Taylor 150ce 12-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Ask anyone who sells guitars for a living which 12-string they hand people first, and the answer is usually a Taylor 150. The 150ce is the current chapter of that story, and it is the strongest yet: a solid torrefied spruce top over layered sapele, Taylor's C-Class bracing underneath, a Venetian cutaway for the upper frets, and Expression System 2 electronics ready for the PA. Twelve strings without the wrestling match — and it lands with a Taylor gig bag in tow.

A 12-string neck you can actually get around

What separates a 12-string you play from a 12-string you own is nearly always the neck. Taylor carves the 150ce's neo-tropical mahogany neck slim, then spaces the six string pairs across a 1-7/8" Tusq nut so each course sits cleanly under your fingers without crowding the next. The matte finish keeps position shifts quick, the ebony fingerboard runs 20 frets with tidy acrylic dot markers, and the familiar 25-1/2" scale keeps barre chords honest rather than exhausting.

A torrefied top that arrives played-in

Taylor roasts the 150ce's solid spruce top — a controlled bake that drives out moisture and volatiles the way decades of playing would. The payoff is a drier, more open response from the first strum, with a warm amber tint to match. On a 12-string it matters double: all that string energy meets a top that has already loosened up and is ready to move.

C-Class bracing keeps the low end in the room

Twelve-strings are rich in sparkle and famously light on foundation, because the octave courses live high in the spectrum. Taylor's C-Class bracing was designed for exactly this problem: an asymmetric pattern that lets the treble side of the top shimmer while the bass side works harder, so the chime sits on genuine low-end support. Add the dreadnought body's natural authority and the result is twelve-string bloom with a floor under it.

Layered sapele built for Australian weather

The back and sides are layered sapele, ribbon-striped and finished in matte to match the top. Layered construction is a deliberate choice here: it shrugs off the humidity swings that torment solid-wood flat-tops, which makes the 150ce a genuine take-anywhere guitar — touring van one week, beach-house verandah the next. Black binding with a fine white purfling line keeps the edges sharp without dressing the guitar up beyond its job.

Cutaway access and ES2 electronics

The "c" and "e" in the name are the working parts. The Venetian cutaway opens up the fingerboard past the 14th fret — welcome on capoed arrangements and lead lines alike. Plugged in, the Expression System 2 does the heavy lifting: three sensors positioned behind the saddle read the top's actual movement rather than just string squeeze, translating it into a warm, honest amplified voice. A master volume and two EQ dials sit on the upper shoulder where you can reach them mid-song.

Gig bag in, setup done

Every 150ce ships in Taylor's structured gig bag, strung with D'Addario XS coated phosphor bronze strings — coated to survive the extra finger-time a 12-string invites. Set up in-store by Guitar World Australia's techs before it ships to you, so it plays perfectly the moment it arrives.