Description
The Rathbone S12 Solid Engkam Spruce Top / Ciricote Back & Sides Acoustic Guitar is a beautifully voiced steel string for players who want a clear, expressive tone with striking looks. With a solid spruce soundboard for sensitivity and power, and visually dramatic ciricote back and sides, it suits fingerstyle, flatpicking and strummed accompaniment. If you are moving beyond your first instrument or looking for an inspiring writing partner, the S12 offers a confident feel and a balanced acoustic voice that sits well for solo practice and ensemble use. It is an attractive choice for singer songwriters, acoustic performers and any guitarist who values touch responsive dynamics and dependable tuning stability.
Compared with typical student level guitars that use laminated tops, the S12’s solid Engkam spruce top brings a livelier response, fuller sustain and greater dynamic headroom. Ciricote for the back and sides adds clarity and definition, with a focused low end and shimmering trebles that cut through without harshness. The comfortable body and neck profile promote easy fretting and smooth chord changes, while the intonation along the fingerboard supports accurate practice and performance. Refined finishing and tidy fretwork contribute to a more satisfying playing experience, rewarding a light touch yet holding together when strummed with energy, so you can explore a broader range of styles with confidence.
Built as a reliable everyday instrument, the S12 is well suited to UK tuition and school ensemble work. Its articulate, balanced sound makes scales, arpeggios and chord voicings easy to hear, which helps during graded exam preparation or class repertoire. Projection carries well in small ensembles and classroom settings without the need for amplification. At home it offers a comfortable, engaging feel that encourages longer practice sessions, while the sturdy construction gives reassuring durability for regular travel to lessons. Offering a noticeable step in tone and responsiveness over an entry level model, it represents strong value for learners moving through the grades and for adults returning to acoustic guitar.
