Whether you’re inspired by the music of Leadbelly, the Byrds, or Leo
Kottke, nothing can add to your musical arsenal like the jangly power
of a 12-string guitar. The trouble starts when you bring home an inexpensive,
badly built 12-string and become discouraged by its high action and
poor playability. Instead of opening up creative doors for you, the
instrument ends up collecting dust or winding up on consignment at a
local music store. Switching to a high-quality 12-string is like going
from driving a truck with no power steering to cruising along in a Miata.
I’ve never owned a 12-string, so I was particularly tickled by the
opportunity to spend some time with guitars built by two of the premiere
builders of this type of instrument: Guild and Taylor. Would I be too
much of a wimp to play a 12-string for more than a few minutes? Would
my soft spot for alternate tunings drive me into 12-string tuning hell?
Would I fall into clichés and play "Mr. Tambourine Man"
all night long? My worries disappeared when I began playing the Guild
F212XL and Taylor 355.
I love the volume and sustain these guitars offer as well as the insanely
rich bass response. Although there are pieces I wouldn’t attempt to
play on a 12-string, there are songs in my repertoire that came to life
on these instruments and now sound like they’re lacking something on
my six-string. In short, I’ve been bitten by the 12-string bug.
Ever since their introduction in the early ’60s, Guild’s jumbo 12-strings
have been the standard against which other guitars are compared. They’ve
turned up in the hands of players as diverse as Ralph Towner and Slash.
The plainly appointed and affordable mahogany F212XL has long been a
players’ favorite despite the fact that it was discontinued in the 1980s.
Guild has now reissued the F212XL with a list price of $1785.
Taylor’s foray into the 12-string market is no less auspicious than
Guild’s. There are many who believe that 12-strings are the company’s
claim to fame, and their playability is undisputed. The 355 ($1,558)
is the most recent and least expensive addition to Taylor’s impressive
12-string lineup.
On the surface, the 355 and F212XL have a lot in common. Both feature
jumbo bodies, solid mahogany backs and sides, solid spruce tops, ebony
bridges and fingerboards, and chrome Grover mini-tuners. But that’s
where the similarities end. The F212XL is a slightly heavy instrument,
and the chunky, unbound neck—which, like that of all Guild’s 12-strings,
features double truss rods—contributes to its solid feel. The guitar
I received was set up very nicely right out of the box, and all the
woods used were of high quality. I especially liked the super-dark ebony
used for the fingerboard and bridge. The F212XL features a high-gloss
nitrocellulose finish and a traditional dovetail neck joint.
Although the size difference is minimal, the Taylor 355 feels sporty
compared to the Guild. It’s quite a bit lighter in weight and has a
very flat neck (bolted to the body) and action so low it would make
many six-strings jealous. The back and sides of the guitar are attractively
striped mahogany with a satin polyester finish, and the high-gloss top
shows some nice cross-grain. Except for the streaked and relatively
light colored ebony used for the bridge and fingerboard, the materials
used to build the 355 are not observably different than what goes into
models higher up the Taylor hierarchy. I was disappointed, however,
with the guitar’s scratchy frets.
After playing both guitars, I found it hard to pick a clear favorite.
The Guild offers an amazingly rich low-end rumble paired with the kind
of volume that is sure to make heads turn. The hefty neck makes playing
on the upper frets quite a workout, and the guitar’s tone also changes
up in that range. The Taylor, on the other hand, sounds extremely even
and feels amazingly playable all the way up the neck. Its tone is brighter
and a bit quieter than the Guild’s, but its great sustain and quick
response give it a character all its own. I would guess that the Guild’s
fat tone and killer volume might win over the player who primarily strums
chords and accompanies him or herself singing, while fingerstylists
might be more drawn to the Taylor because of its playability, response
to a soft touch, and more defined tone.
I applaud Guild for having reissued an old favorite, and Taylor for
offering a remarkable value. The Guild F212XL and Taylor 355 offer the
quality of materials and craftsmanship that will make either one the
last 12-string you’ll ever need.
