Taylor K26ce -

You know, Taylor Guitars makes some pretty sexy guitars. This K26ce we just got in is a good example as you can see.
The Grand Symphony sized body really lends itself to the Koa tonewood, adding bass and roundness to an otherwise clear mid-range. It rings like a bell when you want it and cuddles you with warm bass when you need it to.

 The grain! Oh My! The grain of this Koa is crazy beautiful and Taylors' shaded burst really accentuates the variety of warm syrupy colors.

The detail in the purfling and fretboard inlay is immaculate. I love the whimsical, vine inlay they have on these Koa series.

It's such a sleek and sexy machine and plays so unbelievably well, given Taylor Guitars expertly carved neck profile. 

Come on in and check this one out. It's such a beautiful instrument, crafted by one of America's leading guitar Manufacturers. The Taylor K26ce should be in your music life if you like big, sexy, bold statements and a clean, clear, even guitar tone.

2014 Taylor Fall Limiteds are IN!

Taylor Guitars never cease to amaze me, with all their fancy innovation and wild building techniques that redefine what an acoustic guitar is supposed to like. 
Take for instance, this new 2014 Fall Ltd 714ce that we just got in the store.

 

Sassafras! They used Blackheart Sassafras for the back and sides. I've never seen (or heard of) a guitar made out of Sassafras but here it is and after playing, I wonder why it isn't used more for a tone wood. To me, it has a similar look to Myrtle but with a honey cream color. At first look of this instrument, the ebb and flow of the variations in the grain are mesmerizing and beautiful. The high gloss finish really brings out how gorgeous this wood really is. 

 

But it's not all about looks. What I get out the tone of this guitar is that Sassafras has a quality similar to a maple but with more balls. It has clear tonal highs, though unlike maple, the low-mids and lows are very present even while finger picking the guitar. It has a fairly quick decay which might make it perfect for a fast lead or when you don't want your chords to bleed into one another. One cool spec for the 700 limited is that it has Taylor's Advanced Performance Bracing in which a protein glue is used. Protein glue is a better bonding agent because, I've heard, it actually fuses the glue and wood into one. They trim this instrument out in in Rosewood for the binding, edge trim, backstrip, heel cap and around the abalone rosette. 

 

This is, by far, absolutely one of the most beautiful guitars we've had in the store in a while. If you're at all interested in checking out what's new and fun in Acoustic Guitar Land, you have to come down and play this. It's awesome.

Major Score

Earlier this year, Taylor Guitars announced it's Spring Limited Editions to the world.  One of which included an 600 series made of African Ebony.   We were excited about them and we ordered one.  As it turned out, however, an African Ebony limited edition turned out to not be in the cards for us at Portland Music Company.  Unfortunately (or fortunately as we see it) the number of wood sets that were expected to be yielded for this edition came up short.....by about 100 sets.   We were called and informed of this and then given a choice.....we could either cancel our order or have one built using Macassar Ebony instead....and get this....at the SAME price!  Now if you've ever spec'd out a Taylor Build to Order (aka BTO) guitar, you might know that Macassar Ebony carries a pretty hefty upcharge.  We didn't even have to think twice about it.  It was a no-brainer.....Our limited was going to be made of Macassar.

When this guitar arrived many months later (far past the Spring, in fact) we immediately knew that this guitar had been worth the wait.  Our first impression, upon gazing at this treasure, was how incredible it looks.  Taylor did a great job of highlighting the natural beauty of the wood.

 Macassar Ebony Back

The ebony is strikingly rich in its coloring, alternating between reddish brown and dark chocolate brown stripes. The simple yet elegant inlays and binding of Koa and Ivoroid perfectly enhance it's beauty. 

 

 Engraved Koa Ovals w/Progressive Arrowhead-like Ivoroid Triangles

 
The Koa and Ivoroid theme is continued for the trim, binding and in the rosette. The gold Gotoh 510 tuners add the perfect finishing touch of class to this instrument.

 

European Spruce top w/Koa Rosette and Ivoroid Binding

The Gold Gotoh Tuners add a nice finishing touch

Sonically, this guitar is very special.  The rich low end of Macassar combined with the European Spruce top and Adirondack braces is something to behold.  European spruce loves a good strong attack and can completely handle it as it has plenty of headroom.  When paired with Macassar ebony, the results are a guitar with notes that are thick and saturated.

 European Spruce top

Played softly, this is a mellow, sweet sounding guitar that would be a wonderful match for someone who plays full fingerstyle.  This particular instrument also shines with a slow flat picking style which produces a rich, lush tone with a surprisingly good clarity.  This guitar is like a glass of really good wine.  You sip it and watch the legs slowly slide back down your glass.  It's savory, it's rich and it pairs well with chocolate....cause really, who doesn't love chocolate?

 Box of Chocolates

If you'd like to know more about this guitar, give us a call at 503-228-8437 or, better yet, come down to 2502 NE Broadway in Portland and ask one of us for a test drive of this beautiful instrument.

Photo's and text by Carrie Warlaumont