Expression System
Seamless Design for Better
Performance
Developing the ES in-house
allowed for seamless design
integration with our guitars — the
pickup, in essence, became part
of the anatomy of the guitar. As a
result, we were able to optimize the
pickup and preamp for the Taylor
voice. The nonintrusive way the ES
components were incorporated
into the guitar also preserved the
aesthetic beauty of the instrument.
The current version of the ES
features two magnetic sensors.
A Dynamic Body Sensor® is
strategically mounted to the
underside of the soundboard to
capture the nuances of the top
movement, while a Dynamic String
Sensor® is embedded near the
neck pocket under the fretboard
extension to register string and
neck vibration. Together, the
pickups reproduce all the acoustic
clarity and articulation that define
the Taylor sound. A pro-audio-
grade discrete preamp cleanly
boosts the signal without the noise
that might otherwise distort or
muddy the tone. When you plug in,
you’ll hear the same warm, musical
voice you’ve grown to love when
playing your Taylor unplugged. In
fact, the sound quality is so good
that many artists and recording
engineers use the ES signal for
studio recording.
Simple Tone Controls
Part of the beauty of the ES
design is in the way it simplifies
the tone-shaping process. Three
soft-touch roller knobs are elegantly
aligned in the upper bout of the
guitar, allowing for easy adjustment
of volume, bass, midrange and
treble frequencies. Another feature
that enhances gigging flexibility is a
switch on the preamp board inside
the soundhole that allows players
to turn off the body sensor (see
our ES tips on the following page).
The easy-to-use controls allow you
to adjust to fit the nature of the
performance space.
