TAYLOR BUILDER'S EDITION 324CE
review
TAYLOR BUILDER’S EDITION 324CE
84
GUITARIST AUGUST 2020
and a generous 44.5mm (1.75-inch) nut
width. As with every Taylor acoustic
we’ve played, the neck is a comfortable fit
in the hand, the frets are seated, finished
and trimmed perfectly, so that the playing
experience is a breeze for the left hand.
So, what does it sound like? First
impressions are very good. Note separation
is excellent and free from any unnecessary
‘mush’ and even the midrange hump that
you sometimes find on acoustics around
the F/F# trouble spot area on the D string
(roughly 175 to 185Hz) is noticeable by its
absence. The bass isn’t dreadnought fierce,
even with the sixth string drop-tuned
to D, but in very good balance with the
somewhat demure trebles.
Tonally speaking, this is a very well-
behaved guitar. Nothing is out of place,
no nasty sonic surprises and our first few
chords are clear and clean with a generous
amount of sustain completing the picture.
Does it sound like top-notch mahogany
little bit of regal bling at this point. Even
the finely cut nut is made from black
Tusq (an easy identifier of a model with
the V-class bracing), in keeping with the
324ce’s understated looks, and blends well
with the ebony fingerboard and subtle
acrylic faux pearl inlays.
In all probability, Taylor’s message here
is that the guitar’s looks are not its most
outstanding feature in this particular
case. It knows how to build a guitar and
everything here from a construction point
of view is well up to scratch, even if some of
it is buried beneath the finish. But perhaps
this was never meant to be a feast for the
eyes. The proof of this particular pudding
is all about how it sounds and if the eyes
aren’t distracted by boisterous décor we
stand a better chance of auditioning the
new wood with pure objectivity.
The carve of the neck is what Taylor
refers to as ‘Standard’ in its spec, with a
381mm (15-inch) radius to the fretboard
This is a very well-
behaved guitar.
Nothing is out of
place, no nasty
sonic surprises…
3. Live performance is
ably handled by Taylor’s
Expression System 2
pickup and preamp
4. A set of Gotoh 510
Antique Gold tuners
adds a touch of class to
the guitar’s headstock
5. The preamp’s battery
compartment is hidden
away underneath the
jack socket/endpin
6. The 324ce’s voice is
sweet and well balanced
without any unnecessary
mush in the midrange
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VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT461.rev_taylor.indd 84 10/06/2020 12:20