Stopped in at The Podium to visit a couple guitars I've been courting, and as I like to do I first went downstairs to warm up in a practice room with one of the lower-shelf models, still nice guitars, but sub-$1000 and the main thing is that I like to relax and get comfortable in peace and quiet, without an audience, before I head upstairs to A/B with focus. (Between traffic and parking, I'm a bit jittery when I first arrive.)
Anyway, while in the basement I tried several Taylor's, Seagull's, Eastman's and one of the ones I picked up was a Taylor GA3e-12.
I've never even held a twelver before so it was a nice surprise. Felt like I had my own ghostly accompaniment and really filled the entire basement with sound. Strummed like a dream, both with a plectrum and with bare fingers, knuckles. Not sure it would be a candidate for fingerstyle, unless I was just doing it wrong.
Seemed like the deeper four strings each had an octave string, and the B and e had twins. I brought along a capo today and the GA3e-12 sounded great all the way up the neck, with decent intonation. I bet it'd sound hypnotic in lower, open tunings, but I wouldn't know the first thing about tuning the octave strings to pitch, so I didn't try.
All in all, was a reaaaaally nice guitar, for an excellent price.
The 12-string didn't sidetrack me from my original mission, but I could certainly see adding one like that to the stable someday.
(Still haven't made a decision about a 12-fret or other small bodied guitar, darn, I'll just have to go back again soon!)
-Kris
