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Let me tell you about this excellent guitar, the Taylor 150e 12 string, which is easy on the wallet but feels incredible to play. This guitar is something special. It has the perfect mix of expert craftsmanship, innovative design, and fantastic sound. Whether you’re a pro musician or just starting out, this guitar is a real showstopper, showcasing Taylor’s dedication to top-notch acoustic guitars.
The 150e 12-string has some pretty cool features and specs that make playing it an experience you won’t forget, no matter what kind of music you’re into. Let’s explore its features.
Check out another guitar of this production named Taylor Academy 12EN.
| Made In | Mexico |
| Model | 150e 12-string |
| Body | Traditional Dreadnought |
| Top | Layered Walnut |
| Neck | Maple |
| Scale | 25-1/2″ |
| Nut Width | 1.875” |
| Weight | 5 lbs |
| Fretboard | Ebony |
| Frets | 20 |
| Bracing | Scalloped bracing |
| Electronics | Taylor’s Expression System ® 2 Electronics |
| Bridge | African ebony |
| Inlays | Dots |
| Truss Rod | Dual Action |
| Case | Gig Bag |
| Design | Non-cutaway |
| Colors | Natural |
Top-notch Tonewoods
The Taylor 150e 12-string guitar is unique in terms of craftsmanship. Its makers took great care in picking the right woods.
The top part of this guitar is made from a solid piece of Sitka spruce. What’s cool about that is that it makes the sound super-even and flawless, giving you a consistent vibe across all the notes you play.
The mid-tones on this guitar? They have this expressive, rich quality that adds a whole new layer to your music. And the high notes, oh man, they’re just stunning. They have this warm, resonant sound that’s captivating. This guitar has a way of making every note sound magical.
Premium Ebony Fingerboard
The Taylor 150e 12-string guitar embraces craftsmanship with its premium ebony fingerboard.
The fingerboard is adorned with classic dot inlays. Ebony’s smooth texture contributes to comfortable fretting.
Beyond its tactile benefits, the ebony fingerboard shapes the guitar’s sonic character.
Known for its density and resonance, ebony adds a touch of brightness and clarity to the overall tonal spectrum. This tonewood choice ensures that each note rings out with precise articulation.
Solid Spruce Top
The solid Sitka spruce top with a matte finish is the foundation of the Taylor 150e 12-string guitar’s exceptional tone.
Sourced for its superior acoustic properties, Sitka spruce is a revered tonewood that imparts a balanced tonal response with clear projection.
Due to its capacity to increase the guitar’s volume and dynamic range, this premium wood is a quality symbol and a favorite among guitar makers.
The solid spruce top’s capacity to age gracefully over time makes it indispensable in crafting a stand-out guitar.
Fast, Slim Maple Neck
The Taylor 150e 12-string guitar’s tonal excellence is complemented by its fast and slim maple neck. The neck’s profile is designed to accommodate intricate fingerstyle techniques and swift chord transitions.
Using maple for the neck imparts a touch of brightness to the overall tonal palette. The smooth ebony fretboard facilitates effortless navigation with its 20 well-placed frets and dot inlays.
Combining the layered walnut top and the fast, slim maple neck creates a harmonious balance between tonal richness and playability.
Playability
The Taylor 150e 12-string guitar is generally considered a very playable instrument. It has a comfortable neck with low action, which means that the strings are not too high off the fretboard. This makes fret notes and chords easy, even for players with smaller hands.
The guitar has a narrow nut width, meaning the strings are spaced closer together. This can be helpful for players who have difficulty stretching their fingers across the fretboard. Check out how to set up a 12-string guitar.
The Taylor 150e 12 string guitar comes with a Fishman Expression System 2 pickup designed to be as transparent as possible. This means that the pickup does not add any coloration to the guitar’s natural sound. The pickup also has a built-in tuner, a convenient feature for live performance.
When you pick up this guitar, it just feels inviting, a quality that’s regrettably uncommon in many other 12-string guitars.
Image from Taylor Guitars
Sound
The Taylor 150e 12 string guitar is famous for its outstanding sound quality, attracting players and listeners. Its tonal balance combines a robust low-end response that perfectly complements the sparkling octave strings, making it versatile across various playing styles, from chord strumming to intricate fingerpicking.
Notably, the guitar boasts exceptional projection, delivering impressive volume and clarity with minimal compression. This ensures its sound remains vibrant in diverse performance settings, making it an ideal stage-ready companion that effortlessly maintains its rich, full-bodied sound. I played the 150E through a Pendulum preamp to see what would happen. The sound was even better and more realistic, which I would expect from an expensive acoustic preamp.
Additionally, the 150e accommodates alternate tunings with ease thanks to its smoothly operating tuners, preserving the lushness and clarity of its sound. Its dynamic and responsive nature across various styles and tunings makes it a versatile and expressive instrument, ideal for musicians seeking a high-quality 12-string acoustic guitar to elevate their musical journey.
The Expression System 2
At the heart of the Taylor 150e 12 string guitar lies the Expression System® 2 (ES2) electronics. Taylor’s ES2 is a proprietary pickup system renowned for faithfully capturing natural acoustic sound.
The Expression System 2 utilizes a trio of strategically placed sensors that are expertly calibrated to capture the guitar’s top, transforming it into an authentic amplified sound.
These sensors are thoughtfully positioned behind the saddle, ensuring optimal pickup of the string and soundboard vibrations. This unique placement contributes to faithfully reproducing the guitar’s rich tonal characteristics.
One of the standout features of the ES2 electronics is their discreet design. The unobtrusive placement of the controls ensures that the guitar’s elegant appearance remains uncompromised while providing convenient access to volume and tone adjustments.
Ongoing Battle Between Martin & Taylor
Martin and Taylor are two of the world’s most respected acoustic guitar brands. Both companies have been making high-quality guitars for over a century and have loyal followings of players.
Martin is known for its classic, warm tone. Martin guitars are often used by bluegrass and country musicians, but they are also versatile enough for other genres. Where Taylor is known for its modern, crisp tone. Taylor guitars are often used by pop, rock, and fingerstyle musicians.
So, which is better, Martin or Taylor? The answer depends on your personal preferences. Martin is a good choice if you prefer a classic, warm tone. Taylor is a good choice if you prefer a modern, crisp tone. Also, if you want a traditional feel and sound, you should go for Martin, and if you want a guitar that feels easy on your hand, you should go for Taylor.
Pros and Cons of Taylor 150e 12 string
Pros:
- Rich Tonewood Combination:
The Sitka spruce top and layered walnut back and sides create a harmonious tonal blend, offering a balanced sound with clear and resonant lows.
- Expression System 2 Electronics:
The included ES2 electronics ensure a faithful reproduction of the guitar’s acoustic sound when played through amplifiers or recording systems.
- Comfortable Playability:
The fast and slim maple neck and the ebony fretboard provide a comfortable playing experience suitable for intricate fingerstyle techniques and swift chord changes.
Cons:
- Non-Cutaway Design:
The non-cutaway design may limit access to higher frets, which could be a consideration for players who frequently venture into the upper registers.
Conclusion
The Taylor 150e 12 string guitar is a stunning masterpiece crafted with top-notch materials and cutting-edge technology.
Its sound is rich and robust, thanks to the combination of a Sitka spruce top and stacked walnut back and sides. Plus, with the Expression System 2 electronics, its performance is truly exceptional.
While it may lack a cutaway, it remains an attractive option for 12-string guitar enthusiasts seeking versatility and remarkable resonance.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Taylor 150e 12 string guitar:
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