NGD: first acoustic - Taylor 214ce

mattgreenrocks

mattgreenrocks

Inspired
I finally found an acoustic guitar I really like! I spent some time at the local Guitar Center trying a lot of different brands out. I went in expecting to come out with a Yamaha, Takamine, or Seagull, but none of those guitars spoke to me much. They sounded good, mind you, just nothing I had to have. I then tried a few Martins and Taylors around my price range ($1k). Tried the Taylor 110, 210, and a 314. The Taylor 210 was the first acoustic I picked up that seemed to almost play itself. Problem was, it was huge, so I didn't buy it immediately. Did some research and learned there were different sizes, and the 214ce was a very popular guitar. Tried it yesterday and loved it. Same feel as the 210 but the size works better. I probably could've swung a used 314, but I honestly didn't gel with it as much despite knowing I should, it being all-wood construction and such.

Happy to be starting a new leg of learning guitar. So far I've learned that acoustic guitar doesn't need muting as much as high-gain electric does, so it plays a little differently, and that my fretting hand is still a bit prissy with thicker acoustic strings. :)

If you have any recs for easy acoustic songs to play that you like, pass them along please! I'm using this as an excuse to acknowledge there are other genres out there besides metal.
 

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I have had my 214ce for almost 20 years. Great guitar!
I recently got a 314ce and also tried out a 614. Taylor to me is all about the feel. The higher number doesn’t automatically mean better; it is what feels right.

Congrats! They only get better with age.
 
Congrats Matt - I understand.
I got that exact same guitar for Christmas last year. It's also my first acoustic guitar. I love the way it plays --- except I'm having a difficult time getting the tones I want with an FM3 and Reaper DAW. The Taylor sounded great in the store using an acoustic guitar amp. I know the FM3 really isn't specialized for acoustic guitars (with piezo under the bridge pickups) but my enthusiasm with recording with my Taylor is fading. I've tried a couple of IRs but I'm not having any luck. Just wondering if you are recording with the Taylor using a Fractal unit?

Anyone else using something like a Focusrite Scarlet or similar product for their acoustic guitar recordings?
 
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Happy NGD!! Taylors are truly great guitars!

When I started playing acoustic (after playing electric for about 5 years), I initially just played the things I knew anyway. Not too long after that, it seemed like everyone was coming out with acoustic albums (Alice in Chains, Tesla, Nirvana, etc.) and I started playing some of that, too. Zeppelin always had some great acoustic stuff and I started listening to Leo Kottke as well as some old Delta blues. There's a ton of great acoustic players, so I'd encourage you to branch out as much as possible. Some you won't like and some, maybe you will. I think finding new things that I can incorporate into the things I like to play or applying things I already know to new styles is one of the most exciting things about playing. Best of luck with your new Taylor!!
 
awesome. congrats! I got my first Taylor this past year also. i love it. I traded my Seagull in which was also a great guitar but the Taylor just more special to my ears.
 
Chewie5150 said:
awesome. congrats! I got my first Taylor this past year also. i love it. I traded my Seagull in which was also a great guitar but the Taylor just more special to my ears.
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I still remember the first time I played a Taylor. It just had the sound I was hearing in my head, made even better by how easy it was to play and how good it felt in my hands. I've had a 314 for 17 years now and added a 412 12-string about 12 years ago.

I'll give a shout out to Taylor's customer service, too. After I had my 12-string for a couple of years, I noticed that there were stains developing on the top of the guitar. I call Taylor, hoping that they might be able to suggest something I could do to remove it and they ended up refinishing the guitar for free. Even sent me a shipping container to ship it to them, and got it back to me in less than two weeks from that initial call. Turns out, it was a known issue caused by a dye change at the case manufacturer that they quickly corrected. Anyway, it was completely unexpected and greatly appreciated, just an awesome experience.
 
Churchhill said:
I still remember the first time I played a Taylor. It just had the sound I was hearing in my head, made even better by how easy it was to play and how good it felt in my hands. I've had a 314 for 17 years now and added a 412 12-string about 12 years ago.

I'll give a shout out to Taylor's customer service, too. After I had my 12-string for a couple of years, I noticed that there were stains developing on the top of the guitar. I call Taylor, hoping that they might be able to suggest something I could do to remove it and they ended up refinishing the guitar for free. Even sent me a shipping container to ship it to them, and got it back to me in less than two weeks from that initial call. Turns out, it was a known issue caused by a dye change at the case manufacturer that they quickly corrected. Anyway, it was completely unexpected and greatly appreciated, just an awesome experience.
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yeah the playability really sealed it for me when comparing to other guitars
 
You may find that there are some pretty neat presets you can create on your fractal to make your new Taylor even more fun to play. Congratulations on your new guitar!
 
mattgreenrocks said:
I finally found an acoustic guitar I really like! I spent some time at the local Guitar Center trying a lot of different brands out. I went in expecting to come out with a Yamaha, Takamine, or Seagull, but none of those guitars spoke to me much. They sounded good, mind you, just nothing I had to have. I then tried a few Martins and Taylors around my price range ($1k). Tried the Taylor 110, 210, and a 314. The Taylor 210 was the first acoustic I picked up that seemed to almost play itself. Problem was, it was huge, so I didn't buy it immediately. Did some research and learned there were different sizes, and the 214ce was a very popular guitar. Tried it yesterday and loved it. Same feel as the 210 but the size works better. I probably could've swung a used 314, but I honestly didn't gel with it as much despite knowing I should, it being all-wood construction and such.

Happy to be starting a new leg of learning guitar. So far I've learned that acoustic guitar doesn't need muting as much as high-gain electric does, so it plays a little differently, and that my fretting hand is still a bit prissy with thicker acoustic strings. :)

If you have any recs for easy acoustic songs to play that you like, pass them along please! I'm using this as an excuse to acknowledge there are other genres out there besides metal.
Click to expand...
Nice! Taylors are great guitars (having 210CE and GS Mini-E now).
I just testing some string gauges in 210CE and GS Mini-E and also trying to build 12 string sound for them :D.

They sounds great with Axe FX 3.
 
AtomicJeff said:
Congrats Matt - I understand.
I got that exact same guitar for Christmas last year. It's also my first acoustic guitar. I love the way it plays --- except I'm having a difficult time getting the tones I want with an FM3 and Reaper DAW. The Taylor sounded great in the store using an acoustic guitar amp. I know the FM3 really isn't specialized for acoustic guitars (with piezo under the bridge pickups) but my enthusiasm with recording with my Taylor is fading. I've tried a couple of IRs but I'm not having any luck. Just wondering if you are recording with the Taylor using a Fractal unit?

Anyone else using something like a Focusrite Scarlet or similar product for their acoustic guitar recordings?
Click to expand...
Close mic 12th fret
Control room noise
Experiment with different microphones
Try different mic techniques
Capture guitar first and then use FM3 in post.
 
mattgreenrocks said:
I finally found an acoustic guitar I really like! I spent some time at the local Guitar Center trying a lot of different brands out. I went in expecting to come out with a Yamaha, Takamine, or Seagull, but none of those guitars spoke to me much. They sounded good, mind you, just nothing I had to have. I then tried a few Martins and Taylors around my price range ($1k). Tried the Taylor 110, 210, and a 314. The Taylor 210 was the first acoustic I picked up that seemed to almost play itself. Problem was, it was huge, so I didn't buy it immediately. Did some research and learned there were different sizes, and the 214ce was a very popular guitar. Tried it yesterday and loved it. Same feel as the 210 but the size works better. I probably could've swung a used 314, but I honestly didn't gel with it as much despite knowing I should, it being all-wood construction and such.

Happy to be starting a new leg of learning guitar. So far I've learned that acoustic guitar doesn't need muting as much as high-gain electric does, so it plays a little differently, and that my fretting hand is still a bit prissy with thicker acoustic strings. :)

If you have any recs for easy acoustic songs to play that you like, pass them along please! I'm using this as an excuse to acknowledge there are other genres out there besides metal.
Click to expand...
Enjoy your Taylor. I have had my 810 since 1998. I wish I had the new neck system like yours, but regardless it plays and sounds great.
 
mattgreenrocks said:
If you have any recs for easy acoustic songs to play that you like, pass them along please! I'm using this as an excuse to acknowledge there are other genres out there besides metal.
Click to expand...
I always enjoyed playing Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson with the band.
 
That whole CE series is the sweet spot for Taylor as far as I am concerned. They are very consistent within each model level.
 
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