Grand Concert body, solid torrefied spruce top, and easy-playing Taylor Neck offer a comfortable, accessible experience to guitarists of all ability levels. The solid torrefied spruce top generates projection, clarity, and volume with a splash of played-in sweetness and depth thanks to Taylor's special roasting process. This all-acoustic, non-cutaway model features a built-in armrest that takes the edge off your strumming arm for greater playing comfort, making it a perfect option for learners seeking a guitar that will grow with them. It ships with a lightweight gig bag for transportation between lessons, practice sessions, and anywhere else your music takes you.

Whether you’re a student or set for the stage, Taylor’s Academy series is a superb choice for any guitarist seeking a slimmed-down, stripped-back 6-string with signature Taylor tone. Refreshed with a remarkably responsive torrefied spruce top and crisp-sounding walnut back and sides, this Grand Concert-sized instrument delivers lush sonic depth and perfect string-to-string balance. The neck’s premium specs more than match this guitar’s top-notch body construction, with a stout shaft of maple supporting a gorgeous ebony fingerboard.

Comfortable from your first chord Taylor really has gone the extra mile in crafting Academy Series acoustic guitars. Not only do they boast the company's legendary quality, but they are jam-packed with revolutionary touches that make them supremely playable for beginners and seasoned players alike. The most obvious addition is the built-in armrest for softening the contact point between the guitar's body and the player's arm. The guitar's neck is a bit shorter, softening the action of the strings. And light-gauge strings are used to further create an instant bond between fingertips and the guitar's sleek ebony fretboard.

Perfectly worn-in spruce top It’s an almost universally accepted fact among musicians that acoustic instruments develop a more mellow and responsive tone over time, often taking a lifetime’s worth of breaking in until they reach their full sonic potential. For those of us who would rather skip ahead a few decades of hard-won tonewood aging, Taylor’s cutting-edge torrefaction process perfectly mimics the feel of an aged top right out of the box. How does it work? By roasting this guitar’s spruce top in a specialized oven, Taylor dramatically accelerates the natural “opening up” of the top to capture all the touch-sensitive resonance and lush vibrance of an acoustic guitar that’s been played in for years.

Taylor Academy 12 Acoustic Guitar Features:

• Grand Concert body shape’s slim, articulate profile is perfect for fingerstyle
• Torrefied spruce top provides a rich, resonant, and aged-in response from the first strum
• Layered walnut back and sides sculpt sound with depth and dimension
• Hard-rock maple neck with ebony fingerboard and a slim profile is easy to play
• 1.6875-inch nut width creates a softer string feel for easier fretting and less fatigue
• Nubone nut and micarta saddle enhance vibrational transfer from string to body
• Closed-back Taylor tuners enhance tuning stability

Tech Specs

• String Type: Steel
• Number of Strings: 6
• Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
• Body Shape: Academy 12 Grand Concert
• Back & Sides Wood: Layered Walnut
• Top Wood: Torrefied Spruce
• Top Finish: Matte
• Color: Natural
• Body Bracing: Academy Series Bracing
• Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple
• Neck Shape: Standard Carve
• Radius: 15"
• Fingerboard Material: Crelicam Ebony
• Fingerboard Inlay: Italian Acrylic Dots
• Number of Frets: 20
• Scale Length: 24.875"
• Nut Width: 1.6875"
• Nut/Saddle Material: Tusq/Micarta
• Bridge Material: Crelicam Ebony
• Tuning Machines: Die-cast Chrome
• Strings: D'Addario XS Coated, .012-.053
• Case/Gig Bag: Softshell Case
• Manufacturer Part Number: FA03033000007951000