A responsive 12-string guitar made of Ovangkol and solid Sitka spruce with Taylor Expression System electronics.
The Taylor 2012 456ce-L Ovangkol/Spruce Grand Symphony 12-String Left-Handed Acoustic-Electric Guitar lets players continue to discover solid African ovangkol’s responsive, rosewood-like tone, which pairs well with Sitka spruce and can accommodate a range of playing styles. White binding applies a crisp counterpoint against the gloss top and mottled brown hues of ovangkol, while the Expression System wires these guitars for high-fidelity amplified acoustic sound.
Grand Symphony (GS)
Body Width: 15" / Body Depth: 4-3/8" / Body Length: 19-1/2"
The ultimate Taylor strummer.
The Grand Symphony shape joined the line in 2006 and delivers Taylor’s boldest, richest acoustic voice. Think of it as a Grand Auditorium with a turbo boost, thanks to expanded physical dimensions, including a slightly wider waist and a bigger lower bout. Strummers and pickers with a driving attack will love the fullness, volume and sustain. Yet for such a robust voice, the GS is also clear and responsive to fast picking runs or a light fingerstyle touch, so if you’re a dynamic player, this shape is a true contender. And the big voice doesn’t come at the expense of balance. The piano-like bass, meaty midrange, and thick, shimmering highs blend seamlessly. These traits also make the GS a great vehicle for 12-Strings. If you like a lush, potent guitar tone that has the horsepower to compete with other acoustic cannons out there, the GS shape is a worthy choice.
Ovangkol
Origin: Tropical West Africa
Over a decade ago, Taylor introduced the guitar world to a sustainable tonewood known as ovangkol. An African relative of rosewood, it's a great sounding wood that shares many of rosewood's tonal properties, with a slightly fuller midrange and a top end that's not quite as bright as maple. Being lesser known than rosewood, ovangkol has been a sleeper hit over the years, asserting itself as an instant contender among unsuspecting players who test-drive a variety of Taylor models.
Goes Well With: Most applications. Players who perhaps don't have predefined tonal preferences, who may be generalists in their style of play, and who are looking for a well-rounded, all-purpose solid wood guitar. It works well with different body shapes.
Expression System®
Natural Sound Made Simple
People love the clear, full acoustic tone of their Taylors. Why should it be any different when they plug in? That’s why we spent several years developing the onboard acoustic pickup and preamp. Taylor’s ground-breaking Expression System® (ES) was designed to naturally amplify the warm acoustic sound of your guitar.
The ES is an all-magnetic acoustic guitar pickup system that works like a microphone to produce a pure signal and a warm, natural acoustic sound. When you plug in, you'll hear the sound of your guitar, not the sound of the pickup. No complicated controls. No tone simulators. Just a clean amplified acoustic guitar sound supported by three simple controls — volume, bass and treble.
Breakthrough Technology
Years of research brought Taylor to a simple realization: Nothing sounds as true and musical as a microphone. With that as a starting point, Taylor’s David Hosler led the team responsible for the Expression System's breakthrough technology. Utilizing a unique Dynamic Body Sensor® mounted to the soundboard, a Dynamic String Sensor® embedded beneath the fretboard, and a discrete preamp, the advanced ES technology is unlike any other guitar pickup system.
Integrated Design
The ES was designed in-house, alongside their acoustic guitars, which allowed Taylor to build the ES seamlessly into the design of the guitar, for an integrated pickup system unlike any other. From the design and location of the body and string sensors to the voicing of the preamp, the ES is fully optimized for the Taylor sound. The elegant design, including the non-intrusive control knobs, also preserves the aesthetic of a Taylor guitar.
