Taylor 410ce vs. 414ce

JayDawg · #1 05-05-2011, 06:16 PM

Does anyone on here have both these guitars or has played both guitars and of so, can you tell a big difference in sound?

I loved my 2001 Taylor 414ce ltd and went down to Guitar Center this past weekend to play another one. They didn't have any 414ce's but they did have a Taylor 410ce that I really liked but it has been over a year since I stupidly got rid of my Taylor but I don't know how close this guitar sounded like my last one. From my memory, this one seemed to have more of a lower end sound than my 414 did but not in a bad way. I didn't get a chance to hook it up to an amp though because I had a concert that we had to go to next and were running kind of short on time.

leeasam · #2 05-05-2011, 06:46 PM

the new 414CE will sound different too than your 01 did as they have different bracing. Should be more volume and depth and bass.
I used to have an 01 410CE( my first Taylor) If I were to buy a 400 series now I would get a 416CE.Played one a good bit at the store and LOVED it!

smokeynichol · #3 05-05-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayDawg

Does anyone on here have both these guitars or has played both guitars and of so, can you tell a big difference in sound?

I loved my 2001 Taylor 414ce ltd and went down to Guitar Center this past weekend to play another one. They didn't have any 414ce's but they did have a Taylor 410ce that I really liked but it has been over a year since I stupidly got rid of my Taylor but I don't know how close this guitar sounded like my last one. From my memory, this one seemed to have more of a lower end sound than my 414 did but not in a bad way. I didn't get a chance to hook it up to an amp though because I had a concert that we had to go to next and were running kind of short on time.

I recently bought the 410CE-i like it -depends what style of music you play i guess-i'm into country/gospel and it suits me fine-i owned the Tak tan16c previously and i find the Taylor better.

Grimace · #4 05-05-2011, 07:46 PM

I had a 2007 410ce Ltd rosewood and now have a 2009 414ce Ltd rosewood. I've never played the standard editions with ovangkol. I found that the 410, being a dread, had bigger and somewhat deeper sound than the 414. I'm sure this had to do with medium strings on the 410 and lights on the 414. Also the size of the body would lend to more sound. I miss the "bigger" sound of the 410 but the 414 sounds great in it's own way.

I scratched the "bigger sound" issue by recently adding a Martin HD-28 to the fleet!

JayDawg · #5 05-05-2011, 07:47 PM

I am actually going to be re-teaching myself guitar but what I have played in the past is contemporary Christian music in church, rock and some country style of music. I really suck though so it will be me learning all over again to play various styles and chords.

Humulus · #6 05-05-2011, 08:52 PM

It really depends on how you want to play. The 410 will be better for strumming and flatpicking, the 414 will have better definition which might make it better for fingerstyle. The 414 is no slouch for strumming but the dread is designed with a loud deep voice. Plenty of pros play dreads fingerstyle though.

Dreadnoughts are less comfortable to play than GA bodies, especially seated. Thats no small consideration when you consider the hours of practice you will be putting in. Additionally, the GA will have and be set up for light guage strings, while the dread will be set up for mediums. Both will be very uncomfortable to start off, but the lights may be a bit less so later on, and they will be easier to bend. Of course, you could have the dread set up for lights if you want.

I love the way my DN3 sounds, its a big guitar with a BIG sound. I had a very hard time telling the difference between the sapele and ovangkol in trying out the 3 and 4. A couple years later I bought a GC4 precisely to address the size issues I had with the dread. BTW, the x14 GA body is taylors most popular size, for good reason. They are wonderful, versatile guitars.

leeasam · #7 05-05-2011, 09:23 PM

if you can find a 416CE to try - play one. The GS body is very versatile and IMO will take strumming every bit as well or more than the 410CE. Size really is not drastically larger than the 414CE but the sound is WAY bigger. My 816CE covers pretty much anything from fingerstyle to aggressive strumming all equally well. I had a 814CE and like my 2010 816CE the best of ANY Taylor I have owned. That includes several Dread and GA bodied models.

JayDawg · #8 05-05-2011, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeasam

if you can find a 416CE to try - play one. The GS body is very versatile and IMO will take strumming every bit as well or more than the 410CE. Size really is not drastically larger than the 414CE but the sound is WAY bigger. My 816CE covers pretty much anything from fingerstyle to aggressive strumming all equally well. I had a 814CE and like my 2010 816CE the best of ANY Taylor I have owned. That includes several Dread and GA bodied models.

I will do that. I have heard good things about those models too.

jackweasel · #9 05-06-2011, 02:45 AM

I've got a 414 [ovangkol] and a 410ltd [rosewood] and love them both. Bought the 414 first and after a year or two, decided I needed something that would cut through when I'm playing with others and for doing leads on my recordings. Well, I don't play with others anymore [long story] but do use it to record with.
Here's the catch for me: I play the dread for a while and then say to myself "I don't need both of them. I really love this one so I think I'll sell the other one and look for something else." [I need a travel guitar to carry on my bike] So, I put it away and grab the other one. Then I say the same thing about that one. The thing is, they both sound different and for what ever reason, my preference changes depending on my mood and the songs I'm playing. That's why I've still got them both.
Then I break out the 555 12 string......
Here we go again.
BTW, I do agree with the earlier post that the 14 is more comfortable to play sitting down. I keep mediums on both so that doesn't come into play [pardon the pun]. Honestly, my suggestion would be GET BOFUM!

fishstick_kitty · #10 05-06-2011, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeasam

if you can find a 416CE to try - play one. The GS body is very versatile and IMO will take strumming every bit as well or more than the 410CE. Size really is not drastically larger than the 414CE but the sound is WAY bigger. My 816CE covers pretty much anything from fingerstyle to aggressive strumming all equally well. I had a 814CE and like my 2010 816CE the best of ANY Taylor I have owned. That includes several Dread and GA bodied models.

+1 for this...416 body sounds awesome and it really does feel like a 414 body for the most part (I have owned a 414 also).

Good luck

edward993 · #11 05-06-2011, 09:00 AM

Yup, ya gotta try out both a 410 and 416. I own the former (and dig it a bunch), and would like to try the latter but I never have found one on anyone's wall!! But owning and having owned other GS bods, I think the ovankol+GS combo is a real winner.

A dred is a different animal, IMHO ...a bigger step away from a GA than is a GS. The wider waist foreces the body to sit higher up if you play seated (though standing is irrelevant between the two). And IMHO, the tone is "further away" from a GA than is a GS: the latter being more like a GA with added bottom ooomph (at least to what I've compared with the GS in 5, 7, and 8 series). Whereas the 410 really has a more different voice, like a dred "should be" with more mids and mid-bottoms, but Taylors are absent the Martin "boomy" bottom so in that respect, it is a bit of the "un-dred" drednaught (have I confused the point enough

). Which means ya gotta go find both (good luck as I just dont see a bunch of folks stocking GS bods to test drive). But all told, I'd prefer either to the 414, personally.

Edward