The Taylor 114e is a great guitar. It’s got plenty of character and has a very pleasing, warm tone. One of Taylor’s most popular and versatile body shape, the mid-size Grand Auditorium arrived in 1994 bearing refined proportions that fell between a Dreadnought and Grand Concert. While the bigger Dreadnought was traditionally considered a flatpicker’s guitar and the smaller Grand Concert catered to fingerstylists, the GA was designed to deliver on both fronts.
Grand Auditorium Body
The body shape produces an original acoustic voice, loud enough to handle medium-strength picking and strumming with impressive balance across the tonal spectrum, especially in the midrange, producing clear, well-defined notes that suited both strumming and fingerstyle playing. The Auditorium’s overall presence tracks well with other instruments both in a studio mix and on stage, and singer-songwriters have embraced its utility both for composing and traveling with one guitar. Many people want a single guitar that can cover a variety of styles, which is why the GA continues to be one of Taylor’s most popular shapes.
The 100 Series incorporates layered back and sides, which offer extra resilience to fluctuating climate conditions, and a slightly narrower 1 11/16-inch neck. It’s one of the best full-size guitars you’ll find for the money. It’s a great performance tool, a great entry-level guitar, or a second utility guitar for alternate tunings.
Great Looking Finish
Taylor are famous for great looking guitars and the 114e is a classic example of the hard work and master craftsmanship that goes into the design of each model. With a tough gloss varnished finish and stunning natural wood grains each guitar looks unique.
ES2
For decades, piezo-electric transducers have been positioned under the saddle of a guitar based on the long-held belief that the string and top vibration cause the saddle to "bounce" up and down. Taylor's electronics team discovered that the vertical movement is actually heavily restricted, and that the saddle gets "locked down" due to the string tension's downward pressure. That's why a traditional under-saddle pickup with piezo-electric crystals often responds with a sound often characterized as thin, brittle, brash or synthetic, especially with more aggressive playing.
Taylor moved the pickup from under the saddle to behind it. The new positioning enables the crystals to respond more naturally to the guitar's energy as it is transferred through the saddle. What this means is you get a warmer, richer sound. You can dig in and still sound great.
The ES2 features the same volume and tone control knobs as previous versions. The preamp is similar but with a slightly different gain structure. As a result it will be about 25 percent hotter, which is more in line with other pickups. This makes it plug-and-play friendly both for artists and live sound mixers.
