Taylor Gold Label 817e

A Honduran rosewood slope-shoulder dreadnought with a vintage tonality.

November 5, 2025

Taylor Guitars has had a busy year. No longer waiting for NAMM shows to debut new models, Taylor is introducing instruments throughout the year. They unveiled Gold Label models in January with the Gold Label 814e and Gold Label 814 Koa SB, which expanded Taylor’s tonal palette toward a more traditional flattop voice. The company has since added several other Super Auditoriums as well as Grand Pacific models (see our demo of the impressive Gold Label 717e). Taylor has now applied the Honduran rosewood construction and appointment package that we first saw on the Gold Label 814e to a Grand Pacific, and we had a chance to check out the resulting Gold Label 817e. In this video, Peghead Nation instructor Flynn Cohen and I demo the guitar.

Designed by Andy Powers, Taylor’s Gold Label instruments combine several innovative construction elements with a modified peghead shape and a script logo that create a somewhat retro look. In a way, Gold Labels represent less of the Bob Taylor past and more of the Andy Powers future than any other Taylor acoustics.

The most significant design changes are the guitars’ Fanned V-Class bracing (with six radial braces in the lower bout) and the long-tenon, Action Control neck that allows easy angle adjustment via an accessible bolt at the neck block. Like all Grand Pacifics, the Gold Label 817e’s body shape is based on a slope-shoulder dreadnought. On these Gold Label versions, the body depth has been increased slightly. Combining that with the guitar’s long scale makes for a big, powerful instrument.

At the deluxe end of Taylor’s line, the Gold Label 817e is built with gorgeous woods: The Honduran rosewood has rich color and great-looking accents on the sides. The back is made from four pieces of wood, with two book-matched smaller sections creating a center “wedge” flanked by two larger pieces. The joinery on these sections is masterful; only very close inspection reveals the seams. The Sitka spruce top is also very attractive, with the slightly darkened appearance typical of torrefied tops. As with other Gold Label models, the guitar includes an L.R. Baggs Element pickup system comprising an undersaddle pickup, an endpin-mounted preamp, and a soundhole control unit for volume and tone.

I was impressed with the Gold Label guitars we demoed previously, and I had an idea of what I was hoping the Gold Label 817e would be like. I’m happy to report that it more than met my expectations. It is versatile enough to deliver complex tone when played softly, but its bold personality is best suited for strumming and flatpicking styles. It was great to hear Flynn Cohen flatpicking a tune and also doing some bluegrass and Irish-style backup playing on the guitar.

A Taylor wouldn’t be a Taylor without great playability, and the Gold Label 817e lives up to the company’s reputation in this department, too. Better yet, the guitar’s Action Control neck will make adjustments easy as the instrument’s setup shifts over time.

The Gold Label 817e is a fabulous guitar that will suit players looking for a modern interpretation of vintage flattop sounds. As with other Gold Labels, the guitar is also available in a sunburst finish, and I’d recommend checking one out for yourself.