Taylor Academy 10 Review

This guitar sounds like a dream !

I made the mistake of writing a bad review on my guitar thinking the action was way too high. As it turns out all it needed was a simple truss rod adjustment. This is a FANTASTIC guitar.

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This is nice

This is my second acoustic guitar, it is a nice step up from the Yamaha F335. I swapped out the stock tuners for lockers and replaced the stock plastic truss rod cover with a gold one. I also added a pickguard. plays like a dream and sound wonderful, this was my first Sweetwater buy, and being assigned a service rep that is interactive with you is pleasant. Tony Greere, you are… read more the best man!

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So playable; Feels and Sounds Great

So . . . I bought this for my daughter to play (actually the Academy 12 model), but I've ended up playing it so much that she has to ask for it! Ha ha. I expected a sounding guitar. But this guitar punches above it's weight class like no other. So so easy to play and it sounds great. While it doesn't have the boom of a jumbo, it has plenty of bottom end. Sounds very balanced and… read more much bigger than its 7/8 size would lead you to believe. The construction is flawless - such that I would expect this guitar to cost if I didn't already know the price. I find myself reaching for it first over acoustics I have that cost 10 times what this one costs. It is very articulate and clear - but never ever sounds thin or "tinny" like some lesser expensive models can and do. To my ear this sounds better than the Baby Taylor or the Big Baby, or the GS. We have the Academy 12 model - those curves are downright sexy and it looks amazing. And it doesn't have the screws THROUGH the neck like some other smaller guitars do (what's up with that?). I stood it up next to my Avalon grand auditorium (made in Ireland), and in some dimensions the Academy is larger. Maybe that's why I like it so much - it never looks, feels, or sounds smaller than a "normal" sized guitar. DO NOT let anyone say this is for beginners .... sure, it's an epic choice for beginners, but anyone who loves acoustic will love this guitar. I have played it non-stop since May 2020 and keep choosing it over other options. Mine is not the "E" pickup model, since I will never buy a guitar with a hole cut in it for a P/U or EQ, or on-board tuner . . . if you buy a good guitar like this, it will still be relevant when the electronics are outdated. So when you buy an "E" version, you've got a decent pickup, a hole in your guitar, and upgrading the pickup will be a challenge. But if you buy the non-E version, you can put in a good p/u like a K&K Pure Mini, and nothing needs to be drilled in the body, other than perhaps the block inside for the 1/4" input jack. And in 10 years if you want to change pups, it's easy-peasy and you never have a hole cut into your guitar. I am a guy who keeps guitars for decades. So I don't want to be stuck with a certain p/u in 2021 when a better option comes along in 2030. All that to say, for bucks, these Academy guitars cannot be beaten. If I had to spend on an acoustic, this would be it, hands down. If I had more, then I'd buy this Academy 10 or 12, and then add either a K&K Mini or a LR Baggs M80, and still have money left over for other gear. In short, this guitar is fantastic. Plays and feels great, and it's for anyone - beginner to pro. Add electronics if you want to. Or use it to teach your kid how to play. SO many "kid" guitars sound and play like crap. Or just sound "OK." This one costs a little more than some, but will retain its value, so it's worth it. And don't think that it's a "small" guitar and therefore for kids, since many touring pros like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran (please don't hate me for using them as an example) use smaller 7/8 guitars all the time. This one still manages to sound full and articulate and warm. And if you want more bottom end, then add the pickup and tweak the lows (with a BBE Acoustimax preamp! The BEST!!). But again, if your #1 priority is big bottom bass, then you're not reading this review anyway and you want a full-on dreadnaught or jumbo. For me, it has plenty of low end and never gets boomy or "flabby." Just "Taylor clear" and articulate. I use mine for leading worship and love it. After 11 months with it, I am still super impressed. Plus, at (plus a p/u), I don't have to worry if it gets a scratch on it. And the gig bag is very thick and fantastic. I lug it around with me all the time. Now I just need to buy another one for my daughter since I stole hers . . .

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It's a player!

Mitch Dazey from Sweetwater got this guitar out to me in record time, and when it came I let it sit for an hour before I opened the box. Once unboxed, I was amazed at the beautiful finish on the guitar. Despite being a basic Plain Jane among my guitars, it has beautiful lines, the neck is smooth, and the entire guitar is well put together. Thanks to Sweetwater for their pre shipment… read more check, the guitar was set up perfectly and with the exception of one string, was in tune. I tuned up and started to play it, and this guitar, despite being an entry-level Taylor, SINGS. The intonation is perfect down every fret, it plays fast, chords are full and strong, and even though it's not noted for its lower end, it has plenty of oomph in the bass register. It doesn't sound tinny anywhere in the scales and it plays sort of like a Martin D-15. It is a smaller dreadnought but it booms out sound that has to be heard to be appreciated. The guitar is very responsive and it just flat out plays great, and sounds great too. The price is excellent, considering you get ALL the bang for your bucks. In this price range, there's only a couple of guitars that can compare, but this Taylor is very comfortable to play. I can hardly wait to get some time on it so it will open up and sound even better, if that's possible. Kudos, Taylor guitars!

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More than I was expecting

I got this as a part of deal Taylor was doing awhile back as an add on to another guitar I purchased. I had zero expectations for it, but I was very impressed with it right out of the box. Taylor does a great job delivering great quality in most everything that they do, from their high end instruments to their lower end models like this one. It is a really easy playing guitar but… read more is surprisingly full sounding for a slightly smaller dreadnaught body. It comes set up with lights so it's a wonderful little fingerstyle guitar. The contoured edge makes it really comfy to play and it holds tuning fairly well. Only thing to keep in mind with it is that it has pretty much no finish on it, so it's more prone to be affected by humidity and climate changes. The gig bag is really nice, again Taylor quality even in the little details, and fits the guitar perfectly. It makes a great alternative to my nicer Taylor for travel/campfire stuff and is just a nice couch guitar. Way nicer than I was anticipating and I would highly recommend this one to someone looking for a nice guitar on a budget.

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