Taylor Builder’s Edition 812ce LTD

Part of Taylor’s 50th Anniversary Collection, this redwood-topped grand concert is a special variation of a classic model.

September 18, 2024

The Taylor 812 is one of the company’s most iconic models. First introduced in 1984, the model has been around for 40 of the company’s 50 years, making it a logical choice as a member of Taylor’s 50th Anniversary Collection. There have been numerous changes to the 812 during the past four decades, and variations have been available as part of several limited editions, but the Builder’s Edition 812ce LTD is one of the coolest 812’s ever built. I had a chance to check out the guitar in the Peghead Nation video studio.

Like other 800 series models, the grand concert–size 812 has typically been built with Indian rosewood back and sides and a Sitka spruce top. The 800 models also have a distinctive set of appointments that positions them at the top end of Taylor’s line. But as Taylor did with the Builder’s Edition 814ce LTD, which was the first 50th Anniversary Collection instrument to be released earlier this year, the company chose a sinker redwood top for the Builder’s Edition 812ce LTD. Redwood is highly regarded for its suburb stiffness-to-weight ratio, but its limited availability means that Taylor has only made it available on its ultra high-end Presentation series and occasional special editions. Sourced from logs that have been submerged in Northern California rivers for decades, “sinker” redwood is especially rare. The Builder’s Edition 812ce LTD is built with premium Indian rosewood back and sides and a slightly darkened edgeburst finish. The guitar includes an armrest bevel, beveled cutaway, chamfered body edges, and “Element” fingerboard and peghead inlays as well as V-Class bracing and ES2 electronics, and it’s rounded out with a set of antique-gold Gotoh 510 tuning machines.

An 812 was among the first Taylors I played when I first became acquainted with the brand in the early 1990s, and it has remained a favorite ever since. I’ve played a lot of 812’s and their variants since then, and I think the Builder’s Edition 812ce LTD may be the ultimate 812 yet. It has the easy playability and wonderful tonal balance I’ve come to expect, but the redwood top seems to increase its dynamic range and tonal flexibility, making it one of the most complex-sounding Taylor grand concerts I’ve encountered. 812’s have long been studio favorites, and I could see this guitar working fabulously in many musical settings. I particularly enjoyed using it for playing fingerstyle, but it also was great for strumming big jazz chords or picking through single-note lines with grace. Plugging it into our Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge amp produced the clean and clear amplified sound the ES2 system is famous for.

Given my predisposition toward 812’s, it’s no surprise that the Builder’s Edition 812ce LTD is my favorite of all the 50th Anniversary Collection Taylor’s I’ve played. But previous experience aside, the guitar is simply a highly versatile small-body that anyone looking for a precise, well-balanced, and easy-to-play steel-string should check out.