Gordon Lightfoot 12 String Guitar For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

I bought a Luna wabi Sabi folk in January 2022, after looking for a cheap Yamaha to keep at work. The Luna was a bit more expensive but it felt and sounded great and I liked that it had electronics and a tuner. After 3 weeks the frets grew sharp to a point where it became unplayable, slicing my index finger. I humidified and filed the frets down. Then frets 1 and 12 started to buzz. Looking down the fingerboard, I can see frets have begun to rise out of their slots. My local shop said the guitar was not worth the repair, understandable. I decided it was unplayable, so I raised the nut to use it for slide and Dobro playing but when I changed the strings, I noticed that all of the tuners had a lot of play, I tightened the ring nuts on 5 out of 6 tuners. I pulled it out of it's case this morning to see the top has cracked clean through, from the sound hole along where the top meets the fret board. It wasn't dropped or damaged and it lived in a humidified guitar room.

I own several vintage acoustics and high end guitars and I treated this guitar as I would any other instrument I own. Very poor quality that could be excused if it was a $100 guitar but it's not.Gregory Tellier

In the words of Mark Knopfler, "Loving guitars means you've got to love the cheap ones as well," and so, in that spirit, on the hunt for a cheap, fun acoustic to add to the collection, and with Musician's Friend reward points to spend, Wabi Sabi, the concept of finding beauty in imperfection just made this kinda irresistible. The whole point of this guitar I guess is that the solid spruce top is classified as "B-stock" thus making a solid top acoustic available in a price range where laminated tops are far and away the norm. But why are these solid spruce tops regarded as lesser? Apparently because, well, cosmetic imperfections. In other words the grain is irregularly spaced, and there are a couple of wavy, knotty patterns that have no impact on the guitar's sonic quality. But it's a solid spruce top nonetheless. Mahogany neck, very smooth and has a nice feel. Laminated mahogany sides and back. The fit and finish are actually very good. Satin finish, a bone nut. Nothing earth-shattering, but all very attractive and, best of all, straight out of the box, this guitar required very little effort to get dialed in. The intonation was spot on across the fret board, and the action was lovely, 2mm on the low E side and about 1.5mm on the high E side. Unlike many acoustics at this price point, playability is a non-issue. It's a joy to play. Tone-wise, this is basically a folk or orchestra model, and so it's simply not designed to project like a dreadnaught, but what it does offer is very good. I would describe its tone as warm, woody, with a rather mid-rangey voice, definitely not boomy at all on the low end, nor brash or harsh on the treble end, but nicely articulated and very well balanced across the fingerboard. The lone notable flaw was a slightly high 4th fret which caused some very minor buzzing at about four different touch points on the neck. Depending on your comfort level with such things as dressing a fret, this is either a big deal or not. For me, it's not a huge issue, but I buy inexpensive guitars with the idea that they will require at least some tweaking, and for me at least, this one required much less than most. I have only tested out the electronics briefly but was able to dial in very musical, highly usable tones with little effort through a cheap acoustic DI and amp with a touch of reverb. Overall, this guitar feels like a keeper. It's a player. It sounds good. The setup was far better than expected, it required very little effort to optimize and, unlike many similarly-priced guitars, it holds tune very nicely. I can't really say anything bad about this guitar.David

First of all, the Wabi Sabi Grand Concert Acoustic Electric Guitar is a cutaway. The photos on the Musician's Friend page shows the Wabi Sabi dreadnought (I have uploaded a photo of the guitar I received from MF and perhaps they will post the proper photos after reading this). The design around the sound hole, the color, neck and headstock are all the same as the dreadnought. That being said, this guitar exceeded my expectations right out of the box. It is solid, maybe a bit heavier than similar guitars in this size. Also, I would not know that the top is made from "B-grade" wood- the finish is tip-top and it feels good in hands. Appearances aside, this guitar plays comfortably and sounds as good or better than most solid tops I have played. The spruce is perhaps a bit brighter than my past acoustics (usually mahogany-topped) but it handles the low end like a dreadnought and strums with a full, rich sound. The neck is fast and smooth, the tuners are quality and the action, on arrival, was low without any detectable fret buzz. Plugged in, the guitar sounded balanced but overloaded my Behringer practice amp unless I kept the pre-amp leveIs lower than what I was used to (the equalizer on the preamp offers 4 level controls and volume). Perhaps pre-amp volume should be kept lower than similar acoustic-electrics but I will defer that one to more experienced opinions. In conclusion, this guitar is a steal for money and I look forward to practicing and playing out with it at an open mic.Andyboy Georgia

I was very excited to see and play a highly reviewed 12 string that costs pennies compared to my 12 string Takamine, Yamaha and Ibanez. Once I got through the box I saw the guitar had the look of some cheap pressed wood. The sound was as weak as a cup of Finnish coffee. The darn thing couldn't stay in tune to save mine or its life. How this guitar gets rated so highly MUST be a result of fake reviewers OR I simply got the ONE Rogue 12 string that seemed to be made by the Fisher-Price Company. This is NOT a musical instrument. It IS an instrument to make noise with. My edition was not worthy of the effort one has to put forward to learn and play guitar. One must have to have an instrument meet the musician at least half-way. With this "musical" instrument, you have to cross the block, pick the guitar up and fight against it to produce close to a tone that sounds musical. Best to buy a used good name 12 string guitar. Or save your pennies and get a Takamine or Yamaha. The latter will be excellent and cost in the $350 range. But a Yamaha will play forever and stay in tune. I recommend my Yamaha over my ash Ibanez. The former just has a fuller tone. If possible save for the Takamine which is on another guitar plane altogether. But don't buy a guitar based on price and/or name. I've discovered many of the friends I play with can't tell if their singing and/or playing is in tune!!. And yet, they own $5,000 MARTIN GUITARS!! Haha. Quite simply a waste of money. Be like me buying a red-green "masterpiece" oil painting, as I'm red-green color blind. But I DO have a good ear and this Rogue of a guitar is worthy of no one's money or effort. M.F. has many more-though more expensive-options that will bring the performer YEARS if not DECADES of playing happiness. Only misery lies in a 12 string Rogue guitar. Avoid.muskoxmike

Purchased this around December hoping to get my kids into it. As usually happens, it ended up being much more of a display use. I would imagine it was picked up about 12 times max total. It sat on display being ignored primarily. Still, by mid-June (in under 6 months) the bridge has warped and started to detach from the main guitar. I noticed this as I walked past it. The glue did not hold. Surprise though, because you can't just pull up a website for Rogue. I called Guitar Center for help to contact the manufacturer as this should be covered under their warranty. Guitar cCenter took my information and said they would forward it to their "contact" for the company and I should receive a response in 3-5 business days. It's been a few weeks now and I'm not impressed. No one called me back, they wouldn't simply give me an 800 number to call to handle it myself, and I still have no solution and no idea who to contact in order to make a claim on the manufacturer warranty. I am more than disappointed with Guitar Center's negligence to truly stand behind a beginner product they seem to offer a great deal of.Amanda V.

I'm so impressed by my RD 90. I think some reviewers are hesitant to give it the praise it deserves because it is an inexpensive guitar. I did a little work to lower the action and now it is perfect. Humidity and temperature changes cause it to need occasional tuning, no different that my other two acoustics. It has a full, rich tone. It plays easily. It makes me feel like I got a real bargain; I don't know how they turn a profit at this price.Charles

I bought this guitar to check out a budget friendly offering from Yamaha. I have to say I was not disappointed! Excellent tone and volume, the top really resonates. The guitar was really well setup right out of the box. It needed about 3/4 of a clockwise truss rod adjustment, no prob. Other than that it didn't need any fret dressing whatsoever. That's really impressive for a Chinese guitar. Heck even one of my Mexican Martins needed fret dressing out of the box! Also intonation was spot on and this also is important in your guitar. Very impressed with this guitar, intermediate/advanced feel but priced at a beginner budget. You won't regret picking one up, I assure you!Big Bone Murphy

There is a point of quality when an instrument reaches when it stops being seen as "better or worse" but rather just a different flavor. This Yamaha has reached that point. You can play it alongside a guitar costing 5x more and it stands up well. Yamaha is also one of those rare companies with a long history of top quality across all kinds of products, and guitars are an area Yamaha knows well. This is just a beautiful guitar through and throughout. You can get beautiful uncompromisingly great studio recordings with this guitar. Hitting the low strings hard with strumming gives a nice deep and rich tone. Also, the hardware / tuners are nice.Scott

I've owned many acoustics over the years, MANY, and this Yamaha is one of the best sounding I've ever owned. Went to GC just to check out a few lower end acoustics to pick up for jamming on, and tried almost every one in the room. Picked this one up last just before I was ready to leave, and immediately was blown away by the sound and playability, brought a couple friends to listen and tell me which one they thought sounded the best, and hands down this won over all of them. It has the tone and warmth of a Martin D34, which I have owned a few, and it plays like a dream. The neck is so sliky smooth, easy to fly up and down with no effort. It has amazing sustain and beautiful tone, I fell in love with it and just couldn't put it down. I didn't expect a guitar of this price range to sound as good as it does, got it home and I couldn't put it down. Played for 4 hours straight, and even after trying to put it down to go to bed at 1am I found myself playing a for a few more minutes before I could actually go to sleep. Love this Yamaha more than any guitar I've bought in the last decade. The best thing about it is, It gave me the desire to pick up playing guitar again, after hardly touching any of my other guitars for almost a year it's the one I want to play more than all of them. Great guitar, wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a different color, if you want something that you won't be able to put down this baby has the sound and feel your looking for.Johnny D

Overall: I have never purchased a guitar online but my have things changed. My Son ordered an Ibanez AS7312 as a gift for me. I unboxed it and it was stunning and I am particular. I looked high and low for a flaw but found none. I checked the neck relief, it was perfect, fret rocker, perfect – fret sprout, none, it was tuned 1/2 step down and the intonation was as close as you could with 6 saddles on a 12 string guitar. Then I plugged it in and I remembered why I missed my old 12 string so much. All I can say is great job Ibanez and great job zZounds.Stan

I have owned my Ibanez Artcore AS7312 for about a year now, and I will say it is one of the best guitars I own…..and I own many. I was looking for an electric 12 string without the price tag of a Rickenbacker. Even though I looked at this Ibanez many times, it took me a while to order it because I was trying to decide if on a semi hollow body design that the jangly, cutting thru sound that I was looking for would be there. When the guitar came in and I plugged it into my Fender Twin I could not have been happier. The sound continues to amaze me even after a year of hearing it. I don't think I realized at the time I ordered it that it had a solid maple block that the pickups were mounted into much less realize what a difference in the sound, and sustain that this would make. The solid center block, and the back and sides are all maple. The block gives the guitar bite and sustain, while the maple back and sides tends to project with a more brighter sound…….perfect for a great 12 string sound….at least to me anyway. I should have known Ibanez would know what they were doing, but I guess I more equate Ibanez with solid body guitars so it took me a while to order it. I equally enjoy just putting on 6 strings and playing it that way too. I have a '64 ES-335 but I actually like the sound to this guitar better probably because it sounds more like a solid body and that is mostly what I play. It was a little hard pressing down 12 strings until I read that a lot of players tune down a whole step and then capo back up to the 2nd fret. This made all this difference and was then easy to play. This guitar has a great action, great tone, and is pure elegance and eye candy on stage, lol If you're looking for a great 12 string electric at a decent price I would highly recommend this guitar.kareydunn1805

First of all the AR420 is a beautiful looking guitar with the abalone giving just a perfect amount of bling. The setup and action were great out of the box. The pickups are pretty good sounding alnicos and the tritone switching on each pickup give a wide variety of tones. The parallel sounds are a great alternative to the full humbucker and aren’t as thin as the split coils. The neck is very comfortable, fret ends are well finished and the hardware all seems fine. I find it very nice to play and easy to get the sounds I want. Design-wise the shape gives very good access to the upper frets but that also leads to the primary drawbacks, neither of which is an enormous issue for me but just annoying. Firstly the guitar is neck heavy so it does want to dive and secondly the pickup selector switch is directly above the neck pickup as it had to be brought forward towards the bridge due to the cutaway. That does make it susceptible to being knocked while playing with a resultant pickup selection change. Overall I am very happy with this guitar.Andrew C.

I had a cheap 12 string guitar for about almost two years. I had been playing corridos during this time. However, I had played guitar for several years. Mainly rock and other stuff. Well, after I got it, I could play all the solos I couldn't really play clean. I guess the other guitar really was bad, or this one is great. Funny thing, I had a really good player tell me to not buy this model but the more expensive one. Well, I'm glad I decided to go with this one. This guitar sounds great and it's extremely easy to play. The guitar stays in tune fairly well for a 12 string guitar. The action is low. I haven't tried it the electronics aside from the tuner which works fairly well compared to my snark. I do have a Taylor and Martin guitar, and the tone on this guitar is pretty clean.Juan

This Guitar plays like a dream, sounds great no matter if it is plugged in or not, stays in tune and looks great. This is a great price for a guitar of this quality, but thanks to another dealers daily deal and Guitar Center's price matching, it was even better. I was able to get this out of layaway for $240 less. I am very happy with this guitar. I have not played in a band for a while, but getting back into practice and plan to start back with some solo acoustic gigs. Having this awesome new guitar is surely an inspiration to help me want to practice more.Kip

I had bought one of these back in 2017 when I made the switch to Acoustic. I don't know why but, I got rid of it so I could make the move tpo the Martin X-Series only because I had always wanted a Martin. To make a long story short, the Martin didn't cut it for me, so last week I made the move back to Taylor and the Big Baby. These newer ones are so beautiful but it's a shame, that Taylor has discontinued them. The Brown headstock along with the Solid Spruce top and Walnut back and sides, have really IMO, improved this model. Once set up properly, it stays in tune and just sounds awesome ! I would say that it is the best Acoustic going today which is under the 500 dollar range. Plus seeing that I'm on a low budget, this was a no-brainer. It's a keeper and I am getting a lot of joy playing it.Jeffrey

I had bought one of these from here way back in 2017 , which I used when I was gigging . I'm now retired ( 63 ) and only play at home now. I had to take a couple of years away from playing, due to pain in my left hand , which built up from 50 years of playing. I came back to playing in August of 2021 and I had bpught a Martin X-Series which at the time, I thought was great . Well it turned out that I ended up having issues with it and got rid of it, so I went back to getting a new, Big Baby Taylor, which always served me well. It's too bad that Taylor discontinued these because, these newer models are IMO, a vast improvement over the older ones. Since I got it on this past Sunday, I can not put this down. It just sounds so amazing and it stays in tune forever. While the included gigbag is a plus, I went and bought a Hardshell case for it. For those who want a Taylor but are on a low budget, this is worth the asking price and then some.Jeff

Since I went back to playing last summer after a 3 year hiatus, due to wrist pain in my left hand, I was using a Martin X-Series OMCX1E which I had nothing but problems with such as not staying in tune, fret buzz, etc. So over a week ago, I made the decision to switch to a Big Baby Taylor. I am limited as far as funds go, so $500.00 was the most that I could afford and I did not want to get a Baby but the Big Baby which is pretty close to a standard dreadnought size , at least as th neck scale is concerned. The body is a tad smaller and lighter which for me at my age ( 63 ) , makes playing a lot easier. Thiis came already set up and strung with Elixirs , which I liked . I can not believe how light in weight this is and it stays in tune , which is a huge plus for me. As far as tone goes, this easily blows away any of the Martin X-Series .I love this guitar and I will be making some wonderful memories with it.jeffreyo46

The guitar performs and works as advertised. It's not a bad guitar by any means but it's a guitar that lives way past it's price range either. If you want a really nice D'ANGELICO acoustic then get something from the Excel line. But this is bottom of the premier line. This does the job for a early guitar, the neck is easy to play with low action to match. Put some warm strings on it. I recommend an 85/15 string and let it warm up and break in. It's a basic acoustic electric. It does what it says it will do. Nothing more or nothing less. I got it on an overstock sale but I'd buy it again at full price but maybe not the buttercream. The black or natural wood finish look the best. The buttercream is like they wanted the color of spruce with no grain. It's different for sure. If you're wanting something really nice save your money. If you want a decent backup not starter guitar this should fit the bill. My four star rating is with the full asking price in mind. If you get it on sale it's five star for the price.Nick

i wrote a review early on with my first impressions. 3 months on it it still sounds great – it's been my sofa guitar and I've played it a great deal. The tone has mellowed a bit with use. Neck is still exactly where I set it and the whole guitar feels nicely solid. The big surprise is that this thing sounds FANTASTIC through a PA. It's balanced, it's dynamic, it has none of the harsh quackiness you usually get with low end piezo systems. You can hit it HARD without overdriving the pre. It can get nice and loud without feeding back and the onboard tuner is super handy. The first time I played it in public I was basically mobbed by other guitarists wanting to know where I got it. And this isn't even their high end pickup system. Remarkable.Stu

Ordered this on a SDOTD and will say right up front that it's a really NICE guitar, especially for the $$$. I was needing a smaller guitar w/ electronics for small venues, not needing to invest a bunch of money and after reading decent reviews I said "why not?". After opening the box things got off to a rocky start – – 1st string was broken, and also noticed the neck was really bowed from a loose truss rod, but since I do my own setups on new guitars these was fairly easy to remedy. So was the excessively dry fingerboard and bridge, which I rubbed with 0000 steel wool and lemon oil. But, two of the faux mother-of-pearl position markers were sticking up on one end (loose) and that got me to thinking maybe this was a bad idea. I almost boxed it up and sent it back, but since it was so nice otherwise I decided to super glue them back and overlook it. Otherwise, a beauty of a guitar, and after it was all set up this thing really sang. Unplugged, it's fairly unimpressive, but with a decent tone and plenty of harmonics. The fingerboard turned out to play wonderfully, low nice action with smooth frets and I love the thin profile and fairly narrow width of the neck, the shining point of this guitar. Tuners were OK, and the BONE saddle and nut were fine after I lowered the action a bit. The sound of this guitar is amazing plugged in, and the D'Angelico branded electronics are outstanding. Plugged in it sounds equal to anything I've ever heard, and I heard and played a few in my 60 years of performing. Mine does not have a phase switch as is listed, so take note of that one point. The really great thing that I love about the electronics – – the input jack & battery are on the rear bottom side instead of through the normal end pin jack, a major convenience that is not listed, so this makes up for any other minor cons of the guitar. I do a lot of finger-picking and it capos well, too. A keeper!Fiddle & Guitar Man

I had bought one of these back in 2017 when I made the switch to Acoustic. I don't know why but, I got rid of it so I could make the move tpo the Martin X-Series only because I had always wanted a Martin. To make a long story short, the Martin didn't cut it for me, so last week I made the move back to Taylor and the Big Baby. These newer ones are so beautiful but it's a shame, that Taylor has discontinued them. The Brown headstock along with the Solid Spruce top and Walnut back and sides, have really IMO, improved this model. Once set up properly, it stays in tune and just sounds awesome ! I would say that it is the best Acoustic going today which is under the 500 dollar range. Plus seeing that I'm on a low budget, this was a no-brainer. It's a keeper and I am getting a lot of joy playing it.Jeffrey

I had bought one of these from here way back in 2017 , which I used when I was gigging . I'm now retired ( 63 ) and only play at home now. I had to take a couple of years away from playing, due to pain in my left hand , which built up from 50 years of playing. I came back to playing in August of 2021 and I had bpught a Martin X-Series which at the time, I thought was great . Well it turned out that I ended up having issues with it and got rid of it, so I went back to getting a new, Big Baby Taylor, which always served me well. It's too bad that Taylor discontinued these because, these newer models are IMO, a vast improvement over the older ones. Since I got it on this past Sunday, I can not put this down. It just sounds so amazing and it stays in tune forever. While the included gigbag is a plus, I went and bought a Hardshell case for it. For those who want a Taylor but are on a low budget, this is worth the asking price and then some.Jeff

Since I went back to playing last summer after a 3 year hiatus, due to wrist pain in my left hand, I was using a Martin X-Series OMCX1E which I had nothing but problems with such as not staying in tune, fret buzz, etc. So over a week ago, I made the decision to switch to a Big Baby Taylor. I am limited as far as funds go, so $500.00 was the most that I could afford and I did not want to get a Baby but the Big Baby which is pretty close to a standard dreadnought size , at least as th neck scale is concerned. The body is a tad smaller and lighter which for me at my age ( 63 ) , makes playing a lot easier. Thiis came already set up and strung with Elixirs , which I liked . I can not believe how light in weight this is and it stays in tune , which is a huge plus for me. As far as tone goes, this easily blows away any of the Martin X-Series .I love this guitar and I will be making some wonderful memories with it.jeffreyo46

I ordered this 12 string from MF a few months ago. I have played an Alvarez Yairi since 1983 and my six string plays as well after 30 years than the day I bought it from St. Louis Music. I wanted a 12 string as I have only owned one in my lifetime–an Ovation I traded on a Martin six before trading for the Yairi. I have been so impressed with Alvarez that I didn't shop for anything else in a 12 string, saw this on MF and pulled the trigger knowing I could send in back. I registered it in my name day one. Alvarez is the most underrated guitar maker out there. A beautiful instrument I plan to keep and a joy to play. Thanks MF!Willis

Well, I have owned plenty of 12 string guitars in my time. Rickenbackers, Fenders, Gibsons, Peaveys, and Ovations but this is the finest of the bunch. I seriously wouldn,t replace it with any of the others that I have owned. I am a big guy, so this big jumbo feels perfect for me. The neck is just right, not too wide, the action is low enough, and tuned to D using a capo and extra light strings, it has a smooth touch and a loud enough sound, both highs and lows. It stays in tune. always a plus! The electrionics are superb and offer a fine balance of tones and volume combinations. I play mine through a Fender Acoustosonic 90 and wow. I am just blown away somtimes by the effects and possibilities with this setup. The whole instrument is a thing of beauty and I bet if you get your hands on one, you will just have to own it.12 String Paul

I've looked at a number of 12-string guitars over the years, this is the one that captured my interest. A very playable and great sounding 12-string, sounds even better when played through an amp using the internal pickups.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

Great sounding Highs, Mids and Lows. Playability is great no buzzings and strings are nice low height. Really rings out.KB

I wanted a regular size Taylor 12 string to add to my collection. Most of today's higher end Taylor 12 strings are little with a short necks. David (on line support at Sam Ash) suggested i try the 254ce. He said he had played it personally and it was a great guitar. I'm glad I listened. Right out of the box it played smooth and easy and had a great sound. It won't even need to be "set up" like many of my guitars, it's fine just as it is. Sometimes you don't need to spend a lot to get a great playing guitar.Rackon23

The 254ce 12-string is a well put together, nicely done instrument. Nobody in the business does their necks as nicely. This is my 4th acoustic 12 – 2 Fenders, a Villager, and a Shenandoah accompanied me to Vietnam (one for each tour), the third a high-end Guild. I like this one best. These days, I play for my own enjoyment, the guitar will be played at home, exclusively. This is my second Taylor, the other a 210e DLX. I use a Fender Acoustasonic 40.Mr DPR

Loved the look, price, sound, and feel of this guitar. Tried it out in the store and was ready to buy the floor model, but luckily I asked for a 9V battery to test the electronics at the counter. Oddly the battery port fits fine into the guitar when empty, but the moment you put a battery in it it will not stay shut and pops open rendering your electronics useless. Me and the sales rep at the front figured this was had to be a fluke and he ordered a new one to be delivered to my house. Four days later it arrived. I played it for about an hour out of the box without issue (set up was great, sounded great acoustic) and then I decied to check the electronics. Sure enough, the exact same issue occured when I tried to fit a 9V in the battery port. When a battery was actually in it, it would not stay shut. No tuner, no electronics. Ten minutes later I was back at my local GC. The tech inspected it an came to the same conclusion as I did after trying 5 different brand batteries to see if that made a difference- it's defective. He recommended I return it and try another product. In short it plays nice, sounds nice, and looks nice but if it happened on 2 guitars it has to be happening on more of them. I'm sure you could duck tape it or find a way to keep it closed but this should not be an issue on a $350+ guitar. 3 stars.Ryan

This is my second 12 string and I really like it. Sounds great action is outstanding and onboard tuner is great – I could not ask for more.Jim

After 36 years of guitar playing, I decided I wanted a 12 string. I didn't want cheap, but I wasn't going high-end on something I thought would be for occasional use. I play in a working acoustic duo 3 nights a week and since I got this guitar in November, I'ts been played exclusively at every gig. I plug into a Fishman Loudbox Artist lined out to a small PA & cannot believe my ears. It sounds beautiful unplugged, too. I've never been a Taylor fan, but this axe has opened my eyes. Gibson has nothing in this price range & Martin's offering is made out of countertop material & sounds like rubber bands stretched over a cigar box. This will be my only 12 string but it will not be my only Taylor. My only advice is to spring for a hard case if you gig with itRichard

I was recommended to buy Taylor by 2 professional musicians. How right they were ! My guitar mentor has the unenviable task of trying to get rid of a lifetime of bad habits with my attempted playing and said – get a good guitar and then start again. So I did. For the first time ever rather than having a guitar that can be played I have one that wants to be played. Somehow notes just fall out of it. The neck is very slim across the frets and also from back to front of the fingerboard. Your hand falls into place. The strings have a low action and – best of all – stay in tune. No more endless tuning every time you get it out to play. As a newcomer to electrics I have no comments other than you plug it in, nothing screeches or howls and it sounds fabulous. A beautiful looking instrument that draws admirers who all want to have a go then say – oh, its left handed ! Even the carry bag is a quality item with detail touches like thick padding and slots to fit the machine heads. I am absolutely delighted with the Taylor.potfiller

I was intending buying a Guild but having tried a 12 string with a similar 48mm neck, I decided against it as being unplayable for me. For my hands the Taylor is just right and very playable all the way up the fretboard. I am pleased that I have it. It rings like a bell and shimmers like a 12 string should. It reminded me of the sound of the Taylor 12 string on Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps album. It is that good. An all round excellent guitar that won't be surpassed at this price point and I would say the more you spend the only differences are likely to see are more cosmetic and not so great to the ear.Mark

I always read as many reviews as I can before purchasing an instrument unseen. This particular guitar had mostly good reviews. I was trying to find a good 12 string for not a lot of money. A unicorn essentially. I had narrowed my search to Luna and Washburn. I decided on the Luna and it was a tremendous mistake. This guitar, or at least the one that I received is virtually unplayable. Tuned to pitch the bridge has a slight enough gap from the body of the top of the guitar that you can just slip a thin piece of paper under. Visible bowing of the top. It does however stay in tune but the action is quite high and you almost need a C-clamp to bar chord it. Very VERY tough to play up the neck. It is a beautiful guitar aesthetically but upon close inspection there are several small fibers or possible hair of some sort in the finish in a few places.All in all not a good choice. I would recommend looking elsewhere for a 12 string. I'm an experienced musician with over 48 years of professional and semi professional experience. I would definitely not purchase this instrument again. Fire wood kindling would be it's best use now.Jeff

The Luna Heartsong 12 string is a comfortable guitar to play. I'm replacing a Ovation 12 from 1974 that I bought new and enjoyed for many years but the neck finally gave up. The Luna body size is smaller than a dreadnaught but fits nicely in your lap. It has really nice upper and middle range but the lower range is a little weak unless you plug it up through an amp and boost it. Then it sounds much like the folk guitars of the 60's. I tuned it up to standard tune and the neck had a slight bend at the 7th fret and the action was high by the time you got up to the 12th fret. So I tuned it down a full step and it straightened right out and the action went back down to a good level for a 12 string. Just capo it up and you get good normal sound and action level. The wood is good throughout and the craftsmanship is more than adequate for the cost of the instrument. The volume is good for a smaller guitar body. It won't overpower a D-28 but I really didn't expect that. The sustain is good and harmonics chime nicely. In summary, it's a great guitar for the money I paid. I also have a Luna Vista Eagle and really enjoy the sound of Luna's. They won't put Martin out of business, but the impact on the bank account is proportionally less. I am a 50+ year picker and used to play in bands and at church, but now it's just around the house for fun and therapy. I'm happy with the value I got for the amount of money I paid.Warren

I’ve owned a EF381SC-LH since the early 90s. My being left handed had a lot to do with my decision to purchase it, as up to that point it was the only 12 string I’d ever seen in person, never mind Getting to play one. I was able to tune it by ear and it plays as easily as an electric guitar, so buying it was a no brainer. But over the years I’ve come to appreciated it more for it’s acoustic and amplified tone. It sounds great plugged into my guitar amp, it doesn’t need to go through a PA. It takes the dry New England fall/winter less than 20% humidity while never protruding a fret or needing a truss rod adjustment. I do use two Dampits less than diligently. This 12 string Is one of the best values in the guitar universe, if you have ever wanted one this is the one to get.Stan

I use this guitar as a requinto. (Mexican Guitar) It's just beautiful. I'm at a loss of words with this one the beautiful Gloss Black Finish and the mahogany Takamine logo and Fret markers are just flawless. I would purchase this guitar time after time if i had the money. Oh, and not to mention the electronic pickup that comes factory with it. It just sounds beautiful, super rich, and just cannot compete with the G Series Pickup.IsaiRequinto

This guitar was sold as "blemished." I haven't found any blemishes on the guitar. When it arrived it still had the plastic scratch guard on the pickguard, and the strings were still stretching the way brand new strings do. I tried the lower range Takamine 12 string, the GD 30CE, and wasn't happy with the feel of the the neck, string height, or the over all sound of the guitar. So I ordered this one. I know this range of Takamine guitars well because I own an EF 341SC. So far, this guitar has delighted me at every turn. I've not yet played the guitar through a PA system, but plugged into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface and recording it sounds great: well balanced and rich. The same if not better recording off of a live mic. The neck feels good, the string height is perfect.Ron

This is a 12-string for people who want one but can't handle a big body or the tension of a long scale guitar. This guitar plays as easily as any 6-string guitar out there and is comfortable in the hands and to hold. The Grand Concert shape combined with a short scale 12-fret neck really make it easy to navigate. For such a small body this guitar puts out a fair amount of power with rich bass and mids and shimmery trebles/course strings. It will hold its own for any solo act or in a small band. Great for playing live too with the ES2 which is one of the best amplification systems in any acoustic. The only downside is players with a heavier hand might find the head room limited, but I have a softer touch so it's not an issue for me. It's a great fingerpicking guitar or for light flatpicking and strumming and sounds great for all styles of music. Highly recommended.Lynn B

I bought my JJ 12-string here in England in 2000, 16 years ago. It has given me nothing but pleasure ever since. It's a joy to play – much easier than a six-string in many respects – and its tone, playability and looks are much admired by other players. Mine is fitted with the DSP acoustic preamp which is great, but I gather its has had a few problems along the way and has been replaced. The guitar has been refretted and plays as well as the day I bought it. Some slight bellying when you get the light right, but you'd expect that. There's only one slight downside: the scratchplate will lift at the edges and come off in time. I replaced mine with a transparent scratchplate which is effective but doesn't have the charisma. I also bought, in 2007, the six-string equivalent. Again, a really great instrument – sadly, with the same scratchplate problem, so it wasn't a one-off. I love my 12-string. I have never regretted paying far more for this guitar than I had ever spend on an instrument before. It is worth every penny, and more. I cannot recommend it enough.goosebooer

Nice book – I cannot read music or play guitar (Lord knows I've tried) so I am sure if you did, you would enjoy this book even more than I do. I bought it for the lyrics – just because you sing what you think the lyrics areLoui