Featuring CV Bracing with Relief Rout, the Taylor GS8 2012 Grand Symphony Acoustic Guitar offers truly remarkable tone, projection and sustain. Its exquisite tone and undeniable beauty make the Taylor 2012 GS8 Grand Symphony Acoustic Guitar an incredible Taylor design from top to bottom.

Sitka Spruce Top

As a guitar soundboard, or top, Sitka spruce is the tonewood standard of the modern era. It's used on 85-90 percent of the guitars that Taylor makes. Its combination of strength and elasticity translates into a broad dynamic range, yielding crisp articulation and allowing for everything from aggressive strumming and flat-picking to finger-picking. Sitka spruce is Bob Taylor's personal favorite for an all-around great guitar.

Indian Rosewood

One of the most popular and traditional guitar woods of all time, rosewood takes the basic sonic thumbprint of mahogany (which has a strong midrange) and expands it in both directions. Rosewood sounds deeper in the low end and brighter on the top end (one might describe the treble notes as zesty, sparkly or sizzly, with more articulation). If you look at its frequency range visually, rosewood would appear to be more scooped in the middle, yielding less midrange bloom than mahogany. Like mahogany, rosewood's vintage heritage has helped firmly establish its acoustic legacy. It's a great sound in part because they know that sound. In some music circles in which preserving the traditional sound helps bring a sense of authenticity to… read more the music -- certain strains of Americana, for example -- rosewood has an iconic status. Also like mahogany, rosewood is a versatile tonewood, which has contributed to its popularity. One can finger-pick it, strum it and flat-pick it. It's very consistent, so players can usually rely on it to deliver.

Goes Well With: Most applications.

If you like a guitar with fuller low end and brighter treble (bluegrassers, for instance), rosewood will do the trick. Its high-end sizzle and clear articulation will benefit players with "dark hands". If you're looking for a traditional acoustic sound, a rosewood Dreadnought or Grand Auditorium is right up your alley.

GS: Grand Symphony

The Grand Symphony shape joined the Taylor line in 2006 and delivers the boldest, richest acoustic voice. Think of it as a Grand Auditorium with a turbo boost, thanks to expanded physical dimensions, including a slightly wider waist and a bigger lower bout. Strummers and pickers with a driving attack will love the fullness, volume and sustain. Yet for such a robust voice, the GS is also clear and responsive to fast picking runs or a light fingerstyle touch, so if you're a dynamic player, this shape is a true contender. And the big voice doesn't come at the expense of balance. The piano-like bass, meaty midrange, and thick, shimmering highs blend seamlessly. These traits also make the GS a great vehicle for 12-Strings. If you like a lush, potent guitar tone that has the horsepower to compete with other acoustic cannons out there, the GS shape is a worthy choice.

Features

- Sitka Spruce Top with Indian Rosewood Back and Sides
- Tropical American Mahogany Neck
- 20 Fret Ebony Fingerboard
- Ivoroid Binding with Tusq Nut and Saddle
- 4mm Abalone Dot Inlays
- Includes Taylor GS Series Deluxe Hardshell Case read less