POLL : 2014 800 series

[michaelw]

based on the number of threads & posts regarding the 2014 800 series, the hoopla & "hype", those that have played them &
own/ordered them, those that have played them & were somewhat "underwhelmed" & those that haven't played them,
just curious how, where & what the general consensus of the current 800 series vs the previous 800 series is at -
if the 800 series you prefer has AP, CV, standard II or classic non-forward shifted bracing, a NT or preNT neck, or if
it is a pre-redesign X10, X12 or X15 body shape, lemon grove or santee era, standard or LTD model, please make note of it

hopefully, this will be fun -
have at it

[mgap]

Good poll MichaelW.  I played a new (2014) 814 at the mothership back in January and really liked it.  My problem is that I would have like to A/B a 2014 814 and a previous 814 in my case it would be a a 2010.  In any case it will be a interesting poll.  This same poll might be a good one for a year from now also.

[Fire]

I previously owned a 2012 814ce... also played a 2014 816ce at Gryphon two weeks and wasn't overly-impressed to want to buy one.   

Recently, I acquired a 2011 FLTD GA Cocobolo from a forum member, attracted mainly by its gorgeous aesthetics and promise of a phenomenal tone. I was floored at first strum!  To my ears, this guitar is sonically better than the 2014 816ce in all aspects.

Curious now how the AP bracing, thinner UV, and HD Lights would sound in a Cocobolo guitar..... 2014 Fall Limited?

[michaelw]

Good poll MichaelW.  I played a new (2014) 814 at the mothership back in January and really liked it.  My problem is that I would have like to A/B a 2014 814 and a previous 814 in my case it would be a a 2010.  In any case it will be a interesting poll.  This same poll might be a good one for a year from now also.

a 2010 model would have CV bracing & as much as 4 years playing time on it, so it may be a more
"mature" sounding example than one that's a little "fresher", or made in the last quarter of 2013 -
i'll have to do some looking around to see if i can find a current model 800 to "test-drive", but with the last
two recent acquisitions, i think an AP braced spruce/rosewood model will have to wait 'til next year or so

i decided to go with the older, littler & bigger options for now -
still, 800 series spruce/rosewoods, but the big'un isn't sitka & eirw

still, this is a pretty sweet deal (714ce MAP) while it lasts, though -
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=4920.0

[michaelw]

I previously owned a 2012 814ce... also played a 2014 816ce at Gryphon two weeks and wasn't overly-impressed to want to buy one.   

Recently, I acquired a 2011 FLTD GA Cocobolo from a forum member, attracted mainly by its gorgeous aesthetics and promise of a phenomenal tone. I was floored at first strum!  To my ears, this guitar is sonically better than the 2014 816ce in all aspects.

Curious now how the AP bracing, thinner UV, and HD Lights would sound in a Cocobolo guitar..... 2014 Fall Limited?

i'm wondering how much of a difference there is in the 816ce wood thicknessing & back bracing, if any -
the smaller 812 & 814 shape may  be able to take greater advantage of having thinner
back & sides, along with the offset back bracing & the heavier G, B & e may  alter the tone,
particularly the mid/trebles, to a greater, more perceptible, degree than the larger body shapes

i'm curious about a 13 818e FE with adi bracing, 6 mil finish & 80/20s vs a 14 818E, sitka bracing, 3.5 mil finish & PB strings -
the 14 800 FE models have sitka bracing, if i'm not mistaken, so i guess the headstock inlay, case plaque, strap, book, COA, gold tuners &
label are the big differences between a 14 800 FE & standard 14 800, but there is a HP package available for the standard 800s, with
adi bracing, bone nut & saddle & gotoh 510s, which could  be a rather attractive option, especially on a no c, no e, or a no e, model, imho

[guitarsrsoawesome]

I played a 2014 816ce at Sam Ash for a few minutes, though I was hoping to try the 814ce.  I thought it sounded very bold and dark, lot's of bass.  I would say it sounded darker than my current GS, though maybe a little more muddy.  I didn't have mine there to compare and honestly wasn't expecting to see the 2014 there.  I've heard some say they don't like the rosewood pic guard, but I have to say that I'm a big fan and think it looks awesome.  The guitar sounded fantastic, though, and I think it's good they made the updates...

[michaelw]

I played a 2014 816ce at Sam Ash for a few minutes, though I was hoping to try the 814ce.  I thought it sounded very bold and dark, lot's of bass.  I would say it sounded darker than my current GS, though maybe a little more muddy.  I didn't have mine there to compare and honestly wasn't expecting to see the 2014 there.  I've heard some say they don't like the rosewood pic guard, but I have to say that I'm a big fan and think it looks awesome.  The guitar sounded fantastic, though, and I think it's good they made the updates...

looks like i may have to take a ride down there & check it out, if it's still there -
the rosewood pickguard with the grain at a 45 degree angle makes it look kinda
fire-stripey, which is , but is it really as thick as it looks in the W&S pics

to me, it seems to be at least twice as thick as the faux tortoise 'guard & with the opposing grain, rather than it being in-line with
the top grain, i'm curious if the difference in direction of flexibility, or possibly lack thereof, might  affect the top response

[Jersey tuning]

Hoopla or Hooey?

[michaelw]

Hoopla or Hooey?

spuds, 'taters, poe-tay-toe or poe-tah-toe

or, perhaps hoey, as in gary hoey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhrFau64s9I

ho, ho hoey

[ataylor]

I'm more of a 700 series guy. That's what I'd get if I were after a rosewood Taylor.

The old 700 series was great too -- with the rosewood binding and koa rosette.

[guitarsrsoawesome]

I played a 2014 816ce at Sam Ash for a few minutes, though I was hoping to try the 814ce.  I thought it sounded very bold and dark, lot's of bass.  I would say it sounded darker than my current GS, though maybe a little more muddy.  I didn't have mine there to compare and honestly wasn't expecting to see the 2014 there.  I've heard some say they don't like the rosewood pic guard, but I have to say that I'm a big fan and think it looks awesome.  The guitar sounded fantastic, though, and I think it's good they made the updates...

looks like i may have to take a ride down there & check it out, if it's still there -
the rosewood pickguard with the grain at a 45 degree angle makes it look kinda
fire-stripey, which is , but is it really as thick as it looks in the W&S pics

to me, it seems to be at least twice as thick as the faux tortoise 'guard & with the opposing grain, rather than it being in-line with
the top grain, i'm curious if the difference in direction of flexibility, or possibly lack thereof, might  affect the top response

Honestly, I saw it before I read anyone's comments about the thickness, and being that we showed up at Sam Ash at 7:58 on Saturday evening when the closing time was 8, and also being that the employees were clearly ready to go because of an incessant intercom announcement saying so, I really didn't get much of a chance to look at it closely.  I strummed on it a little and then had to put it back.  But I love the way it looks looking at it aside from any thickness observations.  I'm betting wood on wood will also all the top to behave in a more organic way beneath the guard, too.  What do you think?

[michaelw]

Honestly, I saw it before I read anyone's comments about the thickness, and being that we showed up at Sam Ash at 7:58 on Saturday evening when the closing time was 8, and also being that the employees were clearly ready to go because of an incessant intercom announcement saying so, I really didn't get much of a chance to look at it closely.  I strummed on it a little and then had to put it back.  But I love the way it looks looking at it aside from any thickness observations.  I'm betting wood on wood will also all the top to behave in a more organic way beneath the guard, too.  What do you think?

i'm not exactly sure what to think, or, more accurately, what to overthink -
the faux tortoise 'guard is thin & flexes quite easily & uniformly in all directions, as it has no grain &
when i think of plywood at the home depot or lowe's, not that OSB junk that they use for subfloors now,
that the inner layer is glued with the grain running perpendicular to the outer layers & with the rosewood
pickguard appearing to be thicker with the grain running at angle, which might  be more resistant to flex

it's probably nothing, a "non-issue", but ...
hmm

[michaelw]

I'm more of a 700 series guy. That's what I'd get if I were after a rosewood Taylor.

The old 700 series was great too -- with the rosewood binding and koa rosette.

that's going back a little way's, to 01-06 -
the 07-11s with abalone rosettes (same with the 500s) were the 700s i really liked,
especially the fall 08 cedar koa 714ceLTD & the spring 09 madi CV braced 700 LTDs ...
the 03 abalone edged top, maple binding coco 03 700LTDs were pretty sweet too, imho

sweetwater's offering the current 814ce, at a 714ce $
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=4920.0

[MB]

Some of you know my story with the 812ce 12 fret. To sum it up, I sent it back for 2 reasons despite my optimism early on: 1. The frets from 7 up were not level, a defective unit. That is what my guitar tech told me and that explained the way that it played. I felt like I was fighting it all the time. For the record, Sweetwater took it back for a full refund no questions asked even after having my tech do a set up and confirming the defect.
2. The 12 fret design in general is not for me....it feels way too cramped to me lengthwise.

Another observation for me was the HD string gauge on the 1-2-3 strings...made it feel stiff to me. It sounded okay but FELT stiff.
The claim that this HD set of strings somehow enhances the low end gets by me somehow. I just didn't hear or feel that with the 12 fret...and I did try a set of light gauge strings on it and it was hard to tell the difference in sound...but in feel the lights won that battle.

On the other hand I did not have a previous year 812ce 12 fret to A/B it with...just my observation. I did own another Taylor 12 fret and it played much better and looked awesome but it still gave me the cramped feeling so I got rid of it. All that said, I would love to play one of the new 814ce's to see what that one sounds/feels like. I do like the aesthetics of the new ones except for the pick guard...it feels funny to me. Good thing is that I still have a 2012 814ce that sounds and plays awesome! That ones a keeper and I'll overlook the improvements to the ES in the new models for the 2012 model cause it's that good. I'm looking forward to next week when the 528e arrives...the HOG bug bit me hard and I'm all in!

Cool survey MW!

[michaelw]

i haven't been able to play a 12 fret with PB HDs on it, but even the GC 12 fret with 80/20s feels a little "different"
to me, which could be due to the slotted headstock break angle, the nut slots needing a little attention, or something else -
i didn't care for the feel of the HDs on a 414ceSLTD 14 fret 25.5" scale, but on a 412ceSLTD 24 7/8" 14 fret, it was more
tolerable than i thought it was going to be, which i'd equate to the slightly shorter scale, or perhaps a slightly better, er "nut job" 

maybe  that was the concern with the last GSmini i had, being rather difficult to fret up the neck, on the B & e especially 

congrats on the incoming 528e -
i had a chance to play a 320eSLTD bari, which is a completely different animal,
but an all 'hog X18 with parabolic bracing will likely be pretty beastly as well 

out of the 5, 6 & 818s i've tried, the 5 stands out to me the most