Sounds great. I played a 814ce dlx a couple months back and their was a 714ce sitting nearby so I picked it up to see the difference and if I was going to buy a guitar that day it would have been the 714. It was louder with a big full round tone, I was suprised at how much better it sounded to my ears than the 814dlx
Sorry to find this thread so late. But here's my take from my personal experience with these two models:
The 714 is a great guitar for finger picking. It's nice and bright and projects well while finger picking. However, when strumming it is a little bright and the sound can get out of hand easily. The 814ceDLX OTOH sounds far more balanced and pleasing while strummed. Both guitars are sensitive to the picks use and the 714 may need one that adds a little fullness and warmth, tamping down excessive highs. The 814 can benefit sometimes from a pick that can add a little crisper articulation.
One guitar that splits the middle and is an excellent all-around guitar is the NEW 614ce. Played one today and was blown away. I have an older 614 and was trying to chase the 814's tone, but had to work to hard to get it and never quite did. Then I got an 814ceDLX and realized I can let the 614 be a 614 and changed strings to DR Sunbeam 12's on the 614 and it certainly did what I thought it would do. The 814 can be beefed up with Elixir 13's which will tamp down the excessive highs but keep the guitar balanced. I've been testing strings on the 814 all week.
