Taylor Guitars Summer NAMM 2017:
Taylor Guitars will be making its Florentine cutaway a standard feature on all Grand Symphony cutaway models in its 500 Series and up, and is introducing a tobacco sunburst top option for its rosewood/spruce 800 and 900 Series. Building on the success of the award-winning small-body 12-string 552ce and 562ce models Taylor introduced in 2016, the new 362ce and 352ce add even more player-friendly 12-string flavor to the company’s guitar line.
The 362ce’s compact cutaway Grand Concert shape features solid Tasmanian blackwood back and sides and a mahogany top. The combination of the 12-fret neck and the 24-7/8-inch scale length also gives players a comfortable hand feel that makes fretting easier.
“Oftentimes 12-string guitars can be uncomfortable to play,” said Andy Powers, Master Guitar Designer. “They’re usually heavier and bulkier, and the scale length and string tension require quite a bit of hand strength to achieve the intended sound and tone. The feedback when we introduced the 552ce and 562ce 12-string models last year was so positive from hobbyists and experts alike that we wanted to expand the options for that design.”
Sonically, the 362ce offers a more controlled 12-string voice that is not too overpowering in a mix for recording applications. The hardwood mahogany top also adds enough compression to smooth out the response, bringing an appealing consistency across the tonal spectrum, while still capturing the 12-string’s beautiful octave shimmer.
Visually, the combination of the shaded edge-burst mahogany top and all-satin finish give the instrument a dusky vintage look. Other features include Italian acrylic small diamond fretboard inlays, black binding with crisp white top trim, a three-ring rosette, a black pickguard, and Taylor’s ES2 electronics.
Players who favor the dynamic response and crisp articulation of a spruce-top acoustic might lean toward the 352ce, which pairs Sitka spruce with sapele back and sides to produce a slightly brighter sound than the mahogany-top edition. The guitar features a gloss-finish top.
The 362ce and 352ce will both be available at retail in August 2017. Taylor has also announced that a sharp, Florentine-style cutaway will now be the standard cutaway form for Taylor’s steel-string, Grand Symphony cutaway models in the 500 Series and up. Lastly, the guitar maker has announced that a tobacco sunburst top will also now be available for any of Taylor’s rosewood 800 or 900 Series models.
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