Taylor 814CE
The new baby.  It's hard to believe that I finally own one!  I've played SOOOO many of them in high-end rooms in music stores all over the country, but now that I own one... WOW.

The story behind it is pretty cool, but I can only give a short version.  I have a VERY shirt-tail connection to Bob Taylor, and through a series of miracles, it worked out that he "hooked me up".  He picked out the instrument to send me, and was gracious enough to sign it before he sent it out!  WOW.  Plays like an absolute DREAM... I hope to have audio samples up some day, but for now, pictures will have to be enough!

to check out the new Taylor Expression System CLICK HERE. It is truly amazing... the sound, the response is INCREDIBLE!!!

The box it was shipped in.  I'm debating whether or not to keep it.
MMMmmm... that return address is a sweet thing to see! The Taylor case: hardwood, GORGEOUS interior, and no longer outsourced.  Taylor now makes their own! Opening the case for the first time was sheer joy.  I can imagine what arranged marriages must be like, waiting to see what this lifetime investment would be like.  I had perma-smile for days!
Ebony and abalone bridge pins the abalone inlay around the sound hole... Ah, the fret dots... Not dots, but abalone inlaid markers... not too much, but just a sweet touch a view down the neck.  MAN that's gorgeous...
Note the white strapping that surrounds the whole instrument.  The little things, I tell ya... At first you think, "eew... black tuners?" then you realize they're ebony wood to match the bridge pins, bridge, and fretboard.  DUDE... They built this right! Not just white, but abalone inlay to match the rest of the appointments Bob Taylor himself was nice enough to sign it for me before they shipped it from the factory!
Indian Rosewood back and sides.  Note the triple back... the two outer peices are bookmatched.  The construction is flawless... Excuse all the fingerprints... this is the Expression System.  The knob on the right is volume, then the left is bass, middle knob is treble.  It is the coolest thing... sounds AMAZING!!! The battery location is so easy to get at, and serves as a super secure end pin jack.  Very little landscape taken up with electronics.  Just makes the instrument that much more beautiful. Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy....  (sung ad nauseum...)