Clearance Guild F-2512CE Deluxe 12-String Cutaway Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar Antique Burst

Most Liked Positive Review

A great sounding investment

I'd been planning on picking up a 12 string acoustic guitar to add to my arsenal when I discovered this beauty. When I found out that the Guitar Center in Rockford had this model, I thought "why not" and popped in to take a road test. They brought the guitar out, still new in the box. I was immediately impressed with the finish quality, and wood. The back had a nice flame maple, while the solid top showed good grain. An attractive sunburst finish too. I spent maybe a half hour going through different songs and neck positions to find out just how well it played and sounded. The guitar has a good full voice with nice sustain. Intonation is good. Action is fine though if you need to make an adjustment there's a truss rod tool included for those who know how to do it correctly. Note: if you're not familiar or comfortable with these adjustments, I seriously encourage you not to do it yourself, and instead take it to a professional guitar tech and have it done right. The neck has a comfortable feel. I can play for a time without my hand getting cramped. Plugged in, the guitar sounds fine too. Make sure to try this out with a good amp. Discreet volume and tone controls just inside the sound hole help to keep the body clean of knobs. Straight acoustic or plugged in, this guitar sounds great. The guitar does have a cutaway. I don't imagine playing that far up the neck on a 12 string, but it's there and at the very least it looks good. I mentioned earlier about the intonation. There are saddles made specifically for this type of guitar due to the intonation differences in the pairs of strings. While I was pleased with the sound, I may upgrade to that type of saddle in the future. Something to consider for any 12 string guitar. For value, I'd say that you could spend more, but perhaps not get much more value in quality and sound. Unless you really need to have the top end, I'd say save your money. On the flip side, I'd avoid the lower end 12 strings if you can help it due to quality issues. I've had this guitar for about a month now and played it most every day. It's stayed in tune relatively well in standard pitch, even with the midwest humidity and temperature swings that we've had recently. No busted strings or other issues that I can think of. Bottom line: If you're looking for a mid to upper priced jumbo acoustic electric 12 string guitar with a full voice, decent sustain, and consistent build quality, this is probably the best bang for the buck. #sweepstakes