Talking Point
Evolving the voice of the acoustic guitar…
Taylor 714ce V-class £3,359
When major contemporary acoustic guitar company Taylor changes the way it makes its guitars, we have to sit up and take notice. The Taylor V-Class bracing was introduced on some high-end limited models at the start of this year, and as the year has progressed it’s been implemented from its Grand Auditorium guitars down to the 300 Series.
The design, conceived by master designer Andy Powers, is on one hand remarkably simple – it uses two slightly ‘V’ longitudinal main braces instead of the time-honoured ‘X’ employed by the majority of steel-string companies for a considerable number of years. Yet, conversely, it offers more volume, sustain and improved intonation. While many small-shop luthiers have experimented with different bracing systems, for Taylor to change the way it makes its ‘signature’ guitar, the GA, is a bold move.
Having spent time with the original launch Builder’s Edition V-Class K14ce (a £5.7k belter) and later in the year a V-Class 714ce (the definitive Taylor electro-acoustic), it’s clear Taylor’s claims are remarkably accurate, despite the risk that the market would react in a negative manner.
Comparing a standard 714ce with the V-Class version, we noted that “the V-Class sounds cleaner in the lower mids (but not deficient), but it’s in the higher registers that we hear a freer, less constricted ring”. Taylor guitars are known for their excellent intonation, yet the “V-Class sounds slightly sweeter, more in-tune” than the standard model.
The V-Class bracing doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it refines it in a typically Andy Powers-style fashion that’s squarely aimed at the player. 2019 will almost certainly bring new V-Class models.