Newbie with opinions on guitars in general but Taylors in specific

[RefrigRaider]

Originally Posted by ctvolfan

Hello, I have read this forum on and off for years and finally have a question . . . .clipped . . . Sorry to ramble. Thanks!

Originally Posted by 6L6

I’ve been through a number of high end Taylor’s over the years.

They are now all gone but a pair of 110’s and a 210 remain. To me the bottom end Taylor’s are the best sounding instruments they make.

You're not alone or crazy ctvolfan Many people, including myself and 6L6 here, like the sound and feel of the "lower" end Taylors more than more expensive instruments. I cannot find a guitar locally that's for sale that matches my 110e. I would keep your new 700 series for a while, see if she grows on you, and take some of the suggestions mentioned above - strings and setup in particular. But if it doesn't fit you, it doesn't fit you. One thing to think about is the fact that "low end" Taylors are actually quite good.

[mischultz]

Funny. A local CL ad errs in the opposite factual direction and suggests that Taylor’s solid wood lines begin at the 400 series, lowering the 3 rather than elevating the 2.

I’ll echo what everyone else has said. Mirror the strings and setup so that you can discern clearly the differences in personality. If you can embrace/appreciate that rosewood and cedar occupy a separate space, great. If not, that’s also great since you’ve identified, not necessarily spruce and sapele, but at a minimum that tonal target as the one that fits what you’re aiming to accomplish.

[The Bard Rocks]

In addition to the good advice others have given, let me suggest that part of this is simply your familiarity with the 214. In other words, if it doesn't feel and sound like your 214, it isn't "right".

It doesn't cost you anything now to hang on it it. You don't lose a cent if you keep it. Do that long enough to get it broken in a bit and become more familiar with it, it's sound and it's feel. Find out which of your songs it does best on.

When this months-long process is done and if you are still not happy, then you can think about selling. Be sure to take excellent care of it so you can maximize your return should you decide after all that you wish to sell. My bet is you won't.

[Jim in TC]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

Did you have a setup done on the 714ce? It can solve a lot of playability issues. Have you tried some different strings? A different pick? Cheap things you can try before giving up and taking the haircut...

Ditto to this! Taylor is known for good setup from the factory, but that doesn't mean that a little work for little money wouldn't make a big difference. The tech near me charges $30 for a setup, though you could put as much as double that or more depending, and it made my GS Mini a better guitar. Or maybe the place you bought it will just help you out...

[fuman]

I gotta tell you . . . I own a Taylor now. But back in the early 21st century, I moved to a new town with a nice local Taylor dealership (they've since lost the franchise). They had a LOT of Taylors, and I played a bunch of 'em. They 214 was a brand new model then. I thought it was the best-sounding Taylor they had and was sorely tempted. I didn't much care for the 514CE, 614CE, 714CE or 314CE. Eventually, I bought something else, but it was a close call on the 214. The only other x14 Taylor I've ever played that I truly loved was the lower-end koa limiteds they ran in the late 1990s.

The U.S.-made 214s are a great value, but I even like the import 214CE's better than the more expensive U.S.-made GA's. I think when people talk about the "Taylor sound," it's those models, and they just don't do it for me. It has to be a matter of personal taste because they sell a TON of them. I don't even like the re-voiced 614 or 814 that I have played. The x12's, on the other hand, and almost any GS (the model I own) are giving me constant GAS.

[der Geist]

Lots of grid advice here. I just purchased a 714ce last month. I tried one out at Sam Ash and it sounded "OK" until the salesman brought down an 814ce. Compared to the 814 the 714 sounded a little flat or muddy. They wanted 3199 and 3499 respectively with no haggle so I decided to wait. I came across a NAMM display model that was so gorgeous and the price was so good I decided to take a chance on it. I am glad that I did, i personally prefer it to the 814 which I did not think would ever be possible. The 714 I bought is night and day from the one I tried. I got a proper set up on it, had the action lowered a bit and put new strings on it. It is the first guitar that I go to every day. Invest a bit more in it and give it a chance. I think that if you follow the advice here you will end up being very happy with it.

[ataylor]

As someone who also owns a 200 series guitar made in 2005 — a 210, also the original owner — count me as not surprised you’re finding it as good as or better than its more expensive siblings. The early 200s were and still are fantastic guitars at any price point.

I purchased the 210 over the 310 when I bought it, as it just had a more dynamic sound and a better overall feel for me at that point. Today, the 1.75” nut width on the 310 might have made it more of a contender. I think the bracing is slightly different on these older 200 series guitars, and the lining is a ribbon style, rather than kerfing, which I think contributes to the lighter weight and more crisp, dynamic tone.

A year or so later, I found a deal on a 410 that I convinced myself I needed, so I sold the 210 to a friend, and bought the 410. It wasn’t 24 hours before I realized I’d made a huge mistake. The shop was kind enough to let me return the guitar with a small fee, and my friend was also forgiving of my mistake and said he figured I’d want the guitar back. He ended up with a very nice 310.

Another friend owns a 510 from about the same era and I much prefer the 210. I’ve also played a handful of other Taylor dreadnoughts in the years since, across several of the different series configurations, and I’ve yet to play something I like as much as or more than the humble 210. I’m very curious to see what Taylor’s V-bracing does to something like the 310.

In any case, these older 200 series Taylors punch above their weight class, so it’s not that the 714 isn’t a wonderful guitar, it’s just that your 214 is that good. That said, I think the suggestions of giving the newer guitar a bit more of a chance are good. You may yet find yourself warming up to its different flavor. But if you ultimately decide it’s not for you, you might look at either a Taylor with a different body shape, similar to the 320 you mentioned, or a different brand, such as a Martin.

The good news is you know you have at least one guitar that is a keeper — anything else is icing on the cake!

[L20A]

Something to consider with the new guitar.

It has an under the saddle pickup. These pickups can take away some of the guitars acoustic sound.
So can a cutaway.
You got this guitar to play plugged in.
That is where it will shine.

You have two different guitars that will cover all of your playing needs.
Enjoy them both for what they are.

[Mycroft]

Are they not backed by two different tonewoods? Sapele vs Rosewood, or some such? If so, then they are SUPPOSE to sound different. You may have gotten so use to the 214 that, to you, the 714 just sounds WRONG.

I agree, get a setup done to address the playability issues. Try some different strings. And see if you can embrace the difference.

[BlueCajun]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Second thought: TONERITE. I was lent one and was impressed enough with the initial treatment to buy my own. My Taylor 614ce (2011), after about 200 hours with the Tonerite had an amazing transformation. Before the Tonerite it was ok, but I longed for an 800 series guitar and bought one. I put my 614 up for sale. And then something surprising happened... It changed so radically that I could actually put Elixir strings on it and like them (a lot). My 614 is no longer for sale and while I previously would have traded up to a new 614 or 818 or 914... not any more. The difference was startling. It is important to note that three of my guitars have had many hours of the Tonerite process and all have improved, but not as drastically as the 614. You won't know until you try. As a new guitar it should open up at least marginally. . Again, only a $100 investment.

Thanks for posting this. I'd never heard of Tonerite until now. Out of curiosity, have you tried it with electrics as well? If so, did you notice any improvement there?

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Are they not backed by two different tonewoods? Sapele vs Rosewood, or some such? If so, then they are SUPPOSE to sound different. You may have gotten so use to the 214 that, to you, the 714 just sounds WRONG.

The top and obvious answer. The OP PREFERS the sound of Sapele/Mahogany over Rosewood.

You should have bought a D18...

[HodgdonExtreme]

Life is too short to play uninspiring guitars!

Either hang onto the 714, experiment with it and see if it grows on you...

...or...

Move it down the road and hope for better luck next time.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

CT, what I recommend is that you simply not worry about it, not for now, anyway. There have been a number of times where I've gotten a new guitar (or mandolin, or banjo, or mountain dulcimer,) and while I can tell it's a good quality instrument, for whatever reason I don't immediately take to it.

But what has often happened is that after a while, I've come to appreciate what it has to offer.

A lot of what you're going through is simply a matter of familiarity. You've done a great deal of your developmental playing and learning on your older Taylor. The new one doesn't sound or play the same, because it doesn't respond to your right hand attack the same way as your old guitar.

Which is because it ISN'T your old guitar.

Now, it may be that you got a mediocre example of a 714CE. That can - and occasionally does - happen. But it's equally likely that you just haven't learned how to coax the tone out of it yet. It doesn't respond just like the old guitar, so part of your job as its new owner is to figure out how to modify your right hand attack to pull the best tone out of it.

Because that IS an issue with acoustic guitars. They work in a mechanical way where the energy of the strings vibrating gets transferred to the top. But one acoustic guitar top can easily be quite different from the next. Nothing about playing acoustic guitar is "one size fits all"; sometimes guitars act very differently from each other.

So my suggestion is that you woodshed and dedicate a certain percentage of your practice time working with your 714CE, trying to plumb the depths of its mysteries.

You know what? The more you do that, the better it will start to sound. Because you'll be subconsciously adapting your grip and where exactly between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard you strum or pick the strings. Because even something as seemingly minor as a quarter inch one direction or the other along a string can have a remarkable impact on how the guitar sounds. The problem might just be that this new guitar has a different "sweet spot" where it sounds its best than your old one's sweet spot.

Since you've spent the money, you owe it to yourself and to the guitar to dig a little deeper and consider these aspects of technique that you've possibly never considered before.

As for how well the guitar plays, that's easy. If you bought the guitar locally, take it and your old Taylor to the shop and tell them you want the new one to play as easily as the old one. If you bought it there, the setup might well be free.

If you didn't buy it there, pay their shop charge and get the new guitar dialed in. That might make a major difference in playability.

So, in short, before you go jettisoning your new Taylor guitar, get it set up for your playing style, experiment with string brands and different string alloys, and give yourself a chance to get used to it. In other words, teach yourself to play to its strengths.

Because not every acoustic guitar will respond exactly the same way. Sometimes to get the best out of them we have to modify how we play a little bit.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

Originally Posted by Luckymud

I would just like to say that I love this reply.

That's why we've kept Wade around for the past ten years. He does the heavy lifting with astute, knowledgeable replies to most any guitar question, and the rest of us can just say, "Ditto."

[Dwight]

Welcome to the forum CTVOLFAN! I think you should spend a little more time with the 714 too. Taylor's re voicing a couple of years ago warmed up and slowed down the sound compared to your 214. It's likely most of us here would prefer the new 714 by a wide margin. You may have to adjust your playing style a little to get more pleasing tone. Good Luck!

[beyeond]

Doesn't the 714 have a cedar top? Or is that just some of them? If so, I suppose that could be a factor too.