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NAMM 2023: Taylor’s new Builder’s Edition 814CE is quite the stunner
The latest member in the lineup is a blend of “ultra-premium” sound enhancements and upgraded aesthetics .
Image: Taylor Guitars
NAMM 2023: Taylor Guitars has expanded its esteemed Builder’s Edition collection with the addition of its flagship 814ce acoustic electric model.
As with all the other members of the Builder’s Edition family, the 814ce is designed with an emphasis on “ultra-premium feel and sound”.
Promising an “unparalleled playing experience”, the latest incarnation of Taylor’s flagship Grand Auditorium guitar sports a four-piece top Adirondack spruce top paired with solid Indian rosewood back and sides, and a Neo-Tropical Mahogany neck. By upgrading the standard 814ce from solid Sitka spruce to Adirondack spruce, players get to enjoy enhanced complexity and a higher volume ceiling — along with visually pleasing grain symmetry, says the brand.
Equipped with ES2 electronics, the luxurious six-string is adorned with an alternating maple and black top purfling with rosewood edge trim, a rosewood pickguard, and the same Element inlays and abalone/rosewood/maple rosette featured on the standard 814ce.
Premium appointments include Gotoh 510 tuners in antique gold for a precise 21:1 gear ratio, a contoured Curve Wing bridge (exclusive to Builder’s Edition models), and a Kona edgeburst on the back and sides, accented with maple and black purfling.
Meanwhile, woodworking details also set the Builder’s Edition 814ce apart from its standard counterpart: A sculpted bevelled cutaway ensures effortless high-register access, while a bevelled mahogany armrest provides maximum comfort for your strumming arm.
In addition, the guitar is voiced with a specially modified V-Class bracing pattern for more volume and sustain, and has slight alterations in the taper of its body. It’s also the only model in the BE collection to feature a gloss-finish body.
Starting at $4,499, the Builder’s Edition 814CE comes shipped with a deluxe brown hardshell case.
“The Builder’s Edition collection offers players an aesthetically beautiful and extremely ergonomic playing experience,” says Andy Powers, Taylor’s Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEO. “We’re happy to finally welcome Taylor’s beloved flagship model, the 814ce, to new heights of craftsmanship and performance.”
More details at Taylorguitars.com