Taylor 714ce Review: Bright Taylor Sound in a Sleek, Versatile Package

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Since Bob Taylor founded the iconic Taylor Guitars in 1974, his namesake company has grown to become one of the world's leading premium acoustic guitar manufacturers. Taylors are known for their bright, clear sounds, inventive tonewood choices, and handsome modern looks.

The Taylor 714ce embodies that aesthetic perfectly with its Lutz spruce top and shapely grand auditorium figure. Let's break down what puts this model among the top electro-acoustic guitars on the market today.

Body & Neck

Taylor's 700 series uses Lutz spruce for the top of each guitar. A natural hybrid occurring between populations of Sitka and White spruce, Lutz offers some of the stiffness and projection of Sitka, but with the lower density and smooth quality of White spruce — it's often compared to Adirondack spruce in terms of tone.
The back and sides are made of Indian rosewood, which contributes a warm vintage sound to the 714ce. A 20-fret African ebony fretboard tops the mahogany neck. Internally, the 714ce features Taylor's trademark V-Class bracing. Taylor boasts that this pattern balances volume and sustain better than traditional X-shape bracing, as well as improving intonation across the fretboard.

Hardware

Models in Taylor's 700 Series used to be known for their simple, no-frills design. For years, the line was the baby brother of Taylor's flagship 800 Series. In contrast, the 714ce offers stately and refined style with a complement of top-notch hardware.

The nut is made of black graphite, with the saddle constructed from Micarta. The tuning machines are standard Taylor nickel tuners. There's also an ES-2 under-saddle pickup with simple onboard controls mounted on the upper bout.

All very solid, but it's the extra touches where this guitar really shines, and the premium price is justified. The body is bound with koa — a truly premium touch found only on high-end axes. A soundhole rosette and edge trim made with herringbone Douglas fir round out the package nicely.

Sound

Make no mistake: This is undoubtedly a Taylor in the tone department. All the hallmarks of the traditional Taylor voice are present here, like the pristine articulation and shining top end. Yet this model also possesses rich, open bass and outstanding tonal projection for its grand auditorium body.

The Lutz spruce top responds exceptionally well to dynamic playing, smoothing out the soft sounds and displaying some bite as you dig in. Taylor has done a great job incorporating these unique aspects into the 714ce while preserving their trademark sound.
The ES-2 pickup is a similar success. Unlike many cheaper piezo pickups, this unit transmits the acoustic sound almost completely unadulterated. There's little to no audible compression or any of the pesky electronic dampening that acoustic pickups so often create.

Conclusion

The Taylor 714ce succeeds in nearly every category, delivering the quality expected of a premium grand auditorium acoustic, while also offering sublime playability and distinctive tones. Thanks to the high sticker price, this guitar only really makes sense for acoustic fanatics, but they're sure to love what they get in this package.

For more info about the Taylor 714ce, click here.
For more acoustic electric guitars you might like, click here.