TAYLOR AD27 GRAND PACIFIC

The most affordable American-made all-solid Taylor series yet

If you think the saying ‘less is more’ is becoming overused these days, how about ‘less is cool’ – because an acoustic guitar that eschews the bells, whistles, abalone and gloss to embrace a simpler approach can be a very attractive proposition. Especially in mahogany and sapele. A more minimalist approach is not something most of us might associate with Taylor, but here it is – and although it might not be obvious, there’s also some more in the mix, too.

At street prices around £1349, this is still a sizeable investment for most of us, but it’s also the most affordable Usa-made solid wood acoustic we’ve seen yet from Taylor. And the recent Grand

Pacific slope-shouldered dreadnought has been the first Taylor design chosen for this American Dream series.

If the plainer look is part of a cost-saving approach, it’s one we’re onboard with. The open pore mahogany gives this guitar a traditional look that feels at home in the first half of the 20th century, but the V-class bracing is very much here and now. The best of both worlds? We hope so...

This is part of the most affordable Taylor series yet with Andy Powers’s structural innovation. When we reviewed the pricier 317E Grand Pacific last year, we were struck by the change it actually made; the compromises we all grow used to in the higher end of the fretboard didn’t apply. Notes hung in the air and we found ourselves more time in the dustier territories of the fretboard. True to Taylor consistency, we find those qualities here, too.

So too is the softer mid response – this is not a dreadnought for punchy attack. But it has an added low-end warmth to match its playable low action that we fall for very quickly, topping the 317 for us. It’s a presence we don’t hear much from many mahogany acoustics we’ve played. Now we know what we’re missing.

There’s no such thing as ‘one size fits all’. We don’t think the V-class subtleties will appeal to some hard strummers and fingerpickers, but that will be the hook for others; it’s refined and the sustain really is stunning.

THE V-CLASS BRACING IS VERY MUCH IN THERE HERE AND NOW

Some of the dreadnought brashness is smoothed – it’s almost pre-mixed. If you’re new to it, it can take a little while to adjust, but the Grand Pacific voice offers an individual but attractive character that’s a superb all‑round choice.

If you’re planning on playing live, we’d always opt for AD27E, as Taylor’s excellent Expression System 2 is worth the extra, but as an acoustic guitar you could spend the rest of your life playing, this should be on your shortlist.