Have you already decided that you’ll be sticking with Taylor guitars? If yes, you may be wondering - what is the best Taylor guitar for the money? As several Taylor guitars carry a hefty price tag.
With this point of view, the biggest argument comes to mind – are the Taylor guitars worth the money? In answer to your question, if several options show you a big thumb-up, then you’ll start thinking - which Taylor guitar should I buy?
Now you may feel like enough of it; we are confusing you more by just asking several questions. These are the things that you should look out for in every product.
For this reason, we have attached a comprehensive buying guide to help you reach the best value Taylor guitar. To help you decide, we have also picked a few top Taylor guitars and reviewed them accordingly for your help.
RECOMMENDED TAYLOR GUITAR
Product Image | MODEL Name | PRODUCT DETAILS | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | TAYLOR GS MINI | ||
 | TAYLOR BT2 | ||
 | TAYLOR GS MINI-E | ||
 | TAYLOR BT1 |
What Are Taylor Guitars, and Why are they so Popular?
Thousands upon thousands of professional guitarists prefer Taylor guitars for recording and live performance, as the guitars are travel-friendly, easy to carry, small, and compact, but could retain the power of a full-bodied guitar. They offer the comfort you want, the tone you’ve always been looking for, and the sound you demand from a quality acoustic guitar.
9 BEST TAYLOR GUITAR REVIEW
1. TAYLOR GS MINI MAHOGANY - BEST TAYLOR ACOUSTIC GUITAR
PRODUCT DETAILS
The GD Mini Mahogany is one of the best Taylor guitars for beginners, a non-cutaway traditional acoustic guitar; that comes equipped with all sweet spots; we usually look into the Taylor guitars.
The solid wooden construction is highlighted with Relief Rout architecture and X-bracing, ensuring a great natural acoustic tone. The Sapele-built 23.5” scale length neck feels comfortable in hand, which is ideal for the players with small hands or beginners.
The varnish finishing touch emphasizes the natural wood color, whereas the 3-ring plastic rosette adds an extra decorative touch to the soundhole. In addition, the die-cast chrome tuners, Micarta saddle, and Tusq nut are also there to prove how durable the guitar is.
The soft-shell case is like the cherry on the top; it helps you carry this guitar to rehearsals or gigs. This guitar is a good option for working musicians or intermediate guitars; who want a high-quality acoustic guitar within an affordable price range.
HIGHLIGHTS
2. TAYLOR BT2 (BABY TAYLOR) - BEST TAYLOR GUITAR FOR BEGINNERS
PRODUCT DETAILS
From a beginner's perspective, you’ll find the BT2 acoustic model is a joy to play, or maybe the best all-around Taylor guitar. The guitar is great for fingerstyle playing, sits well in your lap, lets you play comfortably, even if you have small hands, and sounds deceptively bigger than it is.
The BT2 baby Taylor is great in the mid to high range, though it lacks a bit in the low-end range. The lightweight construction rounded back plus the bolt-on neck mediates some of the lack of low-end and resonance.
However, this guitar sounds just appropriate according to its construction and size. We truly like its compact design, premium construction, sound, and tonal quality. Aside from the children or under-sized adults, we also found it a good option for the professionals to do an acoustic duet with other or larger Taylor-quality guitars.
HIGHLIGHTS
3. TAYLOR GS MINI-E SOLID KOA - BEST TAYLOR GUITAR UNDER 1000
PRODUCT DETAILS
The GS Mini-E model is slightly different from the previously reviewed GS mini model. For instance, it has Taylor chrome tuners instead of die-cast toners, 3-layered wood back instead of laminate back, and an Expression System 2 electronics instead of ES-Go electronics.
The mahogany-built guitars usually have mellow tones, as the GS mini offers, but the GS Mini-e version is made of Koa wood, which provides almost bell-like chimes and a bright tone. The sound of Koa guitars becomes warmer over time.
You would also love its aesthetic appeal, comfortable design, and scale-down size, but the sound is like full-sized guitars. The Taylor GS Mini-e is another best-selling guitar of Taylor; that provides all of the sweet tones; you want.
HIGHLIGHTS
4. TAYLOR BT1 (BABY TAYLOR) - BEST TAYLOR GUITAR FOR THE MONEY
PRODUCT DETAILS
Are you looking for a fun companion for your children? Nothing could be a better gift than this 3/4-sized guitar, Baby Taylor BT1. We have already reviewed another model, BT2 of the Baby Taylor series, but this one sounds slightly different from the previous option because of its different wooden construction.
The Tropical American Mahogany-built neck with a 22.75” scale length and 19 frets is just meant for smaller hands, whereas the dot inlays on the fingerboard help the user identify the frets with ease. The standard X-bracing architecture on the Dreadnought cutaway body provides better stability and tonal balance.
Aesthetically, this guitar looks so simple; in reality, easy-to-play, as well. The varnish finishing touch makes the natural wood color brighter and more aesthetically pleasing. The padded gig bag is a great add-on, enabling you to carry it anywhere.
Why only children? You could also carry this cute baby guitar on your trip. Just imagine; you’re singing a song by playing guitar, and the mesmerizing view of the river valley is in front of you. So, don’t think much; give this Taylor beginner guitar a try on your next vacation.
HIGHLIGHTS
5. Taylor 214ce Grand Auditorium Sitka/Rosewood
PRODUCT DETAILS
The mid-sized grand auditorium body shape with Venetian cutaway makes the 214CE model top-one among the most popular Taylor guitars. The body style of this guitar is extremely easy to handle, and the cutaway makes accessing frets super easy.
The Taylor 214CE has the most advanced forward-shifted bracing pattern; that increases the area of the top, so it becomes more responsive and louder than others. In addition to the quality construction, it features the most desirable Taylor's Expression System 2 electronics with 3-band EQ onboard preamp for accurate amplification.
When you purchase a high-value guitar, like the 214CE, you must be thinking – will the Taylor guitar value the money? Though the style of Taylor 214CE is for everyone, it is nonetheless an excellent option to buy for those; who want a better bass response and bright and focused sound.
HIGHLIGHTS
6. Taylor 214ce Deluxe Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar
PRODUCT DETAILS
If you are concerned about aesthetic diversity, we suggest exploring the models of the Taylor 200 series; more precisely, you must check out this one, 214CE. The guitar style is perfect for all kinds of guitarists; who love playing guitars in strumming and picking styles.
The Grand Auditorium style is smaller than the jumbo dreadnought styles plus offers crisp, strong, and definitive sound. The Venetian cutaway feels much more comfortable to access the upper register when you play in a sitting position.
It sounds amazing in amplified mode, though the tone is also bright and warm in normal mode. The 214CE is one of the best-sounding Taylor guitars; that comes with an affordable price point.
HIGHLIGHTS
7. Taylor Baby Taylor BTe-Koa Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
PRODUCT DETAILS
Taylor Baby BTe-Koa is a combination of beautiful looks and a warm tone. It has an all Hawaiian Koa body, a sparkling neck of Sapele wood, and the midrange richness of mahogany.
This 3/4 dreadnought body-style guitar covers a wide-ranging tone with excellent balance. The ES-B electronic also delivers a great-sounding natural tone. Moreover, you get a chromatic tune with an LED display; that helps tune the guitar as well as control the volume and tone.
The Baby Taylor guitars are all about making fun or building your skills from the beginning, so the BT-E Koa also offers everything you need like other models to get going.
HIGHLIGHTS
8. Taylor 114E Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar
PRODUCT DETAILS
The most popular Taylor Grand Auditorium body style is designed for yielding ample volume with a clear, balanced sound across the tonal spectrum. It provides the ultimate comfort to the players; who play in light to medium strumming and flat-picking styles.
Like the other Taylor guitars, it also has Sitka spruce top; that positively impacts the sound. It covers a dynamic range of sound and delivers impressive volume projection and articulation.
The layered wooden construction on the body makes it durable and best performing against versatile temperature and humidity levels, so it requires less maintenance. Such durability and the included reinforced nylon gig bag make the GS 114E an excellent choice for the players, who often need to travel for their concert or stage programs.
HIGHLIGHTS
9. Taylor Deluxe 224CE-K Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar
PRODUCT DETAILS
If you want to buy one of the best-sounding Taylor guitars without breaking the bank, look at the GA Deluxe 224CE-K, which is knocking on your door with an impressive sound profile and an equally-as- stunning aesthetics.
The deep and rich tone of the Hawaiian Koa wood complements the exotic colorful aesthetic. The glossy finish may lose its brightness over time, but the guitar will gain more depth in the low and mid ranges.
Moreover, the most advanced expression system-2 electronics is equipped with a unique behind-the-saddle pickup; that offers three custom positions and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The pre-amp also has a few star features, like - treble/bass controls, volume, and phase filter.
There are a Tusq nut, six chrome tuners, and a Micarta saddle on this Taylor guitar headstock; that delivers additional tonal consistency and stability. The GA Deluxe 224CE-K is an excellent option for fingerstyle guitarists.
HIGHLIGHTS
Guide to Taylor Acoustic Model Numbers
You can find the perfect acoustic guitar for you by shape, used woods, series, and more. The brand has organized its acoustic models through a few series. Each series come with unique aesthetic details, tone-woods, and feature sets to provide different musical experience, have a close look –
Academy Series Guitars
The series is dedicated to anyone on a budget as well as comes with some of the most inspiring and affordable Taylor guitars.
Popular Models: Academy 10, Academy 12e-N, Academy 12e
GT Series Guitars
The most compact Grand Theater guitar series; that combine bold and powerful acoustic tone with the playing comfort and pack them into a small guitar.
Popular Models: GT 811e, GT K21e, GTe Urban Ash,
American Dream® Series
This series contains some striking guitars with solid tonewoods, minimal but some exclusive features, like V-class bracing; that offer professional acoustic tone.
Popular models: AD17, AD17e Blacktop, AD27
100 Series GUITARS
The series is known for the quality construction of Solid Sitka spruce and layered walnut wood; that responds well to most styles of playing.
Popular Models: 110e, 114e 150e
200 Series GUITARS
Along with solid Sitka spruce, the series offers varieties of layered tonewoods to make a classic look and sound.
Popular models: 214ce, 214ce Plus, 224ce-K DLX
If budget is not your concern, the sky is your limit for getting the best Taylor's guitar; you can consider a few series, like - 300 / 400 / 500/ 600 / 700 / 800 and 900 series guitars; that come designed with different tonewoods and offer versatile acoustic flavors.
These series mainly contain the most expensive Taylor guitars, but their advanced bracing patterns, comfortable body style, upgraded electronics, impressive volume projection, and articulation justify their hefty price tags.
You can choose 400 series guitars for full-range acoustic voices or the 600 / 800 series for a rich and warm sound. The 700 Series offers a vintage-look Western Sunburst top, whereas the 900 series combines sophisticated design with an inspiring tone.
However, we’ve guided you about the Taylor model numbers with a few basic information; we suggest going through the official Taylor guitars website for more information.
Attractive Features Of Taylor guitar
ELECTRONICS
Most standard Taylor guitars come equipped with Taylor’s proprietary ES-B™ acoustic electronics; that blend their exclusive pickup design with an onboard preamp, onboard Volume and Tone controls, and a built-in chromatic tuner. So, you simply don’t need any pickup or tuner.
Cutaway for Taylor Acoustic Guitars
Taylor has created cutaway and non-cutaway style guitars. The curves of the cutaway guitars are unique and close to your body; they look better and make it easy to access the frets.
Adjustable Neck Design
The innovative neck of a Taylor guitar stays straight and offers easy adjustment; that most guitars do not offer, even not the expensive ones.
Bracing
The Taylor guitars typically use 3-types of X-bracing styles for different tones. The new V-class bracing is more exciting than others; that provides enhanced sustain, better intonation, and more rigidity than others.
cost
The Taylor guitars are a bit expensive, but their quality construction, superb performance, and amazing sound are worth every penny.
CONCLUSION
Martin or Taylor - which brand is the better? It is the biggest debate topic among acoustic guitar lovers. Unfortunately, we don’t have any specific answer for it.
Both brands are well-reputed for their exceptional guitars, and every guitarist has their personal preference; that’s why we decided to help you separately test this matter.
In our previous post we had reviewed the best Martin guitars, not it was the turn of the best Taylor guitars. These were the top-most recommendations from our side that we found best in terms of cutaway design, build quality, playability, and sound among all models.
Greetings, I am Scott Shetler, a Senior Instrument expert, and Guitarist. My hobby and passion are all about music, and I like to explore new gadgets and instruments available in the market. From my experience, I reviewed and showcase the best products on our site to ensure the worth of readers’ expectations and money.