Author: DL Shepherd
Darren has been playing guitar for over 23 years. He fronted the metal band Suddenly Silence in the early 2000’s, and also achieved recognition as an award-winning bluegrass guitarist.
A native of southwestern Virginia, and has shared the stage with many big-name acts from various genres. When he is not playing one of his many guitars, he can be found riding his Harley through the mountains of Virginia.
Editing & Research: Teemu Suomala
I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I love guitars and have played dozens and dozens of different guitars through different amps and pedals over the years, and also, building a website interested me, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website.
I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have also been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar.
I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog (I guess that went the right way…).
We can proudly say that Darren Shepherd has played every guitar featured in this article. These Taylor acoustic guitars are here based on extensive research and decades of combined guitar experience of Darren and Teemu.
How Taylor 814ce sounds:
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*Consider all links in this post to be affiliate links. If you purchase, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. It helps us to keep the lights on, thanks! 🙂
Imagine Having The Technique, Gear, and Sound of The GOATS… But Don’t just imagine. Find out.
Joe Satriani
Main Band
Solo Artist
Main Guitar
Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature JS2480
Joe Satriani
| Uniqueness | (4.5) |
| Accuracy | (5.0) |
| Speed | (5.0) |
| Right Hand | (5.0) |
| Techniques | (5.0) |
| Versatility | (3.5) |
| Performance | (4.5) |
| Overall Lead | (5.0) |
| Overall Rhythm | (4.5) |
Tommy Emmanuel
Main Band
Solo Artist
Main Guitar
Maton TE Personal
Tommy Emmanuel
| Uniqueness | (3.5) |
| Accuracy | (4.5) |
| Speed | (5.0) |
| Right Hand | (5.0) |
| Techniques | (5.0) |
| Versatility | (4.0) |
| Performance | (4.0) |
| Overall Lead | (5.0) |
| Overall Rhythm | (5.0) |
Steve Vai
Main Band
Solo Artist
Main Guitar
Ibanez Steve Vai JEM77
Steve Vai
| Uniqueness | (4.5) |
| Accuracy | (5.0) |
| Speed | (5.0) |
| Right Hand | (4.5) |
| Techniques | (5.0) |
| Versatility | (3.0) |
| Performance | (4.5) |
| Overall Lead | (5.0) |
| Overall Rhythm | (4.5) |
The Next Best:
Best Live Performer – Taylor 324ce Builder’s Edition
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Summary
Pros:
- Incredible volume for a Grand Auditorium body
- Beautiful finish with plenty of stage presence
- Rich, balanced mid-range tone for excellent articulation on stage
- Extremely comfortable to play
Cons:
- Real bone nut and saddle would add more volume and clarity
- Lack of an onboard tuner is a bit of a bummer for a guitar of this caliber
You need this on stage. Trust me when I say that not all sound guys are created equal.
Best Dreadnought – Taylor American Dream AD17
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Summary
Pros:
- Well-balanced tone with tons of clarity for versatile playing situations
- Extremely solid construction makes it road-worthy
- Comfortable to play for guitarist of all skill levels
Cons:
- This guitar really needs a real bone nut and saddle to maximize tonal potential
- I would have personally preferred a gloss finish over the matte finish for better visual appeal
Those who are looking for a high-quality dreadnought with exceptional tone and playability should look no further than the Taylor American Dream AD17.
Best Budget Taylor – Taylor Academy 10e
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Summary
Pros:
- Quality tonewoods provide a full, rich tone
- Dreadnought size provides impressive volume without playing hard
- Shortened scale length is great for smaller hands
- Onboard electronics make it an incredibly versatile full-bodied acoustic
Cons:
- Some more experienced players may not like the shorter scale length
- A real bone nut and saddle would add a bit more tonal balance
- Taylor needs to add an onboard tuner to the ES2 system
If you aren’t quite ready to fork out big bucks on a higher-end Taylor, I enthusiastically recommend that you give the Taylor Academy 10e your consideration.
Best Travel – Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor
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Summary
Pros:
- Choice woods produce impressive volume and tone
- Small size is great for travel or smaller players
- Comes with a travel case!
Cons:
- A simple onboard electronics system would improve versatility
- Players with larger hands may find the ¾ scale a bit too small for them
It has plenty of usable volume, and they are right at home in the studio. I would venture to say that many players would appreciate what this little guitar has to offer when it comes to sound and playability.
Compare Key Specs:
Compare The Tonewoods:
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Back & Sides: Solid Indian Rosewood
Neck: Tropical Mahogany
Fretboard: West African Ebony
The fretboard and neck don’t affect the tone much.
Top: Solid Mahogany
Back & Sides: Solid Urban Ash
Neck: Tropical Mahogany
Fretboard: Ebony
Top: Solid Spruce
Back & Sides: Solid Ovangkol
Neck: Mahogany
Fretboard: Eucalyptus
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Back & Sides: Layered Sapele
Neck: Hard Rock Maple
Fretboard: Ebony
Top: Solid Tropical American Mahogany
Back & Sides: Layered Sapele
Neck: Maple
Fretboard: West African Crelicam Ebony
We got the specs from Taylor’s site.
For more cool info about tonewoods, check this acoustic guitar tonewoods article.
If you are not sure if Taylors are the right choice for you, check this article: “Are Taylor Acoustic Guitars Any Good?“
How We Chose These Taylor Acoustic Guitars
- We decided which Taylors to recommend by using our own experience, doing extensive research, visiting music stores, and asking help from our musician friends
- After we had chosen the best guitars to recommend we looked for a good way to test the gear. This means either renting it, buying it, testing it in a music store, or visiting a friend who owns it. This time, our main testing method was playing these acoustic guitars in music stores.
- Even after this, we’ll still do another round of extensive research to make sure that this specific product is in fact, a real cream-of-the-crop candidate.
- Then we wrote this in-depth but easily digestible review about these acoustic guitars. We kept in mind who will be playing them (most likely) such as bluegrass players, blues players, players who want to plug in, beginners, advanced players, etc.
Most acoustic guitars we recommend are run through tests like these:
- We go carefully through the finish and build quality of the guitar.
- We inspect the fretwork and edges of the fretboard to make sure there are no sharp edges.
- We play the acoustic guitar unplugged and plugged in.
- We use different playing techniques, such as fingerpicking, flatpicking, strumming, tapping, and even percussive playing.
- We measure and weight the guitar.
- We try licks and riffs from different genres.
Learn more about GND’s testing and reviewing processes here.
Our Favorite Music Store in The World!
Why?
– Excellent Customer Service (4.7/5 Trustpilot Score)
– Fast & Free Shipping
– Gear is Inspected, Tested, & Ready to Play When it Arrives to You (We love this)
– Fair Prices
Visit Sweetwater:
Met Taylor’s Andy Powers (the company’s master guitar designer) a few years back. We talked a bit about Taylor’s sustainable Urban Wood project, which made me fall in love with the brand even more. I urge you all to check it out!
I’m not a huge environmentalist…but I like this idea too. Why not use wood that would be just disposed of otherwise? This is just common sense! Points for Taylor!
Man… I love Taylors too. I think I’ll settle for the Academy 10. 814ce is just too expensive. Thanks for the article!
Hi Kyle and thanks for commenting! I think that Academy 10 is a rock-solid choice. I hope you will love it!
I would never buy a mass produced guitar from sny guitar manufacturer. There are many other small builders whi build close to boutique quality guitars for a much better value for the price. Taylor makes about 700 guitars a day. Mass produced with little attention to the soundboard and its sonic properties. In the beginning Taylor was a quality guitar. But demand made production so high it’s hit or miss with the guitars.
Hi John! I agree that mass-production has some problems. But I think it can be done right. By this, I mean great quality control and staff who really want to build amazing guitars and take pride in what they do. Take care, my friend!
Played the Taylor Taylor 814ce a couple of weeks ago in a music store nearby…amazing. Hard to beat that one, especially in terms of playability. It was a bit quieter than I expected, but otherwise, just amazing. Darren got things right here!
But curious, how a bit cheaper models like 424ce, 512ce, 612ce compare to the 814ce in terms of playability? Has any of you guys played these?
Played 612ce and 814ce head to head…612ce has a tad shorter scale. bit softer feel on strings because of that, but not necessarily “better”. Difference was not huge. but I prefer Indian rosewood & sitka spruce tonewood combo of 814ce over maple & sitka spruce of 612ce.
The price of 814CE is just sooo freaking steep…. Have to go with a model that doesn’t require a mortgage, haha
I own a Taylor 814 CE Woodsongs, Ser # 1. Bought it ten years ago. Last week I bought a Taylor GS Mini Plus KOA on impulse. Guess which one I pickup to noodle around with and have fun at home! Just saying!
Hi Dave! 814ce is THE #1 Acoustic for me. Don’t own one, but have played it. It’s great. But I personally might pick the cheaper GS Mini (that’s still great acoustic) for noodling purposes more often and save 814ce for serious situations, haha.