- Description
- Features
- Specs
- Inspection and Set-up
- Humidity Care
*These are stock photos. Actual color and pattern may vary.
This acoustic/electric nylon-string Grand Concert from our Academy Series may be the best nylon-string guitar you'll find for the money. The underlying design goal of the series is to make the acoustic guitar accessible to more players by bringing Taylor's legendary playability and tone into an affordable price range.
One of the benefits of a nylon-string guitar is that the light string tension is easy on the fingertips. Another inviting feature is a built-in armrest to enhance the playing comfort. Tonally, the wood pairing of layered sapele back and sides with a solid Lutz spruce top, together with the body's internal bracing, project a warm, mellow nylon voice with crisp percussive appeal that suits a variety of musical styles and responds well to both fingerpicking and flatpicking.
The onboard ES-N pickup and preamp captures that nylon character and give you additional tone-shaping control. Whether you're a steel-string player looking to add an affordable nylon-string to your acoustic toolbox or crave a great-sounding acoustic guitar that's easy on the hands and the wallet, the A12e-N is an option well worth exploring.
*This guitar may come equipped with ES-2, ES-B, or ES-B(pre-2022) electonics. Please contact us before placing your order to inquire about availability.
Grand Concert Shape
A smaller-bodied guitar ideally suited for fingerstyle.
Lutz Spruce Top
This natural hybrid of Sitka and White spruce also shares characteristics with Adirondack spruce, responding with power, richness and volume.
Layered Sapele Body
Layered wood construction is used to offer attractive, durable and affordable models.
ES-B Electronics
This pickup/preamp combo includes a built-in digital chromatic tuner.
Non-cutaway
The clean, symmetrical look of a traditional acoustic guitar.
- Highlights
- Scale Length 25-1/2"
- Nut & Saddle Nubone Nut/Micarta Saddle
- Bracing Academy Series
- Truss Rod Cover Black Plastic
- Pickguard None
- Number of Frets 17
- Tuners Classical Nickel
- Case Gig Bag
- Brand of Strings Pro Arte Carbon Hard Tension
- Body Length 19 1/2"
- Body Width 15"
- Body Depth 4 3/8"
- Body
- Binding/Edge Treatment Black
- Top Finish Varnish
- Back Config Layered
- Backstrap Finish None
- Rosette Size Three Ring
- Bridge Inlay None
- Back/Side Finish Varnish
- Armrest Binding None
- Backstrap Wood None
- Rosette Mat. Baltic Birch
- Stain/Sunburst None
- Wedge None
- Armrest yes
- Neck
- Neck Width 1-7/8"
- Fretboard Inlay 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic
- Fretboard Binding/Edge Treatment None
- Heel Cap Binding Black
- Type of Neck Joint Taylor Neck
- Neck/Heel Mahogany
- Fretboard Wood West African Crelicam Ebony
- Neck Finish Varnish
- Heel Length 3-1/2"
- Peghead
- Peghead Finish None
- Peghead Binding None
- Peghead Type Slot Head
- Peghead Purfling None
- Headstock Overlay Copafera
- Peghead Inlay None
- Peghead Logo Printed on Headstock Overlay
- Other
- Bridge Pins None
- Buttons Pearloid
- Fingerboard Ext None
- Edge Trim None
At Easy Music Center, we care for our instruments from the moment they arrive to when they ship to your door. All instruments are stored in a climate controlled environment and put through a 12-point inspection checklist before being shipped.
First, we check the finish of the instrument, carefully inspecting any blemishes on the surface. Next, we check the playability and setup by inspecting and adjusting the truss rod (if available), bridge, nut, and frets to manufacturer factory specifications. Any request made outside of manufacturer factory specifications can incur additional charges for parts and labor. If the instrument has electronics, we test all of the electronic components to make sure they are functioning properly.
After a thorough inspection, we then move on to maintenance. We start by lubricating any moving parts on the instrument, such as tuning machines. We then move on to cleaning and oiling the fretboard along with the frets.
Once maintenance is done, we stretch and tune the strings and play test the instrument. After this, we do a final inspection and clean/detail the instrument before packing it up for shipment.
We’re excited to be a part of your instrument buying experience.
Acoustic guitars and ukulele are made of wood, and wood is sensitive to changes in climate. Shifts in temperature or relative humidity can affect your instrument in multiple ways, some of which can lead to costly repairs if you’re not careful. Solid woods in particular are especially prone to the effects of climate fluctuation. For example, extended exposure to low relative humidity (below 40% RH) can dry out the wood, causing it to shrink and run the risk of cracking. Similarly, excessive humidity can cause the wood to absorb moisture and swell, potentially causing other problems. Without adequate humidity control (especially in drier local climates), acoustic instruments can crack and their necks can warp, causing problems with fretting, intonation and playability.
So how do you prevent this kind of damage? Easy: by keeping your guitars and ukulele properly humidified (ideally between 40-60% RH). The easiest way to do this is by storing your instruments in a case with a case two-way humidifier inside. A two-way humidifier will slowly absorb or release moisture inside your case, maintaining humidity to help ensure your instrument doesn’t suffer damage. Using a digital hygrometer can help you monitor humidity levels around your instrument.
Symptoms of a dry acoustic instrument:
- Low action. Strings are very close to the fretboard.
- Hump on the fretboard where the neck joins the body.
- Sunken top across the soundboard between bridge and fingerboard.
- The back of instrument looks very flat when it is dried out.
- Sharp fret ends extend beyond the edge of the fretboard.
- The plane of the neck angle on a dry instrument hits above the top of the bridge.
Symptoms of a wet acoustic instrument:
- High action. Strings that are unusually high off the fretboard, making it difficult to play.
- Unusually swollen top
- Unusual warp on the top, back or both at the end-block
- Improper neck angle. Sighting the neck to the bridge, the frets will appear to hit below the bridge.
The D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System
Using patented technology, the D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System features disposable, moisture-filled packets with a breathable membrane that provides two-way humidity control, meaning it can either release or absorb moisture to consistently maintain a predetermined relative humidity (RH) level of 45-50 percent.
Music Nomad Humilele Ukulele Humidifier
Music Nomad the leader in equipment care products, has developed an easy to use, no mess, and low maintenance Ukulele humidifier. The Humilele rests securely on top of the strings to safely and evenly hydrate your Ukulele to avoid these problems.
Final Notes on Humidity Control
To monitor the amount of humidity your instrument is receiving, we recommend the purchase of a digital hygrometer, a device that gauges and provides a read-out of humidity levels. It can be kept in the room where you store your instruments, or, better yet, in a central location inside the instrument case, preferably Velcro’d to the outside of the accessories compartment (facing the heel). The optimal range for your guitars and ukulele is 45-55% RH.