Taylor 214ce vs 814ce

[Jerry D]

Good point, Captaincranky. Seems like MIA means American workers, are, more and more, Missing In Action.

[TaylorJoe]

Hi there, Just agreeing with Rev Roy and the others, its really up to your experience of the tone and playability, I love my 814ce. It's without a doubt the best guitar I've ever played. But I also love my 514ce, same shape, different wood combo's very different tone to my ear. Would not swop either.

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by TaylorJoe

Would not swop either.

Swop?

[TaylorJoe]

Hi Jerry, I meant I reckon these two particular Taylors are keepers for me[emoji6] I may buy another guitar someday but it will take a lot to convince me to part with these[emoji3]


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[rabbuhl]

I mostly play electric and have a few of those including a Tele and several LPs, and Strats. My range for those was between $700 and $3000. My most expensive electric is a LP Custom Shop. I use my 214ce once a week at a local jam session a few songs. I just need something to plug into the PA and which makes a halfway decent sound. The 214ce has served this purpose well. However, it did sound a bit bright through the PA the other day. I had the 214ce checked out and it seems the PA at the jam session is the more the culprit. I would someday like to own a solid body acoustic/electric and that is why I checked out the 814ce. I did not play the 814ce through a PA so I cannot say whether the ES-2 sounds better than the ES-T on the 214ce. The 814ce is a nicer guitar than the 214ce but I cannot justify the extra cost. Maybe the 314ce is a better solution for me just to get a solid body Taylor with the ES-2. I also like the GS Mini-e (RW and KOA) and have thought about one of those instead because of the portability. I have read the GS Mini is not well-intonated up and down the neck and with a capo. Choices, choices, ...

[David Chavez]

The 814ce will need more care since it is all solid wood. I would hope you get the newest one with the crazy new bracing. Tone/playablity you should feel a kind of the difference from the moment you pick it up to play but it will feel far more dramatic once you play it for a month then want to switch back to the 200. I've seen a lot of people sell there 800 series taylor cause they counldnt justify keeping something so expensive that does not get a lot of play time. The positive of a all solid wood is that it gets better with age. If treated with care and knowing that the type of finish taylor uses (more durable then martins but affects tone) it should out last your life hence has the ability to be passed down to your children. If you are buying new and your budget is in the $3000 I say get the 800 series with the new braces or get a 800 series taylor in the 1990's that does not have the NT neck. If you spend enough time and bargain enough you can get a used 900 series for $3000 or even a R taylor! I will also advice you to look at martins D18ge and anything that is 000 or OM. Buy if you can afford it. But honesty remember once you upgrade it makes it extremely hard to down grade and if you buy new expect to lose about $1000 or more when you want to resell in less then 10 years. Money to value if you play your cards right you can get something that can be worth more in the future (get the 1990's taylor for that). But is the $2500 gap worth the difference in tone? God no the average person (people who dont play any instruments) can not tell a difference until the gap is in the $4000 and above.

[rabbuhl]

High-end guitars are nice. However, I am not that comfortable showing up with a $3000 guitar to a gig or jam session. So, maybe a 314ce is the best choice for me or a GS Mini-e.

[Guitar1083]

the 500 series is lowest i would go in the series

[broken thumb]

I a/b tested my 314ce against a 214ce. The 214 was nice, but the 314 is superior in feel and tone, both plugged in and unplugged. I also prefer the 1.75" neck on the 314.

I prefer to show up to a gig or jam with a nice guitar - my nicer guitars sound better than my cheapies.

[rabbuhl]

I am going to try a 314ce to see how it feels.

[Guitar1083]

Originally Posted by rabbuhl

I am going to try a 314ce to see how it feels.

not for nothing for $300 more you can own a 514 skip right over the 400 series

[Kinda Old]

Originally Posted by rabbuhl

I read the latest Wood & Steel magazine from Taylor. They described Indian Rosewood as having a full-range acoustic voice. So, naturally, I had to try out a 814ce to see how it compared with my 214ce. The 814ce was nice and I was surprised the 814ce was so light. The formula for both guitars seemed to be the same. The 814ce was basically a 214ce made with better wood and electronics. However, I am not sure I could justify spending an extra $2500 for the 814ce over the 214ce. Is it worth it? What else compares to the 814ce in that price range?

Sometimes the difference between very good and excellent isn't all that much but the amount of time, effort and cost of materials it takes to make that difference in a product is a great deal. There are some advantages to having plywood back and sides. It's more durable and more resistant to humidity changes.

[j3ffr0]

The OP might like a 31s. Last year I had the green light from my wife to get a new 814. I really wanted to like those guitars and I do, but I find like the 314 very well too. I found the 314 I bought with the ES1r3 to sound better plugged in than the ES2. The 814 was a little better unplugged, but not by a factor of 2. I'm still quite happy with my 314.

Of course the 314s now come with the ES2, so there will be no discernible difference between 314 and 814 plugged in.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by j3ffr0

... there will be no discernible difference between 314 and 814 plugged in.

This is where I have to confess ignorance. You'll notice neither my 814 or 214 have a "c" or "e" after them. They are pure, classic acoustics. Like all the guitars I've owned. So I have no idea how they would sound plugged in. I know these two sound significantly different when played...both sound great, but the 814 sounds far richer and more complex.

...but I'm not sure my experience is of much worth to those of you who primarily play plugged in.

[ZealotsRUs]

They have completely different pick up systems so it's not really fair in that regard..


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