Guitar World Verdict
The red ironbark variation is still out there for as long as stock lasts, and if the frills like a bevelled armrest and chamfered edges don’t bother you, there are probably bargains to be had. It might be a slightly different hue, sonically speaking, but the build and sound quality is all there.
Pros
- +
Expertly crafted acoustic.
- +
A wide palette of sounds.
- +
Expression System 2 still impressive.
Cons
- -
Price, as always, is a major consideration.
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What is it?
Taylor never stands still for long and the company’s ongoing mission to review, upgrade and remodel its inventory is typical of a brand that is intent on remaining at the cutting edge of acoustic guitar design and manufacture.
According to our records, the last time the 500 Series enjoyed a refresh was in 2022. Three years later and there’s movement within the line once again.
The 500 Series has proved to be a popular one among players internationally and so it’s really no surprise that change is afoot in this quarter. Furthermore, the Builder’s Edition we see here is a rather splendid-looking beast with considerable visual impact from the moment it’s drawn from its hard case.
We’ve seen plenty of Builder’s Edition instruments from Taylor pass through these pages before, celebrating models from the catalogue with upgraded features and constructional fillips such as bevelled arm rests and refreshed tonewood partnerships.
Of this particular 514ce, Taylor says: “The Builder’s Edition 514ce Kona Burst embodies Taylor’s commitment to innovative craftsmanship, player-friendly guitar designs and sustainable sourcing.” Interest piqued? So is ours.
First of all, though, and in order to appreciate the embellishments present in its slightly more lavish companion, we’ll just take a look at what the standard 514ce comprised in terms of its sum of parts, as it will then provide a context for the changes Taylor has made to the model’s spec.
Taylor has always held conservation close to its heart and painstakingly sought out woods from sustainable sources, and the outgoing 514ce’s back and sides tonewood is a great example of this.
Here, it was red ironbark, sourced from urban trees in California that were reaching the end of their city life. It’s a wood that, according to Taylor, has “the warmth and clarity of Indian rosewood”, and that “strummers will appreciate the volume and projection, while fingerpickers will enjoy the definition and dynamic range”.
Paired with torrified Sitka spruce for the top and master builder and company CEO Andy Powers’ revolutionary V-Class internal bracing, we found a real musical chameleon in our hands.
Its sound has warmth but with the necessary balance and brightness to cut through in a stage environment, a situation that is further enhanced by its Expression System 2 internal pickup and preamp. In truth, the Builder’s Edition is going to have to take some long strides, sonically speaking, to beat what we’ve heard so far.
It’s a very easy guitar to play, too. We’ve often waxed lyrical about how Taylor’s neck profiles make a player – who is perhaps more used to playing electric guitar then they are acoustic – feel immediately at home and such is the case here. Good looks, good sounds and an easy ride. We really couldn’t ask for much more.
So let’s see what’s cooking with the Builder’s Edition. Obviously, the actual Grand Auditorium body profile is consistent between the two models, but otherwise the changes come thick and fast.
Shamel ash does indeed seem to inhabit the same sonic space as a good mahogany
For starters, there’s the warm look to the Tobacco Kona Sunburst, which gives the guitar a sort of Gibson J-45 kerb appeal, although the sunburst here is perhaps a little more reddish-brown than on a J-45. It’s a good look, but if a sunburst finish is a total dealbreaker for you, then there is a natural finish Builder’s Edition on offer, too.
The top is, as with its sibling, Sitka spruce, but the spec we have available doesn’t disclose if it has been subjected to the torrification process – and it’s darned hard to tell from just the appearance of the wood itself. For the back and sides, Taylor has gone for Shamel ash, another urban timber from trees that are needing removal owing to age or safety concerns.
This particular timber is sourced from West Coast Arborists, a company that specialises in tree maintenance in cities across California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. Taylor tells us that Shamel ash “produces midrange power and balance comparable to Honduran mahogany”, a bold claim, seeing that Honduran mahogany is hailed as a prince among tonewoods.
If it can live up to the claim, this is timber recycling at its finest hour. Under close inspection, the timber has a lively grain pattern similar to that of figured maple, but it’s all but hidden by the dark finish, which, to be honest, is really a bit of a shame.
The Builder’s Edition appointments are more pronounced at the guitar’s body end with chamfered edges, plus mahogany forearm and cutaway bevels, and so playing comfort has been optimised.
The mahogany neck and West African Crelicam ebony fingerboard and bridge are common to this model and its 514ce sidekick, but tuners here have been upscaled to Gotoh 510 Antique Chrome, which offers a little vintage chic to the overall picture.
Onstage duties are managed by Taylor’s proven Expression System 2, but first things first: it’s time to listen to what the upgraded 514ce has to offer acoustically.
Specs
- Price: $3,499/£4,019 (inc case)
- Origin: USA
- Type: Grand Auditorium
- Top: Sitka spruce
- Back/Sides: Shamel ash
- Max Rim Depth: 112mm
- Max Body Width: 402mm
- Neck: Tropical mahogany
- Scale Length: 648mm (25.5”)
- Tuners: Gotoh 510 Antique Chrome with antique chrome buttons
- Nut/Width: Graph Tech Tusq/
44mm - Fingerboard: West African Crelicam ebony
- Frets: 20, medium
- Bridge/Spacing: Ebony/56mm
- Electrics: Expression System 2
- Weight (kg/lb): 2.13/4.7
- Options: Builder’s Edition 514ce in Natural costs £3,899
- Range Options: The Legacy 514ce (£3,899) combines Western red cedar with neo-tropical mahogany, X-bracing and LR Baggs Element VTC electronics
- Left-Handers: No
- Finish: Tobacco Kona Burst gloss
- Contact: Taylor Guitars
Playability and sounds
Once again, Taylor’s super-friendly neck profile offers us a warm welcome on freeing the guitar from its case, the matt finish to the back of the neck aiding smooth sailing up and down the fretboard.
Initial strums reveal a surprise in that Shamel ash does indeed seem to inhabit the same sonic space as a good mahogany; there’s that distinctive dry, woody flavour to open chords.
There’s plenty of midrange punch, too, with volume to spare. Everything from gentle fingerpicking to abandoned chordal strumming is ably catered for, with a bass response that sits in between a dreadnought’s bloom and an OM’s slightly more compressed output.
Generally speaking, the Builder’s Edition is extremely well balanced with no evident peaks or troughs detected during our play test.
The Expression System 2 proves its worth once again when we plugged the guitar into our trusty AER Compact 60 acoustic guitar amp. Despite what might appear to be only scant control over the sound with volume, treble and bass rotaries, everything we needed was there.
With only a very slight amount of tweaking, we were able to conjure up everything from good ol’ rock ’n’ roll to sensitive fingerstyle with no trouble at all.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★½
Okay, so at a price tag that clocks in at just over £4k, this isn’t a purchase that you’d enter into without giving it a lot of thought and a long audition beforehand.
Real quality of this nature rarely comes cheap
But real quality of this nature rarely comes cheap, and when you consider that you’re getting something that runs the gamut of acoustic styles as well as a strum ’n’ go no-fuss pickup system, it’s definitely worth some serious thought.
Guitar World verdict: The red ironbark variation is still out there for as long as stock lasts, and if the frills like a bevelled armrest and chamfered edges don’t bother you, there are probably bargains to be had. It might be a slightly different hue, sonically speaking, but the build and sound quality is all there.
Hands-on videos
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