Introduction
Taylor Guitars has built a reputation over the past few decades as one of the premier acoustic guitar manufacturers. Based in California, the company was founded by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug in 1974. Since then, Taylor has pioneered innovative guitar shapes and tonewood pairings that produce world-class instruments known for their playability, tone and craftsmanship.
The Taylor 854ce is part of the 800 Series, which represents the pinnacle of Taylor’s guitar offerings. It’s a high-end Grand Auditorium acoustic-electric, featuring a solid Sitka spruce top and figured cocobolo back and sides. The 854ce combines the rich, complex voice of all-solid woods with Taylor’s expressive ES2 pickup system, resulting in an extremely versatile 12-string that excels both onstage and in the studio.
In this review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the build quality, materials, sound and playability that define this exceptional instrument. Our goal is to provide guitarists with a comprehensive resource for determining if the 854ce is the right fit for their playing style and musical needs.
Fretboard Material
The Taylor 854ce features an ebony fretboard, which offers a smooth and durable playing surface. Ebony is prized as a fretboard material due to its hardness, stability, and striking black appearance.
Compared to rosewood, another popular fretboard wood, ebony provides more articulation and note separation. The dense grain structure allows each note to ring out clearly and evenly across all six strings. Ebony also enhances sustain, allowing notes to ring out longer.
Many players appreciate ebony’s smooth feel, which facilitates quick runs and complex chording. The material has a natural lubricity that speeds up the movement of the fretting hand. Ebony also holds its smoothness over time, while some rosewood boards can develop small ridges from extensive playing.
Overall, the ebony fretboard gives the 854ce excellent tone and playability. The material’s hardness prevents premature wear while contributing to the guitar’s crisp note definition. Players who value clarity and sustain will appreciate the tonal qualities of ebony.
Model Family & Sub-Family
The Taylor 854ce is part of Taylor’s top-tier 800 Series, representing the pinnacle of the company’s acoustic guitar offerings. The 800 Series guitars feature premium tonewoods, immaculate craftsmanship, and Taylor’s most advanced design elements.
Within the 800 Series, the 854ce belongs to the Grand Auditorium sub-family. The Grand Auditorium is Taylor’s original body shape designed for versatile tone across different playing styles. It strikes a balance between the powerful low end of a Dreadnought and the articulate highs of a smaller bodied guitar. The Grand Auditorium’s tapered waist gives it a comfortable feel and allows easy access to upper frets.
The 854ce incorporates many of the hallmarks of the Grand Auditorium line, including a solid Sitka spruce top and layered rosewood back and sides. The 12-string design provides a lush, chorusing sound to the GA’s balanced voice. Overall, the 854ce represents the pinnacle of Taylor’s flagship body shape in a 12-string acoustic-electric format. It exemplifies the premium appointments and versatility that define the Grand Auditorium family within Taylor’s catalog.
Neck Material & Construction
The Taylor 854ce features a mahogany neck, which contributes to the guitar’s overall warm, rich tone. Mahogany is a popular tonewood for guitar necks, prized for its blend of strength, stability, and natural sustain. The mahogany neck’s moderate density helps produce a balanced tone across the frequency spectrum, with excellent note separation and definition. It provides a strong foundation for the guitar’s complex 12-string voicings to shine through.
A key element of the 854ce’s neck construction is Taylor’s patented NT neck joint. This clever engineering innovation allows the neck to be seamlessly bolted onto the body of the guitar, creating a smooth heel that enhances upper fret access. The NT joint also permits unimpeded resonance transfer from the neck into the body, allowing the guitar’s full tonal range to bloom. Overall, the mahogany neck and Taylor’s patented neck joint work together to provide great feel, rock-solid stability, singing sustain, and organic warmth suited for a wide breadth of musical styles.
Number of Frets & Scale Length
The Taylor 854ce acoustic-electric guitar has 20 frets and a 25.5" scale length. This scale length provides ideal string tension that makes playing easier while still retaining rich tone and resonance. The 20 frets give players ample room for solos and improvisation up the neck.
The 25.5" scale is considered a "long scale" length. This added scale length means the strings have slightly higher tension compared to shorter 24.75" or 24.5" scales common on many acoustics. While the increased tension can be harder to fret initially, it rewards the player with fuller tone, stronger projection, and better intonation when fretting chords and notes up the neck.
The 20 frets are a versatile amount for acoustic guitars. Players who use a lot of high fret lead playing will appreciate the two full octaves available. At the same time, the fret spacing is comfortable and accessible for chordal playing too. Those with smaller hands may find the wider 12-string neck challenging at first, but the 854ce’s smooth modern neck profile with a standard 1 3/4" nut width helps offset this.
Overall, the combination of a 25.5" scale length and 20 frets gives this Taylor 12-string a great balance of comfortable playability and rich, resonant tone. The scale allows for optimum tension while the number of frets provides versatility for various playing styles and techniques.
Tonewoods & Bracing
The 854ce features premium tonewoods selected for their exceptional acoustic properties and rich, balanced tone. The back and sides are constructed from exotic cocobolo, a dense tropical hardwood prized for its complex overtones, strong projection, and articulate highs. Paired with the cocobolo is a solid Sitka spruce top, which provides warmth and sweetness in the midrange along with crisp highs and tight low end.
The bracing patterns also have a significant impact on the 854ce’s voice. Taylor uses proprietary bracing techniques like relief routing and parabolic shaping to enhance resonance and volume while preventing overtones from taking over the sound. The guitar incorporates Taylor’s C-Class bracing, which allows the cocobolo back and sides to fully bloom and ring out. Overall, the tonewood combination and meticulous bracing result in a 12-string with impressive balance across all frequencies and excellent note separation even during busy chordal passages.
Electronics & Plugged-In Performance
The Taylor 854ce is equipped with Taylor’s proprietary Expression System 2 electronics, designed to accurately translate the nuances of the guitar’s tone when plugged in. The Expression System 2 utilizes strategically positioned, dual-sensing pickup sensors just behind the saddle to capture the guitar’s organic resonance and string vibrations.
Compared to piezo-only systems, the Expression System 2 aims to produce a more natural, dynamic amplified tone. The pickup sensors feed Taylor’s custom-designed preamp, which applies tonal shaping while retaining the guitar’s inherent acoustic character. Owners praise the ES2 system for its detailed tone representation, quick response, and feedback resistance when plugged into an amplifier or PA system.
When amplified, the 854ce provides impressive projection suitable for stage use, while still maintaining the articulate 12-string jangle. The tone remains balanced across the frequency spectrum, with bright yet warm highs and tight, focused lows. The ES2 system also gives players control over their tone with adjustable treble and bass EQ, along with a built-in tuner. Overall, the 854ce’s electronics package offers guitarists a versatile amplified performance tool for gigs or recording sessions.
Playability & Feel
The Taylor 854ce delivers a smooth and comfortable 12-string playing experience thanks to its ergonomic design. The wider string spacing and thicker neck profile are specifically optimized for the demands of the 12-string format. The smooth satin neck finish allows for effortless sliding up and down the fretboard during lead lines and solos.
The light V-shaped neck profile provides just the right amount of thickness and contour for comfortably wrapping your thumb around chords and complex fingerpicking patterns. This promotes proper hand positioning and reduces fatigue during long practice or gigging sessions. Some guitarists may need a brief adjustment period if switching from a 6-string, but the 854ce’s thoughtful design makes it more playable than most 12-strings on the market.
The shorter 24 7/8" scale length reduces overall string tension compared to 25.5" scale 12-strings. This allows for a slightly looser and more forgiving feel when fretting chords and bends. The smooth and nicely rounded fret ends further enhance playability by eliminating sharp edges that can irritate fingers during long playing sessions.
The wider 1 3/4" nut width provides ample space between strings for fingerpicking and using a pick. The strings are evenly spaced for clear note separation and articulation. Overall, the 854ce provides a very playable and fatigue-free experience that sets it apart from other premium 12-string guitars. It balances the rich, complex voice that 12-strings are known for with ergonomics and comfort typically found on high-end 6-string models.
Tone & Sound Characteristics
The Taylor 854ce produces a well-balanced 12-string acoustic tone with impressive projection and dynamic range. The guitar’s Sitka spruce top provides crisp articulation in the highs while the cocobolo back and sides add richness and complexity to the midrange and low end. There is a clear chime and shimmer to the high strings that rings out beautifully, especially when played fingerstyle.
The 854ce has a focused and direct sound that projects evenly across its tonal spectrum. It’s not overly bright or bass-heavy, but has a refined acoustic voice. The guitar is very responsive and can be played with a light touch while still producing pleasing volume and sustain. It has a wide dynamic range, capable of both hushed fingerpicked passages and aggressive full-strumming. The sound remains balanced and clear even during energetic playing.
Overall, the 854ce has an organic, resonant 12-string tone with excellent tonal balance and articulation. The crisp trebles, lush midrange, and tight lows work together seamlessly. The guitar projects well both on stage and in the studio. It handles both subtle fingerstyle work and aggressive strumming with ease thanks to its robust construction and refined acoustic voice. For players seeking an exceptional 12-string instrument, the 854ce delivers professional-grade tone and musicality.
Aesthetic & Visual Appeal
The Taylor 854ce is a stunning instrument, showcasing the expert craftsmanship and attention to detail that Taylor is renowned for. The guitar features intricate abalone and mother-of-pearl inlays along the fretboard and around the soundhole, providing an elegant aesthetic accent. The edges are beautifully bound with layered ivoroid binding, and the rosette follows the same color scheme.
The solid Sitka spruce top is nicely bookmatched, with two complementary pieces joined down the center to create a symmetrical wood grain pattern. The gloss finish allows the unique colors and characteristics of the cocobolo back and sides to shine through. Overall the 854ce has a refined yet organic look, with the wood grains and colors on display.
Small touches like the chrome Taylor tuners, Tusq nut and saddle, and ebony bridge pins add to the upscale appearance. And the fretwork is immaculate, with smoothly dressed frets seamlessly integrated into the fretboard. Owners routinely praise the 854ce for its incredible attention to detail and flawless craftsmanship. It’s truly a work of art as much as a musical instrument.