Taylor Limiteds - Are they just about the looks?

[TaylorGirl]

Wow Michael, I can't get over the wealth of Taylor information you come up with and share with us!

[golfreggie]

I currently have two Taylor Limiteds, a 2014 Fall Limited 718ce with the Sassafrass b&s, and a 2016 Fall Limited 316ce Honey Burst.  They sound very good.  Each one different tonally for sure.  The sassafrass is louder and bolder with a deeper sound overall.   The honey burst is a little more mid-range and quite a bit of reduced volume in the bass.  These two are my 3rd and 4th Taylors (the first two were traded in).  The sound is great on both and the looks is really awesome with the sassafrass and I love the honey burst looks on most guitars.  I am just so happy to have these two great guitars.

[TaylorGirl]

Indeed, two beautiful Taylors, golfreggie!

[xtremearmor]

I've owned a 2013 514e fltd.  Definitely more bang for the buck.  One of these days  I'd love to get the 2011 spring Ltd with flamed walnut.   I played one and it had a great sound.

[SoCalSurf]

There is something very special about the sassafras look and sound.

[bluesman_1959]

Hello all, newbie here....at least to Taylor guitars. I just bought my 1st Taylor, a limited edition 2010 510ce Sitka/Koa, so I sure do hope they aren't all about looks. But how about those looks!! Bought it from a retired professional, who obviously takes care of his stuff....immaculate house, cars and 6 other Taylor guitars besides the one I purchased. This guitar didn't have a mark, not even a smudge on it, nor did the case, not that that is a major factor for me when buying, but it is pretty nice when it happens. The setup is beautiful on this baby, the sound is already very rich, only to improve with further aging, guess I've been bitten by the Taylor bug. I was fortunate enough to have this gentleman show me and let me play his collection, which included a top of the line model (can't recall the model #), which he told me sells for close to 10K (Cdn), yikes! I've asked for first refusal on any others he may part with in the future, but I don't think that particular one is in the cards for me, that kind of $$$ would have to be spent on something vintage. Anyway, I'm looking forward to enjoying this one for many years, cheers!

1960's Framus 12 String
1985 Takamine EF371C
1995 Gibson Gospel
1996 Gibson Blues King Electro
2010 Taylor 510ce
2012 J45 Custom

1967 Gretsch Nashville
1973 Tele Deluxe
1979 Strat Hardtail
2001 Strat Deluxe
2001 ES446
2012 Rickenbacker 360 Fireglo
2013 SG 61 Reissue

[ParisTNDude]

You know, I was curious about the same thing the last time I visited the Guitar Center in Memphis. I played a couple of the very expensive limiteds and they sounded and played wonderfully, but no better than the standards hanging on the wall. But, when you play a Taylor other than your own, if you're like me, you think they're all awesome sounding, so it's hard to say.  I was curious how different the same models are compared to others of the same model??? I would bet you would find some with considerably different tonal qualities. Guitar Center doesn't usually display more than one of a given model to test that theory....lol. I know for certain, when I bought my current 814CE I played every guitar in the shop for comparisons and every time I picked up the 814CE I bought, it was a clear winner even more so than more costly guitars. That was a great NGD!

[arunakalu]

I was at the Roadshow and a Taylor 714ce LTD caught my eye.

It was a torrfied spruce top and a Koa back sides, and I got the chance to play it. It has this wonderful sound that sonically settled between the 814ce and 514ce I own. So I decided to buy it, because that wood combination is not offered regularly and could be much expensive if I did a BTO. It has been a few days and I am loving the tone of it.

[zeebow]

I was at the Roadshow and a Taylor 714ce LTD caught my eye.

It was a torrfied spruce top and a Koa back sides, and I got the chance to play it. It has this wonderful sound that sonically settled between the 814ce and 514ce I own. So I decided to buy it, because that wood combination is not offered regularly and could be much expensive if I did a BTO. It has been a few days and I am loving the tone of it.

i'm so jelly!!!

[MR Ts Haircut]

arunakalu,

I'm new here. I purchased the same guitar after attending the Pensacola roadshow.  I love it.  What I know from Taylor customer service is they only built 75 total.  3 were sent to the southeast region.  I have one of those three.  Beautiful guitar!

[Frettingflyer]

arunakalu,

I'm new here. I purchased the same guitar after attending the Pensacola roadshow.  I love it.  What I know from Taylor customer service is they only built 75 total.  3 were sent to the southeast region.  I have one of those three.  Beautiful guitar!

Not too late for a NGD post with pics, just sayin

[Bmoney]

well the 2012 GAce FLTD has gotoh tuners and the upgraded adirondack bracing....not found normally on stock guitars

a rep said it was like a 800 and a half series

[sergeko]

there have been LTD models that
had aesthetic enhancements only -
among them
96 NGSM (512c)
97 KMSM (612c)
99 5-600ceAB
00 CBSM (912c), GSLJ (610), GSST (612), JCCM (914c), KLSM (k65c), RSSM (k24c)
03 600L1/L2/L3 (600), 900L1 (900), HRLTD (600), JDCM (k22)
     RHLTD (615), RNSM (615ce), SHSM (k22), WHCM (900)
04 300-KL30s
12 GSminiSLTDs
14 400SLTDs (gloss)
16 312/6ceLTD (sunburst)

the others have usually had different tonewoods &/
or bracing material, inlay & tuning machine changes

Just wondering ... was the performance bracing already standard in 2016 for the regular 300 series ?

[donlyn]

Taylor Limiteds - So are they just about the looks?

Seems the answer is maybe, but it's more about the construction and materials. To re-state a previous opinion, they are at least different guitars. And you will get more bang for the buck with many of the Limiteds. But about the post about the 4xx rosewood, Taylor is still making 4xx rosewood models. A limited model is always worth checking out, but not always worth buying just because it is 'Limited'.

I own 1 Taylor 'Limited', a 2005 Taylor 512ce L10 all mahogany Grand Concert. But I also have a 2016 Taylor 412e-R SE sitka rosewood Grand Concert, which I believe was billed as a "Special Edition" and shows up as such in the model nomenclature. I think a GA version was previously alluded to (or lumped in with) as a 'Limited'. Either way my 412e-R SE looks about as bare bones as a Taylor guitar can be, but it sounds grrrrrreat (a tip of the hat to Tony the Tiger). For me this is the ultimate test of a guitar. And it's my current 'go-to' guitar.

And a non-Taylor footnote, my Gibson J 200 is also a limited edition guitar.

Don

[sstaylor58]

My first limited model was a 2005 512ce-L10, all hog.  It was a wonderful guitar, and came out before Taylor started making hog tops part of their standard line.  I eventually ended up with another all hog guitar, a custom Martin OM-15 from Ted at LA Guitars.  Loved both of them, but in the end decided to trade my 512 on another limited model, a 2013 516e FLTD, euro spruce over flamed mahogany.  An absolutely stunning guitar, with Adi bracing, gotoh's and the very first install of the ES2 system.

So in my case, both of the limiteds I own(ed) were not just pretty faces, they had upgrades over standard models and to my ear sounded fantastic.  Still miss my 512 limited...on the lookout for a 514 version...