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Published on 01/05/13 at 22:00The 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.
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.