Description
Taylor’s Master Guitar Designer, Andy Powers conceived the Builder’s Edition to combine Old World aesthetic qualities with the latest Taylor innovations. This version makes a change from to the ground-breaking spruce-top K14ce and features a solid koa top with solid koa back and sides. Words fail to adequately convey what might be referred to in Hawaiian as the nani ko-kı (supremely beautiful) appearance of Taylor’s Hawaiian koa guitars, especially those featuring an all-koa body. Taylor celebrates that beauty with an all-wood appointment scheme. A hand-sprayed shaded edgeburst enhances koa’s rich blend of color, figure and grain structure, adding a tasteful aura.
The Builder’s Edition is essentially Andy’s “Director’s Cut” edition with additional playing features and a distinct visual aesthetic. Exclusive to the Builder’s Edition: beveled armrest and beveled cutaway with neck heel contouring, “Curve Wing” bridge, “Silent” satin finish with Kona burst, inlaid purfling body edge treatment, paua fingerboard/peghead inlays and rosette, paua edge trim (top and back), premium Gotoh tuners with 21:1 ratio and Expression System 2 electronics. This instrument ships in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case for optimal fit and protection.
Body Shape
A Taylor original, the Grand Auditorium helped establish the Taylor acoustic sound. The popular body style makes for a versatile guitar that yields ample volume in response to light fingerpicking, and reacts to medium strumming and flatpicking with a clear, balanced sound across the tonal spectrum. If you want a great all-purpose guitar, the GA is an excellent choice.
Tonewood Pairing
A guitar’s top is the primary filter and distributor of vibrating string energy through the guitar, which means it has a huge impact on its sound. Koa is a fairly dense tropical hardwood with a strong midrange focus similar to mahogany, with a bit of extra top-end brightness and chime. The more koa is played and has a chance to open up—especially when the back and sides are also solid koa—it promises to grow warmer, sweeter and even more inspiring.
Electronics
Taylor’s ES2 is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. Because the pickup doesn’t sit under the saddle, the bottom of the saddle comes in full contact with the bridge, allowing all the nuance of the guitar’s tone to come through clearly whether playing acousticly or plugged-in. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before while playing plugged-in. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar. The Taylor Expression System 2 operates through a proprietary 9-volt battery compartment and easy-to-use volume, and active bass and treble controls.
Other Features
Taylor’s V-Class bracing is a fundamental innovation in acoustic guitar design. It marks an important evolution beyond traditional X-bracing, introducing an entirely new platform for acoustic performance. It is essentially an “engine” that optimizes the response of an acoustic guitar in three key ways: by boosting volume, sustain, and by largely resolving the intonation issues that have long plagued acoustic guitars. V-Class bracing creates purer, more orderly notes that don’t cancel each other out or sound “off.” They have clearer, more consistent response, and the whole fretboard is brought into greater sonic alignment for a more musical playing/listening experience. Guitars with V-Class bracing are easier to tune; the pitch sounds purer and more solid, and electronic tuners can more easily locate notes for quick, precise tuning. Other benefits: harmonics ring more uniformly down the neck, notes are louder with more projection and sustain, and notes are more consistent, i.e., upper register notes don’t get choked out or swallowed. Fewer “sour” sonic qualities exist with chords; a more agreeable relationship is created between notes as they ripen, bloom and decay.
Specs & Features
Body
- Body type: Taylor Grand Auditorium
- Cutaway: Yes – Venetian
- Top wood: Solid Figured Hawaiian Koa
- Back & sides: Solid Figured Hawaiian Koa
- Bracing pattern: Taylor V-Class Bracing with Relief Rout
- Body finish: Satin
- Orientation: Right-Handed
Neck
- Neck shape: Taylor Standard Profile
- Nut width: 1-3/4″ (44.5mm)
- Fingerboard: Genuine West African Ebony
- Neck wood: Tropical Mahogany
- Scale length: 25-1/2″
- Number of frets: 20
- Neck finish: Satin
- Electronics
- Pickup/preamp: Expression System 2 Professional Audio-Grade
- Brand: Taylor
- Configuration: Behind-the-Saddle Transducer with Adjustable Sensors
- Preamp EQ: Volume, Active Bass and Treble
- Feedback filter: Onboard Phase Switch
- Tuner: None
Other
- Headstock overlay: Genuine West African Ebony
- Tuning machines: Gotoh Gold Tuners with Gold Buttons
- Bridge: Genuine West African Ebony
- Saddle & nut: Black Graphite Nut, Micarta “Wave” Saddle
- Number of strings: 6
- Special features: V-Class Bracing
- Case: Taylor Deluxe Hard Shell Case
- Accessories: None
- Country of origin: USA
- Actual weight: 4.9 lbs.
