Jumbo vs GA, tone question

[egkor]

In my A/B comparison of a 315ce Jumbo with a 314ce GA, and ...

My A/B comparison of a 615ce Jumbo with a 614ce GA ...

(All 4 guitars are approx. the same age and all have fresh sets of as-delivered from the factory Elixir 80/20s of the factory standard gauges.)

... in both comparisons, I found:

The Jumbo adds wonderful body and lows, and lacks those shimmering highs present in the GA.

The GA is (of course) missing the lows the Jumbo can achieve, but adds that wonderful signature Taylor high end swirly shimmer.

Question #1:  With regard to those swirly shimmering highs, is it the shape (GA vs Jumbo) that brings out those highs so beautifully on the GA?  The GA bracing?  The string gauge (.012s/GA vs .013s/Jumbo)?

Question #2:  The lows from the Jumbos are intoxicating, as are the shimmering highs from the GAs, is this one of those unavoidable trade-offs where a person has to pick and choose which attribute (lows vs highs) is more important to them?

Thanks again for your experiences and insights!   

-Gary K

[pottski]

I don't have first hand experience with this, but from what I have read, you might be able to get the best of both worlds from the GS body shape. I think it is slightly deeper than the GA and the waist has been brought out a little and moved toward the upper bout. It takes medium strings like the jumbo. I have been wanting to spend some serious time with a GS but my local Taylor dealer won't order them for some reason.

On another note (pun intended), Taylor is supposed to be re-voicing their jumbos right now, so maybe you'll be able to get those shimmering highs out of the new version.

[Strumming Fool]

CV bracing on a GA might also broaden its bass response. I'm pretty sure the GAs you played had standard bracing.  I like both GAs and jumbos, but the GS, with its wider waist, just doesn't feel comfortable for me.

[egkor]

Thanks for your replies!

I want to stick with factory-standard models, so for CV bracing that would mean the 8XX's and up (and BTO/Limiteds), and I really didn't want to "go there".  And even then, in the recent past I tried new "standard" models 814ce vs. 914ce, and the 914ce just had more body and lows in its tone compared to the 814ce.  So there are differences even amongst CV-braced X14s.

I'd *really* like the 615ce Jumbo to have not only the lows of a Jumbo, but also the highs that are present in the 614ce (GA).

I have not come across a 616ce or GS6/e yet in my travels, I do want to see how those GS's lows and highs sound.

-Gary K