BEST TAYLOR GUITAR
Taylor has become a household name in the empire of guitar-making. Founded in 1974, Taylor is still pursuing their goal of making quality guitars.
Whether you’re a seasoned guitarist looking to expand or a beginner searching for the first guitar, join us as we explore the world of guitars and find the one that fits your musical journey.
Here are the best 10 taylor guitars
This is the list of the best Taylor guitars you can find today.
Taylor PS14ce (Best Premium)
Guitars from Taylor’s Presentation Series belong undoubtedly to the upper echelon of guitars. Taylor PS14ce is from this elite series of guitars. It only needs one look to gauge its beauty and exceptional tonal qualities.
This guitar is made from super-premium materials. World-class luthiers have handcrafted this guitar with Sinker Redwood for the top and Honduran Rosewood for the back and sides. Both bass and treble tones are super clear, well-articulated, and teeming with colorful overtones. It is terrifying how resonant this guitar is said to be.
Sinker Redwood exhibits outstanding response with brilliance like spruce. On top of that the V-bracing of Taylor is like an overkill. Volume and sustain- this premium piece of instrument excels in both.
Taylor PS14ce is a Grand Auditorium guitar, designed for supreme comfort and playability. This body shape and the ergonomic approach to the curves will ensure you the most ecstatic feeling of playing guitar.
This comes with a cutaway which is necessary for certain playing styles or just for comfort in general. The ES2 electronics with a 3-section pickup make this guitar equally mesmerizing.
This premium guitar comes with a premium price as well. This might be the only issue with Taylor PS14ce. But, you will not regret spending such a big amount for this guitar as it serves up to its price.
Taylor AD27E
Taylor AD27E is an acoustic guitar that belongs to Taylor’s American Dream series. “ It has all that you need and nothing that you don’t”, is how Taylor describes this guitar. I must say that it sums up the American Dreams Series pretty accurately.
This guitar will feel at home in your hands, thanks to its Grand Pacific Body which is a round-shoulder version of a dreadnought known for its balanced tone with copious low-end power and clarity.
The Mahogany top is thin compared to other guitar tops. This is great as the thinner tops resonate more, amplifying the volume. On top of this, the V bracing is also responsible for superior resonance.
Eucalyptus is an unusual choice for a fretboard. But, it actually makes the fretboard quite fast to navigate. The Sapele back and sides bring out the light and compact yet rich and full sound.
This guitar will serve both a beginner and a seasoned guitarist equally with its astounding quality and comfort.
Taylor-814ce (Editor’s Choice)
Taylor 814ce possesses graceful aesthetics and sound. From Taylor’s popular 800 Series, this instrument is bound to be a great choice if you are looking for a high-end acoustic-electric guitar.
Taylor 814ce is a Grand Auditorium Guitar, possessing all the goodness of a dreadnought, like impressive volume. The treble tones are especially rich and full.
Its rosewood and spruce top showcase premium quality strength and resonance. Like other rosewood guitars, the Taylor 814ce is perfect for both solo and band performances. Taylor’s signature V-bracing is another feature that makes this guitar sturdy and blessed with an amazing soundscape.
As this is an acoustic-electric guitar, you can plug it in and play with your heart’s content. The plugged tone is also good enough to perform on stage or record at a studio. And this is possible due to the built-in Taylor Expression System 2 (ES-2) electronics that you’re going to love for sure.
Someone might find this guitar a bit bigger for their hands. In that case, you might want to choose a guitar with a smaller body. Taylor 814ce is a pricey guitar which is not surprising considering the premium features that it comes with. So, it might not be a budget guitar.
If you want a guitar that will serve you more than it costs, the Taylor 814ce is the choice that you should make.
Taylor American Dream AD17 (Best for Fingerpicking)
AD17 is another guitar from Taylor’s American Dream series, a professional guitar with a reasonable price.
Bob Taylor and Andy Powers have successfully paid tribute to Taylor’s history with this American Dream series. For this guitar, perfect woods, with utmost quality, are selected and molded into this marvelous guitar. This guitar can withstand repetitive use for a longer period.
The top of AD17 is made out of spruce, and the back and sides are crafted using solid ovangkol, which is a relative to rosewood. These tonewoods ensure more articulated tones.
This guitar gives out richer bass tones due to its Grand Pacific dreadnought design. The lower bout is much larger, which in turn helps to project a huge volume.
The superior sustain and resonance are credited to the V-bracing. This bracing style allows the top wood to be as flexible as possible without compromising its rigidity.
Although the price is low considering its quality and performance, it can still seem to be pretty high for budget-minded guitarists. But, all in all, Taylor American Dream AD17 is a great guitar, particularly for professionals.
Taylor 210ce Plus
This acoustic-electric guitar presents itself with a balanced tone and playability. But its build quality is what puts it higher than many other guitars on this list.
Taylor 210ce Plus has proven to be a perfect guitar for a variety of musical genres. This guitar has a solid Sitka spruce top and layered rosewood back and sides. Sitka spruce gives brighter highs and articulated mids. And the rosewood adds warmth to it. This guitar sounds and plays splendidly.
The mahogany neck and low-string action will provide you with maximum comfort and playability. Despite the dreadnought body, Taylor 210ce is pretty easy to hold and play in any position. Even people with smaller hands will find it quite comfy.
The Expression System 2 electronics make it easy to amplify the sound of the guitar. The ES2 electronics also come with a good amount of tonal options to choose from. That means you can experiment with the tones as much as you want.
Although as per some customers, the tone is not as deep as it usually is with a dreadnought, for beginners and intermediate guitarists, I would recommend this guitar.
Taylor 614ce
Taylor 614ce is another beautiful Grand Auditorium acoustic-electric guitar from the 600 series.
With the Sitka Spruce top and Maple back and sides, this guitar produces rich, warm, and mellow tones. The Sitka spruce is torrefied. Torrefied tonewoods are lighter and have fuller tones, as well as a more dynamic range, than non-torrefied woods. You will cherish every moment you spend practicing.
The V-bracing paired with the amazing tonewoods makes it more responsive and helps with creating a big, robust sonic projection.
Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2) electronics are built into your 614ce. They have a 3-section pickup behind the saddle, which does a great job retaining the unique acoustic sound of the tonewoods.
This guitar deserves to be recommended to everyone, but this price might frighten some players. And also this is not as loud as some other grand auditorium guitars. Now, considering all this, I would still recommend it to anyone as it does feature many unique qualities.
Taylor 114CE (Best for Beginners)
Taylor 114CE is from the 100 series and made in Mexico. This is a gem with tons of great features but still at a budget-friendly price.
This guitar’s Grand Auditorium body style with a narrower waist sits perfectly on the legs, allowing for a comfortable playing position. This body design also helps to articulate each note clearly. This would serve you really well for your gig, studio, recording, or daily practice.
This acoustic-electric guitar features ES2 electronics as well. Taylor has utilized this ES2 in many of their guitars. This speaks to the volume of the ES2 system’s utility and capability
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The solid Sitka spruce is the top material, as this tonewood has been known for centuries for its balanced tonal range. The walnut back and sides are layered. This makes the produced tones more pronounced in mid-range without compromising the highs.
Taylor 114CE will be a wise choice for beginners with a bit lower budget. For a professional and seasoned guitarist, this guitar will be a great addition to their pantheon of guitars.
Taylor 317e
Taylor 317e looks like a mesmerizingly classy guitar until you take a closer look at it. Upon closer inspection, it is readily obvious that beneath its classy veil, this guitar has a modern design from its bridge pins to the headstock.
This Grand Pacific guitar has a round-shoulder dreadnought body that completely changes the voice of this guitar. The tonal quality can be described as warm and crisp but at the same time astonishingly smooth.
The strength and flexibility of the top wood, Sitka spruce, make this guitar one of the best-sounding guitars on this list. Sapele’s back and sides help to bring forward the brighter highs which are characteristic of this guitar.
Built-in Expression System 2 electronics have become synonymous with Taylor guitars. You will have two tone controls and one volume control to set your preferred tone. The three control buttons and the output port are wonderfully designed.
Taylor 317e does pose an issue with the volume projection and the price range. But, these issues are surpassed by the features that this guitar has to offer.
Taylor Academy 12e (Best for Budget)
Taylor Academy 12e, from the Taylor Academy series, is a budget-friendly guitar that neither looks nor sounds like one. Taylor has reminded everyone of their craftsmanship and experience in the world of guitar making.
Unlike some other guitars on this list, the Academy 12e has a sleek design with its slimmer neck and narrower fretboard. It has a built-in armrest and comes with a shorter scale. Both of these factors are what make this guitar tailormade for beginners or small-handed players.
Taylor Academy 12e looks gorgeous with its wood pattern. The combination of a high-quality Sitka spruce top and layered Sapele back and sides is a recipe for tonal goodness.
Taylor ES-B electronics are incorporated into this guitar with separate volume and equalizers, you will have the freedom to truly choose your own sound.
This is one of the best budget guitars which doesn’t scream its price in one way or the other. Taylor Academy 12e is a Taylor guitar through and through.
Taylor GS Mini (Best for Travelling)
Taylor GS Mini is a scaled-down version of the Grand Symphony body shape. This smaller body style makes GS Mini a perfect companion for traveling guitarists.
This guitar is reputed for its large volume projection despite its size. Premium materials and design are responsible for this. GS Mini has a tropical mahogany top, layered sapele back and sides, and an ebony fretboard. All these high qualities make this guitar loud enough to hear and expressive enough to be enthralled.
This one is the only guitar on this list with X-bracing. But that doesn’t tarnish its reliability. GS Mini is also durable enough to withstand longer playing sessions which is another green light for traveling and performing guitarists.
If you are a traveling guitarist who needs a budget-friendly guitar that can keep up with your hectic schedule, Taylor GS Mini is what I would recommend.
Buying Guide
Before chosing a guitar, we need to clarify a few key points that you should consider before buying a guitar. With that in mind, let’s start with the basics.
Bracing
Guitar bracing is a system of wooden struts that supports the structure of a guitar and in turn, influences its tone.
The most common steel string acoustic guitar bracings are:
X-bracing:
Most guitars are braced with X-bracing which was developed by the founder of Martin Guitars. This bracing is great for a balanced tone.
Double X-bracing:
It is a variation of X-bracing with two additional braces that cross each other. This bracing increases sustain and brightness.
A-bracing:
This bracing produces a bright and clear tone. In this system, two braces don’t cross each other, rather, they are a bit angled.
V-bracing:
V-bracing was developed by the founder of Taylor Guitars. And this is used extensively in Taylor’s guitar. This bracing produces more volume and sustain.
Shape
The body shape of a guitar is what dictates its sound. It is the most important thing to consider before buying a guitar.
Let’s learn a few common body shapes.
Jumbo:
It is the largest body shape. It has a rich, loud, and full tone. Perfect for blues and country music.
Dreadnought
This is the most common for acoustic guitars. It also has rich and full tones with great projection.
Grand Auditorium
A bit smaller than a dreadnought and has a brighter tone than dreadnoughts. It is popular for finger-style music.
Grand Concert
A great choice for jazz artists, Grand Concert has bright and clear tones.
Parlor
The smallest body shape among these five shapes. They have the brightest sounds due to their small body shape. This is well-suited for solo or live band performances.
