Taylor Guitars 314-CE

You know the features. I would give it a 10, but I guess it would need some fancy inlays for that. This guitar has everything you will ever need less special cosmetics.

Clarity, bell like tones, harmonics, deep lows and bright highs. Nothing sounds like a Taylor. They have captured something special with their sound. You can fingerpick softly with amazing clarity or strum it hard. It handles what ever you give it.

Mine came perfectly set up from the factory. No adjustments were needed. No flaws, the construction is superb. This guitar feels so solid. This finish was beautiful.

Everything about this guitar is solid and screams quality.

Taylor customer service is what every guitar company aspires to. They are the best with out question.

Been playing for 25 years. This guitar and most all Taylors are magic.

314c, custom ordered with no electronics in 2002. Made of all solid woods. Sitka spruce top, african mahogany (Sapele) back and sides. Tropical mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard with big dot inlays. Chrome grover tuners. Satin finish. I recommend that you put EZ pinz brass bridge pins on it. Nothing wrong with the sound, but the bridge pins will give you a livelier, brighter sound. It has great features compared to the majority of factory made guitars, but the higher end taylors and other guitars like breedlove push the rating down a little

suits my style perfectly. I like to play james taylor and other fingerstyle stuff along with some classic rock and dave matthews. Has beautiful sounds all around the fretboard and has a very rich tone.

The guitar was set up perfectly, and i dont think that the previous owner made any changes. The action is the typical taylor action, very low and fast with not much buzzing at moderate strumming levels. If you are a heavy strummer, I suggest you look at a taylor dreadnaught(x10 models) or jumbo(x15 models) because you will get buzzing on a grand auditorium if you are an aggressive strummer. There are absolutely no signs of finish flaws or faulty worksmanship anywhere on the guitar.

I have not played this guitar live, but i think it could easily withstand the punishment of gigging. The finish will last, and the hardware is very solid. The strap buttons are a little different than other guitars. The neck button is a little smaller than normal, and you may have trouble keeping the strap on the guitar. But the easy solution is to get a taylor strap that fits perfectly. I dont think I would need a backup, primarily because I can't afford one.

I'll give Taylor the benefit of the doubt. I haven't had to deal with them, but I've heard they value their customers.

I'm going to have to give it a 10. This is the best value I've ever seen. Taylor definately makes the best factory built guitars and have very reasonable prices. Personally, I like the much better than Martins.

Standard 314-ce. I upgraded, at the Taylor dealer, to the Fishman Stereo blender. Has everything you need. Wood and Steel. All wood Saple, ebony, mahog. Suu-weet. I really like the neck width for fingerstyle playing, and you can special order even wider width if you want. Body stlye is very comfortable sitting or standing.

Very well balanced and crisp. Great for fingerstyle. However not too loud acousticly. I put an ebony John Pearse armrest on mine and it helps increase the volume and tone and keeps your bare arm off the top(and looks cool). The biggest improvement came from upgrading to the Fishman stereo blender(with the added internal mic)(about $100 more). Through my Fender Acoustasonic Junior(highly recommended)this guitar is outstanding. It is the most incredible, sweetest tone you can get from an amplified acoustic guitar and between the Fishman blender and the amp, you can really shape the tone in a hundred ways. The mic (1/3 mic+2/3 piezo)warms up some of the piezo harshness and give a more "woody" tone. When playing with the band, I use a sound hole mute to reduce feedback at loud volumes. The playabillity is superb. In its price range, nothing touches it.

In this price range, don't expect master grade tops. But so what. The construction is top notch. The woods and hardware are beautiful and it plays like butter out of the box. Really. No flaws at all in the instrument. I have the poly case which is well fitted and seems well constructed. But the interior foam has a terrible smell which has not lessened much over the three years I've had the guitar. I give a nine because of the case smell.

I've had this guitar three years and it is in my hands alot. Very durable and as reliable as any fine, beautifully made, all wood instrument. Its fussy about humidity so watch the dry air and keep it in its case when not in use.The satin finish is particularly tough but thin.

I've had many dealings with Taylor over the years. Let me tell you,it is not only the finest customer service I've ever received from a music company, it the finest customer service I've ever received from ANY company, ever! Got a technical question, "I'll connect you directly to that department, Mr. M". Need a new set of ebony bridge pins,"we'll send that right out, Mr. M", no charge! I needed a pick guard for my Baby Taylor, they sent that too no charge. Remarkable. Great web site, too! Also you'll actually find Bob Taylor in the acoustic guitar chat rooms talking shop. Great Guy. Great Guitars. Great company.

I,ve been playing over twenty five years. I have lots of top end gear for acoustic and electric guitar. While a custom built axe by a top boutique builder is the pinnacle of guitars, for the money, this Taylor offers high end tone and playabillity that can't be matched. You really can't go wrong. But if you get the 314-CE, pop for the upgraded Fishman Stereo blender, you'll be glad you did.

This is a classic looking acoustic guitar...it is not meant to be looked at, it is meant to be played. That is not to say that it is not meticulously crafted...it is. There is not one flaw on this guitar, or any other Taylor that I have played for that matter. Absolutely amazing craftsmanship. These guys really take pride in their work. The reason I have given only an eight in this category is probably because I am obsessed with the cosmetic beauty of the Taylor 614ce...but that is simply out of my price range.

This is a versatile guitar. I do not label myself as a musician into any one particular genre, as I play a variety of styles including rock, classic rock, reggae, jam-band, and punk. This guitar complements all of these styles with ease. This is do to its well-balanced tone, only leaning slightly towards the bright side. The 314ce comes with Fishman prefix plus electronics which provide amazing sound in all types of setups and situations. I have been gigging with this guitar for quite some time now and I am extremely impressed. My only slight complaint is that it could be a bit louder. The 310 (full-sized dreadnout) model achieves a louder sound, yet lacks the comfortable feel of the smaller 314 guitar.

This guitar is perfectly set up, right from the factory. The action of Taylor guitars is impecable. There is a very slight buzz when strumming bar chords which is due to the low action of the guitar. This buzz is very slight, and does not effect the sound at all. I have searched this guitar inch by inch for flaws, and have found none. Although not a high end Taylor model, the manufacturers of this guitar certainly treated it as one. Taylor must be commended for their attention to detail, and their determination to satisfy.

This guitar will definitely withstand live playing...why buy a guitar that wouldn't? Keep in mind the fact that this is a solid wood guitar and must be maintaned properly, and you will have this guitar for life. All feautures seem to be very strong, the strap buttons are seemingly indestructable, the finish is well applied and thick enough, and the electronics are dependable. Playing a gig with this guitar and no backup is fine...again, why buy a guitar that will not withstand a gig? Just bring some extra strings so you don't look like an idiot when a string breaks.

I have not had to deal with Taylor yet, however I am fully confident in their reputation...it seems they more than take care of their customers, going above and beyond the call of duty.

Overall this is a finely tuned instrument, as all Taylors are. I have been playing guitar for 8 years now, and only within the last year have I made the switch to Taylor. I own many electric guitars, and one other acoustic, a Takamine (which is just crap in comparison to the Taylor). I am completely satisfied with this purchase. Do not let the price of Taylor guitars deter you from buying one, they are the epitomy of quality, and it will last you a lifetime...consider it an investment. I compared this guitar with about 40 other acoustics (as everyone should-you are choosing a lifelong partner here!) such as Larivee, Martin, Takamine, and Gibson and was inferior only to one guitar...the Taylor 614ce. If I had another thousand dollars I would have gotten it, yet this guitar is very close in comparison.

Made in the USA in April 2002 and bought in Newcastle, England in August 2002. 20 frets,solid spruce top,sapele back and sides,Fishman Prefix Plus electronics,Grover tuners and impressive hard case.

I am one half of an acoustic duo and I found it awkward to mike up my Gibson J200. I also found the Gibson a bit cumbersome to play standing up. It was easy to make the decision to go for Taylor on the basis of reviews and I did not want to spend more than necessary on higher end models. I noted in my research that many professional guitarists of repute play lower end Taylor acoustics. Another consideration was to choose a model which complimented the sound produced by my fellow player. He plays solos on a dreadnought shaped Seagull and I play backing rhythms. I tried a 310-CE and a 314-CE. The 310 was fine but produced a sound which was not dissimilar to the Gibson. The 314 was produced less bass and a much more balanced tone. The 314 was better for my particular needs although in different circumstances I would have been more than happy with the 310.

I played the guitar in the shop and was very impressed with the fit and finish. I have made no adjustments. Everything looks and feels top class. The guitar is obviously made with tone a higher priority than looks and the contrast between the 314 and my J200 (which looks very nice with all the inlay) is very apparent. The action is superb and the intonation is spot on. It is interesting that the Taylor highlights the flaws in my partners Seagull which is never in tune everywhere and requires those annoying compromises. The guitar came with Elixir strings and I would recommend these to anybody on the basis of playability and durability.

It is too early to say but the guitar is well built and I see no reason to doubt its durability.

The Taylor warranty does not apply in England so I have to rely on my dealer. I have not needed to contact Taylor via the internet and hope that they are as good as Gibson who have always been very helpful. There are some good tech sheets which can be downloaded from the Taylor site which give advice on humidity control, stringing and a host of other things.

I played in a band over 30 years ago and have only come back to playing since my retirement 18 months ago. Apart from the Gibson and Taylor acoustics I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a wonderful Tom Anderson Hollow T Contour. I also own a Mesa Boogie Maverick amp. I think the Taylor is great and would replace it if it were damaged or stolen.

2002 made with Jig saw new technology design joint that provides nice action and reliability, come with beautiful case. Disappointingly that its spruce top has not been bookmatch and has too diferrent big line color on top of my guitar.It's so ugly!!!!! It might be possible that they used 2A not 3A grade for this model. I found it after I brought and got my home. That make me sad that I too high expected with it appearnace. No choice for me in my Country, dealer has only one. Quality is not equal to buy in USA

Clean bright snappy base and bell ilke sound

OK. fit

OK

Not well for international service , I ever ask to their web but no answer I got.

Compare more than 2 if you want to buy

You know all the features from all the other reviews; I would give this catagory a 10 if the Fishman electronics featured a mic w/ a blender to go with the pickup, but it still sounds wonderful plugged in.

The sound is amazing- don't let the fact that this is a relativly low-end Taylor cost-wise fool you. It's an amazing guitar for band use; it's bright enough to fit perfectly in the mix, but where I think it really shines is with fingerpicking. It's such a balanced guitar- not too muddy, not too bright. Just to be fair I wish the electronics included the mic that higher-end Taylors have. Unplugged it sounds incredible.

Very sparse as far as frills go (which is the way I like it); you're not paying for extras that don't really affect the tone anyways. Very simple and elegant. There wasn't one flaw finish wise and the grain from the sapele wood on the back and sides looks wonderful. As always with Taylors, the action is perfect.

So far it's withstood about a year of live playing and traveling in the back of a hot trailer for days. I've dropped it once and run into several things with it and it still plays great. I have and tendency to not really take care of my guitars so this is the perfect guitar for someone like me. Very reliable so far. I've used it many times without a backup (which is not a good idea because strings break no matter how great the guitar is).

Never dealt with Taylor yet; I hear they're great in the customer support department. It's never needed repairs.

I love this guitar. My friend plays an 814ce and I personally like the tone of the 314ce better. Another friend of mine says it's the closest acoustic tone-wise to his Olson that he's played (notice I said "closest"- let's not get carried away here). Like I said earlier, don't let the lower cost fool you- this is a great guitar.

2002 taylor 314ce, 20 frets, spruce top,sapele sides back, fishman prefix plus, volume notch control trebel bass briliance controls, mahogany neck satin finish (nice and smooth) hand slides very easy no sticking like with urethaned necks when sweat builds up, venecian cutaway, ebony fretboard and bridge pearl dot inlays black fiber binding on body comes with excellent case, very snug fit a little heavy but very protective.

i have been playing recreationally for >20 yrs. classic rock acoustic blues a little finger style playing delta blues. i have only played this guitar acoustically so far. the acoustic qualities are what is important since you will play acoustically much greater than plugged in. i actually have purchased and compared three taylors 314ce,414ce,514ce and finally decided on the 314ce due to its clear bell-like tones, when strummed the individual notes stand out and when
picked the notes are extremely clear. the 414ce gave a little more volume but at the expense of tone as far as i could tell. don't get me wrong the 414ce was good also however it just lacked the bell like tones that the 314ce had. the 414ce had a slightly fatter feel to the neck due to the binding that is not present on the 314ce. i have relatively small hands and the 314ce just felt more comfortable to me as i played. felt like i played more accurately. the 514ce was more of a finesse instrument with a sweet tone and a more delicate cedar top and mahogany sides and back. for my recreational playing i believe the 314ce has a very nice tone. this guitar inspires me to want to play it is sooo clear and bright. after playing taylors in 3 different cities and spending many hours in showrooms playing gibsons, martin, alverez, ibanez, guild etc. nothing holds a candle to taylor as far as clarity and tone. once you play a taylor just strumming other acoustics open strings while hanging on the wall will make you ill. the tone just isn't there with the others.wish this guitar had just a tad more volume but the tone is so nice i am willing to overlook this dislike.

this particular guitar has been hanging in a showroom for 8 mos and has probably been played by many grimy hands. this guitar still sounds awesome. grover tuning pegs work perfectly. every looked fine on this instrument except for a slight dip in the top just to the left and right and beneath the bridge. could be a humidity issue being this is a solid wood guitar

i;m sur this guitar will withstand live playing. i played it for a couple of hours in the house and it never went out of tune even with some string bending while playing. the satin finish looks very durable
the spruce top is a harder wood than the cedar on the 514ce the finish was without blemishes and the grain is tight and even with a few interesting variations within it that run perpendicular to the major grain which gives the top a little bit of visual interest. strap buttons are solid however the end button is a little short and
concerns alot of people that the strap may come off while playing. too early to tell if this will be a problem or not

comes with lifetime warrenty. talked to a taylor sales rep reguarding the lack of volume which was a concern. the salesman was very knowledgable not only about taylors but also my current guitar which is a yamaha fg420a. he discussed the difference between laminated and solid wood guitars and how it affects volume and tone. he was very helpful and friendly. we also got into discussions re: atones of different woods and body styles and out of that conversation i got the idea that taylor would build any guitar personally for you if you had a special request. for example taylor doesnt build a 515ce like they do with 400 series & 600 series and so on but he said they could build a 6 string using the 555 series which is made to be a 12 string. sounds like these guys will do anything to make you happy! what a nice change from the run of the mill customer service with most companies

been playing >20yrs recreational. also own a yamaha fg420a acoustic, fender lonestar strat, epiphone les paul, fender prosonic amp. the taylors can also be ordered with a 1 11/16 inch neck vs the standard 1 3/4 inch however felt this could alter the decrease the volume a little therefore will stick with the standard neck. if stolen i would go right back to taylor the tone is awesome. the weak volume is a little disappointing (compared to my old yamaha) the tone makes up for that.compared to gibson, guild, martin, ovation etc. the action of the taylor is so much nicer and the tone is even and resonant with good sustain. the only thing i wish was it had just a "tad" more volume but not much more.

The Taylor 314-CE may be part of their entry level offerings, but put it next to the 414-CE and the features are really close. The back and sides are made from a Sapele Mahogany. The top is a Sitka Spruce. The neck is a tropical American Mahogany(mine is beautiful!). It feels wonderful as you play up and down the neck. As with all Taylors since 1999, the NT neck with truss rod adjustment makes you feel at ease knowing that you will always keep your neck straight for life. The pickup is a Fishman Prefix Plus and makes the guitar sound awesome. As is all *14-ce models, the body length, width, and depth are the same. And last but not least, the hardshell case is a beauty all in itself.

If you're looking for a really full rich tone, get a Taylor. I have several acoustics and nothing sounds as clean and bright as my new 314-CE. As you play up the neck, you'll not hear fret noise. The NT neck design assures you of proper alignment from fret one to 16 and beyond. As for playing the pickup through an amp, it's not something I will be doing very often. But this guitar maintains its true sound right out of my amp speakers. I couldn't be more pleased overall with the sound coming from my Taylor.

Every attention to detail was performed on this guitar by Taylor at their California factory. You would have thought they were building an 814-BCE Brazilian that lists for over $4000. Once I tuned the Grovers, the guitar stayed in tune. I played for hours, put it back in the case, and when I pulled it out later . . .still in tune. The neck fits my hand like a glove. Each time I play it, it gets better. As for flaws, not a one. The wood on the top, sides, and neck are more than beautiful. Taylor is concerned that you maintain their "works of art", they include several instruction sheets on maintaining the neck, using humidifiers to keep your guitar from drying out, and other useful tips. They really care and it shows in their craftmanship.

Only having had it for a short time, I can only hope it lasts a life time. Based on what I've read and heard, this instrument should be with me forever (provided it's maintained properly). The finish on the 314-CE and 414-CE is satin with gloss finish. Therefore, do not use a polish when cleaning or you will absolutely ruin your guitar. Taylor recommends using a damp cloth to clean it followed by a dry cloth. If you do this, it will be your best friend(this is only for the 300 and 400 series). As for live play, I won't be playing out much, but I know they'll withstand the rigors of the stage or all the music stars wouldn't be playing them

Once I ordered my guitar, I went to the website and sent an e-mail asking a few questions and requesting some back issues of their Wood and Steel publication. Within about 24 hours, I had a response to my questions. In less than a week, I had 2 years worth of Wood and Steel back issues. They are fun to read and I highly recommend you get them sent to you. It looks as if I've married into a family that will be there to support me if I need them.

I've been playing guitar for over 30 years. As for other gear I own, I have an Ovation Celebrity Deluxe A/E, a Yamaha acoustic, an Epiphone 12 string acoustic, a Les Paul Deluxe, a Fender DuoSonic, a Hagstram 1 Bass and a Gibson EB-O bass. But I plan to own another Taylor as soon as I can. I really do love this guitar. My first choice was actually the 514-CE. But to be honest, the pretty inlay, gold grovers, and Fishman stereo blender pickup weren't enough to pay over $1000 for. I think they sound the same and they sure played the same. But who knows, maybe one day I'll have one. Overall, for those of you debating on a Taylor, yeah, it may be a bit pricey compared to other models and brands. But, it's something that with care you'll have forever. It took me 2 years to pull the trigger and buy one. I have absolutely no regrets or buyers remorse. Everytime I pick it up and begin to play, I know I made the right decision.

2001 USA made solid wood construction w/ ebony fretboard & bridge and Fishman electronics. Gloss spruce top, satin mahogany back, sides, neck. Cutaway, Grover tuners.

I am a die-hard Guild nut and have several electrics including a Starfire 3, an s-100 and an x-82. I have a D30 I bought earlier this year that I love that has a great warm, rich tone, but honestly the body size makes it a little uncomfortable for me to play. I also wanted something brighter, more dynamic and articulate. Went to my local G.C. (have their # on speed-dial) and tried MANY guitars including Martins, Tacomas and pricier Taylors and when I picked up this one and played it, I knew it was the tone I was looking for. UNBELIEVABLE.

This is the second thing after tone I fell in love with. Put your arms around it and it just feels good. Very comfortable. Smoothest, easiest playing acoustic I've tried- the neck is great! Low action that doesn't buzz, beautiful woods & attention to detail. Nice & light, but solidly built.

I don't gig, but I believe this guitar would have no problems. Very well built.

Have not dealt w/ cust support

When I purchase a new guitar, I always take real good care of it, especially during the refund/ exchange period. The FIRST day I bought it I put a ding in the headstock and almost didn't care, because I knew there was NO WAY this was ever going back. If lost, etc. I would go purchase another immediately and pray I could find the same tone.
How do you justify a lot of money for a guitar? Go play a Taylor.