Relating to shopping for a guitar, we need to dream first, then make peace with our finances, not the opposite approach round. However accepting our limitations could be laborious. Take Taylor’s flagship 517 and 717 Grand Pacific Builder’s Version acoustics. With their V-class bracing and torrefied Sitka spruce tops, they’re guitars to dream on, however you’re speaking anyplace from $2,800 to $3,300 simply to stroll within the door—as a lot as $6,400 for a restricted version Grand Pacific mannequin just like the beautiful GPe-LTDEb with blackheart sassafras again and sides. 

So what’s a working dreamer to do?

Dream a Little American Dream

It’s no accident that Taylor calls its current line of extra reasonably priced guitars—together with the AD17, AD22, and AD27, in addition to their electrical counterparts—the American Dream collection. Now, that is partly owing to the road’s American provenance; all the devices are constructed at Taylor’s Southern California manufacturing unit. Nevertheless it’s additionally a press release of intent. With costs starting from roughly $1,500 to $2,200, the collection hopes to be the finances bridge that permits Taylor aspirants to seize the brass ring with out falling into the abyss of debt. 

That is the place the brand new Taylor AD27e Flametop is available in. With a road worth of round $2,200, it’s not fathoms cheaper than a Grand Pacific, however it’s a worthy distinction when you think about the methods during which it approaches the standard of its higher-end cohorts, and, it should mentioned, how beautiful it appears and sounds, particularly with a strong understanding of the place its candy spots stay.   

Up in Woodsmoke

The listing of pleasing attributes on the AD27e Flametop contains, after all, its beautiful figured maple prime (you learn that accurately), again, and sides, in a satin Woodsmoke end. It actually speaks to the Flametop’s debt to the deeper, darker finishes of the mighty Gibson J-45, the slope-shouldered traditional that it pays homage to in form and sonics. The satin-finished, 15-inch radius maple neck, with its clean eucalyptus fingerboard, is a delight to play—the beneficiant 1.75-inch nut width helps. And the guitar’s inventory nickel bronze strings, fairly than phosphor bronze, make it play noticeably nearer to an electrical really feel than most guitars its dimension. 

Whereas mellower than, say, a ’90s-era Taylor, the Flametop’s high-end and midrange response, maybe owing partly to Taylor’s V-Class bracing, to not point out the big-leaf maple prime, boasts a delightful steadiness of readability and punch. The Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2) electronics package deal, with properly understated quantity and tone pots mounted on the highest shoulder, greater than holds its personal in opposition to comparable undersaddle items from Fishman and L.R. Baggs. Actually, the ES2 interprets the Flametop’s low finish much better than one might need imagined from taking part in the guitar acoustically, which is actually my solely criticism concerning the guitar. Maybe heavier strings would possibly tackle this, however except you’re taking part in fairly intentionally immediately over and barely ahead of the soundhole, the Flametop doesn’t readily produce the type of low-end steadiness that one would anticipate from a full-sized acoustic. However the restrained low finish could show a boon in louder stay settings, the place hyped bass resonance can result in these woofy suggestions moments. 

The Verdict

In aesthetic phrases, Taylor’s AD27e Flametop is without doubt one of the extra eye-popping mid-priced acoustics I’ve seen all yr. It exudes a relaxed class, and positively succeeds in evoking the Laurel Canyon scene of the mid-to-late ’60s that Taylor claims was its inspiration. The Flametop makes a really spectacular guitar for songwriters in stay efficiency, particularly with the terrific ES2 system, which even pulls frequencies from the guitar that you could be miss when taking part in it strictly acoustically. 

SPECS

BODY Grand Pacific slope-shouldered physique; figured maple prime, again, and sides; V-Class bracing; chamfered edges; eucalyptus bridge with Tusq saddle; satin Woodsmoke end

NECK Arduous rock maple neck with eucalyptus fretboard; 20 frets; 25.5″ scale size; 1.75″ Tusq nut; 15″ radius; dot fretboard inlays; Taylor nickel tuning machines

OTHER Taylor ES2 electronics; Elixir nickel bronze strings (.012–.053); Taylor AeroCase; left-handed accessible

MADE IN USA

PRICE $2,199 road

taylorguitars.com

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