Taylor Builders Edition 517e Grand Pacific

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review

Taylor Builder’s edition 717e & 517e Grand Pacific

Guitarist april 2019

In 2018, Taylor rewrote the book and introduced

new V-Class bracing on its Grand Auditorium

models. For this year, the original V-Class concept

is unveiled as a new round-shouldered

dreadnought with a subtly vintage feel

A Class Above

Words David Mead Photography Phil Barker

GIT444.rev_taylor.indd 98 2/21/19 2:17 PM

Summary of content (7 pages)

PAGE 1
review Taylor Builder’s Edition 717e & 517e Grand Pacific A Class Above In 2018, Taylor rewrote the book and introduced new V-Class bracing on its Grand Auditorium models. For this year, the original V-Class concept is unveiled as a new round-shouldered dreadnought with a subtly vintage feel Words David Mead Photography Phil Barker 98 Guitarist april 2019 GIT444.rev_taylor.
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Taylor Builder’s Edition 717e & 517e Grand Pacific review april 2019 Guitarist GIT444.rev_taylor.
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review TaYlOr BUILDER’S EDITION 717E & 517E GRAND PACIFIC TaYlOr BUILDER’S EDITION 717E & 517E GRAND PACIFIC £3,539 & £3,359 CONTACT Taylor Guitars PHONE +31 (0) 206676030 WEB www.taylorguitars.com What We Want To Know 1 So, it’s another dreadnought, then? Well, yes, but this round-shouldered Dreadnought range is quite a departure for Taylor.
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Video Demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra Taylor Builder’s Edition 717e & 517e Grand Pacific 2 3 1. Taylor’s Expression System 2 preamp has its volume and tone controls on the guitar’s upper bout 2.
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review TaYlOr BUILDER’S EDITION 717E & 517E GRAND PACIFIC 6 5 As with any of the new V-Class models, you’ll see a new Taylor label along with a black graphite loaded nut. Peer through the soundhole and you’ll also see the angled back braces and, as ever, Taylor’s exemplary craft is hard to fault, but there are numerous changes to the recipe beyond its internal voicing.
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Video Demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra Taylor Builder’s Edition 717e & 517e Grand Pacific review 7 8 5. The ‘silent satin’ finish on both Taylors is reputedly squeak-free, unlike some gloss finishes. We put the theory to the test and didn’t hear a peep out of either of them! 7. The Taylor headstock is the epitome of understated elegance 8. The tuners are nickel-plated and Taylor-branded and, in our tests, they were as stable as a rock 6.
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review TaYlOr BUILDER’S EDITION 717E & 517E GRAND PACIFIC Video demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra 9 10 9. Both these new models benefit from Taylor’s V-Class bracing system, which has the effect of reducing the typical dreadnought midrange mud to a minimum 10. The torrefied Sitka spruce tops are finished in Taylor’s distinctive Wild Honey Burst 104 control over electronic voicing and it confirms that both dreads are performanceready and raring to go.