Taylor 214ce

Me with the Taylor 214CE

My Review Of The Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium Acoustic Guitar

By: John Sizemore

Since this is a beginner guitar blog… I usually review beginner guitars for my students or potential students. So, why am I reviewing a higher end guitar? Simple, as I’ve said before, you want to purchase as nice of a guitar as you can afford. So, some of you may be able to purchase a guitar in this price range and I want to serve all beginner guitarists out there.

With literally thousands of high quality acoustic guitars out there…. How do you choose the right one? Well, this can be a little tough. I’ve played many high quality guitars from Martin, Gibson, Takamine ect… However, I’d never picked up a Taylor before. This isn’t the highest end guitar Taylor makes. But, it’s great for players in all ranges. Here’s my take on the Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium Acoustic Guitar.

“What Are The Benefits Of The Taylor 214ce?”

Let’s Take A Look At The Following:

• Solid Sitka Spruce Top
• Indian Rosewood Back/Sides
• Grand Auditorium Body Shape
• Venetian Cutaway
• ES-T Pickup
• Chrome-Plate Tuners
• Hardshell Gig Bag

Solid Sitka Spruce Top

“This guitar top is in between a Jumbo guitar and a standard dreadnought”

As you know, the top of the guitar is where the acoustic guitar gets its beautiful sound. If you don’t have a solid top on your acoustic guitar?…. Well, its just not a high quality guitar. All high end guitars should have a solid top. Sitka spruce is one of the most sought after acoustic guitar top in the world. The spruce top is a very resonant wood that gives off a beautiful tone.

The Taylor 214ce has a large solid sitka spruce top. I believe this is how the guitar achieves such beautiful high volume tones. This guitars top is in between a Jumbo guitar and a standard dreadnaught.

Indian Rosewood Back & Sides

“Indian rosewood will give you a very rich tone”

Although the sides of the guitar don’t give the acoustic its dominant sound… It contributes to most of the overtones of the guitar. Indian rosewood will give you a very rich tone. With the combination of a sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood… It’s no wonder the guitar sounds so balanced.

I do want to point out that the back and sides are laminate and not solid on this model. The Taylor 214ce comes constructed with beautiful laminate Indian rosewood back and sides.

Grand Auditorium Body Shape

“I believe this is what gives the guitar its big sound”

So, this is what makes this guitar really unique and impressed me the most. The guitar has a larger body almost like a jumbo. But, it has a small waist so to speak. It makes it very comfortable to play and doesn’t feel too large. I believe this is what gives the guitar its big sound. I have not seen another guitar like this and I believe it is what makes the Taylor 214 series sound so big.

The Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium shape is what makes this guitar what it is. You will just have to play it to see what I’m talking about.

Venetian cutaway

“there are two different types of cutaways on guitars”

So, there are two different types of cutaways on guitars, Venetian and Florentine. A venetian cutaway has a rounded corner on the lower part of the cutaway and a Florentine has more of a pointed point.

I really like the venetian cutaway. It holds up well to use while the Florentine is more apt to get damaged since it has such a pointed edge.

Taylor Expression Pickup

“This is where Taylor sets its self completely apart from other electric acoustic guitar manufacturers”

Okay. This is where Taylor sets its self completely apart from other electric acoustic guitar manufacturers. As Taylor was trying to come up with the best sounding pickup that would truly bring out the sound of the acoustic guitar…. It dawned on them! Nothing sounds better than a microphone when projecting an acoustic sound. That’s when they came up with a proprietary mic like device that mounts on the sound board (bottom of the guitar top) and embedded beneath the fretboard. This is what makes the Taylor 214ce sound so beautiful when plugged in. It’s just like hearing a mic’d acoustic.

Hardshell Gig bag

“This is not the kind of instrument you want to be throwing around in a bag”

I’m a little miffed about this one… I don’t know why the Taylor 214ce doesn’t come with a high quality hard shell case? Maybe they’re trying to keep the cost down? I don’t know. But, this was really the only feature I didn’t like. At least it comes with a hard shell gig bag. This is not the kind of instrument you want to be throwing around in a bag. Something of this quality needs to be taken care of. I mean, the value is only going to go up over the years. It’s an investment also. The hard shell bag will work to protect your instrument. However, if it were me purchasing it? I would purchase a nice hard shell case to go with it.

The Taylor 214ce retails for $1390.00 and comes with a hardshell gig bag case. However, most online stores and walk-in stores sell this guitar for just under $1000.00. That’s pretty good. But, I was able to find a great deal on Amazon called the Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Bundle with 10-Foot Instrument Cable, Tuner, Capo, Humidifier, Stand, Leather Strap, Strings, String Winder, Pick Card, and Polishing Cloth for not much more.

Hear David Gilmour Play One….

What Others Are Saying….

“I’ve owned this guitar for about 2 months now and I still can’t get over how amazing it sounds”
Rating:
“Immediately I was impressed with the make and feel of it. It was surprisingly light, but it didn’t feel flimsy”
Rating:
“The notes you play float on the air, bright, crisp and delicate. But it can also give you a full, rich throaty sound when you need it”
Rating:

Product Reviews
4.5 out of 5 Stars Based on 5 reviews

Read More Reviews

Sound

The Taylor 214ce has a brilliant treble tone. The strings almost sound like bells when you play it. I was also very impressed by its bass tones. However, If you do a lot of hard strumming? This may not be the guitar for you. It has such a high volume tone by itself so light strumming is all that is needed. I was also really impressed by the Taylors pick up quality. This makes it especially nice if you have it plugged in and want to dial in a little more bass.

I would say the best sound you can possibly get if finger picked and very pleasant if strummed lightly. All in all a great sounding guitar that rivals others in its price range.

Action

The Taylor 214ce has a great action that is light to the touch. Of course with its cut away body the higher frets have great access and with this action are also very light to the touch. With such a beautiful action this guitar is really made for the versatile guitar player who uses all of the neck in their playing.

Reliability

Although I don’t own this guitar… Many have boasted about its sturdy reliability and extremely good resale value. Guitars like this would have a hard time lasting the tale of time if the instrument didn’t stand up to daily use. Plus, with Taylors reputation this one is a great guitar that will last you for years to come.

Impression

Our final impression is 5 stars. Although not especially tailored for the beginner guitarist. This one would be great to learn on as well as giving you the sound & reliability for years to come. I really like to play a hard strum at times and with this guitar it’s really not needed or recommended. My overall impression was excellent. With the sound and action it would definitely be a great guitar for my collection.

Find Best Price On The Taylor 200-Series 214ce Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Here

John Sizemore

I've been playing and teaching guitar for over 20 years. I've found that the absolute beginner guitar player is the one that needs the most help to stay motivated. I'm here to help you! Here You Can Get A FREE Guitar Lesson Account From One Of The Best Instructors In The Business

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