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Ibanez TOD10N
Taylor 612ce
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Playability
70
Sound
86
Build
75
Value
82
Score
77
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Playability
77
Sound
86
Build
87
Value
68
Score
83
FIND IT ON:
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Ibanez TOD10N vs Taylor 612ce

Reasons to Get
Ibanez TOD10N over Taylor 612ce

Release Year
2022 vs 2015
From a more recent year
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Number of Frets
22 vs 20
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.811'' (46mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Custom Nylon vs Grand Concert
Custom body with soft nylon strings
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.9'' (632.5mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
82 vs 68
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor 612ce over Ibanez TOD10N

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.811'' (46mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Grand Concert vs Custom Nylon
Slightly larger than the Concert body with a strong mid-range
Scale Length
24.9'' (632.5mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Ibanez TOD10N vs Taylor 612ce

Back Material
Sapele vs Maple
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Sapele vs Maple
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Plastic vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Walnut vs Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Nyatoh vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Walnut vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Ibanez TOD10N vs Taylor 612ce

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Taylor 612ce is probably the better product overall with its final score of 83 compared to the Ibanez TOD10N's 77 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor 612ce wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Ibanez TOD10N has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Taylor 612ce.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Ibanez TOD10N is the better choice.

The Ibanez TOD10N meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Taylor 612ce meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez TOD10N
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Soft Strings
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor 612ce
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Ibanez TOD10N Overview

  • From Ibanez's 2022 TOD series
  • Tim Henson Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Sapele back
  • Sapele sides
  • Nyatoh neck
  • Walnut fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp/Active)
  • Walnut bridge
  • Acoustic C Shape Set neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Gold Classical tuners tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor 612ce Overview

  • From Taylor's 2015 600 series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.9"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Maple back
  • Solid Maple sides
  • Hard Rock Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Taylor Nickel tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Ibanez TOD10N

Nyatoh wood pattern used for guitar building
Nyatoh
Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

Nyatoh has been replacing Mahogany for guitar building. It's fairly hard, durable, more sustentable and common than Mahogany. Find out more about Nyatoh.

It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops. Find out more about Walnut.

It's similar to Mahogany in both color and tone. It can produce warm tones, and it's known for its beautiful figured grain patterns. Find out more about Sapele.

Woods Used in the Taylor 612ce

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Winner: Taylor 612ce.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Ibanez TOD10N
Sustain 80
Versatility 95
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86
Taylor 612ce
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Ibanez TOD10N compares to the Taylor 612ce.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez TOD10N is built in Indonesia while the Taylor 612ce is made in United States.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Taylor 612ce

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Ibanez TOD10N has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Taylor 612ce comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Ibanez TOD10N's are Gold Classical tuners while the Taylor 612ce's are Taylor Nickel

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez TOD10N
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Plastic Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor 612ce
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Electronics
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Ibanez TOD10N
Quality of materials 71
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 75
Taylor 612ce
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 87

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Ibanez TOD10N Nut Width
Ibanez TOD10N Nut Width
Taylor 612ce Nut Width
Taylor 612ce Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez TOD10N has the wider nut with 46mm (1.811'') vs 44.5mm (1.75''). This is a 1.5mm (0.061'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Ibanez TOD10N, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Ibanez TOD10N's Scale Length
Ibanez TOD10N's Scale Length
Taylor 612ce's Scale Length
Taylor 612ce's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Ibanez TOD10N has the longest scale: 25.5". The Taylor 612ce is only 24.9" long. This is a 0.6'' (15.2mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Ibanez TOD10N Neck Profile
Ibanez TOD10N's neck profile
Taylor 612ce Neck Profile
Taylor 612ce's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Ibanez TOD10N and the Taylor 612ce have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Ibanez TOD10N Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez TOD10N's Fingerboard radius
Taylor 612ce Fingerboard Radius
Taylor 612ce's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Taylor 612ce's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Ibanez TOD10N's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Ibanez TOD10N.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Ibanez TOD10N favors large hands more than the Taylor 612ce.

Ibanez TOD10N:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor 612ce:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Ibanez TOD10N and Taylor 612ce Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Ibanez TOD10N
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Taylor 612ce
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Ibanez TOD10N vs Taylor 612ce
General Ibanez TOD10N Taylor 612ce
Brand: Ibanez Taylor
Year: 2022 2015
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: TOD 600
Colors: Black Natural
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Sapele Maple
Back Material: Sapele Maple
Bridge: Walnut Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gold Classical tuners Taylor Nickel
Fretboard: Walnut Ebony
Neck Material: Nyatoh Hard Rock Maple
Decoration: Tree of Death Grained Ivoroid Wings
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.9"
Shape: Acoustic C Shape Acoustic Taylor Standard
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.827'' (21mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 15"
Nut: Bone Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 46mm (1.811'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)