Taylor Unveils New 300 and 400 Series Models

Taylor has unveiled its new 300 and 400 Series of Grand Auditorium models. The unveiling means that Taylor's much-lauded V-Class bracing system will now be available across the company's entire line of U.S.-made guitars.

From the company: V-Class bracing is a groundbreaking, award winning innovation in acoustic sound that responds with greater musicality and harmonic agreement. By introducing a more orderly vibration to the guitar’s top, V-Class bolsters the volume and sustain to offer players a more dynamic voice to explore, while also resolving the minor intonation issues that players have long had to contend with.

The new V-Class 300 and 400 Series models also feature inlay updates, including the addition of a peghead inlay to help identify them as V-Class guitars.

314ce & 324ce

Within Taylor’s 300 Series, players have a choice of two different V-Class Grand Auditorium models: the 314ce, featuring a solid Sitka spruce top with solid sapele back and sides, and the 324ce, which pairs a solid mahogany top with Tasmanian blackwood back and sides.

Each model has been a popular choice among players, serving as a versatile workhorse that performs reliably well in the practice room, recording studio, and on stage. Powered by V-Class, players will love the enhanced tonal properties, especially the power and consistency of the notes along the entire fretboard.

The sapele/spruce 314ce responds with a balanced and articulate blend of top-end brightness, midrange fullness, and low-end warmth that accommodates an array of playing styles. Appointments include black binding, new Gemstone fretboard/peghead inlays in Italian acrylic and a satin-finish back and sides with a gloss top. The guitar also features a Venetian cutaway and Taylor’s proprietary ES2 electronics. The guitar ships in a deluxe hardshell case. Street Price: $1,999

The cutaway Grand Auditorium 324ce sports a shaded edgeburst mahogany top that projects a rootsy vibe, with plenty of sonic magic under the hood as well. The enhanced volume, sustain and projection of V-Class bracing bring out even more of the natural midrange focus of its Tasmanian blackwood back and sides. While a hardwood mahogany top produces a natural compression that evens out the response across the tonal spectrum, the V-Class design boosts the dynamic range, especially in the upper register.

Featured appointments include black binding with a matching black pickguard, a Gemstone fretboard/peghead inlays in Italian acrylic, and a satin finish that lends to the dusky vintage aesthetic appeal. The guitar ships with ES2 electronics in a deluxe hardshell case. Street Price: $2,199

414ce & 414ce-R

Taylor’s cutaway acoustic/electric Grand Auditorium 414ce has long been a staple of gigging and recreational players thanks to its musical versatility and clean, workmanlike aesthetic. Crafted with back and sides of solid African ovangkol and a solid Sitka spruce top, the V-Class 414ce serves up a mix of powerful midrange frequencies, strong, clear treble notes, and deep yet balanced lows, making this a superb all-around guitar. Fingerpickers, flatpickers and strummers each will find something to love here. Appointments include crisp white binding, Italian acrylic Small Diamond fretboard inlays with an Engraved Diamond peghead inlay, and proprietary ES2 electronics. The guitar ships in a deluxe hardshell case. Street Price: $2,399

The 414ce-R is another popular cutaway Grand Auditorium, thanks in part to the classic wood pairing of solid rosewood and Sitka spruce. Powered by V-Class bracing, rosewood’s full-spectrum voice, known for its rich overtones, takes on an even more pleasing high-fidelity sound that translates into a more expressive response. It makes a fantastic guitar for virtually any application. The appointments strike a tasteful balance between style and restraint, featuring white binding, Renaissance fretboard/peghead inlays in Italian acrylic, and a full-gloss body. The guitar ships with Taylor ES2 electronics in a deluxe hardshell case. Street Price: $2,599

For more on these guitars, head on over to taylorguitars.com.