A Grand Auditorium Built for the Player Who Wants Everything
Some guitars ask you to compromise — a great top but so-so playability, beautiful looks but a neck that fights you all night. The Taylor Builder's Edition 614ce WHB is Taylor's answer to that frustration. It starts with the Grand Auditorium, Taylor's signature all-purpose shape, and then layers on every player-focused refinement the company has developed: a beveled armrest, a chamfered cutaway, rounded body edges throughout, and a Silent Satin finish that keeps handling noise from creeping into your recordings or mic'd performances.
The Wild Honey Burst finish gives the highly figured Big Leaf maple back and sides a warm, almost violin-like glow — warm amber fading to deep honey at the edges. It's the kind of guitar people stop and stare at in a room, and it sounds every bit as good as it looks.
Whether you're a fingerstylist, a strummer, a singer-songwriter who records at home, or a gigging player who needs reliable amplified tone, this guitar is built to handle all of it without a single apology.
Torrefied Spruce Meets Figured Big Leaf Maple
The torrefied Sitka spruce top is the tonal centerpiece here. Torrefaction is a roasting process that accelerates the aging of wood — the result is a top that behaves more like a well-played vintage guitar from day one, with a slightly warmer, more complex character than a standard spruce top, without sacrificing Sitka's natural clarity and projection. Taylor's own description puts it simply: the roasting process delivers "clarity, balance, and projection you'd expect from a traditional spruce top with an extra dash of warmth and played-in depth."
Paired with solid figured Big Leaf maple back and sides, the tonal picture is focused and articulate across the full frequency range. Maple's naturally neutral character means the guitar reflects your playing style back at you honestly — dynamics, articulation, tonal nuance all come through clearly. Andy Powers revoiced this guitar specifically to coax extra warmth and complexity from the maple, which softens what can sometimes be an overly bright or dry maple character.
The West African Crelicam Ebony fingerboard and bridge add density and snap to the note attack, contributing to the guitar's precise, defined feel under the fingers.
V-Class Bracing and the Ergonomics of the Builder's Edition
Taylor's V-Class bracing replaces the traditional X-brace pattern with a design that creates a more orderly vibration pattern across the soundboard. In practical terms, that translates to notes that sustain longer and decay more evenly, improved intonation across the neck (especially useful when playing complex chord voicings up high), and more consistent volume whether you're playing softly or digging in hard.
The Builder's Edition ergonomic package is the other half of the equation. The beveled armrest on the bass-side edge of the body eliminates the hard maple edge that digs into your forearm during long sessions. The contoured cutaway gives you clean upper-fret access without the sharp corner that standard cutaways can create. Chamfered body edges and the silky Silent Satin finish make the whole guitar feel smooth and comfortable from the moment you pick it up.
Electronics are handled by Taylor's Expression System 2, a behind-the-saddle design that captures the guitar's natural acoustic dynamics with a transparency that most undersaddle systems can't match. The 1-3/4" nut width, Hard Rock Maple neck, and 25.5" scale length give the guitar a slightly open, spacious feel in the fretting hand — well-suited to players who spend time in open tunings or prefer a bit more string separation.
Appointments Worth Noticing
Taylor kept the aesthetic refined rather than flashy. The Mother-of-Pearl Scepter inlays run along the West African Crelicam Ebony fingerboard, and ebony binding ties the whole visual package together. Gotoh 510 tuners handle tuning stability. The Silent Satin finish on the body reduces handling noise while keeping the figured maple grain visible and tactile. It's a guitar that looks like it belongs on a stage but plays like it was made for your living room.
Product Features:
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Body Style: Grand Auditorium with cutaway — Taylor's all-purpose shape with strong projection and balanced tonal response
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Top: Solid torrefied Sitka spruce with V-Class bracing — aged-in warmth and articulate projection from day one
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Back & Sides: Solid figured Big Leaf maple — focused, transparent tone with revoiced warmth by Andy Powers
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Neck: Hard Rock Maple, 25.5" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width — open feel and precise string separation
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Fretboard & Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony — dense, articulate attack and smooth feel
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Electronics: Taylor Expression System 2 — behind-the-saddle design for transparent, natural amplified tone
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Builder's Edition Ergonomics: Beveled armrest, chamfered cutaway and body edges, Silent Satin finish for maximum playing comfort
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Tuners: Gotoh 510
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Finish: Wild Honey Burst with Silent Satin treatment
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Inlays: Mother-of-Pearl Scepter pattern on fingerboard and headstock; ebony binding
Brand: Taylor Guitars
Model: Builder's Edition 614ce WHB
SKU: 614CEBEWHB
Condition: New
Since 1872, C.A. House Music has been helping musicians across the Ohio Valley find the right gear -- with real advice from a team that actually plays. We're your authorized dealer of all the big names in guitars, keyboards, band instruments, drums, pro audio, and more. With four family-owned and operated locations in Ohio and West Virginia (plus a full online store), you don't have to go far for instruments, lessons, rentals, and repairs. No matter your musical needs, our team of musicians wants to help you Play Music for Life.
