6-String | Adirondack Spruce Top | Indian Rosewood Back and Sides | Neo-Tropical Mahogany Neck | West African Crelicam Ebony Fretboard | Expression System® 2 Electronics | Beveled Cutaway | Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Brown Case
The 814ce has long been considered Taylor’s flagship acoustic-electric guitar thanks to its mix of lush tone, playing comfort and all-purpose musical appeal. Here, Taylor thrilled to present the next evolution of this classic model: the Builder’s Edition 814ce. For this version, Taylor has kept the solid Indian rosewood back and sides and paired them with a four-piece Adirondack spruce top, a combo that yields an enticing blend of low-end warmth, treble-range clarity and remarkable power, with Taylor’s V-Class bracing inside to draw out more of the blooming overtones and rich sustain that players love. A handful of comfort-focused enhancements, such as a beveled armrest and cutaway and a subtle body taper, elevate the relaxed, accommodating feel of the Grand Auditorium body, while a striking full-body gloss finish and Kona burst for the back and sides raise this model’s visual profile. Whether you’re looking for an all-purpose musical workhorse or an heirloom-quality guitar to augment your collection, the Builder’s Edition 814ce makes a compelling case as the most quintessentially “Taylor” guitar Taylor’s ever built.
- Solid Indian rosewood for warm response and lush overtones
- Adirondack spruce top for unmatched volume and power
- Beveled armrest and cutaway for enhanced playability
- All-gloss finish with Kona edgeburst for back/sides
- Includes ES2 electronics and deluxe hardshell case
FEATURES
The Quintessential Taylor Guitar, Evolved
Indian rosewood, powerful Adirondack spruce, V-Class bracing and a host of comfort-enhancing features elevate Taylor’s flagship Grand Auditorium guitar to new heights.
Grand Auditorium Body: Taylor’s most popular and versatile body shape, the mid-size Grand Auditorium arrived in 1994 bearing refined proportions that fell between a Dreadnought and Grand Concert. While the bigger Dreadnought was traditionally considered a flatpicker’s guitar and the smaller Grand Concert catered to fingerstylists, the GA was designed to deliver on both fronts. The shape produced an original acoustic voice that was big enough to handle medium-strength picking and strumming, yet with impressive balance across the tonal spectrum, especially in the midrange, producing clear, well-defined notes that suited both strumming and fingerstyle playing. The GA’s overall presence tracks well with other instruments both in a studio mix and on stage, and singer-songwriters have embraced its utility both for composing and traveling with one guitar. Many people want a single guitar that can cover a variety of styles, which is why the GA continues to be Taylor’s bestselling shape. If you want a great all-purpose guitar, the multi-dimensional GA won’t let you down.
Grand Auditorium Body Specifications: Body Length: 20″ / Body Width: 16″ / Body Depth: 4 5/8″
Indian Rosewood Body Wood: Indian rosewood’s sweeping frequency range at both ends of the tonal spectrum has made it one of the most popular and musically rich tonewoods. Its deep lows can assert a throaty growl, while bright, sparkling treble notes ring out with bell-like, high-fidelity clarity.
Origin: India
Sound: One of the most popular and traditional guitar woods of all time, rosewood takes the basic sonic thumbprint of mahogany (which has a strong midrange) and expands it in both directions. Rosewood sounds deeper in the low end and brighter on the top end (one might describe the treble notes as zesty, sparkly or sizzly, with more articulation). If you look at its frequency range visually, rosewood would appear to be more scooped in the middle, yielding less midrange bloom than mahogany. Like mahogany, rosewood’s vintage heritage has helped firmly establish its acoustic legacy. It’s a great sound in part because Taylor knows that sound. In some music circles in which preserving the traditional sound helps bring a sense of authenticity to the music — certain strains of Americana, for example — rosewood has an iconic status. Also like mahogany, rosewood is a versatile tonewood, which has contributed to its popularity. One can fingerpick it, strum it and flatpick it. It’s very consistent, so players can usually rely on it to deliver.
Goes Well With: Most applications. If you like a guitar with fuller low end and brighter treble (bluegrassers, for instance), rosewood will do the trick. Its high-end sizzle and clear articulation will benefit players with “dark hands”. If you’re looking for a traditional acoustic sound, a rosewood Dreadnought or Grand Auditorium is right up your alley.
Adirondack Spruce Top Wood: Also known as Eastern red or Appalachian spruce, Adirondack defined guitars of the pre-WWII era. Its availability is beginning to increase slightly, as another generation of trees matures, although they’re still considerably smaller than their old growth forebears. Current supplies of Adirondack tend to lack a certain aesthetic purity of look (they tend to be wider-grained and more irregular in color and grain patterns), but tonally, Adirondack is even more dynamic than Sitka, with a higher ceiling for volume. The payoff is the ability to drive an Addie top hard and hear it get louder and louder without losing clarity; it’s hard to outplay it.
Another sonic nuance that Bob Taylor loves about Adirondack is “an undeniable sweetness in every note, especially in the mids.”
Origin: Canada
Goes Well With: Aggressive flatpickers or strummers. It would be a great fit for a GS or Dreadnought.
Expression System® 2: The Taylor Expression System® 2 (ES2) is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar.
Beveled Cutaway: Released as part of the Builder’s Edition line in 2018, Taylor’s beveled cutaway design provides a more player-friendly feel for guitarists who utilize every inch of the fretboard. It features a compound design with a smoothened edge along the corner of the body between the end of the cutaway and the neck heel, providing a more comfortable feel for the fretting hand. The new cutaway design also incorporates a finger bevel on the guitar’s top, a resting surface for the pinky finger near the highest frets of the guitar. Together, these elements allow the player to reach the entire fretboard without changing hand positions.
V-Class Bracing: Taylor’s patented V-Class bracing is a revolutionary new pattern — a new sonic engine — that marks a major shift away from traditional steel-string bracing patterns. By allowing the soundboard to flex naturally while maintaining rigidity along the center (in the direction of the strings), V-Class helps enhance the volume and sustain. It also creates a more orderly response from the soundboard. Up and down the fretboard, notes are full, true and consistent, with more harmonic agreement. It represents an entirely new design platform that can be adapted to different body styles in different ways to infuse each with a unique sonic personality.
SPECIFICATIONS
General
- Orientation: Right Handed
- Bracing System: V-Class Bracing
- Cutaway: Beveled Cutaway
- Electronics: Expression System® 2
- Case/Bag: Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Brown
Body
- Top Wood: Adirondack Spruce
- Back Configuration: 2-piece No Wedge
- Body Binding: Rock Maple
- Top Finish: Gloss
- Back/Side Finish: Gloss
Neck
- Neck Wood: Neo-Tropical Mahogany
- Fretboard Wood: West African Crelicam Ebony
- Fretboard Inlay: Element
- Fretboard Binding: West African Crelicam Ebony
- Neck Finish: Satin
Peghead
- Scale Length: 25-1/2″
- Peghead Inlay: Element
- Peghead Type: Paddle, Standard
- Peghead Binding: West African Crelicam Ebony
- Peghead Finish: Satin
Other
- Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony
- Nut & Saddle: Tusq Nut, Micarta Saddle
- Bridge Pins: West African Ebony with Green Abalone Dots
- Strings: D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light (.012 – .053)
- Pickguard: Indian Rosewood
- Tuners: Gotoh
