k14ce without the e??

[k14ce without the e]

Hey all I have a 2001 (or 2000... keep reading)  k14ce that im trying to figure out value on and im running into some issues.. My pops bought this guitar from guitar center miami, It was a custom order that someone had placed through the store but then never decided to actually purchase... So my pops was able to get a decent deal on it. This guitar is actually a k14c (has no electronics) however the label states that its a k14ce. Is this normal? This is something that I havent seen before. Also Ive read that Taylors have a 10 dig serial number... this guy has 11 hence possibly throwing off the date the guitar was possibly made.
This guy has a sitka top, 3 pc koa back, and koa polished sides as well.

So was this a custom hence the extra numeral in the serial number and the wrong inner cavity label?

Any info would be great! Thanks for reading!

[timfitz63]

Here is a link to information on the Taylor web site to decode the serial numbers.  From it you should be able to determine the manufacturing date of the guitar.  Based on your statement that it is an 11-digit serial number, the guitar was manufactured between 2000 and 2009; Taylor switched to a 10-digit serial number starting in 2010.  Custom (or "BTO") Taylor guitars follow the same serial numbering scheme.

Barring an error on the label, I'm wondering if the 'custom' order was just a request for some options that could be selected at that time:  for example, the three-piece back, and an Expression System (ES) with no-controls.  Does the guitar have a strap pin on the bottom of the body that is black plastic, and looks like it can accept a 1/4-inch jack?  If so, you may have an ES installed, but there are no knobs with which to control it.  This was an optional configuration of the ES.  Given the range of years your guitar may have been manufactured, it's hard to say which version of the ES could be installed.

[michaelw]

the shorter 10 digit serial # drops the first 2 digits of the year & adds a digit to
specify whether the guitar was manufactured in el cajon, ca or tecate, mexico -
an example of the previous 11 digit serial #, which your guitar most likely has
2001MMDD1XX

1st 4 digits year
5 & 6 month
7 & 8 day
9 - (1) gloss body, 500 series up, (0) gloss top, 300-400 series
10 & 11 - sequence #s of guitar started that day

current 10 digit serial #
1YMMDDY1XX

1st digit - origin (1) el cajon, ca, 2 (tecate, mexico)
2 - year (decade)
3 & 4 - month
5 & 6 - day
7 - year (year)
8 - (1) gloss body, (0) gloss top for el cajon models,
      with tecate models having other designations
9 & 10 - sequence #s of guitar started that day

2000 was the last year for the k14c model (cedar top, no abalone purfling, faux tortoise binding, ), but there is
a possibility that there may be some very late 2000 models with a fishman prefix onboard blender pre-amp that
may have the K14ce designation (i know of at least 2 late 2000 walnut series models with the W14ce designation

good to see you here, k14ce without the e
WELCOME ! ! !
i had a 2000 model k14c several years back -
enjoy the place