Taylor Guitars 414-CE-LTD Imbuia

Taylor 414CE Ltd (yr: 2002). Has solid spruce top with solid Imbruia back and sides. Cutaway with fishman plus electronics.

suits my music style perfectly. It has a very responsive tone when played accoustically on its own. Crisp and clear with a wood sound which resonates and sustains for a long period of time, (ie. 10+ sec)/
Sound which comes out of guitar when strummed lightly rivals the most revered accoustics anywhere. When plugged into an accoustic amp or PA
it tends to sound too bright...almost tinny. Even after tweaking the preamp for less high and more lows it still has a tendency to over kill the treble and not give enough punch to the bass. However that being said, when I play through the PA via the fishman preamp (with a quartet) the bright sound really cuts through the mix and finds a pleasant middle ground for the accoustic sound blending well with the drums, bass and lead gtr. It never muddys the mix of the band.
Best tonal sound however is straight up accoustic. That is where this guitar shines.

I bought the guitar used in 2005 and the action was somewhat high (compared to other accoustics I've owned) however I have never taken in to have it set up. The intonation is fine and there is no reason (other than the high action) to bring it into shop and wait 2 3 weeks for them to get around to it. Also think it's tone has a little to do with the action and I don't want to compromise the tone of this guitar cuz it's
really good. The fit and finish is typical Taylor Gtr. Subtle ellegance!

I have been playing this guitar on the road for little over a year now and have to say it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin~! Several dings and "OOps I knocked over your guitar" nites. Other than change strings
I just play the thing. Stays in tune well and has never let me down at a show. I do have a back-up however hardly ever play it since I got this one.

I called Taylor once and got right on with a real tech person who was very knowledgable and helpful with explaining what "imbruia" was and the differences in the exotic woods Taylor uses. The guitar has no warranty because of buying it used however he seemed like he was more than willing to help in any way he could to make me feel confident in the quality. Like I mentioned earlier, the guitar is very sturdy under extreme conditions, ie. road trips, drunken patrons, sweat, blood and knock downs.

I've been playing for 30 years and have had many guitars. I presently own: Gibson ES 335, Fender Amer Strat & Tele, Fender Amer Jazz, Martin 000-28VS, Gibson J160(my first real guitar circa'1968), Guild D-212, Takamine Santa Fe ESF40c. The Taylor is my #1 choice for road use and it is just behind the Martin for tone and inspirational creativity. All in all the Taylor is by far the best value I have among my present collection.

Made in 2003 in El Cajon, California (a mere 20 minute drive!) This is a limited edition 414ce with solid Imbuia wood on the back and sides. Gloss finish on a grand auditorium body. It has Taylor's new Expression System. Included all the usual Taylor goodies (case, tech sheets, TRS to XLR cable, DVD, etc.) The white binding on the body and neck was a very nice contrast to the dark Imbuia.

The guitar has a very direct sound. Acoustically, it is rather rich, and reminiscent of walnut. (Imbuia has been called "Brazilian Walnut" before.) I mostly strum and flatpick. While not boomy like a dreadnought, it does have sufficient bass. I replaced the stock Tusq saddle with a fossilized ivory one, which made the sound even richer. Acoustic: 8 out of 10.

As far as the Expression System goes, I have two problems with it: the first is a hot "B" string. Plugged in, that string is noticeably louder than when just playing acoustically. Second of all, the overall output level of the ES is quite hot. It almost sounds more like a "Taylor-caster" than an acoustic guitar. This is true whether playing through a PA or through an acoustic amp (in my case, a Carvin AG100D.) I suspect that the ES sounds better using fingerstyle than with heavy strumming. Plugged-in: 6 out of 10.

Flawless.

Good overall. I would not use it without a backup because stuff happens. My main complaint here is the lack of depth on the end pin. I can't use any of my good (thick) guitar straps on it, because they just won't fit. I have to use a really cheap nylon strap, and even then that barely fits. When plugged in, this isn't as much of an issue because of the cord. But I'd hesitate playing this guitar using a strap while standing up and not using a cord.

Good. Since I'm local to the factory, I visited the factory with a concern I had about the ES system. I was treated respectfully.

I've been playing for 14 years. (Has it been that long? Why am I not better?) I also have a Taylor 555, a CA Legacy AE, and a Lucida LG-777 classical. I probably would not get a Taylor with ES if I needed to replace this guitar, because of the hot B string, the overall hot signal level and the narrow endpin. This guitar won out over a Taylor 414 rosewood limited edition, a Taylor 714 (just barely) and a Larrivee LV-09. Oh, and Imbuia wood smells wonderful. Sometimes I just have to open the case and inhale...

2003 Taylor 414 limited edition acoustic part of the Summer Strummer series released in the summer of 2003. Like all Taylor guitars, made in El Cajon, California. Unlike the regular 414 which features a Sitka Spruce top with Ovangkol back and sides, this limited edition has the Sitka Spruce top but with Imbuia back and sides. Rather than just a gloss top and satin finished back and sides, the limited edition features gloss finish on the top, back, and sides. Grand Auditorium body style with cutaway and white fiber binding on the body and neck. Ebony fretboard with pearl dots and Indian Rosewood veneer on the peghead. Guitar is equipped with the Taylor Expression System for amplification. Includes Taylor hardshell case, cord for Expression System, and tool for neck adjustment.

Great sounding guitar for my needs, I just play at home in my spare time. Not as loud as a dreadnaught or a jumbo, but loud enough to play with other musicians. Like a lot of Taylors, this guitar is great for mids and highs. One weakness is a definitive lack of bass. The Taylor catalog defines Imbuia as having a direct, bright sound. That is perfect description of this guitar. I do a lot of flat picking, strumming, and fingerstyle. The guitar works really well for all three styles. I have only used the ES system on occasion, but it sounds amazing compared to the Fishman pickup systems.

Flawless is the best way to describe the finish on this guitar. The inside of the guitar is very clean, no excess glue or poorly worked bracings. The top lacks any flaws, no bear claw at all. The Imbuia back and sides are just beautiful...which was one of my main reasons for purchasing this guitar. The set-up was great from the dealer, I imagine they did some work on the guitar when it came in. Like all Taylor guitars it plays more like an electric than an acoustic. Low action and a very comfortable neck.

I have owned this guitar for about a year and three months and it is still in great condition as far as hardware and finish. The strap button on the upper body is fine, it is the standard kind of strap button you see on most electric guitars. The button on the lower bout of the guitar is part of the ES system, and hopefully this will be redesigned eventually. There is not enough spacing for a regular quality leather strap to fit on the button safely. Otherwise, I find the guitar to be totally dependable. As far as gigging without a backup, no matter what you play that is a bad idea.

Through my dealer and from Taylor themselves, customer support is one of their strongest points. Anytime I have emailed Taylor with a question I get a response within hours, not days. The guitar came with the standard one year warranty, but I never had to use it.

I have played guitar for over 15 years. I had been playing electric all that time and I started losing interest in playing guitar all together. In 2003 I decided to sell all my electric guitars, amps, and effects. I thought I would use some of the money to buy an acoustic for the occasional time I would miss having a guitar. I ended up shopping around for an acoustic for most of the summer of 2003. I found I really liked Taylors, and after a lot of different models I settled on this 414. I ended up sparking a new interst in the guitar and I have not regretted going acoustic one bit.

I knew I wanted a Grand Auditorium body style with a cutaway. When I saw this Imbuia Limited edition I knew it was the guitar before I even played it. It just looked amazing, even compared to some of the higher models like the 800's. Fortunately it sounded as good as it looked.

There is just something special about pulling an acoustic guitar out of the case and playing versus hooking up amps, pedals, etc. It is all I need.