F-512 Owners - How Do These Rivals Compare?

Brucebubs

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My long search for a rich, warm, lush sounding 12-string lead me to rosewood jumbo's.
8 years ago I narrowed it down to 1 of these 3 choices.
-Guild F-512
-Taylor 855 - pictured
-Martin Grand J12-40E Special - pictured
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Taylor dropped the jumbo and the new Martin jumbo was expensive.
I was a mouse click away from buying a new F-512 from the USA when I found a brand new Martin at a reduced price.
Australian $7299.00 down to $4500.00.
A Perth dealer lost their Martin franchise when the Australian distributors changed hands so they were selling off their Martin stock.
So I bought it.

Got me thinking, have any F-512 owners played either of these guitars and how did they compare?
Throw the current Taylor 858 in that mix too.

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JohnW63

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I WISH I was able to contribute to this thread, Bruce. I would like to have had some seat time with any of those !
 

Brucebubs

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I WISH I was able to contribute to this thread, Bruce. I would like to have had some seat time with any of those !

I'm lucky to own a Guild F-412 so I'm able to play it back-to-back with my Martin but that's really a Maple/Rosewood comparison.
Both good too!
 

chazmo

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Bruce, I have played the 855, but it was a long time ago and it didn't blow my hair back like the F-512. As for the Martin, super cool axe. Would love to try one someday.
 

dreadnut

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F-512, the undisputed champion. Think: a grand piano, a blues freight train.
 

twocorgis

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I’ve played them all, and the Martin was very nice, but an F512 is and always will be the top of the heap with 12ers.
 

txbumper57

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Just an opinion from personal experience but the only thing that outshines a F512 is a F612. I have played all of the models you previously mentioned and they are all great guitars but they just don't have that "It" factor that the F512 does. It is almost like the F512 has a soul when you play it and the others are just instruments. Every other company has pretty much been trying to recreate what Guild created in the F512 for the most part so anything other than the original just doesn't really compare in my experience. I currently have 2 F512's in my collection and they are both beyond Superb! Of course my F612 sounds like you are playing 2 F512's in stereo, LOL.

TX
 

70man

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I never played a F612 but I've owned a JF55-12 may as well have been an F512 , but in my opinion you cannot beat a Brazilian F512 made by Carlo Greco, if you ever get the chance play it then buy it straight away.
 
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