Taylor's Unique Tonewood 500 Series

Industry leaders and true pioneers of acoustic guitars, Taylor has been at the forefront of guitar innovation in recent decades and their 500 series is no exception. But the exemplary service they provide to their customers – goes beyond luxury guitars.

For a long time, mahogany, spruce, and rosewood have made up the majority of acoustic guitar sounding woods – perhaps even now. So let's discuss what the new Taylor 512e and 514e of the 500 series have to offer…

NEW MODELS OF 500 SERIES

The revived Taylor 500 series features the Taylor 512e and 514e , full of features never seen before.

To revitalize the development process, Taylor's top guitar designers ventured to the forests of Ontario to perform a number of 'taste tests', sampling a variety of woods for rigorous testing. strictly to see which wood (if any) is suitable for use as a guitar wood.

Despite making up (almost) an entire guitar, the selection and production process behind tonewood is something that can often be overlooked – especially when one places so much emphasis on pickups in the electronic world. .

Besides having great sound - a guitar must be able to withstand all of the drying, sawing, sanding, gluing and finishing processes involved in the manufacturing process. That's a pretty big claim, and so the fact that Taylor has discovered a completely new, never-before-used wood is all the more impressive.

RED IRONBARK – NEW URBAN WOOD

This exotic, unique wood was first used exclusively on the Taylor 512ce and Taylor 514ce models. It is smooth yet highly dense and has passed all necessary tonal and structural tests. After initially being considered for neck use, it was used as the back and top wood of these new models.

Now, you might be wondering why Taylor decided to keep looking for a whole new type of tonewood.

Over the past 15 years, the brand has launched a number of sustainability initiatives in the regions they source their wood from, such as Cameroon, Hawaii and California.

In fact, Taylor's commitment to sustainable and responsible business practices earned them the Corporate Excellence Award (ACE) in 2014. This award was obtained after they were recognized. on sustainable ebony production.

On top of that, finding woods of different tones helps the company grow with the environment. And this means that when you invest in a Taylor product, you know it's coming – from a good place.

MUCH MORE FUN FEATURES

As well as red ironbark backs and sides, the new Taylor 500 series guitars come complete with Sitka spruce tops, ebony keyboards, and mahogany necks.

Taken together, these woods deliver a beautiful natural sound, with red ironbark delivering richness, smoothness and sweetness. Thanks to the warmth of the spruce and the resonance of the mahogany, you'll have a one-of-a-kind sonic experience, similar sounds like never before.

Underneath the top is a V-class bracing that pushes out powerful output for clear, tight bass, beautifully focused tones, and bright highs.

Furthermore, the reds of red ironbark blend perfectly with the spruce to create the dark, moody yet completely natural aesthetic that is at the core of Taylor.

State-of-the-art craftsmanship for an elite experience – Taylor cares not only for the instrument but also for its origins, and that passion drives the process from start to finish.

MODEL FOR TAYLOR 500 SERIES

What about the existing models of the series?

The Expression System (which we'll cover later) was originally included in Taylor's 500 series, one of the top lines in their audio arsenal. Two high-end examples include the Taylor 524ce and the Taylor 522e .

The 524ce is equipped with a grand auditorium body crafted entirely from mahogany, offering superb reverberation and warmth that is hard to beat. Its rich, natural sound is amplified through the ES2.

Also featuring a tropical mahogany neck, the 524ce is durable and offers comfortable playability, an effect compounded by the ebony keyboard. Ebony retains its natural high oil concentration, allowing you to glide between the keys with ease – and its light tones complement the mahogany color beautifully.

522e is finished in a slightly smaller grand concert shape. However, all the extras are the same as its 500 Series counterpart.

ABOUT TAYLOR GUITAR

When you think of the best guitar makers in the world – what names come to mind? Fender, Gibson, Martin and of course Taylor. Then you might be surprised to learn that Taylor has yet to celebrate her 50th birthday as an incorporated company.

It's been 48 years since 20-year-old Bob Taylor bought and renamed the guitar shop he worked at in 1974 - along with employees Kurt Listug and Steve Schemmer. Now, they stand firmly at the top of the industry with factories and distributors worldwide.

Especially during the 1990s and early 2000s, Taylor had a great influence on the development of modern audio technology. With the introduction of more exotic-toned woods, such as oak on Pallet Guitars, Bob Taylor has updated luthiers' traditional guitar-making techniques with a new approach.

The introduction of their Expression System (ES) in 2004 was Taylor's first EQ/pickup system and, true to their innovative form, it was a design unlike any other. any other.

This receiver is designed to simulate the sound you get when you place the microphone in front of an acoustic guitar, retaining 100% of the instrument's natural timbre – instead of the tone of a receiver.

Combining a separate preamp with a Dynamic Body Sensor placed – rather unusually – below the keyboard, Taylor was able to produce a sound that was crisp, clear, and faithful to the music. the beautiful, natural sound of their guitars.

CONCLUDE

Further demonstrating Taylor's premium craftsmanship, the 512e and 514e boast a number of unique, premium features – most notably their exotic red ironbark tones. But the only way to get a real feel for the Taylor 500 series is to test these instruments out for yourself…