Old-School Soul, Modern Precision
Some guitars just feel like they've been played for decades the first time you pick them up. The Taylor Gold Label 517e SB in Sunburst with Cream Pickguard is one of those. It's a guitar built to chase a very specific sound — warm, earthy, and vintage-voiced — but without sacrificing any of the playability and reliability that Taylor is known for today.
The golden-brown burst finish and cream-colored pickguard give the 517e SB an aesthetic straight out of the mid-20th century. Underneath that classic look, there's a lot of modern thinking going on. This is a Grand Pacific body — Taylor's take on the round-shoulder dreadnought shape, deepened slightly for even more low-end projection — built on a torrefied Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. The result is a guitar that sounds broken in from the moment you play it.
Whether you're a fingerpicker, a strummer, or somewhere in between, the 517e SB has the dynamic range and tonal depth to follow you wherever you go.
The Torrefied Top: Why It Sounds Like That
The torrefied Sitka spruce top is the heart of the 517e SB's character. Taylor's proprietary roasting process drives out moisture and changes the cellular structure of the wood, giving it the tonal properties of a much older, played-in instrument right out of the gate. That means a woody, earthy voice with a thick midrange focus — the kind of sound usually associated with vintage instruments that have been played for 30 or 40 years.
Inside, fanned V-Class bracing boosts volume and sustain while improving intonation across the entire fretboard. Unlike traditional X-bracing, the fanned layout varies in angle to support different regions of the top independently — giving each note better sustain and more accurate pitch, especially up the neck.
A Neck That Works With You
The slim, satin-finish mahogany neck on the 517e SB feels fast and comfortable without any of the sticky grab that gloss finishes can introduce. Taylor's patented long-tenon Action Control Neck™ joint takes things a step further: it enhances the wood coupling between neck and body (translating into more low-end resonance), and it lets you adjust string height on the fly — without removing strings or the neck. A quarter-inch nut driver through the soundhole is all it takes. That's a genuinely useful feature for players who gig in changing climates or just like their action dialed in exactly.
The fretboard is West African Crelicam ebony, which offers a smooth, glass-like feel and excellent durability. Nut width is 1-3/4", giving players comfortable string spacing whether you're chording or picking individual notes. Scale length is a standard 25-1/2".
Appointments and Electronics
The Gold Label collection's aesthetic details are all present here: a modified headstock with angled back cut and script-style Taylor logo inlay, cream-colored Crest inlays on the fretboard and peghead, cream body binding, and a cream single-ring rosette. The Honduran rosewood Curve Wing bridge pairs with Indian rosewood bridge pins, and a TUSQ nut and Micarta saddle round out the hardware. Taylor nickel tuners keep things anchored and looking right for the era the 517e SB is channeling.
For amplified performance, the LR Baggs Element VTC pickup system is on board. The Element VTC is a passive undersaddle pickup that emphasizes natural acoustic warmth and dynamics — it's designed to stay out of the way tonally and let the guitar's voice come through, whether you're playing softly or digging in hard on stage.
Product Features:
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Body Style: Grand Pacific (deep-body round-shoulder dreadnought), gloss finish
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Top: Solid torrefied Sitka spruce
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Back & Sides: Solid mahogany
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Bracing: Fanned V-Class
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Neck: Mahogany, slim profile, satin finish with long-tenon Action Control Neck™ joint
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Fretboard: West African Crelicam ebony with Crest inlays
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Scale Length: 25-1/2"
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Nut Width: 1-3/4" (TUSQ nut)
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Bridge: Honduran rosewood Curve Wing with Indian rosewood bridge pins
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Electronics: LR Baggs Element VTC passive undersaddle pickup
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Hardware: Taylor nickel tuners
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Finish: Sunburst top (gloss body, satin neck) with cream pickguard, cream binding, cream single-ring rosette
Brand: Taylor Guitars
Model: Gold Label 517e SB (Cream Pickguard)
SKU: A525042018105750583
Condition: New
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