Whether you’re shopping for that special someone or treating yourself this holiday season, a Taylor guitar makes an amazing gift that will resonate with its owner for many years. If you’re not sure which model to choose, we’ve got you covered with a few recommendations for different types of players.
The Beginner
Taylor’s legendary easy-playing necks make a big difference for a newbie learning their way around the fretboard. The slightly narrower 1-11/16-inch neck width makes it easier to form barre chords, while the full-voiced Dreadnought body style will pump out plenty of acoustic volume. A solid Sitka spruce top is paired with layered sapele back and sides to produce clear, well-balanced tone. The guitar also comes equipped with Taylor’s plug-and-play Expression System® 2 onboard pickup for top-notch amplified sound whenever they’re ready.
Their First Taylor
For someone who’s embarked on their guitar-playing journey and aspires to take it to the next level with a Taylor, our 300 Series marks the threshold to premium acoustic tone, thanks to the all-solid-wood construction, which produces a more complex voice and will only get better with age. A solid Sitka spruce top is paired with solid African sapele back and sides, while the Grand Auditorium body can handle a broad mix of playing and musical styles, making the 314ce a versatile musical accomplice. A cutaway expands the sonic range by offering greater access to the treble side of the fretboard, while Taylor’s Expression System 2 pickup serves up natural-sounding amplified acoustic tone.
Other Options: 322e-12-fret, 416ce
The Advanced Player
Our award-winning maple/spruce 600 Series boasts a comprehensive package of tone-enhancing refinements that has transformed these guitars into incredibly musically expressive instruments. The versatile Grand Auditorium 614ce is complex and dynamic, with rich tonal character and sustain. It’s one of the best all-purpose guitars a player will find, and it’s wonderfully responsive to a skilled player’s nuanced techniques. One other design touch that’s exclusive to the series: a torrefied (specially roasted) spruce top, which accelerates the aging process to give a new guitar the seasoned character of an older, played-in instrument. You can read more about the voicing refinements to the 600 Series, along with music magazine review excerpts, here.
The Aesthetic Connoisseur
Hawaiian koa’s exotic beauty has cast a seductive spell on many, and the K24ce is a perfect representation, thanks to the shimmering figure of its all-koa Grand Auditorium body. We’ve honored that natural beauty with a detail-rich all-wood appointment scheme, featuring a flowing maple and blackwood Island Vine fretboard and inlay, Indian rosewood binding, maple top trim, and a maple and rosewood rosette. Anyone who appreciates aesthetic refinement is sure to be inspired before ever picking up the guitar, and once they do, the focused midrange and treble chime of the guitar promise an articulate tone that will sweeten with time. The Venetian cutaway and gloss-finish body enhance the visual appeal, while Taylor’s Expression System 2 acoustic electronics serve up impressive sonic stage presence.
Other Options: PS16ce, 912ce 12-Fret
The Young Ones…And Avid Travelers
For younger kids especially, our pint-size Dreadnought Baby Taylor offers the perfect introduction to acoustic guitar. Besides the scaled-down size and the easy playability, the Baby has an appealing musical voice that stays in tune, thanks to a solid spruce top and Taylor’s high standards of craftsmanship. Another cool feature is the Expression System Baby™ (ES-B) onboard pickup/preamp, which also sports a built-in digital chromatic tuner, an LED display for tuning and low battery indication, and Tone and Volume controls. As our most compact guitar, the Baby also makes a sweet musical accomplice for travelers. If you’re looking for a slightly bigger yet still compact option, check out our hugely popular GS Mini.
Other Options: GS Mini-e RW
The Taylor line is loaded with other great guitar options for virtually every type of player. With the help of our online acoustic browsing tool, you can explore our model lineup and filter your search based on body shapes, tonewoods, series, and other guitar features. Your local authorized Taylor dealer can also help you. Here’s a link to our online Dealer Locator.
