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MGR/MattG « Taylor 714-CE »
Published on 02/10/10 at 15:00This is Taylor's 7 series cutaway Grand Auditorium bodied guitar. It has Indian Rosewood back and sides and a unique Western Red Cedar soundboard. It is also equipped with Taylor's expression system.
This guitar was purchased at a second hand guitar shop for $1300. I was looking for an acoustic, but I'm not a big fan of Taylors. The owner asked if I had ever played a seven series Taylor. I told him no but I had played just about every other series and had been disappointed with the sound and quality that came with the hefty price tag. This one changed my mind.
Taylors are usually set up very nicely from the factory but I was also swayed because this particular guitar had been further set up by a pro guitar tech. It was much more responsive than other Taylor's I had played due to the Western Red Cedar top instead of Taylor's usual low quality Sitka Spruce. Bass was not weak nor overwhelming. The highs were very clear and snappy. The quality of the wood is great, the grain is very tight and straight. I know it doesn't have anything to do with sound and playability, but the guitar is beautiful with the darker grain soundboard. This was a used guitar so it doesn't have the modern expression system, it has the fishman electronics.
The only gripe I have about the guitar doesn't pertain to mine because I bought it used. The retail price for a new one of these is nearly $4,000 and the street price is nearly $3000. This is just too much for this guitar.
As stated before, the material including the quality of wood is superb, very straight and tight grain. The tuners and hardware are quality as well. The hard case that is provided will keep the guitar safe.
Don't let the price scare you, there is no reason to buy this guitar new. Used guitars always sound better anyway. Acoustics are one of those things that just get better with age. If you can find a nice used one for $1500 or less, you won't be disappointed.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
This guitar was purchased at a second hand guitar shop for $1300. I was looking for an acoustic, but I'm not a big fan of Taylors. The owner asked if I had ever played a seven series Taylor. I told him no but I had played just about every other series and had been disappointed with the sound and quality that came with the hefty price tag. This one changed my mind.
Taylors are usually set up very nicely from the factory but I was also swayed because this particular guitar had been further set up by a pro guitar tech. It was much more responsive than other Taylor's I had played due to the Western Red Cedar top instead of Taylor's usual low quality Sitka Spruce. Bass was not weak nor overwhelming. The highs were very clear and snappy. The quality of the wood is great, the grain is very tight and straight. I know it doesn't have anything to do with sound and playability, but the guitar is beautiful with the darker grain soundboard. This was a used guitar so it doesn't have the modern expression system, it has the fishman electronics.
The only gripe I have about the guitar doesn't pertain to mine because I bought it used. The retail price for a new one of these is nearly $4,000 and the street price is nearly $3000. This is just too much for this guitar.
As stated before, the material including the quality of wood is superb, very straight and tight grain. The tuners and hardware are quality as well. The hard case that is provided will keep the guitar safe.
Don't let the price scare you, there is no reason to buy this guitar new. Used guitars always sound better anyway. Acoustics are one of those things that just get better with age. If you can find a nice used one for $1500 or less, you won't be disappointed.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com