1999 514e...review?

[tdavis]

I am looking seriously at purchasing a 1999 Taylor 514e in excellent 8.5/10 shape. It's from an online seller, so I cannot play before I pay. I did, however play a new V-class 514ce at my local dealer and can genuinely say it pleased me more than any other Taylor I've ever played. Really a nice, woody...but rich sound, that I guess is the result of the cedar/hog combo of tone woods.

I'm thinking that with the 21-year difference, the 1999 model will probably have opened up and sound even louder and richer than the 2020 one I played...right? From what I hear, the 90's are said to be the "golden years" for Taylor...so this was at the tail end.

Can anyone who either owns or has owned a 90's 514e or 514ce give me a mini review of how the guitar sounds with a few years under its belt?

[tdavis]

I'd actually be great with some opinions on any 90's 514e or 514ce.

[Strumming Fool]

I have played several 90s 514s over the years. I'd put them right up there with 90s 814s as another Taylor flagship offering. Those cedar/mahogany grand auditoriums provided a sweet, warm tone with stunning clarity that was very satisfying to my ear. I also owned a 2000 514e that I ordered with an Engelmann top that I regret selling to this day! That 99 514e will have a Fishman pickup system, I believe. That's what I had in my 2000 514e. It worked quite well, but there is a barndoor cutout. Taylor provided an ES1.3 that could be retrofitted into that cutout several years later, and I took advantage of that option.

I have not played any V braced 514s, but my 614 and 714 V braced GAs really rock the house for me.  Sorry I couldn't be more helpful....

[sstaylor58]

I have a friend who has a ‘98 512, not exactly the same as what you are looking at but close. It is a fantastic guitar, I love playing it. However, if you played a V braced one and it spoke to you, why not buy that vs one you’ve never played? The older one might be great too, but you know you liked the V braced one...just a thought.

[tdavis]

I have a friend who has a ‘98 512, not exactly the same as what you are looking at but close. It is a fantastic guitar, I love playing it. However, if you played a V braced one and it spoke to you, why not buy that vs one you’ve never played? The older one might be great too, but you know you liked the V braced one...just a thought.

The V-braced one didn't particularly "speak to me"...but it was the best sounding V-braced Taylor I'd ever played, so I'll give it that. Every other V-braced Taylor I've played sounded thin and even more "chimey" than most X-braced Taylors have sounded to me over the years. Personally, I think V-bracing is a fail for Taylor...but who am I to say? As far as buying the new one, I'm just not down with investing $2800 in a guitar that is just "better". I think that maybe the added warmness of tone that I found on the V-braced model might be accentuated even moreso on a guitar that has had 21-years of playing to open up...and for $1600 less than the price of a new one.

[Strumming Fool]

I actually find the aesthetics on the older 514s to be much classier than the current model. For example, I believe that the 99 514 will have rosewood binding instead of faux tortoiseshell. I think that the koa rosette is much nicer too....