My Lowden 12 string has ovankol back and sides with a cedar top. What I'd always heard about cedar tops is that they don't need to "warm up" - that they are more open sounding fresh out of the box. The other thing I've heard is that cedar is a softer material than spruce so it tends to "ding" easier than a lot of other top materials. It's a little more delicate.

My 12 string has a few dings in the top but the guy I bought it from is an agressive player. Lots of slide. Good luck with whatever you purchase.

I must admit I'm not a Taylor fan but the ones I've liked the most were the cedar topped 514C's. Very nice.