314kce direct in live and recording work

I've played-out a stock 314kce (koa special edition grand auditorium) weekly in a PA setting for four months and have been amazed with the sound of the thing. It has a nice, balanced sound which prompts really favorable comments from my fellow musicians. I work in a situation with rotating guitarists who bring their own instruments. Invariably, when my time comes up, right after sound check, someone leans over and says, "Wow! That guitar has an wonderful, polished sound!" This is with the console channel set flat and just a little treble added with the on-board Fishman EQ. This week, I decided it was time to take it into the studio and get a real feel for it.

For the check ride, I used an Avalon Tube Preamp, Solid State Logic 4000G series console, QSC monitor amps, and Urei 813b/c monitors in the Live-End-Dead-End control room where I work. I plugged the stock Fishman electronics into the console's line input via the Avalon preamp and used the Avalon's EQ (a very gentle, smooth EQ) to shape the sound.

What did I hear? Have you ever found a guitar which really seemed suited to piezo reproduction: a guitar which negated many of the negative effects of piezo pickups? This one seems to be that way. Unless I really dug in with the pick, I didn't get much of the ugly artifact we all call "quack". From the player's position, the guitar's natural sound and pickup sound via the electrics are really quite similar, oddly enough. The guitar is a very "present" instrument, with a balanced sound from high to low. The low-end of the 314kce is very moderate, without much boom at all. This particular example is a little "tight", meaning that it hasn't yet opened up.

Very much like the other Koa Taylors I've worked with, it requires very little EQ to become pleasant when recorded. I added a little 10k to crisp it up 'till it was "super-real" or "super-present" and was very pleased with the high-end sparkle. Interestingly, during the course of my audition, I attempted to add a little bass to give it a dreadnought boom and it just turned to mush instead. I'll have to fiddle with that some more.

Well, there you go. For a very nice crisp and balanced mid-sized guitar sound, and a guitar which sounds great without a lot of tweaking, the 314kce can't be beat. If you see one floating around used, snap it up!

[ 08-06-2001: Message edited by: Bob Womack ]

[Warblade]

Hey Bob,
With the Avalon preamp, are you talking about the Avalon u5? I know that they make the u5, which is basically a DI box that can also change the tonal quality of sound. It's reaaaaaally nice, hah, and I want one if I can afford it.

If you weren't talking about the u5, which product were you dicussing? Those other units of theirs are quite a pretty penny.
Thanks for your insight on recording. =)
Randall

[twinreverb]

Bob, Thanks for the terrific review of the 314kce's performance. Question: Are you miked-up (in addition to the 314kce's on-board pickup system) in the studio and/or when you play live; if so, what type/brand/model mike are you using? Thanks

[JW]

Aint those 3xxKs grand! Im looking for a new 314KCE myself. I hope its not to late..JW

Hi, Warblade/Randall. The studio where I work has VT737 rack-mount tube Mic/instrument preamps. Yea, they are pretty expensive but they are very nice for warming up a mic or instrument. We use them on vocals and sometimes on guitars.

Hey, twinreverb. When I play live, I just run the 314kce into a direct box and then into the PA. When I record a guitar, I typically use either a pair of Neuman TLM170s or AKG 451s (depending upon whether I want a smooth (170) or bright (451) sound. If I have the tracks, I'll also print the Fishman electronics. For this test, I ran only the Fishman electronics so I could check 'em out.

JW: Yea, 314kces are getting a little hard to find, but they do pop up in the inventory at MARS on occasion. You might want to get them to check around for you.

Ciao,

Bob

[jdpresto]

No foolin,
I was just about to post on this topic. I recently played a K14C at a shop and if I were blind or blindfolded, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Given, the K14C puts most other guitars to shame in terms of beauty (drool)... But they sounded identical. I am SOOOOO incredibly glad I snagged one even before I knew how great a deal they were. If anyone wants to trade a K14C for my 314kce I am willing however! LOL

I'll keep my K14C, but you guys are really making me want to try one of the 314kce's. I'm so happy with my sound now, that I have no desire to play any other quitars (including my own). I force myself, but always come back to it sooner than I thought I would.

Is a 314kce in the same price range as other 314's or do they cost more?

[jdpresto]

They are just $100 more than the regular 300 line, though dealers often charge a wee bit more. Worth it if you ask me... Great value to say the least.

[Guitar Dad]

Wait a minute. Are y'all saying that you can get a 314 in koa?? I thought koa was for 5xx and up?

I know we're not supposed to discuss prices, but I know how much the 3xx through 5xx cost. What's the difference with koa on a 3xx, generally speaking?

An "entry level" koa guitar...Taylor is amazing.

During the fall of 2000, Taylor came out with a limited-edition series called "Legends of the Fall". This was an "added value" series, in that what was typically considered a "premium" wood was used on one of the lower lines with a less-than-commensurate rise in cost. As jdpresto said, the added cost was about one-hundred dollars. There were 300s in koa, 400s in maple, and 800s in Brazilian Rosewood.

The koa 300s were otherwise just like other 300s with satin backs, gloss tops, black body binding, and NT necks. I understand that the koa used in this series was wood which didn't make the grade for the premium series. Whatever, they are still striking-looking instruments with a clear tone of their own. As I said to JW, they are getting more and more scarce on the new market but some of the larger chains (Mars) still have a few floating around. I don't see too many on the used market.

Bob