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Taylor Academy 12e Left-handed Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural

6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar, Left-handed, with Sitka Spruce Top, Layered Sapele Back and Sides, Hard Rock Maple Neck, and Ebony Fingerboard - Natural
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Taylor Academy 12e Left-handed Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural
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Taylor Craftsmanship Meets Empowered Learning

The Taylor Academy series is the perfect choice for beginners and pros alike who seek Taylor quality on a budget and advantageous features. The Academy 12e features a slightly shorter scale, a narrowed nut, and a slim neck for maximum comfort. The tapered waist of Taylor’s signature Grand Concert body creates a more comfortable acoustic with wonderful articulation for fingerpicking. Other key features include a resonant sitka spruce top, ebony fingerboard, maple neck, and ESB electronics. The Academy series is built not just for the extra mile but also for the long haul — grab yours from Sweetwater today!

Comfort now, not later

The Academy series not only boasts legendary Taylor quality, but it is also packed with subtle perks for an enhanced playing experience. Helpful touches include the built-in armrest, which softens the contact point between your arm and the guitar for more relaxed playing, light-gauge strings, and a slightly shortened scale that makes notes and chords easier to hold without fatigue. These bold touches connect your fingertips to the music and will keep you playing on.

Premium picks for outstanding sound

Premium tone requires excellent wood, and that’s why the Academy 12e features a Sitka spruce top. This high-quality tonewood often appears on much pricier guitars and is part of what makes a Taylor sound like a Taylor. Sitka spruce’s light weight and tonal qualities help notes ring true with balance and sustain. The Academy 12e also features a sturdy maple neck, an ebony fingerboard, and layered sapele back and sides. Together, these tonewoods deliver value that looks, sounds, and feels incredible.

Plug-in anytime

The onboard Taylor ES-B electronics let you plug the Academy 12e in at a moment’s notice. The ES-B system is one of the most natural and warm-sounding acoustic-electric designs on the market because it’s based on elements of Taylor's acclaimed Expression System 2. ES-B’s separate volume and EQ sliders allow you to tweak your sound to perfection, and an onboard tuner ensures pitch-perfect performances every time.

Taylor Academy 12e Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:

  • Grand Concert body shape’s slim articulate profile is perfect for fingerstyle
  • Genuine Sitka spruce top delivers premium tone on par with a more expensive instrument
  • Layered sapele back and sides sculpt sound with depth and dimension
  • Hard-rock maple neck with ebony fingerboard and a slim profile is easy to play
  • 1.6875-inch nut width creates a softer string feel for easier fretting and less fatigue
  • Nubone nut and micarta saddle enhance vibrational transfer from string to body
  • Chrome closed-back Taylor tuners enhance tuning stability
  • Taylor ES-B electronics feature a built-in tuner and tone/volume controls

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

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Tech Specs

  • String Type: Steel
  • Number of Strings: 6
  • Left-/Right-handed: Left-handed
  • Body Shape: Academy 12e Grand Concert
  • Back & Sides Wood: Layered Sapele
  • Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
  • Finish: Varnish
  • Color: Natural
  • Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple
  • Neck Shape: Slim
  • Radius: 15"
  • Fingerboard Material: Ebony
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Dots
  • Number of Frets: 20
  • Scale Length: 24.875"
  • Nut Width: 1.6875"
  • Nut/Saddle Material: Nubone/Micarta
  • Bridge Material: Ebony
  • Tuning Machines: Taylor Closed Gear
  • Electronics: ES-B
  • Strings: D'Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light, .012-.053
  • Case/Gig Bag: Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: FA02033017010011000

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

My FAV acoustic guitar EVER

i love how this feels, mostly because of the slightly smaller size, and the bevel (which is amazing). it sounds so good & it stays in tune while playing & while in the hardshell case i bought for it. this is the most that i'd ever paid for a guitar (either acoustic or electric) & it was worth every penny. i've owned a lot of different acoustic guitars under the 5-6 hunge price range, and they all sucked in one way or another (mostly tuning/intonation issues). so glad i splurged on this a couple years ago. they will have to bury me with this one.
Music background: music producer, plays guitar (but not really a musician), pedalboard enthusiast

As one of the nation's top Taylor Guitars dealers, Sweetwater receives regular on-site training from Bob, Andy, and the rest of the Taylor crew. We're also, many of us, Taylor players ourselves, and we're happy to steer you in the right direction once you're ready to make the leap. New to Taylor? Our Find Your Fit guide simplifies Taylor body shapes, woods, and series. Longtime player? Our Taylor Custom Shop, annual limited editions, and in-house mods offer a level of exclusivity you won't find in stores. Whatever your pleasure, Sweetwater's climate-controlled warehouse and 55-point Inspection ensure your Taylor guitar arrives ready to play just as the manufacturer intended.

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