Need advice

[holmesrt]

Only started playing a year ago at 65. Thinking about a nicer Taylor and cant decide between 414ce and a 514ce. I think the 614ce is a little out of my price range. One of my primary concerns is ease of play as I have a bit of arthritis in my hands. I mix between strum and fingerpicking.  Any advice on the difference between these two would be helpful.  Thanks
Rick
Taylor GS Mini
Seagull Entourage

[Gutch]

If your arthritis is a concern, you may want to consider a 12 fret model or a short scale Grand Concert.  Reasoning - The shorter scale of either would reduce the reach between frets and make it a bit easier to grab chords.  I have a 12 fret grand Concert and find it very comfortable to play.  I know that offer 12 fret designs on Grand Auditoriums as well as Grand Concerts, so the bigger body would still be available to you.


As for wood combinations, that would be up to your ear.  Personally, I prefer the 500 series (Though I would order it with the traditional Cedar top rather than all hog).  Whichever the case, I'm sure you'll end up with a wonderful instrument. 


Have fun in your search!!!

[Jersey tuning]

+1 on recommending a GC 12-fret.  I'm a rosewood fan so a 412 would appeal to me given your choices and budgetary constraints.

[timfitz63]

I agree that the 12-fret Grand Concert would be the easiest to play, but I've personally found that they have a tendency to become a little 'over-driven' with anything more than light strumming; that body is really better-suited to finger-style playing.  So if you're a moderate or heavy strummer, you might still want to stick with the Grand Auditorium body style that you've been already considering:  it's the best of both worlds (suited to both strumming and finger-style playing); and since it still uses the light-gauge strings, the action isn't objectionably heavy.  But try out a 12-fret and see if it suits you better...

As far as 400- or 500-Series goes, as "Gutch" said, that's really going to boil down to your preference.  I don't think one wood combination is any 'better-suited' to either style of playing than the other.  It just comes down to what kind of sound you're trying to get out of the guitar...

[Jersey tuning]

Brainstorm:  consider a 414 or 514 nylon string guitar. Fully 1/3 less string tension than a similar steel string guitar.  If you have any doubts about how dynamic you can be with a n.s. guitar, just check out Rodrigo y Gabriella or even Jason Mraz on youtube.  I'd recommend a straight up classical guitar for a lot less than a Taylor, but I think you'd find the Taylor ns configured for easier playability than a classical.

[Strumming Fool]

Only started playing a year ago at 65. Thinking about a nicer Taylor and cant decide between 414ce and a 514ce. I think the 614ce is a little out of my price range. One of my primary concerns is ease of play as I have a bit of arthritis in my hands. I mix between strum and fingerpicking.  Any advice on the difference between these two would be helpful.  Thanks
Rick
Taylor GS Mini
Seagull Entourage

Some good advice has been offered. However, I'll confine my comments to your specific question. The 414 represents one wood combination: a sitka spruce top with ovangkol back and sides. Ovangkol, while not being a traditional tonewood choice, offers a lot of versatility in that it combines some of the best qualities of both mahogany (strong midrange, crisp tone) with rosewood (deep bass, sparkling highs). Appointments are simple, but elegant.
With  the 514, you have a choice of either a sitka spruce or cedar top, paired with mahogany back and sides. I'm not sure which one you were looking at in your comparison. (There is also the 524, which is basically a 514 with a mahogany top.) Mahogany, along with rosewood, is a classic tonewood choice for a guitar. Some people prefer rosewood, while others prefer mahogany - it's a personal preference, as they are both great tonewoods. The 514's appointments are a bit more upscale in comparison to the 414, but I would call neither a better guitar than the other. 
Although I fall into the mahogany school of tone, I do like ovangkol, because it offers a full tonal spectrum. (I custom ordered an ovangkol back/sides guitar for that very reason.) In any case, you can't go wrong with either choice. I personally have never played a poor example of either model. Keep in mind that Taylor makes these same wood combos in the smaller GC size as well (412 or 512). Hope this helps you in your decision.

[TaylorMate]

Rick, the 12-fretter is a good advice, but don't overlook the regular GC models. I understand your arthritis problems all too well. I (64) suffer from it already for many years. Next to a couple of other models, I have a regular 812 which - being a GC - has a shorter scale than the others.  She is a delight to play. But probably string gauge is even more important for your well being than scale length. For some 15 years I used extra light strings (0,10+). I loved them and I did not have the guts to change because they were so sweet for my fingers. Maybe because I really intensified my playing over the last years giving my hands a good work out I dared to scale up to light strings (0,12+) about a year ago - I felt I needed somewhat more volume for my gigs. And to my surprise they didn't hurt anymore!! Sometimes when I wake up in the morning (still in bed) I cannot understand how I would be able to ever play guitar, that painful are my fingers, but after a short while and some warming up it all starts working! And now that I have mastered the light gauge strings I feel more confident too. Probably because there always is the fall back position of extra lights, and meanwhile also the slightly lights (0,11+) John Pearse which I discovered recently. Worth trying! Hope you'll find your guitar.

[azslacker]

I too suffer from arthritis, and had a bad left hand injury years ago. I find the GC pretty comfortable to play most every day. On the bad days the gs-mini fills the bill.

[Edward]

Hi there holmesrt,

I, too, have suffered in the past from a carpel tunnel scare, and now have to be very careful with my hands when I play, particularly for long stints.  I'd personally suggest that with hand issues I would absolutely recommend a short scale Taylor.  This scale is standard on the 12-Fret and GC models, but can be had on any of the GAs, as well.  The shorter scale can be had on the other bigger-bodied models too, but those guitars are designed for medium gauge strings so that mitigates some of the benefit of the decreased tension from the shorter scale.  So if you find any of the 12F or GCs to try, you'd get an idea of the feel.  Buy the one that feels/sounds best to you, or order one.  FWIW, I personally think the GA is the better "all around" guitar over the GC, particularly if you do any moderate-to-harder strumming, but there certainly are superb GCs out there; as well as 12F models in GA body (a really great choice, IMHO!!).  Happy hunting ...tell us where you land! 

Edward

[rolleiguy54]

You could order a 514 short scale. That would be nice.

[michaelw]

the 12 fret models seem to be available only with a 1 3/4" nut & depending on if you're more comfortable
with the slightly narrower neck width that's on the mini & the shorter scale that's the entourage, it is
possible to have a 414 or 514ce made with a 1 11/16" nut & shorter 24 7/8" scale & if electronics are not a
necessity, the $ for a 414 or 514c with both of these options should be the same as the respective CE model

[HAPPYDAN]

I'm an "old guy" too (63) so I feel your pain. The spirit is so willing, but the flesh just won't cooperate! Whatever you decide to go with, I highly recommend that you take it to a Taylor-recommended repair shop/luthier, and explain your problems and desires in detail. It may cost a few bucks, but as others will agree, the difference is worth it, even on a higher-end guitar.

[Thumb Picker]

Only started playing a year ago at 65. Thinking about a nicer Taylor and cant decide between 414ce and a 514ce. I think the 614ce is a little out of my price range. One of my primary concerns is ease of play as I have a bit of arthritis in my hands. I mix between strum and fingerpicking.  Any advice on the difference between these two would be helpful.  Thanks
Rick
Taylor GS Mini
Seagull Entourage

Rick
Sorry to be posting a reply so late
Been tied up with ticker issues
I also started playing late in life... Age 60
and understand the finger stiffness thing you mentioned
Elected  to do my own setup( with Taylor cust service kind advise) on my 416
lowered the action way down to just above buzzing to accommodate my stiff finger issues
I'm a finger picker so there is no aggressive pick action to cause buzz
To address your "which model?" question
Let me add to the previous great responses
That I found the 416 to be the best fit for me when I started out
Because the GS body and bracing gave me more volume with less effort
Even fingerpicked 

After a while my arthritis gave up on trying to stop me and I bought some other models
Because I liked their sound differences

Glad to hear that another "late bloomer" is out there not letting nothing stop him
From the joy of learning guitar!

Rock on my friend!!!