Fifty Years in the Making — and Worth Every One of Them
Taylor Guitars turned 50 in 2024, and when a company with that kind of legacy celebrates a milestone, they don't do it with something ordinary. The 50th Anniversary Builder's Edition 814ce LTD is the flagship of Taylor's anniversary collection — a guitar that takes their beloved Grand Auditorium shape and loads it up with tonewood choices, comfort upgrades, and appointments you won't find anywhere else in the catalog. Only 1,974 of these were made worldwide, one for each year Taylor was founded.
At its heart is a genuinely rare pairing: a striped sinker redwood top sourced from old-growth logs long submerged in California riverbeds, set against solid Indian rosewood back and sides. Taylor's own description puts it well — the combination delivers "powerful lows, crisp trebles and a richly textured overtone profile," with a warmth and soft-touch sensitivity that differs noticeably from a typical spruce-topped 814. Underneath it all, Taylor's V-Class bracing architecture does what it does best: boosting volume, sustain, and harmonic accuracy simultaneously.
If you've played a Builder's Edition before, you know the comfort story. If you haven't, the beveled armrest, beveled cutaway, and chamfered body edges add up to a playing experience that's noticeably easier on the body during long sessions — no sharp edges digging into your forearm, effortless upper-fret access through the sculpted cutaway. This one is built for players who want a serious instrument and collectors who recognize something genuinely special when they see it.
A Top Wood Unlike Any Other
Sinker redwood is not a common guitar top wood. Taylor has used it on custom and Presentation-series guitars, but the 50th Anniversary 814ce LTD marks one of its most accessible appearances in the lineup. These are logs recovered from California riverbeds where they sat submerged for decades — the water-aging process concentrates the grain and refines the wood's resonant properties in ways that can't be replicated with conventionally harvested timber.
Players who've spent time with sinker redwood often describe it as sitting somewhere between Sitka spruce's punch and cedar's warmth and touch sensitivity. It responds beautifully to a light touch while still having the headroom for more aggressive strumming. Visually, the reddish-brown color and wide grain patterns give each top its own distinct character — no two are exactly alike.
Solid Indian Rosewood Back and Sides
Taylor's 800 Series has long been synonymous with Indian rosewood, and for good reason. Rosewood brings a full sonic spectrum — rich lows, sparkling highs, and complex mid-range detail — that pairs especially well with a warm, sensitive top. On this guitar, the solid Indian rosewood back and sides are finished with a Kona edgeburst, a shaded darkening at the edges that highlights the wood's natural figure and gives the body a dramatic, sophisticated look.
The West African Crelicam ebony fretboard rides on a neo-tropical mahogany neck with a standard carve profile and a satin finish that keeps things fast and comfortable under the hand. The 25.5" scale length and 1.75" TUSQ nut feel familiar to anyone who has played a modern Taylor — responsive, balanced, and easy to intonate cleanly across all 20 frets.
Appointments That Match the Occasion
Taylor clearly wanted this guitar to look the part of a 50th anniversary flagship. The appointments list is long and thoughtful: gold-hued mother-of-pearl Element fretboard and peghead inlays, maple purfling around the fretboard and peghead, a green abalone rosette with rosewood and maple accents, Gotoh 510 antique gold tuners, an Indian rosewood pickguard, and ebony bridge pins with gold acrylic dots. The full-body gloss finish — unusual for a Builder's Edition, which typically uses satin — makes all of that woodwork and hardware pop visually. A commemorative 50th anniversary label inside the body rounds things out.
Plugged in, the Expression System 2 (ES2) pickup delivers Taylor's well-regarded behind-the-saddle amplified tone. It's a passive, battery-powered system that captures the guitar's natural resonance with minimal coloration — players who've used ES2 on other Taylors will feel right at home dialing it in.
Product Features:
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Body Style: Grand Auditorium with beveled Venetian cutaway
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Top: Solid sinker redwood — sourced from California river-reclaimed old-growth logs
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Back & Sides: Solid Indian rosewood with Kona edgeburst shading
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Bracing: Taylor V-Class — enhances volume, sustain, and harmonic accuracy
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Neck: Neo-tropical mahogany, standard carve, satin finish; 25.5" scale length; 1.75" TUSQ nut
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Fretboard: West African Crelicam ebony, 15" radius, 20 frets, gold-hued MOP Element inlays
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Electronics: Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2)
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Tuners: Gotoh 510 in antique gold
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Finish: Full-body gloss with Kona edgeburst on back and sides
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Limited Edition: 1,974 units worldwide; commemorative 50th anniversary interior label
Brand: Taylor Guitars
Model: 50th Anniversary Builder's Edition 814ce LTD
SKU: 50THANNIV.BE814CELTD
Condition: New
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