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800 Series Limited Edition 816ce Brazilian Rosewood Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric Guitar

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Overview

Present and full with rare back and sides tonewoods.

The essence of the Taylor playing experience lives within the rosewood/spruce 800 Series. With the debut of its comprehensive redesign in 2014, master guitar designer Andy Powers took what was already Taylor’s flagship guitar series and deployed an array of voicing enhancements, ranging from customized bracing and wood thicknesses for each body style to the use of protein glues and ultra-thin finish, to bring out another level of musicality. Together, these refinements deliver much more than the sum of their parts. For everyone from pros to hobbyists, they make the playing experience more expressive, inspiring and fun.  

The 856ce 12-string comes with Taylor Expression System 2 electronics and ship in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case. 

Grand Symphony
Compared to the Taylor Grand Auditorium, the Grand Symphony has a bigger, rounder lower bout and slightely wider "waist" area, and the bigger soundboard (top) means more tonal output. Expect a meaty lower midrange and strong treble shimmer. A GS is best if you want a guitar with a robust low end, strong volume when strumming or flatpicking, and clear articulation in response to light fingerpicking attack.

Tonewoods
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. Sitka Spruce is the most prevalent guitar top wood of the modern era. It blends stiffness and elasticity in just the right proportions which translates into broad dynamic range with crisp articulation. Brazilian rosewood remains a prized tonewood in the guitar world based on a hallowed heritage that traces back to the much-celebrated pre-war era of guitar building along with its scarcity due to longtime legal restrictions on its harvesting and export. The dense hardwood boasts striking visual appeal and a richly musical tone profile. Attributes include a crisp, clear, often bell-like ringing tone, especially in the treble frequencies; a warm and resonant low end; luxurious overtones that yield a wonderful complexity and sustain; and strong volume and responsiveness.

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
Custom-calibrated wood thicknesses and bracing for each body shape, 3.5 mil finish thickness, protein glue (bracing and bridge), rosewood pickguard, rosewood top trim, single ring abalone rosette edged with rosewood, pearl "Element" fingerboard inlay, maple binding (non-figured).

The Taylor Difference
What sets Taylor Guitars apart? Unmatched build quality, the most stable and playable necks, a vast array of tonal options, eco-conscious and ethically-sourced raw materials, and a lifetime of service and support.

Features

Body
  • Body type: Taylor Grand Symphony
  • Cutaway: Single Cutaway
  • Top wood: Solid Sitka Spruce
  • Back & sides: Solid Brazilian Rosewood (CITES Compliant)
  • Bracing pattern: 800 Series Advanced Performance Grand Symphony Bracing with Relief Rout
  • Body finish: Gloss 3.5 Top, Back and Sides
  • Orientation: Right-Handed
Neck
  • Neck shape: Taylor Standard Profile
  • Nut width: 1.75 in. (44.5 mm)
  • Fingerboard: Genuine African Ebony
  • Neck wood: Tropical Mahogany
  • Scale length: 25.5 in.
  • 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: 2-Band
  • Feedback filter: Phase
  • Tuner: No
Other
  • Headstock overlay: Genuine African Ebony
  • Tuning machines: Taylor Nickel Tuners with Nickel Buttons
  • Bridge: Genuine African Ebony
  • Saddle & nut: Micarta "Wave" Saddle; Tusq Nut
  • Number of strings: 12
  • Special features: See "Other Features" above
  • Case: Deluxe Hardshell Case
  • Accessories: None
  • Country of origin: United States

Order soon. It's a magnificent guitar.

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