Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
With the Taylor 314CE Artist Cutaway.
I just spent the past hour with this beauty locked inside the small acoustic sound room at Guitar Center. I am just blown away by this guitar. I am SO glad that I didn't pull the trigger on that Ovation Anniversary, or one of the Dean Acoustics I've been looking at.
The tone of the 314 is bright, but not thin. Rich, but not bassy. Full, but not midrangey. Very complex. It was strung with Elixer's. I tried all of the Taylor range, from the $2600 models all the way down to the budget models....nothing came close. I also tried the nicest Martins on the wall, as well as Washburns, Takamine's, top end Ovations.....nothing compared. The Takamine's were nice, but the highs seems to thin, and the bass too boomy. The Martins were also nice, but I didn't like the feel of the necks, and the tone was slightly too dark for me, not alive enough if you will. The Martins didn't seem to "project" the tone for me in the same way as the 314. Each note within the chord on the 314 seems to ring out with it's own complexities, while not diminishing the whole.
It's all personal taste, but for me the Taylor hit the home run. Now I'm not the most gifted acoustic player, not even close, but I tend to judge acoustics on the tone's of some of my favorite tunes. Tequilla Sunrise, the intro to Love Song by Tesla, More Than Words and Hole Hearted by Extreme, and an old acoustic version of Willin that I heard many years ago, and don't know by whom...I don't believe it was Little Feat, but I could be wrong.
Anyhow, when playing acoustics, I generally find that one model will sound good for certain songs, but not quite right for others. The Taylor spoke to me on each and every song. It also played as effortlessly as any acoustic I've ever played. I didn't feel like I had to fight it one bit.
This is my next purchase. I've been talking about a custom Heritage order, wanting a Gibson LP, a Tele...all kinds of things. I've realized that I'm depriving myself musically by not having a great acoustic. $1500 will be as much as I have ever spent on any guitar, electric or acoustic....but it will be well worth it. All other GAS related items are on hold until I own the Taylor 314.
I just spent the past hour with this beauty locked inside the small acoustic sound room at Guitar Center. I am just blown away by this guitar. I am SO glad that I didn't pull the trigger on that Ovation Anniversary, or one of the Dean Acoustics I've been looking at.
The tone of the 314 is bright, but not thin. Rich, but not bassy. Full, but not midrangey. Very complex. It was strung with Elixer's. I tried all of the Taylor range, from the $2600 models all the way down to the budget models....nothing came close. I also tried the nicest Martins on the wall, as well as Washburns, Takamine's, top end Ovations.....nothing compared. The Takamine's were nice, but the highs seems to thin, and the bass too boomy. The Martins were also nice, but I didn't like the feel of the necks, and the tone was slightly too dark for me, not alive enough if you will. The Martins didn't seem to "project" the tone for me in the same way as the 314. Each note within the chord on the 314 seems to ring out with it's own complexities, while not diminishing the whole.
It's all personal taste, but for me the Taylor hit the home run. Now I'm not the most gifted acoustic player, not even close, but I tend to judge acoustics on the tone's of some of my favorite tunes. Tequilla Sunrise, the intro to Love Song by Tesla, More Than Words and Hole Hearted by Extreme, and an old acoustic version of Willin that I heard many years ago, and don't know by whom...I don't believe it was Little Feat, but I could be wrong.
Anyhow, when playing acoustics, I generally find that one model will sound good for certain songs, but not quite right for others. The Taylor spoke to me on each and every song. It also played as effortlessly as any acoustic I've ever played. I didn't feel like I had to fight it one bit.
This is my next purchase. I've been talking about a custom Heritage order, wanting a Gibson LP, a Tele...all kinds of things. I've realized that I'm depriving myself musically by not having a great acoustic. $1500 will be as much as I have ever spent on any guitar, electric or acoustic....but it will be well worth it. All other GAS related items are on hold until I own the Taylor 314.
