Taylor Guitars 114e, Grand Auditorium, Solid Sitka Spruce Top, Sapele Back/Sides, ES-T Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I love, love, love this guitar. I actually had the good fortune to come across mine second hand on a popular community sales site but being that the guy was literally shedding tears about selling it to me, (had to pay his rent) you're probably not going to find that type of deal.I would pay 1200 for this in a heartbeat, so at 749, it's a steal.I went into Marshall Music and played this exact model for two hours before I actually went to go pick this up.It has beautiful sound, the finish on it is matte, so a little spit shine goes a long way. Action is nice and low, and I had planned to change out the nut with a bone nut only to find that Taylor already did this. I had planned to start putting money away for the 3k model of Taylor and ended up finding this one, and frankly I'm glad I didn't.Not only did I save a holy ton of money, but the sound on this guitar is every bit as bright, warm and beautiful as the higher end model.Our local music store has this on sale right now for 860.I'd buy this again and again.I have the 114CE which has the pick-up and three small controls for the pick-up.Anyway...I could go on all day. I have spent a minimum of two hours a day with my Taylor since I got it home, and I plan on keeping this very model for years and years.

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Product Description:
Taylor's popular Grand Auditorium shape joins the 100 Series, embodying the signature Taylor look, tone and feel--in an affordable package. The 114e adds a Taylor ES-T pickup to the mix, so you can plug right in when you need a little extra.

114e Specs

Loud and robust Sapele Laminate back/sides.
Classic pearloid dot inlays.
ES-T pickup onboard.
The Taylor 100 Series
Tone and playability are hallmarks of Taylor guitars, and you'll find the 100 Series delivers plenty of each. Sporting a solid Sitka spruce top and sapele laminate back and sides, the redesigned 100 Series now features both Dreadnought and Grand Auditorium shapes, along with cutaway and Taylor electronics options. Value, yes. Compromise, no.
Sitka Spruce Top
Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) grows in a coastal "pocket" from Northern California to Alaska. This dense, straight-grained wood has the highest strength and elasticity-to-weight ratio among available tonewoods, an attribute that makes it an ideal material not only for our soundboards, but for our internal bracing, as well. Sitka produces a slightly brighter tone than does Engelmann.
Sapele Laminate Back/Sides
This exceptional, mahogany-like wood grows throughout the tropical rain forests of Nigeria and the Ivory Coast of Africa. Ever since we introduced it in 1998, its legion of fans has grown exponentially. As a tonewood, it's denser and harder than mahogany, so it has a crisper, clearer, brighter, "pop"-ier sound than its more familiar counterpart. Loud and robust, with a lovely ribboned grain, sapele has been used by Spanish guitar makers for many years.
Varnish Finish
A durable varnish finish offers protection, good looks, and a smooth feel to the touch. The spruce top's beauty shines right through.
Grand Auditorium Body Shape
The Grand Auditorium was the first guitar shape designed from scratch by Bob Taylor. It was unveiled to commemorate the company's 20th Anniversary in 1994, and since then it has more than lived up to its promise. Although the GA has the width and depth of a Dreadnought, its narrower waist gives it the appearance of a smaller instrument, adds treble "zing" across the guitar's tonal spectrum, sharpens the definition of individual notes, and also enables it to rest comfortably in the lap. Because we remove mass from the width of the GA's braces, the guitar top moves faster, resulting in a snappy, bell-like tone. The GA, available as a 6- or 12-sting, is designed to be a strong fingerpicking guitar that also can handle medium strumming, and is exceptionally versatile.
ES-T Pickup
Inspired by Taylor's Expression System technology, the Expression System Transducer, or ES-T, is a single-source, under-saddle transducer with individual elements for each string. (The ES-T was originally called the ES Element, but the name was changed to avoid confusion with another product.) The ES-T has an onboard preamp and the same active controls found on the full Expression System. Featuring a custom-voiced EQ and dynamic response, the system is powered by a 9-volt battery, with a battery life LED power indicator (which is lit when the battery is being used). The pickup also has a Phase switch for feedback control, which is located on the preamp board inside the soundhole.
Chrome-Plate Tuners
Taylor Tuners continue the industry-leading 18:1 gear ratio that they've been using, yet yield even greater precision with the help of a manufacturing process that employs the same gear-cutting machines used by Swiss watchmakers. The more precisely-machined gears virtually eliminate the slight "slop", or slack, typical among tuners, which makes it even easier for Taylor owners to get--and stay--in tune. Taylor Tuners also feature an elegant aesthetic touch, with the Taylor logo cleanly etched on the back.

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