Custom Sassafras Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar

This custom limited edition Grand Auditorium is limited to 12, and features premium back and sides of solid sassafras, a gorgeous Bearclaw Lutz spruce top, and revolutionary V-Class bracing. It is beautifully appointed with Abalone Ascension inlays, Abalone Paua single-ring abalone rosette with bound Soundhole, Goto 510 Antique Gold Tuners, and ES2 electronics. Standard specs for this model include a 25-1/2" scale length, a 1-3/4" nut width, and a Venetian cutaway. The guitar ships in a deluxe Taylor hardshell case.

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. For players seeking a great all-purpose guitar, the GA is an excellent choice.

Tone Wood Pairing
According to Andy Powers, "Sassafras is radically different from Indian rosewood or any other tonewood we typically use for guitars. Sourced from Tasmania, sassafras varies wildly in color and quality, and individual trees can be as distinct as humans. In fact, sassafras can be so diverse that even within a single tree, neighboring sets of the wood can look very different. A timber's color and figure typically relate to the way the tree grew and are connected to markers like the tree's growth rings. Musically, sassafras has a tone profile that's hard to pin down because it varies from player to player. In general, it blends the midrange warmth of mahogany, the top-end sparkle of rosewood, and the clarity of maple. Also like maple, it tends to respond to the unique nuances of a player's attack."

Pairing the sassafras body with a Western Red Cedar top adds a little more warmth, making it almost like a played-in vintaged sounding guitar. It unique sonic timbre adds the right amount of "EQ" to the body to create a sound that is truly unique and totally Taylor.

V-Class Bracing
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 a "sonic engine" that optimizes the response of an acoustic guitar in three key ways: by boosting volume, sustain, and by largely resolving the intonation (in-tune-ness) 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.

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 acoustically 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.