Note: Register your Taylor guitar to extend your warranty to 12 years.
For years, the Taylor 814ce has been one of the flagship models of the famous American guitar maker, with the standard model one of the best acoustic guitars on the market. Seeking an ever more exclusive experience, the Taylor Builder’s Edition 814ce has been designed to enhance the pleasure of playing and impress with luxury finishing touches. This limited-edition stands out with its Adirondack spruce top composed of four sections, as well as a modified V-Class bracing system, a smooth, rounded cutaway and softened body contours, a bridge redesigned specifically for the Builder's Edition series, an ebony armrest, and a set of Gotoh 510 Antique Gold machine heads. Taylor's Expression System 2 (ES2) guarantees a very natural amplified sound and is a crucial component of this guitar.
The Taylor Builder's Edition 814ce's unique sound comes from its Grand Auditorium body made from solid wood, as well as its internal V-Class bracing system, which allows the Adirondack spruce top to vibrate freely while the structure remains perfectly stable. The combination of a slim-taper mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard provides an extremely comfortable playing feel, made better still by the deeper cutaway for easier access to the higher frets. For precise sound amplification, particularly when recording, the guitar uses the ES2 system, which comprises a piezo pickup controlled by three dials placed discreetly on the guitar's upper shoulder, allowing players to precisely sculpt the tonal dynamics to suit their exact requirements.
With its luxury finishing touches, V-Class bracing system on the underside of the Adirondack top, and organic amplified sound, the Taylor Builder's Edition 814ce is designed to meet the expectations of demanding musicians and enthusiasts alike. The Grand Auditorium body generates a powerful, balanced sound with a rich bass response, warm mid-range attack, and crystal-clear treble frequencies. The ES2 system transmits these subtle sound characteristics to an amplifier or mixer with remarkable precision, making this guitar particularly suited to live performance, as there is no need for any extra microphones - not to mention its visual appeal which will turn heads wherever it goes.
Taylor Guitars was co-founded by Bob Taylor in California in 1974 and from the outset specialised in the construction of high-quality acoustic guitars. By focusing on state-of-the-art manufacturing methods and very high standards of quality, Taylor Guitars has made it into the top echelon of fine guitar makers. Names such as Taylor Swift, Leo Kottke, Prince, David Gilmour, and former US President Bill Clinton are a testament to the popularity of the instruments, which are also reputed for their playability. The creation of a second workshop in Mexico has meant that Taylor guitars are also in the mid-priced segment.
In the studio, on stage, or just at home, the Taylor Builder's Edition 814ce's powerful, finely-balanced timbre is impressive, supported by the exceptionally natural sound of the ES2 preamp, on stage or at home. The responsiveness of the Indian rosewood body and the Adirondack spruce top with V-Class bracing guarantee a bright, clear sound, whether for delicate finger-picking phrases or intense, rhythmic strumming. Every single detail and finishing touch make this guitar a real work of art in terms of craftsmanship, cementing the status of this truly exceptional Taylor model.
D'Addario XSAPB1253 strings
Taylor guitars are all delivered strung with D'Addario XSAPB1253 strings. These phosphor bronze strings deliver a lush, rich sound and last for an extremely long time, thanks to their New York carbon steel windings covered in a coating of ultra-thin polymer. The set of strings comprises gauges of .012, .016, .w024, .w032, .w042 and .w053, offering a richly expressive playing experience, whether for energetic strumming or intricate finger-picking. The wide sound spectrum – rich, powerful bass notes and harmonics – enhances the tonal characteristics of Taylor guitars.