Become Part of a 35 Year Tradition American Songwriter has been the number one resource on The Craft of Music for Songwriters and Music Enthusiasts since 1984 The Verdict But when you’re starting out, you really need everything going for you.”. Electronics could use more headroom and bandwidth. Bath ... and is especially beneficial on the larger dreadnought 10e that we have up for review here. All rights reserved. The notably light hue of the solid Sitka spruce here won’t be to some traditionalist tastes, but it gives the guitars a clean, defined look that, as we’ll find out, is reflective of performance. Prime. Taylor, however, has always gone its own way. The Body. Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Given the success of those instruments, as well as Taylor’s mid-priced, Mexico-built 100 and 200 series guitars, the arrival of Taylor’s new entry-level Academy Series may come as a surprise. The 10e also responds well to aggressive flatpick strumming, “distorting” in a pleasing way that reveals surprising headroom and harmonic detail. There was a problem. While that’s commendable, the choice of mahogany sandwiched between the sapele and spruce looks a little conspicuous for our liking. But before them, Taylor was putting its instruments into new hands thanks to the Baby and GS Mini travel-sized lines. He has been the gear editor at, On PremierGuitar.com, "Sponsored Content" refers to articles, videos, or audio recordings that are produced or curated by an advertiser but that, NAMM '17 - Taylor Guitars Academy Series and GS Mini Bass Demos, 1. Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. Read more: Sigma Modern Series GK2CE-4+ KOA. In designing these instruments, Taylor’s luthier, Andy Powers, stripped the guitars of their nonessentials to arrive at designs that are not only rugged and cost-effective, but handsome in their simplicity. You will receive a verification email shortly. Excellent ergonomics. Sounds. This is where the ‘Andy Powers difference’ comes 
into play: this guitar sounds and feels superior acoustically and plugged in than most models we’ve played in their class, with the exception of Martin. It features the standard sitka spruce soundboard, prized for its rich highs, and the layered sapele body helps keep the sound full.. Acoustic guitars require a much more creative engineering process. As the level of instrument quality your money buys continues to increase, so does the list of options out there. It does this by physically making the guitar easier to bring closer to the player’s body, and is especially beneficial on the larger dreadnought 10e that we have up for review here. And for some players, the frequency-shaping advantages offered from EQ control via a PA’s mixing desk or pedal unit could come into play more to mellow things out. There’s no binding, which lends balance and air to the elegant if slightly boxy lines and proportions. “Ironically, in many respects, a player who is just beginning deserves the best-playing guitar,” he adds. Eyebrows will be raised at the sight of the upper body’s armrest. PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo: The PG Review, 3. The heavier flatpick approach that the 10e often invites predictably reveals some of the system’s limitations—enhancing some of the 10e’s more nasal midrange tendencies while narrowing the workable, distortion-free frequency bandwidth. A lot of big guitar companies use a simple strategy for building affordable flattops: take the blueprint for an existing model, find a factory overseas, and build the same guitar with less expensive labor and materials. But the Academy series—which includes grand concerts, a nylon-string hybrid, and the dreadnought reviewed here—is the welcome product of Taylor’s emphasis (obsession, perhaps) with design refinement at the affordable end of the flattop market. © And a softer fingerstyle approach, which was really my favorite way to use the 10e, summoned a lot of bass presence from the shadows and added an almost mahogany-like mellowness to the midrange. This is a thoughtfully built, fine-playing flattop that consistently delivers sonic surprises and consistently feels more expensive than it is. The ES-B pickup and preamp provide solid, reliable amplification, and sound quite pleasing in light fingerstyle applications. For softer players, this guitar sounds impressively detailed and nuanced at low volumes. “It’s important to give a beginning player the most comfortable, gratifying experience to make a welcoming first impression,”says Taylor’s master luthier Andy Powers of the genesis behind the Academy Series. The setup is excellent, and despite trips from Southern California to Iowa and back to California again in late winter, the intonation is nearly perfect. Hooked: Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", 4. Like Taylor’s GS, Baby, 100, and 200, the Academy uses an arched laminate sapele back, which eliminates the need for back bracing. Nevertheless, despite the simple acrylic dot fret markers, it’s not completely utilitarian; the laminated birch and fiber rope braid design rosette is understated but stylish. First Look: Hughes & Kettner Spirit Nano Series. And the 10e is an imaginative and thoughtful guitar that clearly leverages lessons learned from Taylor’s already fruitful endeavors in this range. Though this feature is typically associated with boutique flattops (it adds an expensive extra set of steps to the build process), the bevel is actually very consistent with the Academy’s function-over-form ethos. Receive news and offers from our other brands? The Academy Series represents a very clear vision, and in many ways, a dream beginner guitar, as well as potential trade-up for some existing players – one that can inspire and go the distance with a guitarist from bedroom to stage. Please refresh the page and try again. It’s an idea that shatters those first guitar memories of cheese-gratingly high action and warped necks that some of us still shudder at. All Rights Reserved The ES-B’s lack of bass control, as found on the ES-2, may be an issue for some live players. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? 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