If I hadn’t had their spec sheets in front of me, I might not have known that a pair of new Taylor guitars were affordable instruments. The new Taylor Academy 10e dreadnought and 12e Grand Concert each sell for well under a grand with a deluxe padded gig bag. Both guitars have a high-quality feel and play effortlessly. They sound great, too—clear, balanced, and responsive. It strikes me that these guitars are vastly superior to the first entry-level steel-string I bought in the late-1980s—and they’re actually less expensive.

The 10e and 12e are members of Taylor’s new Academy series, made at the company’s secondary factory in Tecate, Mexico. In designing these instruments, Taylor’s luthier, Andy Powers, stripped the guitars of their nonessentials to arrive at designs that are not only rugged and cost-effective, but handsome in their simplicity.

As such, neither guitar has binding or any other ornamental detail, save for a simple wooden rosette and black heel cap. Each sports a solid Sitka spruce soundboards with an ergonomic armrest—a detail, normally found on high-end guitars, that lends playing comfort. The back and sides of each instrument are made from layered sapele, another cost-effective option that adds durability, while the fretboard and bridge are ebony. Each instrument is completed with a smooth matte-varnish finish.

Taylor is, of course, well known for its consistently fine craftsmanship, and in building the Academy line, the company has held itself to the same standards as on its more expensive offerings. Both the 10e and 12e are cleanly built, inside and outside. On each guitar, the 20 medium frets are tidily dressed, without a hint of sharpness at their ends—the NuBone nut and Micarta saddle are set up just right. Under the hood, the top bracing (there’s no back bracing) looks cleanly shaped and glued, as do the sides’ linings.

BODY Dreadnought size (10e) and Grand Concert size (12e); solid Sitka spruce top; layered sapele back and sides; ebony bridge with Micarta saddle; armrest; varnish finish

NECK Mahogany neck; ebony fretboard; 24-7/8-inch scale length; 1-11/16-inch NuBone nut; chrome tuners; matte-varnish finish

EXTRAS Elixir Phosphor Bronze Light strings (.012–.053); ES-B electronics; gig bag

PRICE 10e: $798 list/ $599 street; 12e: $798 list/$499 street

Made in Mexico, taylorguitars.com

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