Taylor 614ce-LTD 2013 Spring Limited Acoustic-Electric Guitar

The Taylor 614ce-LTD 2013 Spring Limited Acoustic-Electric Guitar features full-body gloss finish, a Venetian cutaway, and Expression System electronics. No two sets of African ebony used for these 600 Series limiteds are alike, as caramel-hued sapwood and dark-chocolate heartwood converge into a dramatic display of abstract art. The wood pairing of ebony and European spruce yields a mix of warmth and rich overtones, and matches well with the Grand Auditorium body for fingerstyle or light strumming. The saturated tone will be especially rewarding to fingerstylists and other players who enjoy chords and notes that ring out. Appointments include a koa/ivoroid Spiked Ovals fretboard inlay, ivoroid binding with curly koa top edge trim, and an ivoroid/curly koa rosette. Gold Gotoh 510 tuners add a splash of vintage character.

The Taylor 614ce-LTD Spring Limited Acoustic-Electric Guitar features an ebony back and sides, European spruce top, ivoroid/koa Spiked Ovals fretboard inlay, ivoroid binding with curly koa top trim, ivoroid/koa rosette, gold Gotoh 510 tuners, gloss-finish body, Venetian cutaway, and Expression System electronics.

Taylor Ebony 600 Series

While most of the conversation about ebony tends to involve fretboards, bridges and other instrument parts, Taylor procured wood from a sapwood-rich ebony tree that was big enough to be cut into back and side sets. The exotic blend of caramel-hued sapwood and dark chocolate heartwood translates into visually inspiring… read more abstract art. Of the 300 sets that were available, each is beautifully unique.

Compared to the Macassar ebony Taylor has used in the past, this species -- the same African ebony they use for fretboards and bridges -- has a higher density, which translates into subtle tonal differences. "Tonally, it shares a little of Macassar's low-end damping factor," says Taylor master luthier Andy Powers. "Macassar has a pretty clear sound, while also being fairly overtone-heavy. This African ebony has a really rich, ringing character with a linear quality across the tonal spectrum."

To match the ebony's sonic characteristics, Taylor's design team chose European spruce tops with Adirondack spruce bracing. "European spruce has a strong attack with big headroom, but also with rich overtones," Andy says. "It produces thick, wide notes. Paired with the ebony, which also generates essentially the same effect, you'll hear really rich, saturated notes."

Someone who plays more slowly or softly will likely appreciate the way the response wraps the fundamental in a whole layer of overtones. These sonic attributes helped guide the choice of two guitar shapes for this series: Grand Auditorium and Grand Symphony. "We enjoy the warm low-end response from the middle class shapes," Andy explains. "And we definitely felt like this wood pairing would be a favorite with fingerstyle players because of that note-wrapping effect. It might better complement someone who likes to play full fingerstyle arrangements or even some classical music, rather than a machine gun country picker. It can be great for that, too, but it won't have the snappiness of a bright wood. This is a sipping wood. You play the notes, and you savor how they fade away."

Given the dramatic color contrast of the ebony, Taylor's design team wanted to keep the other visual elements relatively clean. A progressive Spiked Ovals fretboard inlay features engraved koa bookended by arrowhead-like triangles of ivoroid. The koa/ivoroid pairing continues on the body with ivoroid binding and curly koa top edge trim, along with an ivoroid/curly koa rosette. Gold Gotoh 510 tuners add a premium touch to match the elevated aesthetic. Both models feature full-body gloss finish, a Venetian cutaway, and Expression System electronics. read less