Taylor 812e V-Class Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

The essence of the Taylor playing experience lives within the rosewood/spruce 800 Series V-Class guitars, and the 812e is no exception. With the 2014 redesign, master guitar designer Andy Powers took what was already Taylor’s flagship series and deployed an array of voicing refinements to bring out another level of musicality. Taking these enhancements one step farther with Taylor's innovative V-Class bracing, these elements deliver much more than the sum of their parts. For everyone from pros to hobbyists, they make the playing experience more expressive, inspiring and fun. The volume, the sustain, the "in-tune-ness" of the instrument and its high-fidelity sonic detail all combine to deliver a new level of player experience. An easy-to-use Taylor ES-2 Expression System rounds out the instrument to provide faithful reproduction of tone and performance. The 812e ships in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case for optimal fit and protection.

Body Shape
Taylor's Grand Concert is slightly smaller that its Grand Auditorium. It yields controlled overtones, so the sound won't occupy a lot of sonic space. This is often a key consideration when other instruments are in the mix, such as in a performance or recording environment, and it allows the guitar to be heard more clearly. The Grand Concert pairs well with both 14-fret and 12-fret neck-to-body construction, and offers an articulate voice with top-end chime. It's perfect for fingerstyle players and light strummers, though flatpickers are known to enjoy its tonal character too. Its intimate size makes it lap/couch-friendly, and a great fit for players who find smaller instruments more physically comfortable.

Tonewood Pairing
Sitka spruce is the most prevalent guitar top wood of the modern era. It blends the right amount of stiffness and elasticity to create a crisp tone with a wide dynamic range. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides complement the Sitka top with sound that's made it one of the most popular wood combinations for the acoustic guitar. Indian rosewood produces the strongest bass response among the tone woods commonly used for guitars, with a slightly scooped midrange. Indian rosewood's sweeping frequency range - deep lows that assert a throaty growl with sparkling highs - rings out with bell-like, high-fidelity clarity. It yields a full-range acoustic voice with complex overtones and extended sustain.

V-Class Bracing
Taylor's V-Class bracing is a ground-breaking innovation in the world of acoustic guitar design. It is essentially a "sonic engine" that optimizes the response of an acoustic guitar in three key ways: by boosting volume, sustain, and by largely resolving the intonation (in-tune-ness) issues that have long plagued acoustic guitars. V-Class bracing creates purer, more orderly notes that don't cancel each other out. Because of V-Class bracing, notes have clearer, more consistent response, and the whole fretboard is brought into greater auditory alignment for an improved musical experience. Guitars with V-Class bracing are easier to tune; the pitch sounds purer and more solid, and electronic tuners can more easily locate notes for quick, precise tuning. Other benefits: uniform harmonics ring down the neck, louder projection and sustain, and more evenness across the entire fingerboard.

Electronics
Taylor's 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. Because the pickup doesn't sit under the saddle, the bottom of the saddle comes in full contact with the bridge, allowing all the nuance of the guitar's tone to come through clearly whether playing acoustically or plugged-in. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before while playing plugged-in. 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. The Taylor Expression System 2 operates through a proprietary 9-volt battery compartment and easy-to-use volume, and active bass and treble controls.

Premium Features
Premium features on the 812e include a Radius Armrest, Indian rosewood pickguard and top edge trim, single ring abalone rosette edged with rosewood, mother-of-pearl peghead and "Element" fingerboard inlay. Other 812e features include hard rock maple binding (non-figured) on body and soundhole, and West African ebony bridge pins with green abalone dots.