Introduction
For over four decades, Taylor Guitars has been an industry leader in crafting premium acoustic guitars known for their exceptional playability, tone and build quality. Based in California, the company combines innovative design and cutting-edge technology with a passion for fine woodworking to create instruments that inspire musicians around the world.
The 612ce is one of Taylor’s flagship Grand Concert models, featuring a compact yet extremely resonant body shape made from all solid tonewoods. This 12-fret guitar has a torrefied Sitka spruce top and figured maple back and sides, which give it a rich, complex voice. The ES2 pickup and preamp system allows plugging in for amplified performance. With Taylor’s signature playability and exquisite attention to detail, the 612ce provides an outstanding playing experience suitable for various styles.
Body Style and Dimensions
The Taylor 612ce features the company’s popular Grand Concert body shape. This is a compact yet versatile size designed for comfort and playability. The Grand Concert has a total length of 20 inches, a width of 15.5 inches, and a body depth of 4 5/16 inches. This makes it noticeably shallower than Taylor’s Dreadnought models.
The result is a lightweight feel and an easier playing experience, especially for smaller hands. The narrow waist allows for easy upper fret access as well. Despite its reduced dimensions, the Grand Concert still produces a balanced and projecting tone. It’s an excellent choice for fingerstyle playing and more delicate musical styles where a booming low end is not required.
The compact Grand Concert shape with its shallow body depth gives the 612ce an extremely comfortable and hand-friendly playing experience. It’s an ideal fit for players of smaller stature or those simply wanting a more portable acoustic.
Tonewoods
The 612ce utilizes premium tonewoods that give it a beautifully balanced and responsive acoustic tone. The back and sides are crafted from solid maple, which provides crispness, definition and a balanced tonality. Maple has less overtones than rosewood, resulting in a focused and articulate voice. The torrefied Sitka spruce top contributes to a slightly compressed and seasoned tone, with a smooth high end and rich overtones in the midrange. The spruce provides the width and air in the tone, while the maple tightens it up with a clear low end and shimmering highs. Together, these tonewoods create great clarity across the tonal spectrum, with enough warmth and bass to prevent the guitar from sounding thin or bright. The solid wood construction allows the guitar to blossom and open up with age, as the woods mature and resonate more freely. Taylor’s pairing of maple and torrefied spruce is an ideal combination for fingerstyle and acoustic solo playing.
V-Class Bracing for Optimal Resonance
One of the most notable features of the 612ce is Taylor’s innovative V-Class bracing pattern. Rather than the traditional X-bracing found on most acoustic guitars, the 612ce utilizes Taylor’s proprietary V-Class bracing. This non-traditional bracing pattern optimizes the vibration and resonance of the top, leading to improved volume, sustain, and tonal balance.
The unique asymmetric design of the V-Class bracing allows the top to move more freely and uniformly. The braces are positioned off-center from the guitar’s midline, resulting in a more efficient transfer of string vibration through the top wood. This not only boosts volume and projection, but also enhances the richness and complexity of the 612ce’s tone.
According to Taylor, their V-Class system reduces unwanted overtones in the treble frequencies while increasing the guitar’s bass response. It enables the top to vibrate as a more homogeneous unit, resulting in a very balanced and articulate sound. Strummed rhythms sound fuller and more defined, while fingerstyle playing reveals the nuances of every note.
Overall, the V-Class bracing gives the 612ce Grand Concert body a remarkably responsive and resonant voice. It’s a major part of this guitar’s acoustic power and tonal capabilities. For players who demand volume along with complexity, the 612ce’s bracing design is a defining feature.
Neck Profile and Scale
The Taylor 612ce features a 12-fret neck configuration, which shortens the scale length and shifts the bridge position closer to the center of the lower bout. This results in a warmer, punchier tone with enhanced midrange presence and tight bass.
The scale length measures 24-7/8", which is shorter than the 25.5" scale of most steel-string acoustics. This shorter scale length reduces string tension, making it easier to fret notes and facilitating intricate fingerstyle playing.
The neck has a slim taper profile that gets progressively thicker as you move up toward the 12th fret. It strikes a comfortable balance between modern shred-friendly necks and vintage clubby profiles. The silky satin finish allows for incredibly smooth and fast playing across the fingerboard.
Overall, the 12-fret design with a shorter scale creates an extremely playable neck that caters to fingerstylists and intermediate players looking for an accessible yet responsive acoustic. The slim profile is inviting and comfortable, while still providing substance for solid grip and control.
Fretboard and Bridge
The Taylor 612ce features a high quality ebony fretboard and bridge. Ebony is prized in acoustic guitars for its hardness, durability, and ability to produce clear, bell-like tones. The ebony fretboard has a radiused edge for smooth playability up and down the neck.
It is paired with a Tusq nut and compensated saddle, both made by Graph Tech. Tusq is a synthetic alternative to bone or ivory that provides consistent sustain and resonance. The compensated saddle is precision shaped to ensure accurate intonation across all six strings. This quality nut and saddle combination allows the 612ce to sing with exceptional clarity.
The fretboard itself has simple dot inlays along with a decorative mosaic-style inlay surrounding the soundhole. Overall the fretboard and bridge appointments showcase Taylor’s fine attention to detail in crafting their high-end acoustic guitars. The components not only look beautiful but also contribute to the 612ce’s musicality.
Electronics and Controls
The Taylor 612ce comes equipped with Taylor’s ES2 pickup and preamp system, which utilizes three uniquely positioned and blended pickup sensors to accurately capture the guitar’s dynamic tonal range.
The small profile preamp features simple but effective tone shaping controls including individual bass and treble knobs for EQ adjustment. There is also a volume control and built-in tuner. The preamp has been ergonomically designed to be out of the way while playing but easily accessible when needed.
The three pickup sensors include one each behind the saddle, on the soundboard below the end of the fingerboard, and under the bridge plate. This allows the ES2 system to blend together the direct string vibration, top vibration, and body resonance for a balanced amplified tone.
Taylor’s proprietary pickup blends and mic preamp deliver a very natural amplified acoustic sound without excessive coloring of the guitar’s inherent tone. The EQ controls allow players to shape the bass and treble response to suit different playing styles from delicate fingerpicking to aggressive strumming.
Overall the ES2 electronics provide an accurate and nuanced amplification of the 612ce that retains the vibrancy and organic wood resonance of the all-maple body. It’s a great system for performing live, recording in the studio, or just practicing at home.
Unplugged Sound
The Taylor 612ce delivers impressive projection and dynamic range when played unplugged. The compact Grand Concert body provides a balanced and focused tone that fills a room, while the solid maple back and sides add warmth and complexity.
The torrefied spruce top is responsive and articulate, allowing the 612ce to capture the nuances in fingerstyle playing exceptionally well. Notes ring out with clarity even during complex passages. There’s a crystalline and shimmery quality in the overtones that complements intricate playing.
The V-Class bracing helps the 612ce push a lot of volume for its body size. It can easily keep up with light strumming while retaining note separation. The dynamic range is wide – the guitar responds well whether you’re picking gently or digging in more aggressively.
Overall, the unplugged sound of the Taylor 612ce is versatile for both fingerstylists and strummers. It’s got the projection to be heard and the tonal complexity to handle intricate arrangements. The compact body belies the fullness of its acoustic tone.
Playability
The Taylor 612ce’s playability is defined by its comfortable neck profile, ideal string tension, and factory setup. Taylor necks are known for their slim, fast-playing profiles that feel great in the hand. The 612ce features their Pattern V-Class neck shape, which has a rounded back contour for comfort and features a 1-11/16" nut width for excellent fretting ease.
The shorter 24-7/8” scale length also contributes to the 612ce’s easy playability, as the reduced string tension makes bends smooth and vibrato relaxed. The light .012-.053 string set it comes equipped with enhances this slick feel further. The factory setup from Taylor is impressive as well, with the action measuring just under 2/32" on the treble side and 4/32" on the bass side. This facilitates intricate fingerstyle playing across the ebony fretboard, while remaining buzz-free during harder strumming. Overall, the 612ce’s slim neck, low string tension, and ideal setup combine to make this one of the most comfortable and playable acoustic-electrics around.
Comparable Guitars
The Taylor 612ce occupies a fairly unique niche as a premium 12-fret Grand Concert model, but there are some comparable options worth considering:
Other 12-Fret Taylors
-
The Taylor 712ce is very similar but steps things up with rosewood back and sides. It offers a slightly warmer, richer tone.
-
The all-mahogany Taylor 512ce 12-Fret provides a mellower, darker sound compared to the 612ce.
-
Taylor’s American Dream series AD12 Blacktop has a similar 12-fret Grand Concert shape in an all-black aesthetic.
Alternatives from Other Brands
-
Martin’s 000-12 Fret model has the same compact shape and 12-fret configuration. It’s an all-solid wood guitar with a Sitka spruce top.
-
Gibson’s SJ-200 Studio 12-string captures the jangly 12-string sound in a reduced body size.
-
Larrivée’s 12-fret 03 series, such as the L-03 koa, offer comparable small-bodied 12-frets.
-
Blueridge makes an affordable 12-fret cittern guitar with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides.
While none offer an exact apples-to-apples comparison, these provide some alternatives in the 12-fret parlor-style category from other leading acoustic brands.