Taylor Guitars 354-CE

As expected with all Taylors, a beautiful instrument. It is not as well-embellished as the higher level models ( 854, 954 etc ), but then I've never seen a guitar where embellishments make a player play better.

Finish, fit and balance are close to perfect. Hard to ask for anything more, for the price paid. If you want abalone inlays, rosettes, nice bindings, etc, go for a higher level x54.

I play a combination of fingerstyle and light strumming, and find the sound excellent in the treble strings. The bass sounds are definitely not as bassy or strong as with a dreadnaught or a x55 jumbo, but that is to be expected with the GA body size, and to me the GA size is more comfortable, so I gladly accept the tradeoff.

However, once the guitar is plugged into a good acoustic amp, and with proper setting of the EQ ranges, that difference goes away, the bass is every bit as good as it gets.

The guitar came well set. Action as smooth, no problems whatsoever.

This is my primary guitar when playing at church and in small groups. It has performed flawlessly, the sound seems to get better with age.

Taylor's reputation for after sales service is fantastic. I have never had to use them, but have heard great things about their responsiveness and willingness to resolve problems.

I only wish that their warranty was transferable; I own another Taylor bought used, and would be willing to pay a fee to have the warranty.

I have been playing guitar for over 30 years. I have gone through many guitars, usually lower end brands like yamaha, takamine and Fender. I was introduced to high end guitars a few years ago, and purchased a used 314CE, which proved to be the best instrument I had ever owned. My 354CE is relatively new, purchased earlier this year from a dealer.

Everything from the looks, the handling, the balance, the action, and the sound is great for an amateur like me. The enjoyment I get out of playing my Taylors is like nothing I have experienced with other brands, even other high-end brands like Guild and Martin.

The taylor name also gives some kind of snob appeal, somewhat like driving an Aston Martin down main street on Saturday evening ( with or without a pretty girl besdie you ).

New Taylor 354ce 12-string. Good-quality woods and Taylor's excellent Expression System pickups. Not the fanciest guitar. No gaudy binding or inlays, but a handsome shape. Taylors cases are excellent. A bargain for a quality 12, imo.

Excellent tone. VERY bright in the Taylor fashion. Not quite as full on the bottom end as the jumbo-bodied 12-strings, but still quite loud. Plugged in tone is wonderful played thru Roland AC60 or SWR Strawberry Blonde.

This is where Taylor 12-strings really shine. The precision build quality that makes Taylor's 6-strings so nice to play is even more critical in a 12-string. No one makes a 12-string that's as easy to play as a Taylor. Compared this one with Martin D12-28 and Gibson Songwriter 12. No contest. The auditorium-size 12-strings are a nice compromise. You give up a little volume and a little bottom end, but you get something more comfortable to hold and play.

Have had good luck with Taylors so far. They are well-made and durable. The 300 series' matte finished back and sides is easy to scratch, so watch those zippers and buckles. Please make the lower strap button wider!!

Never had a problem with Taylor customer support. They are polite and helpful. Their website is the best.

I've been playing for 30 years. When I first started, most 12-strings were scary things. Unless you ponied up for a Martin, Gibson, or Guild, they were hard to play, sounded kinda thin and weak, and you always had to worry about all that string tension. The new Taylors are amazing. Even at this price, something that plays this easy and sounds this great is a bargain.

This is a 12-string A/E guitar that features Taylor's Expression System electronics. The body is a Grand Auditorium size with Venetian cutaway and made up of all solid woods (Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides), multilayer b/w binding and a similar b/w multiple ring rosette. Top finish is gloss -- but thin -- and the back/sides are satin. The mahogany neck has an ebony fretboard with pearl markers (plus side markers). The bridge is also ebony and the saddle and nut are Tusq. Trussrod adjustment is at the headstock; amp cable plugs into the endpin/strap button and a second strap button is fitted at the base of the neck. Tuning machines are chrome die-cast and of good quality. Appearance is not flashy but rather nicely done in an elegantly understated way. Comes with a beautiful lined hard case with very well-plated hardware.

It's true to its heritage as a Taylor 12-string. The sound is just beautiful, both picking and strumming. Each string has its own clear tone, the intonation is dead on, and the guitar delivers wonderful base notes along with clean mids and trebles. It has the tonal complexity of a twelve-string -- but without the brashness that a lot of twelves exhibit. It's like Taylor sent this twelve to school so it could become "polished". While it doesn't have the booming voice of a jumbo, it definitely does not lack for sound. In any "normal" venue, you will not be lost in the crowd and, if you need more, feel free to plug it in.
I've been using it for rock, county, blues and I've even started trying it out on some classical pieces. It handles them all very well.

Given that this is a Taylor guitar and not an inexpensive one, you expect a high level of finish quality. This guitar does not disappoint. Factory setup was excellent, the electronics work fine and all of the woodwork is just beautifully executed. It's a very well made instrument with the interior details just as nicely done as those on the exterior.

Make no mistake, this is a solid guitar and it will certainly hold up to live playing. Everything about it is first rate and I have no worries about it failing on a gig. But if you accept a gig, you should still have backup (as in "stuff" happens).

This is my second Taylor (Big Baby several years ago when I started to play). Their website is great and they seem to be both helpful and solid. I've never heard of anyone who had a problem with them, but I've never needed any further support.

I've been playing about five years and have two other six-strings: a Martin DC-16GTE and an Alvarez PD-80SC. I suppose the lost/stolen question (would you buy another?) needs to be addressed: I probably wouldn't buy another 554-CE; not because I wouldn't like to, but only because I couldn't afford it since I got this at a great price.