First-Class Acoustic Taylor Guitars GT 811e, 814e 2021 and GT K21e
The Taylor company has added three professional electroacoustic guitars to its offer: the GT 811e, 814e 2021, and GT K21e, part of the top-of-the-line Grand Theater and Grand Auditorium series produced in El Cajon, California. About this first model, Designer-in-Chief Andy Powers spoke the following words, that are very promising to those who love a high quality guitar sound: "You'll hear the familiar sound of spruce and rosewood guitars, but the new form and structure of the GT edition adds a distinctly new dimension to the listening and playing experience."
The Taylor GT 811e's more compact Grand Concert body, made from the aforementioned Indian rosewood with a Sitka spruce top, features C-Class ribbing to help accentuate the projection of the low range, while the mahogany neck features an ebony fingerboard with 20 frets, Tusq walnut and mother-of-pearl markings. The rosette is inlaid with abalone, hard maple was chosen for the body binding, and the scale is 24 1/8 inches (613 mm).
The ebony bridge holds a compensated micarta saddle, the anchor pegs are decorated with green abalone dots, the headstock features a Smoked Nickel tuning machine, and the soundboard is protected by a rosewood pickguard. The electronics consist of three adjustable piezo sensors and an Expression System 2 preamp equipped with volume plus two-band corrections.
The 814e 2021 variant differs from the previous instrument mainly by the Grand Auditorium-style body shape with V-Class reinforced ribbed sides, and the ergonomically shaped top rim where the right hand rests provides greater playing comfort. The neck and headstock design is also more lavish with a white line accentuating their contours, the width of the graphite fretboard has been moved to 44.5 mm and larger rondelles are used.
What the truly luxurious Taylor GT K21e has in common with the GT 811e are the electronics, neck and fingerboard material, fingerboard type, 43.7 mm fret width, scale length, and body shape, which in this case is made entirely of the much prized Hawaiian koa wood. Also different is the gold-chrome Gotoh Mini 510 tuning machines with a 21:1 tuning ratio, the way the rosette is inlaid and the Spring Vine inlay that subtly enhances the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 17th positions.
According to Andy Powers, the Taylor GT K21e is a perfect example of the combination of balanced mids and nice highs that koa is favored for. The tone has great sustain, a softer attack and a well-defined projection. The given sound character with frequency-balanced response is generally suitable for players who use the guitar for picking, fingerstyle accompaniment, or as a lead instrument for blues and related styles.
All instruments have been given a Natural lacquer finish, the official price of the Taylor GT 811e model has been set at around €3,299.00 on the European market, the 814e 2021 version costs around €4,337.00 and the luxury GT K21e version made from Hawaiian koa can be purchased for around €4,699.00. Of course, for this quite substantial amount of money, a quality AeroCase hard case and other accessories are included.
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