Taylor

Among the first generation of Taylor Grand Pacific dreadnought guitars, the mahogany/torrefied spruce Builder’s Edition 517e dramatically expands the Taylor line’s sonic palette with a new flavor of acoustic tone that may surprise players who think they know the Taylor sound. An exciting new entry into the dreadnought category, this round-shoulder Grand Pacific resonates with a finely-honed balance of low-end power and clarity across the middle and upper registers, producing warm, rounded tone in which notes blend seamlessly together to create a seasoned sound. Back and sides of neo-tropical mahogany flavor the sound with dry, woody character, coupling beautifully with the dynamic response of the torrefied Sitka spruce top.   The Builder’s Edition stamp means that the 517e is detailed with premium features designed to maximize player comfort, including chamfered body edges and a new compound-carve neck profile that compensates for the change in your hand position as you move along the neck. Subtly contoured fretboard edges and a rounded, ridgeless heel add to the guitar’s pleasing fretting-hand feel, while a refined bridge shape brings extra comfort to your pick hand. Under the hood, V-Class bracing enables the guitar to pump out stunning projection and sustain, plus nearly perfect intonation, which means you won’t have to contend with sour notes on the fretboard. And with the proprietary onboard ES2 electronics, the guitar’s many tonal virtues will shine for amplified applications. Between its sound and feel, the Builder’s Edition 517e once again raises the bar on the Taylor playing experience.     Model: 517e V-Class

Cedar’s warm midrange overtones and quick response make it a coveted top wood among fingerstylists and other players with a lighter touch. On this mahogany/cedar cutaway Grand Auditorium, V-Class bracing lifts those sonic virtues to new heights, serving up an even more powerful all-around response with billowing sustain. Add to that the bundle of sonic refinements that V-Class brings, including more powerful notes all the way up the fretboard and greater in-tuneness between the notes (thanks to a more orderly response from the top), and you’ve got a guitar that can cover a lot of ground. Mahogany’s naturally dry, focused voice emphasizes the midrange, lending a warm, clear punch that strummers, blues players will especially appreciate. Appointments include faux tortoise shell binding and pickguard, a faux tortoise/ivoroid rosette, and the striking Century fretboard inlay scheme in grained ivoroid with a new peghead inlay to complement the motif. With onboard Taylor ES2 electronics, you can count on natural-sounding amplified acoustic tone whenever you need it. The guitar also features a Venetian cutaway for upper-fretboard access, and ships in a deluxe hardshell case.     Model: 514ce V-Class

This fingerstyle dream blends the warm and responsive voice of mahogany topped with cedar, the physical comfort of the compact Grand Concert body, and the slinky handfeel of the 12-fret 24-7/8-inch scale length neck to offer players an effortlessly expressive 6-string. The location of the bridge near the center of the lower bout elicits extra warmth, power and sweetness, especially with Taylor’s Performance bracing under the hood. Visually, the slotted headstock, grained ivoroid Century inlays, and faux tortoise shell binding and pickguard outfit the guitar with neo-vintage aesthetic appeal, while modern features include an elegant Venetian cutaway and proprietary Taylor Expression System 2 electronics.     Model: 512ce 12-Fret

Taylor’s Academy Series makes the playing experience more accessible in every way, packing signature Taylor playing features into an affordable package. With the Academy 12e, Taylor compact Grand Concert body makes the perfect companion for fingerpicking or anyone with a lighter touch who craves the physical comfort of a small-body guitar. The guitar’s design specs are optimized for playing ease. Taylor’s patented, slim-profile neck features an array of hand-friendly touches: a shorter 24-7/8-inch scale length, 1-11/16-inch nut width, low action, and light gauge strings, all of which contribute to a slinky handfeel. The lightweight guitar body, featuring layered sapele back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top, boasts an ergonomic armrest that enhances the playing comfort for one’s picking arm. The guitar was also voiced to be extra responsive to make the playing experience as relaxed as possible. The guitar comes with an onboard ES-B pickup that includes a built-in digital chromatic tuner, and comes with a sturdy lightweight gig bag.     Model: Academy 12e

This Dreadnought distills the essential features of a great acoustic guitar into a budget-friendly form. Taylor Academy Series was designed with developing players in mind, so the goal was to create as comfortable a playing experience as possible. The guitar body pairs layered sapele back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top, and incorporates a feature normally reserved for Taylor premium instruments: a built-in armrest that softens the edge of the body’s bass-side lower bout to enhance the playing comfort. The patented Taylor neck features a slightly shorter 24-7/8-inch scale length, 1-11/16-inch nut width, and light gauge strings, which make fretting and bending strings easier. Tonally the Dreadnought’s body dimensions produce a bold response with a warm low end and punchy treble, making this a great option for strummers and flatpickers. Onboard ES-B electronics include a built-in digital chromatic tuner with an LED display for tuning and low battery indication. Whether you’re at the front end of your guitar journey or just looking for a great strumming guitar without breaking the bank, the A10e will serve you well.     Model: Academy 10e

This latest edition of the cutaway Grand Auditorium 214ce features an aesthetic update to feature attractive layered Hawaiian koa back and sides. Under the hood, upgraded internal bracing dials up the guitar’s sonic horsepower to give the solid Sitka spruce top more dynamic range. Clean appointments include white binding, Italian acrylic dot inlays, a faux tortoise shell pickguard, an ebony peghead overlay, and satin-finish back and sides with a glossy top. Together with the onboard Taylor ES2 pickup and signature Taylor playability, this guitar delivers pro-grade stage appeal in every way. It also ships in lightweight hardshell gig bag for easy transport.     Model: 214ce