Introduced at the end of 2024 as the capstone to our 50th Anniversary Collection, the Legacy Collection hosts an array of models that celebrate the foundation of Taylor Guitars as innovators in the world of instrument making. The throwback collection launched with five guitars: two Grand Auditorium models (topped with cedar rarely found in the standard Taylor lineup today) and a trio of 800 Series guitars, including a classic dreadnought and two Jumbo models, all featuring the beloved pairing of Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce.
The design philosophy around the Legacy guitars reflects five decades of change, blending traditional elements such as X-bracing and appointments in the preferred style of Bob Taylor in his early years of building guitars with more contemporary features to enhance the playing experience, specifically Taylor’s more modern, “NT” neck, first introduced to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary in 1999.
Like our building techniques and design sensibilities, the Legacy Collection will evolve with time. Earlier this year, the family grew with the addition of the Legacy 914ce, a Grand Auditorium boasting the elaborate appointments that helped define Taylor as a maker of guitars that stand out not just for their sonic traits but also for their visual artistry and detailed craftsmanship. It also showcases a design that helped put Taylor on the map in the broader music industry—and it didn’t hurt that the model became Dave Matthews’ guitar of choice for many years.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Bob Taylor will join Taylor Primetime on Tuesday, July 29 at 6:00 PM Pacific (8:00 PM Central/9:00 PM Eastern) on YouTube to talk about the Legacy Collection, including the new Legacy 914ce.
Introducing the Legacy 914ce Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Tonewoods: Indian Rosewood + Engelmann Spruce
Today’s 900 Series boasts a unique tonewood configuration featuring Honduran rosewood paired with sinker redwood. The 900 Series actually debuted as a family of maple guitars before eventually evolving to the classic configuration that defined the 900 Series for many years: Indian rosewood and the less common Engelmann spruce, considered a premium spruce offering during those years. That’s the combination we’ve selected for the Legacy 914ce.
Bob Taylor has long expressed his appreciation for the rosewood/spruce pairing, both for its clarity and balance as well as its rich overtone profile—it’s a big part of why our flagship 800 Series has always featured that combination. But years ago, Indian rosewood was also key to the 900 Series, offering players another take on a beloved sound with an upgraded visual style (more on that shortly).
For the Legacy 914ce, we’ve delved into our stores of Indian rosewood to find high-quality wood that showcases some of rosewood’s finest visual character. The backs and sides of this Grand Auditorium feature striking coloration with chocolatey browns streaked with subtle reds and rich variegation beyond what you would expect from an already-beautiful wood.
Sonically, players can expect all the tonal sophistication that has made rosewood so popular: deep, throaty lows, articulate trebles, and a slight scoop in the midrange, all resonating with complex overtones that bloom as notes and chords sing out.
Engelmann spruce, once a common soundboard wood of choice for luthiers, has somewhat faded from the mainstream of guitar building over the years, mostly due to stock of older, larger trees running low. Engelmann is a close cousin of European spruce mostly found in the Rocky Mountains, a softer variety with a paler complexion and, in Bob’s words, a slightly more “mature” sound compared to the punchy, boisterous voice of Sitka spruce. In Taylor’s early years, Bob would examine and grade every spruce top individually, and the selection of Engelmann spruce for the Legacy 914ce hearkens back to those days.
The “Cindy” Inlay
Longtime Taylor fans might recognize the inlay pattern featured on the Legacy 914ce, an elaborate design that incorporates a floral motif accented at the fretboard extension with a bird alighting on a blooming branch. This pattern, called “Cindy,” has appeared on a few guitars over the years, including custom builds as well as the 900 Series models that the Legacy 914ce channels.
The “Cindy” moniker is a tribute to Bob Taylor’s wife, who provided some of the inspiration and impetus for the design. Here’s how Bob told the story of its origin in an Ask Bob column from Wood&Steel:
When I designed that inlay I was making a little koa guitar for my wife. The photographer who photographed our wedding was coming to take a portrait of me making a guitar. I thought it would be nice if the portrait (which hangs above our fireplace even now) showed me making the guitar that I was making for Cindy. Both the portrait and the guitar were a surprise for her. His appointment to shoot motivated me to move the guitar along, otherwise who knows how long I would have spent making it!? Well, I needed an inlay idea and next door to Taylor Guitars at the time was Deering Banjos. Greg had made a banjo based on a tattoo of a client for that client’s banjo. I remember the name written across the inlay was “Tito,” so Tito, if you’re reading, I guess you can call me a rip-off. This was a long time ago! The gist of that inlay was the bird and the vine, which I didn’t exactly copy but I almost did. After that part was drawn and placed near the body of the guitar I simply took elements from the vine and modified them a bit to make the position markers. I took that guitar to a NAMM show and people loved it, found out I made the guitar for my wife and dubbed it the Cindy Inlay. Then they asked if I’d make one for them, and there you have it.
Other Appointments: Abalone, Gold and No Pickguard
Visually, the Legacy 914ce reflects both a specific era of Taylor appointment style and a touch of Taylor history. When the 900 Series moved from maple to rosewood, Bob and Kurt found that players were interested in a guitar with an elevated visual profile, something that would comfortably sit near the top of Taylor’s acoustic guitar lineup with appointments that would signal the kind of precise, artistic craftsmanship for which Taylor would become known.
Beyond the personal significance of the Cindy inlay pattern, the guitar channels a sleek style that Bob has always preferred (an element that remains fairly consistent across the Legacy Collection). So while the fretboard, peghead and bridge inlays offer a touch of visual flair, they remain a bit more restrained than guitars from today’s 900, Koa and Presentation Series. Other touches include abalone top purfling with a matching rosette, gold hardware, rosewood binding, a full-body gloss finish and red back purfling that accents the coloration of the back and sides.
Also channeling Bob’s personal preference is the omission of a pickguard from the Legacy 914ce. While we feature pickguards on most of today’s models because players tend to like the look and the protection they offer for the top wood, our co-founder has expressed a liking for the look of a well-loved guitar, and doesn’t mind a few scratches on the top of it means the guitar has seen consistent use.
Like other models in the Legacy Collection, the Legacy 914ce boasts the LR Baggs Element VTC pickup, which includes discreet controls mounted inside the soundhole.
Legacy 914ce Specs at a Glance
Body Shape: Grand Auditorium
Back/Side Wood: Indian Rosewood
Top Wood: Engelmann Spruce
Bracing: X-Bracing
Nut Width: 1-¾”
Scale Length: 25-½”
Strings: D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light (.012 – .053)
Protection: Deluxe Hardshell Case
You can find the Legacy 914ce at authorized Taylor dealers everywhere.
