Taylor 312ce Limited Edition 2018 NAMM 12-Fret Grand Concert

[MrYelnats]

I watched/listened to some online reviews of this, and will likely order one in the next few days. Very lush sounding (in the video) for a grand concert, and it has a Lutz spruce top and Tasmanian Blackwood back with Honey Sunburst finish. Anyone own or play one of these? there's really no opportunity to find one in the wild to try before I buy. Thanks in advance!

- I should have posted this in the "Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars " section..oops!

[jpmist]

No, I don't have one, so you can stop reading if you like 

But I do have a 322 and simply wanted to offer that the Blackwood back and sides offers Taylor a tone dramatically different than mahogany back and sides. I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets that had spruce top and mahogany b&s and honestly I really couldn't tell they were 12 frets because Taylor brightened them up far too much IMHO.

The 322 is far from bright due to it's mahogany top, but the Blackwood b&s tempers that a bit so the overall tone has a great balance for me.

So when I read the 312 specs of Blackwood b&s with a spruce top, I started to drool a bit cause I'd love to play one.  I imagine it being crisp due to the spruce, but dark and growly due to the 12 fret Blackwood back and sides.

Your dilemma is that just trying out a regular spruce & mahogany Taylor GC 12 fret won't do you the least bit of good, as I predict the Blackwood will give it a uniquely different tone from those.

Since I'm spending your money, I say go for it!

[GrainWave]

^^^This^^^

[MrYelnats]

Well...thanks for the encouragement! I ordered it today, and should have next Thursday. I know that I can "Taylor" the sound by using different types of strings if it's not what I hoped for, and playing-in helps a lot too  I will report back in a few weeks.

I watched/listened to some online reviews of this, and will likely order one in the next few days. Very lush sounding (in the video) for a grand concert, and it has a Lutz spruce top and Tasmanian Blackwood back with Honey Sunburst finish. Anyone own or play one of these? there's really no opportunity to find one in the wild to try before I buy. Thanks in advance!

- I should have posted this in the "Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars " section..oops!

[jpmist]

Hope you'll keep us posted, interested in your reaction to how it sounds.

If you end up experimenting with strings, let me offer the strings I've enjoyed lately on my spruce tops - John Pearse Phos bronze. Really nice warmth and resonance I never got from the Elixar Nano phos/bronze I'd been playing for years.

Happy NGD!

[Gasket]

No, I don't have one, so you can stop reading if you like 

But I do have a 322 and simply wanted to offer that the Blackwood back and sides offers Taylor a tone dramatically different than mahogany back and sides. I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets that had spruce top and mahogany b&s and honestly I really couldn't tell they were 12 frets because Taylor brightened them up far too much IMHO.

The 322 is far from bright due to it's mahogany top, but the Blackwood b&s tempers that a bit so the overall tone has a great balance for me.

So when I read the 312 specs of Blackwood b&s with a spruce top, I started to drool a bit cause I'd love to play one.  I imagine it being crisp due to the spruce, but dark and growly due to the 12 fret Blackwood back and sides.

Your dilemma is that just trying out a regular spruce & mahogany Taylor GC 12 fret won't do you the least bit of good, as I predict the Blackwood will give it a uniquely different tone from those.

Since I'm spending your money, I say go for it!

Sorry to nit pick but the bells are ringing here, you said "I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets" ... I you don't know if you've had (I assume own) 2 or 3 of a certain guitar personally I wonder what credibility the rest of your post carries. 

[zeebow]

No, I don't have one, so you can stop reading if you like 

But I do have a 322 and simply wanted to offer that the Blackwood back and sides offers Taylor a tone dramatically different than mahogany back and sides. I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets that had spruce top and mahogany b&s and honestly I really couldn't tell they were 12 frets because Taylor brightened them up far too much IMHO.

The 322 is far from bright due to it's mahogany top, but the Blackwood b&s tempers that a bit so the overall tone has a great balance for me.

So when I read the 312 specs of Blackwood b&s with a spruce top, I started to drool a bit cause I'd love to play one.  I imagine it being crisp due to the spruce, but dark and growly due to the 12 fret Blackwood back and sides.

Your dilemma is that just trying out a regular spruce & mahogany Taylor GC 12 fret won't do you the least bit of good, as I predict the Blackwood will give it a uniquely different tone from those.

Since I'm spending your money, I say go for it!

Sorry to nit pick but the bells are ringing here, you said "I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets" ... I you don't know if you've had (I assume own) 2 or 3 of a certain guitar personally I wonder what credibility the rest of your post carries.

not remembering exactly how many guitars at a specific time isn’t related to his credibility at all, especially since the time frame could span decades and everyone owns / has owned various numbers of guitars

let’s keep to the topic, and what jpmist wrote about the tonally qualities is how i would also describe them as well.

[jpmist]

Sorry to nit pick but the bells are ringing here, you said "I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets" ... I you don't know if you've had (I assume own) 2 or 3 of a certain guitar personally I wonder what credibility the rest of your post carries.

@Gasket

Feel free to nit-pick! I'm just some internet stranger posting for fun. Dunno if I've ever claimed to have any more of an authoritative opinion than any others here, if you interpret it that way, mea culpa. I am however an expert on my own tastes in music and how I like a guitar to sound while playing. If another internet stranger asks for an opinion, I often find it hard to resist giving mine.

But the fact is that I have gone thru at least 2, if not 3, Taylor 12 frets I got off eBay and ultimately sold off in disappointment because they didn't get picked up nearly as much as the two Larrivee 12 frets I've owned over the years.

Apologies if you own a Taylor 12 fret I seemed to have trashed, but it just didn't fit my ear. If it fits yours that's great, I'm glad you like it and I fully recognize that I must be in the minority since Taylor insists on making them not to my liking.

[Gasket]

Sorry to nit pick but the bells are ringing here, you said "I've had 2 or 3 Taylor 12 frets" ... I you don't know if you've had (I assume own) 2 or 3 of a certain guitar personally I wonder what credibility the rest of your post carries.

@Gasket

Feel free to nit-pick! I'm just some internet stranger posting for fun. Dunno if I've ever claimed to have any more of an authoritative opinion than any others here, if you interpret it that way, mea culpa. I am however an expert on my own tastes in music and how I like a guitar to sound while playing. If another internet stranger asks for an opinion, I often find it hard to resist giving mine.

But the fact is that I have gone thru at least 2, if not 3, Taylor 12 frets I got off eBay and ultimately sold off in disappointment because they didn't get picked up nearly as much as the two Larrivee 12 frets I've owned over the years.

Apologies if you own a Taylor 12 fret I seemed to have trashed, but it just didn't fit my ear. If it fits yours that's great, I'm glad you like it and I fully recognize that I must be in the minority since Taylor insists on making them not to my liking.

My apologies for the critical post, I was in a bad mood at the time and needlessly wrote what came to mind. I keep records of every guitar purchase and sale and can quickly tell you how many and type of guitar I've owned, I shouldn't expect others to to the same. I have never owned a Taylor 12 fret, I didn't look at my records to tell you that 

[jpmist]

My apologies for the critical post, I was in a bad mood at the time and needlessly wrote what came to mind

Thanks for that, no biggie. We all have days like that. Political climate in particular maybe, but I'm sure not going there.

I realize it sounds weird to not be sure if I've had 2 or is it 3 Taylor 12 frets, I'm not that wealthy to lose track. It just that my sister now has a Taylor 712 12-fret and I can't recall for sure if I bought it first and then sold it to her or she got it on her own. In any event it's a rosewood/spruce model and the nicest sounding of the 3.

Meanwhile, MrYelnats has a NGD this Thursday and I hope he'll blissfully regale us with how great it sounds. 

Friday Taylor has a roadshow in my city so I'm hoping they brought one along. . .

Peace Out

[MrYelnats]

Meanwhile, MrYelnats has a NGD this Thursday and I hope he'll blissfully regale us with how great it sounds. 

Friday Taylor has a roadshow in my city so I'm hoping they brought one along. . .

The tracking shows Wednesday now... 
I have not made it to a roadshow yet, but I've heard they bring some great one-off's that you can purchase on the spot. Have a fun Friday!

[Danbgt]

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Did you get the 2018 NAMM? If so, what is the verdict?