Rediscovering an old friend

[ctvolfan]

I bought my Taylor 214 new back in 2005. This is one of the all wood 214's before they started making that model with layered back and sides in 2007. I have had a couple other Taylors come and go since then. One was a 320 and a Baby Taylor. The 214 was always my go to guitar and those other two are long gone. In the past year I have bought a 224ce-k deluxe and a 714ce. I have been playing the two new ones mostly since I bought them and my old 214 has just kind of sat there. But as I mentioned in the Ernie Ball bronze aluminum thread, I put a set of the Medium Lights 12-54 on my 214 last week and man does it really sound great! The 214 projected more volume before but it really pops more now with these new strings and the sound is amazing! It has really brought the 214 back to life and I can't put it down now. Since it is louder it does make me want to play more livelier tunes on it. Lately I have been trying to learn some bluegrass licks and of my three guitars this is the one that they sound best on. How many others out there have rediscovered an old guitar that they have had for a long time and kind of just stuck it aside when something new came along? Was it a new set of strings that woke it up for you or what? It's just really exciting and I had to share this. It is like I acquired a new guitar and it only cost me a little less that 8 bucks!

[Guildman]

That's a great thing when it happens. I have a Sigma DR-7 MIJ from the mid 70's that spends 99% retired. When I do get out and tune it up (leave strings tuned way down) it does everything and more you could ask for an over 40 year old laminated guitar.

[rwmct]

Originally Posted by ctvolfan

I bought my Taylor 214 new back in 2005. This is one of the all wood 214's before they started making that model with layered back and sides in 2007.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I am curious, and remember reading that the 200 series used to be all solid. Did they not make an all solid 300 series at the time? Or they make the 300s with more bling or nicer wood or something? Seems like an all solid 214 would basically be a 314.

[ctvolfan]

Originally Posted by rwmct

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I am curious, and remember reading that the 200 series used to be all solid. Did they not make an all solid 300 series at the time? Or they make the 300s with more bling or nicer wood or something? Seems like an all solid 214 would basically be a 314.

You are correct! My old 214 is what is now a 314. And it was made in El Cajon. Mine is solid Sapele back and sides and solid Sitka Spruce top. As far as the 300 series at the time, I am not for sure what those were made of back then but a Google search turned up both Sitka tops with Sapele and Mahogany back and sides. I would assume that pre-2007 300 series would have had Mahogany since it would be redundant to have it also on 200 series too. Maybe somebody else can answer that question for sure though.