Considering a 414ce-R

[SteveYem]

Hi All,

I currently own a 2016 Martin D-28 'Centennial', which to my knowledge is just a plain ol' D-28 that happened to be made in 2016. It's a fine guitar as many people here know. I am currently on the hunt for a high quality guitar with on-board electronics and cutaway to use for playing out at open mics and other small gigs which led me to the Taylor 414ce and 414ce-R. [Side note: I owned a 314ce for a bit last year and really liked the playability and construction / attention to detail, but ultimately the sound didn't suit me].

I recently picked up a 414ce on a whim after playing one for a while at local shop, but unfortunately the one I bought it appears to have sustained some shipping damage in transit so I will be returning it to the vendor this week. Unfortunate as that is, I now find myself back in the hunt for a guitar, and now I'm reconsidering my 414ce choice and thinking about a 414ce-R instead. The problem is, none of the local shops seem to have any 414ce-R in stock, so I am doing a lot of shopping online. I have never played a 414ce-R.

So, getting to the point: Can anyone here chime in on the general sonic differences between a 414ce-R and a D-28? I know that the playability and construction of the 414ce-R will be spot-on as it has been with every other 300+ series Taylor that I've ever picked up, but what kind of tonal and volume differences should I expect versus a D-28? My original thought in going with the 414ce (ovangkol) was to have some variety in my arsenal since the D-28 has spruce top and rosewood back/sides, but since I now have a second chance at this I'm wondering if the Taylor GA shape provides enough of a sonic difference from the D-28 that I should stick with rosewood for that scooped mid and heavier bass response sound that it does so well?

I know, I know.....I need to sit in a room with like seven 414ce-R's and play each of them for 3 hours and pick the one that sounds best to me....but when I can't find one around here in the first place, I might be stuck doing a lot of review reading and ultimately taking a leap of faith for one that I find for sale online. With the expectation that the first reply will be an echo of the above sentiment, I'd appreciate any other feedback that you all could offer on this. Thanks in advance!

[guitararmy]

I have owned 3 Grand Auditorium Taylors, and found them to be very nice guitars but without the low end of a Martin dreadnought.

If you want a cutaway, I would suggest something larger like the Grand Symphony or Grand Orchestra size...

[vindibona1]

Disclaimer: The opinions put forth in this reply are the sole opinions of Vindibona and may be controversial. Read at your own risk.

There are a few different questions in that the OP poses. Difference between 414 and 414-R, and then the differences between those and a Martin D28. There is one other quesion that begs to be asked in regard to the Taylors; X or V?

The 414's have more of a Taylor vibe. It is my opinion that where Taylor's have sort of blazed the path in guitar sounds is how their bracing affect the overall sound. Taylor's sound is generally considered "brighter" in nature because the natural intonation of the harmonic response of their bodies are more closely aligned with the string's fundamentals and overtones/harmonics. Consquently having more harmonics come forward will give the perception of being brighter. But, in reality, it just expands the tonal nature of the sound. With the advent of V bracing Taylor has taken that to another level. But while the perception of the harmonics once again increased for more models the V bracing, for the most part, did not boost the bass as well, creating (IMO) more imbalance and definitely brighter sounding due to the shift in tonal balance. Conversely, Martin guitars in general, especially the traditional sounding Martins, have the intonation of some of the harmonics ever-so-slightly off from the strings, which creates a unique sound through a little faster harmonic decay, thus producing a bit more clarity in the fundamentals. Some of the harmonic decay can be modified to some degree, in the Taylors, but the basic tone won't change.

414 vs 414r? IMO what rosewood does it provide a little more harmonic sustain inside the body. Sometimes a good thing. Sometimes not, depending on the sound you want and the role of your guitar in your performance. For some purposes rosewood can eclipse clarity and definition, but depends largely on the player's techinque. That's why a lot of folks like mahogany B/S guitars, particularly the D18. The D18 offers a lot of clarity because the harmonics don't get in the way. The D28 being rosewood puts back some of the harmonic sustain that some of us really like (I only have 2 non-RW guitars).

Electronics? I have to be honest, but Taylor's systems (ES1 and ES2) are very middle of the road in comparison to other brands. I always run mine through an external preamp, though both systems have onboard preamps. I recently did some setup work on my neighbor's baby Martin which has the Fishman system in it and when I plugged it in i was blown away at how good this little baby $400 Martin sounded amplified. Perhaps you might consider putting pickups in your D28, getting a small belt-clip preamp (K&K, Baggs GigPro or other) and call it a day? If you don't want a permanent installation here are many pretty good sounding soundhole pickups out there that might be as good or better than the Taylor system. Just saying. While not the best pickup in the world, I use a Seymour Duncan WoodyXL with my D35 into a preamp and get pretty good results.

Anyway... That's my 2¢ worth.

[BT55]

The 414ce-R is a top notch guitar. It has the tonewoods of a 814 with a 414 price tag. The consistency of Taylor guitars is incredible - you don’t need to play a bunch to find a good one. I owned a 414ce Ovankol and it was a first class guitar. The only reason I moved it on was the purchase of an 814ce.

[HotRodx14]

I can't compare to a D-28 as I've never owned one or played one long enough to remember, but I love the 414ce. I actually prefer the ovangkol versions, but that is partly because I also have an 814ce. The ovangkol back and sides has less of a scooped mid-range than rosewood, but still has a nice chime to the top end with nice overtones as well. Either way, they are great sounding guitars.

The times I have compared the 414ce-R to an 814ce, the 814ce always has seemed to sound a little better to me, but that might be some mental trickery going on as well and wanting to like it more because I should (its more expensive therefore better, right? )

[Jon29526]

My 414ce-R is one I rotate with my D-18 all the time, love both. Not quite the low end of D-28's I have played but awesome playability and intonation. Put the LR Baggs Anthem in so I can plug in the the Martin as well.

[sakar12]

You've received some great replies. I think the quickest summation is simply that the Taylor will have less bass.

I do know that my 814ce DLX V needs a bit of warming up first, and Phosphor Bronze strings, to get the sort of tone I love from it. So when you find a 414R, bang on it for a bit before judging the tone.


My Martin D-18GE: it starts with a good fundamental, bass-heavy, sweet tone. Lots of mids. The harder I play it . . . it doesn't change. Or my ears never seem to adjust.

My 814: it starts a bit "metallic," "jangly," or "too shimmery" for me. 5 minutes later, as my ears adjust and the guitar warms up, I hear nothing but creamy balance, tremendous sustain, and brilliant highs.

[BT55]

Originally Posted by sakar12

You've received some great replies. I think the quickest summation is simply that the Taylor will have less bass.



I do know that my 814ce DLX V needs a bit of warming up first, and Phosphor Bronze strings, to get the sort of tone I love from it. So when you find a 414R, bang on it for a bit before judging the tone.





My Martin D-18GE: it starts with a good fundamental, bass-heavy, sweet tone. Lots of mids. The harder I play it . . . it doesn't change. Or my ears never seem to adjust.



My 814: it starts a bit "metallic," "jangly," or "too shimmery" for me. 5 minutes later, as my ears adjust and the guitar warms up, I hear nothing but creamy balance, tremendous sustain, and brilliant highs.

Very Well Said!