Does my Taylor need setup?
 

Hello
I got a new Taylor 114ce recently, the fret board is pretty comfortable
but I was wondering if a setup would give me more comfortable playing
or maybe there is no need to do it
Thanks

Taylors come pretty good straight out of the box, not saying they cannot be improved but unless it actually has a problem, I would just leave it as it is

Steve

Take it to a good setup person and have it checked out. Maybe he’ll find something that needs tweaking or maybe he’ll say it’s great already and there’s nothing he can do.

My GS mini was ok but not great out of the box. Both saddle and mut too high. Worth taking it for a set up.

Does my Taylor need setup?
 

If you can swing it, take it to a reputable tech/luthier and get a professional set up. It’s probably fine but it can also probably be better ...

My 314 played very nicely out of the box, but after taking some other guitars to a local luthier and seeing the notable improvement to those instruments, I decided to bring him the Taylor as well ... and it is now markedly better than it was.

Again, Taylors are known for being consistent so if the cost is an issue, it should serve you well either way.

~ Paul

You can't just go to anyone. If the neck angle needs to be changed, only an authorized Taylor service person would have the wedge set to do that.

What is a good setup for one person is not so great for another.

Taylor's have a good, well earned rep. If you have any question have it checked out. If for nothing more than peace of mind.

Same here - a new mini was decent but noticeably improved by some attention from a tech. In my case, only a $25 investment, well worth it.

Thanks for all the advice I'll see if I can find someone good to do it.
Thanks again

While a setup might be needed, may I suggest something first... Learn to adjust your truss rod. It's simple and easy, but does require a tool that Taylor should have, but doesn't provide.

I find that adjusting my truss rod for a relief difference of even one or two THOUSANDTHS of an inch makes a big difference in playing comfort. Relief that is too high makes it harder to play. if it's too low the fullness in sound lessens. A truss rod wrench for Taylor costs between $6-10. YouTube can teach you how to do this adjustment which only takes a minute or so. I think it is essential for acoustic players to know how to make this adjustment as it can make a pretty reasonable difference, especially if you have swings in temperature and humidity.

Thanks.
that's a good idea but since this is my 1st descent guitar I'll take it to a pro
and learn from him how to do it for next times

Setups are vary with the player. Taylor's setup (and every other guitar maker's out there) is a little high for me and I needed to adjust it. I play very quiet fingerstyle, so my setup is real low.

You need to dabble with setup, and this is quite easy if you have a beater guitar you wouldn't mind playing around with.

Generally, you want to go as low as you can. Neck relief should be set as straight as possible, but only straight enough to allow playing without buzzing.
Same with nut slot depth and string height up the neck (controlled by the taylor NT neck system, rather than saddle height as is with most other guitars).

My "rule of thumb:" ALWAYS do a setup on every guitar I buy, old or new. Especially regarding intonation.

My experience with a new 110e required sanding the bottom of the saddle to lower the action. I wasn't comfortable with doing this so I took it to a luthier.
It plays a lot easier now. Plus, I've changed the strings to a lighter gauge which makes it even easier to play.
Hope this helps!

If you like the way the guitar sounds and you can play it comfortably I would leave it as is. A lower action and lighter gauge strings can make it easier to play but often at the expense of the volume and sound of the guitar.