Taylor 114E Grand Auditorium - The Leader Of The Pack

As far as acoustic guitar are considered, Taylor and Martin stand out as two top-level companies that simply cannot be beaten at the moment. We are of course sharing our opinion and we are not taking into consideration how good they are for the money, just how good they are in general. However, this time around, we wanted to take the value for money into consideration and essentially bring you the guitar that packs that signature Taylor sonic excellence at the most affordable price. We bring you 114E Grand Auditorium, dig in!

Body & Neck

The guitar features a layered sapele back and sides backed with a solid sitka spruce top and a Taylor standard II bracing. The body features a matte finish and feels really smooth under the player's hand, leaving a lasting impression of quality and high-level craftsmanship. As for the neck, it's made from sapele, featuring a 25.5-inch scale length and a top-quality genuine African ebony fingerboard with 20 frets and white dot fret markers. This combination of tonewood brings us plenty of resonance, but also a lot of sustain and clarity. This is an ideal combo for a variety of genres and we firmly believe you can utilize this puppy in any sonic environment you imagine. On the aesthetic side, the guitar might have that tried and tested classic design, but it still stands out thanks to an impeccable finish and high build quality. On the practical side, this is perhaps the most comfortable neck we've encountered on an acoustic guitar

Hardware

The six-string comes with a Expression System 2 pickup and preamp system that allows solid sonic control and does a fine job in transposing the unplugged sound of the instrument to a plugged-in environment. Regardless of whether you use the 114E on the beach or during club shows through a PA system the sound quality will remain the same. The remaining notable features include chrome hardware, a set of six die-cast tuners, a rosewood bridge, a classy Taylor headstock, and a distinctively shaped black pick-guard.

Sound

The first thing that stood out in our book is the booming presence of bass frequencies in the mix. None of the frequencies are standing out too much, but this low-end richness isn't something isn't you encounter often, and we absolutely salute it. The guitar is also quite responsive and will express even the slightest changes in your performing style. We find this great, because although the basic sound of guitar is top-notch regardless of how you play it, you can always make alterations and feel your progress. This will drive you to learn more and strive for higher ground, which is what any good instrument should be all about.

Value/Conclusion

We'll put it like this – the price is way below the $1,000, yet the overall quality is easily worth a grand. The instrument packs a good value for money and is worth every penny. They call this fella one of the ultimate country guitars, but we beg to differ, as there is plenty of sonic versatility to cover much more genres. If you want to own the magic that made Taylor one of the all-time greats, but pay as low as possible to obtain it, this is the one to focus on. For more info about Taylor 114E Grand Auditorium, click here. For more acoustic electric guitars, click here.