EL CAJON, CALIF JUL. 11, 2017 — Today Taylor Guitars® announces the expansion of its popular and innovative small-body 12-string design platform with the launch of the new Grand Concert 362ce. The company is also 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 and all-satin finish give the instrument a dusky vintage look. Other features include Italian acrylic small diamond fretboard inlays, black binding with crisp white top trim, a three-ring rosette, a black pickguard, and Taylor’s ES2 electronics.
Players who favor the dynamic response and crisp articulation of a spruce-top acoustic might lean toward the 352ce, which pairs Sitka spruce with sapele back and sides to produce a slightly brighter sound than the mahogany-top edition. The guitar features a gloss-finish top.
The 362ce and 352ce will both be available at retail in August 2017 for $2,099 and $1,999 respectively and will ship in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case.
FLORENTINE CUTAWAY & SUNBURST TOP
A sharp, Florentine-style cutaway will now be the standard cutaway form for Taylor’s steel-string, Grand Symphony cutaway models in the 500 Series and up, adding a dramatic flair to the bold-voiced body shape. Aesthetically, the cutaway complements the Grand Symphony’s full-bodied form and showcases the intricate craftsmanship required to create the scooped, hand-bent contours and other finishing details.
A tobacco sunburst top will also now be available for any of Taylor’s rosewood 800 or 900 Series models. The hand-sprayed, vintage look incorporates a breakthrough color application process that adds color without increasing the material thickness of the ultra-thin, 3.5-mil gloss finish. The thinner finish is one of several premium tone-enhancing features of the guitars, and helps elicit more volume and responsiveness.
For additional information, please visit us at www.taylorguitars.com.
ABOUT TAYLOR GUITARS
Founded in 1974, Taylor Guitars is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium acoustic guitars. Renowned for blending an innovative use of modern technology with a master craftsman’s attention to detail, Taylor guitars are widely considered among the best sounding and easiest to play in the world. Many of today’s leading musicians make Taylor their guitar of choice, including Jason Mraz, Zac Brown and Taylor Swift, among many others.
