Taylor Guitars 412-CE

2004 412ce.

Sound is amazing for this little guy. Thin body but sounds pretty full. Which is the reason i bought it. I was looking for a full sounding thin body guitar. The lows are crisp, and the highs are detailed with every pick of the string.

Action was the way i liked it. I like it kinda high. No flaws at all.

I took this guitar to play live, at jam sessions, BBQs. I shouldn't take it to half of those events because of the price. I need to find a POS guitar for that. Played it in the rain or shine. I even think i let it roast in my car for a day. (Which is highly not recommended.) It still could play and was not warrped.

To send in the warrenty i put down the wrong model number for the guitar. (FREAKIN Stupid of me). Taylor customer support sent it back to me to change the model number. Sent it in and got a quick response saying that my warrenty was valid. Not bad customer service in my eyes. At least i got intouch with them.

I've been playing for about 20 years, proffessionaly for about 10. I own a brianmoore guitar, custom texas tele. I this guitar were stolen or lost, I will hunt down the guy that stole it from me and string em up. If I'm lucky i may have the money to buy another one if it did break. I love the sound detail of this guitar. It sounded better than some of the dreadknot guitars that i've tried. It sounds just as loud as a full body guitar. I compaired this guitar to a few Martin, Gibson, and other Taylor models. This guitar stole my heart.

This is the 412 RCE. It has Rosewood sides and back. It also has the new expression system pickup.

The sound is beautiful! While not as "full" or "thick" sounding as my 514, I love how it sounds and look forward to hearing it in the mix.

Without a doubt, this plays better than my 514. A couple of friends say it's unfair that it plays so easy...

While I have only had it a week, the construction seems top notch and I have no reason to expect it to be anything but superior!

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I had never craved a guitar before playing this one. After I played it, I spent the next week trying to figure out how to purchase it. Through the kindness of many people, including my wonderful wife and the choir I direct I was able to make the purchase. (I said goodbye to my Takamine EG140SHC for this. (A nice guitar - but definitely not a Taylor.)

My Taylor 412ce was purchased from ProMuTech in Romford Essex UK in December 2002. Firstly I was drawn to this beauty by the looks, then when I played it for the first time, it fitted like a glove. The guitar in question was made in 2002.

As a Rock/Blues guitarist, I wanted an electro acoustic that would feel as nice to play as my Fender Strat in terms of size- I find some acoustics a little to big and find that the stretching over big jumbo bodies can restrict my technique. This is comfortable and sounds great.

The action is great- no flaws in production.......... WONDERFUL.

This is a great guitar for stage as it is light on the back (My LES PAUL is a KILLER) and sounds cool. It very seldom drops out of tune so I maintain my faith in it. Very solid in construction!!!!!!!!!

Taylor set the standard in terms of customer relations- check out their web site.

AS a die hard stat player, I was a newcomer to the accoustic world when I biought this baby, but now it has become my main instrument. If I lost it it would have to be replaced. It is nice looking and sounds fantastic.
BUY ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I purchased my Taylor 412ce in 2001. It has the Ovangkol body w/Spruce Top. It has the Fishman Prefix amplified system which works really well. It has a nice neck and feel to the guitar due to its smaller Grand Concert size.

This guitar suits my fingerstyle picking technique to a tee. I think it has a full sound when amplified. I have used it through a Crate CA30D and a Roland JC-77 amplifiers. It sounds great. I also have recorded with it, w/o amp and it still sounds good.

It has a good action. The neck alignment is perfect. There were no noticable flaws that I could see.

I've only played out with this guitar twice w/o any problems with amplification. I would use this guitar in any venue that I could play.

I have been playing guitar for over 30 years. I also have a 67 Gibson ES 330 TDC, a 76 Gibson ES 345 SV, and a 95 Fender Telecaster. I had previouly owned a Martin D-28, and a Gibson Hummingbird years ago, but the Taylor is the best acoustic/electric for my style.

This guitar was made in 1989 and purchased new in 1998. It has a satin finish mahogany back, sides and neck with an ebony fingerboard and a sitka spruce top with a single cutaway. The neck joins at the 14th fret. The tuners are Grover chrome and it has a Fishman Prefix pickup built in. The pickup has faders for treble, bass, contour and some sort of frequency notch filter. It came with a molded hard case and a tool to tighten the truss rod.

This guitar is strung in an open G tuning and is played either alone or through a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. It does Keith Richards better than he does himself. It is a bright sound due to the small body size and the mahogany. There is nothing I dislike about any aspect of this guitar or how it sounds.

I haven't found a flaw. Even in the open G, this one is pretty close to dead on for each string both open and at the 12th fret.

I have taken this guitar to a gig although it is used for recording and personal playing for the most part. I don't like taking guitars out of the house, but I think this one would hold up to the rigors of giging without any problem.

Never had a problem with either of my Taylors. I have toured their factory in California, and I was very impressed with their staff.

I have been playing for 28 years. I have acouple of teles and a couple of strats, a MusicMan Silhouette, a Rick 330 and a 370/12, a Fender Sub-sonic, a PRS Signatue and another Taylor 714-Ced. Amps: Acoustasonic Jr., MesaBoogie MkIII, Cyber-Twin, '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue, and a Deluxe Reverb Solid State circa 1966 or so. I would definately replace this guitar if lost or stolen. It has the nicest warm rhythm sound I've ever encountered and is especially good through the Acoustasonic. The Fishman sounds OK but I have a Highlander pickup in my other Taylor that's much better. I would replace this guitar with one that could take a Highlander next time.

Taylor Grand Concert (work date: 6/4/1998), Ovangkol back/sides, Sitka Spruce top, Ebony fretboard/bridge, Elixir strings, white binding, Fishman Matrix, Taylor Case. Nice feature mix. Note: The dealer upgraded me from standard SKB to Taylor case at no additional cost.

I was searching for a high-quality full-scale, small-body guitar, and was willing to sacrifice big body sound. I don't particularly care for the dreadnought shape, and wanted a size that I could maneuver around myself and other obstacles. The 412ce delivers a beautifully articulate and distinct sound, but it can be overwhelmed by more powerful instruments. I don't perform, but agree with others that Grand Concerts would need amplification. All things considered, I'm very satisfied.

This is currently my main guitar. Taylor action has a well-deserved reputation, and I've found no adjustments necessary. This guitar was "display seasoned" for well over a year prior to my purchase. The pickguard had some scratches, but the guitar was otherwise unscathed. Taylor's exceptional level of quality throughout the product line is important when considering a low-end series. While certain aesthetics, such as Ebony marbling, reflect a certain product line pecking order, I find nothing lacking in execution. If I want top-notch aesthetics, then I have to pay extra for them ? fair enough. While not flashy, the Spruce top has an attractive figure. Compared to new 400s that I've seen on display, the grain seems to have become more pronounced. I'm not sure what to make of this, but it adds a visual quality to the guitar's aging process. Ovangkol may not be a glamor tone wood, but I find the figure beautiful, even luminescent in certain conditions. I actually prefer the combination of gloss finish on top (a UV-cured polyester) and satin finish on back/sides. So far, the finish has held up well ? one ding from a solid hit against one of the case hinges.

I've owned this guitar for six months, and I practice every day. As I mentioned earlier, the guitar also spent considerable time on display. New England humidity goes up & down, but this guitar is well cared for, and I have not noticed any instability. New strings settle down quickly, and require only a little tweak before playing. I've read a lot of opinions on Elixirs, but durable strings are well-matched to my current (low) skill level. As my abilities improve, I may experiment with other strings and tunings. Compared to my Larrivee Parlor, the tuners have some backlash. I don't know if that's a sign of mediocre quality, but it doesn't seem to effect the guitar's ability to stay in tune. I'm confident that the excellent Taylor case, which was an included option, will keep my guitar safe. The case *is* a handful ? I'll use it mostly for storage, and get a Taylor gig bag for travel.

I've been doing business with Taylor for a relatively short period of time. They've been very responsive when contacted via phone or E-mail. While we don't always agree, their responses have always been considerate and well thought out. I haven't had a problem with this guitar, and have no reason to believe that Taylor will not be honorable in the future.

I'm a novice player. I've found few dealers that I enjoy visiting, so I chose Taylor for my first good guitar in large part because of Harmony Central and www.taylor.com. Taylor is an interesting and innovative company. My guitar is a very well thought out and executed instrument that reflects their philosophies. I have no regrets and believe the guitar I read about is the one I bought. If stolen/lost, I would do a 412ce vs. 812ce, but would probably choke on the extra cost and buy another 412ce. I would definitely want a Grand Concert that has Taylor's new neck design. Because of my satisfaction, I've purchased a 714 that will be reviewed once we get to know each other.

I just purchased a Taylor 412CE made in 1997. This year (1998), the 400 series were renumbered to the 300 series, so I guess my 412CE is really a 312CE :)
All solid woods - spruce top, mahogany sides and back, mahogany neck and head, ebony fingerboard and bridge. It has a molded case (like the old Ovations).
It has a straight cutaway. The electronics are a Fishman Prefix pickup with sliders. The Fishman has an active preamp for volume, 3 band EQ, and a frequency switch to help limit feedback.
The top is a semi-gloss top with satin back and sides.
The 412 is the "Grand Concert" series and, as such, is the smallest cutaway body that Taylor makes. It is a full 1/2 inch shallower than the dreadnoughts and is a 1/2 inch shorter in scale which makes it really, really easy to hold and play. But that's not why I bought it.
The action is super low and there is NO fret buzzing. It plays like an electric, though the nut is 1.75 inches wide (wider than Taylor's dreadnouhgts).

I (try to) play jazz and have been looking for that mysterious "jazz tone", having had an archtop in the past. With an acoustic amp, I think I can get that jazz tone out of this guitar - strange since it's not an archtop. I only have an electric guitar amp right now and it really does not do justice to a real acoustic guitar.
I also play some fingerstyle whatever-I-can-play. And this Taylor is so easy to play.
Acoustically, the 412CE lacks volume, but the guitar is still new (smells new) and has not been "played in". So, I expect the volume to increase. Plugged volume is no problem due to the Fishman Prefix.
The tone is, well, excellent! Sweet and balanced, notes ring on smoothly unlike cheaper guitars where notes ring on and then kind of wobble out at the end.
I'll give it an 8 due to the lack of pure acoustic volume. Keep in mind that the 412CE is the smallest Taylor body which accounts for the lack of volume. Also, the guitar is new and will open up over the next few years.

The 412CE somes with D'addario bronze lights (12's). I had the shop owner restring my 412CE with D'addario mediums (13's). When I went to pick up the guitar, I asked the shop owner if he had used mediums. I could not believe how easy it was to play. The action was perfect, the intonation was perfect, the feel was perfect. Honestly, it played more like an electric guitar. Now, I'm wondering if I can use even a heavier gauge - nah...
The top was bookmatched fine. The inside of the guitar (or at least what I can see) looks perfect. It smells great, too. The edges of the frets do not stick out.
The finish was just fine - no nicks or mars of any kind.

I just got it, so I can't accurately attest to its long-term durability. but the finish seems like it can easily stand up to a pounding. The guitar is very light. The strap buttons are solid. I don't gig, but if I did, this would be my only acoustic guitar, but I might carry a spare 9V battery for the active pickup.

I have not dealt with the company, but my dealer assures me that Taylor does whatever it takes to satisfy the customer. Having known my dealer for a long time, I'll take him at his word. The guitar came with all sorts of literature on overhumidiation (sp?) and drying out of guitars and how to fix them, etc.
Taylor guitars come with a lifetime warranty. If you have a problem, you send it back to Taylor and pay shipping both ways.

I have been playing on and off for a number of years and own a Seagull acoustic and a Fender amp. If this guitar were lost, I'd buy it again if I could get the same deal.
I compared the guitar to a Gibson EC-10 (same price range) and a Taylor 310CE. The sound of the EC-10 was crummy acoustically and the neck heel made it unplayable IMHO. The 310CE action was high and the guitar was more difficult to play, though the volume was the loudest. I did not try out any Martin's. There is only one Martin in this class anyway: the D1CE and nobody had one.
I love everything about 412CE, except the lack of acoustic volume (when compared to larger bodied Taylors). Still, I would buy the guitar again because I know the sound will only get better and better the more I play it. And the plugged sound is quite good.
I also like the fact that alot of fingerpickers have a 412CE on hand because of its value and playability.