Taylor 314ce Studio and 414ce Studio

Two simplified versions of popular Taylor grand auditoriums offer great performance at a lower cost.

April 23, 2025

Taylor’s 300- and 400-series guitars have long been the entry point for the company’s guitars built in its El Cajon, California, factory (the 200 series and below are built in Taylor’s factory in Tecate, Mexico). In 2020, Taylor introduced the American Dream series, which offered even greater value by streamlining the design to save cost in production while keeping the fundamental Taylor construction elements in place. Now, Taylor has come out with “Studio” versions of its popular 314ce and 414ce grand auditorium guitars that incorporate similar construction simplifications, resulting in significantly lower prices. I recently had a chance to check out both guitars in the Peghead Nation studio, and in this video, I play them back-to-back and talk about what distinguishes them.

The standard 314ce and 414ce are already high-value instruments, so the question is how did Taylor trim manufacturing costs enough to shave $500 and $800 off the list prices of each model to create the Studios? Impressively, it’s fair to say that none of the changes significantly impacts the tone or overall quality of the guitars. Both guitars have the same back and sides woods—sapele for the 314, Indian rosewood for the 414—as the regular models, and the torrefied Sitka spruce tops of the Studios could even be considered to be an upgrade from the standard models, which have regular Sitka spruce tops. The quality of the materials on our demo guitars is indistinguishable from the many 300 and 400 series Taylors I’ve seen. In terms of construction, the biggest difference is that the Studios don’t have binding on either the body or the neck. As on the American Dream guitars, the tops and backs are glued flush to the sides and reinforced with kerfing on the inside, and the tops’ black-and-white purfling along the perimeter gives a visual impression of light-colored binding, making them look less “plain” than instruments with similar construction. Simpler rosettes and position markers also distinguish the Studios from their familiar cousins, and Taylor includes a high-quality structured gig bag rather than a hardshell case. Both guitars include Taylor’s V-Class bracing, ES2 electronics, and full-gloss finishes, with sunburst tops as an option. One significant difference that separates the Studios from the standard models is that the necks are slightly narrower, measuring 1¹¹/₁₆ inches rather than 1¾ inches.

Standard Taylor 314ce and 414ces are ubiquitous, and they have a well-deserved reputation for being great working-musicians’ instruments with great playability and tone that rivals much more expensive Taylors. Our two Studio demo versions easily met my expectations. Both instruments have the tonal clarity, balance, and versatility that Taylor’s grand auditoriums are famous for. The 414ce was noticeably richer in the lower mids and bass register, while the 314ce was brighter and its dynamics were a touch more immediate. These are exactly the differences I would expect between a rosewood and a sapele (which has sonic qualities similar to mahogany) guitar, and personal preference is bound to be the deciding factor if you’re choosing between the two guitars. The instruments’ necks feel a little narrower than Taylor’s more typical necks, but even though I typically prefer a width of 1¾ inches, I didn’t find these necks overly skinny. For some players, a US-made Taylor grand auditorium with a narrower neck may be a welcome option.

The 314ce studio and 414ce Studio are great additions to Taylor’s line. The guitars’ simplified construction has no impact on their sound, making them excellent choices for working musicians or anyone looking for a bona-fide Taylor vibe at an affordable price.