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more tonal output. Also, be sure to
choose a body shape that’s physically
comfortable to play. Here is a rundown
of Taylor acoustic body shapes and
their basic tone profiles:
Jumbo (JM)
have with their strumming/picking hand
will help lead to the right guitar. If you
own other guitars and are looking for
fresh inspiration, it might be good to
try a different type of guitar, as Taylor’s
Aaron Dablow explains.
Grand Auditorium (GA)
Taylor’s most versatile and popular
body style finds the sweet spot
between a big and small guitar. It’s
robust enough to handle medium
strumming and flatpicking, yet also
responsive to fingerpicking. It tracks
well with other instruments both in a
studio mix and on stage. It’s the ultimate
all-purpose guitar and has come to
define the modern acoustic sound.
With the emergence of the GS as
a big, rich acoustic voice that balances
power and balance, we’ve decided to
temporarily remove the Jumbo from the
Taylor line for 2012 (with the exception
of the Leo Kottke Signature Models)
in order to explore voicing refinement
ideas in our design studio. Look for its
spirited return next year.
Explore Different Tonewoods
“If a person is a bluegrass-heavy
strummer and already owns a Sitka
spruce/rosewood Dreadnought, I
might steer them into a mahogany GS,”
Dablow says. “It will give them a little
extra flavor, something that will inspire
them to play a little differently.”
Look for Aesthetic Inspiration
Grand Symphony (GS)
The full-bodied GS yields Taylor’s
boldest, richest acoustic voice. Beyond
the impressive volume and sustain,
the GS is also responsive to fast
picking and a bluesy fingerstyle touch.
If a guitar’s shape produces the
sonic equivalent of a meal, think of
tonewoods as the seasoning. The
unique acoustic properties of woods
help color a body shape’s fundamental
sound. The key, once again, is to find
the woods that match up best with your
playing style and intended applications.
The piano-like bass, meaty midrange,
and thick, shimmering highs blend
seamlessly. The GS also makes an ideal
choice for a 12-string.
Grand Concert (GC)
With its compact design, the GC
is physically comfortable to play and
produces a smaller sonic footprint,
which helps curb the overtones and fits
neatly into recording and performance
scenarios. The GC gives players a
“secret weapon” in the studio. It also
has a shorter 24 7/8-inch scale length
for easier fretting and a slightly slinkier
feel, which can make a big difference.
It might be rosewood’s low-end growl
and sizzling trebles; the midrange
overtones of mahogany; the focus and
projection of maple; or the warmth of a
cedar top for fingerpicking. As you play,
pay attention to each wood pairing’s
distinctive acoustic traits, along with
the feeling of responsiveness in your
hands. If you plan to play and sing, tune
in to the way the acoustic sound relates
to your voice.
Taylor’s thoughtful design details
make a visual impression before you
ever pick up a guitar. In addition to
the elegant lines that distinguish
the shape of the headstock, bridge,
pickguard and body, a unique package
of appointments gives each guitar
series a unique identity. Beautifully
crafted artistic appointments include
inlays, binding, and finish colors that
range from subtle to sublime. The
visual inspiration in turn serves as an
appetizer for our musical creativity.
Beyond tonal considerations, woods
boast an inherent visual appeal that can
also be deeply inspiring. Figured koa,
maple, and cocobolo, to name a few,
have cast a seductive spell on many a
player. Grain patterns, color variegation,
and other visual characteristics all help
differentiate a guitar and showcase
each one as a truly unique instrument.
Players who crave something beyond
what we offer through our standard
line can design their own custom guitar
through our Build to Order program.
More Test-driving Tips
Dreadnought (DN)
The Taylor Dreadnought refines a
traditional guitar shape for the modern
era, and players with a harder attack
will love the blend of power and
articulation. Because the waist is less
tapered than the GS, the DN tends
to concentrate the sonic horsepower
slightly more in the lower register. The
voicing will produce driving rhythms,
yield a low end that’s robust without
getting muddy, and help solos cut
through.
Look for more descriptions of each
wood’s tonal nuances in the pages that
follow, with additional details in our
Woods feature at taylorguitars.com.
Know Your Player Profile
For all the inherent nuances of
different guitars, acoustic tone is largely
in the hands of the player. When Taylor
staff members talk to customers about
choosing the right guitar at Taylor Road
Shows and Find Your Fit dealer events,
the first thing they do is identify the
person’s “player profile.” Understanding
what type of music the person likes
to play and what kind of attack they
As you evaluate guitars, try playing
several models that have the same
body shape but different woods. Or
the same woods with different body
shapes. This systematic approach will
help you hone in on each guitar’s tonal
differences more clearly. If you plan to
record with the guitar, you might want
to arrange a simple recording session
to compare your leading contenders
before you make your decision. If you
plan to play with others, try jamming
with friends in the store to gauge
how the guitar will sound with other
instruments.
As thorough as your search may be,
remember that each person’s playing
and listening experience ultimately is
subjective. That’s part of the beauty of
finding your fit: You get to decide what
inspires you most.
Understanding Acoustic Model Numbers
The majority of Taylor’s acoustic guitars fall into two main categories:
an acoustic/electric line that comes standard with a cutaway and
electronics (“ce”) and an offering of non-cutaway models. Most of the
acoustic/electrics feature a three-digit model number in the 100 through
900 range. Here’s how our numbering system works:
The first digit identifies the Series
number, in this case the rosewood/
spruce 800 Series. All the guitar
models within each series share the
same appointment package, including
the rosette, binding and fretboard inlay.
814ce
The third digit identifies the body shape
according to this numbering system:
0 = Dreadnought (DN, e.g., 810ce)
2 = Grand Concert (GC, e.g., 812ce)
4 = Grand Auditorium (GA, e.g., 814ce)
5 = Jumbo (JM, e.g., 815ce)
6 = Grand Symphony (GS, e.g., 816ce)
The second digit typically indicates whether the guitar is a 6-string ( 1)
or a 12-string ( 5). A 12-string Grand Symphony in the 800 Series would
be an 856ce. The second digit can also be used to note a model that
features the same top as the back and sides ( 2). For example, with the
Taylor Koa Series (K), the K12ce is a six-string Grand Concert with koa
back and sides and a Sitka spruce top. That same Grand Concert shape
offered with a koa top would be a K22ce. If it’s a 12-string with the
same top as the back and sides, 6 is used instead of 5. (A 12-string koa/
spruce GS would be a K56ce; with a koa top it would be a K66ce.)
For 2012, our nylon-string models have been integrated into the 200-
900 Series of the acoustic/electric line and are designated by the letter
“N” at the end of the model name. So, a nylon-string Grand Auditorium
model in the 800 Series would be an 814ce-N.
The naming system for the non-cutaway acoustic line is different but
related to the acoustic/electrics. Here’s how it works:
GA8
The model name begins with the shape abbreviation. A single digit
number matches up with the woods used in the correlating series. So,
the 8 here relates to the woods used for the acoustic/electric 800 Series.
A 12-string version of this model would be a GA8-12.
THE 2012 TAYLOR GUITAR GUIDE
FIND YOUR FIT
taylorguitars.com FIT ACOUSTIC OR ELECTRIC
