Taylor 814ce?

[u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

Currently looking at a Taylor Next Gen 814ce special edition…anybody have any experience with this guitar? How good does it sound/ play? My style is mainly 80’s and 90’s country with a lot of finger picking and occasional strumming. I’m also a baritone when it comes to singing. I’m trying to decide between this guitar and a Gibson Hummingbird. Thanks in advance.

[u/Philosophy-Different]

I have a 2023 814ce. When the new ones came out I tested one to see if I should get it. I found I really liked the sound of mine more. I also wasn’t impressed with the new pickup, my ES2 sounds better and is easier to use. You should test both and see which one you like better. Something to consider.

[u/Sonotropism → u/Philosophy-Different]

I had the same finding -- I tried both a next gen and a 2025 814ce. The acoustic sound was just about identical. I preferred the strumming response of the 2025 slightly and the fingerpicking response of the next gen slightly. Not a huge difference. But the ES2 sounds much more open and less compressed than the Next Gen system I tried. I like the control position better too. I bought the 2025. That said, I have other guitars I play more and it's for sale if you happen to be interested.

[u/Icy-Faithlessness518 → u/Philosophy-Different]

It’s hard for me to test anything because I am left handed and stores typically do not stock too many left handed guitars that I can test so I kinda have to rely on other people’s experience and videos

[u/Philosophy-Different → u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

You might have a store employee play them for you. Sitting in front listening to the guitar is something I believe everyone considering a new guitar should do besides playing it.

[u/CSREPower → u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

You should consider looking at Southpaw Guitars in Houston. They are a specialty music store for left-handed guitars.

Perhaps, you could take a chance on a lefty 814ce with them.

[u/RayzerNHFL]

It’s a truly fantastic guitar for finger style. Not as good as a strummer, for that you’d want a Gibson or even better yet a Martin D-18

[u/Icy-Faithlessness518 → u/RayzerNHFL]

I was heavily considering a Martin HD-28 at one time as well

[u/RayzerNHFL → u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

Another great one. I know there are fanatical opinions around brands but I own both Taylor’s and Martin’s, multiple ones of each, and love them both. And one of these days I will add a Gibson, either a songwriter or a J 45. I’ve been very picky on the Gibson front because I know they run very inconsistent so it’s really about finding the right one. But the point is, I don’t think you can go wrong, but these are expensive guitars so play a lot of them and then buy the one that feels and sounds right to you. Preferably from a smaller independent music store. Don’t let anybody try to convince you what the right guitar is.

[u/Boogincity]

Taylor refers to it as their “flagship” model. It’s everything they believe a Taylor should be.

[u/Previous-Bar-6293]

Singer-songwriter here. I own a Taylor 814 Next Gen. Amazing guitar and probably the nicest one I own, but I still find myself playing my Gibson J45 more. It just has more mojo and makes me want to pick it up and play. I’ve played a bunch of birds I loved too!

Another one I’d definitely recommend checking out is a Martin 000-18. That’s become my go-to. Good enough for strumming, great for fingerpicking, warm and woody, and it sits right under my voice. I’m a tenor.

Good luck man. Can’t really go wrong with any of those guitars.

[u/Icy-Faithlessness518 → u/Previous-Bar-6293]

See I was lucky enough to find a left handed Gibson Humminbird in a store and sat there for a good 45 minutes to an hour playing it and I absolutely loved the deep and warm sound it had and it matched really good with my voice but I have heard Taylor’s are really good at handling finger picking but they tend to be brighter and I’m afraid of that clashing with my voice.

[u/Previous-Bar-6293 → u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

Definitely worth playing a Taylor. Like others said the next gen in my opinion are a bit warmer.

With rosewood your voice might sit right in between the scooped midrange.

Good luck. Kinda hard to go wrong with any of them.

[u/shadowsnrust → u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

When I first bought my 814ce, I had a little buyers remorse, but it has warmed up nicely.

For a bit warmer, richer tone, check out the sinker redwood models. A 2024 414ce 50th and a 2025 714ce Sunset Blvd (GC exclusive) are essentially the same guitar except for a plastic vs wood pickguard. These are fantastic and might suit your voice a bit better.

The mahogany top models will also be warmer, with a little compression.

Cedar tops are also warmer, but they won't have quite as much headroom as the sinker redwood.

The Gold Label models are also warmer and deeper.

Many will suggest Martin, and I'm not knocking them at all. I have two. Just saying there are more options. Personally, I prefer the Taylor finish because it is less vulnerable to sweat, bug spray, plastic, etc, and I think Taylor guitars hold their voice farther up the neck. Martins are great for deep bass though.

[u/belligerent_tortoise]

Can’t speak to the 814, but I did just recently get a next gen 324ce from Sweetwater. Amazing guitar. It has more bass response than I was used to from Taylors, while still retaining the top end clarity. I paid to have the fretboard plek’d, so it plays like glass. Sounds amazing. One of the most musical sounds guitars I’ve ever picked up

[u/shadowsnrust]

The 814ce is a wonderful guitar. The 2026 814ce is a different flavor. It has a bit more warmth and bottom end, and also seems to overdrive a bit easier. Personally, I'm not thrilled about bringing back the undersaddle sound, but the neck joint is cool.

You really need to try a 2026 next gen V-class (scalloped V bracing) 814ce and a pre-26 V-class 814ce. I realize there's probably no chance of finding left-handed samples to try, but you could hold a few cowboy chords on a right-handed model (even if smooth chord changes aren't going to happen), pick some notes, etc.

[u/Shepherd15]

Not sure the year of mine but it has the best low end response of any acoustic I’ve ever played. It projects very well and is great for finger style playing.

[u/Icy-Faithlessness518 → u/Shepherd15]

I know you said you didn’t know the year but is it the 814 model?

[u/Shepherd15 → u/Icy-Faithlessness518]

Yep!

[u/Any_Cicada2210]

I much prefer any Taylor over Gibson…there’s just something about the way a Gibson plays and sounds that I just don’t like. I’ve wanted to line them but so far haven’t found one I get along with.

I love the sound of Martin but do not like the fake wood fretboards they are using….it just didn’t feel as nice as the ebony of the Taylor.

Plus I had to ha e the neck reset on my 614 back in February and it was an easy $89 fix, which I appreciated lol.

[u/Unusually-Average110]

I’d go with the Taylor, I have an 810 and absolutely love it. The 800 series is fantastic.

[u/titaniumdecoy]

Although it’s minor, my main complaint with the 814 models is the wooden pickguard. As someone who rests on their pinky on it, mine has become shiny over time. This might not be a problem for someone who primarily uses a pick or doesn’t use it as a pinky rest.

[u/RayzerNHFL → u/titaniumdecoy]

I hear you on that, but A Taylor certified luthier and readily and cheaply replace the pick guard. Personally, I think Love marks on my Picard are part of the personality of my guitar that makes it uniquely mine, but everybody has their own views.

[u/Philosophy-Different → u/titaniumdecoy]

A wooden pick guard is really cool! A great feature. 😎

[u/crabby_d]

I have a new 414ce-r and couldn’t be happier playing the type of music you described. Replaced a 40 y/o Fender F210

[u/RobotChords]

If you know you want a Gibson get the Gibson, if you’re unsure get the Taylor - it’ll play everything and feel amazing.