Quote:
Originally Posted by tbeltrans
I will admit that many of the V-class guitars I have now tried didn't do it for me. I was particularly disappointed with the 914ce V-class I tried. But, then, I owned an X-braced 914ce for a time and was disappointed in its sound too. I have played several 914ce, both V-class and not, and while they look really nice, for me the sound isn't up to the looks.
However, I recently played a K14ce Builder's Edition V-class guitar and it sounded astonishingly good. I bought it on the spot. Whether all K14ce models sound this good or if it is just a fluke, I have no idea since I have only tried that one. I don't see them in stores very often. Maybe it is the particular combination of "baked" Sitka top and Koa back and sides and maybe it would sound even better if it had the more traditional X-bracing. These things I readily admit to not knowing.
I became curious about the K14ce after reading an interview with Mimi Fox (jazz fans will recognize her name), where she talked about her K14ce V-class and the then new album she made (This Bird Still Flies) solo using just that guitar. To me, that model (at least the sample I played) lives up to everything she said.
All I can say is that I finally found a V-class Taylor that sounds astonishingly good, rich with deep bass and clear highs and great note separation, and a consistency all the way up the fretboard. But, then, I have played many non V-class guitars from other makers that have these characteristics. There is something about the sound of this particular Taylor, that I knew if I passed it up it would haunt me as the one that got away.
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I tried that model at a show, great guitar, and for 5K, it should be! I saw the Mimi Fox piece after that, and she does play it well. But it also reminded me, that's not the sound I'm going for in my playing.
I was also flirting with the 814ce dlx, trying at different stores but not buying. I think they're overpriced, and 4K will buy a lot of great guitars.
The thing that stands out for me about those guitars is they are very comfortable ergonomically, and play balanced and evenly across the range and up the neck. That experience won't come through in a video or recording.
Still, you have to like the sound. I like those higher end Taylor's- until I compare them to a Martin. I know it's a Ford vs. Chevy thing, but when I played a D-18 GE, then picked up an 814ce, the Taylor was weak. Eastman is a high-end Hyundai- I've played a couple of their archtops, and they're better than an Indonesian Epiphone, but the sound is kind of bright and lacking depth.