SeriesTaylor 200

Purchased at Sam Ash for $500.00 after trade in. I wanted a new Acoustic to upgrade from the Dean I was playing. I was out to buy a Gibson or Martin only because of the popularity of them. So I had to have one as my upgrade. I hated the high action shop setup on Martins and really didn't think they sounded that great or felt that great. I don't care to wait 20 years for the D-28 to "mature". I actually like the Gibson 45 WM guitar better than their other higher priced guitars. It had a great base sound and was comfortable but too pricy for me at $1200+. So not being impressed with my so call "idol" guitars I went to the 2 best guitar makers, in my opinion, being Taylor and Larrivee. Larrivee. made in Canada, are really nice affordable guitars. I just happened to like my Taylor I bought but it was a hard decision over the 2 brands. Solid construction, very simple. Bright sound with lovely projection. Low action, maybe too low for some, not me and my small hands. My big 3 are sound, playability and intonation. All have been exceeded with the 214. Nothing. Exactly what I wanted across the board. It's the cheapest solid body Taylor makes. No laminate should allow the spruce/Cedar top and mahogany sides and back to "mature" nicely as the Martin owners would say. Ebony fingerboard is smooth. The tuners are not Grovers or Taylor specific tuners you see on higher priced models but they are solid and hold tuning just fine. I was initially scared by the no brand on the tuners like so many cheap guitars have but you notice quickly that they are "tight". I was going to take the Grovers off my Dean and swap them but there is no need to do that as the factory installed ones are fine. If you loose tuning you probably don't know how to string your 214 correctly. Construction seems ok as far as the bracing on the inside of the guitar. No glue or seems showing. everything is flush. The aesthetics are plain and simple which is great, allowing us poor people to afford such a great guitar for a minimal price. It has everything necassary for a great guitar and one that you can play anywhere. Sure, everyone want's a $3000.00 guitar with bells and whistles but you are honestly just paying for just that, "bells and whistles". I have played every type of guitar I can get my hands on since shopping for my "next" guitar and there seems to be a leveling off of performance around the $600-1200 price range. They don't really get better in my opinion over that price. They do look a whole lot better though. I just wanted a guitar I can trust to give me playability, great sound and the ability to hold tune. Thus, with continued practice and dedication I can acheive my goals and enjoy not fighting with my insrument. If you are looking for those simple qualities go for any Taylor and you will be very happy. I've been making music for 18 years and poor practice habits makes any great guitar sound bad, so don't blame the Taylor company if you stink. You play the guitar it doesn't play for you. The Taylor Company has justified their integrity with their product, unlike other BIG NAME brands. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com