Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: wooglins on February 13, 2016, 08:04:57 PM
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Picked up a new 2015 514ce limited today. Here are some pictures of it. Very happy with this particular guitar. Very nice tone, and amazing playability. I would do the standard description, but figure its better just to answer questions and let the pictures do the talking. My pictures are first and the dealer pictures are second.
Full Front (Bad light, but decent)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1655/25255072396_48f8846fd7_b.jpg)
Closeup Front
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1540/24699886789_1beb63a16a_b.jpg)
Closeup Front
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1577/24949235342_e0a951e8d6_b.jpg)
Rosette
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1695/25067998615_28ea3d8772_b.jpg)
Slipped in a shot of the cutaway that I liked.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1520/24650697884_d1d4ea4d21_b.jpg)
Back
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1490/24770672260_d839996712_b.jpg)
Rosewood Tuner buttons to match binding
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1613/24985724820_2e439b147d_b.jpg)
Rosewood Tuner buttons to match binding
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1716/25281310995_0198c9793f_b.jpg)
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Very purty! Congratulations! Looks like one of the Quilted Sapele 500-Series limiteds...?
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Spectacular! That back is gorgeous, almost 3D looking. Congrats!
Quilted sapele, right?
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Wow! Congratulations!
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Spectacular! That back is gorgeous, almost 3D looking. Congrats!
Quilted sapele, right?
Yes it is Sapele. I am surprised by the tone, it sounds like a rosewood and not like a mahogany tone wood.
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Gorgeous guitar. Congrats. Love the Gotoh 510 tuners, Florentine cutaway, and naturally the QS. 8)
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Wow, great looking quilted sapele! Congrats
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Man that whole top looks so classy!
That creamy topwood and ebony contrasts beautifully; and with a Florentine cut, it's just gorgeous! The gotohs are icing. Veeeerry nice, enjoy!! :D
Edward
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Many congratulations - that's a very pretty guitar. I loooove the Florentine cutaway - it doesn't always work, but on your guitar it absolutely works! Looking forward to seeing your own pics...
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Many congratulations - that's a very pretty guitar. I loooove the Florentine cutaway - it doesn't always work, but on your guitar it absolutely works! Looking forward to seeing your own pics...
waiting on a morning or afternoon here with good light. Will post some when the weather turns, its been really crummy here in Nashville.
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Fantabulous!
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Congrats, I know it sounds and looks great.
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Here are some of the updated pictures. I took them in a hurry and did not get a good front with the fret board in focus, but otherwise nice phots.
Full Front (Bad light, but decent)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1446/24948198142_2f57149b07_b.jpg)
Closeup Front
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1540/24699886789_1beb63a16a_b.jpg)
Closeup Front
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1577/24949235342_e0a951e8d6_b.jpg)
Rosette
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1695/25067998615_28ea3d8772_b.jpg)
Back
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1490/24770672260_d839996712_b.jpg)
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Gorgeous woods - gorgeous appointments - right up my alley! Congrats on your acquisition - play it in good health!
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Gorgeous woods - gorgeous appointments - right up my alley! Congrats on your acquisition - play it in good health!
Thanks. I am curious if anyone has any knowledge or expertise concerning the difference tonally between quilted and standard sapele. I have read that quilted is softer possibly due to the way it is cut compared to mahogany and sapele and thus sounds different. This guitar does sound quite different that any of the other Taylors I have played with sapele.
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Gorgeous woods - gorgeous appointments - right up my alley! Congrats on your acquisition - play it in good health!
Thanks. I am curious if anyone has any knowledge or expertise concerning the difference tonally between quilted and standard sapele. I have read that quilted is softer possibly due to the way it is cut compared to mahogany and sapele and thus sounds different. This guitar does sound quite different that any of the other Taylors I have played with sapele.
The theory is that the quilt figured wood is a bit softer than its straight grained counterpart, so the sound may be more open with a quilted back. However, keep in mind that the back wood is less of a tonal influencer than construction and the top itself. Having said that, I would say that this theory seems to apply at least in my experience.
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Gorgeous woods - gorgeous appointments - right up my alley! Congrats on your acquisition - play it in good health!
Thanks. I am curious if anyone has any knowledge or expertise concerning the difference tonally between quilted and standard sapele. I have read that quilted is softer possibly due to the way it is cut compared to mahogany and sapele and thus sounds different. This guitar does sound quite different that any of the other Taylors I have played with sapele.
I think it is because the quilted sapele is flatsawn instead of quartersawn which reduces the stiffness of some woods including sapele. This may be why I find this particular guitar sounds more like a Cocobolo BTO I had. Lots of bass and treble and nice even chime across all strings.
The theory is that the quilt figured wood is a bit softer than its straight grained counterpart, so the sound may be more open with a quilted back. However, keep in mind that the back wood is less of a tonal influencer than construction and the top itself. Having said that, I would say that this theory seems to apply at least in my experience.
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I wonder if your guitar was made from the same sapele tree as my 2012 GSce-FLTD? I love knowing the wood journey that became my guitar. Here's the Wood and Steel Fall 2012 article:
"Quilted sapele is an extremely rare find. Rare enough that the first and last time we offered it was on a pair of limited edition models to commemorate Taylor’s 25th anniversary back in 1999. At the time we considered it a one-time fluke, so when we randomly received some figured sapele 4x4s in a shipment for necks about eight years ago, our wood purchaser, Bob Zink, told our cutter that if he ever encountered it again to call us before cutting it. A year and a half ago, Bob got the call, we were very interested, and an odyssey to procure some of the wood ensued.
After being harvested in Africa, the entire tree — a huge old sapele about 6-7 feet in diameter — was shipped to a sawmill in France, where it was cut into slabs with a massive saw. From there it had to be sent to Germany, where there was planer large enough to surface it. The original purchaser of the tree eventually shipped the slabs to his mill in the U.S., and when they finally arrived months later we were called and given first dibs on the wood. By this time there was other interest in it, with some parties offering to pay more, but the owner held it for Taylor since we’d expressed interest first. Within a couple of days Bob Zink and Andy Powers arrived in Cove City, North Carolina, a small port town where the mill was located. Once they were there, they sorted through every slab, selecting the ones with figure.
“We went through something like 12,000 board feet — a couple of tons of wood,” says Andy. “Some of the boards we picked out were about four feet wide and in some cases 16 feet long.”
They ended up buying about 2200 board feet (the rest of the wood wasn’t quilted). The wood was flatsawn, which is cut 90 degrees different than the quartersawn sapele we typically use for guitar backs and sides. This not only allowed the beautiful figure to be showcased to maximum effect, it also added a unique twist to its tonal response.
“Sapele tends to be pretty stiff, and this stuff has a lot more give to it,” Andy says. “You hear a little more power, a little more warmth on the low end compared to most sapele guitars.”
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I wonder if your guitar was made from the same sapele tree as my 2012 GSce-FLTD? I love knowing the wood journey that became my guitar. Here's the Wood and Steel Fall 2012 article:
"Quilted sapele is an extremely rare find. Rare enough that the first and last time we offered it was on a pair of limited edition models to commemorate Taylor’s 25th anniversary back in 1999. At the time we considered it a one-time fluke, so when we randomly received some figured sapele 4x4s in a shipment for necks about eight years ago, our wood purchaser, Bob Zink, told our cutter that if he ever encountered it again to call us before cutting it. A year and a half ago, Bob got the call, we were very interested, and an odyssey to procure some of the wood ensued.
After being harvested in Africa, the entire tree — a huge old sapele about 6-7 feet in diameter — was shipped to a sawmill in France, where it was cut into slabs with a massive saw. From there it had to be sent to Germany, where there was planer large enough to surface it. The original purchaser of the tree eventually shipped the slabs to his mill in the U.S., and when they finally arrived months later we were called and given first dibs on the wood. By this time there was other interest in it, with some parties offering to pay more, but the owner held it for Taylor since we’d expressed interest first. Within a couple of days Bob Zink and Andy Powers arrived in Cove City, North Carolina, a small port town where the mill was located. Once they were there, they sorted through every slab, selecting the ones with figure.
“We went through something like 12,000 board feet — a couple of tons of wood,” says Andy. “Some of the boards we picked out were about four feet wide and in some cases 16 feet long.”
They ended up buying about 2200 board feet (the rest of the wood wasn’t quilted). The wood was flatsawn, which is cut 90 degrees different than the quartersawn sapele we typically use for guitar backs and sides. This not only allowed the beautiful figure to be showcased to maximum effect, it also added a unique twist to its tonal response.
“Sapele tends to be pretty stiff, and this stuff has a lot more give to it,” Andy says. “You hear a little more power, a little more warmth on the low end compared to most sapele guitars.”
Yes my understanding is these were made from that wood. They did not make many, less than 200 total. Seems like I remember reading it being the last of that great wood.
Thanks for the excellent info from w&s I had not seen the Origen information.
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Got my standard upgrades ready that I do on all my Taylors. Pictures upcoming sun allowing (it's dark here today).
Guitar is heaven to play. One of my favorites so far.
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That is a beautiful LTD. The quilting is is excellent, thanks for the up close. Taylor really does a great job on the 500 series.
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Gorgeous. I'm sure it sounds as nice as it looks. Congratulations!
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Here are the pictures I promised of the final touches (tuner buttons and WAHI nut and Saddle).
Rosewood Tuner buttons to match binding
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1613/24985724820_2e439b147d_b.jpg)
Rosewood Tuner buttons to match binding
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1716/25281310995_0198c9793f_b.jpg)
Slipped in a shot of the cutaway that I liked.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1520/24650697884_d1d4ea4d21_b.jpg)
Whole enchilada
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1655/25255072396_48f8846fd7_b.jpg)
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That's a really nice look. I haven't seen wooden buttons on Gotoh 510 tuners. Now I have. 8)
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Very nice!
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That's a really nice look. I haven't seen wooden buttons on Gotoh 510 tuners. Now I have. 8)
All my Gotoh tuner equipped Taylors now have after market wooden buttons: Macassar Ebony, Cocobolo, Padauk and Snakewood buttons adorn my guitars at present. There are other options offered by LMI .