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Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Taylor Academy 12-N
VS
Playability
78
Sound
79
Build
67
Value
85
Score
75
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Playability
70
Sound
79
Build
69
Value
78
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Academy 12-N

Reasons to Get
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 over Academy 12-N

Number of Frets
19 vs 17
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.875'' (47.6mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Dreadnought Mini vs Grand Concert
Dreadnought but much smaller and shallower
Scale Length
22.75'' (577.9mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
85 vs 78
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor Academy 12-N over Baby Taylor BT1

Release Year
2018 vs 2012
From a more recent year
Number of Frets
17 vs 19
Warmer neck pickup
Nut Width
1.875'' (47.6mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Grand Concert vs Dreadnought Mini
Slightly larger than the Concert body with a strong mid-range
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 22.75'' (577.9mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Academy 12-N

Back Material
Walnut vs Sapele
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Walnut vs Sapele
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Ivory Tusq vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Ebony vs West African Crelicam Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs NuBone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Academy 12-N

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard 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
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 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 Baby Taylor BT1 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 75 compared to the Taylor Academy 12-N's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 wins when it comes to playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Taylor Academy 12-N has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor Academy 12-N
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Soft Strings
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • 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.

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Overview

  • From Taylor's 2012 Baby Taylor series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 22.75"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Layered Walnut back
  • Layered Walnut sides
  • Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 19 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor Academy 12-N Overview

  • From Taylor's 2018 Academy series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Lutz Spruce top
  • Layered Sapele back
  • Layered Sapele sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • West African Crelicam Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 17 Medium frets
  • Classical 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

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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.

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 Taylor Baby Taylor BT1

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Taylor Academy 12-N

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

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.

Winner: Taylor Academy 12-N.

Electronics

Neither of them come with electronics that allow you to connect them to an amp. This makes them completely acoustic, so you'll need to use an external mic to record with them or play live.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Sustain 75
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 79
Taylor Academy 12-N
Sustain 75
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 79

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 Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 compares to the Taylor Academy 12-N.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Mexico.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Winner: Tie

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 Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 has 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.

On the other hand, the Taylor Academy 12-N comes with a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

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 Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's are Die-Cast Chrome while the Taylor Academy 12-N's are Classical Nickel

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Ivory Tusq Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor Academy 12-N
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Quality of materials 71
Features 65
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 67
Taylor Academy 12-N
Quality of materials 71
Features 65
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 69

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

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Nut Width
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Nut Width
Taylor Academy 12-N Nut Width
Taylor Academy 12-N Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Taylor Academy 12-N has the wider nut with 47.6mm (1.875'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 4.7mm (0.187'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Taylor Academy 12-N, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's Scale Length
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's Scale Length
Taylor Academy 12-N's Scale Length
Taylor Academy 12-N'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 Taylor Academy 12-N has the longest scale: 25.5". The Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 is only 22.75" long. This is a 2.75'' (69.8mm) 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

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same 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 Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 and the Taylor Academy 12-N 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

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 and the Taylor Academy 12-N have the same fretboard radius of 15". This radius y closer to the 12'' that most Les Paul guitars have, but a bit flatter. It'll make it easier to play single notes than chords, but it's still comfortable for playing chords without muting strings.

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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor Academy 12-N:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 and Taylor Academy 12-N 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

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78
Taylor Academy 12-N
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70

Specs Side-by-Side

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Academy 12-N
General Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Academy 12-N
Brand: Taylor Taylor
Year: 2012 2018
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: Baby Taylor Academy
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Lutz Spruce
Sides Material: Walnut Sapele
Back Material: Walnut Sapele
Bridge: Ebony West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Die-Cast Chrome Classical Nickel
Fretboard: Ebony West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck Material: Maple Mahogany
Decoration: 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic
Scale Size: 22.75" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic Taylor Standard Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 19 Medium Nickel Silver 17 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 15"
Nut: Ivory Tusq NuBone
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 47.6mm (1.875'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: