A compact guitar with delicate appointments, a beautiful Hawaiian koa body and a solid Sitka spruce top.
The Taylor 2012 GC-K-L Koa/Spruce Grand Concert Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar model showcases a different appointment package from its acoustic/electric koa counterparts. Ivoroid binding applies a time-honored acoustic touch, while sparkling abalone outlines the tops and forms the rosette. This model comes with a Sitka spruce top and Taylor Expression System electronics for plugged-in excellence on the stage or in the studio.
Grand Concert (GC)
Body Length: 19 1/2" / Body Width: 15" / Body Depth: 4 3/8"
A smaller bodied guitar ideally suited for fingerstyle.
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.
Hawaiian Koa
Origin: The Big Island of Hawaii
Used On: The Koa Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric Series
A tropical hardwood, koa's tone blends the midrange of mahogany with the top end of maple. Due to its density, a new koa guitar tends to start out sounding a little bright and tight, somewhat like maple. But the more a koa guitar is played, the more the sound opens up, expanding the midrange and rewarding the player with a richer, sweeter, more resonant tone. A common mistake is when a bright player buys a koa guitar in part for its visual beauty, finds it to be too bright, and doesn't play it enough to allow the wood to warm up.
Goes Well With: Fingerstylists who play more with the pads of their fingers and tend to have a meatier touch. Bright players need to be careful because of koa's existing brightness (one might try experimenting with different pick materials).
