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NUGD: 2004 Taylor 814 (plus a couple questions!)
I found a heck of a deal on a consignment 2004 Taylor 814 (no c, no e, which is good because I'm not a cutaway guy) at a local shop. They accepted my lowball offer, and now it is mine. As a humble librarian, I had never even entertained the thought of owning an 814. The J-15 I got for my 40th birthday a couple years ago was about it as far as my budget goes. But I sold/am in the process of selling several other guitars for this 814 because after playing it a few times in the shop, it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. It did not come with a pickguard, so I will probably get one from Holter. He did a great job with a custom guard for the J-15.
My trusty 114 has stuck around all these years where some 300/400-series Taylors have been sold on, as well as some other comparably-priced Martins. There just wasn't enough difference in sound between those and the 114 to justify keeping them around. Not so with this 814! After just a few strums I "got it". Like, oh, this is why I've heard the 814 called their flagship guitar. Came back a few times a week apart to see if I was just fooling myself, A/B'd it with the 114. There is definitely a stark difference. Anyway, a question: my 114 has 12's on it and my J-15 and past dreads have 13's. The shop restrung this for me but used 11's instead of 12's. I presume this 814 can handle 12's, but I want to make sure because I don't want to do anything to mess this one up. Similarly, I use Humidipaks in all my guitars year-round. I've never had a problem, but I have read horror stories of those springing leaks. Then again, I've also read horror stories about seemingly all in-case humidifiers. What's the settled law, here? I was thinking about one of those Oasis tube humidifiers, but maybe I should just stick with the Huimidipaks. Finally, what kind of picks do people use with their GAs? On dreads I use a 1.4mm PrimeTone (ever since I put my BlueChip in my pocket one day and then never saw it again), but I find thicker picks can be a little overbearing on GAs. Problem is, I've been using triangle picks instead of the standard 351s for a few years now, and I can't really find triangles in sub-1mm sizes aside from the normal Dunlap picks which sound okay, but not as good as the more boutique materials. Any suggestions? Anyway, here are some pictures, including the "squished" looking shot from the shop's website.
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Taylor 814 (2004) Gibson J-15 (2019) Taylor AD17 (2021) |
#2
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Wow that’s a beautiful guitar!
I am pretty sure 12-52 or 12-54 strings were standard for those. Medium strings were usually on the dreadnought and GS models. |
#3
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Excellent guitar, no C, and no ES especially! Those tuner knobs might be an upgrade, unless I am mistaken, they weren't standard with the 814. Looks like it is in great shape, even with the ding on the upper bout.
I use Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze Lights 12-53. It is a keeper for sure! Regards! RICK |
#4
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Congrats! Great guit and beautiful silking on the top! That it has some miles on the clock is a great plus, IMO ...and you clearly hear it, apparently! Being played over many years is a beautiful thing!
Yes, all Taylor GAs (x14 models) are shipped with 12-53 elixirs. They are designed/braced for this tension, though 13-56 is still safe, as per factory should you want to experiment. May I suggest you try elixir med-lights on your GA. The EAD is from the med set and GBE from the light set. I've done (elixir PBs) this on two former GAs I've owned, and currently have it on a GC-bodied guitar, and it is a stellar string set that augments the bottom end, lending a bigger voice with a bit more "authority" to it, but doesn't compromise any of the crisp top end or sparkly highs that are signature Taylor. In my experience, anyway. Enjoy the beautiful find ...especially since they accepted your lowball, extra kudos to you there!! Pic: I use Dunlop GatorGrips 1.1 for all my acoustics. FWIW, I use 1.5 for electric so I do prefer a thicker, more "immediate" pic feel, but for the acoustics (incl the 12er) I find the 1.1 an excellent balance of "drive" and sparkle. Edward Last edited by edward993; 08-10-2022 at 05:58 PM. |
#5
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Very nice guitar! Enjoy!
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Alvarez AP-70 Squire Contemporary Jaguar Kustom Amp (acoustic) Gamma G-25 Amp (electric) |
#6
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Awesome Taylor - to me, the GA body looks perfect with no cutaway! Looks like that might have been a custom order or one of the Limited editions. Is the label marked as such? The single best Taylor I have ever heard or played was a 2002 814 Cocobola and Sitka with no cutaway or electronics! Congrats and enjoy that beauty!
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Mike |
#7
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Hi Ribs!
Wow, that is a great looking guitar! The Taylor 814 is a terrific guitar in my book! I'm so glad you got a good deal on this! It sounds like you are really going to enjoy this new guitar! - Glenn
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My You Tube Channel |
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That is a stunning looking guitar!
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#9
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Bootsiefull!!!
Bob Taylor designed the 814 for 12-53 and Elixirs are what they shipped with. Bob said you could go up a step but it would reduce the output of the guitar. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#10
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Congrats for the great deal you have done for a great guitar! BTW, greetings from a humble librarian ;-)
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#11
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Congrats on your 814!
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-Joe Martin 000-1 Rainsong CH-OM Martin SC10e sapele My Band's Spotify page https://open.spotify.com/artist/2KKD...SVeZXf046SaPoQ |
#12
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Thanks for the kind words, all! To address some of the comments: The tuners say "Taylor" on the back, so I'm not sure if they're an upgrade. Maybe I'll check with customer support and see what they've got on this.
So far as I can't tell it's not a limited, I had a 412 fall limited for a while and the model was listed as "412ce-FLTD", this just says 814. Thanks for all the string feedback, I'll definitely be taking this up to 12's ASAP! And finally, great to see another librarian on here. I may have suggested doing a "campfire singalong" to cap off summer reading this year, which resulted in me bringing a guitar in and getting paid to practice the singalong songs during work hours!
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Taylor 814 (2004) Gibson J-15 (2019) Taylor AD17 (2021) |
#13
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Beautiful guitar, congrats on the acquisition!
I like 1mm Primetones, little less thick at least, if you don't want to go BC. They're pretty nice. |
#14
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That is a beautiful guitar—congratulations! Unless you are a heavy strummer, I wouldn’t put a pickguard on that beauty. If you do, I would consider a clear one. Otherwise, the wood pickguards that come on the 600 and 800 series would look great on that guitar. Not sure if Taylor sells them separately, but Thalia has some that are nice.
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#15
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My 2019 814ce Dlx came with 12-53 Elixir Nanos. Prefer those D’Addario XS 12-53s. Lately I’ve put away the BlueChip TD50 in favor of the PrimeTone 1.4mm Jazz III. Warmer.
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