« Taylor 214 »

I purchased this instrument at Sam Ash Music in California, back in September of 2003. I paid $749 plus tax. I originally chose this instrument for 4 reasons: It was the first guitar in the Taylor line that came with a hardshell case. It was completely made of solid woods. I liked the shape of the body, much like a classical style body, but only bigger. Lastly, the metal fret dividers are mounted inside of the fret board (unlike the 3-series and beyond)(new versions only).

I love the tone of the guitar, of which Taylor guitars are known for. The Craftsmanship is good but not perfect. The playability is excellent. The case that came with the guitar is awesome! I have owned a number of guitar cases in my life, but so far, this takes the cake!

There are no major craftmanship defects. However, I found 4 minor defects to the guitar: The sticker inside the sound hole is off centered (there is a pencil mark on the wood underneath the corner of the sticker). The paint is chipping on the metel fret dividers. The 2-dot 12th fret indicator is off centered (one is higher than the other). And lastly, Taylor guitars claims that the bridge pins are tusk, but it looks and feels exactly like plastic.

The construction of the guitar is great, but the attention to detail part isn't all that.

I like my Taylor 214. The little defects does not interfere with the playability or the tone of the guitar. However, if I wanted to re-sell the guitar, I probably won't get much for it. But that's o.k., I don't plan to sell it anyways. This guitar is great for fingerpicking. If you love to strum the guitar, this guitar probably isn't for you.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com