Spent a final two hour session at one of Milwaukee’s LGS’s with two 614ce Builders Editions and a standard 614ce.
I left with the standard 614ce. One of the BE’s was very nice, and the top bevel oh so comfy. I’d describe it as having a very balanced ‘crystalline’ tone. The 614ce standard sounded more open, warmer and louder. The shop guys all played and listened to me play, and agreed.
After arriving home and playing for another hour (it’s the honeymoon, RIGHT?!) I called Taylor and spoke with Josh. When asked about the finish, he said the Taylor satin finish is thicker than the 3.5 micron gloss on the standard 614ce. He noted how they sound more open right out of the box...with more of a belly rumble in the bass. Mystery solved.
Time will tell if the satin finish ‘relaxes’ or whether it’s a definable niche within the Taylor sound. Thoughts? The BE I played is a terrific guitar...but I prefer the gloss finish and the prettier woods. The one I bought has a bit of bearclaw on the top. Compared to my 914 - which is velvety and rich - my new 614 is louder, has nice snap in the harmonics, more sustain and lots of ‘gears’ for meditative Fingerstyle, ragtime, blues, Beatles and Bach.
