Taylor 200-Series 214ce Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I guess I am one of the blessed ones who got a 200 series Taylor when they were made with solid sapele wood on the backs and sides and solid spruce on the tops. Taylor later moved the solid sapele up to the 300 series so they could get more money for it and made the 200 series a cheap laminate guitar and they still charge 1,000 dollars for them. If you only have a 1,000 dollars I would highly suggest you look elsewhere for a solid wood guitar. The Guild GAD series are solid wood and excellent guitars and they are a steal. I think the Martin also has some solid wood choices in this price range.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Taylor 200-Series 214ce Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Product Description:
The 214ce will change your expectations about what a serious entry-level instrument can embody. Versatility plays front and center on this rosewood laminate, between the Grand Auditorium body, cutaway and plug-in-and-play readiness of Taylor's ES-T pickup.

214ce Specs

Gorgeous Indian rosewood laminate back and sides.
Classic pearloid dot inlays.
ES-T pickup onboard.
The Taylor 200 Series
The 200 Series redefines what a mid-priced guitar can be. A satin, solid Sitka spruce top meets gorgeous Indian rosewood laminate back and sides, delivering the quality sound and feel you'd expect from a Taylor. Plug in with the optional Taylor electronics and take your performance to the stage with confidence.
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.
Indian Rosewood Back/Sides
Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) is coveted by players and guitar builders alike for its dark, luxurious coloration, which ranges from brown to purple to rose to black, and for tonal characteristics that include a strong bass response and long sustain. It remains the most popular tonewood used in the making of high-quality acoustic guitars.
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.
Venetian Cutaway
The cutaway allows access to the upper frets. Many players moving to acoustic guitars grew accustomed to the cutaways on their electric guitars. Others simply like the freedom of movement into the upper register that a cutaway allows. Nowadays, cutaways are favored as much for their decorative appeal as for their function. The Venetian cutaway is known for its soft, round lines. The sloping peak of the cutaway will vary depending on the shape of the guitar. Grand Concerts and Grand Auditoriums have a steeper slope, while Dreadnoughts and Jumbos are a bit flatter.
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.

Get 29% OFF