Introduction
The Taylor Academy 10e is an affordable, quality acoustic-electric guitar designed with beginners and students in mind. Sporting a classic dreadnought body shape made from solid Sitka spruce on top and layered sapele back and sides, it delivers Taylor’s signature balanced tone and playability at a budget-friendly price point.
With its 25.5" scale mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, and built-in ES-B pickup system, the Academy 10e is equipped for both unplugged practice and plugged-in performance. It’s an ideal choice for those looking to buy their first serious acoustic-electric or step up from a basic beginner model. Players who want reliable Taylor craftsmanship without breaking the bank will find excellent value in the Academy 10e.
Body Shape and Construction
The Academy 10e features the classic dreadnought body shape, which is among the most popular and versatile acoustic guitar shapes. The wider waist and body provide a balanced tone across the frequency range, with plenty of volume and projection to fill a room.
The solid Sitka spruce top is the ideal tonewood for the dreadnought design. Sitka spruce emphasizes the treble and bass while bringing out the guitar’s dynamics. It’s lightweight and responsive, resulting in a lively acoustic tone. The layered sapele back and sides add warmth and definition to the midrange frequencies. Sapele is known for its clear, focused tone that complements the spruce top nicely.
The combination of a solid spruce top with layered sapele back and sides makes the 10e an excellent sounding acoustic for fingerpicking, strumming chords, and other playing styles. The dreadnought body shape projects the tone outward with ease, while the tonewoods provide a balanced and nuanced voice.
Sound & Tone
The Taylor Academy 10e produces a balanced, articulate tone that works well for a variety of musical styles. The dreadnought body shape helps project a clear, vibrant acoustic sound with good volume and sustain.
The solid Sitka spruce top contributes to the 10e’s brightness and clarity. It has an open, airy quality with a pleasing high-end response. Strumming and flatpicking are very responsive on this spruce top. The layered sapele back and sides add warmth to the tone, emphasizing the midrange frequencies. This gives the guitar a well-rounded sound.
Plugged in, the Taylor ES-B electronics system provides a natural amplified tone. The guitar retains its acoustic dynamics and resonance when playing through an amp or PA system. The onboard preamp allows for EQ shaping via the bass, midrange, and treble controls. Overall, the 10e performs admirably as an acoustic-electric guitar thanks to its versatile unplugged and plugged-in sound.
Playability & Feel
The Taylor Academy 10e has a very playable feel right out of the box. The neck shape is comfortable and accessible, with a profile that isn’t too slim or too chunky. It’s easy to wrap your hand around for chords and scales. The action is set nice and low from the factory, so you don’t have to press down hard to fret notes and chords up and down the neck. Even tricky barre chords don’t require an excessive amount of finger pressure to ring out cleanly.
The fretwork from Taylor’s skilled luthiers is impeccable; the frets are smoothly finished with no sharp edges whatsoever. The guitar gets top marks for craftsmanship and attention to detail. Intonation is accurate, so chords played in different positions up the neck stay relatively in tune. Overall, the Academy 10e feels like a much more expensive guitar in your hands. It’s lightweight and resonant, inviting you to keep playing for hours at a time.
Electronics and Controls
The Taylor Academy 10e comes equipped with Taylor’s ES-B pickup system, which utilizes an undersaddle piezo pickup and a discrete preamp. This allows you to easily amplify your guitar’s natural acoustic sound without compromising tone or dynamics.
The control layout is simple and intuitive. There are just three knobs – volume, bass, and treble. The volume knob controls your overall amplified volume. The bass and treble knobs allow you to shape your EQ and dial in your ideal amplified tone. There is also a built-in tuner, which is extremely convenient for quickly tuning up before performances or practice sessions.
When plugged in, the Taylor Academy 10e projects a very natural, well-balanced tone thanks to the ES-B system. The notes are clear and articulate, with good string separation. The electronics also handle higher gain very well, with minimal feedback issues even at louder volumes. This makes the Academy 10e a reliable stage and studio companion.
Overall, the electronics package on the Taylor Academy 10e punches well above its price class. Having pro-level features like the built-in tuner and discrete preamp makes this a great choice for gigging and recording guitarists, even those who aren’t beginners.
Craftsmanship and Finish
The Taylor Academy 10e showcases the exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail that Taylor is known for, even at this lower price point. The all-solid wood construction is flawless, with tight-fitting joints and no excess glue or gaps to be found.
The layered sapele back and sides have an attractive wood grain pattern that is smooth and blemish-free thanks to Taylor’s expert bookmatching technique. The natural satin finish allows the beauty of the solid Sitka spruce top to shine through while protecting the wood.
The fretwork is immaculate with smoothly dressed frets and rounded fretboard edges for comfort. The die-cast chrome tuners keep the guitar in tune reliably. Subtle cosmetic appointments like the acrylic small diamond fretboard inlays and black pickguard add understated elegance.
Overall the Taylor Academy 10e looks, feels, and plays like a much more expensive instrument thanks to Taylor’s flawless craftsmanship. While it doesn’t have premium appointments and exotic woods, it certainly doesn’t look or feel like a budget beginner model. The quality and attention to detail make this an impressive guitar for the price.
Value For Money
The Taylor Academy 10e provides excellent value for money given its quality and price point. Many comparable beginner acoustic-electric guitars from major brands like Yamaha, Fender, and Epiphone retail for around the same $500-600 price range but don’t offer the same level of craftsmanship and tonewoods that the Academy 10e does.
The use of solid Sitka spruce on the top and layered sapele back and sides, along with Taylor’s quality control and attention to detail, mean this guitar punches above its weight class in terms of sound. The built-in ES-B electronics also make this a very capable plugged-in acoustic-electric for gigs and live playing.
Another area where the Academy 10e provides great value is Taylor’s excellent warranty and customer service. As with all Taylor guitars, the Academy 10e comes with a lifetime limited warranty to the original owner that covers defects in materials and workmanship. Should any issues arise, Taylor has a reputation for helpful and responsive customer service to quickly resolve any problems.
When weighing the construction quality, tonewoods used, electronics, playability, warranty, and the Taylor brand name, the Academy 10e emerges as an outstanding value for players looking for an affordable way to get into the Taylor acoustic family. There are few other beginner acoustic-electrics that can match the Academy 10e at this price point.
Who is the Taylor Academy 10e Best For?
The Taylor Academy 10e is an ideal choice for several types of players:
Beginners
As an entry-level model, the Academy 10e is a fantastic first guitar. The combination of quality tonewoods, easy playability and built-in electronics make it a guitar that will support a beginner’s development for years to come. Even as skills progress, the 10e has enough depth in its design to not hold players back. The accessible price point also makes it less of an investment for new players just starting out.
Students
For music students who need a reliable acoustic-electric for lessons and practice, the Academy 10e hits all the right notes. It has a vibrant, balanced tone for playing diverse musical styles. The comfortable neck and low action facilitate learning chords and scales. And the onboard electronics provide flexibility when amplifying is needed. Students can feel confident bringing the 10e along to lessons and band rehearsals.
Gigging Musicians
The Taylor Academy 10e is a workhorse acoustic-electric suitable for gigging and live performance. It’s well-made enough to handle the wear and tear of frequent transport and setup. The ES-B electronics faithfully amplify the guitar’s natural acoustic sound. And the integrated tuner aids quick tuning between songs. For musicians playing coffee shops, open mics, church services or other live events, the 10e is a trusty companion.
Alternatives to Consider
When looking for an entry-level acoustic-electric guitar, the Taylor Academy 10e has a lot of competition. Here are some other guitars that are comparable in terms of price, quality, and target audience:
Yamaha FGX800
One of the top competitors to the Taylor is the Yamaha FGX800. This is Yamaha’s most affordable solid top acoustic-electric, featuring a solid Sitka spruce top and laminate mahogany back and sides. It comes equipped with Yamaha’s System55T electronics featuring a built-in tuner. The FGX800 has a slightly smaller concert-style body compared to the Taylor’s dreadnought shape. Overall it provides great value with Yamaha’s reputation for quality and consistency.
Fender FA-100
Fender’s most budget-friendly acoustic-electric option is the FA-100 model. It has a laminate spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The electronics are Fender’s Fishman Isys III system with volume and tone controls. The hardware is chrome with a vintage Fender headstock logo. While not solid wood, the FA-100 has the classic Fender vibe at an entry-level price point.
Epiphone DR-100
The Epiphone DR-100 has an all-laminate construction with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It uses Epiphone’s eSonic2 electronics system and comes equipped with a built-in tuner. As an affordable version of the classic Gibson round-shoulder dreadnought design, the DR-100 offers a balanced tone and comfortable feel. The all-laminate materials make it slightly less resonant than solid wood models.
Ibanez PF15ECE
With a stylish single-cutaway body shape, the Ibanez PF15ECE is a beginner-friendly electro-acoustic. It has a laminate spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and mahogany neck. The onboard electronics are Ibanez’s AEQ-SP1 preamp with a tuner. The PF15ECE brings Ibanez’s smooth neck profiles and comfortable body shapes to the entry-level acoustic-electric market.
Conclusion
The Taylor Academy 10e is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate players looking for a well-built, great-sounding acoustic-electric guitar. It punches above its weight class in terms of tone, playability, electronics, and overall quality.
In terms of sound, the solid Sitka spruce top and layered sapele back and sides produce a balanced, articulate tone that works well for various styles of playing. It has enough projection for jamming with friends but also sounds great played solo. The ES-B electronics provide a very natural amplified tone.
When it comes to playability, the neck has a comfortable profile that makes it easy to play chords and single notes up and down the fretboard. The action is set up nicely out of the box. Taylor’s attention to detail is evident in the fret dressing and intonation.
The built-in tuner, volume, bass, and treble controls make the Taylor Academy 10e stage-ready right away. It also works well for recording directly into a computer or mobile device.
For a guitar at this price point, the fit and finish is remarkable. Taylor’s craftsmanship shines through in the little details. It looks, feels, and plays like a more expensive instrument.
Considering the quality components, electronics, and Taylor brand name, the Academy 10e is an incredible value in its price range. It stacks up well against the competition.
The main downsides are limited aesthetic options and the layered wood construction. However, for beginner and intermediate players, the tone and playability more than make up for this.
Overall, the Taylor Academy 10e is easy to recommend for new guitarists and those shopping for a great all-around acoustic-electric on a budget. It outclasses most competitors in the sub-$600 price range while retaining Taylor’s commitment to quality.