Taylor Guitars 414

2000 Model 414, made in California, which you likely already know if it says Taylor on the headstock. I'm not going to waste time describing the materials etc because they have been well covered in other reviews here. Mine did come with a nice, tight-fitting SKB case included for the price. As a pure acoustic non-cutaway guitar there are not a lot of doodads or features per se, but this is what I expected. Solid woods throughout and quality hardware flavor this rating for me- Im more concerned with a guitar that sounds good and plays good that, say, a built in 5 band EQ where quality tonewood should be!

I play fingerstyle primarily, folky and country flavored originals and covers. It is wonderful for this, with a very clear, balanced (but not boring0 sound unplugged. I had a fishman active pickup added and that works well; this is an option you can get from Taylor if you don't want the cutaway with the big electronics box plopped into the upper bout. It has a rich, but not boomy sound. Very responsive to light picking. Mine was set up for fingerpicking with a light attack; I don't know how it would respond to heavy piking- I would say you would probably be better served with the 410 dreadnought if that's your cup of tea. The best part is an all solid wood guitar will get even better sounding over time! There is just a hint of "brittleness" to the top end sometimes, could be just a little warmer on high E string and B, which is the only reason I would not give it a 10 here. 9.5 would be more appropriate but thats not an option.

Guitar works ltd. set this up perfectly for my playing style. If your dealer isn't asking you how you play, you need a new dealer! Action is superb; finish is likewise excellent. I see no flaws whatsoever in the cosmetics. Taylor does not stain its necks as a rule, so depending on your tastes it might bother you that the back of the neck is a little redder than the back of the guitar. Satin finish throughout (and it feels wonderful on the neck!) with gloss top. At first I wasn't thrilled with the satin finish but I've actually grown to like this better than the full gloss finish on some of my guitars- low upkeep and it almost makes the wood glow under sme lighting!

While a relatively lightweight guitar, it is very well made. I have done about 6 months worth of open mic nights with no backup and rock solid performance. I see no reason I won't have this guitar forever. Only damage has been a nick in the top from my own stupidity of letting the case lid fall on it; hardly the guitar's fault! Were I a performing musician for my livelyhood, I would get a second as a backup just as a matter of being prepared, not because I think it would let me down.

Taylor is extremely helpful when you talk to them...real people, with good advice and great customer support. I have never had to make a warranty claim, but I do know that when I ordered this guitar, the dealer noticed a small chip in the finish on the lower bout...and there were no 414s to be found within their deaer network,. Taylor, even though part of their staff was in Germany at the trade show, fed exed a just-finished new one to the dealer that day at their expense, after offering me several options including a better price on the damaged one, fed exing the new one directly to me, or the use of the dmaged one until a new one could be found. Now that's service, especially considering it's one of their entry level guitars, more or less.

Been playing a bit for years, but have played in earnest for just shy of a year. (I'm 40 years old, incidentally.) Have had a bunch of name brands over the years, but the Taylor is the first real quality guitar I have ever owned, and it has made me a better player! The playability is my favorite feature, and the sound is just a fraction behind- and it just kicked the @#$#! out of the comparably-priced Martins I tried when purchasing this. (And yes, there are great sounding Martins and they are good guitars as a rule- but I think they're putting their name on too many low-end pieces right now.) Taylor consistency is also amazing- there was a big variation between like models of Martins and low-end Gibsons I looked at. I also like the 1-3/4 neck, which is just a hair wider and better for fingerpicking. If this were stolen, I would replace it in a heartbeat, assuming I had the funds to do so. Taylors are a bit pricey, depending on what kind of deal your dealer makes. I plan to supplement this guitar with 414 or possibly 412 when finances permit to allow me to have one guitar dedicated to dadgad and open d tuning. The guitar is not a fantastic VALUE- but it is a fantastic guitar!

www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/models.asp?id=414 for details. It is a ce with fishman prefix plus controls. Satin finish on back and sides. It is a cutaway.

I tried several guitars before buying this one and I must say it is a beautiful sounding guitar. Martin does not compare...sorry. This guitar has the sound of a grand auditorium in a smaller cutaway body.

The fit and finish are great. I think it should be in a museum style glass case with a spotlight.

This guitar will probably never see the sun therefore the durability is a non-issue.

I purchased it at the Guitar Center and as usual they lost the case and the warranty papers with it. What a disappointment. Take my advice and do not shop here. Hopefully I will never have to take my guitar in for warranty work.

There's nothing better than my Taylor......

My 414 is a 2001 model.Ovangkol sides and back, sitka top,Grover tuners, grand auditorium size, all solid wood, non-cutaway and no electronics. Form-fitting hard case included. This particular auditorium size is easy to play and pleasant to look at.

I bought it because it sounded incredible. I purchased it in a brand new music store where I work. During a casual walk through during opening week, I played many of the acoustics and could not let this one go (I wasn't really in the market for an acoustic at the time). It sounded better than any of the other models in the store, including other more expensive Taylors, Martins, Guilds, etc. I couldn't believe how full it sounded and how much fun it was to play. I even brought a friend from work to try it too, before I bought it, and he also acknowledged that it was a lively guitar. After bringing it home, I restrung it with some D'Daddarios and it sounded even better. I can only describe it as a 12 string sound from a 6 string box. The tone just rings forever. It's full, brite and very pleasing. It sounds best played(to me)in the following order-a)fingerpicked b)strumed and c)playing leads with a pick. When playing leads,however, there is occasional buzziness on one or two of the high strings, which may be caused by the fact that the action/string height may be a bit low. I have decided not to alter the original settings for now.

So far I have only 2 complaints pertaining to the guitar.The fifth string was not postioned properly on the bridge when the guitar was set up at the factory. Not a big deal, as when I restrung it I positioned the string correctly, but there is an indentation on the bridge where the old string was and I wish it wasn't there. Otherwise, the guitar is a thing of beauty. I love to leave it out and just look at it when I am not playing it. The other complaint is that the personnel at the guitar store could not find the accompanying case for my guitar(each Taylor comes with a specific case that has warranty information specific to a guitar). They had to give me an equivalent case with "modified" paperwork and that made me nervous when registering the guitar for warranty. The woods are matched nicely on the guitar. The cream-colored binding is pretty. The neck is a bit on the small-thin side for me (I prefer fatter necks) but nevertheless it is easy to play and not a problem. It seems straight as an arrow, unlike some of the other guitars I sighted in the store, most being more expensive. Chords sound even and balanced throughout all positions on the neck.

I have had my 414 for several months and, while it is certainly a delicate instrument, it seems very well built and with proper care will hopefully last forever without problems. I do not take mine out of the house and I am not in a band, so it won't be exposed to the elements or the road. I doubt that I would take this special instrument out on gigs-it's too fine an instrument for that and too expensive to risk, in my opinion.

I emailed Taylor regarding my concerns over the warranty and they responded quickly and in a friendly manner, promising me to send me a new warranty card, but they botched it up by sending me a warranty for a 1998 instrument instead of my 2001 414. I just ended up using the original "modified" warranty card and hoped for the best when I sent it in with my receipt. I believe the guitar has a lifetime warranty.

I have been playing about 25 years. I would describe myself as a good amateur, a casual player. I also play electric and own several other guitars/amps. The Taylor is my only acoustic and I intend on keeping it forever. It brings me a lot of pleasure and it sounds wonderful, and it is fun to play. It looks great and I am very very satisfied with the purchase. Relatively speaking, I think it is an outstanding value, considering the ever-rising cost of solid wood guitars. I highly recommend contacting Taylor for their free video re:their neck design and construction. It influenced me quite a bit.

1998 Taylor 414; purchased online in 6/2000 but essentially new; the guitar was all but mint condition and included warranty. "Auditorium" size; has same body width and depth of the dreadnaught but with narrower waist. All solid wood, USA-made acoustic. Spruce top with gloss finish; ovangkol body and mahogany neck with smooth satin finish; pearl fretboard dots; the fretboard, bridge, headstock veneer, and bridge pins are all of ebony; white fretboard binding, fully bound body, chrome Grover tuners. Neck is very slim, characteristic of all current Taylors; adjustable neck truss rod is accessed on headpiece. Nut and compensated saddle are high-quality composite ("tusq" I believe). Metal end-pin. Guitar included standard Taylor fitted SKB hardshell case, warranty card, neck adjustment tool, key for case, and several spec sheets/technical documents. All the official specs for the current models are available on Taylor's excellent website. The Taylor 400 series is their 2nd to "lowest" series, above the 300's, but the overall appointments are wonderful for guitars with comparable list price (~$1400) category, though not ornate like the higher Taylor series.

I rate the sound 9.5/10 (choosing 9 because 9.5 is not an option, and being conservative in considering 10 to be perfect). Across the spectrum, the tone is bright, clear, pure, and balanced. And loud. I love sparkly mids and highs, and this guitar has both, with nice rich, balanced bass to complement, and great sustain. I play both with fingers and pick and this guitar, to my ears, has no weaknesses. The only thing this nearly full-size Taylor doesn't provide is the boomy base and raw volume of a powerful (ie, Martin or similar) dreadnaught or heavy rhythm guitar--but that is all. And if you are considering this guitar, you already know that and aren't looking for those properties anyway. There is no reason to hammer on this guitar. The 414 is often described as being excellent for fingerstyle. I play with my fingers, and this is certainly true, but it just as nice strummed, picked, or played blues-style, whether lightly and subtly, or more aggressively. It excels when played solo, and also sounds wonderful with other guitars or other instruments. Since I have had it, I have performed solo with it several times and used it at a number of group picking/jam sessions. Every time I get compliments.

This Taylor, like nearly all I have picked up and played, has an impeccable set-up and action, and overall attention to detail and quality. Slop or carelessness is almost impossible to find anywhere inside or out. The neck is nice and straight and fretboard is almost perfectly flat. Frets are wonderful, and action is beautifully low and and joy to play. The only less-than-nearly-perfect finishing detail I can find is that the tiny screw-holes for the truss-rod cover plate were not carefully placed/drilled and one has nearly stripped out. I only have a couple minor comments and I am being pretty nit-picky. First, if you play, even fingerpick, fairly aggressively, you may find the action actually a bit too low, and you can introduce fret buzz especially if you are capoed up a few frets. You could stand to raise the saddle slightly and still play very comfortably. Second, Taylor guitars all have very small pickguards--nice looking and distinctive--that only extend to about the middle of the soundhole. If you use a pick, you are more likely to hit the unprotected part of the top above the pickguard.

Anyone buying a Taylor guitar will know enough to treat and transport it carefully, or they shouldn't have. Hardware is good quality, finish is very good quality though it is thin on these guitars. My guitar is not equipped with a strap button on the heel though all the current models are. These guitars are lightweight, clearly to make them more tonally responsive, but not fragile, and are equipped with good hardcases. I have no reservations about taking/using this guitar out and have performed with it solo several times. It is an instrument, not an heirloom.

The tech sheets and documents included with the guitar are informative, and website contents are first-rate with great pictures and complete specs of all Taylor instruments. I have not contacted Taylor directly, but the mere fact that the documents include telephone numbers and owners are urged to call if questions/problems arise is pretty indicative to me of excellent customer service.

I have been playing mainly acoustic guitar for 20+ years. My Taylor is my first real quality guitar, my best guitar (among 2 guilds, a martin, and a larrivee), the only one that I really find no weaknesses with, and the only one I am certain I wouldn't part with or trade in. Initially I got it as something a little different from the dreadnaughts I always had in the past. I was lucky to find a nearly perfect used instrument, but I was prepared to pay the $1100 for a new one. No question I would replace my 414 if I lost it. I still go to a music store nearly every week to play Taylor, Martin, and Guild dreadnaughts to see if my feelings are the same and whether I can justify another purchase. More and more, I hear and feel the Taylors stand above the others. They do perhaps cost a little more but for a little extra chances are you will be more than satisfied for a long, long time. Though I like my other guitars too, I am certain that at some point in the not-too-distant future I will have another Taylor.

Taylor 414, grand auditorium model. Made in El Cajon, California in April 2000. This guitar has a total of 20 frets, about 15 - 16 are reachable without being a contortionist (this is not a cut-away). The top is solid Sitka spruce and presently has a very creamy white appearance with a fine grain. The Sitka spruce on the top of this particular instrument is similar in appearance to Engelmann spruce, though the grain of the Sitka is just slightly more noticeable. No electronics on this model. There is a multi-ring black and white plastic rosette around the soundhole and the top features a Taylor trademark shape pickguard in a nice tortoise shell color. The body is made of ovankangol and the neck is mahogany. Both the body and the neck are a closely matched cafe' au lait color, with the body featuring a very attractive darker grain long straight streaks. The sides of the body are bookmatched. Examine the body of any Taylor guitar closely (very closely) and you will find a certain amount of bumpiness to the wood in the areas where the body has the most radical curves. These uneven areas are due to the wood resisting bending even under the application of heat and pressure. I understand that the Taylors are not sanded heavily after bending in order to preserve as much of the original wood thickness as possible, so this uneveness is retained. Is this noticeable? Yes, but only on very close inspection. Does it detract from the instrument at all? Not in my opinion. The fretboard is ebony and has a consistant rich black color over the length of the neck. Pearl dot markers on the fretbaord, about 9mm in diameter. The bridge is ebony and has that distinctive "Taylor" shape. I have not changed strings yet, so I can only assume that the bridge pins are a plastic or composite material. I'd consider picking up a set of bone or fossil ivory birdge pins, but for now the stock pins seem OK. The body is bound on the front with white binding featuring three very fine black lines, while the binding on the back and neck is white. The finish on the top is gloss, while the sides, back and neck are finished in satin. I think that the satin neck improves the playability of the instrument. Tuners are closed-back Grovers with a chrome finish. The neck is just a touch wider than similar dreadnought-style guitars. I compared sizes in the specifications and I think the 414's neck is an 1/8th of an inch wider that the neck on a 410. The guitar came with a truss rod tool and some booklets on care and maintenance. The case was extra. The guitar does not have any superfluous do-dads, so you can't really say it is feature laden. However, it does not lack a thing for it to function very well. What the instrument has is choice and it makes for a very fine guitar.

This guitar has as many "voices" as there are players. It can sound angel sweet when fingerpicking James Taylor, or it can snarl, snap and growl when you dip into your bag of blues. Although it seems inconsistent, the 414 sounds both bright and rich/full. It has tremendous sustain and the harmonics are very strong, which contribute to the richness of the tone. As an experiment while you are shopping for a guitar sound an open string and then isolate the 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 wave harmonics at the 7th, 12th, and 19th frets, respectively. Compare whatever you are looking at to the Taylors and see which sounds better. The guitar also is capable of great volume. Maybe not as much as a really good dreadnought or a jumbo. For me it is plenty loud and more importantly, it retains a clean and tight sound through the dynamic range.
I mostly fingerpick but will use a flatpick once in a while. To my ear, I like the sound best when I can catch the string with just a bit of fingernail. This guitar sounds so alive and good played either way. I have not tried any slide or bottleneck on it yet, nor have I tried any dropped D tunings. More than any other guitar I have owned or played, how it sounds depends on how you play it.

Action, fit and finish of the guitar are great. No flaws or set up problems have been noted. I am fan of white binding, and especially of white neck binding, so the look of this guitar really appeals to me. The binding is there to make the guitar more durable and whether it is white, brown, tortoise or black doesn't make much any difference in that department. However, appearance is a matter of personal taste. When looking at the guitar it is difficult to believe it is on the "low end" of Taylor's line.

No solid opinions yet. I have had the guitar for less than a month, so reliability has not been an issue yet. I'd consider using this guitar to play in public as long as I didn't let go of it, ever. It is a light weight guitar, as the better ones tend to be, but that does not really tell you much about durability. I belive the satin finish on the back and sides will hide everyday fingerprints and possible reduce the visibility of belt buckle scratches

No opinion yet. However, I e-mailed Taylor with a question when I was in the shopping phase and then responded within about 4 hours. I was impressed with that.

I have been playing for nearly 20 years. I have owned several good acoustics, including a Martin HD-35. If I had to replace this instrument I'd seriously consider another Taylor. I like so many things about the Taylor guitars I have tried.
The sound is the outstanding feature of the 414, second comes playability and third the overall appearance and body style. I really like seeing the good quality wood used throughout the instrument. The case is nice and sturdy appearing, however, it almost seems too tight fitting. I still have a hard time getting the poor thing back into the case.
Soundwise it compares very closely with the Larrivee models OM-02 through OM-05. If you are looking for a great sounding guitar for about $500, then check out the Larrivee OM-02. There isn't a Yamaha, Takamine, Guild, Sigma, or anything in that price range which comes close.
I did not give the Taylor 414 that high of a value rating because I don't think that the overall difference in sound alone between the Larrivee OM-02 and the 414 was worth paying twice the price. However, the aesthetics of the 414 and the customer service/warranty from Taylor figured into my overall decision leading up to the extra lettuce on the counter.
Once you get to the sound quality of that Larrivee OM-02 there is not a lot of headroom for improvement. With more money you pay for ostensibly better woods, abalone inlayed soundholes, purfling, mother of toilet seat inlays in the fretboard and on the headstock. If sound were my one and only criteria I would have purchased the Larrivee, however, I was willing to pay a bit more for slightly better sound, much better visual aesthetics of the instrument, and the promise of a good warranty and product support.
I compared the 414 with the Taylor 310, a number of Martins, Guild D-4, and Larrivees in the OM and D body stules. I just flat out did not like the sound of the Martins or the fact that they are using synthetic materials and plywood in guitars over $500.

1998 Model, purchased 2/20/00 new. Made in USA. Grand auditorium size with solid wood throughout. Sitka spruce top/ ovangkol sides and back. Finish is gloss top and satin back/sides. Neck is mohogany with ebony fretboard, and I would say that the Taylor neck is thin. Grover tuners. Fitted hardshell SKB case made for Taylors 300 and 400 series. Taylor's webpage says this is good, but the case they make for the higher models is better. This case does not have room for a digital humistat which Taylor recommends. Since Taylor makes such an issue of humidity monitoring (and I compliment them on such) I think the case should have a place for a humistat other than at the head, because there is no room for air movement from the body to the head in this very well fitted case.

I play mostly fingerstyle and it is great. One review I read said that grand auditoriums were the family sedan of guitars, with concerts the sport cars, and dreadnaughts the SUV's. I would say my 414 is a sport sedan. I was tempted to get an acoustic electric, but everytime I pick this up and play I decide that I really don't want anything to get in the way of this sound. Can a guitar be rich, full, and bright all at the same time. For some reason it makes me think of an organ--so much sound, so many options! I love this guitar!

I tried every Taylor I could find in 2 states. Most were great, a few were not. I suspect those had been abused at the dealor. The action of this guitar was great. The strings were dead and part of my deal included a new set of strings. Taylor's webpage has an article about this and why they changed to Elixor. I have D'Adario on it now and they sound great. I will try Elixor next, but Taylor is using Elixor for longevity, so I doubt that the sound will improve. The fit and finish is great and I must compliment the dealer that after 2 years in the store there was only one tiny ding I could find, and I am picky. The ebony on the fretboard is not perfectly black. I personally find the white binding to be too bright for my tastes, but most people say it is a good looking guitar.

If I wanted durable I would have gotten a Martin "x" series with the forica stuff instead of wood. I expect to take care of this as a fine instument. I may play at churches some and I think the guitar is as durable as any others of this quality, but I hope to do all I can to protect it to the fullest, and never put it through the kind of testing a professional would on a "gig". The hardware seems great and the case is very nice. It does seem to stay in tune much better than my other guitars. I hope to never really test the finish to see how durable. You should set up this database so we could give you 100,000 mile comments on wear and tear. I have tried to follow Taylor's recommendations on humidity, and have not had any problems, even though I think that it has been under 40% some.

Taylor's website is fantastic. I studied the web for 3 months, about many brands before I made this major purchase. Taylor's website answers most questions and the ones I had were answered quickly through their email. Their website beats the others hands down. I did order some picks and CD's through their website and they were delivered quickly. I am impressed

I have played 30+ years. I have owned an Aria classical, Alvarez Classical, A Seagull SM12, A Martin 000XM, Yamaha FG311, A Jasmine dreadnaught and some others. The Taylor is the best. If stolen I would buy Taylor again, and probably this model. I love the way it plays and the sound. I hate the white binding--too bright. I compared to everything on earth and bought this one cause the deal got too good to walk away--I had expected to buy a 314 or maybe a Tacoma. I was impressed with several Tacomas I played and especially a Larrivee. I might have bought a Taylor 714 but did not want a cutaway and the only 714 full body I had looked at had sold before I got back in my final purchase mode. At times I wish it had electronics, but not enough to have this guitar tampered with at present. I think I will just place an external mike if needed.

The 414 is one of the "Lower" end Taylors. It has solid wood construction, with a Sitka spruce top and Saple mahagony back and sides, and a mahagony neck. It's a '97 model but has the features of a '98 (i.e. pin bridge opposed to pinless). I had ordered it in late '97 and got it at that years prices with the next years features (except for woods, the '98 has Ovangkol back and sides). The 414 is a Grand Audatorium, which is slimer in the waist than a dreadnought. It's a great fingerpicking guitar; well balanced tone with a suprising amount of bass. It also lends itself well to lead work, but I wouldn't recomend it for rythm because it will tend to buss if you strum it to hard (the bracing is thin). Taylors come standard with Grovers, which are great, I haven't had any problems from them. They stay in tune great! The neck is ultra fast, and thin. It has ebony fretbord along with ebony bridge and pins. It came with a form-fitted HSC.

The Sitka top gives a bright, full sound. I play fingerstyle, bluse, and acoustic rock, the 414 fits them all just fine. The harmonics on the 12th and 7th shine, but when you start going on down to the 5th they start becoming muffled. The great thing about solid wood is that non of them sound the same. As they age (not getting older, you could leave it in a closet for 50 years (which I would not recommend becuase of humidity) and it would still sound the same. "Aging" is produced by the vibrating of the top (when you play).

The action was fine. The top has two scars on it, but I think that adds character, I really do like the scars; it would be boring with out them.
The top is high gloss, the back and sides are low gloss.

The guitar will stand up to a gig, the hardware will last, but you have to watch HUMIDITY! If you let it get to dry or to wet IT WON'T LAST!
Strap buttons are solid. You can depend on this guitar. I would gig with out a back up.

Taylor is fast and friendly, I ordered some info and it was here very fast. It has a limited lifetime waranty which only applies to the original owner.

I've been playing for two years and I own the 414 and a Martin DM. If I lost this guitar or it was stolen I would cry, it has a personality. I love it. The Martin DM and the 414 both have about the same price the Taylor prevails over the Martin it quality, sound, construction, everything but strumming.