As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Issue 11 – Spring 2020 – SoCal Inspired
By Alexx Calise
The 362ce 12-fret from Taylor Guitars is–simply put, an exceptional guitar. A marvel of sound, feel and aesthetics, the 362ce features Taylor’s revolutionary V-class bracing technology (characteristic of a lot of Taylor’s newer guitars); gorgeous Tasmanian Blackwood and tropical mahogany woods, giving the 362ce a warm, full sound; and a sloping Venetian cutaway for more comfortable positioning while playing.
Traditionally, 12-string guitars have always been on the larger size in terms of the body, but the 362ce’s Grand Concert body makes the guitar a bit more “fun” and easy to play for those who’ve avoided 12-strings in the past due to their bulkier size, or for those who haven’t yet experimented with 12-strings before.
Another common pain point about 12-strings would be the tuning process, as you’ll spend an exorbitant amount of time tuning each string, just to find that it’s already out of tune again by the time you finish. Not the case with this 12-string. Perhaps due in part to the V-class bracing, the 362ce has impeccable intonation, so you won’t be left cringing each time you play a chord. Fingerstyle playing especially is an absolute dream on this guitar, as the 362ce has fantastic midrange, loud volume, and incredible sustain.
Taylor’s Expression System 2, their behind-the-saddle pickup, is also one of the 362ce’s best features, as it is very true to the guitar’s natural, authentic sound, and it isn’t brittle or thin-sounding like a lot of pickups commonly found in other acoustic guitars. There’s a reason you see a lot of Taylor guitars used in live settings, kids.
Stylistically speaking, the 362ce is beautiful in its simplicity. It isn’t overly flashy, yet it still begs to be played. Like its 352ce counterpart from Taylor (which is also a fantastic guitar), it also features a lovely satin finish, and an abundant cutaway, making for easier playing higher up the neck (and just greater comfort while playing in general).
Taylor has indeed done it again. In terms of technology, look, and overall playability, the 362ce would be my first choice as far as a 12-string guitar. In the past, I’ve been turned off from playing 12-strings (despite how beautiful they do sound) because the tuning can obviously be a complete nightmare. However, the 362ce stays in tune remarkably well, I’m a huge fan of the smaller body, and it really just exudes that trademark Taylor classiness and sophistication.
For more information and full specifications, visit TaylorGuitars.com.
MSRP: $2,299.00