Taylor K22ce 12-Fret V-Class Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar Shaded Edge Burst

Words fail to adequately convey what might be referred to in Hawaiian as the nani ko-kı- (supremely beautiful) appearance of Taylor’s Hawaiian koa guitars, especially those featuring an all-koa body. Taylor celebrates that beauty with an all-wood appointment scheme. A hand-sprayed shaded edgeburst enhances koa’s rich blend of color, figure and grain structure, adding a tasteful vintage aura. Taylor’s Koa Series Grand Concert combines Taylor’s newest innovation—V-Class bracing—with figured Hawaiian koa and Expression System 2 electronics to produce a guitar that is exceedingly stunning—both visually and sonically. Additional details include a lustrous gloss finish on the body, “Spring Vine” maple inlay on the fretboard and peghead, and big leaf maple binding on the body, rosette and logo. This instrument ships in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case for optimal fit and protection.

Body Shape
Taylor’s Grand Concert is slightly smaller that its Grand Auditorium and yields controlled overtones, so the sound won’t occupy a lot of sonic space. This is often a key consideration when other instruments are in the mix, such as in a performance or recording environment, and it allows the guitar to be heard more clearly. Its intimate size makes it lap/couch-friendly, and a great fit for players who find smaller instruments more physically comfortable. Taylor’s 12-fret designs are appealing to many players who enjoy the guitars’ compact playing framework, blending the lap-friendly Grand Concert body with the slightly condensed fret spacing of the 24-7/8″ scale length and the shorter 12-fret neck orientation. This combination creates a slinky “handfeel” and easier fretting. Factor in the surprising tonal power and midrange warmth and vibrancy for a smaller body, thanks to the bridge’s position near the center of the lower bout.

The design is physically efficient, so it has strong projection; despite its smaller size it sounds like a huge instrument. Taylor 12-fret guitars are not just great for fingerstyle and light playing; players who love strumming or digging in with a heavier attack also appreciate them for their tonal character. Pairing a 12-fret neck design with a cutaway body blends the unique response from the bridge sitting back a little farther on the lower bout with the accessibility to the upper register—you get to play the high notes.
 
Tonewood Pairing
A guitar’s top is the primary filter and distributor of vibrating string energy through the guitar, which means it has a huge impact on its sound. Think of the top as a speaker driver. It’s also one reason why the soundboard bracing architecture is important—it helps orchestrate the movement of the top and the voice of the instrument. The back and sides help flavor the overall sound. Koa is a fairly dense tropical hardwood with a strong midrange focus similar to mahogany, with a bit of extra top-end brightness and chime. The more koa is played and has a chance to open up—especially when the back and sides are also solid koa—it promises to grow warmer and sweeter, especially in the midrange.

Electronics
Taylor’s ES2 is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. Because the pickup doesn’t sit under the saddle, the bottom of the saddle comes in full contact with the bridge, allowing all the nuance of the guitar’s tone to come through clearly whether playing acoustically or plugged-in. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before while playing plugged-in.

Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar. The Taylor Expression System 2 operates through a proprietary 9-volt battery compartment and easy-to-use volume, and active bass and treble controls.

V-Class Bracing
Taylor’s V-Class bracing is a fundamental innovation in acoustic guitar design. It marks an important evolution beyond traditional X-bracing, introducing an entirely new platform for acoustic performance. It is essentially an “engine” that optimizes the response of an acoustic guitar in three key ways: by boosting volume, sustain, and by largely resolving the intonation issues that have long plagued acoustic guitars. V-Class bracing creates purer, more orderly notes that don’t cancel each other out or sound “off.” They have clearer, more consistent response, and the whole fretboard is brought into greater sonic alignment for a more musical playing/listening experience.

Guitars with V-Class bracing are easier to tune; the pitch sounds purer and more solid, and electronic tuners can more easily locate notes for quick, precise tuning. Other benefits: harmonics ring more uniformly down the neck, notes are louder with more projection and sustain, and notes are more consistent, i.e., upper register notes don’t get choked out or swallowed. Fewer “sour” sonic qualities exist with chords; a more agreeable relationship is created between notes as they ripen, bloom and decay.