Taylor global dealer locator

Aesthetic Touches

You might be used to seeing simple white dots or diamonds as fretboard inlays on acoustic guitars. While we do use these designs in some of our guitars, our craftspeople get the opportunity to create some unique designs for many of our guitars past the 400 Series. For instance, we use a beautiful abalone inlay called the Ascension pattern in our 900 Series, and an elaborate Spring Vine design in the Koa Series.

Use our Guitar Browse tool to find more eclectic inlay designs, or head to our Custom Guitars page for special inlays we’ve created in the past.

Our talented luthiers and craftspeople are encouraged to use the entire guitar as an expression of the Taylor spirit. That’s why you’ll find creative rosettes and eye-catching binding in many of our guitars. With materials like figured maple, striped ebony, abalone, koa, and more, we turn every inch of the guitar into an opportunity for creativity. After all, shouldn’t your guitars look just as good as they sound?

Electronic Guitar Features

Amplifying an acoustic guitar is tough—ask any sound engineer. That’s why we designed proprietary acoustic electronics that capture the dynamic nuances of our guitars to produce a natural, warm amplified acoustic tone. Our latest version, the Expression System 2, installed on many of our acoustic/electric steel-string models, features a patented design. Three piezo crystal sensors are strategically positioned behind the guitar’s saddle (the piece on the bridge where the strings meet the body), enabling them to respond more accurately to how you play the guitar. Together with a pro audio-grade onboard preamp and easy-to-use tone-shaping controls, the ES2 will help you and your Taylor sound your best whenever you want to plug in.

An Introduction to Acoustic Guitars

Every guitar player needs a great acoustic guitar – or several – in their collection. Finding the right acoustic guitar for you can be a daunting process even for the most seasoned player. If you are new to shopping for guitars, then it is even more critical that you learn all you can before you make your first purchase. If your first acoustic guitar is not the appropriate choice for you, then it can dramatically reduce the enjoyment you will get out of your instrument. If you are a new guitar player, the wrong guitar can be downright discouraging. You want a guitar that fits you, is effortless to play, and has the rich, beautiful tone you love to make it the instrument you dream of playing hour after hour.

Our experts here at Taylor Guitars can help you through every step of the decision-making process to ensure you find the guitar that is right for you. Our site has a wealth of information about what goes into making a Taylor guitar and how to make this very important decision. We have guides for how to find the right fit for you. Learn about the subtle differences in shapes and styles. Delve into different types of woods and construction, which are vital to the flavor and tone of an acoustic. Explore the Taylor line by series to find the look and style you want for your instrument.

Another essential tool to aid you in making your purchasing decision is our guitar comparison tool. With this tool, you can select two different guitars and compare them side-by-side. This gives you a clear and specific look at each guitar and compares every single feature, including the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, shape, top wood, body wood, electronics and more.

You can also download for free The Definitive Guide to Buying an Acoustic Guitar written by our team of experts to comprehensively answer all your questions. You can download it, print it out, and bring it with you when you shop for your next guitar. By the time you hit the showroom floor you should be ready with key questions to ask the sales associate, and with our Definitive Guide in hand, you will be as knowledgeable as the sales staff.  

In addition to classic six-string acoustics, we also offer a selection of specialty models if you are looking for a more specific type of guitar design. These options include ultra-portable travel/small body guitars, nylon strings, 12-strings, baritones, 12-fret models, electric guitars, and of course you can build your own one-of-a-kind custom guitars.  

Layered Wood Options

The Taylor line progresses from our layered wood models to those featuring all-solid wood construction. Our layered wood guitars feature a solid spruce top paired with a layered wood for the back and sides. Layered wood provides strength and durability, and since these guitars are less expensive to produce, they are offered at our most budget-friendly price. But that’s not to suggest they’re of substandard quality—even our layered wood guitars are built with the care and craftsmanship of our skilled builders in Tecate, Mexico, to our exacting standards of playability and sound.

• Academy Series
  • Solid spruce top with layered sapele back and sides
  • Student-focused guitars designed to provide a budget-friendly entry to the Taylor line
• 100 Series
  • Solid spruce top with layered walnut back and sides
  • Excellent resonance and a smooth feel make this a great choice for beginners or experienced players looking to upgrade on a budget
• 200 Series
  • Solid spruce top with choice of layered koa, rosewood, or sapele
  • Option to add koa top or layered maple back and sides on Deluxe models
  • Bright, clear tone with plenty of low-end response for a balanced, performance-ready guitar 

An Introduction to Guitar Retailers

Have you decided your next guitar, or your first guitar, will be a Taylor? We’re honored you would choose one of our instruments, and we’re confident you will be delighted with your decision. Now, the next big question is, how do you locate a place to purchase your new favorite thing in the world?
We can help you find a premier guitar retailer to help you with your purchase. At this time, Taylor Guitars does not sell our guitars directly or online. We are a manufacturer, and we distribute globally to retailers with physical stores as well as many guitar retailers online. You have plenty of options for locations from which you can pick up your new Taylor. If there is not a shop near you, you can purchase a Taylor online.
We have provided a search tool to help you find the right guitar retailer anywhere in the world. You can search by postal code or search by city or country. You will see results for all retailers and service centers in your area displayed on an interactive map with all the pertinent contact details, and you can refine this result by distance to reduce or expand your search radius. You can also filter the list by Flagship Rooms for a premium showroom experience, Premier guitar retailers, with no fewer than 60 models on display, Showroom stores with no fewer than 40 models in stock, as well as locate Service Centers if you’re looking for help or repairs.
There are also guitar retailers online who carry Taylor guitars. We have a tool specifically for finding premier guitar retailers online. This tool allows you to browse a list grouped by country. While purchasing a guitar online does not offer you the option of picking up and playing your guitar before you buy it, most online retailers bridge this gap by offering generous return policies.
For our international players, we are proud to serve Europe through our European Factory Service Center and warehouse located in Amsterdam. We can help you can find international retailers and distributors. Browse the list of dealers by country and click through for address, phone number and other relevant contact information to find what you need.
If you have any questions or have been unable to locate a guitar retailer near you or online, please contact our support team. We’re here to help and look forward to speaking with you.

An Introduction to Acoustic Guitars

Every guitar player needs a great acoustic guitar – or several – in their collection. Finding the right acoustic guitar for you can be a daunting process even for the most seasoned player. If you are new to shopping for guitars, then it is even more critical that you learn all you can before you make your first purchase. If your first acoustic guitar is not the appropriate choice for you, then it can dramatically reduce the enjoyment you will get out of your instrument. If you are a new guitar player, the wrong guitar can be downright discouraging. You want a guitar that fits you, is effortless to play, and has the rich, beautiful tone you love to make it the instrument you dream of playing hour after hour.

Our experts here at Taylor Guitars can help you through every step of the decision-making process to ensure you find the guitar that is right for you. Our site has a wealth of information about what goes into making a Taylor guitar and how to make this very important decision. We have guides for how to find the right fit for you. Learn about the subtle differences in shapes and styles. Delve into different types of woods and construction, which are vital to the flavor and tone of an acoustic. Explore the Taylor line by series to find the look and style you want for your instrument.

Another essential tool to aid you in making your purchasing decision is our guitar comparison tool. With this tool, you can select two different guitars and compare them side-by-side. This gives you a clear and specific look at each guitar and compares every single feature, including the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, shape, top wood, body wood, electronics and more.

You can also download for free The Definitive Guide to Buying an Acoustic Guitar written by our team of experts to comprehensively answer all your questions. You can download it, print it out, and bring it with you when you shop for your next guitar. By the time you hit the showroom floor you should be ready with key questions to ask the sales associate, and with our Definitive Guide in hand, you will be as knowledgeable as the sales staff.  

In addition to classic six-string acoustics, we also offer a selection of specialty models if you are looking for a more specific type of guitar design. These options include ultra-portable travel/small body guitars, nylon strings, 12-strings, baritones, 12-fret models, electric guitars, and of course you can build your own one-of-a-kind custom guitars.  

Sustain

Sustain is a deceptively simple term used to describe a complex idea when it comes to building guitars. In short, sustain refers to the length of time a note audibly resonates. It’s also similar to volume in that sustain is a function of the guitar’s structure. However, sustain comes from rigidity rather than flexibility.

In order for a note to sustain past its initial attack, the string must continue to vibrate and push sound waves into the guitar body. For that to happen, the material of the instrument must be dense and rigid enough that it doesn’t begin to vibrate along with the string. When that energy is allowed to transfer into the top and body woods of the guitar, the string loses vibration, and the note fades.

That’s why you’ll hear such amazing sustain from heavy, dense instruments. For example, the Les Paul electric guitar is known for its incredible sustain largely because its heavy, solid wood body doesn’t absorb the vibration of the strings. All that energy and movement remains in the strings, allowing you to hold that note for what feels like forever. However, the string produces almost no volume in this case. That’s why electric guitars require amplification in order to be heard.

Read more about how guitars are voiced through bracing and tonewoods.

A Fresh Wave of V-Class Grand Concert Guitars

We’ve been working hard to bring our game-changing new bracing scheme to more guitars, and this summer, we’re happy to share even more Grand Concert models that have been enhanced with the tone-shifting power of V-Class bracing.

A rundown for the uninitiated: V-Class bracing, which Taylor introduced at the Winter NAMM show in 2018, is a new sonic engine that fundamentally changes how acoustic guitars create sound. The new design adds strength and rigidity along the centerline of the guitar, propelling energy into the strings for notes that sustain and bloom as you hold them. Meanwhile, the V-shaped bracing allows the guitar’s top to vibrate in a controlled, even manner, supporting louder volume while remaining dynamic and player-responsive. 

Our latest batch of V-Class Grand Concert guitars spans the 400, 600, 700, 900, Koa, and Presentation Series. Combined with past releases, that means you’ll find V-Class bracing on almost every Grand Concert and Grand Auditorium guitar from the 300 Series to the Presentation Series. This also includes Builder’s Edition guitars that showcase a handful of player-friendly ergonomic touches along with the new interior architecture. Speaking of which…

Armrests

In keeping with our belief in building comfortable guitars, we include armrests in some of our acoustic models. These guitar features appear on the upper edge of the widest part of the guitar, replacing that edge with a smooth, carved surface that allows the player’s arm to sit comfortably on the guitar. We’ve introduced two armrest designs—radiused and beveled—and removed another barrier to a comfortable, inviting musical experience.

Both designs require a high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail, so you’ll find armrests on many of our high-end guitars. However, we also introduced armrests to our Academy Series of acoustic instruments for beginners, bringing that comfortable playing experience to a new generation of guitar players. In the Academy Series, we wanted to make the most inviting guitars possible—the armrest helps new players adapt to the size of an acoustic guitar while they develop their playing skills.

The same can be said of our Builder’s Edition guitars, which feature both an armrest and a double-carved cutaway design that allows for easy access to the upper frets of the guitar without needing to change hand positions.

All-Black 200 DLX Guitars

This year also brings a few fresh faces to our layered wood models, among which you’ll find stage-quality guitars that produce rich Taylor tone at a more accessible price. This year, we’ve added a dark flair to the 200 Series with a pair of guitars that feature an alluring black finish: the 214ce-BLK DLX and the 12-string 250-BLK DLX. The 214ce-BLK DLX includes a solid spruce top for top-end sparkle and room-filling power, matched with layered maple back and sides. The 250-BLK DLX, an all-acoustic 12-string with a Dreadnought-style body that produces big, grandiose tone rich with octave shimmer, also features layered maple back and sides with a spruce top. Both are appointed with crisp white binding and sharp inlays that strike an eye-catching contrast against these guitars’ black finish treatment.

Step 3: Choose your Features

This is where you really get to have fun. Add an elaborate fretboard inlay made from koa or abalone, or give your guitar a bold outline with bloodwood binding. Choose an alternative neck profile that perfectly fits your hands and playing style, or add an armrest to give your guitar a beautifully sculpted look and extra playing comfort for your strumming arm. Whether your aesthetic preferences are understated, elaborately detailed, or somewhere in between, this is your chance to commission a singular work of art and craftsmanship.

In all, we offer dozens of customization options, from major features like our Expression System 2 electronics to dimensional features like scale length and nut width, to aesthetic touches like color finishes, truss rod cover, and the material of the Taylor headstock logo. You can even select from several available bracing patterns to further distinguish the voice of your Taylor. Or maybe you want to add a specialty baritone, 12-fret, or nylon-string guitar to your musical toolbox.

Exotic Guitars

We build these guitars with exotic woods, special aesthetic appointments, and other premium features that enhance the playability and feel of the instrument. We to think that all of our guitars are works of art, but these truly are our masterpieces.

• 900 Series
  • Sitka spruce with rosewood
  • Aesthetic appointments include upgraded binding, rosette, and fretboard inlays, plus an ebony armrest for greater comfort
• Koa Series
  • Made from solid Hawaiian koa for a tone that sparkles in the high range with a focused midrange
  • Detailed with all-wood appointments such as custom inlay patterns and koa binding
• Presentation Series
  • Sitka spruce with Macassar ebony, plus an armrest and our finest aesthetic appointments
  • A dark, bold tone that can shift to bright and shimmery with a different touch from the player

This Week’s Livestreams

Who: Andy GrammerWhat: Live with Andy GrammerWhen: Fridays @ 1:00pm PDTWhere:

The multi-talented songwriter, singer, guitarist and producer will be hosting live performances and audience chats every Friday during social distancing measures.

Who: Nate DonnisWhat: Live Stream SaturdaysWhen: Saturdays @ 10:00am PDTWhere:

A live 45-minute acoustic folk/rock concert of original songs from Nate’s projects, including The Donnis Trio and Rodello’s Machine.

Who: Jonny TarrWhat: ‘Tune Up Tuesday’ and ‘Music Theory Friday’When: 2pm PDT Tuesdays and 6pm PDT FridaysWhere:

Solo looping multi-instrumental original music with some looping/songwriting technique thrown in the mix.

Who: Eliza SpearWhat: For Those Who Don’t Have Homes to Stay Home inWhen: May 23, 2020 @ 12pm PDTWhere: Instagram

Eliza Spear performs a benefit concert in support of United Way and providing hand sanitizer, masks, food, and water to our unhoused neighbors.

Who: Rob MayesWhat: CouchSongs: From Our Couch to YoursWhen: May 30, 2020 @ 12:00pm PDTWhere:

Rob Mayes joins CouchSongs, a virtual performance featuring a wide range of artists and musicians playing for audiences around the globe.

Who: Steven CadeWhat: Steven Cade LiveWhen: Tuesdays @ 5pm (PDT)Wednesdays @ 2pm (PDT)Thursdays @ 2pm (PDT)Friday @ 5pm (PDT)Saturday @ 5pm (PDT)Where: Instagram and

Steven Cade’s live performance of originals and covers, crowd interaction via comments participation, encouraging watch parties and sharing and liking, career announcements/highlights.

Who: Evan DiamondWhat: The Quarantine SessionsWhen: Wednesdays at @ 7pm PDTWhere:

Evan Diamond, San Diego’s Best Singer-Songwriter of 2019, comes to you live from her living room to yours, showcasing her music, live looping skills and her now famous bunny slippers!

Who: Laurie BerknerWhat: Daily LivestreamsWhen: Monday-Friday, 10:00am ESTWhere: Facebook Live

The “Queen of Kids’ Music” has been a constant source of positivity and music for kids and their parents during the school and community closures prompted by the public health crisis. The New Jersey-based singer and guitar player hosts weekly sessions during the morning featurings singing, dancing, and games, all kid-friendly.

New Grand Concert 12-String Guitars

The introduction of V-Class bracing has offered us a chance to evaluate the entire line and play with unique models that bring players a truly specialized slice of musical utility. 

From the 300 Series, we’ve brought V-Class bracing to the 352ce and 362ce, two 12-string models that deliver exceptional tone and playability in the comfortable Grand Concert frame. The 352ce combines sapele back and sides with a Sitka spruce top for a traditionally shimmery, sweeping 12-string sound, while the 362ce’s pairing of blackwood with a mahogany top lends a dry midrange and a touch of low-end presence. You’ll find that the small footprint of the Grand Concert model makes the 12-string experience more accessible than ever thanks to its small frame, while the addition of our new bracing pattern adds power and sustain to both models while ensuring accurate intonation all the way down the neck. These are some of the most tuneful 12-strings you’ll ever play.

The new six-pin string anchoring system as featured on the new 562e.

Meanwhile, the 500 Series also has two enhanced 12-string models to offer in the 552ce and 562ce. The former features a western red cedar top with mahogany back and sides, blending the characteristic dryness of mahogany with the cedar’s warmth and soft-touch response. The 562ce is an all-mahogany 12-string, full of midrange presence and clear overtone bloom thanks to the power of V-Class bracing. 

We’ve also added a new double-mounted string anchoring system to these 12-string models, which allows two strings to be anchored at the bridge under a single pin. It’s a more stable way to set up a 12-string guitar, and we think players will love the simplicity.

V-Class in Action

The ultimate goal of V-Class bracing is to give players an inspiring tool that does a better job of helping them express themselves in the context of the modern musical world. More than ever before, guitarists are playing alongside precisely tuned digital instruments, and into microphones, computers and other recording gear that magnify the guitar’s every sonic detail. With a design that brings the guitar’s strings in tune with the top and body, V-Class bracing also puts the guitar in tune with the surrounding musical landscape. It will spark new songwriting ideas, make recording easier, sound better in a performance setting, and give players the fresh musical discoveries they crave. 

An Introduction to Guitar Retailers

Have you decided your next guitar, or your first guitar, will be a Taylor? We’re honored you would choose one of our instruments, and we’re confident you will be delighted with your decision. Now, the next big question is, how do you locate a place to purchase your new favorite thing in the world?
We can help you find a premier guitar retailer to help you with your purchase. At this time, Taylor Guitars does not sell our guitars directly or online. We are a manufacturer, and we distribute globally to retailers with physical stores as well as many guitar retailers online. You have plenty of options for locations from which you can pick up your new Taylor. If there is not a shop near you, you can purchase a Taylor online.
We have provided a search tool to help you find the right guitar retailer anywhere in the world. You can search by postal code or search by city or country. You will see results for all retailers and service centers in your area displayed on an interactive map with all the pertinent contact details, and you can refine this result by distance to reduce or expand your search radius. You can also filter the list by Flagship Rooms for a premium showroom experience, Premier guitar retailers, with no fewer than 60 models on display, Showroom stores with no fewer than 40 models in stock, as well as locate Service Centers if you’re looking for help or repairs.
There are also guitar retailers online who carry Taylor guitars. We have a tool specifically for finding premier guitar retailers online. This tool allows you to browse a list grouped by country. While purchasing a guitar online does not offer you the option of picking up and playing your guitar before you buy it, most online retailers bridge this gap by offering generous return policies.
For our international players, we are proud to serve Europe through our European Factory Service Center and warehouse located in Amsterdam. We can help you can find international retailers and distributors. Browse the list of dealers by country and click through for address, phone number and other relevant contact information to find what you need.
If you have any questions or have been unable to locate a guitar retailer near you or online, please contact our support team. We’re here to help and look forward to speaking with you.

Step 1: Choose a Shape

Our body shapes help define the fundamental voice of each guitar. Shape is also an important consideration in terms of physical comfort, since your arms will be wrapped around the body.

Think about how you’ll be playing: standing, seated, on stage, in studio, etc. A smaller body shape like the Grand Concert might serve you better if you like to sit when you play, or if you’re of smaller stature. If you’re looking for a guitar with a bigger size and sound, try the Grand Auditorium (our most popular shape), the classic Dreadnought, or a Grand Symphony. If you want our biggest body style, the Grand Orchestra is for you. And don’t forget to choose between a cutaway (Venetian or Florentine) and non-cutaway body.

V-Class Bracing: Where Volume and Sustain Diverge

In early 2018, Taylor Guitars introduced V-Class bracing, a new bracing system designed by master guitar designer Andy Powers that effectively resolves the forced compromise between volume and sustain in acoustic guitars. By providing support along the direction of the strings while allowing the sides of the top to flex more freely, V-Class bracing revoices the guitar top for a much-improved sound. The new rigidity of the guitar’s center line keeps more energy in the strings, causing them to vibrate longer and sustain better before fading out. Likewise, the improved flexibility across the soundboard allows the top to vibrate with more power, which generates louder volume.

Read more about how V-Class bracing enhances a guitar’s volume and sustain here.

New Builder’s Edition K24ce

The Builder’s Edition K14ce was a smash when we showcased it at the 2018 Winter NAMM show, and we couldn’t be happier to expand our koa offerings featuring the player-focused details that define our Builder’s Edition design philosophy. This all-koa Builder’s Edition K24ce features V-Class bracing under the hood and produces acoustic tone characterized by sparkling treble notes and vibrant midrange presence—articulate and balanced, but not without warmth and body. We’ve outfitted this model with the finest appointments from the Builder’s Edition family, including our double-contoured cutaway design, which allows you to play all the way down the neck without adjusting your hand position, and a carved armrest on the upper edge of the guitar’s lower bout. Add in koa’s rewarding aging process—you’ll find that koa guitars sound sweeter as you play them in over the years—and you have a guitar that we’re proud to place on the upper echelon of our lineup.

An Introduction to Acoustic Guitars

Every guitar player needs a great acoustic guitar – or several – in their collection. Finding the right acoustic guitar for you can be a daunting process even for the most seasoned player. If you are new to shopping for guitars, then it is even more critical that you learn all you can before you make your first purchase. If your first acoustic guitar is not the appropriate choice for you, then it can dramatically reduce the enjoyment you will get out of your instrument. If you are a new guitar player, the wrong guitar can be downright discouraging. You want a guitar that fits you, is effortless to play, and has the rich, beautiful tone you love to make it the instrument you dream of playing hour after hour.

Our experts here at Taylor Guitars can help you through every step of the decision-making process to ensure you find the guitar that is right for you. Our site has a wealth of information about what goes into making a Taylor guitar and how to make this very important decision. We have guides for how to find the right fit for you. Learn about the subtle differences in shapes and styles. Delve into different types of woods and construction, which are vital to the flavor and tone of an acoustic. Explore the Taylor line by series to find the look and style you want for your instrument.

Another essential tool to aid you in making your purchasing decision is our guitar comparison tool. With this tool, you can select two different guitars and compare them side-by-side. This gives you a clear and specific look at each guitar and compares every single feature, including the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, shape, top wood, body wood, electronics and more.

You can also download for free The Definitive Guide to Buying an Acoustic Guitar written by our team of experts to comprehensively answer all your questions. You can download it, print it out, and bring it with you when you shop for your next guitar. By the time you hit the showroom floor you should be ready with key questions to ask the sales associate, and with our Definitive Guide in hand, you will be as knowledgeable as the sales staff.  

In addition to classic six-string acoustics, we also offer a selection of specialty models if you are looking for a more specific type of guitar design. These options include ultra-portable travel/small body guitars, nylon strings, 12-strings, baritones, 12-fret models, electric guitars, and of course you can build your own one-of-a-kind custom guitars.  

Bracing

There’s more than meets the eye to each Taylor guitar. Another guitar feature; bracing is one of those things that you rarely see, and might never even notice, but it has a tremendous effect on the sound of your guitar. Though many of our guitars are equipped with traditional X Bracing—which has been the standard for acoustic guitars for decades—we’re always working to improve on old designs and push ourselves to develop new ideas and new sounds.

Over the years, we’ve tweaked the X Bracing pattern to create Performance bracing (in 300, 400, 500, 700, and Koa Series guitars) and Advanced Performance bracing (in 600, 800, and 900 Series guitars). These refinements help shape the voice of each guitar, altering how the top and back vibrate and opening up new tonal possibilities. And it doesn’t stop there—we’re still working to refine and develop new guitar technology for even better sound and playability.

This year, we’ve released guitar features, such as a brand-new bracing design called V-Class bracing. It’s a new sonic engine for our acoustic guitars, an internal structure that controls the vibration of the guitar’s top to be more orderly and consistent. The result? Louder volume, thanks to greater flexibility introduced by V-Class; longer sustain before a note decays, due to how the new design transfers vibration energy back into the strings to keep them moving; and improved intonation—meaning the guitar is more in tune with itself—because of how V-Class bracing resolves the clashing overtones that create sour notes and dissonance.

Learn more about Taylor’s bracing patterns here.

Volume

In simple acoustic guitar terms, volume is a product of the guitar’s vibration. In the case of acoustic guitars, most, but not all, of that vibration comes from the guitar’s top. The top must be flexible enough to vibrate freely, but strong enough to maintain the structure of the guitar.

Volume increases happen when the string’s vibration energy travels through a flexible material like a guitar top. Other instruments use surfaces that are even more flexible, such as the drum head on a banjo. However, since the surface of a banjo is so soft, the energy from the string’s vibration is almost immediately absorbed. It dissipates quickly, and the notes disappears with little to no sustain. That’s where rigidity comes into play.

How V-Class Works

A New Platform to Solve an Age-Old Problem

While traditional X-bracing has stood the test of time for over 100 years, it creates an inherent trade-off between two key elements of an acoustic guitar’s sound: volume and sustain. A guitar’s top (the soundboard) contributes to both. Volume comes from the flexibility of the top, while sustain comes from stiffness. The trade-off is that when you make something stiffer, you reduce its flexibility, and vice versa. With an X-braced guitar top, increasing one comes at the expense of the other. V-Class bracing changes that. Now an acoustic guitar top can be both stiff and flexible in ways that produce more volume and sustain. And as it turns out, this innovative bracing design also improves the intonation of the guitar. Discover how we broke away from tradition and reinvented what the acoustic guitar can do.

New Taylor Guitar Models for 2020

Each year brings fresh opportunities for Taylor Guitars to explore innovative new designs that open new musical paths for guitar players of all styles. The 2020 Taylor Guitars lineup features a handful of brand-new models designed for maximum comfort and playability, introducing exciting new features and sounds to the Taylor family.

It starts with the Builder’s Edition collection, which officially launched in 2020 with a total of nine inspiring models. Headlining the new class is the Builder’s Edition 324ce, crafted with locally sourced Urban Ash—a new tonewood that will become a cornerstone of our efforts to become better stewards of the environment. Also new to the family is the Builder’s Edition 816ce, which reintroduces the Grand Symphony body shape to the world of acoustic guitars with an inventive new soundport cutaway that helps the guitar produce immersive, high-fidelity acoustic sound. The Builder’s Edition 912ce brings the ease and speed of an electric guitar to the premium acoustic world, featuring smooth body contours and a compact Grand Concert frame. Finally, the Builder’s Edition 652ce enters the game as the first 12-string model in the Builder’s Edition collection. All models are built on the foundation of V-Class bracing, which powers Taylor acoustic guitars to produce more volume and sustain than ever before.

We’ve also enhanced other parts of the Taylor line in 2020, with updates to the 200 Series that bring a new set of options to the table. Players on a budget will appreciate the 214ce Plus and 210ce Plus, two new models that create professional-quality acoustic tone with a more accessible price tag and fresh appointments. Meanwhile, the GS Mini family grows to include a rosewood model and a new GS Mini-e Koa Plus, made with layered Hawaiian koa back and sides with a solid koa top. 

All told, it’s an exciting lineup for the new year, and we’re proud to continue to offer innovative acoustic designs to inspire new generations of acoustic guitar players.

Step 2: Choose your Tonewoods

Tonewoods add sonic flavor and character to the sound of a guitar. Their visual beauty is also a source of artistic inspiration. The wide variety of wood options offered through our Custom program means you’ll be able to design a guitar that delivers the sound and look you crave. You’ll also be able to choose from types and grades of woods not typically offered through Taylor’s standard guitar line.

A guitar’s top wood tends to have the greatest impact on the overall sound of the guitar. Popular top woods include spruce (Sitka, Lutz, or Adirondack), cedar, mahogany, and koa. For body woods, choose from options like Indian rosewood, maple, koa, walnut, and more to fine-tune the voice of your custom instrument.