This a gorgeous Taylor 12 string, with maple back and sides and a spruce top. The fretboard is beautifully adorned with mother of pearl inlays, which are repeated in the rosette. The white binding really sets it off. There are light pick scratches on the pick guard and a tiny mark on the top, about 4 inches below the low E string bridge pins (circled in a photograph). Careful examination will reveal a guitar in immaculate condition. I have never traveled with this guitar, and only rarely carried it away from my home. Basically, I treated this guitar like the precious high end instrument it is. Playability and tone are phenomenal and typical for Taylor 12 strings. I think Maple is a perfect choice for 12 strings as it mellows the potentially jangly tone you can get from the additional unwound strings