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Old 02-17-2019, 09:28 AM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Default Taylor 414ce V-Class sounds like ...

Heaven to me! After reading about the new V-Class bracing system for almost a year, I finally got to audition a recent inventory addition Taylor 414ce V-Class Ovangol at Guitar Center. After tuning it up to concert pitch, I proceeded to play a few of my favorite songs and was immediately impressed with the clarity of individual notes and the nice resonance of chords. The guitar had an open and played-in tone that was sensitive to any all nuances from soft to loud. Having been a Taylor player since 2006, I've owned at least two-dozen Taylors including the excellent-sounding ones in my current signature and can say with certainty that I'd sell or trade-in what I have for similar V-Class models and not look back. Given the tone of the auditioned Taylor 414ce Ovangol V-Class, my goal now is to likely purchase the new Grand Pacific 717e Spruce/Rosewood V-Class Builders Edition model when another one becomes available (these are selling like hotcakes!).

Regarding the advertised better Intonation of the V-Class Taylors: I think there is some confusion by players as to what Taylor means by intonation as applied to the design of the V-Class. My take is that the V-bracing helps reduce and/or eliminate dissonances within combinations of notes and within chords with the result being a sweeter and nicer-sounding musical tonality, and isn't referring to the frequency accuracy of notes fretted along the fingerboard.
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Last edited by SpruceTop; 02-17-2019 at 10:21 AM.
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Old 02-17-2019, 12:52 PM
Petty1818 Petty1818 is online now
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I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a Taylor guy, even considering the fact that I own one! However, I do always test them when I go to music stores just to see if any new models knock me out. I think what Andy did with the 800 and 600 series was a huge step in the right direction. The projection, resonance and bass made me actually want a Taylor. I didn't end up getting one but had an 810 on hold at one point.

For me, after trying a few V class, my initial thoughts were that Andy completely ruined what he had going with the original changes he had made. I have played the V series a bit more and I do appreciate the added sustain but the problem is, the bass has been completely stripped away. To me, they sound a lot like the 90s/early 2000 Taylor guitars. That's not a bad thing at all but they just don't sound full. They are for sure balanced but if I want balance, I will get a Larrivee. I am personally not a fan of the new V bracing but I can see how some people would love it.
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Old 02-17-2019, 01:17 PM
LikeASir_ LikeASir_ is offline
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Yeah the only thing I like about the V class is that there is more sustain on the higher frets. Otherwise I prefer the X class.
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Old 02-17-2019, 01:17 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Originally Posted by Petty1818 View Post
I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a Taylor guy, even considering the fact that I own one! However, I do always test them when I go to music stores just to see if any new models knock me out. I think what Andy did with the 800 and 600 series was a huge step in the right direction. The projection, resonance and bass made me actually want a Taylor. I didn't end up getting one but had an 810 on hold at one point.

For me, after trying a few V class, my initial thoughts were that Andy completely ruined what he had going with the original changes he had made. I have played the V series a bit more and I do appreciate the added sustain but the problem is, the bass has been completely stripped away. To me, they sound a lot like the 90s/early 2000 Taylor guitars. That's not a bad thing at all but they just don't sound full. They are for sure balanced but if I want balance, I will get a Larrivee. I am personally not a fan of the new V bracing but I can see how some people would love it.
I really didn't notice any loss of bass in the 414ce V-Class I played but what I did notice was a lack of the thuddiness that often accompanies runs on an open 6th-string E to F# to G. This guitar was very "touch-sensitive" in its dynamics, which I liked. Disclaimer: The 414ce described above is the only V-Class Taylor I've ever auditioned. Maybe it was an exceptional one but given my experience, I'd take a chance on choosing, by sight from several online, a la Sweetwater, a Grand Pacific 717e Builders Edition, if they ever get several in at once.

Addendum: Frankly, I could be very happy with the Taylors I currently own but GAS seems to be an ongoing thing for me.
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Last edited by SpruceTop; 02-17-2019 at 02:15 PM.
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Old 02-17-2019, 01:26 PM
zmf zmf is offline
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Originally Posted by SpruceTop View Post
My take is that the V-bracing helps reduce and/or eliminate dissonances within combinations of notes and within chords with the result being a sweeter and nicer-sounding musical tonality, and isn't referring to the frequency accuracy of notes fretted along the fingerboard.
Interesting you should mention that. I owned a 514 for a while. The reason I sold it off was because of what you mention: dissonance among combinations of tones. I'm sure this doesn't mean that Taylor fixed a problem that was peculiar to their guitars, but it is an interesting coincidence.
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Old 02-17-2019, 02:32 PM
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Interesting you should mention that. I owned a 514 for a while. The reason I sold it off was because of what you mention: dissonance among combinations of tones. I'm sure this doesn't mean that Taylor fixed a problem that was peculiar to their guitars, but it is an interesting coincidence.
Yeah, I hear dissonances in all guitars and just accept it as a combination of the construction process and of scale-length and the slight compromise and inexactitude of the mathematical positioning of frets. I like what Taylor is doing but one must always try to discern the relative merits of advertised, new construction techniques versus the actual aural effect that is heard by players when auditioning these guitars.
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Old 02-17-2019, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by LikeASir_ View Post
Yeah the only thing I like about the V class is that there is more sustain on the higher frets. Otherwise I prefer the X class.
I agree with this.
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Old 02-17-2019, 02:48 PM
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Yeah the only thing I like about the V class is that there is more sustain on the higher frets. Otherwise I prefer the X class.
Yep...this was my experience, too. And one of the main reasons I sold my 714ce V-class after a couple of months. Apparently I’m in the minority, though. At least according to Taylor’s CEO in the new Wood&Steel:

“The acceptance of Andy’s remarkable V-Class design has been off the charts. We’ve exceeded every production and sales goal we had set for 2018 and achieved the highest ever annual sales by November with a month still left in the year...(We) made and sold thousands more guitars then we originally planned. Still, in the end, we left a lot of demand unfilled.”
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Old 02-17-2019, 04:28 PM
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This is why I bought the Furch GA Cr links to the Taylor 714 it just kept that tune , an open tone at that , the V class has done nothing to the Taylor range in my opinion , but that’s my 2c . The Furch GA crc is. Has more style ,more range, more tone, but hey just my opinion guys don’t crucify me 😀
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Old 02-17-2019, 04:48 PM
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I played a 414ce v class a few weeks back and it certainly wasn't lacking in bass. If I hadn't already had my heart set on a 324, I would have bought that 414. It was the best guitar in the shop that day.

I'm digging my new v class 324ce. Sweet tone and musical as heck. Just a joy to play. It leads me in directions I would never wander with my D18. Variety is the spice of life!
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Old 02-17-2019, 04:48 PM
Petty1818 Petty1818 is online now
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Yep...this was my experience, too. And one of the main reasons I sold my 714ce V-class after a couple of months. Apparently I’m in the minority, though. At least according to Taylor’s CEO in the new Wood&Steel:

“The acceptance of Andy’s remarkable V-Class design has been off the charts. We’ve exceeded every production and sales goal we had set for 2018 and achieved the highest ever annual sales by November with a month still left in the year...(We) made and sold thousands more guitars then we originally planned. Still, in the end, we left a lot of demand unfilled.”
That’s just what marketing does. I don’t think any of us can deny that Taylor rules when it comes to hype and overall marketing. Just think of the number of people who blindly purchased a v class guitar without even playing one. I think a true statistic would be one that shows how the v class performs over the next five years. With that said, I feel like Taylor guitars are so popular that a lot of people will continue to buy them just because they are Taylor. I can’t tell you how many musicians often tell me how great Taylor guitars are but they have never tested any other manufacturer. I do wish Andy would take a step back and let some of his initial changes take off. The x bracing he did was just amazing. The v class to me was just a let down.
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Old 02-17-2019, 07:32 PM
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I am a Martin guy but bought a K24ce-V last June mostly because I fell in love with the idea and look of an all-Koa guitar and they are few and far between at Martin. I started playing a year before Bob Taylor opened his doors and never gave his company a thought until about a year ago when I started reading about his reforestation efforts. I came to admire the man and the way they run his company before buying one of his guitars. So, I had zero history with Taylor’s prior efforts. They said the V-Class is the best guitar they’ve ever built so I took their word for it. I demo’d three different models three separate times. They are no doubt different from Martins but I enjoyed the difference.

The Taylor is played daily against two very fine Martins, a custom HD28V in Guat and a custom Adi/Sinker. The Taylor holds its own, although it is very mid-range heavy, I believe due to the hardwood Koa top. The fact that the bracing is different is actually irrelevant in day-to-day playing. BTW, the fit and finish on the Taylor is superb. This model has many custom-like features. Martin would be proud to issue this guitar out of their custom shop, and this is a production line guitar at Taylor.
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Last edited by IndyHD28; 02-17-2019 at 07:39 PM.
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Old 02-17-2019, 07:41 PM
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I've really liked the all the V-class guitars I tried and loved the K14ce Builders Edition which I now own. Go Bob and Andy!
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Old 02-17-2019, 07:46 PM
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I've really liked the all the V-class guitars I tried and loved the K14ce Builders Edition which I now own. Go Bob and Andy!
This was one of the guitars I demo’d three times. I loved it! Unfortunately, this dealer only had the display model which was left behind by the Road Show and very well beat up. The dealer wouldn’t discount it appropriately and there were none other available at the time. Then Taylor announced they were sold out of Koa for the year (this was June!) so I decided to pull the trigger on the all-Koa model.

Glad you are enjoying your BE. It is gorgeous and a very unique combination of specs. Should be an heirloom guitar, especially given it is AP’s first BE.
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Old 02-17-2019, 08:01 PM
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This was one of the guitars I demo’d three times. I loved it! Unfortunately, this dealer only had the display model which was left behind by the Road Show and very well beat up. The dealer wouldn’t discount it appropriately and there were none other available at the time. Then Taylor announced they were sold out of Koa for the year (this was June!) so I decided to pull the trigger on the all-Koa model.

Glad you are enjoying your BE. It is gorgeous and a very unique combination of specs. Should be an heirloom guitar, especially given it is AP’s first BE.
Thanks! I considered the all Koa but there wasn't one to try. GC didn't want to move on the price and I decided to order a K14 from LA Guitar Sales and had to wait for the new Koa. Worth the wait for an untouched model that went from Taylor to LA to me in Palm Springs. The guitar has never left Southern California! The AGF discount was nice as well

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