Taylor Guitars PS14ce “Wildwood and Steel” Prototype

Tonal Evaluation

I'm not sure if I've ever had a guitar ripped out of my hands this many times while trying to write a tonal evaluation! I can't say I blame my coworkers--I certainly wouldn't be able to pass by a beast this beautiful without giving it a few strums! But still, it took me half an hour just to get my turn! C'mon, guys! Kidding aside, this instrument is gorgeous, but what really makes it special is the way it embodies the do-anything, Swiss Army Knife philosophy behind Taylor's Grand Auditorium body shape. Few guitars can claim to handle a a flatpick just as well as fingers, and this PS14ce is one of them! Let's take a closer look at what makes it special.

The attack is woody and round, and it gives way to a clear, warm low-midrange. As the note sustains, it feels like your eardrum is taking a swan dive into a vat of rich dark chocolate. The midrange is dense and broad, and it provides an excellent foundation for the sparkling trebles. The bass response is tight but forceful; in other words, exactly where it needs to be for this guitar to sound full without being overpowering. Single note runs have plenty of mass and heft, and chords sound lush yet clear. It's an absolute joy to play jazz on this guitar, because it speaks so clearly that you can hear every note of every chord--even minor seven flat fives and dominant sevens with a bunch of funky color tones on top. Ditto for fingerstyle, since you can play all sorts of cool things with droning open strings and hidden dissonances and be confident that your guitar will translate what you hear in your head accurately. When you dig in with a flatpick, you're rewarded with all sorts note bloom from the redwood top, and you get a gloriously full sound that sits perfectly in the mix in the studio or on the stage. This guitar is the definitive article, and we are excited to see what stories it inspires you to write!

Wildwood and Steel

Three times a year, Taylor highlights all of the exciting new things they're doing in a magazine called Wood and Steel. In the Winter 2018 edition, you can learn about how they're partnering with the Cameroonian government to replant ebony in order to promote sustainability, or you can read Andy Powers's thoughts on Taylor's all-new V-Class bracing system. That's all well and good, but what we Wildwoodians really love to do is look at the pretty pictures! That's because Taylor takes the finest example they can find of each model in their line and gives them the full star treatment by taking all sorts of glamorous photos for their 2018 product guide. The guitars in Wood and Steel are always nothing short of spectacular, because they have to be the public face of that model. For instance, the PS14ce in this edition is meant to represent all PS14ces, so it has to look and sound like THE PS14ce.

So, naturally, the Wildwood team was ecstatic to learn that we'd be able to drool over these guitars in the flesh rather than in print! Our friends at Taylor were kind enough to allow us to showcase the very same guitars that appeared in Wood and Steel for our exceptional customers. It's fitting that they came from a magazine, because these instruments are the definitive article! Taylor always builds us extraordinary guitars, but these Wildwood and Steel guitars are special even among the esteemed company they keep. We are honored to present them to the Wildwood Family, and we hope that you find them as inspiring as we do.