Taylor expression system question

[N_O_VATER220]

Is the expression system in the lower end Taylor's 200 300 series the same as they they put in the upper 400 and above series ?

I've heard different responses to this question.

[AZLiberty]

300 and up is the same.

200 and lower is different, except that 200 Delux may be the same as the 300 and higher.

(I think, but Taylor changes stuff fairly constantly)

[Ed-in-Ohio]

The Taylor website shows all e-model guitars in Series 100 or higher coming with ES2 Expression System 2 pickup systems. (I think this is one of the reasons the price of the 100 Series guitars just went up).

[kcnbys]

All electroacoustic Taylors 100 series on up now come with the ES2.

[MikeBmusic]

"Different response" would be dependent on the model year!

[Carl-CME-Kammin]

Taylor has one primary pickup system, and that is the ES2. Anything that doesn't come with that, which is really only stuff below the 100 series, will come with the newer ESB. The only serious difference with the ESB is that it gives you a little less equalization control. The 'B' stands for 'basic'.

Hope that helps!

[ChrisE]

When ES2 came out a couple of years ago, it was only on the high end models. Now they use it on everything except probably Academy Series. I think someone mentioned that already.

[Chicago Sandy]

I got one of the first ES-equipped models, a 414rce, back in early 2004. When the batteries died at my very first gig--the pickup sounded like a bad Wal-Mart Strat copy run through a headphone amp--I Googled "Expression System distortion" and found my way here (which was the Taylor Guitar Forum back then). A couple of more sets of batteries lived shorter than mayflies, and the ES then failed completely, so I brought the guitar to the shop, which sent it to Taylor.

It came back with an ES v. 1.2--Taylor admitted its acid core solder failing was a "known issue" and as long as they were going to have to switch to rosin core and the guitar was under warranty, I got upgraded for no charge. I lost interest in playing it once I got tired of having to install new AAs every gig (out of paranoia) and having to keep a pair of tweezers with me to retrieve the old ones from the battery compartment, as well as having to kludge the ES cable with whatever setup the house provided. By then, I'd gotten a GS as well as a Martin D-18GE.

So for gigging, I switched to my other guitars (most equipped with K&Ks, except for my Martin M-36--my first "good" guitar, in which I'd installed a Fishman Rare Earth Blend in 1999). My singing partner's 310ce came with the ES2 (or 1.3)--it took a 9V and a normal guitar cable. (Think it was the 1.3, because it didn't have the piezo sound of the ES2). I had "pickup envy," even though his was a cheaper Taylor than mine. When I had to fly, I usually went with a Voyage-Air. (What iced it for me was after American dinged me for an extra $100 twice for checking the 414rce in a flight case on trips to Austin & Puerto Vallarta).

Added a Gramann GC-size (demo of a handbuilt custom model) to my stable, and had a K&K installed in it as well. But I was leery of taking it out except to the studio, and my engineer preferred the action on the M-36. Eventually, the M-36 became difficult to play, and needed a neck reset (it was built before Martin used adjustable truss rods). When it was fixed and I began to play it, I was overcome with emotion--it played like butter, just like it did back in 1980. It has been practically the only guitar I gig with if not flying. (You can go home again).

Until last week. I grabbed my Martin to take to a gig, and heard an ominous rattle & clunk: the pickup & cable harness had both come loose. I was in too much of a hurry to look for a screwdriver & duct tape, so I grabbed the Taylor instead--opened the case, swapped out the batteries, confirmed the action was fine, and shoved it into the gigbag I was using for the Martin. Got to the club, and realized I didn't have the ES cable (TRS-to-XLR), but rather the normal cable that "lives" in the bag. I was offered the house cable, which was plugged into a DI, and thought "here goes nothing--better mic it." The emcee turned on the board, and I strummed. Sounded great!

Found out later that not only do the AAs last longer in v. 1.2 than in the original, there's very little signal loss when using a normal 1/4"cable and none at all if using an active DI.

The under-soundboard transducers sound natural and help minimize the non-adjustable under-the-fingerboard-extension mag sensors sounding more like mag pickups. I find the only downside of the soundboard transducers is that the top is so sensitive it can pick up noises from my right forearm (or the material of my sleeve).

I hear the ES2 has abandoned the original concept of combining soundboard transducers and under-the-fingerboard mag sensors in favor of returning to USTs--but not piezos, so no "quack." It's no longer a "balanced" (low-Z) signal, so no need for a special cable. Most people I know who use the ES2 like it.

(Meanwhile, today I remounted the Fishman in the M-36's soundhole and velcroed the cable clips back in place).