Taylor Guitars 414-CE

Made in 2002. Gloss spruce top with satin finished ovenkol sides and back. Comes with a nice arch-top hard shell case. On the plus side, the fingerboard and bridge are ebony (Martins in this price range usually have plastic fingerboards and bridges). On the negative side, the neck looks like it was spliced together from scraps on the shop floor. The heel is glued to the back of the neck, and there is another splice just below the headstock. There are plenty of less-expensive guitars that have necks made from one nice piece of wood; I don?t know why Taylor uses the jig-saw puzzle approach.

The sound is articulate without being sterile. I considered saving a couple of hundred bucks by buying a 314-CE, but the 414-CE sounds sweeter without any loss of clarity. This guitar is great for finger picking, but it also works surprisingly well for strumming (as long as you don?t strum too hard). This guitar is still very new?I expect it to get even better.

I?m not excited about the plugged-in sound, but I can live with it. I play electric bass in an otherwise all-acoustic band. I play guitar with the band on a few songs, and I like to sit in with others and occasionally play an open stage. I wanted something that doesn?t require any set-up. If I played guitar exclusively, I?d probably get a guitar without any factory electronics, install a good sounding pick-up (like a McIntyre Feather or Baggs I-Beam) and use an outboard pre-amp. Plugging in an acoustic is always a compromise, and I opted to compromise the sound a bit in order to get convenience and quick set-up.

I was at the store when this guitar was unboxed. I was the first (and still only) person outside of El Cajon to play it. The factory set-up was superb, and it arrived almost perfectly in tune (how?d they do that?). I usually have to make some adjustments from even a good set-up to suit my tastes, but I think I?ll just leave this one as it is (at least for now).

It?s new, but I see no reason to worry.

Other than sending in my warranty registration, I?ve not attempted to contact Taylor. The warranty has no time limit for the original owner.

I?ve been playing guitar for more than 30 years. I?ve played electric more than acoustic, but I've owned a few acoustic guitars over the years (including Lowden, Larrivee, Martin, Guild, Alvarez, and others). The Taylor 414CE is certainly not the best acoustic I?ve ever owned, but it suits my current needs very nicely. If it were ever lost or stolen, I?d get something else. I want to own many different guitars in my lifetime, and since I can?t afford to own them all at once, I?ll have to settle for a few at a time.

(forgot to mention) i tried several 414ce's at various retailers, one of them was noticably worse than the others, so if possible - do try several of the same model as i think there definitely can be variation for the better and worse in the same model - perhaps it was just the way it was kept, humidity, level of play (by potential buyers), string age, subbtle wood differences, etc.

my 414ce was made 10/10/02 - i had to chose between it and the 414ce-ltd -which uses imbuia wood (a s. american hard walnut apparently).

the ltd had a slightly more muted warm bassy tone compared to the standard ovankgol's treblier brighter tone which i favored. both were offered at the same price, apparently taylor sells them to retailers this was - so if a ltd you're interested in is more than the standard, you might look for a better shop. (this may only apply for lower ltds like the 414 where finishes are similar to standard (only guessing)?

i was torn between the two only because i thought there may be some reason to have a ltd model over a standard, but in the end my ear chose the standard - i hope i haven't lost anything because of my choice... apparently ltds have higher resale value but this wasn't a factor for me as i plan to keep the guitar.

i tried several models and makes, but this one seemed the best for the money, my budget was in the 1500 usd range.
the model listed in the store at 1679 but sold for 1468 - all before uncles mike & george got theirs (taxes).

beautiful, bright, articulate

a bit like an electric, nice guitar, smells good

i would have liked mother of perl, abalone, etc. to the plain circles, but hey - those monsters cost at least 1000 more and might not sound as nice. i think a high gloss finish as seen starting on the 500 models would have been nice... for the money spent on this model...

seems durable but i'll be careful with a guitar this expensive, humidifier, case, etc.

i hear good things, seems like a responsive company. limited lifetime warrenty, (whatever that means).

i'm just a hobby/closet guitar player singer recording musician, i have had an alvarez which i really liked, an ovation which i didn't like so well, a remakebly trashy ibanez acoustic bought new 10 yrs ago for 149.00, and still plays even though it's been abused (never cased, strings are probably 3 years old, a few big dings/holes here and there)! and a bunch of electrics. haven't tried the fishman electronics in the 414ce, but i assume they will be adequate.

I was killing a rainy Saturday playing guitars in a shop with a friend. We're grownups, probably with more pressing things to do, but anyway... I kept finding myself picking up this one particular Taylor. I fingerpick, and my Alvarez Yairi dreadnought suddenly started sounding muddy to me. I showed up the next day with the that guitar (to test, then trade), as well as an old banjo, a Japanese Strat and an amp (to trade). That and some cash got me the guitar. I had to have it. It looks OK overall, but I don't thing the ovongkol looks that good. The action and sound were what got me. My wife actually agreed that it sounded great when I got it home, and she normally doesn't have much to say about music.

Wow. What a guitar for fingerpicking. It doesn't have the overpowering boom of a dreadnought, and the highs are clear without being brittle. The mids are balanced. I play just for fun, and maybe once a week I run it through a little Acoustasonic at about the same level as the guitar and with some chorus, to give it this sort of twelve-string sound.

The action is outstanding. It's low enough to get significant buzz if you strum too hard, but that's a fair trade. The top has a line, bearclaw I guess, straight across the top and not quite matched across the halves. It's distinctive.

I've had only had it for six months, but except for fret wear and a couple of scuffs on the case, it's as new. Very, very well built.

I had one of the adhesive clips holding the pickup wire come loose inside the guitar, and called and left a message asking where to put it back. They called me back, then expressed mailed out some new clips the next day.

I started playing guitar four years ago. I wanted a playable acoustic, and this is it. I really didn't want the monster Martin sound, and the corresponding high action. This is almost as easy to play as the 59 Strat that I kindly store for a friend (even light acoustic strings are heavy compared to those), and way more musical sounding. I also really like the shape, for playing sitting down. There's enough of a waist on the guitar, compared to a dreadnought, that it really doesn't move around.

A great guitar, perfect action, tones of tone, (holds up very well, to a d28)Buitifull woods, what more do you need, and what a price! I have vintage gibsons, newer martins, and a santa cruz tony rice. The 414ce is a beter playing and sometimes sounding guitar all together. And I would like to give MR. Taylor a hand (golf clap) for getting ride of the 14 fret hump, with his new NT neck. What a guitar.

It is perfect for fingerstyle. You can get a dead on Leo Kottke vibe going here. Does not work as well for blugrass, as lets say a Martin, But if you lighting up your pick attack, it will work. Rich full bass, and great sustain and midrange. The other day in a lesson, I was teaching a guy to play eruption on this this guitar. How many acustics can you do that with. The action is super low, with no buzzing. And the notes are nice and thick.

Lazer cut, action and fit is perfect.

Have only owned this guitar for about 7months. And this is my first of many Taylors (i am sold). But judging from there record I am sure it will last a lifetime.

I called them to ask them some questions about the new NT neck, and they sent me a free video, How cool is that.

I have been playing, teaching, and performing, for over 18 years. I play all stlyes, from rock, folk, blugrass, funk, what ever the gig calls for. I believe this is the one guitar I would take to all those gigs. Unless there was a Banjo player there, You would need a Drednaught too get over a banjo. The bracing is too light on the Taylor, but this guitar was not built to be a "banjo killer". I would sell my new shoes, if it were ever ripped off.

easily obtainable

I compared several models: Taylor 310ce, 410ce, 414ce, Larrivee DV05e, and the DV09e. i narrowed it down to the 414ce and the two larrivees. well, the dv09e i was looking at was sold the day after i first saw it, but i played on it for atleast an hour. here's the comparison:
Taylor 414ce: i love the lighter bracing on this. the most responsive guitar, fingerpicked notes fly off (probably due to the light bracing). excellent separation of notes, balance, and clarity. the ovankol adds top end brilliance and clarity over the mahogonay of the dv05e, but the guitar was easily overdriven with medium to heavy strumming. electronics didn't include an internal mic.
410ce: the bracing on this is much heavier, which seemed to inhibit the transparency and clarity when fingerpicked. This had much better top-end sheen than the 310ce, though the 310ce already sounds wonderful, the 410ce was just more complex and well-rounded. it performed best when strummed or flatpicked, giving good separation of notes, heartier bass than the 414ce. it feels like it would take a while for this guitar to open up, but once that happens, it would sound as good as the best of them.
Larrivee dv05e: also a lightly built guitar, the bass was full and punchy- i love that. the mahogany is overall more mellow when fingerpicked. strummed, it gave less separation of notes but better overall projection and sweetness to the tone. i would have preferred a little more brilliance on the top end, while retaining that punchy bass. both were very balanced guitars, and a fine pleasure to play. a very difficult choice for me.
My ideal guitar was probably a $3k Martin D41, but it was out of my range. the other Martins in this price range really lacked clarity, i felt they were much too muddy and of poorer workmanship than either Larrivee or Taylor.
I wanted to pick up the dv09e, and am kicking myself for not. it was basically the dv05e with rosewood back and sides, had a nice thumping low end, bright and clear top end. i'm still on the lookout!
overall the 414ce is great for fingerpickers, with occasional light of medium strumming.

The Taylors were truly wonderful- completely flawless, excellent factory set action, and the neck joint technology is state of the art. the nut scale is wider than the larrivee, good for fingerpicking but more difficult for barring and chording. the larrivee suffers from consistently high action, and the detail in workmanship is excellent but not quite at the level of taylor. taylors get a 10, larrivee gets an 8 for their action problems.

the warrantee is amazing, the case is a tank. what else could you ask for?

no idea

I play mainly fiddle, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and mandolin(in that order). The Larrivee was the best guitar for my needs in the store. I just hope that over time the top opens up, and adds a little brilliance and presence to the sound. The 414ce is better suited to fingerstyle, or to a light strummer- overall, an excellent guitar for its niche. also great for the price- i tried the 614ce and 814ce, and each had their own sound, but neither was noticable 'better' than the 414ce. the 410ce was too heavily braced, it felt like you had to force a good sound out of it. i envied taylor's excellent warrantee and case, but Larrivee's got the bang for the buck. shop around, try every guitar you see, and snatch up a larrivee if you find one because they are pretty hard to comeby on the east coast.

I just recently bought this guitar and as most will know it has a sitka spruce top, ovenkol back ans sides, ebony board and bridge and Grover tuners. The Neck is Mahogany with a rosewood laminate cover on the headstock. This all looks beautiful when put together. I have to say I don't like to finger jointed "New Technology" headstock but the wood is perfectly matched and this is just a minor niggle really.

I am only a guitar hobyist not a stage performer and this is the first high-end guitar that I have ever purchased. (My other acoustic is an old Yamaha FG 420le) The sound of the 414CE simply blew me away in the shop. It was so much better than any other make in the store in my view. (other than a Gibson Hummingbird that cost nearly twice as much and this wasn't better but just about as good)

Rich base, clear mids and crystal top-end notes abound from this guitar, it simply sings and the intonation is perfect. Chords played high up the fret board remain perfectly in tune and every note can be clearly separated.

I went into the shop to buy a much much cheaper guitar but, as Taylor's advertising suggests, when you hear one, you want one. For me this is a guitar for life and will hold its value in years to come, particulalry as the woods mature to give an even better sound.

Finally, I also tried the electronics in the shop through an accustic amp and speaker set-up. Wow! is all I can say.

The action on this guitar was already good but as I like very low action I asked the shop to change it for me. I now have a superb action and not a buzz in sight.

The finish is superb and the aesthetics of the guitar are excellent. It's my ideal view of what a cutaway guitar should look like in terms of style. The woods however, make this guitar beautiful to look at also. The ovenkol back and sides are really heavily grained and the neck, binding and joints are all top notch. My only niggle as I said earlier is with the finger joint at the headstock but this is not visible from the front anyway.

I've not had it for long so I can't really comment on this too much. The guitar however does feel solid and providing it's looked after humiidty wise, it should provide a lifetime of good service.

The shop where I purchased this guitaer was very helpful and were in no way pushing to sell the guitar. They knew that I had jumped in price range by a goodly amount and they just left me to play with the guitar until I was ready to buy. I wrote to Taylor by email on another issue and they put me in touch with the ditributor in the UK by return. Other than this I have had no need to contact Taylor about the guitar.

I've owned a guitar for many years but really only as an ornament stuck in a corner of the room. I've never sought to play commercially although I have been a professional drummer in my past. (I hope that this confession does not mean my reveiw will be ignored ... I've heard all the drummer jokes!)

I would buy another Taylor without hesitation (Cash permitting of course) Owning this guitar has given me a new enthusiasm to learn to play better. It's a guitar you want to pick up and play it's just begging for it! When you do pick it up, the quality of the sound makes you want to carry on.

As mentioned, I did compare it with other guitars in the shop but as many have said in other reviews, pound for pound, this was the best sounding guitar for the money by a long way.

Not much to add for the features. This guitar was made in August of 2001 and I purchased it in December 2001. I played many high end Acoustics (Martin, Lowden, Ovation, etc) in my search for the perfect guitar. Solid spruce top and beautiful Ovangkel sides and back. No two 400 series look alike. A very unique and gorgous sounding wood. The Fishman prefix plus electronics sound wonderful, are tweakable and the easy battery access is great. The Grand Auditorium style is smaller than a dreadnaught and the cutaway makes it easier to play up on the frets. Very nice Ebony fretboard and bridge. The top is a gloss finish and the sides and back are satin. Very good Chrome Grover tuners which keep this baby in tune. The case is the new Mexican made (black fur) and I understand it is not as good as the original Taylor cases. The latches are smaller and not as well made. I had to bring back my first case after a week because one of the five latches didn't fasten any more. Great service from the store and Taylor. No questions asked. Case fits like a glove.

This is a big sounding guitar even when it is unplugged. I was expecting less from a guitar smaller than a dreadnaught. The sound is very bright and balanced. The electronics are fantastic and sound great thru my POD and straight thru the PA. This guitar sounded as good as Taylors costing twice as much. I play this guitar in our worship team every week and it really shines. It cuts thru the mix competing with drums, another guitar, bass, 2 synths and 6 singers.

The action was pretty good. I live in a region that is dry in the winter so it does need a little adjustment. There are no visable flaws. The 400 series has just enough "perks" to make it a beautiful guitar. It has white binding around the soundhole, along the neck and outside of the guitar. Higher up models have fancier appointments. Gold tuners would have been the only change I would have liked.

This guitar has been a workhorse so far for me. Everything seems well built. Just keep it in the case when you are not using it to keep it from the ravages of humidity. It is solid wood, so keep it properly humidified. I use a soundhole humidifier when in the case and also have installed a hygrometer in the case to measure humidity. I use this without a backup. The end strap pin is a little large for the typical strap, so I had to cut my strap hole larger to fit. Of course Taylor sells straps that fit perfectly.

As I mentioned, I exchanged my case. Talked to Taylor and the store. Top notch all around. Got a free video from their website. I placed an order for a tshirt over their Christmas shutdown. I emailed them a few days after they returned and asked for an update on my order. They CALLED me back from halfway across they country. Wow! This from a company that is not new, but has been around for 25+ years.

I have been playing for over twenty years. This is by far the best acoustic I have owned. I also have an Ovation acoustic 10th Anniversary model, Ovation Custom balledeer A/E., Epiphone Les Paul Standard (w/mods), Inca Silver American Standard Strat, Peavey Classic 30 tube amp, Line 6 POD 2.0. I would buy another in a heartbeat if it were stolen or lost. Best value for Taylor guitars in my opinion. Only thing I wished it had were gold tuners.

Ebony fb,mahogany neck (one pc),sitka spruce top,solid ovanghol back&sides,Fishman prefix,Grover tuners,cutaway.Everything you might ever need.

I am very impressed with the sound of this guitar.I hate dreadnuts for their middy sound and I have always played Jumbos cause they really match my playing sound and my aggresive strumming.But this smaller auditorium sounds perfect despite the cutaway a feature that normally degrades a guitars tone.Very loud and warm sounding with an extremely balanced sound.Sounds good plugged in to.

This is were Taylod really shines.I've never played an accoustic guitar with a lower action in my whole life.I mean this guitar came with lower action than my ELECTRIC guitars.Despite the extremely low action there are absolutely no fret buzzes even under very intense strumming.The guitar is PERFECTLY made,I don't think that you can find a guitar with absolutely no flows in this price range,only a Taylor. This gets an 11

If you don't step on it it will last for a life time,the bolt on neck makes neck resets a breeze,nice road case protects the instrument in transit.

Never dealt with them,their website and complimentary catalog rule!

This is a very versatile and killer sounding acoustic guitar.It is an expensive instrument but much better made than most Gibsons and Martins out there.Taylor guitars have won me.

I bought a 2001 Taylor 414-CE last weekend. It has a 24-fret mahogany neck with rosewood headstock laminate, grover tuners, sitka spruce top, ovangole sides and back. The body is solid wood (no laminates). Fretboard and bridge are ebony. In the Taylor line, the XX4 designation signifies a grand auditorium body (XX0 is dreadnaught, XX2 a grand concert, XX5 is jumbo). The ovangole wood has a strange olive color and mottled appearance that did not appeal to me at first, but it is growing on me.

Taylor separates their lineup into the lower-end "satins" - the 300 and 400 series, and the higher-end "glossies" - 500 through 900 series. The satins use Fishman Prefix on-board electronics. From the one electric workout I've had the sound and controls are entirely satisfactory.

From 2000 forward, the neck is three precision-cut pieces glued together. The headstock and neck are joined with fingerjoints. While the fabricated nature was alarming to me at first, this is the finest neck and fingerboard I have ever worked with, bar none. The neck is straight and true from the nut to the 24th fret, with uniform action. The Grand Auditoriums and and Grand Concerts are strung with light gauge strings (Elixers from the factory).

I went shopping for a Martin, and was prepared to spend perhaps twice as much as I spent on the 414-CE. I played various Takamine, Martin, and Taylor models, and fell in love with the sound of this particular instrument. The mid- to high-range is clear and bell-like. It is a beatiful full tone every bit as pleasing as a well-played gut string classical instrument. I play a mix of finger-picking and strummed styles, and the instrument sounds good either way. The guitar resonates in such a way that feels alive in your hands. The bass projects less than a dreadnaught body, but is entirely satisfactory. I am a keyboard player first, and typically play rhythm (leaving lead to the truly gifted). This instrument insists that I play lead. I can't get enough of the warm, clear mid to high range sound.

The guitar was set up perfectly as I tried it as the store. The action is uniform from bottom to top. I am sincerely enjoying playing lead in the first four frets, and above the 20th fret, something I avoided with the Ibenez I have been playing for 20 years. Fit and finish are excellent. The guitar is plain - no frills, a look I appreciate. I am getting used to the look of ovangole wood.

Too early to tell about durability. The endpin cable input, which doubles as the strap button, unscrews really easily, which is a concern. It is also larger than a normal button, so the buttonhole on the strap is not a good fit. I noticed that Taylor sells straps matched to the endpin - I intend to order one soon. Must comment on the case. 2001 models come with a hardwood custom fit case manufactured by Taylor. The case is heavy, but seems indestructable, even compared to an SKG. The interior is lined with a soft fur, and the fit is tight.

I have been playing guitar for 22 years. My primary instrument is piano/keyboard. I am a demanding player with a good ear. I love this instrument and intend to use it for the duration of my musicianship. You will be hard-pressed to find a better instrument, even among the finer Taylors and Martins. The precision-machined neck is a joy to play on. It inspires my to improve my technique and do more lead playing.