A Reimagining of Taylor's Most Comfortable Body Style With a Deeper Body and Heritage-Inspired Voicing Delivers Warm, Low-End Depth and Dynamic Range.
EL CAJON, Calif., April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Further expanding its popular Gold Label Collection, Taylor Guitars, a leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, today announces three new Grand Concert models: the Gold Label 512e, the Gold Label 712e and the Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition — a collaborative model designed in partnership with the three-time GRAMMY®-winning roots music icon. The new additions mark the sixth wave of models in Taylor's exploration of warm, heritage-inspired acoustic flavors, now bringing the Gold Label's signature voicing — including Fanned V-Class® bracing and the patented Action Control Neck™ — to the brand's most comfortable and player-friendly body shape.
A COMPACT BODY WITH SURPRISING SONIC PUNCH
The new Gold Label Grand Concert models reimagine Taylor's classic, compact body style with a deeper body design that meaningfully expands the shape's acoustic capabilities. The added depth increases air resonance, boosting warmth and low-end presence while preserving the intimacy and responsiveness that players have always loved in a Grand Concert. The result is a guitar that feels instantly familiar in the hands but delivers a richer, more robust voice than players might expect from a compact body.
"I wanted to feature the classic Grand Concert shape in its full, non-cutaway form and give it a warmer, more blended voice," says Andy Powers, Taylor's Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEO. "The result feels instantly familiar in size and balance, yet delivers a richer, more robust sound with clear focus and a surprisingly strong lower register for a Grand Concert."
All three new models share the following features:
- Torrefied Sitka spruce top for a seasoned, played-in sound from day one
- Fanned V-Class® bracing voiced for blended notes, rich sustain and enhanced projection
- Action Control Neck™ for fast, precise, player-adjustable setup
- 24-7/8-inch scale length for playing comfort and responsiveness
- Honduran Rosewood "Curve Wing" bridge
- Cream binding with black and white top purfling, cream/black rosette, cream Crest fretboard and peghead inlays
- Gloss-finish body
THE BEN HARPER COLLABORATION
The launch is headlined by the second artist collaborative model in the Gold Label family, designed with renowned singer songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Harper. A longtime Taylor player who grew up working on instruments at his family's Folk Music Center in Claremont, California, Harper brought both a luthier's ear and a touring musician's practicality to the collaboration.
Together, Powers and Harper landed on a design that channels Harper's touch-sensitive fingerstyle approach. Key material choices include mahogany back and sides and a Honduran rosewood fretboard, along with a suite of customized aesthetic details, featuring a golden-brown shaded edgeburst top, cream pickguard, polished bronze mini tuners and bone bridge pins. Harper also opted to incorporate Taylor's new Claria acoustic electronics for live performance, which he has found to be easily adaptable across different venues on tour.
"If I could dream up a way to collaborate with a guitar maker, this would be it," Harper says. There was a simpatico relationship between what I do and what Taylor does that I recognized right away."
NEW GRAND CONCERT GOLD LABEL MODELS
Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition
This is a guitar built around nuance. Mahogany back and sides and a torrefied Sitka spruce top provide a warm, woody foundation, while Honduran rosewood for both the fretboard and bridge adds a liveliness that responds to every subtle shift in touch, exactly what a player like Harper demands. The result is an instrument that feels personal from the first note, with a voice that seems to meet the player halfway. Onboard Claria™ electronics with mid-contour control ensure that intimacy translates to any stage. Distinctive details include:
- Mahogany back and sides, torrefied Sitka spruce top
- Honduran rosewood fretboard and bridge
- Custom shaded edgeburst top finish
- Honduran rosewood headstock overlay
- Polished bronze Taylor mini tuners
- Bone bridge pins, cream pickguard
- Claria™ pickup system with mid-contour control
- Custom Ben Harper interior label
Gold Label 512e Grand Concert
The mahogany Grand Concert is the collection's most approachable entry point, but don't mistake compact for understated. The pairing of solid mahogany back and sides with a torrefied Sitka spruce top produces a rich, woody midrange with a low-end punch that belies the guitar's size — a classic combination that players have chased for decades, now with Gold Label voicing and modern playability built in.
- Mahogany back and sides, torrefied Sitka spruce top
- West African ebony fretboard, Honduran rosewood "Curve Wing" bridge
- Cream binding with black and white top purfling
- Cream Crest fretboard and peghead inlays
- Firestripe pickguard
- LR Baggs Element VTC electronics
Gold Label 712e Grand Concert
Rosewood has always been a player's wood — complex, resonant, full of character — and the 712e brings that tradition into the Gold Label family. Indian rosewood back and sides paired with a torrefied Sitka spruce top produce a voice with rich bass presence, shimmering trebles and a bloom of overtones that opens up the more you play it. For those who want depth and dimension in a guitar they can take anywhere, this is it.
- Indian rosewood back and sides, torrefied Sitka spruce top
- West African ebony fretboard, Honduran rosewood "Curve Wing" bridge
- Cream binding with black and white top purfling
- Cream Crest fretboard and peghead inlays
- Firestripe pickguard
- LR Baggs Element VTC electronics
The Gold Label 512e and 712e are available now at authorized Taylor dealers worldwide starting at $2,799. The Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition is available at $2,999. All models include Taylor's Deluxe Hardshell Case. For more information on the Gold Label Collection, visit taylorguitars.com.
ABOUT TAYLOR GUITARS
Taylor Guitars is a leading global manufacturer of premium acoustic guitars. Headquartered in El Cajon, California (San Diego County), the company was founded in 1974 and is widely known for its innovative manufacturing techniques and tone-enhancing designs, which have set new standards for playability, craftsmanship and musical performance. Driven by a passion for improving the guitar-playing experience, Taylor is equally committed to ethical environmental practices and has led the way with socially responsible forest management initiatives aimed at preserving our shared natural resources. These include groundbreaking forest restoration projects with West African ebony in Cameroon, koa and other native trees in Hawaii, and the urban canopy in Southern California. Taylor's diverse artist community includes the likes of Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Zac Brown, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, U2's The Edge, Jacob Collier and many others.
ABOUT BEN HARPER
Ben Harper is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer celebrated for his eclectic blend of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock. Born in Pomona, California, Harper grew up immersed in music at his family's Folk Music Center, where he developed his distinctive slide guitar style. He released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World, in 1994, earning praise for his soulful voice and socially conscious lyrics. Harper has built a diverse catalog, collaborating with artists such as The Blind Boys of Alabama and releasing critically acclaimed albums like Diamonds on the Inside and Lifeline. Known for both his dynamic live performances and his ability to traverse genres seamlessly, Harper is equally recognized for his activism and commitment to social justice.
Media Contact
JESSUP PR, Taylor Guitars, 1 3235293541, [email protected]
SOURCE Taylor Guitars
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