2012 Fall Limited 414ce-FLTD Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Tasmanian blackwood rivals koa' tone profile ” featuring a meaty midrange with the top-end brightness of maple ” and adds a splash of rosewood' low end. Paired with Western Red cedar tops, this guitar will sound woody and warm. Fingerpickers and light-to-medium strummers will love the warmth. The wood-rich appointment package incorporates rock maple for the contrasting back mini wedge, œfishbone-style rosette, and binding. Small dot inlays and a satin-finish back and sides support a natural, understated aesthetic.

Grand Auditorium (GA)
Body Length: 20" / Body Width: 16" / Body Depth: 4-5/8"
Taylor's most popular and versatile body shape, the mid-size Grand Auditorium, arrived in 1994 bearing refined proportions that fell between a Dreadnought and Grand Concert. While the bigger Dreadnought was traditionally considered a flatpicker' guitar and the smaller Grand Concert catered to fingerstylists, the GA was designed to deliver on both fronts. The shape produced an original acoustic voice that was big enough to handle medium-strength picking and strumming, yet with impressive balance across the tonal spectrum, especially in the midrange, producing clear, well-defined notes that suited both strumming and fingerstyle playing. The GA' overall presence tracks well with other instruments both in a studio mix and on stage, and singer-songwriters have embraced its utility both for composing and traveling with one guitar. Many people want a single guitar that can cover a variety of styles, which is why the GA continues to be the bestselling shape. If you want a great all-purpose guitar, the multi-dimensional GA won™t let you down.

Tasmanian Blackwood
Origin: Australia
Tasmanian blackwood is an acacia wood species that' a close cousin of Hawaiian koa. Though it might not match koa' cachet in terms of exotic beauty, its tonal range is similar, and visually it often exhibits some of koa' same character traits. Blackwood also is sourced from forests that are responsibly managed, making it a sustainable wood for guitar making. Blackwood takes koa' basic tonal profile (a blend of mahogany' meaty midrange and maple' brightness) and adds a splash of rosewood' overtone bloom.

Goes Well With: Different playing styles, depending on the body style and top pairing. A cedar top will help bring out a springy, woody, warm low end with a rich overtone complement that fingerstylists may really enjoy. Stronger strummers and flatpickers will match up well with a bigger body and might be better suited with a spruce top.

Expression System
People love the clear, full acoustic tone of their Taylors. Why should it be any different when they plug in? That' why several years were spent developing the onboard acoustic pickup and preamp. Taylor' ground-breaking Expression System (ES) was designed to naturally amplify the warm acoustic sound of your guitar.

The ES is an all-magnetic acoustic guitar pickup system that works like a microphone to produce a pure signal and a warm, natural acoustic sound. When you plug in, you'll hear the sound of your guitar, not the sound of the pickup. No complicated controls. No tone simulators. Just a clean amplified acoustic guitar sound supported by three simple controls ” volume, bass and treble.

Breakthrough Technology
Years of research brought Taylor to a simple realization: Nothing sounds as true and musical as a microphone. With that as a starting point, Taylor' David Hosler led the team responsible for the Expression System's breakthrough technology. Utilizing a unique Dynamic Body Sensor mounted to the soundboard, a Dynamic String Sensor embedded beneath the fretboard, and a discrete preamp, the advanced ES technology is unlike any other guitar pickup system.

Integrated Design
The ES was designed in-house, alongside Taylor's acoustic guitars, which allowed them to build the ES seamlessly into the design of the guitar, for an integrated pickup system unlike any other. From the design and location of the body and string sensors to the voicing of the preamp, the ES is fully optimized for the Taylor sound. The elegant design, including the non-intrusive control knobs, also preserves the aesthetic of a Taylor guitar.