Taylor expression systen 2 new preamp?

[Kinda Old]

Forgive me if this question has been asked before but I've heard that Taylor has made changes to the original ES2 preamp. The result is to make it a bit less hot and more pleasing to the ear. Is this true? And can my Taylor dealer install this new preamp?

Thanks for any replies.

[Herb Hunter]

I’m aware of significant differences between the various versions of the original Expression System preamplifier and the Expression System 2 preamplifier but have not yet heard of a newer iteration of the latter.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Kinda Old

Forgive me if this question has been asked before but I've heard that Taylor has made changes to the original ES2 preamp. The result is to make it a bit less hot and more pleasing to the ear. Is this true? And can my Taylor dealer install this new preamp?

Thanks for any replies.

A perusal of an online dealer's Guitar Gallery and its Taylor GS Mini-e Koa models reveals that somewhere between June 20, 2017 and June 28, 2017, Taylor introduced a side-mount ES2 Preamp with tuner. Fortunately, I don't see this side-mount ES2 preamp with tuner being introduced on 300 Series and up models given the serial numbers of what I've viewed from the same time period.

[guitaniac]

Interesting. First they go back to a piezo pickup system. Now they're bringing back a mini barn door control panel. (Perhaps we should call it a shed door.) If they're going to bring back the barn door control panel, it would seem like they may as well make it big enough for a moderately complete set of controls. Volume knob, phase inversion switch, three band EQ with a sweepable midrange and a tuner would be nice.

Martin, for their part, has recently started offering an LR Baggs Anthem option for some of their models. The acoustic-electric guitar world seems to be as much in flux as everything else.

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by guitaniac

Interesting. First they go back to a piezo pickup system. Now they're bringing back a mini barn door control panel. (Perhaps we should call it a shed door.) If they're going to bring back the barn door control panel, it would seem like they may as well make it big enough for a moderately complete set of controls. Volume knob, phase inversion switch, three band EQ with a sweepable midrange and a tuner would be nice.

Martin, for their part, has recently started offering an LR Baggs Anthem option for some of their models. The acoustic-electric guitar world seems to be as much in flux as everything else.

The shed-door control panel is intended only for the entry-level, laminated guitars. I would think keeping the price of such guitars low enough precludes adding a complete set of controls.

[martingitdave]

My understanding is that, yes, they quietly changed the ES2 pre-amp in 2017 to be lower output and the voicing is a little different. Evidently, this was in response to customer requests. The changes are subtle and frankly I don't think worth the hassle of changing. Just turn your ES2 down a bit. I quite liked the 2016 version better.

[HotRodx14]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

My understanding is that, yes, they quietly changed the ES2 pre-amp in 2017 to be lower output and the voicing is a little different. Evidently, this was in response to customer requests. The changes are subtle and frankly I don't think worth the hassle of changing. Just turn your ES2 down a bit. I quite liked the 2016 version better.

I had a lot of feedback issues with my 614ce. Apparently the lower gain of the updated preamp helps address issues like I was having.

[guitaniac]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

The shed-door control panel is intended only for the entry-level, laminated guitars. I would think keeping the price of such guitars low enough precludes adding a complete set of controls.

Keeping the cost down might be one good reason.

Another good reason might be that they wouldn't want to offer a cheaper and more stage-ready (with respect to electronics) alternative to the more expensive models with the traditional ES controls. I suspect that a lot of folks might prefer the greater functionality of a more complete control panel over the less obtrusive appearance of the traditional ES controls. Those folks would have one more reason to opt for a cheaper model when choosing a gigging guitar.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by guitaniac

Keeping the cost down might be one good reason.

Another good reason might be that they wouldn't want to offer a cheaper and more stage-ready (with respect to electronics) alternative to the more expensive models with the traditional ES controls. I suspect that a lot of folks might prefer the greater functionality of a more complete control panel over the less obtrusive appearance of the traditional ES controls. Those folks would have one more reason to opt for a cheaper model when choosing a gigging guitar.

This post probably answers the OP perfectly.

Nothing to add myself, but lacking a Like button, quoting is the only way of noting approval.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by HotRodx14

I had a lot of feedback issues with my 614ce. Apparently the lower gain of the updated preamp helps address issues like I was having.

That makes a lot of sense! Is the new one working for you?

[ii Cybershot ii]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

My understanding is that, yes, they quietly changed the ES2 pre-amp in 2017 to be lower output and the voicing is a little different. Evidently, this was in response to customer requests. The changes are subtle and frankly I don't think worth the hassle of changing. Just turn your ES2 down a bit. I quite liked the 2016 version better.

Interesting, this might explain why my 2017 Taylor is so darn quiet!

[Cochese]

Lower gain. That doesn't make sense.the system is not that hot.

[guitaniac]

Here's the info page for the new ES-B system (ES2 transducers with a side mount preamp). This one operates on a 6v power supply, so it very likely does have a lower output than the 9v system.

https://www.taylorguitars.com/guitar...ectronics/es-b