Taylor

The Taylor Gs Mini incorporates a beautiful sitka spruce top and sapele laminate back and sides. A 23 1/2" scale length allows for an enjoyable elasticity in playing feel. No onboard electronics are present but you do have the option of purchasing the Es-Go pickup system from Taylor. Designed specifically for the Mini, the Es-Go system sports a fairly simple installation procedure and is an excellent companion if you plan to play this guitar in a live setting. The guitar is factory equipped with Elixir nanoweb strings which sound wonderful and pair well with the naturally bright voicing of the Mini. The included gigbag was, to my pleasant surprise, well constructed and durable. UTILIZATION The small size of the guitar allows for a very intimate feel. The frets felt very nice for an acoustic in this price range. I found the Mini's tuning stability to be nothing short of extraordinary. Even going frequently between Standard, Eb, DADGAD, Open C, and a variety of other tunings-- the guitar rarely fell out of tune. This behavior stayed consistent over the 8 months that I owned it. SOUNDS The guitar is inherently bright but very pleasant to the ear. Chords and arpeggiations ring out with crystal articulation. Fingerpicking passages that were indistinct and lowend-heavy on other guitars were brilliant and perfectly intelligible. Easily the best sounding Taylor guitar below the likes of the 600 series. I found the laminate back and sides to actually provide a superior tone to the hardwood models compared against it, offering greater (yet intelligible) low end and volume. This guitar can project loudly in a room despite it's small shape. OVERALL OPINION I had ample funds to purchase just about any acoustic on the market. I compared many high end acoustic guitars from names such as Taylor, Guild, Gibson, and Martin. The Taylor Gs Mini was one of the strongest contenders and the only guitar in a price point below $1800 in the roundup. The finish and playability of the Mini is unchallenged, outclassing many guitars in higher price points. With that said, I am a fan of bright sounding guitars. If you enjoy a darker, earthier tone-- you might seek out the mahogany counterpart to the Gs Mini that Taylor offers. The lack of an onboard preamp is my one complaint. While the external pickup offered is affordable and easy to install, it is an inconvenience.

Mine has spruce top, not maple! But I chose the most similar category! USE I use it live as part of an acoustic duo! SOUND It's the best compromise for live gigs! OVERALL OPINION My main guitar is/was a 612C and I also have a Baby Taylor, which I take with me on the road or for weekends to play around the fire. I bought this one together with my singer to perform as an acoustic duo (http://www.myspace.com/nathanzia). The first pictures right out of the box: We had had a lot of issues trying to have our music rightly amplified onstage and the results varied a lot from venue to venue, depending on the sound system and the engineer in charge. Now I don't have any issues capturing the sound of my acoustic guitar. And it stays at home! I use the T5 onstage and don't have to make any compromises. I use an L.R. BAGGS DI to go directly into the PA and the sound is awesome, ranging from a really electric sound to a jazzy or hybrid one — an interesting option to explore — depending on the chosen setup! It's incredible from a comfort point of view! The neck is better than that of my 612C and even my Strat! And it's easier to play fast passages with it than with an acoustic guitar. It comes with ELIXIR electric strings, which makes it more versatile and allows you to play the solo on The Wall with an acoustic sound, for instance! A W E S O M E ! In terms of feeling, it's somewhere between an acoustic and a semi-hollow body. The guitar is lighter than my 612C and doesn't require as much concentration to play! Unplugged, it sounds comfortable and velvety, allowing you to play late at night without disturbing the neighbors! It's a truly new guitar! I'm under the impression of finally having found THE SOLUTION to playing acoustic-electric LIVE. P.S.: It was a real pain to get it in this color for a good price (it would go up to 400 euros in some stores!). We finally ordered it from a French store, which had a better price than the German and English stores. It's truly a new guitar to explore and it will certainly provide many years of delight! Just what I needed! Here are some excerpts from the DVD that comes with it, to give you an idea. Signed: A happy duo that can finally concentrate on making music, bringing out an album and playing live gigs.

(Originally written by jetlag/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Hello everybody. I'm surprised to be the first to write a review about this Taylor 114CE! What a responsibility! As usual, this is only my personal opinion. It's my first impression and I will update it in a few months. It's a Taylor 114 CE (venetian grand auditorium with cutaway) made in Mexico. It has 20 frets, a sitka top and laminated sapele back and sides. Mahogany neck, Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Chrome machine heads. Natural and satin finish. Great Taylor ES-T preamp with three controls (vol/low/high). Provided with an elegant and well-made gig bag. I think it will get dirty really fast since it's light beige. The packaging is good and contains lots of protection for the guitar. For the price, I do regret the lack of a hard case, even a low-budget one couldn't cost more then the included soft gig bag! The guitar is very light and the top shows tiny wood imperfections which enhance the woody character without detracting from the overall aesthetics. The finish is perfect. I observed every inch of the guitar without finding the smallest imperfection. The action and overtones of the guitar were perfectly adjusted. So it's a serious product in the low-budget price range! I give it 8/10 because it has no hard case. UTILIZATION - Is the neck comfortable? Yes but I have many guitars so I can easily adapt myself to different necks. This one is rather slim and pleasant. The fret work is good and the hand slides without a problem. - Is the access to the upper frets easy? The cutaway makes it easy but it's still an electro-acoustic guitar, meaning you'll play more ballads than wild distortion solos, so it's not really that important. - Is the instrument ergonomic (body shape, weight...)? Yes the overall ergonomics are good. The guitar is very light and the neck is pleasant but I haven't played it standing. The body shaping is comfortable and it honors the Taylor legend... SOUNDS - Do they fit your music style? Pop, rock, power ballads, finger picking, folk... Yes, I bought it for that reason. I can't actually say that it's a blues guitar (perhaps later in the review update...) - Which amp(s) or effect(s) do you use it with? I plug it directly into the desk with a slight reverb effect! It sounds great! - What kind of sounds do you get and which settings do you use ("crystal-clear", "fat", ...)? Now we are getting serious: The powerful preamp provides a clear sound with well-balanced mids and a slightly weak low-end which you might need to boost with the knobs. The highs are ok. The preamp has an impressive power compared to other guitars. It really makes a difference. - Which sounds do you prefer / hate? Generally the guitar gives me the sound I expected for my music but I'm not sure if that would be the case for blues. OVERALL OPINION - How long have you been using it? One week, that is about 5-6 actual playing hours! - Which feature do you like the most / the least? +++ Preamp sound / --- no hard case - Did you try any other models before buying it? I tested over 10 guitars in this price range from Yamaha, Takamine, Ibanez, Breedlove and Seagull. - How would you rate its value for money? The difference between this guitar and slightly cheaper ones is INCREDIBLE! I can imagine the sound of the high-class 600 Series! It's without a doubt the main advantage of this guitar. - Based on your experience, would you buy this product again? At the present time, yes!

Made in Mexico Type/Shape 6-String Dreadnought Back & Sides Sapele Laminate Top Sitka Spruce Soundhole Rosette Plastic Neck Sapele Fretboard Ebony Fretboard Inlay Pearloid Dots Headstock Overlay Indian Rosewood Binding Black Bridge Ebony Nut & Saddle Tusq Tuning Machines Enclosed, Die-Cast Chrome Plated Strings Elixir® Medium Gauge Strings with NANOWEB® Coating Scale Length 25 1/2 Inches Truss Rod Adjustable Neck Width at Nut 1 11/16 Inches Number of Frets 20 Fretboard Radius 15 Inches Bracing X-Brace Finish Varnish Color Options Natural Sunburst Options None Cutaway Venetian Electronics Taylor ES-T® Left-Handed Available; No Charge Body Width 16 Inches Body Depth 4 5/8 Inches Body Length 20 Inches Overall Length 41 Inches Case Gig Bag U.S. Suggested Retail Price $1098.0 UTILIZATION Another great guitar from Taylor. This one is geared squarely in the low-mid level market, with a street price around $599-699 or so. For the money, this acoustic is certainly hard to beat. It was expertly crafted in Mexico in a factory merely 40 miles away from Taylor's USA factory in El Cajon, California. The playability is fantastic, the construction is superb, and the sound is much more detailed than other guitars in this range. SOUNDS Tonally, this guitar has a smooth timbral texture. The highs are clear, with a nice sheen to them, and the mids are strong. Low end is crisp and distinct, and has enough weight for the rest of the register to sit on, yet it isn't overpowered. The pickup system does a good job of transmitting the sound of the guitar - the amplified signal sounds a lot like the acoustic signal, in terms of frequency response. This is a great fingerstyle, flatpicked, or strummed instrument, and would work in any genre. OVERALL OPINION What more can I say? Taylor makes fantastic guitars, and even this lower end model is a winner. Anyone that has reservations of buying a Mexican Taylor should just play one - it is a great guitar all the way around! For anyone on a budget, this might be the one, and even guitarists that have loads of money to throw around would probably dig this guitar as a "beater". Highly recommended.

It really is a very good guitar, easy to play, thin neck, lightweight and great sound in both finger picking and with a pick. Nice sound projection with a very good low/mid/treble balance in 100% acoustic. Right-hand technique is very important to get the best out of it. I'll mention how important it is to try it before you buy, as I tried two of the same model and neither sounded the same... Now let's talk about its preamp ...too simple to my taste, so the settings will be to correct with the acoustic amp or PA's EQ. That's definitely its weakness!! I generally use an Acus One 50 acoustic amp, it's really good and respects the guitar's unique sound. Overall, it's a very good guitar that I use everywhere, outdoor and indoor. It stays well in tune, an absolute pleasure. Of course, there's a large competition in this price range... So it would be better to go to the shop and try them all to find what suits you! I found it with this Taylor 210 CE. Musically yours, Otis ;-)

Top wood: Western Red Cedar Back and sides wood: Indian Rosewood Body type: 6-string gs Body width: 16 1/4” Depth: 4 5/8” Length: 20” Width at waist: 10” Overall length: 41” Neck width: 1-3/4” Heel length: 3 1/2” Scale length: 25 1/2” No. of frets: 20 Binding material: ivoroid (body, fretboard, heel cap) Purfling material: plastic Rosette size: 3-ring, material: abalone Inlays peghead logo: mother-of-pearl, fretboard: 4 mm abalone dots Finish back/sides: gloss Top: gloss Neck: satin Tuners: Taylor gold Buttons: gold Nut/saddle: tusq Bridge pins: ebony w/abalone dot Taylor Expression System electronics UTILIZATION This is a fairly interesting GS shape in terms of the woods used. Me and 3 friends recently pooled all our acoustics together for a day of testing. This was surprisingly the only cedar topped acoustic in the bunch. At first glance it looks like a more traditional design but as someone who has played quite a few GS shapes, they are pretty much jumbo guitars that lend themselves to strumming more than anything. It is a pretty cumbersome guitar if you are a smaller person. I am a small guy and I ended up selling and traded the two GS shapes I owned simply because they dwarfed me. The guitar in question worked fine. Electronics are great and I've always loved the expression system a lot. Sometimes the GS can get a little bassy through some systems so you have to fiddle with the bass knob a bit. Action and everything is nice. Taylors seem to play very well and that is their strong point in my book. Great playability. SOUNDS The first thing you hear when playing a GS is how bold it is. The GS7 has a particularly deep sound because of the woods used. For some it will be too bold actually. This guitar likes to be played pretty hard, but does have a good dynamic range. It can do the fingerpicking thing but is really more suiting to dynamic strumming. There's a lot of bass on tap. This is a good guitar for solo playing. It can be overpowering in the mix. OVERALL OPINION I think the best thing about this guitar, and most other Taylors I have played is the sheer playability. They just feel really good. The necks are very nice. Unfortunately the GS is a bit large for me. Which is too bad because I think these are the best strummers that Taylor makes. The price point is pretty good too. The GS6 is a better choice if you want a less bassy and more snappy sound. Make no mistake they both have that bold sound. If you can afford it, I think the Koa GS is better than all of them. But it's quite a bit more money.

Let me say this up front. I bought one of these on a whim an took it home for a few days. These are my observations. Pretty simple configuraion. USA made. Mini humbuckers. Ash body I believe. Rosewood fretboard. Basically it's Taylor's take on a Les Paul with some spinoffs. The bridge design is unique and very interesting. UTILIZATION To start, this guitar would not stay in tune. I'm pretty sure it was either the nut or the tuners themselves. I actually thought the bridge was pretty solid. But I couldn't keep it in tune. I would tune up, play a few runs and realize it was out of tune again. No idea why. I could barely even do an in home demo because of this problem. Feel wise it's pretty decent, except for a couple of issues. For one thing the guitar is really small. And it feels like it in your hands. I'm not a big guy, but I don't like playing a guitar that feels like it was made for Taylor Swift. Seriously, it's that small. There's also a balance issue that bothers me when I'm sitting down. It flops all over the place. To top it all off the knobs feel cheap. Come on Taylor? I heard these were very solid guitars. They feel like near junk. SOUNDS The sound isn't much better. I was expecting something like a les paul with more clarity. Acoustically this axe sounded awesome. VERY resonant due to Taylor's neck joint design which had me hopeful. Maybe this tiny guitar had some bite? Not so. The mini hums sound muddy and undefined. Awful really. Maybe 'm just not a fan of these mini hums or something but to me they sound lifeless. No punch or articulation. I tried it through a number of setups. Matchless Spitfire combo, Splawn Quick Rod, Fender Super Reverb. Sounded muddy and sterile through them all. Not to mention the tuning issues. I have heard some dogs but this was really a dog sounding guitar. OVERALL OPINION I can't believe this is a USA made guitar. Maybe I got a dud. So many issues that I could go on but I feel like I covered it. Not only was the feel bad but the sound was bad too. I am a big Taylor fan but this is just shameful. They need to go back to the drawing board. I returned this guitar very quickly. I'd rather have a Les Paul Studio than this thing. It's not even worth half what they're asking.

The Taylor T5 I will be describing is exactly like the specified model but had a black transparent finish. I was very excited when these guitars hit the shelves and since I was working at a guitar store at the time I was already heavily endorsing Taylor guitars. These guitars are rather expensive as Taylor is the main distributor in the US but in other countries there is a middle man. As of recently this has become Fender Guitars - to the dismay of many shop owners. Anyway - the guitar is indeed a gem. They are (like all Taylor guitars) built perfectly and have a very original design. The guitar wants to be understood as an electric-acoustic. This means that the construction is built like an acoustic guitar (with a hollow body and a free top) but it is intended to be used like an electric guitar. To achieve this Taylor has given the guitar a small humbucker at the bridge and built in a magnetic pickup where the neck joins the body (the pickup is actually built into the neck). In addition there is a contact microfone attached to the top. The neck is quite thin and definately wants to tell the player to approach it like an electric guitar. The sound can be controlled via three knobs (volume, highs and lows) which are mounted on the top. A pickup selector on the side lets you choose between combinations of different pickups. UTILIZATION The neck is - like on all Taylors - perfect! At first I didn't like the glossy finish but after it is broken in a bit it really plays quite smoothly. The upper range can also be accessed quite easily even though it is not as ergonomic as it would be on a solid body electric guitar. Playing e-minor or f#-minor is however no problem at all. The guitar is pretty lightweight and feels quite well shaped. It is a little big as its size is almost that of a Grand Auditorium - just a lot slimmer. When plugged in the guitar sounds very clean and bright right away. SOUNDS I bought this guitar mainly because it promised to deliver a lot of sounds I was looking for. I am a singer/songwriter and I wanted to expand my acoustic sound with something more electric. I use a Fender Twin Reverb 1971 und play it through a Tubescreamer, Bluesdriver, Boss Twin-Pedal Delay and a Line6 Modulation Box. I really like the different sounds and with some tweaking it can go from 'Piezo'-sound to almost LesPaul. This guitar is really thought through and I can't really say anything bad about it from a general point of view. For me the many sounds became a bit of a problem because I quickly realized that I only need a few and those I would prefer to be the 'real thing'. So I would rather have an acoustic ready and play the electric parts with a Stratocaster or the likes. Why try to dial in a certain sound and still not get quite it when I can have just that for the same price? Instead of buying a T5 you can also just buy a good electric guitar and a decent acoustic with pickup. Again - this is my issue and for someone else this solution might be perfect. OVERALL OPINION I used this guitar for about two years and finally decided to sell it. I own another Taylor acoustic I absolutely love. I can also definately recommend this guitar and anyone should try it out for themselves. Taylor makes high quality instruments and in the end it is just a matter of taste. One thing I will never understand is why they choose to use plastic bindings even on most of their expensive guitars. Maybe that is the taste of choice in the US - and it doesn't look all that bad - but for this price tag they could have afforded a more expensive look.

The new color series from taylor has added a tobacco sunburst and solid black finish to most of the series in their catalogue. This is a very exciting update, especially concerning the lower priced models such as the 200 series, which benefit greatly from the enhanced visuals. The 214ce by itself is a pretty well equipped guitar, utilizing a solid sitka spruce top complimented by rosewood laminate back and sides. In my experience, Taylor's laminate materials often sound just as good if not better than their hardwood counterparts. The neck is a ultra comfortable 25 1/2" scaled sapele design, the fingerboard being a slick ebony. The onboard electronics are made up of Taylor's proprietary ES-T system. A rosette and body binding emphasize a sleek visual effort and makes you feel that you've spent your money well. UTILIZATION The ventian cutaway looks very good and gives you unhindered access. The sapele neck offered is one of the more comfortable examples on an acoustic guitar. Taylor's Grand auditorium body shape sits very comfortably in your lap, and combined with the laminate sides, this guitar projects much louder than the more expensive hardwood models. I enjoyed the ease of use of the onboard electronics. Each control has a noticeable "notch" along it's movement that indicates the center position. Tuning stability was above average. SOUNDS I played the Taylor 214ce-sb both unplugged and amplified, alternating between finger style playing and using a plectrum. The 214, as with most Taylors, are inherently bright sounding. I found that this particular model had a more mellow high end and this translated favorably when amplified. I felt that the guitar fared better with finger style play, but using a plectrum works equally as good. Amplified, the guitar sounds marvelous. The controls on the ES-T system were very responsive and allowed for a great deal of tone sculpting. OVERALL OPINION The Taylor 214ce-sb is an excellent electric acoustic guitar for the money. The updated visuals greatly enhance the desirability of the series. A perfectly gig-able, performance instrument.

I bought this guitar at the Fret House in Covina Ca. for around $2500. The clarity that comes from this guitar is amazing. The highs ring clear without being thin or tinny. The Fishman pickup is awesome. I like to use the blender at about the 80% pickup range, which utilizes the condenser mic in the tonehole to add a nice acoustic/unplugged sound. The only thing that I've run into, and I realize that there are other tradeoff's, is that when I am playing unplugged, it is not a huge sound. Part of this is the tonewood that they use, and the other is the fact that the body style is grand auditorium. Although I have played the jumbo version, 615, and it is still not as big a sound as you would get from an 800 series. Construction and durability is great. I have had this guitar for about 5 years and it is still in great shape, needing only minor adjustments, and I play this thing everyday. This is an amazing guitar. It is not an all in one kind of guitar, but what it does, it does impecibly. I've played lots of Martins and Larivee's and I would still buy this guitar every day of the week. To get a better guitar you are going to need to move into the area of hand crafted custom guitars (Olson, Goodall, etc). This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is the deep and low model for the Taylor guitars. This guitar is an instrument that gives you that deep low tone that fills the room up very nicely. it is a guitar that is not an instrument that has that cutting tone that will mix well in a band as much a normal 6 string guitar. this is a low response guitar that gets that full bodies thick tone for an acoustic guitar. UTILIZATION Specifications * Grand Symphony Body * Sitka spruce top * Indian rosewood sides and back * Mahogany neck * Ebony fretboard * 27" scale length * Tuned: B E A D F# B * 1 3/4" nut width * Low profile neck shape * Mother of pearl diamond fretboard inlay * Abalone rosette * Rosewood binding * Venetian cutaway * Taylor Expression system pickup * Hardshell case SOUNDS One of the things that you will immediately notice with this guitar is how well it fills the room up when you play it. It has that nice war tone that baritone guitar are known for. this is not a guitar that i would make my main acoustic for gigging or anything thing else but it is a nice guitar for someone who probably is a professional and has the money for an expensive deep sounding guitar. This is a very stylish guitar as well and just the appearance alone is note worthy. I like this guitar and if there was any acoustic out there that I needed to get that warm baritone tone with it would have to be this guitar. OVERALL OPINION Overall this is a cool guitar but you will pay a nice hefty price for it. They come in new for right at around $3000. That is not a price for a beginner learning player or someone who doesn't know what they want. That is a price for someone who has it together. If you had the money to own one of these guitars you would most certainly pick it up. It is the finest baritone guitar that I have ever seen and I have seen them all. This guitar has a sound that is all Taylor but has a unique enough tone that would mix well with you other guitars. If you own one acoustic this will still go well with you other guitar.

Taylor guitars has been one of the best sounding acoustic guitar manufacturers in the industry. Many of their guitars range with different wood types and combinations but they still carry that same distinct Taylor tone. This is the Taylor 414 CE model that is one of the lower entry points for the Taylor model guitars. Although it is an entry point for this manufacturer is still a pretty expensive instrument in general. This guitar features the Fischman pickup system which is a fairly good pickup system for running into a sound system or a recording session. He doesn't have a whole lot of features other than it is a standard Taylor style acoustic guitar. UTILIZATION Taylor 414ce Acoustic-electric Guitar Features: Type/Shape: 6-String Grand Auditorium Back & Sides: Ovangkol Top: Sitka Spruce Soundhole Rosette: Wood Fiber Neck: Tropical American Mahogany Fretboard: Ebony Fretboard Inlay: Large Pearl Dots Headstock Overlay: Indian Rosewood Binding: White Fiber Bridge: Ebony Nut & Saddle: Tusq Tuning Machines: Chrome-plated Taylor Tuners Scale Length: 25 1/2 Inches Truss Rod: Adjustable Neck Width at Nut: 1 3/4 Inches Number of Frets: 20 Bracing: Scalloped, X-Brace Finish: Satin with Gloss Top Cutaway: Venetian Electronics: Taylor Expression System Body Width: 16 Inches Body Depth: 4-5/8 Inches Body Length: 20 Inches Overall Length: 41 Inches Case: Taylor Hardshell SOUNDS I've played basically every single Taylor in existence and I have to say for the money it doesn't get any better than this model. This is a guitar that at the price point it gives you all the features intoned that you need to sound fantastic acoustic guitar. You can play this acoustically or through the pickup system running into a DI box for life settings as well and each setting sounds fantastic. This is the best Taylor for the money in my opinion. OVERALL OPINION At new you can find guitars for right at about $1900. That's a pretty good price for this guitar and you can certainly them into you lowering the price in many instances. I actually bought mine for right around $1300 or $1400 new about 10 years ago so you can wiggle the price down a little bit. This is a great guitar and I love the sound and look and for the money of a Taylor this is the best.