Three-time GRAMMY® Award winner Ben Harper is one of modern music’s most expressive roots-based songwriters, blending folk, blues, gospel, soul and rock. Over a 30+ year career, he has released 18 studio albums and collaborated with artists including Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples and Charlie Musselwhite.

Raised in Southern California around his family’s Folk Music Center, Harper developed a deep connection to acoustic instruments, fingerstyle blues and slide guitar — shaping the touch-sensitive, rhythmically nuanced approach that defines his playing today.

As part of the new Gold Label Grand Concert series, Taylor is debuting the Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition.  We've been friends with Ben for years, and are quite proud to have this model represented.  

This particular guitar was signed by the man himself, during a special one-night only performance here in our showroom.  He only signed a few, which are now available exclusively at Truetone Music.  There's no upcharge - we agreed that the best way to do this is to simply pass along the uniquely personal touch.

The new Gold Label Grand Concerts reimagine Taylor’s most comfortable body style with a slightly deeper body and heritage-inspired voicing that delivers surprising warmth, low-end depth and dynamic range. These guitars retain the intimacy and responsiveness players love in a GC, while sonically punching well above their size.

The deeper Grand Concert body increases air resonance for more warmth and low end, while the fanned V-Class bracing is voiced for blended notes, rich sustain and enhanced projection.  The result is incredible, especially with the pair of mahogany (back & sides) with a torrefied Sitka spruce top for a seasoned, played-in sound.  As an added bonus, the Action Control Neck allows easy, precise, player-adjustable setup.  The 24-7/8-inch scale length is ideal for playing comfort and responsiveness.  Simply put, it's a guitar that one won't want to put down.

The Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition has unique design aesthetics:

• Honduran rosewood fretboard & headstock overlay
• Cream pickguard
• Custom shaded edgeburst top
• Polished bronze Taylor tuners
• Bone bridge pins
• Claria™ pickup system
• Custom Ben Harper interior label
• Autographed on the back of the headstock
• Serial # 1204106023

Why the Gold Label Grand Concert Was the Right Fit for Ben
• After years of playing larger Taylor Dreadnought and Grand Pacific models, Ben was surprised by the warmth, power and Responsiveness of this more compact Gold Label Grand Concert.
• Takeaway: Ben’s Gold Label 512e model is a highly expressive instrument capable of delicate articulation and driving rhythmic work — ideal for his nuanced fingerstyle approach.

Honduran Rosewood Fretboard & Bridge: A More Personal Voice
• The use of Honduran rosewood for the fretboard and bridge produces a more player-reflective response.
• Andy Powers explains: “As a bridge material, Honduran rosewood will transmit more of the character of the string vibration into the top. Coupled with the Honduran rosewood fretboard, it becomes a more personal-sounding guitar. For an expressive player like Ben, he’ll have an easier time sounding like himself. So will other players.”

In Ben's words, “Wow. This guitar should not be this loud or resonant.”

Tour-Ready: The Action Control Neck + Claria Pickup
• Having grown up working on guitars in his family’s shop, Ben instantly appreciated the fast, easy micro-adjustability of the Action Control Neck — ideal for life on tour.
• Ben on the neck: “I was overjoyed to have this feature. Especially given how much I travel with my guitars. The first thing I did after flying with the guitar was adjust the neck angle. It took me a minute, and I didn’t have to retune it once it was set.”

Specifications:
Back/Side Wood: Mahogany
Top Wood: Torrefied Sitka Spruce
Neck: Mahogany, Action Control
Fretboard: Honduran Rosewood
Nut Width: 1-3/4”
Scale Length: 24-7/8”
Bracing: Fanned V-Class
Nut: TUSQ, White
Saddle: Micarta, White
Finish: Gloss Body, Custom Shaded Edgeburst Top, Satin Neck
Electronics: Claria System
Strings: D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light
Guitar Case: Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Case, “British Cocoa” Vinyl Exterior

SKU: E525043018408930700