Taylor academy 12E-N & La Patrie arena CW Q1t
If you’re looking to find your nylon string voice, take a look at these ‘entry level’ guitars from Mexico and Canada
Taylor Academy’s proposition is proper guitars for – in Taylor terms – not a lot of money: making the “acoustic guitar accessible to more players”. This nylon string is also, by design, aimed at the younger starter player. It might be entry level in terms of Taylor’s range but, not least in this nylon electro form, it’s hardly low-end with serious competition from the likes of Yamaha and Cordoba, who have ‘posher’ spec’d nylon electros at the same, or lower, price-points.
Another example would be La Patrie – made by Godin in Canada, who have taken the wraps off a new four-strong Arena mini-range priced £469-£799. While our model doesn’t include a gigbag like the Taylor it’s well-spec’d and much lower in price.
Taylor’s smallest full-scale shape, the Grand Concert, is the perfect size for a ‘classical’ nylon-string. The 12e-N falls, slightly, into the ‘crossover’ style, not least with its ES-N undersaddle and small-footprint basic preamp, lightly cambered fingerboard and relatively narrow neck. That said, its full depth and non-
cutaway style, not to mention its dot inlaid fingerboard, makes it look more like a 00/000 with the ‘wrong’ strings. In typical Taylor style, however, its build is as clean as a whistle.
The satin varnish finish is about as thin as it gets which will no doubt enhance its resonance though it provides little protection; the back of the mahogany neck (with separate head and heel block) and the sapele veneers have an almost open-pore textural feel. We do get an adjustable truss rod – not part of traditional classicals – and strap buttons on both heel and base, the latter doubling as the output jack which is firmly screwed in place. Along with the classical-style tuners, the tieblock bridge is classy; the slightly compensated Tusq saddle angled back to ensure good down pressure over the under-saddle transducer. Fretting too is superbly consistent.
Augmenting a comprehensive range of ‘student’ nylon strings, that start at £429, the La Patrie Arena CW Q1T models are all stageaimed thinline electro cutaways. La Patrie’s build is very sharp, again satin finished with a wide-grained solid spruce top and laminate wild cherry back and sides stained a reddybrown. Though lightly arched, the back is braced, while the top is fan braced.
Unlike the Taylor, the La Patrie has a more classical width at the nut although the actual string spacing is virtually identical. The headstock adopts the longer Godin Multiac style with a rosewood facing over a whiter veneer and in true classical style there’s no brand logo.
Along with its cutaway, we get the standard 19 frets – the Taylor has 17 – but the major difference between our models is the thinline body that reduces the depth of the sound chamber and is designed to reduce feedback. Its more electric-like feel is enhanced by the shoulder-placed strap button (Schaller locking) while the lower button doubles as the output jack.
Sounds & Feel
It’s the body depth that creates the primary difference in feel: the La Patrie is really comfortable, akin to a small electric semi or thinline. If you already play nylon string then you may feel more at home with the La Patrie’s neck with its slightly fuller shoulder and flatter back. The Taylor neck isn’t much smaller, but
Plugged in the Taylor is crisp, balanced and with a low end that won’t run away with you