Taylor's sleek, ultra-playable necks make for an especially inspiring 12-string experience. With the mahogany/spruce 500 Series 556ce Grand Symphony 12-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar, mahogany's meaty mids, coupled with the power and depth of the GS shape, produce a rich yet articulate tapestry of sound. Appointments include ivoroid for the binding, rosette and Century fretboard inlay. Proprietary Expression System 2 electronics bring all that musical detail into a clear amplified acoustic sound.Grand Symphony (GS)Body Length: 20" / Body Width: 16-1/4" / Body Depth: 4-5/8"The Grand Symphony shape joined the line in 2006 and delivers a rich, powerful acoustic voice. Think of it as a Grand Auditorium with a turbo boost, thanks to expanded physical dimensions, including a slightly wider waist and a bigger lower bout. Strummers and pickers with a driving attack will love the fullness, volume and sustain. Yet for such a robust voice, the GS is also clear and responsive to fast picking runs or a light fingerstyle touch, so if you're a dynamic player, this shape is a true contender. And the big voice doesn't come at the expense of balance. The piano-like bass, meaty midrange, and thick, shimmering highs blend seamlessly.Expression System 2The Taylor Expression System 2 (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 proprietary behind-the-saddle pickup (patent pending), which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. 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.Behind the ES2 Design: Rethinking the Piezo PickupFor decades, piezo-electric transducers have been positioned under the saddle of a guitar based on the long-held belief that the string and top vibration cause the saddle to "bounce" up and down. But Taylor's electronics team, led by developer David Hosler, discovered that the vertical movement is actually heavily restricted, and that the saddle gets "locked down" due to the string tension's downward pressure. That's why a traditional under-saddle pickup with piezo-electric crystals often responds with a sound often characterized as thin, brittle, brash or synthetic, especially with more aggressive playing.The saddle's natural range of movement as the guitar is being played is actually back and forth like a pendulum. That revelation led Taylor's design team to relocate the crystals from under the saddle to behind it. The new positioning enables the crystals to respond more naturally to the guitar's energy as it is transferred through the saddle. Three pickup sensors are installed behind the saddle, through the bridge, with three tiny Allen screws that calibrate the position of the sensors in relation to the saddle.Like the original Expression System, the ES2 features the same volume and tone control knobs. The preamp is similar but with a slightly different gain structure. As a result it will be about 25-percent hotter, which is more in line with other pickups. This makes it plug-and-play friendly both for artists and live sound mixers.
- Shape: Grand Symphony
Number of Strings: 6
Back/Side Wood: Tropical Mahogany
Scale length: 25-1/2"
Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
Body Length: 20"
Electronics: Expression System 2
Body Width: 16-1/4"
Cutaway: Venetian
Body Depth: 4-5/8"
Nut & Saddle: Tusq Nut/Micarta Saddle
Neck Width: 1-7/8"
Neck/Heel: Tropical Mahogany
Bracing: 12-String Bracing with Relief Rout
Fretboard Wood: Ebony
Fretboard Inlay: Century
Headstock Overlay: Ebony
Binding: Ivoroid
Bridge Inlay: None
Bridge Pins: Ebony
Tuners: Taylor Nickel
Truss Rod Cover: Ebony
Back/Side Finish: Gloss
Top Finish: Gloss
Neck Finish: Satin
Pickguard: Tortoise
Case: Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Brown
Number of Frets: 20
Armrest Binding: None
Back Config: 2-piece No Wedge
Backstrap Wood: None
Backstrap Finish: None
Brand of Strings: Elixir Phosphor Bronze Light
Buttons: Nickel
Edge Trim: None
Fingerboard Ext: None
Fretboard Binding: Ivoroid
Heel Cap Binding: Ivoroid
Heel length: 3-1/2"
Peghead Finish: Satin
Peghead Inlay: None
Peghead Binding: Ivoroid
Peghead Logo: Ivoroid
Peghead Type: Standard
Rosette Mat.: Ivoroid
Rosette Size: Single Ring
Stain/Sunburst: Medium Brown Stain
Type of Neck Joint: Scarf
Wedge: None
- All tropical mahogany top, body and neck
- Venetian cutaway
- Satin neck finish
- Expression 2 electronics
- Includes case
