Cheers from Annapolis

[Doranged]

My name is Doran and I have been playing since I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.  Have gone from my first acoustic, to electric for many years, and now back to acoustic for the last twenty years. I found it easier to play solo and hence acoustic.  I had a Martin Shenandoah, a D18, then a couple of Taks, and then some Tak 12s. A little over 15 years ago I got my first Taylor and have brought several since.
     My go to gig guitar is a 856 ce Cocobolo.  Love the balanced tone.  Looking forward hearing about special guitars.  Wondering what people think of the 562/552 as smaller is the direction I'm headed in. Thanks Doran

[Mark Stone]

Hi Doran - From another new guy, Welcome!

[TaylorGirl]

Welcome Doran.
I'm a 562ce owner. Whether that or the 552 is for you, probably depends on how and what you play. I chose the 562ce, because it fits my style of play very well. I fingerpick exclusively. It has a wonderful balanced and articulate tone, is comfortable and has more volume than you'd expect, given its body size. The 12-fret 12-string Taylor's are amazing. As a strummer, it still performs nicely. If you are looking for the big voice and low end of a jumbo, then you'd be disappointed.

[timfitz63]

Welcome, Doran!  My first job out of college was in Maryland (Patuxent River).  I now own one of the Taylor Liberty Tree Guitars, made out of the wood from the last surviving Liberty Tree that stood on the grounds of St. John's College there in Annapolis until Hurricane Floyd caused irreparable damage to the tree in 1999 and it had to be felled.

Regarding the 552/562 dilemma:  overall, I tend to prefer the larger Grand Symphony (GS) body (like your 856ce) for Taylor's 12-strings; the GS seems to strike the right kind of balance between low-end grunt and that lovely 12-string jangle.  But with the 12-string 12-frets that Taylor has introduced, I found the 552 to be more to my liking, although the 562 seems to be more popular; the 552 just seemed to have better volume and presence, at least to my ears.  As Susie said, Taylor's 12-string 12-fret guitars seem to handle light strumming well, but will really shine as a finger style 12-string.

I don't know what you're looking to spend on one, but if you want to stick with Cocobolo, I know a Taylor dealer where you can find a very nice Custom 12-string 12-fret.

[Soof]

Welcome Doran ! 

Glad to have you join the family!

And . . . Just think how many guitars have been sold since the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show! 

[Doranged]

Thanks for the responses.  I used to see The Liberty Tree daily and was sad when it met its demise.  Hopefully some of these fine guitars will be around for four hundred plus years.
     I have several 12 strings the smallest is an 854 ce cocobolo which I mistakenly posted as an 856ce.  I'm looking to go smaller than the GA and wondering if the GC 552/562 is a good fit.  I would be using it as a giggin guitar plugged in through a Play Acoustic.  Would love to play both before making a choice.
     I love all my Taylors but won't a comfort 12 string.  Bought a GS mini and love how light and small it is but want a higher quality instrument for my small 12.  Thinking the 12 fret GC might be just the thing.  Thanks Doran

[mgap]

Welcome to the forum Doranged. 
I think you need to get your hands on one of the mahogany 12 string 12th fret models, as others have said. 
Many performers have gone to small guitars for stage work.  Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull comes to mind.  He went from an OM size in the 70s and 80s to a Parlor size for his work.

[Doranged]

Definitely make playing "thick as a brick easier" which I really don't mind.  Might even be able to play "free fallin" without a break. Saw Tull many years ago do "Thick". It was awesome

[mgap]

Definitely make playing "thick as a brick easier" which I really don't mind.  Might even be able to play "free fallin" without a break. Saw Tull many years ago do "Thick". It was awesome

Tull has some awesome acoustic work he has produced.  And I have enjoyed his music ever since Benefit was released.  I have never been to a Tull concert yet, and I have been to a hundred concerts, odd that I have missed his.

[Mark Stone]

Definitely make playing "thick as a brick easier" which I really don't mind.  Might even be able to play "free fallin" without a break. Saw Tull many years ago do "Thick". It was awesome

Tull has some awesome acoustic work he has produced.  And I have enjoyed his music ever since Benefit was released.  I have never been to a Tull concert yet, and I have been to a hundred concerts, odd that I have missed his.

A late response, but I hadn't noticed the Jethro Tull comments. I saw Tull at Red Rocks in 1970-ish twice, then got the Aqualung album. The acoustic guitar work by Ian Anderson during the concerts and on that album was one of the major influences that made acoustic guitar attractive to me.

[Jersey tuning]

Saw Ian Anderson last year.  Wonder if he would like my 1930 Martin 2-17 (12" wide at the lower bout).