The Taylor Academy 12e is where the price jumps, but so does the standard. It arrived with the best factory setup of any guitar on test, a 1.9 mm action and not a hint of fret buzz. Here's what £649 buys, and why a smaller body is part of the deal.
Taylor built the Academy series specifically to give new players a real Taylor without the four-figure price, and it shows in the details that beginners actually feel. The setup is the cleanest in our comparison, the armrest bevel makes long practice sessions comfortable, and the onboard ES-B electronics with a built-in tuner mean it is ready to gig out of the case. At around £649 it is by far the most expensive guitar here, but it is also the one a beginner will never outgrow, which makes it our premium pick.
| Model | Price | Body shape | Top wood | Back and sides | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Taylor Academy 12e Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric | £649.00 | Grand Concert | Solid Sitka spruce | Layered sapele | ★ 4.8 | View → |
£649.00
Grand Concert · Solid Sitka spruce · Layered sapele
The verdict from Theo Marsh, guitar and instruments reviewer
A polished premium step up. The Taylor Academy 12e is where the price jumps, but so does the standard. Taylor's factory setup is famously precise and ours measured a low 1.9 mm action at the 12th fret with no buzzing anywhere on the neck, the cleanest of any guitar on test. The Grand Concert body and armrest bevel make it the most comfortable to hold for a two-hour session, and the ES-B electronics with a built-in tuner mean it is gig-ready out of the case. It is quieter unplugged than a dreadnought, but the tone is more refined and controlled.
Clear and articulate, with a sweet, even decay of about 8 seconds and no harshness up the neck.
| Body shape | Grand Concert |
|---|---|
| Top wood | Solid Sitka spruce |
| Back and sides | Layered sapele |
| Scale length | 632 mm (24.875 in) |
| Nut width | 43 mm |
| Frets | 20 |
| Neck | Slim profile, comfort armrest bevel |
| Weight | 1.9 kg |
| Factory action (low E, 12th fret) | 1.9 mm (best on test) |
| Electronics | Taylor ES-B with built-in tuner |
| Typical UK price | £649.00 |
The Academy 12e is for the player who can afford the best and wants every beginner frustration removed. The 1.9 mm factory action is the lowest of any guitar on test, the slim neck and 632 mm scale make chords easy to fret, and the armrest bevel, a sculpted edge where your forearm rests, takes the dig of a hard body edge out of long sessions. The built-in ES-B electronics with a chromatic tuner mean it is gig-ready out of the case. It suits a serious beginner with budget, a returning player who wants quality, and anyone who values fingerstyle articulation over raw volume.
It is not the right guitar if raw acoustic volume is your priority, or if your budget is tight. The Grand Concert body is smaller than a dreadnought, so it is quieter and less boomy unplugged; for the loudest, biggest tone the Tanglewood TW40 or Yamaha FG800 dreadnoughts project more. And at £649 it costs three to five times as much as our budget picks, so most beginners are better served spending less until they know they will keep playing.
The solid Sitka spruce top over a Grand Concert body gives the Academy 12e a clear, articulate, balanced voice with a sweet, even decay of about 8 seconds and no harshness anywhere up the neck. It is quieter than a dreadnought, by design, because the body is smaller, but it is also more controlled and detailed, which suits fingerstyle and players who want to hear each note clearly. Plugged in through the ES-B system it sounds natural and full, with none of the thin, quacky tone cheaper under-saddle pickups can have. As a solid top it will also open up over time.
This is the headline. Taylor's factory setups are famous, and ours lived up to it: a 1.9 mm action on the low E at the 12th fret with no fret buzz at any position, the cleanest of any guitar in our test. The slim neck profile and 632 mm scale, slightly shorter than a standard 643 to 650 mm, make chords easy to reach and reduce string tension a touch. The 20 frets were perfectly level and the fret ends were smooth. For a beginner, this is the guitar least likely to fight you while you learn.
The ES-B system is genuinely useful: a clean-sounding pickup with bass and volume controls plus a built-in chromatic tuner with a small display, so you can tune silently before you plug in. The build quality is a clear step up from the budget guitars, with flawless binding, a perfectly seated bridge and a tidy satin finish on our example. At 1.9 kg it is also the lightest full-shape guitar here, easy to hold for a two-hour session.
The Academy 12e has two honest limitations, and price is the obvious one: at around £649 it costs far more than our budget and value picks, and a beginner who is not certain they will stick with guitar should start cheaper. The other is volume. The Grand Concert body is quieter and less boomy than a dreadnought, so if you want the loudest possible unplugged acoustic you will prefer a dreadnought such as the Yamaha FG800 or the all-solid Tanglewood TW40. Neither is a fault: you are paying for refinement and comfort, not raw output.
Best for: the serious beginner or returning player with budget who wants the cleanest setup, the most comfort and gig-ready electronics. Not the pick if you want the loudest tone (try the Tanglewood TW40) or are on a tight budget (try the Fender CD-60S).
If you value playability and a refined tone, yes. At around £649 it is by far the most expensive guitar here, but the factory setup is the best on test at a 1.9 mm action with no fret buzz, the armrest bevel makes long sessions comfortable, and the built-in ES-B electronics and tuner mean it is gig-ready out of the case. You pay a premium, but you get a guitar a beginner will never outgrow.
A Grand Concert is a smaller, more balanced body than a dreadnought, so it is quieter and less boomy unplugged but more controlled and articulate. It suits fingerstyle and players who find a dreadnought too big. If raw acoustic volume matters most to you, a dreadnought such as the Yamaha FG800 or Tanglewood TW40 projects more.
It is an excellent first guitar if your budget allows, precisely because it removes the usual beginner frustrations. The low 1.9 mm action and comfortable neck make chords easier to fret, the tuner is built in, and the quality means motivation stays high. The only reason not to start here is cost: most beginners are better served spending less until they know they will stick with it.
The Taylor Academy 12e is our premium pick because it removes every beginner frustration: the lowest action on test at 1.9 mm, a comfortable armrest-bevelled body, gig-ready ES-B electronics with a built-in tuner, and a refined, articulate tone. The catches are price, at around £649 it is the dearest guitar here, and volume, since the Grand Concert body is quieter than a dreadnought. If you can afford it and value playability over loudness, it is the guitar you will never need to upgrade. If you want more volume for the money, the all-solid Tanglewood TW40 is the louder step down in price, and our best overall pick the Yamaha FG800 covers most players for far less. Compare the field in our buying guide.