Advanced Design. Affordable Price.
Designed to provide signature Taylor playability and vibrant tone at an accessible price, the Academy Series blends innovative features with a comfort-focused design philosophy. New players will appreciate features such as a narrower 1-11/16" nut width for relaxed fretting and a carved armrest for a seamless, accommodating feel. Together with the light-gauge strings and 24-7/8" scale length, those elements add up to a slinky handfeel that makes it easier to grow your skills. Solid tops produce rich projection and clarity, and models with electronics also boast a built-in digital tuner. Whether you're just picking your first guitar or hunting for a more affordable Taylor experience, the Academy Series is for you.
Meet the Academy Series
Solid tops and a focus on playability set the Academy Series apart, offering a welcoming feel at an approachable price.
Academy Dreadnought
Starting at $699 USD
2 Models
Academy 10e
Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
Body Wood: Walnut
Shape: Dreadnought
Cutaway: Non-cutaway
Electronics: ES-B
Specialty: 6-String
Orientation: Right Handed, Left Handed
Academy 10
Top Wood: Torrefied Spruce
Body Wood: Layered Walnut
Shape: Dreadnought
Cutaway: Non-cutaway
Electronics: No Electronics
Specialty: 6-String
Orientation: Right Handed, Left Handed
Academy Grand Concert
Starting at $699 USD
2 Models
Academy 12
$699
Top Wood: Torrefied Spruce
Body Wood: Layered Walnut
Shape: Grand Concert
Cutaway: Non-cutaway
Electronics: No Electronics
Specialty: 6-String
Orientation: Right Handed, Left Handed
Academy 12e
Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
Body Wood: Walnut
Shape: Grand Concert
Cutaway: Non-cutaway
Electronics: ES-B
Specialty: 6-String
Orientation: Right Handed, Left Handed
Academy Nylon
Starting at $699 USD
2 Models
Academy 12e-N
Top Wood: Lutz Spruce
Body Wood: Walnut
Shape: Grand Concert
Cutaway: Non-cutaway
Electronics: ES-B
Specialty: Nylon
Orientation: Right Handed, Left Handed
Academy 12-N
Top Wood: Lutz Spruce
Body Wood: Layered Walnut
Shape: Grand Concert
Cutaway: Non-cutaway
Electronics: No Electronics
Specialty: Nylon
Orientation: Right Handed, Left Handed
FEATURES
Comfortable Guitars, Big Tone, Great Price
Between ergonomic contours, playable necks, solid tops and pragmatic accessories, the Academy Series has everything a new player could need to start a new musical adventure.
Solid Tops for Bold Sound and Projection
Every Academy Series guitar is built with a solid-wood top, meaning a single piece of spruce through its thickness. The result is a powerful, clear acoustic voice that can be heard alongside vocals or other instruments.
Player-Friendly Curves and a Slender Neck
The armrest built into every Academy Series guitar is a premium comfort feature usually reserved for much more expensive guitars. Likewise, the slim Taylor Neck design gives these guitars a high-end, accommodating feel.
ES-B Electronics with Built-In Digital Tuner
All three base models in the Academy Series offer optional ES-B electronics, which include an acoustic pickup for rich amplified tone and a digital tuner with an easy-to-read LED display.
Practical, Modest Visual Style
We've kept the appointment package for the Academy Series focused on performance with unbound edges, a herringbone rosette, a satin finish and 4mm dot fretboard inlays.
Options for Steel or Nylon Strings
The Academy Series boasts two steel-string guitars—a compact Grand Concert model and a classic Dreadnought. The Series also features the Academy 12-N, a nylon-string Grand Concert with a snappy, neo-classical sound and a neck catered to fingerstyle play.
Gig Bags Included with Every Guitar
Every guitar in the Academy Series ships with a durable, lightweight gig bag for transportation and storage.
WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING
“If you want the softer feel and mellower sound of nylon strings, then the Academy 12e-N is one of the best guitars you can get.”
“The combination of the Academys’ short scale; slim, but not too skinny neck profile; and Taylor’s legendary low action makes them among the easiest-playing steel-strings I’ve encountered.”
"The Taylor 12e-N delivers the classic Taylor package; wonderful tone, superb playability, and exemplary build quality."
MEET THE OTHER SERIES
The American Dream®
Series Guitars
Starting at $1799 USD
Neo-vintage aesthetics and all-solid tonewoods deliver all the essentials of a satisfying, inspiring musical experience.
GT
Series Guitars
Starting at $1799 USD
Compact, comfortable and boldly voiced, the GT (grand theater) acoustic guitar offers an enjoyable, accessible experience for pros and casual players alike.
100
Series Guitars
Starting at $799 USD
Solid spruce tops paired with layered walnut or layered sapele yield rich tone at a great value for developing musicians.
200
Series Guitars
Starting at $999 USD
200 Standard, Plus and Deluxe models offer three tiers of musical inspiration and a diverse collection visual styles.
300
Series Guitars
Starting at $2499 USD
Two tonewood combinations give the 300 Series wide-ranging musical versatility, offering choices for virtually every player.
400
Series Guitars
Starting at $2999 USD
Eye-catching sunburst top finishes imbue the time-honored rosewood/spruce tonewood pairing with fresh visual appeal.
500
Series Guitars
Starting at $3299 USD
Urban Ironbark delivers a musical personality that's entirely unique to the Taylor 500 Series.
600
Series Guitars
Starting at $3299 USD
A range of body styles crafted with specially voiced Big Leaf maple and Sitka spruce yield a warm, punchy response covering a wide breadth of sounds and playing applications.
700
Series Guitars
Starting at $3499 USD
Select-grade Hawaiian koa serves up a lively punch with rich midrange sparkle and a raw, natural feel.
800
Series Guitars
Starting at $3399 USD
Rosewood, spruce, V-Class bracing and a host of player-focused appointments make the 800 Series the quintessential Taylor experience.
900
Series Guitars
Starting at $5999 USD
Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce with V-Class bracing make for a distinctively bold voice with incredible tonal balance.
Koa
Series Guitars
Starting at $5999 USD
Hawaiian koa's sparkling, bold musical response is famous for improving with time, giving these guitars a multigenerational appeal.
Presentation
Series Guitars
Starting at $9999 USD
Honduran rosewood and sinker redwood serve up incredible tonal warmth and complexity complemented by artful aesthetic details.
GS Mini
Series Guitars
Starting at $499 USD
Solid tops, a comfortable feel and a spontaneous musical personality put GS Mini guitars in a class of their own.
Big Baby
Series Guitars
Starting at $499 USD
With plenty of power and a comfortable frame, the Big Baby Taylor is ideal for impromptu playing sessions, songwriting and more.
Baby Taylor
Series Guitars
Starting at $449 USD
The Baby Taylor makes great acoustic tone accessible and travel-ready.
Not sure what's the best Taylor guitar for you?
There's a Taylor for every player, whether you're a beginner or a pro. Explore the Taylor line by body shape and tonewood to find the right combination of feel and sound for you.
Shapes
Each Taylor body shape yields a distinctive tonal personality and feel.
Tonewoods
Premium tonewoods offer a range of tonal flavors and sound profiles.
Model Numbers
Learn how Taylor model numbers work and what they tell you about our guitars.
Explore Academy Series Guitars
Use the tool below to filter Academy Series acoustic guitars by body shape, tonewood and other criteria.
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Please note, all models are available in a left-handed configuration at no additional charge, except most Builder's Edition models.
