EL CAJON – September 23, 2014 – Taylor Guitars is celebrating fall with the release of its Fall Limited Edition collection. This year brings a trio of exotic tonewoods: blackheart sassafras, blackwood and koa. Each delivers a truly unique sonic personality along with visually inspiring looks.
Taylor’s 700 Series Fall Limiteds showcase rare blackheart sassafras, a Tasmanian tonewood known for its wild complexion, featuring a contrasting mix of blond color with dark and dramatic striping. Paired with a Sitka spruce top, the series features tone-enhancing touches that include Taylor’s Advanced Performance bracing and the use of protein glue, which together boost the warmth and projection. Taylor’s Andy Powers describes the tone profile of sassafras: “It’s got some of the dry, woody response of walnut or mahogany, with some of the note separation and focus of maple or myrtle, with a more articulated high-end overtone series like rosewood. In other words, it has a chime and breathiness up top, while also being really focused, and the low end has a warm dryness to it.”
The striking sassafras is complemented with Indian rosewood binding and backstrap, rosewood top trim, an abalone rosette, and mother-of-pearl Heritage Diamond fretboard inlays. Three models are offered: a Grand Concert 712e-12-Fret FLTD, Grand Auditorium 714ce-FLTD, and Grand Orchestra 718e-FLTD.
The 500 Series Limiteds feature blackwood, another Tasmanian tonewood, whose tonal properties blend midrange focus with top-end shimmer. Straight-grained sets were selected for their extra tonal clarity, and the all-around musicality of the wood lent itself to all five Taylor body shapes: the Dreadnought 510e-FLTD, Grand Concert 512ce-12-Fret FLTD, Grand Auditorium 514ce-FLTD, Grand Symphony 516ce-FLTD, and Grand Orchestra 518e-FLTD. Topped with Sitka spruce, the models feature neo-vintage appointments, including a shaded edgeburst body and neck, ivoroid binding, and ivoroid Century inlays.
Hawaiian koa, a player favorite, returns to the Fall Limiteds with a pair of all-koa 300 Series guitars (Grand Auditorium 324ce-FLTD and Grand Symphony 326ce-FLTD) and the GS Mini-e Koa. The 300 Series Limiteds feature an all-satin finish, Italian acrylic 4mm dot inlays, and a three-ring rosette. The GS Mini-e Koa features layered koa back and sides, a solid koa top, and an upgrade to Taylor’s ES-T pickup for a great plugged-in experience.
With the exception of the GS Mini-e Koa, each limited edition model comes with Taylor’s award-winning Expression System® 2 pickup and includes a hardshell case. The Fall Limiteds are currently available at Authorized Taylor Dealers around the globe. To locate a dealer near you, please visit www.taylorguitars.com/dealers
