« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2017, 03:02:40 PM »
... I don't care about electronics. I mostly strum, with the odd fingerpicking...
Why the interest in the Grand Concert (GC) body? I'm mostly a strummer as well, and find the GC's to be temperamental about strumming; some handle it OK, others not so well... A Grand Auditorium, like those you've already tried, would seem to be the more suitable option for you -- a good all-around guitar for both strumming and fingerpicking...
... Curious on feedback from folks about the sounds to expect. Will maple be too bright and twangy in such a small shape? Are the improvements in the maple worth buying new vs a 2014 712?
In my experience with GC's (which is, admittedly, limited), Rosewood-bodied examples are nicely-balanced. The re-voiced 600's are noticeably less bright than the 'legacy' models; I expect that characteristic would also be evident in the new 612's, but even so, I'm thinking even a new 612 will sound more bright than any 712 due to Rosewood's wider tonal range (i.e., more bass response).
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DN: 360e, 510ce, 510e-FLTD, 810ce-LTD (Braz RW), PS10ce
GA: 414ce, 614ce-LTD, 714ce-FLTD, BR-V, BTO (Makore, 'Wild Grain' RW, Blkwood), GAce-FLTD, K24ce, PS14ce (Coco, Braz RW, "Milagro"), W14ce-LTD
GC: 812ce-LTD TF, BTO TF ('Sinker'/Walnut, Engelmann/"Milagro"), LTG #400
GO: 718e-FLTD, BTO (Taz Myrtle)
GS: Custom 516e, BTO 12's (Taz Tiger Myrtle, 'Crazy' RW), 556ce, 656ce, K66ce, PS56ce ("Milagro")
GS Mini 2012 Spring LTD (Blackwood)
T3/B: Custom (Cu & Au Sparkle)
T5: C1, C5-12, S (Aztec Gold)