Taylor Builder's Edition 652CE 12-String Grand Auditorium V-Class Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Wild Ho

The Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce acoustic-electric guitar joins the ultra-premium collection created by master designer Andy Powers. First debuting in 2018, Powers' Builder's Edition models offer the most player-friendly experience in both sound and feel. The 652ce is the first 12-string to be introduced to the Builder's Edition line. With its compact body, electric guitar-inspired contouring, shorter scale length and 12-fret neck, the 652ce will appeal to Guitar Center customers who play electric guitar. Combining Powers' design expertise and Taylor's advanced manufacturing capability, Builder's Edition models are produced with incredible precision and consistency.

Builder's Edition 652ce Main Features

Solid torrefied Sitka spruce top and solid figured big leaf maple back and sides
24-7/8" scale hard rock maple neck, genuine West African ebony fingerboard and bridge, beveled cutaway
Gotoh 21:1 antique gold tuners, Taylor Expression System 2 Professional Audio-Grade pickup design and V-Class bracing system

Premium Tonewood and Torrefied Top

With its maple back and sides, the Builder's Edition 652ce produces greater warmth, complexity, volume, sustain and responsiveness. At the same time, it retains maple’s naturally clear, linear qualities. Taylor's maple guitars are also voiced to be reflective of the player's technique. A player with a dynamic playing style, or someone who likes to differentiate their picking attack, will enjoy how easily those playing nuances come through in the tonal response. Taylor's 600 Series guitars also feature the torrefaction process. Torrefied tops are roasted to produce an aged tonal character with greater acoustic resonance and responsiveness.

An Ultra-playable 12-string

Similar to an electric guitar, the Builder's Edition 652ce features a reverse-strung configuration to emphasize the fundamental note, creating a slightly fuller, meatier 12-string sound. With double-mounted string anchoring, each string pairing shares the same bridge pin hole. This design creates a consistent break angle and produces a more even response. The difference is subtle, but it reduces a bit of the octave jangle to produce a cleaner sound.

Designed With the Electric Guitar Player in Mind

Powers designed the Builder's Edition 652ce with the electric player in mind. With its compact Concert body, sleek contouring—featuring a beveled cutaway and armrest—shorter scale length and 12-fret neck, players accustomed to an electric guitar will think of this as the electric player’s acoustic guitar. When combined with the V-Class bracing, the 652ce's sound is clean and focused, incredibly in tune and articulate in its low-end response. Other premium features include a Curve Wing bridge, Gotoh tuners and Silent Satin finish.

Taylor ES2 Electronics and V-Class Bracing

Two signature elements of the Taylor Builder's Edition collection are the revolutionary Expression System 2 pickup design and V-Class bracing system. The crux of Taylor's ES2 pickup design is its patented behind-the-saddle pickup. This pickup design features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. With this design, the pickup doesn't sit under the saddle. Because of that, the bottom of the saddle comes in full contact with the bridge. This full contact allows all the nuance of the guitar's tone to come through clearly, whether you’re playing acoustically or plugged-in. Paired with Taylor’s custom professional audio-grade preamp, this pickup system is designed to produce great amplified tone and responsiveness. Taylor debuted its V-Class bracing with the first line of Builder’s Edition guitars in 2018. V-Class bracing is essentially a "sonic engine" that optimizes the response of an acoustic guitar in three important ways: boosting volume, sustain and intonation. Guitars with Taylor’s V-Class bracing system are also easier to tune. With V-Class bracing, you’ll get more pure and orderly notes that don't cancel each other out or sound off.

All in all, the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce is a balanced 12-string that blends the comfort, precision and utility of an electric guitar into the organic, acoustic musical space.

About the Taylor Builder's Edition Collection

Each model in Taylor’s Builder's Edition line is essentially Powers' "director's cut." Powers was able to apply refined craftsmanship details that aren’t typically offered on standard Taylor models. Each model showcases the highest levels of Taylor guitar design innovation. In essence, the Builder’s Edition is an ultra-premium class of guitars offering the most player-friendly experience in both sound and feel.

With the introduction of the 2020 Builder's Edition models, Powers' line grows to four different body styles and nine total models—each boasting their own dramatically different musical personality.

Body

• Body type: Taylor Grand Auditorium
• Cutaway: Beveled Cutaway 
• Top wood: Solid Torrified Sitka Spruce
• Back & sides: Solid Figured Big Leaf Maple
• Bracing pattern: Taylor V-Class Bracing with Relief Rout
• Body finish: Silent Satin Finish with Wild Honey Burst around the body and neck
• Orientation: Right-Handed

Neck

• Neck shape: Taylor Standard Profile
• Nut width: 1-7/8" (44.625 mm)
• Fingerboard: Genuine West African Ebony
• Neck wood: Hard Rock Maple
• Scale length: 24-7/8"
• Number of frets: 18
• Neck finish: Satin

Electronics

• Pickup/preamp: Expression System 2 Professional Audio-Grade
• Brand: Taylor
• Configuration: Behind-the-Saddle Transducer with Adjustable Sensors
• Preamp EQ: Volume, Active Bass and Treble
• Feedback filter: Onboard Phase Switch
• Tuner: None

Other

• Headstock overlay: Genuine West African Ebony
• Tuning machines: Gotoh 21:1 Antique Gold Tuners with Gold Buttons
• Bridge: Genuine West African Ebony
• Saddle & nut: Micarta Double-Compensated Saddle; Teflon-Infused Graphite Nut
• Number of strings: 12
• Special features: Beveled cutaway, beveled armrest, Curve Wing bridge with double-mounted string anchoring, reverse-strung setup, Gotoh tuners, Silent Satin finish
• Case: Taylor Deluxe Hard Shell Case
• Accessories: None
• Country of origin: USA