Taylor will probably go down in guitar-making history as the company that brought the precision of CNC (computer numerically controlled) routers to a business in which handmade had previously been the catchword for the finest instruments.

However, guitar makers will remember Taylor as the company that made acoustic guitars easier to play, thanks to a thin or “low-profile” neck that has become the industry standard.

Playing ease is particularly important with 12-strings, and when Taylor combined the thin neck with the options of a cutaway body and onboard electronics – designated by CE in Taylor’s model names – Taylor’s 12-strings easily dominated the market.

The 55 in the 455CE’s model name is Taylor’s designation for a 12-string built on it;s 16-inch Jumbo body. The first digit denotes the wood and trim package. For example, 300-series models, have sapele back and sides, the 500s are mahogany, and the 700s are fancier with Indian rosewood bodies. Like all the 400-series guitars, the Taylor 455 features a body of ovangkol, an attractively figured West African wood that produces a tone similar to Indian rosewood.