Taylor Guitars has announced the expansion of its popular and small-body 12-string design platform with the launch of the new Grand Concert 362ce. The company also is making its Florentine...
Taylor Guitars has announced the expansion of its popular and small-body 12-string design platform with the launch of the new Grand Concert 362ce. The company also is making its Florentine cutaway a standard feature on all Grand Symphony cutaway models in its 500 Series and up and is introducing a tobacco sunburst top option for its rosewood/spruce 800 and 900 Series.
362CE & 352CE
Building on the success of the award-winning small-body 12-string 552ce and 562ce models Taylor introduced in 2016, the new 362ce and 352ce add even more player-friendly 12-string flavor to the company’s guitar line.
The 362ce’s compact cutaway Grand Concert shape features solid Tasmanian blackwood back and sides and a mahogany top. What has made Taylor’s breakthrough 12-string design especially appealing is its physical accessibility—the lap-friendly Grand Concert is a pleasant departure from the traditionally beefier size of bigger-bodied 12-strings, making it easier for players to set the strings in motion.
The combination of the 12-fret neck and the 24-7/8-inch scale length also gives players a comfortable handfeel that makes fretting easier and once again underscores Taylor’s reputation for making ultra-playable instruments.
“Oftentimes 12-string guitars can be uncomfortable to play,” said Andy Powers, Master Guitar Designer. “They’re usually heavier and bulkier, and the scale length and string tension require quite a bit of hand strength to achieve the intended sound and tone. The feedback when we introduced the 552ce and 562ce 12-string models last year was so positive from hobbyists and experts alike that we wanted to expand the options for that design.”
Sonically the 362ce offers a more controlled 12-string voice that’s not too overpowering in a mix for recording applications. The hardwood mahogany top also adds enough compression to smooth out the response, bringing an appealing consistency across the tonal spectrum, while still capturing the 12-string’s beautiful octave shimmer. Visually, the combination of the shaded edgeburst mahogany top