The 414ce is where Taylor's 400 Series makes the jump to all-solid wood construction, and you can hear it. Solid Sitka spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides — no layered body tonewoods at this level. The rosewood brings what rosewood always brings: warm low-end, complex overtones, and that shimmer in the upper register that players chase. The spruce top keeps everything articulate and balanced. Together they produce a sound that has real depth and keeps opening up the longer you play it.

The West African Crelicam ebony fingerboard is worth noting. It's harder and denser than most fingerboard materials, which contributes to the sustain and note clarity this guitar is known for. It also feels fast under your fingers once it's broken in.

ES2 electronics are Taylor's proven behind-the-saddle pickup design. It captures the guitar's natural acoustic voice better than most soundhole pickups because of where it sits in the signal chain. The result is an amplified tone that actually sounds like the guitar, not a piezo approximation of it. For live performance, this matters.

The Venetian cutaway is comfortable and doesn't compromise the body volume noticeably. Upper register access is easy. The gloss natural finish shows off the rosewood grain properly.

If you're stepping up from a 200 Series or a laminate-body guitar and want to hear what all-solid construction actually does to tone, this is the guitar that answers that question.

Specs

• Body Shape: Grand Auditorium with Venetian Cutaway
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Back and Sides: Solid Indian Rosewood
• Neck: Tropical Mahogany
• Fingerboard: West African Crelicam Ebony
• Electronics: Taylor ES2 (Expression System 2)
• Finish: Natural Gloss
• Made in USA

Available at The Pied Piper of New Albany, serving New Albany, Columbus, Westerville, Dublin, Gahanna, Powell, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Pataskala, Johnstown, and the broader central Ohio market. In-store pickup available.