I thought I would post a comment for anyone thinking about investing in the 918 GO.
I bought a first edition two months ago, having had a 410 for many years and having grown very attached it.
Briefly - I gig twice a week as a singer/songwriter, and write and teach finger style, percussive and various styles of acoustic guitar, so I wanted to something I would want to play every day, write with, teach with and jam with for many years, and for many hours each day.
Having always preferred Taylor guitars (since I bought a big baby as a student) for their rich treble in fingerpicking and bright sound, I wanted be sure before spending so much on the 918 GO.
I was also curious about the ES2 compared to the ES1, and here is what I have discovered:
I have a friend who gets 50% off Martin guitars, so experimented with a few 6K Martins to compare and found them to be extremely satisfying, but was not taken by any one in particular. Some matched up to the 918 well when played acoustic, although perhaps not with the bass response, but were not fitted with pick-ups yet, so would have required extra cost to get the same live sound as the 918.
I came upon the realisation that in some ways Taylors are comparable to Apple Mac computers. I mean this in the sense that they do one thing very well - in my humble opinion Taylor do bright, clear fingerpicking, with a rich sound and good acoustic. Taylor guitars are well made, instantly ready to play live and have a particular area in the guitar market figured out. Martins seem to me to be more like PCs, in that they are much more varied in style and the sound, and more readily customizable to do very particular things, to whichever sound or playing style you may like. If you are an acoustic songwriter like me, playing solo and using fingerstyle and percussive techniques, Taylors do what they want you to do and do it well.
The 918 blew me away from the first time I played it. It was loud, clear and with an incredible bass that I have not found in a guitar since. The body vibrates with the bass notes so that you can feel it in your chest. The action was low (and is now even better since I sanded down the bridge a little) and the overall impression I got was unparalleled.
I played the same 918 model with the ES1 and ES2 and found the ES2 to be considerably better, for the following reasons:
The overall tone is much more clean and pure, obviously louder because of the higher output, but also more rounded and richer than with the ES1. It sounded much more like it did unplugged. The body percussion sound is so responsive with the ES2 that I had to tap the body with a much more care, which has now improved my live playing style. I am now able to tap, beat and pick the guitar with so much more sensitivity, where before (with my 410) I was often struggling to balance the different sounds and rhythms to make a good balanced live sound.
If I have found any downsides to the 918, it would be that the bass is so rich that in some PA systems (particularly cheaper ones in smaller venues), the bass can sometimes too prominent when finger tapping the bass and treble simultaneously, and I have had to make some small adjustments on the guitar and the desk to keep the treble audible when tapping.
When played live it has a beautifully real and natural sound, when played acoustically it is absolutely inspiring. In my opinion it is worth every pound, especially considering the customer service that Taylor offer. I hope this is of some help to anyone thinking about buying the 918.
