Sponsored By
 
Taylor 514ce
 
Taylor’s mahogany and cedar grand auditorium now features V-Class bracing.
June 18, 2018

As Taylor’s only standard guitar model that has always had a cedar top, the Taylor 514ce occupies a special place in the company’s line of guitars. Taylor aficionados know that the guitar is a direct descendant of one of Taylor’s 20th anniversary models, which combined a grand auditorium body with mahogany back and sides and a cedar top and became a favorite with fingerstyle players who appreciated its quick response, warm tonality, and balanced tone. The 514ce has received various tweaks over the years, but this year’s switch to Taylor’s new V-Class bracing, which features two long braces forming a “V” shape from each side of the soundhole to a point at the end block, is the first significant upgrade to the model since the introduction of the NT neck around 2000. I had a chance to check out a new 514ce in the Peghead Nation video studio.

Our demo guitar’s mahogany back and sides featured beautiful grain and rich color. The top was on the lighter end of the color spectrum for western red cedar and could have easily been mistaken for darkened spruce. Taylor’s 500 series has always had modest appointments, and the 514ce will appeal to players who prefer a simple design. The guitar has tortoise-style binding on the body, a black-and-white rosette with a tortoise center strip, and Taylor’s “century” position markers in the ebony fretboard. An extension of the century design in the peghead overlay is the only slightly extravagant touch. Like all the new Taylors with V-Class bracing, the guitar has a black nut and a label signed by Taylor designer Andy Powers.

Playing the 514ce, it immediately became clear that this latest version of the guitar has retained the qualities that made the model a classic. It had an ultra-quick response and developed a warm sound without much effort. The overall character was bright, but the guitar also had a solid bass, which helped give the guitar a full sound for solo performances. When I plugged it into a Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge, the instrument’s ES2 pickup delivered remarkably similar qualities in an amplified setting.

There’s a good reason the 514ce has a solid place in Taylor’s catalog, and the current version is a welcome refinement of a winning concept. Anyone looking for a great fingerstyle guitar with a balanced, powerful sound should give the 514ce a try.

SPECS: Grand auditorium body with cutaway. Solid western red cedar top. V-Class bracing. Solid tropical mahogany back and sides. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale. 1¾-inch nut width. Chrome tuning machines. Expression System 2 electronics. Made in USA. $2,699 street. Taylorguitars.com

 

Related New Gear Posts
 

Taylor 400 Series

Taylor updates its popular mid-level line with sunburst finishes and a completely new Grand Pacific version.

Read More

 

Taylor American Dream Sunburst Series

A trio of guitars in Grand Theater, Grand Concert, and Grand Pacific sizes.

Read More

 

Taylor Academy Series 20e and 22e

New versions of Taylor’s popular entry-level models feature walnut construction.

Read More

 

Taylor 514ce

A completely revamped Taylor classic built with urban red ironbark wood.

Read More

 

Taylor 512ce

A new take on a Taylor classic, using urban red ironbark wood.

Read More

 

Taylor 724ce

A new all-koa grand auditorium that’s part of the revamped 700 series.

Read More

 

Taylor 722ce

A revamped 700-series grand concert now features Hawaiian koa wood.

Read More

 

Taylor GTe Blacktop

A Grand Theater model built with walnut and spruce and featuring a black top finish.

Read More

 

Taylor GTe Mahogany

An all-mahogany version of Taylor’s compact Grand Theater

Read More

 

Taylor GT 611e LTD

A gorgeous Grand Theater–size guitar built with maple and spruce.

Read More

 
Sponsored By
 
 
 
Peghead Partners
 
Eight New Dreadnoughts | Martin Guitar
Aged Authentics, StreetLegend, and satin-finished models to be introduced at NAMM.
 
 
 
 
 
  Follow Us:  
 
  About Us       Shop         Support         Contact Us         Email Sign up         Advertise         Sitemap         FAQ         Privacy         Terms         Subscribe   Sign In  
 
    ● Courses
    ● Live Workshops
    ● Instructors
    ● Sample Lessons
    ● Notation Guide
    ● For Beginners
 
    ● Workshops
    ● Advice
    ● Repertoire
 
    ● Vintage Vault
    ● New Gear
    ● Fine Lutherie
 
    ● Recordings
    ● Events
    ● Breaking News
 
    ● In The Studio
    ● Live Onstage
    ● Backroom
 
    ● New Products
    ● Inside Look
    ● Performances
    ● Partner Pages
 
 
© Copyright 2020 PegheadNation.com
 
 
    ● Courses
    ● Live Workshops
    ● Instructors
    ● Sample Lessons
    ● Notation Guide
    ● For Beginners
 
 
    ● Vintage Vault
    ● New Gear
    ● Fine Lutherie
 
 
    ● Workshops
    ● Advice
    ● Repertoire
 
 
    ● Recordings
    ● Events
    ● Breaking News
 
 
    ● In The Studio
    ● Live Onstage
    ● Backroom
 
 
    ● New Products
    ● Inside Look
    ● Performances
    ● Partner Pages
 
 
© Copyright 2020 PegheadNation.com