Taylor A12-N Academy Series Grand Concert Nylon String Acoustic Guitar
Nylon | Lutz Spruce Top | Layered Walnut Back and Sides | Neo-Tropical Mahogany Neck | West African Crelicam Ebony Fretboard | No Electronics | Non-cutaway | Gig Bag Case
Ideal both for beginner players or experienced guitarists seeking an affordable nylon-string guitar to add to the toolkit, the Academy 12-N generates a rich, snappy acoustic tone with the classical-hued flavor that only comes with nylon strings. It's made with a solid torrefied spruce top for power, projection and articulation, with Taylor's special roasting process adding a dash mature, aged-in warmth. This compact Grand Concert model offers a seamless feel thanks to its player-friendly dimensions, built-in armrest and slender Taylor neck, which features a 1-7/8" nut width that provides ample spacing for fingerstyle arrangements but maintains a relaxed feel for fretting. The acoustic-only Academy 12-N ships with a soft-sided gig bag for transportation.
- Nylon-string guitar offers modern classical tone
- Grand Concert body feels easy to hold and play
- Solid torrefied spruce top generates warmth, projection and clarity
- Armrest included for additional playing comfort
- Comes with lightweight gig bag for protection
FEATURES
Compact Grand Concert, Classical Nylon Tones
The Academy 12-N combines signature Taylor playability with warm, snapply nylon-string tones.
Grand Concert
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 Specifications: 19 1/2" / Body Width: 15" / Body Depth: 4 3/8"
Layered Walnut Body Wood
Taylor's layered wood construction features three wood layers: a middle core of poplar with a thinner layer on each side. Layered walnut’s rich brown hues lend a pleasing aesthetic warmth to the guitars that showcase it.
Sound: Taylor uses layered woods for the back and sides of some of Taylor's guitars for their blend of sound quality, durability, and affordability. Layered wood construction also enables Taylor to preserve tonewood resources. Although layered wood guitars won’t yield quite the same level of tonal complexity as an all-solid guitar, all are paired with a solid wood top to produce a rich, responsive voice that will continue to improve with time and extended play. Layered walnut provides a strong backbone for Taylor's 100 Series, adding subtle touches of high-end sparkle together with midrange presence. An outer layer of walnut is overlaid onto a poplar core (with a layer of sapele on the other side). The layering process also allows Taylor to bend an arch into the back for extra strength and produces a durable that travels well.
Lutz Spruce Top Woods
A naturally occurring hybrid of Sitka and White spruce, Lutz grows in climate zones between where Sitka and White spruce are found. (Sitka grows in more coastal areas, while White spruce thrives in interior regions.) Lutz has is considered very adaptive within those microclimates, which can yield properties that are superior to either species alone.
In terms of acoustic response, Lutz blends the positive characteristics of Sitka and White spruce and its close cousin, Engelmann spruce. The Lutz that Taylor uses for the 500 Series tends to exhibit characteristics of Adirondack spruce. The result is powerful sonic horsepower that translates into strong volume, projection and tonal richness.
Origin: Canada
Goes Well With: Most playing styles. Players with a lively attack will enjoy the tonal output and headroom.
No Electronics
Taylor respects guitar players who know what they want—and what they don’t. Most Taylor models that come standard with acoustic electronics can be ordered without them. Just contact your local Taylor dealer and they’ll make it happen. The good news is that if you ever change your mind, Taylor's Service department can install a pickup. Taylor will say that if you’re on the fence about it, or think you don’t need one right now, it’s nice to have—you never know when you might want to do some home recording or play that open mic night and cross it off your bucket list.
SPECIFICATIONS
General
- Number of Strings: 6 String
- Orientation: Right Handed
- Body Shape: Grand Concert
- Cutaway: Non-cutaway
- Color: Natural
- Electronics: None
- Case/Bag: Gig Bag
Body
- Top Wood: Lutz Spruce
- Back/Side Wood: Layered Walnut
- Rosette: Baltic Birch Marquetry 3 Ring
- Back Configuration: Layered, 2-Piece
- Body Binding: None
- Armrest: Beveled Walnut
- 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: 1-7/8"
- Peghead Veneer Wood: Copafera
- Scale Length: 25-1/2"
- Peghead Inlay: None
- Peghead Type: Slotted
- Peghead Binding: None
- Peghead Finish: Matte
Other
- Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony
- Nut & Saddle: White TUSQ Nut, White Micarta Saddle
- Bridge Pins: None
- Strings: D'Addario Pro Arte Carbon (.024 - .046)
- Pickguard: None
- Tuners: Classical Nickel with Faux Pearl Buttons
- Strap Pin: Chrome
- End Pin: Nickel
Bananas At Large Inc
We accept major credit and debit cards - Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. We also accept Paypal. Please contact us for Western Union. Orders must be approved by our authorization process. This includes validation of the shipping address with the issuing bank.
About Shipping and Delivery We utilize legitimate bonded and licensed shipping carriers only (UPS, Fed Ex, USPS etc). We are not the shipping company and therefore cannot be held responsible for faults that lay with the shipping company. By placing orders with us you agree to be present to receive packages sent to you. Bananas cannot be held responsible for lost packages once they are logged as delivered by the shipping company. Once a package is logged as delivered by the shipping company the customer is responsible for any issues related to the delivery of the package at that point. Packaging and Shipping Information Due to conditions beyond our control (weather, shipper's handling etc.) some boxes that products originally come in cannot be re-used to ship out to customers. In those rare cases we will remove and inspect all items and repackage them in acceptable boxing to make it safe to you. All items are still considered brand new, under full warranty and fall under our same guarantees. Note: Bananas recycles unused boxes when possible.
Online Returns: In order to return a product, Request a Return Authorization Number (RA Number). To request a Return Authorization Number (RA Number), please email info@bananas.com with your full name, order number, item that you are returning, and what type of return you would like us to process - either exchange for the same item, exchange for another item, or return for refund. In addition, if you can include the reason for your return, and any other comments, that would be appreciated. Once we process your RA request, we will send you a Return Authorization Number, and instructions on how to return the item. Return and Customer Satisfaction Policy: Any item (other than as noted below) purchased from Bananas at Large online store may be returned, within 45 days of the shipment date, for a full refund of the purchase price minus shipping costs, or for exchange or credit. Rather than make you click elsewhere for the 'small print', here it is in not-so-small print: The following items may not be returned: Consumable items such as (but not limited to) strings, picks, drum sticks, drum heads, phono cartridges and replacement speakers. Any item that is worn on the body or is blown into, such as (but not limited to) earplugs, wind controllers or harmonicas Computer software, items that can be copied and copyrighted material such as (but not limited to) books, videos and CD's Installed items such as (but not limited to) guitar pickups, drum heads, headphone parts and other installed parts If you agree to back order or special order a product, you agree that order may not be canceled unless approved by Bananas. Special orders already in transit either from manufacturer or Bananas cannot be canceled. Special order items may be returned if defective for exchange. You will be notified what items qualify as special order status. *In-store sales, please see posted Return Policies Other Things You Need to Know about Online Returns Shipping and/or handling charges are not refundable. It is your responsibility to pay return shipping and to fully insure the unit(s) you are returning. Also, it is your responsibility to cover shipping charges for sending the item to you. If you are quoted free shipping and return the item, you will be required to cover the actual shipping costs incurred by your order. Items that are returned must be in the original packaging, with all accessories and paperwork included in the original shipment, such as owner's manual(s) and warranty card. Items must be free from signs of use or wear, and both warranty card and manual(s) must not have any writing in them. If your order was shipped to you in outer packaging it must be returned in that packaging as well as the inner box or boxes. Returned items that do not arrive in the condition described above are subject to a $25 repackaging charge, plus the cost of replacing missing, soiled, worn or marked-on items. Obvious signs of use that reduce the value of a returned unit will be subject to additional charges based on how much we need to mark down the unit to make it sellable.