N(A)GD - Taylor 214ce-K

JayGee · May 2022

Not the most exciting thing in the world compared with some of the single luthier artisan loveliness and vintage classics hereabouts but I’m thoroughly enjoying it anyway…

Brief was an affordable workhorse which didn’t cost much, was kind to delicate fingers which have played almost exclusively electric for many, many years and were protesting at suddenly being called upon to do full length acoustic sets, low hassle amplification, and a sound which worked nicely against the big, loud, boomy (and to my ears a little overblown sounding) sounding Takamine Dread which the other guitarist in the band uses and the Taylor hits those points very, very well.

I thought my previous acoustic (from a small, long gone British company who designed and did final inspection/setup in the UK but manufactured in China) was actually quite nice for the fairly modest amount it cost me 15 years or so ago but it turns out it actually sucked and I’d been making life unnecessarily (physically) hard for myself for a long time - the Taylor is (physically) less demanding to play on its standard .012 gauge strings than the old one was on .010s…

Oh yes, and to my relatively undeveloped ears it sounds very nice too - quite dynamic, works well with a pick, snappy and bright enough to cut through a band mix (either acoustic or through a PA) but with a satisfying amount of Ooomph at the low end. I like the clean, unfussy aesthetics too, and that Koa looks lush…

Overall, in case you hadn’t guessed it I’m a very happy punter, also plaudits to Connor at Peach who put up with my stupid questions and ham-fisted guitar pummelling splendidly and provided very helpful guidance without ever being in the least pushy.. :-)

drofluf · May 2022

Pictures or it never happened

Mellish · May 2022

@JayGee ; If you like it, it sounds good and plays well, it doesn't matter one bit what it cost or says on the headstock if you don't want it to.

Enjoy your new guitar

JayGee · May 2022

Mellish said:

@JayGee ; If you like it, it sounds good and plays well, it doesn't matter one bit what it cost or says on the headstock if you don't want it to.

Enjoy your new guitar

Absolutely. But I’m a bit of a sucker for that stuff anyway…

…and I am doing! It had its first public outing at Cosmic Puffin festival on Sunday, and I thoroughly loved it, I also enjoyed coming off stage and not feeling like I’d had all the fingers of my left hand put through an industrial mincing machine… :-)

Tannin · May 2022

Two series Taylors are extraordinary guitars. Yep, sure, they don't have the subtle quality of sound an all-solid guitar in the same price bracket does. But let's be realistic here: you are playing gigs with another guitarist. No-one is ever, ever, going to hear the difference between your Taylor and an equal dollar all-solid. No-one.

And you are going to notice the superb out of the box setup, the effortless playability, the versatility, and the works-every-time fuss-free nature of the little Taylor.

Yep: good choice. It's a tool to do a job and for your job it's the right tool. Never buy a 21 Volt brushless impact driver when what you actually need is a hammer.

Well done and enjoy, @JayGee.

PS: and where are those pictures?

Ungulate · May 2022

Glad you like it, a 214 was my first proper acoustic just as Covid hit, we have spent many happy hours together :-)

Mellish · May 2022

It's already had its first gig, too. Well, in at the deep end

. Glad it's working well

DavidR · May 2022

I'm really not bothered about pictures. I've just looked at this Taylor on the interweb and that's enough for me Vicar. Without being able to play your actual 214, I suspect all 214ce-K's look pretty the same. Apart from some variability in graining.

My eyes pass over Taylors when I'm in a store which is ridiculous really. You hear the 'Taylor sound' compared with the 'Martin sound' as if there the only 2 brands in the world and they each have an individual tonal characteristic, across all their instruments. Which is probably nonsense. Was there never a Taylor which sounded like a Martin? Or vice versa. I really should take more interest in Taylors. I was very interested in their 'Urban Ash' initiative. That's exactly the sort of direction we should be taking IMO.

Sounds like you're happy with the tone and playability anyway. That's the only important thing. Your old instrument sounds as if it had a poor action and you put up with it. We've all done that.

Have fun.

artiebear · May 2022

I am sure it will be fantastic. I really appreciate that Taylor use Koa throughout the range, rather than only as a significant upcharge. I really like Koa for a back and sides tonally. There is often some slightly warm and jazzy about it, even though most of the internet blah blah is about it either being between rosewood and mahogany or closer to maple ( how much of this stuff is from personal experience or just regurgitation of previous posts I do not know, but I have my suspicions ).

Like Australian Blackwood, it can be plain or quite dramatic. It still sounds good, whatever ( so long as it is used right ).

Congratulations on a lovely guitar to take you to good musical places.

artiebear · May 2022

Tannin said:

Two series Taylors are extraordinary guitars. Yep, sure, they don't have the subtle quality of sound an all-solid guitar in the same price bracket does. But let's be realistic here: you are playing gigs with another guitarist. No-one is ever, ever, going to hear the difference between your Taylor and an equal dollar all-solid. No-one.

And you are going to notice the superb out of the box setup, the effortless playability, the versatility, and the works-every-time fuss-free nature of the little Taylor.

Yep: good choice. It's a tool to do a job and for your job it's the right tool. Never buy a 21 Volt brushless impact driver when what you actually need is a hammer.

Well done and enjoy, @JayGee.

PS: and where are those pictures?

Just read you post @Tannin, I thought they used solid woods throughout ? obviously not, hence my previous comments about using Koa through the whole range. Still, bet it's a lovely guitar.

JayGee · May 2022

artiebear said:

Tannin said:

Two series Taylors are extraordinary guitars. Yep, sure, they don't have the subtle quality of sound an all-solid guitar in the same price bracket does. But let's be realistic here: you are playing gigs with another guitarist. No-one is ever, ever, going to hear the difference between your Taylor and an equal dollar all-solid. No-one.

And you are going to notice the superb out of the box setup, the effortless playability, the versatility, and the works-every-time fuss-free nature of the little Taylor.

Yep: good choice. It's a tool to do a job and for your job it's the right tool. Never buy a 21 Volt brushless impact driver when what you actually need is a hammer.

Well done and enjoy, @JayGee.

PS: and where are those pictures?

Just read you post @Tannin, I thought they used solid woods throughout ? obviously not, hence my previous comments about using Koa through the whole range. Still, bet it's a lovely guitar.

Everything up and including the 200 series uses laminates for the back and sides.

I can live with that, better a really well made, well setup instrument with laminates than something indifferent with solid back and sides and I would be surprised (and delighted!) to find anything with a similar spec (in terms of body size/shape, electrics etc) at a similar price which suited me better and was as nicely put together…

I do love the properly special stuff mind, I have played a few luthier built instruments (including a properly exotic fanned fret baritone harp guitar, which was mind blowing on many, many levels…) and I think the builders love, skill, and intrinsic quality of material comes through in a way that no electric can hope to match. I’d love something like that, it it would be for special occasions and quality time by myself at home rather than as a workhorse though. Apart from anything else it would raise expectations which my playing can’t match… :-)

artiebear · May 2022

JayGee said:

artiebear said:

Tannin said:

Two series Taylors are extraordinary guitars. Yep, sure, they don't have the subtle quality of sound an all-solid guitar in the same price bracket does. But let's be realistic here: you are playing gigs with another guitarist. No-one is ever, ever, going to hear the difference between your Taylor and an equal dollar all-solid. No-one.

And you are going to notice the superb out of the box setup, the effortless playability, the versatility, and the works-every-time fuss-free nature of the little Taylor.

Yep: good choice. It's a tool to do a job and for your job it's the right tool. Never buy a 21 Volt brushless impact driver when what you actually need is a hammer.

Well done and enjoy, @JayGee.

PS: and where are those pictures?

Just read you post @Tannin, I thought they used solid woods throughout ? obviously not, hence my previous comments about using Koa through the whole range. Still, bet it's a lovely guitar.

Everything up and including the 200 series uses laminates for the back and sides.

I can live with that, better a really well made, well setup instrument with laminates than something indifferent with solid back and sides and I would be surprised (and delighted!) to find anything with a similar spec (in terms of body size/shape, electrics etc) at a similar price which suited me better and was as nicely put together…

I do love the properly special stuff mind, I have played a few luthier built instruments (including a properly exotic fanned fret baritone harp guitar, which was mind blowing on many, many levels…) and I think the builders love, skill, and intrinsic quality of material comes through in a way that no electric can hope to match. I’d love something like that, it it would be for special occasions and quality time by myself at home rather than as a workhorse though. Apart from anything else it would raise expectations which my playing can’t match… :-)

As previously said, I didn't know that regarding the laminates. Done right, by a good builder = great ! Yep, you have a lovely guitar, built by a maker with a rep for great set up, playability and tone. Can't do better than that ! ( personally I don't think that many, if any, of us deserve the guitars we play

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N(A)GD - Taylor 214ce-K

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