Deciding between non-cutaway GA and DN

[joshi]

Anyone using a DN with light strings and happy with it?

[Earl]

FWIW I learned to play on a dreadnought D-28 clone with light gauge (53-12) strings, both strumming and finger picking.  I have since "graduated" to the GA shape, and don't play dreads very often (ad shoulder).  I bounce between light and medium gauges.  When using altered slack-key tunings, I often go with mediums to keep some tension when tuning the bass strings down as far as C and F.  But my guitars also end up in standard tuning too.

[Strumming Fool]

Anyone using a DN with light strings and happy with it?

I played dreadnoughts with light gauge strings for years before switching to GAs. I prefer the balanced sound of a GA to the dreadnought.  The GA also seems to be a better fit for my playing style.

[TaylorGirl]

Prior to making my switch to Taylor, I used light gauge strings on my 80's Guild DN. It handled my playing style just fine, with plenty of volume and good string tension. I'm a fingerpicker, who can be aggressive in that style (with fingerpicks), but an aggressive strummer may think otherwise. I have switched to GA's and GC's, because the tone is more in line with my style. Don't know if that helps.

[Edward]

Hey there again Joshi,

May I give you something that you may seriously want to consider, dare I say, try?  Find a 2013 Spring Limited 514 and 614 (or their corresponding GS models 516/616) ...it must be these exact models, and will take a bit of sleuthing, but they are out there and worth worth worth the hunt!

- The 514/16 is a flamed mahogany with Euro spruce top and Adi bracing: beautiful midrange, very punchy, and "calmer" high end than Taylor's signature "sizzle" with their sitka tops.  The 516 adds bottom end and a "girthy" richness.
- The 614/16 has the same Euro spruce/Adi bracing, but with either African Ebony or Macassar, depending on when it was built on their production run.  Yikes ...big, creamy tone, thick single notes, and gobs of punch when strummed aggressively, yet top end is always defined and crisp.  This is a more tonally "creamy" version of the 514/16.   

FWIW, I owned the 616 in macassar for years, and it took me literally nearly two years of back-forth mental gymnastics to decide whether to sell it (personal reasons, none having to do with the quality of its stellar tone!).  Further, when I stumbled onto a 516 once, it was exceedingly difficult for me to put it back on the wall ...I so wanted to add it to the stable, but the timing was all wrong for me.  I still think of "my" 616 to this day, but know a fellow forumite is enjoying it's massive splendor so I'm good with that.

Keep in mind, my go-to-live guitar has been a Custom DN, and love it dearly as it has seen me through many years of playing, and overall just "fits" my style and expectations, and is the best dred of any make I've ever personally had my hands on.  But given all you've said in your posts here, especially your leanings toward a dred but desire for light strings, I do think you may just find what you want in either the 514 or 614 of this exact series as either of these (particularly the 614) delivers what folks think they want to hear in a dred, but packaged in the very comfortable GA body, and wears light strings.  Clearly, all of this is IMHO, but heck, we're all sharing, right? 

Edward

[timfitz63]

Hey there again Joshi,

May I give you something that you may seriously want to consider, dare I say, try?  Find a 2013 Spring Limited 514 and 614 (or their corresponding GS models 516/616) ...it must be these exact models, and will take a bit of sleuthing, but they are out there and worth worth worth the hunt!

- The 514/16 is a flamed mahogany with Euro spruce top and Adi bracing: beautiful midrange, very punchy, and "calmer" high end than Taylor's signature "sizzle" with their sitka tops.  The 516 adds bottom end and a "girthy" richness.
- The 614/16 has the same Euro spruce/Adi bracing, but with either African Ebony or Macassar, depending on when it was built on their production run.  Yikes ...big, creamy tone, thick single notes, and gobs of punch when strummed aggressively, yet top end is always defined and crisp.  This is a more tonally "creamy" version of the 514/16.   

FWIW, I owned the 616 in macassar for years, and it took me literally nearly two years of back-forth mental gymnastics to decide whether to sell it (personal reasons, none having to do with the quality of its stellar tone!).  Further, when I stumbled onto a 516 once, it was exceedingly difficult for me to put it back on the wall ...I so wanted to add it to the stable, but the timing was all wrong for me.  I still think of "my" 616 to this day, but know a fellow forumite is enjoying it's massive splendor so I'm good with that.

Keep in mind, my go-to-live guitar has been a Custom DN, and love it dearly as it has seen me through many years of playing, and overall just "fits" my style and expectations, and is the best dred of any make I've ever personally had my hands on.  But given all you've said in your posts here, especially your leanings toward a dred but desire for light strings, I do think you may just find what you want in either the 514 or 614 of this exact series as either of these (particularly the 614) delivers what folks think they want to hear in a dred, but packaged in the very comfortable GA body, and wears light strings.  Clearly, all of this is IMHO, but heck, we're all sharing, right? 

Edward

Yeah, I'm going to have to second what Edward is saying about the 2013 614ce-LTD.  I've got one of the earlier ones in African Ebony; it rings like a bell and is a veritable cannon.

Gotta watch the Ebony bodies for cracks, though.  Despite keeping it properly humidified, mine developed some cracks that Taylor is fixing under warranty.  I've been told by a Taylor dealer that this has been a chronic problem with all of the Ebony-bodied guitars Taylor has been producing (including the post-Cocobolo Presentation Series models); Ebony is apparently proving itself to be a bit too brittle for guitar bodies, and my understanding is some wood sets are even cracking during production...  It really is too bad, since Taylor's Ebony-bodied guitars sound wonderful...!

[joshi]

Wanted to talk "comfort" of the GA. Some of you mentioned it's more comfortable on your lap than a GA, as it sits a little lower and doesn't move around as much. What else can you say about the differences between GA and DN solely from a comfort perspective? Curious also about the differences when standing. I think the GA is the same depth a similar size lower bout as a DN. It seems like the comfort would be more noticeable in those two areas than in the upper bout (since that is where your right arm comes over).

[timfitz63]

Wanted to talk "comfort" of the GA. Some of you mentioned it's more comfortable on your lap than a GA, as it sits a little lower and doesn't move around as much. What else can you say about the differences between GA and DN solely from a comfort perspective? Curious also about the differences when standing. I think the GA is the same depth a similar size lower bout as a DN. It seems like the comfort would be more noticeable in those two areas than in the upper bout (since that is where your right arm comes over).

From a purely dimensional standpoint, you probably won't find much difference between how comfortable a GA is to hold compared to a DN -- either sitting or standing; they are very similar in size.  The reason the DN will tend to slide around in one's lap is because the waist of the GA is 'pinched' more, so it tends to settle onto one's leg better.  But from the standpoint of simply putting your arms around either guitar, there's probably little discernible difference in comfort.

[CodeBlueEMT]

 Hi joshi. If medium strings aren't to your liking, maybe a GA would suit you best. I preferred light strings over medium strings and used lights on my GS's in the past. IMO, lights don't move the top of a GS/DN enough to realize the true power and purpose. When I switched from lights to mediums, it took some time to grow accustomed with the change. IMO, it was well worth the temporary discomfort and awkwardness. When I play light strings now, it's almost effortless. I started using thicker picks, something I was always reluctant to do. It really made a difference for me.

 Tim stated the GA waist was "pinched" more than the DN and I agree. My DN sits slightly higher than my GA when seated. We could discuss sitting on stools, couches, chairs, amp cabinets and/or seat heights, materials, etc. Do you sit upright, lean back, lean forward, slouch, or a combination of several styles of sitting? I'm all of the above.  

 Good luck with your research. There are some awesome guitars out there for you to consider. Take your time and you'll find the one that suits you best.   

[Strumming Fool]

As I said earlier, I played dreads for years before switching to the GA. I stand when I perform, and even at home, I like to stand with a strap - facilitates singing, I guess. Anyway, I'm not sure what it is, but it's easier to "hug" the GA when I'm playing in the standing position than it was with a dread - the dread felt like a big box in my arms versus the GA, whose curves just seem to fit better.

[Edward]

Yeah, it definitely matters more, or less, to each individual.  So since you already got several excellent POVs here, I'll add mine

- Sitting: big difference between the two, with the GA's thinner waist making the guitar noticeably more comfortable.  The DN puts my right shoulder higher = less comfortable and arm fatigue sets in faster.

- Standing: no difference for me whatever.  The guitar is hanging from its strap pins, and since the depth of the bodies are identical, there is zero felt difference.

Tone: biggie!  Individual's preference, of course.  I love GAs, and continue to recommend them as the do-all guit if one must have only one.  But having since fallen for my DN years ago, the thicker-sounding individual notes, especially of the plain strings, lends a girthy "bigness" that I simply love, and all without the typical "boominess" that is signature to the dred shape, especially of that other marque

Bottom line: I came to the conclusion many years back when I gave up my former play-out guitar (lovely GA7 in cedar/rw ...still miss it!) that Taylor makes dreds for people that typically don't like dreds.  Moreover, since I play out standing, and practice standing >50% of the time, it was a natural move for me to make.

Try, and have at it

Edward

[mzrt]

Remember that each guitar is designed from the get-go for it's intended string gauge, and thus is braced to make the most of that gauge's string tension.   

I am not sure that this is true. When I bought my 110e in 2006, Taylor recommended .012’s (lights), these days they recommend .013’s (mediums) for the same guitar. They said that this change was made due to customer feedback. I like the sound of lights on my 110 and so I have kept it with lights strings on it.

[Edward]

Taylor's own words have been that the GS and DNs not only come from the factory strung with mediums, but are braced for the additional tension.  This is not my assumption nor conjecture; their words.  Now whether that translates to their 100/200 series, however, is another matter as I had read this long ago in context to their 300+ production line.

In any event, the use of whatever strings is a wholly personal consideration where the ultimate decision should be based on one's ears and fingers.

Edward