Introduction
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash Limited Edition is a premium acoustic-electric guitar that stands apart from other Grand Auditorium models in the Taylor lineup. This guitar features a beautiful Urban Ash wood construction and Taylor’s revolutionary V-Class bracing system, resulting in exceptional tone, projection and playability.
Unlike most Taylor Grand Auditoriums which utilize more conventional tonewoods like mahogany or ovangkol, the 424ce showcases a full Urban Ash body. Urban Ash is a relatively new tonewood prized for its balanced tonal properties – warm and rich in the lows and midrange, with shimmering highs and excellent note articulation. Visually, it produces some of the most striking and unique wood grain patterns of any tonewood.
In addition to the premium Urban Ash tonewoods, the 424ce incorporates Taylor’s groundbreaking V-Class bracing. This patented bracing design optimizes the guitar’s internal architecture for greater volume, longer sustain, and a more resonant voice. It’s a major departure from traditional X-bracing, representing Taylor’s most significant bracing innovation in decades.
Between the all-solid Urban Ash construction and V-Class bracing system, the 424ce Urban Ash Limited Edition delivers the lush, complex tone Taylor players have come to expect from the brand’s most premium Grand Auditorium models. It’s an exceptional instrument equally suited to studio recording, stage performing, or simply playing at home.
Tonewoods & Construction
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash features premium tonewoods selected for their acoustic properties and aesthetic beauty. The top, back and sides are all crafted from solid Urban Ash, giving this guitar a unique voice compared to mahogany or rosewood.
Urban Ash is a relatively new tonewood that Taylor helped bring to the forefront. It exhibits many similarities to koa – a balanced tone with clear trebles, warm low end, and an impressive sustain. The midrange has a focused and articulate voice. Visually, Urban Ash has a striking grain pattern ranging from straight to highly figured.
The neck is made from tropical mahogany, which adds stability and a smooth feel. It has a standard 25.5" scale length and 1-11/16" nut width. The fingerboard and bridge are Crelicam ebony, an alternative to traditional ebony known for its hardness and durability.
The most revolutionary aspect of the 424ce’s construction is the V-Class bracing. This patented design optimizes the guitar’s internal support to produce greater volume, longer sustain, and a more balanced tone. The braces are positioned to allow the top more freedom to vibrate uniformly.
Other specifications include a Grand Auditorium style body with a length of 20", width of 16", and depth of 4-5/8". The bracing is forward-shifted scalloped V-Class. With its premium tonewoods and innovative bracing, the 424ce Urban Ash is poised to deliver exceptional acoustic performance.
Sound & Tonal Characteristics
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash delivers a beautifully balanced acoustic tone with impressive warmth, clarity and projection. When played unplugged, the guitar has a rich low end thanks to the Urban Ash back and sides, while still retaining articulate note definition in the mids and highs.
The mahogany neck contributes to the 424ce’s smooth, rounded tone. And the V-Class bracing helps provide excellent volume and sustain, allowing notes to bloom and ring out. Even when played gently, the 424ce has surprising punch and volume.
When plugged in through the Expression System 2 electronics, the 424ce accurately captures its natural acoustic voice. The ES2 preamp has customized tuning that complements the Urban Ash and mahogany tonewoods. The result is an amplified tone that maintains the 424ce’s warm, clear character.
The V-Class bracing also helps amplify resonance and volume when plugged in. Notes ring out with sustained bloom when using the ES2. And the 424ce has impressive feedback resistance, allowing it to be pushed to higher stage volumes without sacrificing tone.
Overall, the choice of premium tonewoods like Urban Ash combined with Taylor’s patented V-Class bracing system give the 424ce Urban Ash a versatile acoustic voice that excels both unplugged and amplified. The guitar balances rich lows with articulate highs for a dynamic tonal response.
Playability & Feel
The Taylor 424ce has a very comfortable and playable feel right out of the box. The neck profile is specifically designed for smooth playability, with an asymmetrical shape that gets slightly thicker from the treble side to the bass side. This contours nicely to the natural shape of the hand. The satin finish on the back of the neck also enhances the smooth feel.
The action on this sample was set exceptionally low by the factory at just under 2/32" on the treble side and 2/32" on the bass side. This allowed easy fretting and bending without buzzing. The setup felt ideal for intricate fingerstyle playing. The nut width of 1 11/16" provides a good balance between space for fingerpicking and comfort for chord shapes.
Overall, the 424ce has an effortless playing feel. The ergonomics of the body shape make it comfortable to play seated or standing for extended periods. The Urban Ash tonewoods are also light and resonant, reducing fatigue on the player. The 424ce feels responsive and inspiring to play, allowing complex techniques to flow naturally.
Appointments & Aesthetics
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash Limited Edition features premium appointments that complement the gorgeous Urban Ash tonewood. The ash has a striking grain pattern that gives each guitar a unique and visually appealing look.
The Urban Ash model comes in two finish options – a natural gloss top to showcase the wood’s natural blonde coloring, or an elegant shaded edgeburst using Taylor’s Wild Honey Sunburst finish. Both choices allow the ash’s distinctive figuring to take center stage.
The guitar has tasteful cream binding along the body, neck and headstock, which matches nicely with the Urban Ash top. The rosette is a simple three-ring pattern alternating between dark and light woods.
The fretboard and bridge are made from Crelicam ebony, an extremely dense and durable wood that enhances the guitar’s tone. The fretboard has small diamond mother-of-pearl dot inlays along the side, providing a touch of understated elegance.
The headstock features the classic Taylor logo branded into the ebony overlay. The tuners are Taylor’s premium gold-colored Gotoh nickel tuners, which help keep the 424ce in perfect tune.
Overall, the 424ce Urban Ash Limited Edition has all the premium aesthetic details you’d expect from a high-end Taylor acoustic. The tonewoods and appointments complement each other beautifully to create a guitar that looks as good as it sounds.
Electronics & Controls
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash comes equipped with Taylor’s Expression System 2 electronics. This proprietary pickup and preamp system is designed to accurately capture and amplify the guitar’s natural acoustic tone.
The ES2 utilizes three uniquely positioned and calibrated pickup sensors. One under the saddle captures the strings’ vibrations, while two others on the underside of the top soundboard pick up the guitar’s overall resonance. This allows the ES2 to recreate both the individual string articulation and the guitar’s overall harmonic character.
The control layout is simple and intuitive for live performance use. Volume, treble, mid, and bass sliders allow for tone shaping, while a phase switch helps eliminate feedback at higher volumes. The preamp is powered by a 9V battery, accessible via a compartment on the guitar’s side.
During testing, the 424ce’s ES2 system performed admirably. The amplified tone maintained the clarity, warmth, and dynamics of the unplugged sound. Even when pushed to higher stage volumes, feedback was minimal and easily managed with the phase switch. The intuitive controls make dialing in your ideal amplified tone quick and hassle-free.
Overall, the Expression System 2 electronics package complements the 424ce Urban Ash beautifully. It’s a robust system optimized for reproducing the guitar’s exceptional acoustic voice in amplified environments, while giving players flexible tone shaping options.
Price & Value
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash has a street price of around $3,499, which puts it firmly in the premium price bracket for Taylor acoustics. This is comparable to other high-end Grand Auditorium models like the 414ce ($2,999), 517 ($3,999), and 914ce ($4,299).
You certainly pay a premium for the 424ce Urban Ash’s limited edition status, tonewoods, and appointments. However, it delivers exceptional value in several key areas:
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Premium tonewoods – The use of solid Urban Ash for the top, back, and sides is unusual for a production model and gives this guitar a unique voice. This tonewood combo would normally only be found on more costly custom shop models.
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Innovative bracing – The V-Class bracing results in improved volume, resonance and articulation. You’re getting a bracing breakthrough typically seen in Taylor’s most expensive guitars.
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High-end electronics – The Expression System 2 is among the best acoustic pickup systems available. It accurately captures the 424ce’s natural tone with flexible EQ shaping.
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Appointments – From the wooden binding to the fingerboard inlays, the 424ce’s appointments rival Taylor’s presentation-grade models costing $1,000+ more.
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Playability – Consistent low action, a comfortable neck profile, and Taylor’s signature playability make this guitar a joy to play.
Considering these factors, the 424ce Urban Ash represents an excellent value within its price tier. Discerning players get the looks, tone, and playability of a high-end instrument without venturing into 5-figure custom shop territory.
Who Is This Guitar Best For?
With its balanced and articulate tone, the 424ce Urban Ash would be an exceptional fit for various playing styles and genres:
Fingerstyle
The 424ce’s dynamic range and warmth lend themselves beautifully to fingerstyle techniques. The notes bloom with clarity, and the bass resonates richly. From folk to neoclassical, this guitar will excel for the fingerstylist seeking premium tone.
Flatpicking
The crisp treble and tight low-end provide the ideal foundation for flatpicking. The Urban Ash projects boldly while retaining note definition for fast lead lines. Flatpickers playing anything from bluegrass to country will appreciate the 424ce’s versatility.
Light Strumming
Despite its robust construction, the 424ce remains responsive to a light strumming touch. The balanced tone ensures chords ring out evenly across the frequency spectrum. Pop, rock, indie and worship players can strum smoothly without overdriving this guitar.
Percussive Style
The V-Class bracing gives the 424ce impressive volume and headroom. Guitarists using percussive techniques will be able to dig in while maintaining excellent clarity. The solid wood construction also enhances note articulation for percussive accents.
No matter your preferred playing style, the 424ce Urban Ash provides a dynamic acoustic experience suited for the stage or studio. Its premium materials and modern bracing design make it one of Taylor’s most versatile Grand Auditorium models to date.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Rich, balanced tone from the premium Urban Ash top – provides warmth and articulation
- Impressive volume and projection when played unplugged
- Revolutionary V-Class bracing improves resonance and dynamics
- Highly responsive – excels for fingerstyle and flatpicking techniques
- Premium appointments like ebony fingerboard and mother-of-pearl inlays
- Onboard ES2 electronics accurately capture the guitar’s natural tone
Cons:
- Premium price tag, though comparable to similar high-end Taylors
- Limited edition model could be difficult to find in stock
- Lack of cutaway limits upper fret access
- Not ideal for aggressive strumming due to the responsive nature
Conclusion
The Taylor 424ce Urban Ash Limited Edition stands out as a premium acoustic-electric packing incredible tonewoods, top-tier appointments, and revolutionary bracing in one stunning package. While the price tag firmly plants it in high-end territory, this is an investment that pays off for the right player.
With its resonant all-solid Urban Ash body and slick V-Class bracing, the 424ce delivers exceptionally balanced and articulate tone. The warmth and low-end are there in spades, but so is the clarity on the top end. It’s a guitar that flatters both gentle fingerstylists and aggressive flatpickers.
The playability is equally impressive thanks to Taylor’s meticulous craftsmanship. The neck feels slick and inviting right out of the case, while the body contours make it a dream to play for hours on end. Add in the flexible onboard electronics, and it’s ready to conquer any stage.
For discerning players who can afford it, the 424ce Urban Ash is a pinnacle acoustic experience. The tonewoods create a rich, organic voice. The bracing allows that voice to fully ring out. And the deluxe appointments give it a classy aesthetic befitting its premium status.
If you’re searching for a top-shelf acoustic that looks, sounds, and feels incredible, the Taylor 424ce Urban Ash Limited Edition warrants an audition. Its balance of warm, articulate tone and silky playability create an instrument that seasoned players will treasure for decades to come. This is a masterclass in acoustic guitar excellence.