Taylor 800 Deluxe Series 816ce DLX Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric Guitar 2017 Natural

The essence of the Taylor playing experience lives within the rosewood/spruce 800 Series. With the debut of its comprehensive redesign in 2014, master guitar designer Andy Powers took what was already Taylor’s flagship guitar series and deployed an array of voicing enhancements, ranging from customized bracing and wood thicknesses for each body style to the use of protein glues and ultra-thin finish, to bring out another level of musicality. Together, these refinements deliver much more than the sum of their parts. For everyone from pros to hobbyists, they make the playing experience more expressive, inspiring and fun. The 800 Deluxe Series, which includes the 816ce DLX Grand Symphony, features all the voicing enhancements and aesthetic refinements of Taylor’s standard rosewood/spruce 800 Series, with three upgraded features: a newly designed radius-style armrest in maple with rosewood top edge trim, Adirondack spruce bracing, and chrome Gotoh tuners. The radius armrest literally takes the edge off the playing experience, easing the physical stress on your strumming or picking arm. Adirondack spruce bracing supercharges the tonal response to create a more dynamic voice. Gotoh 510 tuners supply a higher 21:1 gear ratio to give you finely calibrated tuning control. The 800 Deluxe Series 816ce DLX Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric comes with Taylor's Expression System 2 electronics and ships in a Taylor deluxe hardshell case.

Body Shape
Compared to the Taylor Grand Auditorium, the Grand Symphony has a bigger, rounder lower bout and slightely wider "waist" area, and the bigger soundboard (top) means more tonal output. Expect a meaty lower midrange and strong treble shimmer. A GS is best if you want a guitar with a robust low end, strong volume when strumming or flatpicking, and clear articulation in response to light fingerpicking attack.

Tonewood Pairing
A guitar's top is the primary filter and distributor of vibrating string energy through the guitar, which means it has a huge impact on its sound. Sitka spruce is the most prevalent guitar top wood of the modern era. It blends stiffness and elasticity in just the right proportions which translates into broad dynamic range with crisp articulation. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides complement the Sitka top with sound that's made it one of the most popular tone woods ever. Rosewood produces the strongest bass response among the tonewoods commonly used for guitars, with a slightly scooped midrange. Rosewood's sweeping frequency range - deep lows that assert a throaty growl with sparkling highs - rings out with bell-like, high-fidelity clarity. It yields a full-range acoustic voice with complex overtones and extended sustain.

Electronics
Taylor's ES2 is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. Because the pickup doesn't sit under the saddle, the bottom of the saddle comes in full contact with the bridge, allowing all the nuance of the guitar's tone to come through clearly whether playing acousticly or plugged-in. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before while playing plugged-in. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar. The Taylor Expression System 2 operates through a proprietary 9-volt battery compartment and easy-to-use volume, and active bass and treble controls.

The Taylor Difference
What sets Taylor Guitars apart? Unmatched build quality, the most stable and playable necks, a vast array of tonal options, eco-conscious and ethically-sourced raw materials, and a lifetime of service and support.