2014 814ce

Very clean Taylor 814ce with natural top, cutaway, 

From the 2014 Catalogue: 

"Taylor’s flagship rosewood/spruce series has been completely reconceived for 2014 in celebration of Taylor’s 40th anniversary year, and showcases a comprehensive array of tonal enhancements that uniquely optimize the tone profile of each body shape. Voicing refinements include custom-calibrated bracing and wood thicknesses for each shape; protein glues that enhance the tonal transfer; thinner finish to reduce the tonal dampening on the wood; and customized string sets for the Grand Concert and Grand Auditorium. Among the fresh aesthetic strokes are rosewood purfling, which outlines the top and frames the abalone rosette; a rosewood pickguard; our new Element fretboard inlay; and a smoky ebony fretboard. Inside and out, the new 800 Series reaffirms Taylor’s ongoing commitment to improving the acoustic experience with better-playing, better-sounding guitars."

"Grand Auditorium Models: 814(ce) Tonal Enhancement: More warmth and a looser, more luxurious low end

"The Grand Auditorium is really special to me because the 814ce is the quintessential modern acoustic guitar. It’s about the same width as the Dreadnought, but it has a much curvier shape, so its response is completely different. To me it’s the ultimate general-purpose guitar — you can play fingerstyle on it, play jazz on it, you might play some bluegrass on it, you can strum it in front of a band, you can support a singer, you can write songs on it, you can use it anywhere you use an acoustic guitar. With these things in mind, I wanted something that had a huge range of possible expression; if I were to take one guitar to a gig to cover a variety of different styles, it would be this GA. It’s got the balance, warmth and articulation that I want for a fingerstyle guitar. It has the punch I need to front a band if I’m strumming chords. It has enough top-end power that I could even play lead in a bluegrass band, yet there is enough overall warmth and sweetness that I could play a ballad that my young son could fall asleep to, as the notes don’t have any sharp edges or any shrill, nasally spots. What players will probably notice first in this new version is a little more maturity in the midrange. It sounds warmer and older, like an 814 that’s been played a long time. I use the word “older” quite a bit to describe the sound because I’m comparing it to many older vintage guitars I’ve listened to. It’s got a loose but powerful low register that doesn’t feel constricted. "