Taylor 562ce 12 string ... Is there such a thing as a civilised 12 string?
Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:40 pm
So, here I am, an old codger of 71yrs, going on 72 with dodgey lungs and a dodgey finger or two who is about to write a review about what, to my mind (the sanity of which several have questioned), is the best 12 string guitar I’ve ever been mad enough to buy.
As you may know from my previous posts, I’m a confirmed and incurable 12SNJ (12 String Nut Job). Although I wouldn’t dream of parting with my Admira Capricho, nor my Taylor GS Mini nor my last remaining electric, a wonderful PRS semi-hollow, I did decide to surrender my hitherto favourite 12 - the Vintage VE8000PB-12. I still rate this as an outstanding guitar and I have only boundless thanks for both Paul Brett and Vintage for putting me back in touch with 12s after the accident which nadgered my left hand, but the time has come to move on especially as even the much-loved PB12 was proving a little uncomfortable to play at times.
That was how and when I encountered the Taylor 562ce and my resolve to never to need to buy another 12 after the PB12 dissolved into just so much mush and whimsy. For one thing, I adore my GS Mini – for me it’s the perfect acoustic 6 string and I’ve liked every Taylor guitar I’ve ever had the chance to play or handle. Astonishingly, the 562 plays just as well and just as easily as the Mini. Indeed, the dreaded F shape (without barré) is easy right down the length of the fretboard. The Taylor connection and Taylor neck was a definite plus … although, as I’ll explain, I do have one unexpected but slight niggle with it ***.
12s can be a real challenge to play, even modern 12s. By far the majority are dreadnought or jumbo sizes and styles. The 562 has a shorter scale which definitely reduces tension on the neck and makes the instrument a lot easier to play or – as one review put it – it feels more ‘slinky’. The fretboard joins the body at the 12th fret so this is definitely a small guitar – but only in size, not in terms of sound nor tone.
Paul accurately described the VE8000 as a ‘lap or couch twelve string’ and that appellation also applies to the 562. You can happily sit in an armchair or on a settee and play it with ease if you want to. That is rarely possible with a dreadnought and definitely not comfortable with a jumbo. (Both being sizes that I now just don’t enjoy playing even a 6ers).
Before deciding to try a 562, I scoured Youtube and found a lot of excellent reviews but one interested me more than the others because although the actual demos are very simple, the demonstrator also has an impaired left hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psp6uvS85d4
Two other Youtube uploads convinced me to track down a 562 and try it for myself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLoK-vOCg4k&t=47s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Zt8vFh0W4
I won’t bore you with endless details about specifications as you can easily find these for yourself on any website for a dealership which sells them, save to say that the 562ce has an all mahogany body whereas the 552ce has a natural cedar top and mahogany sides and back.
So – here’s the personal and subjective bit of my review --- What has been MY response to paying what is, for me, a LOT of money for this instrument?
In a word --- Awe. It truly is an astonishing guitar. As you’ll have inferred, I’m happy to admit that I’m a big fan of Taylor guitars. I know some folks aren’t. But this is a Taylor par excellence. It not only looks stunning, it plays so easily that if it wasn’t for the classic 12 string sound, I’d think I was playing a 6 stringer. It’s THAT deceptive and easy. The action is light so that I can play notes that are little more than soft chimes, or I can put some real pressure into the attack and the response is a melodious roar. That being said, this isn’t a guitar to thrash, it’s too subtle for that. It has a powerful voice, but you wouldn’t pitch it against a dreadnought or jumbo in the Volume Stakes. In terms of harmonics, they ring bell-clear at the 7th, 12th and17th frets and then directly over the end of the fingerboard as well as on several places directly over the soundhole. Harmonics at the 5th are there but weaker.
I play a little fingerstyle – very basic stuff in my own humbly-jumbly style – but mostly I play with a medium pick or my thumb. The 562 just seems to make me want to play something new every time I pick it up. I agree with those who say that’s the mark of a good instrument – that if there’s something about it which makes you want to try something different or more challenging or just new, then it’s special.
I’m not a great guitarist. Compared to Gordon I’m a Neanderthal, but I still love to pick up a guitar (or uke) and play for my own pleasure and satisfaction as a way of relaxing. The 562 encourages that sort of response in spades. It IS expensive. There’s no denying that, but even at that level, I still feel as if I got a lot more for my money than “just” a good guitar.
Now is probably the right time to mention that tiny niggle … possibly because the 562 has a shorter scale and therefore has reduced tension in the strings, it does not like being down-tuned by the full tone that I usually prefer to use with 12s. The high octave 4th string in particular develops a noticeable irritating buzz when played open***. However, even at standard EADGBE tuning, the guitar plays so smoothly all down the fretboard that it’s hard to believe it’s a 12. Perhaps the down-tune buzz is an acceptable penalty for such a low action?
I haven’t had the chance to try my own comparison between the 562 and 552 but you get some idea of any differences in sound and tone from that first comparative Youtube link I listed. My own experience of the 562 is that for a 12, it’s ‘jangle’ is possibly a little too civilised and constrained for the hard-line janglers out there. Its sound is very rounded and although you can accentuate the trebly highs when you need to, in essence this is a guitar capable of huge subtlety. And that isn’t something you often say about a 12.
Unamplified, the sound and tone are simply lovely across the full range from quiet arpeggios to full-on picking or strumming. This isn’t a guitar that can get out of control. But how is it when amplified using Taylor’s Expression System 2?
In another word - “Excellent”, at least 90% the same sound as when unamplified. I use a small 10w Stagg acoustic amp, so with a better spec you would probably get an even better result. I know many folks use a combination of mic and pickup to fully balance the sound. You have to be careful with the bass if you’re near your amp as there can be a real boomy feedback. An inbuilt phase switch does help a good deal with this. You can also adjust the sensitivity of pickup sensors which can be accessed behind the saddle. I haven’t done this but I noticed a very harsh clicking on the 2nd string pair when using a pick on those strings. I suspect that the factory settings are a smidgin’ off, When I play electro, I will bear this in mind and use a softer pick or (as I often do) the rounded end of a pick.
Perhaps the final review notes need to be about the one item that is often overlooked … the case. This is beautifully made and to describe the interior as ‘plush’ would be like describing Chet Atkins as ‘a bit of a strummer’. If you’ve ever seen those old tea caddies in which the inner canisters hiss as they slide into place because the fit is so perfect – that’s what this case is like for the body of the guitar.
As far as I can see, you can’t upload images into the forum unless you have them stored online, so I’ll just have to leave any readers of this review to go look for themselves. It’s definitely worth the effort.
So there you have it. I subtitled this review “Is there such a thing as a civilised 12 string?”. My answer is definitely “Yes” --- but civilisation can very easily break free of its constraints and let rip. So too can the 562.
*** The curious case of the buzz on the 4th has been resolved thanks to a reply to an email I sent to Reidys from whom I bought the instrument. See my reply to the comment that Brad made after I posted this review.
As you may know from my previous posts, I’m a confirmed and incurable 12SNJ (12 String Nut Job). Although I wouldn’t dream of parting with my Admira Capricho, nor my Taylor GS Mini nor my last remaining electric, a wonderful PRS semi-hollow, I did decide to surrender my hitherto favourite 12 - the Vintage VE8000PB-12. I still rate this as an outstanding guitar and I have only boundless thanks for both Paul Brett and Vintage for putting me back in touch with 12s after the accident which nadgered my left hand, but the time has come to move on especially as even the much-loved PB12 was proving a little uncomfortable to play at times.
That was how and when I encountered the Taylor 562ce and my resolve to never to need to buy another 12 after the PB12 dissolved into just so much mush and whimsy. For one thing, I adore my GS Mini – for me it’s the perfect acoustic 6 string and I’ve liked every Taylor guitar I’ve ever had the chance to play or handle. Astonishingly, the 562 plays just as well and just as easily as the Mini. Indeed, the dreaded F shape (without barré) is easy right down the length of the fretboard. The Taylor connection and Taylor neck was a definite plus … although, as I’ll explain, I do have one unexpected but slight niggle with it ***.
12s can be a real challenge to play, even modern 12s. By far the majority are dreadnought or jumbo sizes and styles. The 562 has a shorter scale which definitely reduces tension on the neck and makes the instrument a lot easier to play or – as one review put it – it feels more ‘slinky’. The fretboard joins the body at the 12th fret so this is definitely a small guitar – but only in size, not in terms of sound nor tone.
Paul accurately described the VE8000 as a ‘lap or couch twelve string’ and that appellation also applies to the 562. You can happily sit in an armchair or on a settee and play it with ease if you want to. That is rarely possible with a dreadnought and definitely not comfortable with a jumbo. (Both being sizes that I now just don’t enjoy playing even a 6ers).
Before deciding to try a 562, I scoured Youtube and found a lot of excellent reviews but one interested me more than the others because although the actual demos are very simple, the demonstrator also has an impaired left hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psp6uvS85d4
Two other Youtube uploads convinced me to track down a 562 and try it for myself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLoK-vOCg4k&t=47s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Zt8vFh0W4
I won’t bore you with endless details about specifications as you can easily find these for yourself on any website for a dealership which sells them, save to say that the 562ce has an all mahogany body whereas the 552ce has a natural cedar top and mahogany sides and back.
So – here’s the personal and subjective bit of my review --- What has been MY response to paying what is, for me, a LOT of money for this instrument?
In a word --- Awe. It truly is an astonishing guitar. As you’ll have inferred, I’m happy to admit that I’m a big fan of Taylor guitars. I know some folks aren’t. But this is a Taylor par excellence. It not only looks stunning, it plays so easily that if it wasn’t for the classic 12 string sound, I’d think I was playing a 6 stringer. It’s THAT deceptive and easy. The action is light so that I can play notes that are little more than soft chimes, or I can put some real pressure into the attack and the response is a melodious roar. That being said, this isn’t a guitar to thrash, it’s too subtle for that. It has a powerful voice, but you wouldn’t pitch it against a dreadnought or jumbo in the Volume Stakes. In terms of harmonics, they ring bell-clear at the 7th, 12th and17th frets and then directly over the end of the fingerboard as well as on several places directly over the soundhole. Harmonics at the 5th are there but weaker.
I play a little fingerstyle – very basic stuff in my own humbly-jumbly style – but mostly I play with a medium pick or my thumb. The 562 just seems to make me want to play something new every time I pick it up. I agree with those who say that’s the mark of a good instrument – that if there’s something about it which makes you want to try something different or more challenging or just new, then it’s special.
I’m not a great guitarist. Compared to Gordon I’m a Neanderthal, but I still love to pick up a guitar (or uke) and play for my own pleasure and satisfaction as a way of relaxing. The 562 encourages that sort of response in spades. It IS expensive. There’s no denying that, but even at that level, I still feel as if I got a lot more for my money than “just” a good guitar.
Now is probably the right time to mention that tiny niggle … possibly because the 562 has a shorter scale and therefore has reduced tension in the strings, it does not like being down-tuned by the full tone that I usually prefer to use with 12s. The high octave 4th string in particular develops a noticeable irritating buzz when played open***. However, even at standard EADGBE tuning, the guitar plays so smoothly all down the fretboard that it’s hard to believe it’s a 12. Perhaps the down-tune buzz is an acceptable penalty for such a low action?
I haven’t had the chance to try my own comparison between the 562 and 552 but you get some idea of any differences in sound and tone from that first comparative Youtube link I listed. My own experience of the 562 is that for a 12, it’s ‘jangle’ is possibly a little too civilised and constrained for the hard-line janglers out there. Its sound is very rounded and although you can accentuate the trebly highs when you need to, in essence this is a guitar capable of huge subtlety. And that isn’t something you often say about a 12.
Unamplified, the sound and tone are simply lovely across the full range from quiet arpeggios to full-on picking or strumming. This isn’t a guitar that can get out of control. But how is it when amplified using Taylor’s Expression System 2?
In another word - “Excellent”, at least 90% the same sound as when unamplified. I use a small 10w Stagg acoustic amp, so with a better spec you would probably get an even better result. I know many folks use a combination of mic and pickup to fully balance the sound. You have to be careful with the bass if you’re near your amp as there can be a real boomy feedback. An inbuilt phase switch does help a good deal with this. You can also adjust the sensitivity of pickup sensors which can be accessed behind the saddle. I haven’t done this but I noticed a very harsh clicking on the 2nd string pair when using a pick on those strings. I suspect that the factory settings are a smidgin’ off, When I play electro, I will bear this in mind and use a softer pick or (as I often do) the rounded end of a pick.
Perhaps the final review notes need to be about the one item that is often overlooked … the case. This is beautifully made and to describe the interior as ‘plush’ would be like describing Chet Atkins as ‘a bit of a strummer’. If you’ve ever seen those old tea caddies in which the inner canisters hiss as they slide into place because the fit is so perfect – that’s what this case is like for the body of the guitar.
As far as I can see, you can’t upload images into the forum unless you have them stored online, so I’ll just have to leave any readers of this review to go look for themselves. It’s definitely worth the effort.
So there you have it. I subtitled this review “Is there such a thing as a civilised 12 string?”. My answer is definitely “Yes” --- but civilisation can very easily break free of its constraints and let rip. So too can the 562.
*** The curious case of the buzz on the 4th has been resolved thanks to a reply to an email I sent to Reidys from whom I bought the instrument. See my reply to the comment that Brad made after I posted this review.