Designed and built with beginner guitar players in mind, or for those looking to own a Taylor on a budget, the Academy Series 10 combines the full-bodied tone and response of the classic dreadnought shape with Taylor's standards of comfort and playability. Conceived as a more practical take on the traditional guitar neck, the trademark neck on the Academy makes it easier to fret strings, hold chords, and bend notes, thanks to a slimmer profile and the slightly shorter 24.875-inch scale length of the Academy Series. The Academy 10 also sports an armrest, a premium feature which provides a more comfortable fit for players who are just learning how to manage the larger body of an acoustic guitar. With a solid spruce top and layered sapele back and sides, the dreadnought shape of the Academy 10 produces a warm sound with a strong low end and clear, ringing high tones, smoothened out by the punchy midrange of layered sapele.