hi zee,
congrats on the 914ce cedar -
i hope that it exceeds your expectations in all aspects (tone, playability & craftsmanship)
once you've 'gotten acquainted' with the 9, i am curious to hear your tonal review
in comparison to your 4, especially seeing that your 'wedding date' 414 has the
Standard II bracing (i've got an ol 98 414 'classic' that i love) - 08.09-10 ... cool 
don't worry about the 'paparazzi' 
enjoy 'er & play on 
wow, i'm so humbled that you read my "original" post and remember it! that is awesome!
tone is awesome! i've played the following taylors:
2010 314CE
2010 414CE (the one i own)
2010 614CE
2011 614CE
2011 714CE
2011 814CE
2010 914CE
2011 912CE
2011 koa ltd ga
2011 cocobolo ltd
2012 914CE w/ cedar top wood(my new guitar!)
what i didn't like and why:to me, the 614CE's were so bright, didn't like them at all, felt so thin sounding w/ no bottom end.
2010 814CE, 2010 914CE, 2011 912CE - bass so overwhelming, and the sparkle up top made the guitar(s) sound so harsh on my ears, it wasn't comforting, it didn't feel balanced (not my 2012 914CE!!!)
2010 cocobolo - nothing jumped at me from the sound, i actually liked my 414ce sound better. i played one lick, then put it down.
what i kinda liked and why:314ce - had decent bottom end, decent sparkle, but just didn't have a broad enough frequency response, like what my 414ce did.
koa ltd ga - sounded like my 414ce, but boxed in. i was really disappointed in the sound of this guitar, when i saw it, i had to wipe off my drool, but that was more impressive to me than the sound. just not my cup of tea. it didn't have a broad range of sound, that i have grown accustomed to on my 414ce (look at ovangkol's tonal response
)
what i liked and why:414ce - great overall tone, had good top end and loved the mid range - felt warm (at the time lol) and i felt it was a great value. i also thought i would never buy another guitar ever again, so much for that. the 414ce sounded perfect (still sounds great imho).
714ce - sounded liked my 414ce - but even better. great mids, sounds warm, while adding emphasis on the bottom end - it maintained a pleasant sparkle that i was accustomed to on my 414ce. i hate the understated looks though, just my opinion.
[drum roll]
so i loved the look of the 914ce, but loved the sound of the 714ce, so why not combine them?
my initial impressions of my 2012 cedar top 914ce:
tone is very similar to the 714ce but DEEPER. great balance of tones though, i feel that every other taylor i played, had 1 or 2 dominating tone ranges, but all of them, even my beloved 414ce, was thin in one range.
the cedar top 914ce resolves that. if anything, i feel like the mids dominate, but just slightly. secondly, the low E string sounds LOW
so surprising to hear that in a taylor. and the highs, yep, they still sparkle.
i read that taylor implemented cv bracing to try to remedy the mid range scoop of rosewood - and believe me, the scoop is VERY noticeable on sitka/rosewood combos.
so i figured (and someone else on the other forum agreed w/) that the combo of cedar top and cv bracing would give me a good mid range boost. i do NOT notice any mid range scoop at all.
the best way to describe the sound is, a 414CE w/ bass. that's exactly what it sounds like. and the top end - even more crisp. so if you like the 414ce, you'll LOVE a 914CE cedar.
one thing that i can't explain, is that my cedar 914ce sounds softer, as in volume wise, than other taylors. i even compared (a/b) it to a 714ce. the 714ce projected much louder than my cedar 914ce. it could be that me and the guys at george's music were just to chicken to go at it hard on the 914ce, but i doubt it.
my wife, who has no music inclination, even noticed that my 414ce was louder than my cedar 914ce.
i'm completely satisfied w /the sound, and don't notice a strumming "ceiling" w/ cedar, but i'm only a medium strummer on my most aggressive days. i don't play finger style, so i can't help anyone who is interested in that.
craftsmanship = OMG, SPECTACULAR! immaculate. love the red purfling, i initialy thought it was going to be tacky, but it compliments the cedar and rosewood quite nicely.
in terms of playability, it feels exactly the same as every other taylor i have touched, i have not noticed any difference. so, yes, it plays great - action is low and neck is smooth. actually, i did play a koa ltd w/ a gloss neck, but i actually prefer the satin neck.
hope that helps!
i'll post some pics, but my camera battery died, and i'm exhausted, but my adrenaline is keeping me awake.
sorry for the long post, but i'm EXCITED!!!!
