Taylor Guitars 414

I've had this guitar for 6 years now, after briefly owning several other acoustic guitars (Takamine, Gibson, Larrivie, Martin), and it has become an amazing sound machine. I've played it literally every day since I got it, and it just keeps opening up and sounding better. Honestly, I've never experienced anything like it. Deep, rich bass tones, round mids, and sparkly highs. This guitar is very sensitive, and sounds good at any volume. When fingerpicking, each note stands out. When strumming, I can go from very soft to thunderingly loud, and still retain great tone. I feel terrible for the guy whose guitar started throwing ugly overtones as it opened up, but that's definitely not my experience. If this guitar was lost or stolen, I wouldn't replace it, I'd kill myself.

If I remember correctly, the factory set up was slightly off. The neck was too straight, causing buzzing. A quick turn of the truss rod fixed it. The elixir strings sounded great to me. I'm currently using D'Addario Bronzes, which sparkle a bit more. Otherwise, beautiful, no flaws. Well, no flaws originally - I've banged it up a bit since then.

This guitar is a workhorse. I've banged it up, dropped it, smacked it against tables, lost it when drunk, and it just seems to keep on keeping on. It is not as pretty as it once was, but it handles abuse well, and is just about impossible to pull out of tune.

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I've been playing music since childhood, and playing in various types of bands for over 20 years. When I was shopping for an acoustic, I tried every acoustic guitar in the Bay Area, it seems, before I found the 414. I picked it up, strummed it for a few minutes, and new absolutely that this was the guitar for me. I currently own an Ibanez Artcore AS73, a Prudencio Saez Model 8 Spanish guitar, several basses, several amps, including a Mesa Boogie Purple Stripe. If I had to choose between having all of the other gear, or just this one guitar, I'd choose the 414. It is literally the best guitar I've ever seen.

Taylor 414 SN# 20050104047

Specs:
Type/Shape: Grand Auditorim
Back and Sides: Ovangkol
Top: Sitka Spruce
Sound Hole Rosette: Wood Fiber
Neck: Tropical Amercian Mahogany
Fret Board: Ebony
Fret Board Inlay: Large Pearl Dots
Headstock Overlay: Idian Rosewood
Binding: White Fiber
Bridge: Ebony
Nut and Saddle: TUSQ
Tuning Machines: Chrome Taylor Tuners
Strings: Elixer Light Nanoweb
Scale Length: 251/2 inches
Truss Rod: Adjustable
Nut width at nut: 1 3/4
Bracing: Scalloped, X Brace
Finsh: Satin with Gloss
Cutaway: N/A
Electronics: B-Band (added later not sock)
Body Width: 4 5/8 inches
Body Depth: 20 inches
Over All Length: 41 inches

I'm a blues, Rock, Jazz, with country and Bluegrass background. The 414 sounds very good. I had done a few changes to it, do to I wanted a more round and high in the tone. I had the TUSQ nut and Saddle removed and had a Bone nut and Saddle installed. This mad a world of difference for me. I also changed the ebony pins to bone pins. I got really pissed when changing string. The ebony pins would always pop up and I would have to keep holding them down untill fully tuned. After these simple changes the 414 is a 10. I use a Braggs DI and http://www.pendulumaudio.com/SPS-1.html. I go into the PA. I have found these system very good. For studio nothing beats a mic. I didn't care for the elxir strings. I use Thomastik-Infeld Spectrum Bronze. These are excellent strings and also mad the guitar come alive.

The guitar from the factory was okay for a Bluegrass player. I'm not that type of player. I have a light touch and use pick and fingers. I had to get it setup for my touch. This is the norm for any guitar. Finsh is excellent! No Flaws I have found, and I'm picky on this. Like I stated above made changes. Bone nut, saddle and pins. I don't like guitars with pickup systems do to I have my own voice. I tryed a lot of Acoustic pickup systems and went with the B-Band A2.2 system.

The 414 is very well constructed. I really like the dove tail joint at the headstock to neck. This joint is the most stable joint there is. The finish is tough as nails under normal use. Strap bottons are soild. I did replace the neck botton with strap lock botton. Sence I have the B-Band system there is no strap lock on the body. I have used without any back up. Very will built!

I have dealt with the CO a few times and are very cool people.

I have been playing 25yr. I own other guitars and a Bradshaw rack with switching system. The guitar comes stock, so it is what it is. I would try and find another 414 if it were stollen. It would be a hard find do to I tried every Tayler, Gibson, Larrive', Tacoma,Martin among others in the store and this 414 had the magic. With Acoustic Guitars they are very unstable to tone. No one acoustic sounds the same. I give this score do to for me I wish they had the option for bone. They are still an excellent guitar!
www.Nashvillerocker.com

2003 model. Grand auditorium shape, Ovangkol body with white binding, bound mahogany neck. Fairly shallow neck profile, 1 3/4" nut width. Satin finish on body, gloss on spruce top. No electronics. Grover machine heads. Bookmatched spruce top, though the grade of wood is rather poor, in my opinion. Ebony bridge and fretboard. Headstock had a rosewood veneer face -- stupid. Should have been ebony, or ovangkol. Looks out of place. Matter of fact, the whole thing looks like it was kluged together out of spare parts. Not the most attractive guitar I've ever seen. Absolutely HATE the finger-jointed headstock. Looks cheap. For what Taylor charges for these, it should be one piece. Beautiful case that weighs 3 times more than the guitar.

I'm a diehard fingerpicker, mostly traditional and bluegrass. Bought it from GC during a time when I was guitar-less, just having sold my worn-out Guild GF-25. Sounded clean and airy when I first bought it, but that soon changed. After about a year, it started to develop some off-color overtones. Not bad at first, but got progressively worse, to the point that I couldn't stand it anymore. Still sounded OK to most people who heard it, but I'm very critical and sensitive to tonal changes like that.

Initial set-up was so-so. I suppose it met Taylor's spec, just not mine. I always do my own set-ups. Overall construction quality and finish is very good, though I think it's a little too lightly built for durability. As someone who's played Guilds most of my life, I found the neck width to be awkward at 1 3/4". I like a 1 11/16" nut width and a slightly deeper, rounded neck profile. Never got used to the Taylor neck.

Don't know if it would withstand any serious gigging, since it never left my climate-controlled studio. Six neck relief adjustments in a year's time is ridiculous. Never had a guitar that was so unstable. Really annoying. I live in Central Texas where the humidity is unbelievable. Would probably self-destruct at an outdoor gig.

Never bothered with customer support. Flashy website, though.

Been playing over 30 years, acoustic guitar and bass. I had played a 614-ce 4 years ago that just blew me away, but I couldn't justify dropping close to $3K on a guitar. This came close in tone, but I wouldn't have bought it if I knew what was to come in terms of tonal degradation. I've since sold it and found a mint condition '76 Guild G-37 (maple body dreadnought) that is heads and shoulders above ANY Taylor I've played in terms of tone and stability. And I only paid $530 for it.

I now view Taylors as I view Gibsons -- overpriced and over-hyped. Their obsession with humidity control is over the top, in my opinion. I realize it's a solid wood guitar, but give me a break. I've owned plenty of quality solid wood guitars that will tolerate moderate swings in temperature and humidity without going out of tune or swelling up like a pumpkin. C'mon, Bob. Get with the program. Real musicians play in variety of situations with variable climactic conditions, not in a humidity-controlled bubble. There's nothing about the materials or construction of Taylors that justifies the outrageous prices. I guess they have to pay for all the marketing hype. First and last Taylor I'll ever buy.

Grand Auditorium, solid woods (spruce top,ovangkol back/sides), gloss top, satin back/sides, chrome tuners, white body binding, 14 frets to the body, 25.5" scale, I think. 1.75 width at the nut(which I love). Nice Taylor hardshell black case included in price.

Has a bright, cutting, full sound when strummed, and a very articulate fat tone when fingerstyling. This particular instrument buzzed when strummed near the nut... even with a fairly light touch... eeech!! But it does sound great though.

It was not set up at the factory at all. I adjusted the action and relief to my preference (which is low action- and Taylor's specs for action and relief, btw) and there was that fret buzz on some notes! I've got five other guitars set up the exact same way with absolutely no problems... I just don't know what the deal is with this one! I can adjust the action higher and eliminate fret buzz, but I don't like high action! Other than that, the woods were superb, but the spot where the heel joins the body was sloppy and mismatched- they just filled it with some kind of putty.. come on guys!!

Seems sturdy enough

I have been playing 18 years- bass and acoustic guitars. I own/have owned Martins, Guilds, Fender guitars and basses, Larrivee, Washburns, Alvarez, Rickenbacker bass, Ampeg amplification, etc. I liked this one for the fantastic tone, but since I ordered it online I was taking a chance... and I lost. I am sure that all Taylors don't have problems with uneven frets, but this one did. So, back to online mcmusic superstore it went!!

1999. Pretty standard guitar set up, can't ask for much more. Grovers. Would have preffered a metal strap button, but hey, that's small stuff.

This thing sings. Pluckin' zeppelin or fingerpickin' the blues. Belt it out hard and you get awsome volume, lightly and you get delicate and tasteful tone. Control over tone is the key phrase. I like to play classical music on this one (I do have classical guitars) because the bass sound keeps up nicely with the bright uppers and rich mids for a nicely balanced orchestra under your command.

Set up was great. Very playable. The finish was absolutely tastefull. The gloss top draws your attention to the beutiful spruce and the plain finish allows you to appreciate the beauty of the African back and sides. The white binding around the guitar allows this transformation to be absoulutely pleasent on the eyes.

I started out playing this thing about 5-6 hours a day. (when I had the time) it still sees about a good solid 10 every week for about 5 1/2 years now. Nothing on this guitar has let me down. Frets are standing up, "G" tuner has gotten a little fussy, but still does the job. This guitar has been out of its case on the beach countless times, In the humidity of hot Japanese summers and cold winters in Washington state plus lots of places inbetween. The outside of the case is a reck (about 10 flights). First flight caused one of the floor buttons on the case to get punched through (thanks air canada) and It takes a bit of jimmying to get the lips to align, but Guitar plays the same as it did day one. It has aquired numerous battle scars, but who would want a guitar that they can't relax and enjoy. Still looks flawless to the untrained eye

Never had to call anybody, probably never will.

I've been playing for about 10 years. The day I bought it I had about $2,000 set aside for a guitar. I really wanted a martin but tested out some taylors as well. Glad I did, never regretted it since. and had left over money to play with.

Just the 414: ovangkol sides, sitka-spruce top, model: grand auditorium. No electronics, no cutaway. Good case!

The reason why i bought this guitar, was not because of reviews or advice, but simply because of the haunting character of the tone. I mainly use my fingers rather than a plectrum, and the guitar is very sensitive to the way you pick the strings. Hence my experience of its tone changes from day to day. Incredibly beautiful sustain! Sounds incredible with slow, finger-picked playing. Can be a very funky guitar too! Slapping and high strings triads sound great. I prefer a dreadnought for strumming. I also find the tone is demanding me to be a better player because it is so sensitive to what you do. Sound is very `articulate', yet warm and clear at the same time.

Very low action, no flaws, perfect and beautiful finish. I replaced the strings and am still experimenting with strings. The factory set-up action was too low: i had strings buzzing when strumming. I increased the action by a small twist of the truss-rod and all was fine.
The playability is absolutely excellent.

Looks reliable, but it is an open, acoustic instrument...i try to be careful with it!

Don't know.

I play for about 25 year now, and have an Ibanez classical guitar and a standard US '89 strat fitted with DG20 EMG pick-ups.
If it were lost, broken or stolen, i'd consider it again for sure, but would not hesitate to check around for other guitars too, notably Taylor (dreadnoughts?) with electronics. I wish i bought the ce version with cutaway and electronics, but decided to go for the best sounding guitar within my budget. The 414 was a clear winner, and the only competitor that i considered seriously was the taylor 310 dreadnought, which is an amazing guitar for its price, really is. But it lacks the mystery in the tone on my 414.

A 2002 model. I bought it used. It came with plastic bridge pins, unlike the ebony ones on newer models. Not sure if this is because it's a 2002, or if the previous owner put them in. They looked fine, though. The 2002's have white binding on the fretboard. All other features are original standard. I appreciate the straplock at the neck joint (but on the downside, it doesn't match the straplock at the base, and additionally I find the one at the base to be a bit too fat for my strap - but oh well - maybe it's designed for easy removal and replacement with a preamp if so desired).

I thought I would leave this review because I have a view different things to say about this than most other people. First: ovangkol is, in my opinion, a fantastic tonewood. When comparing this with other Taylor models, I find it to closely approximate rosewood. The only difference I can detect between the two is that rosewood seems to have slightly fuller high notes. On the other hand, I find that ovangkol brings its own advantages. Specifically, it is tremendously resonant at some low notes - the whole guitar shakes, which is unusual for a Taylor (though to be expected from many other manufacturers). It seems to be lacking no bass in the lower register relative to other Taylors. Also, if you're the kind that prefers clear, airy notes, then you might actually prefer the ovangkol to the rosewood.
Overall, this guitar has a great tone. Nonetheless, I sold it because the Taylor sound was getting on my nerves. The Taylor design seems to take any warmth, wood, and heart from an *picked* acoustic guitar sound, leaving you with a relatively anemic and middy residue, with stringy sounding highs. It's not terrible - still sounds good - but for the money (and even for less than this money) it's inferior. This is a symptom of every Taylor - including the rosewoods. (To be fair, their Engelman spruce models seem to be a little better in this regard, but that restricts you to just the 710, unless of course you want to dish out for an overly ornate 900-series.) I could literally sit and strum an open G and hammer-on the B third on the A string, and you couldn't even here it - it just gets lost in what sounds like a cymbal crashing. And I wasn't even strumming that hard.
Also to be fair, I only ever had Elixir nanoweb strings on this, and Elixir nanowebs will make even the finest guitar sound like hell, in my opinion. However: (a) Taylor ships them out with nanowebs, so it's still their fault, and (b) my complaints were too great to be accounted for only by the strings.
HOWEVER: this guitar sounds *amazing* finger-picked. The airy response of the Taylor combined with the warm natural quality of fingerpicking make for an incredibly clear and well-balanced sound. This is where this guitar would shine. Sadly, I'm not a fingerpicker, so it had to go.

Gorgeous, gorgeous action. I especially love the string-spacing on Taylors, which is slightly wider than usual and allows for very precise fingering without strain. Even more so, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous guitar. The body shape, headstock, finish, everything is beautiful. If I had money to spare, I'd have kept it just for its looks. Specifically, while I think the higher-end Taylors start to become overly ornate and even gaudy, I think the 400-series is the highest one to retain a simple elegance and beauty. Also, ovangkol is a stunning wood which can vary in colour from a coffee-brown to literally a golden colopur (and that isn't even that rare, either). The grain is wide, thick, and beautiful. Prettier than rosewood, in my opinion. The gloss top is great, and I appreciate the satin back and sides to let the beauty of the wood out.
My only complaint: there was some extra glue spilled over onto the finish around the lower strap peg (which is factory original). Uncommon to find such a mistake from a Taylor. Given everything else, though, I'd still give it a 10.

No clue.

Customer support has got to be the best in the business. You can phone Taylor and a competent, courteous expert will talk with you for hours if you want about your guitar - even if you don't own it yet. Just say the word and they send you free DVD's and catalogs. Awesome.

An excellent guitar, with a great tonewood, but the Taylor sound in general is a bit of a let-down. That said, if it weren't for their enormous reputation and high cost, I might not be complaining at all. This still sounds better than almost any intermediate guitar on the market. Still, for a high-end instrument, they should do better. (Again, unless you're a fingerpicker, in which case it's probably among the best!)
Then again, Taylor have built their entire company around a unique sound that appeals to some and is hated by others. I guess I'm just not one of the former.

This is a simple acoustic guitar that doesn't really have any features to speak of - it's just a fantastic "real" instrument made using quality materials and hardware. Oh, and it comes with the toughest hard case I ever saw!

For my money this is quite a loud guitar (for its relatively modest body size) and to my ears it sounds perfect - full, rich and clear with plenty of sustain. There is no doubt that it suits finger picking better than heavy strumming but there is nothing that you couldn't get away with on this versatile guitar.

I bought this guitar because it felt perfect in the store as soon as I picked it up - it was like I had been playing it for years. The action was great, the neck felt smooth and comfortable and the small body seemed to work with the way I hold guitars. There were no visual flaws in the finish at the time of purchase and (a year or so down the road) despite the odd knock it still looks great today.

The only thing I would say is that I tried a few 414's before settling on this one - the set up and neck was not great on them all!

I do not doubt that with proper care this guitar will last a lifetime.
There is really nothing on it to go wrong, the materials are all quality and the finish seems pretty tough to me. I don't play acoustic guitar at gigs but if you needed to this would do just fine!

Have had no need to contat them but their website is full of helpful care information etc.

I have owned this guitar for a year and love it to pieces. It is everything I wanted for my money, a fantastic instrument made from real materials. I own a few other guitars and this made my other acoustic sound like a cricket bat!

Everything fits together like a lock and key.

The sound is fantastic, of course: Taylors in general are the clearest, most "genuine" sounding guitars I've ever played. Ovangkol is a tremendous step up from mahogany - it sounds *very* close to rosewood, though played side-by-side ovangkol isn't quite as rich and full in the high notes. Still, definitely a ful, rich sounding wood, as opposed to the graininess of mahogany.
Nonetheless, I got rid of my 414 because it didn't suit my style. Taylors in general are built to be bright, jangly, and brilliant - at which they excel. For my personal taste, they're too much so. Aso, the one thing that I really can fault them for is their dynamic range: when I strum even moderately hard, ny open string sounds like a cymbal - literally. Of course, this probably comes part-and-parcel with the bright clarity, so it isn't really a "design flaw" per se. Just that it doesn't realy suit me.
For the record, I tried softer strings (Elixir polywebs), and they were just as bad only in reverse: sounded utterly dead and lifeless. In a guitar built to be bright, woody mellow strings don't fair so well, I guess.
I ill say this, though: finger-picked this guitar is unbelievable.

Wonderful - this is almost the prettiest acoustic I've ever seen. I'm actually not a bit fan of some of the later Taylors because I think they become too ornate, and have too many "lines" drawn on them. The 414 is elegant but not too simple, beautiful. The gloss finish is superb, and I love the satin back and sides, leaving the gorgeous golden brown grain of ovangkol to stand out by itself. The 30th Anniversary's look even better with the wood rosette and inlays.
There's some glue spilled out over the finish from the strap button on the base. This is probably just my specific guitar - from what I gather it's rather un-Taylor-like.
Playability-wise, it's probably the best I've ever played. I've played guitars with similar low action, but this guitar does it while still sounding great and not having a single buzzing fret. To boot, I like the slightly wider string spacing on the Taylors that allows for easier fingerwork without impeding speed. The ebony fretboard is pretty.

No idea.

Awesome. Called an had a very well-spoken and knowledgeable rep answer all my questions prior to buying this (used) - took a lot of time with me, nver rushed me. And it's an 800-number.

An outstanding guitar, and well worth the money. The case is the best I've ever seen, as well. Best for fingerpicking, good if you like a bright, jangling sound when strumming. But if you're looking for woody, or strong, or in particula good strumming dynamic range, this won't be for you. But for what it's designed for: it's one of the best.

This is Taylor's solid wood Ovangkol back, Spruce top guitar, with the bolt on neck. The finish was the satin that is common to all the lower Taylor number models, and quite nice with the Ovangkol wood. The top has a gloss finish. The tuners are the new Taylor designed ones, and they seem to work very well - smooth. The guitar came with a beautiful solid hard shell plywood case that is a joy to hold (well-balanced) and look at. The guitar fits in it tight as a hand in a glove, and you feel the instrument is well protected. The case is made by Taylor, and most owners are glad they are making them again.

The sound of this guitar blew me away. I own two other Taylors and two other guitars, and was in the music store to just mess around with some instruments and have some fun comparing things. I played some $2500+, $3,000+ Taylors and wasn't impressed enough to throw out my existing guitars. Then I picked up this 414. Holy Cow! What a sound! I couldn't believe my ears. It had this bass that went on forever, and a treble that also sang. I had a couple salesmen play it so I could hear it from a different angle. The guy played some hard blues, and the guitar ate it up. It loved being played hard! It put out an enormous amount of sound for a relatively small bodied guitar. What sold me was that it responded well to gentle fingerpicking also. I walked out of the store with the guitar in my hands. I was not about to let it out of my sight. I've never done that before.

The action seems to be a little high to me, and I am considering having it adjusted by the top guy in my town. All the wood is just great, as is the satin finish on the ovangkol and the gloss finish on the spruce. The notes are consistent up and down the fretboard, indicating a good job of fret placement. No complaints whatsoever, but I didn't expect any from Taylor.

This is a solid guitar. I don't gig, but I would feel comfortable doing that with this guitar. It is solid, and dependable. I lent it to an English friend who gigs and he played it very hard on a couple tunes and pronounced it first rate for sound and playability.

Taylor customer support is the best in the business. They have always come through for me.

I've been playing 40 years, and own two Taylors, a 712 and a 512M. I also have a Guild classical that was my first guitar and a Hohner O-Series 12 string guitar. I also play dulcimer, harmonica and kalimba, and a little ocarina. This guitar fits perfectly in-between my 712, which is a fingerstyle guitar, and the 512M, which can be strummed and picked but doesn't have the volume. It can do either. When I need a loud guitar in crowd, it's there for me. It's insured, so if it were lost or stolen, yes I would get another one