Taylor 816nvolume "issue"?

[DethWshBkr]

I just picked up a 2008 Taylor 816ce. It appears to be in immaculate condition. I cannot find a single flaw on the thing.
This is my first non carbon guitar since I bought my RainSong jumbo, and my X30. I just never found a guitar I liked as much as my RainSong.
But I was messing around with a 414ce, and this 816ce. Decided to trade in a 12-string I never played and picked up the 816 of course.
Plats great, very comfortable and I like it - but one thing myself and another gentleman noticed is that it just seems like it is quiet. The 414 seemed like it was a louder body. It does have new 11-52 strings on it. I believe they are Elixir, but I don't know which ones. They were on it, and I can tell they are new .
I don't know that it's necessarily a problem but why would this thing seem like it is low volume acoustically?
Is there a certain string that this thing really likes? Is it just the nature of the body style and woods?

[egordon99]

11s are really light and will probably not have much volume. Try restringing with 12s or 13s

[AH Acoustic]

Originally Posted by DethWshBkr

I just picked up a 2008 Taylor 816ce.
Is there a certain string that this thing really likes? Is it just the nature of the body style and woods?

Hi,

Having owned an 816ce, which larger than a Grand Auditorium, I can tell you that it really should have medium gauge (.013 - .056, at minimum) to really drive the top well.

Medium gauge strings are what Taylor sends it with as new.

I did try light gauge as an experiment after reading other doing the same -- and found its volume much diminished.

Hope this helps,

-a.h.

[Mak2525]

What A.H. said! The Grand Symphony (16) models were designed for medium 13-56 prior to 2019. So, the strings on it are two gauges smaller than optimum for that instrument. When Taylor switched to the V bracing on the GS model, they started shipping them with 12-54 light gauge. Sounds like the xtra light strings just can't move the top the way it was designed. Even jumping up to lights should help!

[Dru Edwards]

My initial thought was also what was mentioned... try medium strings.

Is the guitar properly humidified? Or, have you only had it a couple of days? Perhaps it came from a humid environment and it needs to get back in the 45%-ish range.

[DethWshBkr]

Oh wow, I didn't realize it was "under-strung". I'll try a set of medium gauge and try it out. Only a few bucks!


This was in the store too, it was much less "perky" than the new 414 v-class. Again, it sounds good, and I have yet to it, but it just was interesting that both of us said the same thing about it being "quieter" than expected.

[donlyn]

Taylor 816nvolume "issue"?

Another option to consider is the Elixir PB HD Light gauge. It is a combination of Medium trebles with Light bass strings.
HD gauge = {.013, .017, .025, .032, .042, .053}.
Yes, the Grand Symphony models were regularly shipped with Mediums, as well as their Dreads, Jumboes, and Grand Orchestra models. But about my explorations with the HD gauge, . . .

. . . I use the HD Light gauge on most of my six string guitars. The Grand Concerts (many shipped with the HD gauge) get a boost in the trebles while the large body guitars don't really need the larger diameter bass strings to be heard. And the gauge also helps toward making a guitar sound well-balanced.

As an example, I restrung my 818 Grand Orchestra from Mediums to the HD Light gauge, and it's a great fingerpicker now, and it maintains more than enough bass volume. Sounded so good, that I now string my J-200 Jumboes with the HD Light gauge too. And at this point, have been doing that for some years now. Not looking back.

I fingerpick all my guitars using my nails as picks.

Edit (after reading Edward993's post) => Speaking of what was originally strung by manufacturers on guitars, the 412e-R Grand Concert short-scale came with PB HD Lights from the factory. I got the 512ce Grand Concert standard-scale used, but it had the HD gauge on it when I bought it. The Gibson and Epiphone solid wood J-200 Jumboes came strung with Lights in the general range of .012 - .053. I have tried various brand and guage Lights, Mediums, Bluegrass, HD Lights, and some personal custom gauges on the Gibson over the years. With the relatively new Epiphone solid wood IBG J-200, I just swapped out the Lights that came on it for Elixir PB Lights and substituted a Medium .013 and .017 for the .012 and .016, thus approximating an HD set. (During the pandemic I was unable to get new string sets, so had to make do with what I had in backstock.) The EJ-200 was a bit of a wreck, but I got it wicked cheap. It got a new nut, saddle, set-up, some fret work, a new hardshell case, and a new Elixir PB HD set on it. Presume it was shipped strung with some sort of Light gauge originally. The 818e Taylor Grand Orchesrtra came factory strung with Elixir Mediums, which gauge I renewed through a few string changes, until I tried the Elixir PB HD set on it.

Taylor Designer Andy Powers on the HD gauge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbTS...ature=youtu.be




The six string Taylors have nut widths of 1+3/4" while the J-200s have nut widths of 1+11/16".

Due to the fact that I like to pick with my own nails may have some bearing on why I like the sound and feel of the Elixir brand over many other brands I have tried over the years. And not having acid fingers means I get a long life from them. And my nails don't shred the wound strings much, if at all.

One last thing is that I like a Jumbo or a Jumbo-related shape the best. I find they begin life with the best balanced sound over other shapes. The Grand Orchestra is Taylor's replacement shape for their older Jumbo model. It has similar dimensions but built lighter and with a wider waist. And the Grand Concert body is a mini-Jumbo shape. And another reason I like the HD gauge is that it helps contribute to a balanced sound.

End edit.

Don
.

[edward993]

Good responses already! But if I may belabor the point and offer some obvious thoughts:

1. Yes, pay attention to what the guitar is designed for. More than mere "well that's what the guitar came with" mindset, but a good guitar has its top braced with a certain string gauge as a part of the design parameters. So sure, deviate from the factory recommendation a bit as this is part of the tonal experiments we make ...all fine. But know that pushing/pulling from the original specs will result in a gain here and a loss there. Again, all good if what we gain outweighs what was lost.

2. Putting 11s on a Taylor GS is two steps lighter than its design; that's a biggie. So it's easy to imagine that one step can change a guitar's voice, how about two steps lighter! Well you don't have to "imagine" because you clearly hear how a guit designed for 13s but wearing 11s has a markedly different tone and volume.

3. What Don above points out is essential: each guitar body style/size responds differently to string gauge changes. Don apparently likes HDs and how they feel and sound on his guitars, as well as to his ears and preferences. I personally didn't like the HDs on a GS and a DN that I owned, but my guits are not his guits, let alone pur preferences are clearly very individual. Side note: I put elixir medium-lights on GC and GA bodied guits, so there ya go ...my preference

All to say, go back to stock gauge (Elixir or whatever brand you like), and let that be your baseline. I can guarantee your volume will be louder with 13s over 11s. But then you gotta weigh everything else: tone, playability, and whether your action needs adjustment to get the best overall instrument that you enjoy hearing as much as you do playing.

Edward

[Rosewood99]

I have a tailor 816CE and it’s like louder than almost all the rest of my guitars. I have light mediums on mine.

[12barBill]

I have a 2013 model 416ce that I bought new from Guitar Center. I played it for a year or so with 13-56 gauge strings. I emailed Taylor and asked if x16ce guitars were braced and built differently than x14ce guitars as far as being "specifically built for 13-56 strings" and was told "no" the slightly larger x16ce guitars used the same bracing and construction, etc and were only "set up" for 13-56 strings.

I play my 416ce with 13, 17, 24, 32, 42, 53 gauge strings and it is a loud guitar with very good projection. You should check the set up of your guitar, specifically how high are the strings above the guitar top at the bridge. If less than 1/2" and the saddle can't be raised then maybe look into the "Taylor quick neck reset option."

[DethWshBkr]

I did a restring, with 13/56 Elixirs so now to test it out.
I'm not used to wood guitars, so I'm surprised to see how "sensitive" they are to things like that
My RainSong and Emerald don't seem to care what strings are on them for volume.
Thank you much!

[fuman]

As noted, the strings make a difference. I have a GSCE Maple (616CE), and straight 12's generally don't project nearly as well. If you like things a little lighter, I have enjoyed John Pearse Bluegrass and Martin Custom Light Authentics (.0125 top string). I will almost GUARANTEE you that with the heavier strings, playing with fingers will sound phenomenal and with a pick you will get the volume you're looking for. The GS is the Taylor for people who don't love the Taylor sound (which is why they have semi-discontinued/bowdlerized it, I guess).

[DethWshBkr]

Originally Posted by fuman

As noted, the strings make a difference. I have a GSCE Maple (616CE), and straight 12's generally don't project nearly as well. If you like things a little lighter, I have enjoyed John Pearse Bluegrass and Martin Custom Light Authentics (.0125 top string). I will almost GUARANTEE you that with the heavier strings, playing with fingers will sound phenomenal and with a pick you will get the volume you're looking for. The GS is the Taylor for people who don't love the Taylor sound (which is why they have semi-discontinued/bowdlerized it, I guess).

So far, it does seem to have increased it a bit. Still much less "punch" than my RainSong, but that's ok. I may have to make a truss rod adjustment, since it seems a good bit harder to play (of course strings are heavier, but feels more than that).
For the slight volume increase however, I may just keep it at 11/52, as that still sounded lovely, and played like a dream, like my RainSong.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by DethWshBkr

Oh wow, I didn't realize it was "under-strung". I'll try a set of medium gauge and try it out. Only a few bucks!


This was in the store too, it was much less "perky" than the new 414 v-class. Again, it sounds good, and I have yet to it, but it just was interesting that both of us said the same thing about it being "quieter" than expected.

My son just picked up a 414CE Special Edition. That thing SINGS!