The 514ce has remained a mainstay of Taylor's catalog for good reason. It combines Taylor's mid-size Grand Auditorium body with a solid Cedar top. The result is a warm, balanced sound with quick response that is a natural choice for fingerstyle, but also produces sweet tone with a pick.
The 514ce has Mahogany back and sides, which are a great complement for its Cedar top. Mahogany's dry, and focused voice pairs nicely with Cedar's warm midrange overtones and quick response. The overall effect gives the guitar nice punch that is not lacking in clarity. Because of that, this model appeals to a wide range of players and styles. Traditional fingerstyle players will be right home, but blues pickers and rock and roll strummers will find rich tone just the same.
For aesthetics, the 514ce is elegant without being gaudy or over the top. The details are simple and understated, which shows off the natural beauty of fine tone woods. Rosewood binding around the top, back, and along the fingerboard protects the edges while preserving the wood motif. It also has a wood rosette. On the fingerboard, simple abalone dots provide a road map into the upper register, and gold-plated Grover rotomatic tuning machines keep you in tune with style.
Under the hood, Taylor ES Electronics produce natural-sounding acoustic tone when plugged in. Because of its comfortable size and cutaway, the 514ce is a great choice for the stage, and the ES Electronics make sure it sounds right in every setting.
This 2003 Taylor 514ce has been played and enjoyed, but it has been well-maintained over the years and has no history of repairs or issues. It has one noticeable ding on the treble side of the top lower bout (see photos), and there are also a few bumps and marks on the edges of the binding in various places. There's a small ding on the edge of the cutaway, the treble side has a ding at the lower bout curve, and the peghead shows some wear from hanging guitar stands. Fret wear is minimal, and the current setup is excellent. The previous owner taped his setlist to the bass side at the waist, and we couldn't bear removing it—we'll leave that up to the next owner. Original hardshell case included.