"I'm not sure what happened today but apparently I lost my mind and ordered a new 812ce 12 Fret!! First edition to boot!
I sold my 12 fret Spring LTD maccassar/cedar a few months ago. That wood combo was a bit on the mellow side for me. It looked great but it didn't have the zing factor, nor did it whisper in my ear. But the new 800 series has been screaming in my ears! It has everything I wanted. Rosewood/Spruce, short scale, 12 fret, GC body, Cut away"
I feel you bro, like the kids say. I'm on my second Taylor 12 fret and still not 100% with em. My first was the 2010 Taylor 12 Fret and it didn't grow on me due to it's really subdued volume and lack of Taylor crispness I'd grown to expect.
My current is an all mahogany 512 - 12 fret and the volume is much improved, the extra midrange and bass is killer, but still not enough crispness. Today GC let me try out the 712 12 fret that's been on the wall almost 2 years and thanks no doubt to it's spruce top, there was the crispness I've been missing, but unfortunately, not the volume, bass or midrange I expect from a 12 fret. It sounded surprisingly very much like my 812.
Not to highjack your thread, but does anyone know anything definitive about how Taylor has been adjusting the bracing on these over the last 4 years? The first 12 Fret had something called "12 Fret Bracing", subsequent X12 - 12 frets had something called "cross bracing with relief routing". Can't help but feel like I'm a beta tester for Taylor's 12 fret models, which can get kind of expensive.
However I think with the thinner wood and finish, plus the spruce top your 812 looks to be the one– the spruce sparkle along with that great bass and mid-range that comes from a dropped bridge. Best of luck with it and give us a review when you get it!
