Taylor 212ce Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Solid Spruce Top - Walnut Back and Sides - Matte Finish

6-String | Torrefied Spruce Top | Walnut Back and Sides | Neo-Tropical Mahogany Neck | West African Crelicam Ebony Fretboard | Expression System® 2 Electronics | Venetian Cutaway | Structured Gig Bag Case With its compact Grand Concert body and solid-wood top, the 212ce offers a remarkably comfortable, accommodating experience for players of all skill levels. Layered walnut back and sides and a solid torrefied spruce top generate plenty of projection for any musical application, with our special roasting process adding a touch of aged-in warmth and sweetness. The slightly shorter scale length of the Grand Concert shape, paired with the slender Taylor neck profile, make for a relaxed, intimate feel that's especially inviting to fingerstyle players while still offering enough power for flatpickers and strummers. And with the built-in ES2 electronics, you're guaranteed clear, faithful tone whenever you need to plug in. Solid torrefied spruce top for bold projection and warmth Compact Grand Concert body with clear, articulate sound Easy-playing neck for relaxed fretting Includes ES2 electronics for authentic plugged-in sound Ships with sturdy structured gig bag for protection FEATURES Bold Sound, Accommodating Feel A solid spruce top and the compact Grand Concert body shape add up to an enticing mix of comfort and rich tone. Grand Concert Body: The small-body Grand Concert debuted in 1984 to meet the needs of a new wave of adventurous acoustic fingerstyle players. In contrast to the traditionally darker, boomier voices of bigger body styles like dreadnoughts and jumbos, the GC’s compact size and tapered waist kept the overtones in check. It was also more comfortable to play while sitting down, and the guitar’s slightly wider neck gave players more room for complex fingerings. The GC’s smaller sonic footprint also fit cleanly in a mix with other instruments when tracking in the studio and with a band on stage, making it a useful tool for professional session and side players. Taylor's current generation of GC models continues to accommodate fingerstylists with finger-friendly traits like a shorter 24 7/8-inch scale length, which makes fretting easier and adds a slightly slinkier feel on the strings due to the lighter string tension. If you feel more comfortable with a small body or favor controlled overtones, a Grand Concert is a great option. The smallest of Taylor’s full-size body shapes. Its compact dimensions make for a physically comfortable guitar with an intimate feel and sound. The smaller footprint keeps the overtones in check, contributing to a focused, articulate sound that’s well-suited for recording and stage work. Grand Concert Body Specifications: Body Length: 19 1/2" / Body Width: 15" / Body Depth: 4 3/8" Walnut Body Wood: Like koa, walnut’s density and stiffness yield bright treble notes, but with a more present midrange that splits the difference between rosewood and mahogany. The bass tones initially produce a woody character that will grow richer with time and extended play. Origin: USA Sound: Another beautiful hardwood, walnut has a similar density and stiffness to koa, with a similar tightness initially. Like koa, it tends to have a bright top end, but with a more present midrange, somewhere between mahogany and rosewood. Walnut also starts off a little deeper on the low end, initially giving it a slightly woodier sound than koa. The low end will continue to fill out after being played in. Goes Well With: Players who like a blend of brightness, projection and warm overtones. A smaller-bodied walnut guitar with a cedar top would likely appeal to fingerstyle players, while flatpickers and strummers on a larger body with a spruce top will find ample horsepower, low end and crisp highs to support an aggressive attack. Torrefied Spruce Top Wood: By far the most popular and common wood used for acoustic guitar tops, spruce has a long heritage in the music world. In typical Taylor style, Taylor developed their signature recipe for a process called “torrefaction” to make spruce sound even richer and more sophisticated, adding a new dimension to this much-loved wood. Torrefaction is a process in which spruce tops (before being added to guitar bodies) are roasted in ovens typically used for drying out wood so that it can be worked. The roasting process lends the wood a slightly darker visual hue while also altering its structure slightly to give it new sonic traits. In particular, torrefied spruce tops tend to sound warmer and sweeter, giving them a played-in quality you would expect from a much older piece of wood. While torrefaction cannot replicate the effects of decades of age and play, it does provide a touch of extra sonic depth without losing spruce’s trademark clarity, articulation or volume. Origin: Canada and Alaska Goes Well With: Virtually all musical genres and playing styles. Expression System® 2 Electronics: The Taylor Expression System® 2 (ES2) is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar. Venetian Cutaway: The Venetian cutaway is known for its soft, round lines. The sloping peak of the cutaway will vary depending on the shape of the body. The Grand Concert and Grand Auditorium have a steeper slope, while the Dreadnought is a bit flatter. Taylor's Grand Concert nylon-string models also feature a subtle, flatter slope, while Taylor's 200 Series cutaway models incorporate their flattest slope. SPECIFICATIONS General Number of Strings: 6 String Orientation: Right Handed Body Shape: Grand Concert Bracing System: X Bracing Cutaway: Venetian Cutaway Color: Natural Electronics: Expression System® 2 Case/Bag: Structured Gig Bag Body Top Wood: Torrefied Spruce Rosette: White Plastic 3 Ring Back Configuration: Layered, 2-Piece Body Binding: White Armrest: None Top Finish: Matte Back/Side: Finish Matte Neck Neck Wood: Neo-Tropical Mahogany Fretboard Wood: West African Crelicam Ebony Neck Profile: Standard Carve Fretboard Inlay: Faux Pearl 4mm Dots Fretboard Binding: None Neck Finish: Matte Peghead Nut Width: 1-11/16" Peghead Veneer Wood: West African Crelicam Ebony Scale Length: 24-7/8" Peghead Inlay: None Peghead Type: Paddle Peghead Binding: None Peghead Finish: Matte Other Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony Nut & Saddle: White NuBone Nut, White Micarta Saddle Bridge Pins: Black ABS Plastic Strings: D'Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light (.012 - .053) Pickguard: Tortoise Tuners: Die-cast Chrome with Chrome Buttons Strap Pin: Chrome End Pin: Black