My Taylor 814ce DLX 30 Day Review

[Mark Stone]

On March 5 I played the room at the local Guitar Center, comparing a sweet Martin D-28, a meaty Gibson J-45 Standard, a Taylor 814ce DLX and a few other "also rans" that the store's manager threw in. I went in that day expecting to leave with (and excited about) the J-45, but went home with the Taylor.

What are my impressions of the 814ce DLX after 30 days? I think I made the correct decision: the guitar has been easy to bond to. I'm surprised, especially since my entire guitar playing career has been Gibson-centric.

The Sound: The rich tone and string separation, along with the clarity, were the primary reason this Taylor was more attractive to me than the Martin or Gibson. It has a great depth of bass, however is no match for the strong, rich bass end of both the D-28 and the J-45. For my style of playing, however, the bass on the Martin and Gibson were a little overpowering, while the Taylor exhibited a great balance between the treble strings and bass. Basically, all six strings project with nearly equal volume and with a lot of separation and clarity, which is ideal for my flesh-on-string fingerpicking style. Compared to the 814ce, both the J-45 and D-28 seemed a little muddy. I think that if I were primarily a strummer or flatpicker, both the Martin and Gibson would have been better choices. One area where this Taylor shines big time is sustain - it has the longest sustain of any guitar I remember ever playing.

The tone of the guitar was a little thin, however, but filled out nicely with a switch from light to medium gauge strings. I made the string change only after calling Taylor and asking if it was safe to do so. The Martin and Gibson were both a little "thin" also, but I think all these companies string new guitars with lights to make them more playable in the showroom.

One thing irritating about the 814ce is it is more difficult than usual to hear the guitar's true tone from the top while playing. Sometimes, while playing, it sounds shrill - but then when I listen to the playback it sounds awesome. This is something that happens with all guitars to an extent, unless there is a sound port. In certain rooms in my house, however, the rich tone of the instrument comes through easier. I'm used to playing Dreads, so perhaps the small comparitive size of this Grand Auditorium sized instrument is the reason for this.

Playability: My Taylor 110e (owned for two years) was the easiest guitar to play I had ever owned, so I wasn't surprised by the 814ce's superior playability. The smaller body and the armrest add to the ease. This is one of the things Taylor instruments are known for, and this guitar is a breeze to play. With my addition of medium strings, I adjusted the truss rod a bit ("1/8 turn from buzz" is my policy lol).

Build and Finish: After 30 days, believe me I have inspected every square millimeter of this instrument and it is flawless. It is nearly as enjoyable to look at as it is to play. There's nothing loose or glued wrong, there's no sloppiness. All the wood is gorgeous - the maple in the binding, the ebony on the peghead, fretboard and bridge, the rosewood back/sides and rosewood pickguard, and the perfectly straight-grained Sitka - it's just fun to photograph. I especially like the light streaks on the ebony fretboard. The few times I got to play it on stage (before the Coronavirus thing hit) we definitely got some approving stares.

The Company: My experience with Taylor so far is very good. I've made one phone call to them, to see if it was OK to put mediums on it, and Jonathan was very polite and helpful. Additionally, the Taylor website is extremely intuitive and very helpful with Q and A, maintenance, etc.

Conclusion: I'm very happy with the guitar, and how well its tone characteristics and size fit my style of play. It is extremely comfortable to play, and I love the arm bevel and the Gotoh 510s. Whether it's going to be my "heirloom" instrument is still up in the air - ask me in a couple of years.

Price: @ Guitar Center, list $3,999.00; Street $3,700.00; Actually paid $3,676.50 and they tossed in a set of strings. For pictures see my NGD thread

[leinad]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

On March 5 I played the room at the local Guitar Center, comparing a sweet Martin D-28, a meaty Gibson J-45 Standard, a Taylor 814ce DLX and a few other "also rans" that the store's manager threw in. I went in that day expecting to leave with (and excited about) the J-45, but went home with the Taylor.

What are my impressions of the 814ce DLX after 30 days? I think I made the correct decision: the guitar has been easy to bond to. I'm surprised, especially since my entire guitar playing career has been Gibson-centric.

The Sound: The rich tone and string separation, along with the clarity, were the primary reason this Taylor was more attractive to me than the Martin or Gibson. It has a great depth of bass, however is no match for the strong, rich bass end of both the D-28 and the J-45. For my style of playing, however, the bass on the Martin and Gibson were a little overpowering, while the Taylor exhibited a great balance between the treble strings and bass. Basically, all six strings project with nearly equal volume and with a lot of separation and clarity, which is ideal for my flesh-on-string fingerpicking style. Compared to the 814ce, both the J-45 and D-28 seemed a little muddy. I think that if I were primarily a strummer or flatpicker, both the Martin and Gibson would have been better choices. One area where this Taylor shines big time is sustain - it has the longest sustain of any guitar I remember ever playing.

The tone of the guitar was a little thin, however, but filled out nicely with a switch from light to medium gauge strings. I made the string change only after calling Taylor and asking if it was safe to do so. The Martin and Gibson were both a little "thin" also, but I think all these companies string new guitars with lights to make them more playable in the showroom.

One thing irritating about the 814ce is it is more difficult than usual to hear the guitar's true tone from the top while playing. Sometimes, while playing, it sounds shrill - but then when I listen to the playback it sounds awesome. This is something that happens with all guitars to an extent, unless there is a sound port. In certain rooms in my house, however, the rich tone of the instrument comes through easier. I'm used to playing Dreads, so perhaps the small comparitive size of this Grand Auditorium sized instrument is the reason for this.

Playability: My Taylor 110e (owned for two years) was the easiest guitar to play I had ever owned, so I wasn't surprised by the 814ce's superior playability. The smaller body and the armrest add to the ease. This is one of the things Taylor instruments are known for, and this guitar is a breeze to play. With my addition of medium strings, I adjusted the truss rod a bit ("1/8 turn from buzz" is my policy lol).

Build and Finish: After 30 days, believe me I have inspected every square millimeter of this instrument and it is flawless. It is nearly as enjoyable to look at as it is to play. There's nothing loose or glued wrong, there's no sloppiness. All the wood is gorgeous - the maple in the binding, the ebony on the peghead, fretboard and bridge, the rosewood back/sides and rosewood pickguard, and the perfectly straight-grained Sitka - it's just fun to photograph. I especially like the light streaks on the ebony fretboard. The few times I got to play it on stage (before the Coronavirus thing hit) we definitely got some approving stares.

The Company: My experience with Taylor so far is very good. I've made one phone call to them, to see if it was OK to put mediums on it, and Jonathan was very polite and helpful. Additionally, the Taylor website is extremely intuitive and very helpful with Q and A, maintenance, etc.

Conclusion: I'm very happy with the guitar, and how well its tone characteristics and size fit my style of play. It is extremely comfortable to play, and I love the arm bevel and the Gotoh 510s. Whether it's going to be my "heirloom" instrument is still up in the air - ask me in a couple of years.

Price: @ Guitar Center, list $3,999.00; Street $3,700.00; Actually paid $3,676.50 and they tossed in a set of strings. For pictures see my NGD thread

i purchased mine a month earlier in february (bought the 814ce lh) and concur with everything you said. i have to say the sustain is the longest i've ever heard on a guitar, last for 15 seconds or so . enjoy yours , i'm enjoying mine.list $3499 paid $2999.

[SpruceTop]

Mark, I Hope You Enjoy Your Taylor 814ce DLX For Years To Come!

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

...What are my impressions of the 814ce DLX after 30 days? ...The Sound: The rich tone and string separation, along with the clarity,...It has a great depth of bass, however is no match for the strong, rich bass end of both the D-28 and the J-45.

...The tone of the guitar was a little thin, however, but filled out nicely with a switch from light to medium gauge strings.

First, congratulations on your new guitar!

The 814ceDLX almost shouldn't have the same model designation as the 814ce as they bear little resemblance in tone. But that's neither here nor there. It took me some time of testing strings and learning the 814ceDLX. You might be very happy with the guitar as it stands, and that's great. But I'd like to share a few things that I found helped make me fall deeper in love with this guitar.

1) I swapped the micarta saddle for an unbleached bone saddle (info below). The bone saddle brought out some depth and warmth that the micarta saddle didn't.

2) After testing many string brands, types, gauges, I came nearly full circle and now prefer Elixir nano PB 12-56's. I found that it lost a little something with straight mediums 13-56 and the hybrid 13-53's didn't do anything for me. It took me a long time to come around to the "bluegrass"gauge. I suppose the heavier lower strings help drive the Adirondack bracing.

3) The low E (only) ebony bridge pin was swapped out for a Blackhorn Buffalo Bridge pin. That single Buffalo pin brings out some additional clarity and a bit more lower end volume without getting boomy or muddy.

Bone saddle info Macnichol guitars https://macnichol.com/
Here's a secret... If you take a caliper and take careful measurements of your existing saddle, [height at each string location and saddle depth) they will grind the saddle to your specifications at no additional charge. Total cost:$15! You'll receive it as a near drop in, if not a direct drop in.

Buffalo pins available at Luthiers Mercantile Intl: https://www.lmii.com/143-bridge-pins...-strap-buttons
The only thing is that you need to buy a set of 6. About $17.

Again, congrats!

[Marty C]

Glad you are enjoying your Taylor. I purchased the same guitar in January. Love it and share similar experiences. It’s a wonderful guitar.

Vindibona1,
Good tips. My low E string seems a little low in output and I will try the new pins. I have a bone saddle and will give it a try as well.

[Kh1967]

Thank you for the nice follow-up, Mark. May you enjoy the guitar for many years to come!

[leinad]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

First, congratulations on your new guitar!

The 814ceDLX almost shouldn't have the same model designation as the 814ce as they bear little resemblance in tone. But that's neither here nor there. It took me some time of testing strings and learning the 814ceDLX. You might be very happy with the guitar as it stands, and that's great. But I'd like to share a few things that I found helped make me fall deeper in love with this guitar.

1) I swapped the micarta saddle for an unbleached bone saddle (info below). The bone saddle brought out some depth and warmth that the micarta saddle didn't.

2) After testing many string brands, types, gauges, I came nearly full circle and now prefer Elixir nano PB 12-56's. I found that it lost a little something with straight mediums 13-56 and the hybrid 13-53's didn't do anything for me. It took me a long time to come around to the "bluegrass"gauge. I suppose the heavier lower strings help drive the Adirondack bracing.

3) The low E (only) ebony bridge pin was swapped out for a Blackhorn Buffalo Bridge pin. That single Buffalo pin brings out some additional clarity and a bit more lower end volume without getting boomy or muddy.

Bone saddle info Macnichol guitars https://macnichol.com/
Here's a secret... If you take a caliper and take careful measurements of your existing saddle, [height at each string location and saddle depth) they will grind the saddle to your specifications at no additional charge. Total cost:$15! You'll receive it as a near drop in, if not a direct drop in.

Buffalo pins available at Luthiers Mercantile Intl: https://www.lmii.com/143-bridge-pins...-strap-buttons
The only thing is that you need to buy a set of 6. About $17.

Again, congrats!

how do you figure that- there are 4 differences between the 2 .
1) 4.5 vs 3.5 gloss finish
2)scarf joint neck for dlx
3) gotoh tuners deluxe
4)armrest for deluxe
why would tone be so much different,all other specs are identical.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

... is ideal for my flesh-on-string fingerpicking style. ...if I were primarily a strummer or flatpicker, both the Martin and Gibson would have been better choices....

I wondered about the stereotype of Taylors sounding too bright. But I play almost exclusively like you do and the combination is perfect.

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

....Jonathan was very polite and helpful....

I've spoken to, and/or emailed, folks there several times. Always great service. I've spoken to jonathan as well and agree he is terrific (as they all seem to be).

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

First, congratulations on your new guitar!

The 814ceDLX almost shouldn't have the same model designation as the 814ce as they bear little resemblance in tone. But that's neither here nor there. It took me some time of testing strings and learning the 814ceDLX. You might be very happy with the guitar as it stands, and that's great. But I'd like to share a few things that I found helped make me fall deeper in love with this guitar.

1) I swapped the micarta saddle for an unbleached bone saddle (info below). The bone saddle brought out some depth and warmth that the micarta saddle didn't.

2) After testing many string brands, types, gauges, I came nearly full circle and now prefer Elixir nano PB 12-56's. I found that it lost a little something with straight mediums 13-56 and the hybrid 13-53's didn't do anything for me. It took me a long time to come around to the "bluegrass"gauge. I suppose the heavier lower strings help drive the Adirondack bracing.

3) The low E (only) ebony bridge pin was swapped out for a Blackhorn Buffalo Bridge pin. That single Buffalo pin brings out some additional clarity and a bit more lower end volume without getting boomy or muddy.

Bone saddle info Macnichol guitars https://macnichol.com/
Here's a secret... If you take a caliper and take careful measurements of your existing saddle, [height at each string location and saddle depth) they will grind the saddle to your specifications at no additional charge. Total cost:$15! You'll receive it as a near drop in, if not a direct drop in.

Buffalo pins available at Luthiers Mercantile Intl: https://www.lmii.com/143-bridge-pins...-strap-buttons
The only thing is that you need to buy a set of 6. About $17.

Again, congrats!

Excellent post and suggestions! I've almost done your suggestion #2, except I'm using 80/20 Nano 12-56 (instead of PB). The bridge pin replacement idea fascinates me. Thanks . . . .

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by leinad

how do you figure that- there are 4 differences between the 2 .
1) 4.5 vs 3.5 gloss finish
2)scarf joint neck for dlx
3) gotoh tuners deluxe
4)armrest for deluxe
why would tone be so much different,all other specs are identical.

HMMM.... Interesting. It appears that the specs on Taylor's website don't list the bracing on the new V class models but were specific on the previous X models So one might then now assume the CE and DLX now have the same bracing??? But the what X brading... the DXL has adi bracing which is stiffer than the sitka bracing in the CE x-braced model. However, Taylor has left out any spec details beyond "V-Class Bracing" in both versions. So, I guess I was mistaken in my assumption, considering that Taylor did abandon their old bracing system and I would have assumed that they would have continued the sonic differences as well. Because as you say, there are only 4 differences. I would have through that only the V vs X would have been the factors that would have supported my earlier observations in comparing 814ceDLX, X vs V, which were IMO worlds different from each when I played them side by side.