Westerly Series 12 strings

merlin6666

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I stopped by my Guild dealer today and he has both a 2512 and a 1512 in stock so I took the opportunity to check them both out.

First I tried the 2512. On visual inspection it appeared to be well put together and not very heavy. The back and sides look very plain with matte finish and no figuring. Not at all
like the glossy figured maple most of us may be accustomed to. It is also quite deep and looks huge hanging on the wall. It was set up just the way I liked it and it played without effort. I really was surprised by its sound. There was a lot of volume and it was nicely balanced. Very nice for both flat picking and strumming. This really felt like a FUN guitar that you could play anything, anytime, and anywhere. It even has a PU and can be plugged in.

The 1512 was quite a bit heavier and looked very nice. The EIR back was gorgeous with a very pretty inlaid center strip. It had the thickest top I have ever seen. It was set up with very low action and possibly the easiest playing 12 I have encountered so far. Easier than a Taylor and even my Ovations! If one has issues with wrist fatigue then this guitar is suitable for relief. However; due to low action it had to be played with a light touch. I think the strings were old and it did not sound as good as it could have. Still I found it a bit more refined than the 2512 particularly for strumming and finger picking.

Given the considerable price difference the 2512 definitely seemed the better bang for the buck and despite its look I would not hesitate to take one home if I was in the market for an all purpose fun 12 string.
 
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