Overview of the Taylor 314ce
The Taylor 314ce is one of Taylor’s most popular acoustic-electric guitars, known for its exceptional build quality, versatile sound, and accessible price point. As part of Taylor’s 300 Series, it represents an entry point into their all-solid-wood construction line.
The 314ce features Taylor’s iconic Grand Auditorium body shape, which provides a balanced tone and comfortable feel. It has a solid Sitka spruce top paired with solid sapele back and sides. This tonewood combination produces a focused, articulate sound with crisp highs and strong mids.
One of the 314ce’s most notable features is its V-Class bracing. Taylor’s patented bracing design allows the top more freedom of movement, resulting in better intonation, longer sustain, and added volume. This innovative bracing helps the 314ce produce a clear, rich tone.
For amplified performance, the 314ce comes equipped with Taylor ES2 electronics. The ES2 system accurately captures the guitar’s natural acoustic dynamics and resonance. With simple volume and tone controls, it’s easy to dial in your amplified sound.
With its all-solid-wood construction, V-Class bracing, and quality electronics, the 314ce delivers the exceptional tone and playability that Taylor guitars are revered for, at a more accessible price point than their premium models. It’s a versatile workhorse suited for a wide range of musical genres and playing situations.
Tonewoods and Construction
The 314ce features a solid Sitka spruce top, which gives the guitar a balanced frequency response with crisp, articulate highs and good overall projection. Sitka spruce is a classic tonewood choice prized for its musicality and dynamic range. The solid wood construction allows the top to resonate and vibrate freely, resulting in excellent volume and sustain.
The back and sides are made from solid sapele, which provides a strong midrange focus similar to mahogany. Sapele has a clear, balanced tone with good bass response. It has a slightly brighter sound compared to mahogany, with more pronounced highs. The all-solid wood construction allows the sapele to ring out with deep lows and singing overtones.
For players who want a different visual aesthetic, Taylor offers limited edition 314ce models with Indian rosewood or quilted sapele back and sides. The rosewood variants have a deeper, warmer sound compared to sapele, with more bass punch and low-mid thickness. Quilted sapele offers a more complex look while retaining the balanced tone of the standard 314ce. Either option provides a unique sonic flavor while still delivering the excellent playability the 314ce is known for.
V-Class Bracing: A Game-Changer for Acoustic Tone
Taylor’s patented V-Class bracing represents a major innovation in acoustic guitar design. Unlike traditional X-bracing, the unique V-shape allows the guitar top to vibrate and resonate more freely. This results in significantly improved volume, sustain, and intonation up and down the neck.
The carefully engineered bracing pattern stiffens the guitar body while exerting less damping force on the top. This allows the natural tonal characteristics of the spruce and sapele to shine through. Notes ring out with more clarity and definition, especially on the treble strings.
V-Class bracing also enables greater dynamic range. Guitarists can achieve clean, balanced tone at higher volumes without distortion or muddiness. The enhanced low-end response and volume create a very "open" sound with impressive projection.
Overall, Taylor’s V-Class system unlocks the 314ce’s full potential in terms of tone, resonance and sustain. It’s a genuine game-changer that elevates the playing experience to new heights. Guitarists who value superb acoustic sound will appreciate the tonal enhancements V-Class bracing brings to the party.
Grand Auditorium Body Shape: The Perfect Balance
The Grand Auditorium body shape is one of Taylor’s most popular and versatile designs. It strikes the ideal balance between rich, robust tone and playing comfort.
The Grand Auditorium has dimensions of 15" across the lower bout, 16" across the waist, and 4-5/8" deep. This size provides a blend of volume, articulation, and comfortable ergonomics. It’s not as boomy and bass-heavy as a dreadnought body, yet it has more low-end presence and projection than a concert or parlor-sized guitar.
The proportions of the Grand Auditorium hit the "sweet spot" for versatility across different playing styles and genres. It has enough punch for energetic strumming, but not so much that it overpowers fingerstyle players. The slightly slimmer waist contour allows easy access to upper frets while still retaining a balanced midrange and strong low-end.
The 314ce’s particular Grand Auditorium dimensions are tailored for players who need a guitar that can excel in multiple musical contexts, from solo singer-songwriter gigs to full band settings. It has the crisp note definition appreciated by flatpickers, but also the warmth and low-end for rich rhythm playing. Whether you’re looking for your main guitar or a stage-ready acoustic-electric, the 314ce Grand Auditorium body has you covered.
Electronics and Plugged-In Performance
The 314ce comes equipped with Taylor’s ES2 pickup and preamp system, providing natural amplified tone with simple, intuitive controls. The ES2 utilizes three uniquely positioned and calibrated pickup sensors to capture the true dynamic range of the guitar.
Rather than saddling the soundboard, the small pickup sensors are mounted directly to the guitar’s interior, allowing the top to vibrate freely. This allows the ES2 to capture the guitar’s organic resonance and responsiveness.
The onboard preamp features volume and tone knobs, providing all the essential controls without unnecessary complexity. The volume knob utilizes a sweep function, gradually increasing the output as you turn it up. This allows for a very natural attack and eliminates the compressed, "quacked out" sound of some acoustic preamps when initially turned on.
The tone knob provides boost or cut around 4kHz, letting you dial in the exact EQ contour you need for any amplification system. It’s easy to find the sweet spot where the 314ce’s crisp treble and tight bass come through accurately and balanced. Even at high volumes, the ES2 resists feedback and provides headroom for dynamic playing.
Whether using a simple PA system, acoustic amp, or plugging direct into a mixing board, the 314ce’s ES2 electronics accurately convey its pristine Taylor tone. The natural acoustic sound you hear unplugged comes through the amplification clear, balanced, and feedback-resistant. The ES2 is ideal for anything from intimate gigs to crowded stages.
Playability and Feel
Taylor’s reputation for fast, comfortable necks is on full display with the 314ce. It features Taylor’s standard 25.5" scale length and their Pattern V-Class neck shape, which has a smooth and rounded profile that feels great in the hand.
The 314ce has a nut width of 1-11/16", which Taylor has found to be an ideal middle ground suitable for most playing styles. It’s not too narrow for fingerstyle players who need room for complex chording, yet not overly wide for those doing more single-note lead playing. Players who have smaller hands may find the 314ce’s nut width more comfortable than wider alternatives.
The 314ce comes equipped with an ebony fretboard, which has a smooth, almost glass-like feel under the fingers. Ebony also brings out more clarity and definition in each note. Combined with the V-Class neck shape, the ebony fretboard allows for effortless, fluid playing all across the neck.
The 314ce’s cutaway design provides easy access all the way up to the 20th fret, enabling guitarists to hit even their highest leads and solos without any sharp fretboard edges getting in the way.
Overall, the 314ce’s neck and fretboard create an inviting and inspiring playing experience suitable for just about any style of music. It excels equally at chordal rhythm work and fast single-note runs. The smooth, sleek feel makes it a joy to play for extended periods of time.
Aesthetic Appointments
The Taylor 314ce features understated yet elegant aesthetic appointments that allow the natural beauty of the tonewoods to take center stage.
The guitar has simple black binding around the body and neck. The fretboard is adorned with small Italian acrylic dot inlays, providing just enough visual flair without being too flashy.
The back and sides have a smooth satin finish that enhances resonance while keeping unwanted overtones in check. This allows the wood’s natural grain patterns to shine through beautifully.
The 314ce is available in both a natural finish to showcase the blonde hues of the spruce top, or a subtle sunburst finish that provides some elegant contrast between the dark edges and lighter center. Both finish options highlight the craftsmanship that goes into these all-solid-wood instruments.
Overall, the 314ce strikes a refined balance between simplicity and elegance. The appointments don’t distract the eye too much, directing focus instead to the stellar acoustic tone and seamless playability that make this guitar so special.
How the 314ce Compares to Other Taylor Models
The Taylor 314ce has a similar design ethos and high level of craftsmanship as other models in the Taylor line, but stands apart with some unique attributes.
Compared to the 214ce, the 314ce steps up to an all-solid wood construction using solid Sitka spruce on the top. The 214ce has layered wood construction, with a solid Sitka spruce top but layered sapele back and sides. This gives the 314ce better resonance, projection, and overall acoustic tone. The 314ce also has the slightly larger Grand Auditorium body shape compared to the 214ce’s Grand Auditorium Narrow dimensions.
The 414ce brings rosewood back and sides compared to the 314ce’s sapele. This gives the 414ce a slightly warmer, more bass-rich voicing, while the 314ce has more balanced mids. The 414ce also features more decorative appointments like grained ivoroid binding. However, the 314ce’s solid sapele back and sides provide excellent tone at a more affordable price point than rosewood.
Stepping up to the 814ce brings premium tonewoods like torrefied spruce for the top and ovangkol for the back and sides, along with Taylor’s NT neck joint and beveled armrest. However, the 314ce’s solid sapele and Sitka spruce still deliver pro-level tone in a more accessible package. The 314ce focuses more on versatile tone and playability rather than cosmetic frills.
The Taylor 314ce hits a "Goldilocks" spot in the Taylor line, positioned right in the middle. It provides an ideal blend of solid wood tone and construction value, along with a timeless design. The 314ce has fewer premium appointments than Taylor’s upper-tier models, but outclasses the entry-level 100 and 200 series. For players seeking the perfect balance of quality and affordability, the 314ce stands out as a uniquely compelling choice.
Who the Taylor 314ce Is Best Suited For
The Taylor 314ce is an ideal choice for players looking for a high-quality, reliable workhorse acoustic-electric guitar. Its all solid-wood construction provides the full, resonant tone that working musicians need night after night. The Grand Auditorium body shape is comfortable enough for lengthy practice sessions or gigs, while still providing robust volume and articulation.
Fingerstyle players, flatpickers, strummers, and solo performers will all appreciate the 314ce’s versatility across musical genres. It has the crisp, balanced tone to handle intricate fingerpicking in folk or jazz settings. Yet it also has the punchy midrange and clear treble to cut through a mix when strumming chords or soloing in a rock or pop band. The Venetian cutaway grants easy access to upper frets for more advanced lead playing.
The 314ce’s simple but high-quality ES2 electronics accurately capture its rich acoustic tone when plugging into an amp or PA system. Guitarists who do a lot of gigging or recording will get great amplified sound in any scenario, from intimate coffee shop shows to stadium concerts. The guitar also provides enough headroom and feedback resistance to shine in loud band settings.
In short, if you need an acoustic-electric that can capably cover many musical bases, the Taylor 314ce should be on your shortlist. It has the construction quality, acoustic tone, and amplified performance to excel as a "desert island" guitar suitable for nearly any player or style of music. Consider the 314ce if you want one great-sounding, great-looking guitar that can do it all.
Pricing and Value
The Taylor 314ce typically retails for around $2,000, which represents a significant but worthy investment for players serious about their craft. While not an insignificant amount, this price tag buys you a lifetime guitar built from all solid tonewoods and featuring Taylor’s innovative V-Class bracing.
The 300 Series is where Taylor really starts to hit the sweet spot of maximizing tone and playability while maintaining reasonable affordability. Models like the 214ce and 324ce may cost a bit less, but they utilize layered wood construction and lack the complete resonance of their all-solid siblings. For those seeking uncompromising quality and tone from a world-class American guitar builder, the 314ce is an excellent value.
This is an instrument built to last decades, not years. With proper care and regular setups, a 314ce will likely outlive its original owner while retaining its gorgeous voice. The woods will mature with age, the tone becoming richer and more complex. Buying a 314ce is akin to acquiring a fine musical instrument you can pass down to future generations.
While not exactly an impulse purchase, a Taylor 314ce is a worthy investment guaranteed to provide a lifetime of inspiration. For the serious guitarist who can’t compromise on quality, it delivers professional sound and craftsmanship at a reasonable price point.