Taylor Builders’ Edition 514ce

A great variation on a Taylor classic, built with urban shamel ash and Sitka spruce.

May 22, 2025

The grand auditorium-sized 514ce was introduced in the mid-1990s, and soon became an iconic Taylor model. A particular favorite with fingerstyle players, the 514ce was originally built with mahogany back and sides and a cedar top. When Taylor revamped its entire 500 series in 2020, the updated version included urban red ironbark back and sides and a torrefied Sitka spruce top (you can check out our demo of that guitar here). Earlier this year, Taylor reintroduced the original 514ce as part of its X-braced Legacy series. With this Builder’s Edition model, there are now three variations of the 514. In this video, I demo the guitar in the Peghead Nation studio.

Guided by Taylor’s chief designer, CEO, and president Andy Powers, the Builders Edition guitars share a common set of aesthetics and construction features such as V-Class bracing. In the case of the Builder’s Edition 514ce, Taylor is using wood sourced from urban trees. Taylor partnered with West Coast Arborists several years ago to explore the viability of using trees growing in urban areas near the company’s San Diego, California home base. Taylor now uses red ironbark on the standard version of the 514ce and shamel ash on the Builder’s Edition 514ce. According to Taylor, shamel ash has tonal characteristics comparable to mahogany. The wood also has an attractive figure, although on our demo guitar it was partially hidden by a dark finish. The Sitka spruce top is available with either a natural and a Kona burst finish. The burst on our demo model has a lovely orange-brown color scheme. Like other Builder’s Edition grand auditoriums, the guitar includes an armrest bevel and a beveled cutaway, and the body has “chamfered” edges, making it remarkably comfortable to hold. Appointments include a faux-pearl rosette, compass fingerboard inlays, and a firestripe pickguard. The guitar uses Gotoh 510 tuners, its bridge has the modified Builder’s Edition shape, and it includes Taylor’s own ES2 pickup system.

Taylors are renowned for their playability, and every Builder’s Edition that I’ve tried supports that reputation. With the bevels, rounded edges, and easy-playing setup, the Builder’s Edition 514ce was a joy to explore. The guitar’s relatively neutral tonality was responsive and clear in a range of playing styles. Jazz chords sounded crisp and articulate, strumming had a slightly compressed definition, polyphonic fingerstyle playing had great separation between voices, and single-note lines impressed with the accurate intonation that V-Class braced Taylors are known for. In other words, the guitar is a precise tool that excels at doing what it is asked to do.

At a time when Taylor is also exploring more traditional sounds with its Gold Label and Legacy models, the Builder’s Edition collection offers modern tonality and contemporary looks. And Taylor’s efforts to use more sustainable tonewoods makes the guitar all the more appealing.