PG tests a trio of powerful new designs—from Carl Martin's plug-and-play Octa-Switch Mk3 to RJM's tricked-out Mastermind PBC and Boss' deep-but-accessibly priced ES-8.
We treasure our pedals for the unique tone shaping capabilities they give us—for the individuality they lend to our sounds and music. We also get so attached to those little buggers that it can be hard to consider alternatives.
Such sentimental attachments can make a pedal collection less than the sum of its parts. For one thing, an in-series pedal set up is inherently limited in relation to the possible sounds that set of pedals can make when reshuffled, reordered, and reconfigured. Then there’s the issue of on-the-fly switching. Unless you’re capable of Houdini-meets-Baryshnikov contortions you’ll never be able to switch on five pedals simultaneously.
Pedal switchers make such magic tricks as easy as pressing a single switch. Many switchers eliminate the limitations of in-series pedal setups by enabling the creation of unique pedal sequences via switchable loops. Some also offer features like amp channel/effects switching and MIDI connectivity that help maximize the potential of the pedals that are already the foundation of your sound.
For this roundup, we check out three of the latest switchers: the Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3, Boss ES-8, and RJM Mastermind PBC. They cover a fairly wide spectrum in terms of cost, functionality, and design emphasis. But each offers the opportunity to relate the pedals you already love in ways you may never have considered or expected.
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RJM Mastermind PBC
Boss ES-8
Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3
RJM Mastermind PBC
RJM Music Technology is best known for rack switching devices, and players from Beck to Billie Joe Armstrong to John Petrucci all use the company’s high-end systems. The new, U.S.A.-built Mastermind PBC, however, shrinks RJM’s rack mount technology into a compact format designed to fit on a pedalboard and be more accessibly priced to players without Learjet budgets.The Mastermind PBC is ostensibly a control station for your pedals, but it can do much more than that—certainly more than we can cover in this review. The unit features 10 loops with insert points in between groups, which offers copious routing options. You can even run some pedals straight into the amp and others through your amp’s effects loop.
Ratings
Pros:
Excellent, versatile design. USB editing option greatly increases functionality.
Cons:
A little pricey. Editor has a moderate learning curve.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$999
RJM Music Mastermind PBC
rjmmusic.com
RJM clearly considered just about every scenario pedal junkies are likely to face. So the Mastermind PBC offers simple solutions for the most common problems. While the unit is true bypass, there are three switchable buffers that can be saved as part of any given preset. The last four loops, meanwhile, have an internal mixer so you can route pedals in series or parallel. The Mastermind PBC can also be configured for a stereo setup or for A/B routing to different amps. I took advantage of the latter option and connected one end to my shimmery clean blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb and the other to my Mesa/Boogie Trem-O-Verb. It was a pairing made in heaven.
There is room to store up to 768 presets so it’s very unlikely you’ll run out of space. The readout is sizeable but not too huge—the right balance of compact and easy on the eyes. There’s even a built-in tuner (although there’s no dedicated tuner out on the back panel). Other standout features are USB connectivity, a flash storage option, and PBC Editor (for use on a Mac or PC). One of my biggest gripes with anything multi-effects related is scrolling through screens to adjust every little parameter. The PBC Editor gives you much more control over the Mastermind’s internal control parameters.
Though downloading and hooking up the editor is easy, it’s not immediately intuitive. It took a little bit of time to get my bearings, and I think many guitarists coming from a world of analog pedals will have the same experience. Successfully navigating the editor comes with a significant payoff, however. The level of control is astounding, especially if you use MIDI capable pedals like the Strymon TimeLine or Mobius, or the Line 6 M series. The sound sculpting potential opened up by the editor and the seamless way it will interface with MIDI pedals is enormous.
At $999 street, the Mastermind PBC is the priciest switcher in our roundup, but there’s little sticker shock when you realize how much it can do and the exponential way in which it expands the possibilities of your rig. It’s perfectly suited for a professional touring musician. But the sound shaping possibilities and the excellent MIDI and digital workstation interfacing options could just as easily make it the centerpiece of a home recording rig.
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Boss ES-8
Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3
Boss ES-8
I’ve owned several Boss multi-effects units over the years and have always been impressed with how configurable and adaptable they tend to be. Boss’ emphasis on practical, real-world utility and user friendliness remains intact in the ES-8. And it offers a ton of flexibility at a very reasonable price.At a glance, the ES-8 looks like a compact multi-effects unit. But there’s a lot of functionality jammed into a little package. The back panel almost looks like a studio patch bay for all the jacks crammed onto such a small space. All told there’s—count ’em—33 1/4" jacks and a pair of MIDI in/out jacks. There are eight send/return jacks (the seventh provides mono send and stereo return, and the eighth offers stereo send and return), control jacks to let you switch amp channels and turn on reverb, jacks for connecting expression pedals, and a plethora of additional connections. With that many I/Os, real estate is at a premium so it’s vital to use straight 1/4" cables.
Ratings
Pros:
Incredible control options. Great value. High quality.
Cons:
Small screen. Preset readouts could be more descriptive.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$699
Boss ES-8
boss.info
Manual mode lets you turn pedals on and off just like you would on a conventional pedalboard. Memory mode, however, is where the real action is, and here you can access saved loop combinations via 100 banks that provide a total of 800 presets.
At times, you might wonder why there are so many preset options—particularly given how easy the Boss makes it to add effects to existing presets on the fly. Nevertheless, the flexibility afforded by all these options is impressive. And given the Boss’ ability to delve into nuances like effects trails and series and parallel routing (the latter feature in particular can really open up new possibilities for your old effects), you might start crafting presets in the hundreds before you know it!
Thankfully, the Boss is pretty easy to program and edit. Changes in pedal order are represented on the loop structure screen, which provides a very simple numeric representation of the pedal order. Boss has always excelled at creating these kinds of simple interfaces and, in a pedal that can be as complicated as the ES-8, it does wonders in streamlining programming and easing the learning curve. One shortcoming of the readout is that it does not reveal the order of pedals when you select the preset itself. You can only see the order in edit mode. That means you’ll need a pretty good memory, a thorough system of organization, or a lot of practice to navigate a deep library of presets—but that goes for most loopers this complex.
The Boss is thoughtful at the nuts and bolts level, too. Buffers can be turned on and off for each input to compensate for pedals like old wahs and fuzzes that are particular about their positions relative to buffered switches. Better still, these settings can be stored for each preset. It’s a small detail, but it eliminates a lot of the headaches that would ordinarily come with switching pedal order. MIDI capability is useful in cool ways, too. I especially liked the Master BPM, which enables you to assign tempo parameters for compatible effects in a given patch.
There are many switchers on the market, but outside of custom-built units that cost thousands more than the ES-8’s $699 street, you’d be hard pressed to get this level of control over your entire rig at this appealing price.
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RJM Mastermind PBC
Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3
Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3
Although the Octa-Switch MK2 still feels fresh in our memory, Carl Martin recently released the MK3, a streamlined edition of the popular MK2. At a street price of around $427, it’s easily the most affordable switcher in our roundup.The MK3 is more pedalboard-friendly than the two previous incarnations—primarily because it utilizes two rows of footswitches, rather than one long row. And while Carl Martin has stuffed a lot of functions into less space, the jacks are still spaced out wide enough to patch in the right-angle plugs used for most pedalboard applications (something I wasn’t able to do with the other two switchers in this roundup).
I was a little surprised when I opened the box and didn’t see a power supply. But the Octa-Switch MK3 is compatible with a standard 9V adapter, and I just daisy chained it to my pedalboard’s existing power supply. (Unlike the MK2, the MK3 can’t be powered by batteries.)
The Octa-Switch MK3 offers eight loops (the last loop is stereo) and eight banks—which should be more than enough for most players. In addition to the eight loop footswitches, there’s a switch for bypassing the unit completely.
The MK3 has a decidedly mechanical, analog feel—largely due to the absence of a readout and the eight dip switches above each preset footswitch. The dipswitches correspond to the eight send/returns and the pedal; you route through them. You determine which pedals make up a given preset by turning the dipswitches off or on. I’m not a huge fan of dipswitches, but here the design is more intuitive, and arguably faster, than scrolling through a small screen. On the top corner of the control panel are eight small blue LEDs that correspond to loops 1-8 and light up to show which loop is activated on a selected preset. There are also two rows of dipswitches for external switching of amp channels or amplifier reverb. These, too, can be assigned to work with a selected loop.
Ratings
Pros:
Great value. Incredibly easy to use.
Cons:
Lack of MIDI. No way to virtually assign pedal order.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$427
Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3
carlmartin.com
It took me about a minute to program a relatively simple rig consisting of a Mesa/Boogie Trem-O-Verb and several pedals. For a rhythm preset, I used a Boss CE-2 and Ibanez AD-9 going into the amp’s clean channel. For leads, I created two presets—a Mad Professor Bluebird overdrive/delay going into the amp’s clean channel and an Ibanez TS-9 used as a boost going into the amp’s high gain channel. I also used a Boss TU-2 tuner, though, oddly, there is no dedicated tuner out on the Octa-Switch MK3. The presets all worked flawlessly and switching was immediate and pop free.
The MK3 lacks MIDI, the ability to change the order of pedals in a chain, and the ability to switch on individual pedals while running a preset. But while it may lack some of the features that distinguish and add wow factor to the Boss and RJM, I didn’t mind not having those options. If I knew I’d need an additional boost for a lead preset to suit a different playing environment, I’d simply add the boost to an existing preset or program a new one on the spot. It doesn’t take more than a second to flick the dipswitch. Above all else, the MK3 is fast and easy.
Though it may lack some fancy digital features, the MK3 is capable of a lot more than just switching pedals on and off. You can use it as a killer A/B switcher to route two guitars into two separate amps, with each pair attached to its own group of effects. Just bypass the standard in/out controls and patch everything through the loop jacks.
The mechanical simplicity of the Octa-Switch MK3 is a beautiful thing. The intuitive design means neophytes can get started fast without consulting a manual. And it’s simple enough to make troubleshooting a breeze in performance situations. In an era in which many switchers are as complex as some multi-effects units, the MK3’s what-you-see-is-what-you-get layout cuts through all the frivolities. This bad boy lets you just program the configurations you’ll actually need rather than bog you down with hypothetical possibilities you’ll never actually use.
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RJM Mastermind PBC
Boss ES-8
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This wonky Zim-Gar was one of many guitars sold by importer Gar-Zim Musical Instruments, operated by Larry Zimmerman and his wife.
The 1960s were strange days indeed for import guitars, like this cleaver-friendly Zim-Gar electric.
Recently I started sharing my work office with a true gem of a guy … one of the nicest fellas I’ve ever come across. If you’ve been following my column here, you might remember my other work mate Dylan, who is always telling me about new, fad-type things (like hot Honey guitars) and trying to convince me to use AI more. (What can I say, he’s a millennial.) But Steve, on the other hand, is about 10 years my senior and is a native New Yorker—Brooklyn actually, from the Canarsie neighborhood. Steve is a retired teacher and spent many years teaching in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn, and man, he has some amazing stories.
Mostly we talk about music and sports (he’s exiled here among us Philadelphia sports fans) and he’s just endlessly interesting to me. He has a huge appetite and can eat a whole pizza. When he talks, he sounds like one of the Ramones and he still has an apartment in Rockaway Beach. We both love Seinfeld and, like George Costanza, Steve knows where all the great bathrooms are across New York City. Since he’s been added to my circle (and is such a mensch), I decided I should work him into a column.
So here’s the connection: Back in the day there were many American importers, dealers, and wholesalers. A lot of them were based in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but I only know of one guitar importer located in Brooklyn: Gar-Zim Musical Instruments. The company was run by Larry Zimmerman and his wife, and the couple had some success importing and selling Japanese guitars and drums. I used to see early Teisco imports with the Zim-Gar badge, which was the brand name of Gar-Zim. I’ve also seen Kawai guitars with the Zim-Gar label, but the Zimmerman’s seemed to sell cheaper and cheaper gear as the ’60s wore on, including the piece you see here.
“This build reminds me of the cutting boards I used to make in wood shop back in my high school days.”
The model name and factory origin of this guitar is a mystery to me, but this build reminds me of the cutting boards I used to make in wood shop back in my high school days. The guitar is just flat across the top and back, with absolutely no contouring or shaping. Its offset body is plywood with a thin veneer on the top and back. From a distance this guitar actually looks kind of nice, but up close you can see a rather crude and clunky instrument that offers little flexibility and playability. The non-adjustable bridge is off center, as is the tremolo. It was really hard to get this guitar playing well, but in the end it was worth it, because the pickups were the saving grace. Another example of gold-foils, these units sound strong and raw. The electronics consist of an on/off switch for each pickup and a volume and tone knob. The tuners are okay, and the headstock design is reminiscent of the Kay “dragon snout” shape of the mid to late ’60s, which is where I would place the birthdate of this one, probably circa 1966. Everything is just so goofy about this build—even the upper strap button is located on the back of the neck. It reminds me of that era when simple wood factories that were making furniture were tasked with building electric guitars, and they simply didn’t know what they were doing. So, you get oddities like this one.
Gar-Zim continued to sell guitars and other musical instruments through the 1970s and possibly into the ’80s. I once even saw a guitar with the label Lim-Gar, which is totally puzzling. I think there should’ve been a Stee-Gar designation for my new buddy Steve-o! Yes, good readers, with guitars and me, there are always just a few degrees of separation.
In line with the MOOER’s recent expansion on the MSC range, the company is excited to announce the new MSC50 Pro, an Alder-bodied electric guitar with gloss finish, available in the new Magic Crystal color.
Featuring a roasted maple neck with a satin finish, a rosewood fingerboard for playing comfort, 22 frets, and a standard C shape, the guitar has been designed with classic guitarists in mind. This is beautifully emphasized with its beautifully resonant tonewoods, all while still being balanced perfectly with style and comfort of use.
The MSC50 Pro features all of the industry-standard features you might expect from such an impressively affordable guitar, such as bolt-on construction, a bone nut, and a dual-action steel truss rod. However, other features make the electric guitar stand out among others at a similar price point, such as its MTN-3LC locking tuning pegs, beautiful Abalone dot inlay, and, of course, its previously mentioned tonewood selection.
In order to capture the MSC50 Pro's balanced tonal profile, MOOER's luthiers have built it with three perfectly balanced pickups: the MSC-II N single coil neck pickup, the similar MSC-II M single coil middle pickup, and, best of all, the MHB-II B bridge humbucker. When these carefully chosen pickups are combined with the guitar's MPW 2-point chrome bridge, guitarists can make the most out of its tonal versatility, all while maximizing tuning stability.
To ensure that the guitar is suitable for a wide range of genres, both softer and higher-gain examples, the MSC50 Pro has a convenient coil split switch built into it, giving users better resonance control. Of course, this is also combined with a classic tone dial, a standard 5-way tone switch, and a volume control dial.
Overall, the MSC50 Pro reminds users of MOOER guitars that the company has never forgotten about its roots in classic-style guitars. Yes, the company is continuing to develop innovative guitar technology in other areas, but this electric guitar also represents a grounded approach, keeping things classic, sleek, and tonally versatile–all at a reasonable price point.
Features:
- Alder Body with a Gloss Finish
- Available in the Magic Crystal color
- Standard C-shaped roasted maple neck with a Satin finish
- Bolt-on construction
- 22-fret rosewood fingerboard
- Abalon dot inlay
- MTN-3LC locking tuners
- Bone nut
- Dual-Action Steel Truss Rod
- 12" radius
- 09-46 strings
- 25.2" scale
- MSC-II N Single Coil neck pickup, an MSC-II M Single Poil middle pickup, and an MHB-II B Humbucker Bridge Pickup
- Chrome guitar strap pin
- Coil Split Switch
- 5-Way Tone Switch
- Volume and tone dials
- MPW 2-Point chrome bridge
The MSC50 Pro will be available from the official distributors and retailers worldwide on 13th May 2025 at an expected retail price of USD419/Euro399/GBP339.
MOOER Expands Its Popular MSC Guitar Line with the MSC30 Pro and MSC31 Pro
MOOER has never shied away from innovation when it comes to its guitars. However, with the recently announced release of the MSC30 Pro and MSC31, the company reminds us that, sometimes, true innovation lies in mastering and enhancing a proven classic. With this philosophy, MOOER introduces two new exciting additions to their beloved MSC series of electric guitars.
Both the MSC30 Pro and MSC31 Pro continue MOOER’s philosophy of creating affordable guitars, but without sacrificing quality or performance, thanks to the poplar bodies and flame maple tops. Some guitarists will be drawn to the bright tones of the MSC30 Pro’s maple fingerboard, whereas others will prefer the warmer resonance of the MSC31 Pro’s rosewood alternative.
Each guitar features sturdy bolt-on neck construction, dual-action steel truss rods, bone nuts, and MTN-1 chrome tuning pegs (with the BK upgrade being reserved for the MSC31 Pro), ensuring tuning stability and comfort at all times.At the heart of both models are MOOER’s versatile MSC pickups, comprising the MSC-1N single-coil neck pickup, the MSC-1M single-coil middle pickup, and the powerful MHB-1B dual-coil humbucker at the bridge. Further complemented by a versatile 5-way pickup selector and exclusive coil split switch, players can effortlessly switch between a wide palette of tones, such as pristine cleans ideal for jazz or blues, or high-gain tones for heavier genres.
Tremolo support is also provided through both the guitar's bridges, with the MSC30 Pro featuring an MTB-1 2 Point Tremolo bridge, and the MSC31 Pro boasting an exclusive black MTB-1 BK 2 Point Tremolo bridge. Both bridges guarantee guitarists the ability to use tremolo bars in their guitar performances, without compromising the integrity of tuning stability.
Both guitars come with a selection of vivid new colors, complementing the guitar’s hardware with undeniable visual appeal. The MSC30 Pro is available in the classic finishes of Sunset Red, Lake Blue, Lemon Green, and Rose Purple. Meanwhile, the MSC31 Pro boasts its own selection of glossy finishes: Grey Burst, Blue Burst, Green Burst, and Purple Burst.
Overall, the MSC30 Pro and MSC31 Pro solidify MOOER’s commitment to combining quality craftsmanship, affordability, and versatility, giving guitarists of all levels the chance to own instruments that genuinely inspire.
Features
MSC30 Pro:
- Classic S-style design
- Poplar body with flame maple top
- Maple fingerboard
- Maple neck with satin finish
- Bolt-on neck construction
- 22 nickel silver frets, Abalone dotted inlay
- Coil split switch and versatile 5-way pickup selector
- MSC-1N/M single-coil pickups and MHB-1B humbucker
- 25.5" scale
- MTN-1 Chrome tuning pegs
- Available in gloss-finished Sunset Red, Lake Blue, Lemon Green, and Rose Purple
- Volume and tone dial
- Chrome strap pin
MSC31 Pro:
- Classic S-style design
- Poplar body with flame maple top
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Maple neck with satin finish
- Bolt-on neck construction
- 22 nickel silver frets, White Shell dotted inlay
- Coil split switch and versatile 5-way pickup selector
- MSC-1N/M single-coil pickups and MHB-1B humbucker
- 25.5" scale
- MTN-1 BK tuning pegs
- Available in gloss-finished Grey Burst, Blue Burst, Green Burst, and Purple Burst
- Volume and tone dial
- Chrome strap pin
The MSC30 Pro and MSC31 Pro will both be available from the official distributors and retailers worldwide on 2nd April 2025.
MOOER Gives Bassists What They Want with the New MBJ410 and MBJ420 Electric Bass Guitar Models
For 15 years, MOOER has built a critically acclaimed name for itself thanks to its cutting-edge electric guitars, pedals, and accessories. While the company is no stranger to building electric bass guitars, this has not been its focus for some time, hence why so many bassists are excitedly anticipating the release of the MBJ410 and MBJ420 electric bass guitars.
Both the bass guitars sport glossy Poplar bodies, keeping the price point affordable but without limiting their tonal resonance and versatility, whereas the MBJ420 holds the additional bonus of being built with a Poplar Burl top. Complete with roasted maple C-shaped necks (also accented with a gloss finish) as well as Roasted Maple fingerboards and White Shell dot inlays, the necks are designed to offer as much comfort as possible–a high priority for bass guitarists.
A 34" fret scale further enhances practicality for bassists, as does the neck's 12" radius. Strings are available in .045, .065, .080, and .100 gauges, providing something for any type of bass style - whether slapping, plucking, or picking techniques are preferred.Thanks to the industry-standard components of a dual-action steel truss rod and bone nut, the tuning and resonant stability of both the MBJ410 and MBJ420 models are also of a high standard. However, this is accentuated further by the guitars' strong and reliable BTN-1 tuning pegs, essential for heavier-gauge bass strings.
The tonewoods and structural integrity of the MBJ-series electric bass guitars wouldn't be complete without the accompaniment of the guitar’s two single-coil JB-style pickups. Combined with the MOOER BSC-2 bridge, both bass guitars have been carefully designed to amplify bass resonances excellently, complemented even further by their simple but effective tone dials. Two volume controls are also built in, ensuring that bassists can customize their sonic output to have the perfect tonal blend.
In terms of standout features, the main difference between the two bass guitars is the MBJ420's added poplar burl top, but most notably, the color selections. For the MBJ410, the bass guitar is available in Gunmetal Gray, Metal Green, and Metal Blue, perfectly suiting the stages of higher-gain performances. In contrast, the aesthetics of the MBJ420 are more classic, purchasable in Red Burst, Blue Burst, and Tobacco Burst. Finally, both guitars are topped with a chrome strap pin, enabling stylish and energetic live performances.
Overall, bassists will no doubt be excited to see MOOER return to electric bass guitars with the MBJ410 and 420 models. Of course, electric guitars will remain the focus for the company, but the release of these two new products is a reminder of just how accommodating MOOER is for its wide audience of musicians.
Features
- Electric bass guitar built with gloss-finished Poplar body (MBJ420 also features a Poplar Burl Top)
- Roasted maple C-shaped neck with a gloss finish
- Roasted maple fingerboard
- White Shell dot inlay
- 12” neck radius
- MOOER BSC-2 bridge
- VBJ-1 and VBJ-2 Single Coil pickups
- MOOER BTN-1 tuning pegs
- Bolt-on construction
- Bone nut
- Dual-action steel truss rod
- Pre-installed strings available in .045, .065, .080, and .100 gauges
- 21 frets
- 34"fret scale
- Colors available in Gunmetal Gray, Metal Green, and Metal Blue (MBJ410), and Red Burst, Blue Burst, and Tobacco Burst (MBJ420)
- Chrome strap pin
- 2 x volume control dials
- 1 x Tone dial
The MBJ410 and MBJ420 will both be available from the official distributors and retailers worldwide on 29th April 2025 at an expected retail price of USD319/Euro299/GBP249(MBJ410), USD399/Euro379/GBP319(MBJ420).
See and hear Taylor’s Legacy Collection guitars played by his successor, Andy Powers.
Last year, Taylor Guitars capped its 50th Anniversary by introducing a new guitar collection celebrating the contributions of co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug to the guitar world. The Legacy Collection revives five of Bob Taylor’s classic acoustic models, curated by the legendary luthier and innovator himself. “To imagine that we’re doing guitars that harken to our past, our present and our future all at the same time,” Bob says, “I really like that.”
In developing the collection, Bob preserved the essence of his originals while integrating performance and playability upgrades introduced during his tenure as designer-in-chief. “It’s an up-to-date version of what those guitars would be,” Bob explains, “but with the same sound.”
Visually, these guitars feel classic—clean, understated and unmistakably Taylor. While Bob’s original aesthetic preferences are showcased in his Legacy models, the nod to the past runs deeper than trade dress.
From his earliest builds, Bob favored slim-profile necks because he found them easier to play. That preference set a design precedent that established Taylor’s reputation for smooth-playing, comfortable necks. Legacy models feature slim mahogany necks built with Taylor's patented New Technology (NT) design. “My first neck was a bolted-on neck but not an NT neck,” Bob says. “These are NT necks because it’s a better neck.” Introduced in 1999, the NT neck allowed for unprecedented micro-adjustability while offering a consistent, hand-friendly Taylor playing experience.
What makes this collection unique within the Taylor line is Bob’s use of his X-bracing architecture, favoring his time-tested internal voicing framework over more recent Taylor bracing innovations to evoke a distinctive tone profile. Since Andy Powers—Taylor’s current Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEO—debuted his patented V-Class bracing in 2018, V-Class has become a staple in Taylor’s premium-performance guitars. Still, Bob’s X-bracing pattern produces a richly textured sound with pleasing volume, balance and clarity that long defined the Taylor voice. All Legacy models feature LR Baggs VTC Element electronics, which Bob says “harkens back to those days.”
The team at Taylor thought the best way to demonstrate the sound of the Legacy guitars was to ask Andy Powers, Bob’s successor, to play them. A world-class luthier and musician, Andy has spent the past 14 years leading Taylor’s guitar innovation. In addition to V-Class bracing, his contributions include the Grand Pacific body style, the ultra-refined Builder’s Edition Collection, and most recently, the stunning Gold Label Collection.
Below you’ll find a series of videos that feature Powers playing each Legacy model along with information about the guitars.
Legacy 800 Series Models
First launched in 1975, the 800 Series was Taylor’s first official guitar series. Today, it remains home to some of the brand’s most acclaimed instruments, including the flagship 814ce, Builder’s Edition 814ce and new Gold Label 814e.
The Legacy 800 Series features the 810e Dreadnought and two Jumbos: the 6-string 815e and 12-string 855e. Each model serves up a refined version of the Dreadnought and Jumbo body shapes Bob inherited from Sam Radding—the original owner of the American Dream music shop where Bob and Kurt first met. “I was making my guitars in the molds that Sam had made at American Dream,” Bob recalls. “There was a Jumbo and a Dreadnought. That’s all we had.”
All three Legacy 800 Series guitars feature one of Bob’s favorite tonewood combos. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides are paired with a Sitka spruce top, yielding warm lows, clear trebles and a scooped midrange.
Aesthetic appointments include a three-ring abalone rosette, mother-of-pearl Large Diamond inlays, white binding around the body and fretboard, and Bob’s “straight-ear” peghead design. Both Jumbo models also showcase a mustache-style ebony bridge—a nod to Bob’s early Jumbo builds.
Legacy 810e
The 810 Dreadnought holds a special place in Bob Taylor’s heart. “My first 810, the one I made for myself, was a thrilling guitar for me to make,” he says. “It’s the one and only guitar I played. It didn’t matter how many guitars we made at Taylor, that’s the one I took out and played.” The Legacy 810e brings back that bold, room-filling Dreadnought voice along with the easy playability expected from a Taylor.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 810e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 855e
Taylor’s first 12-strings found an audience in 1970s Los Angeles. “I was making guitars that would find their way to McCabe’s in Santa Monica and Westwood Music,” Bob says, “and these guitars were easy to play. Twelve-strings were a popular sound in that music. It was a modern country/folk/rock music genre that was accepting our guitars because they were easy to play. They also liked the sound of them because our guitars were easier to record.” The Legacy 855e, with its resonant Jumbo body, slim neck and gorgeous octave sparkle, carries that tradition forward.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 855e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 815e
The Legacy 815e revives Taylor’s original Jumbo 6-string, delivering a big, lush sound with beautifully blooming overtones.
Legacy Grand Auditoriums
In the early 1990s, Bob Taylor heard a consistent refrain from dealers: “Not everybody wants a dreadnought guitar anymore.” Players were asking for something with comparable volume but different proportions—something more comfortable, yet still powerful. This feedback inspired Bob to design a new body style with more elegant curves, more accommodating proportions and a balanced tonal response. The result was the Grand Auditorium, which Taylor introduced in 1994 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Thanks to its musical versatility and easy playability, Bob’s Grand Auditorium attracted a wide variety of players. “We came into our own with our Grand Auditorium,” he says. “People were describing it as ‘all around.’ It’s a good strummer and good for fingerstyle, but it’s not totally geared toward strumming or totally geared toward fingerstyle.” Also referred to as the “Swiss-Army Knife” of guitars or the “Goldilocks” guitar, the GA quickly became a favorite among guitarists across playing styles, musical genres and different playing applications including recording and live performance. “That guitar made studio work successful,” Bob says. It gained a wider fanbase with the debut of the “ce” version, which introduced a Venetian cutaway and onboard electronics. “That became one of our hallmarks,” says Bob. “If you want to plug in your guitar, buy a Taylor.”
Today, the Grand Auditorium is Taylor’s best-selling body shape.
The Legacy Collection features two cedar-top Grand Auditoriums inspired by past favorites: the mahogany/cedar 514ce and rosewood/cedar 714ce. Both models incorporate Bob’s original X-bracing pattern for a tonal character reminiscent of their 1990s and 2000s counterparts. Shared aesthetic details include a green abalone three-ring rosette, ebony bridge pins with green abalone dots, a faux-tortoiseshell pickguard and Taylor gold tuning machines.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 815e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 514ce
The Legacy 514ce features solid mahogany back and sides paired with a Western Red cedar top, yielding a punchy midrange and dry, woody sonic personality that pairs beautifully with cedar’s soft-touch sensitivity and warmth. It’s a standout choice for fingerstyle players and light strummers who crave nuance and depth. Distinct visual details include faux-tortoise body and fretboard binding, black-and-white top trim, and mother-of-pearl small diamond fretboard inlays.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 514ce | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 714ce
The Legacy 714ce also features a cedar top, this time matched with solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The result is a richly textured sound with deep lows, clear trebles and a warm, mellow response. Inspiring as it is, this specific wood pairing isn’t currently offered in any other standard Taylor model. Additional aesthetic details include green abalone dot fretboard inlays, black body and fretboard binding, and black-and-white “pinstripe” body purfling.
While the Legacy Collection spotlights Taylor’s past, newer models from the Gold Label, Builder’s Edition and Somos Collections show the company’s legacy is always evolving. Explore the Legacy Collection at taylorguitars.com or visit your local authorized Taylor dealer.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 714ce | Playthrough Demo
The Oceans Abyss expands on Electro-Harmonix’s highly acclaimed reverb technology to deliver a truly immersive effects workstation. The pedal is centered around dual reverb engines that are independently programmable with full-stereo algorithms including Hall, Spring, Shimmer and more. Place these reverbs into a customizable signal path with additional FX blocks like Delay, Chorus, Tremolo, or Bit Crusher for a completely unique soundscape building experience.
Electro-Harmonix has paved the way for powerful, accessible reverbs since the release of the original Holy Grail and now we’ve pushed the envelope deeper with the fully-equipped Oceans Abyss. Featuring a customizable signal path with up to 8 effects blocks, the Oceans Abyss can be configured as individual reverb, modulation, EQ, delay, bit crusher, saturation or volume effects, or as countless combinations for incredibly creative effect shaping. From a simple Spring reverb to a lush stereo field featuring stereo hall and shimmer reverbs, chorus, delay, overdrive, and tremolo, you can go from surf to shoegaze instantly, without breaking a sweat.
Deep parameter editing is accessible via the high-visibility OLED display with multiple graphical views and easy-to-read designs. Expression/CV control over nearly every parameter gives artful control of your effects and dynamics. Fully-stereo I/O plus an FX Loop allows for use with any instrument, recording set up, or live rig. 128 programmable presets via onboard footswitching or MIDI ensure perfect recall in all performance situations. MIDI IN/OUT ports with MIDI IN support of PC, CC, and Tempo Clock expand the already immense talents of the Oceans Abyss. Connect with UBS-C to Windows or Mac for effects editing, preset management, and more with the free EHXport™ app (coming soon).
- Two Stereo Reverbs available at once, each fully pannable in the stereo field
- 10 reverb types to choose from: Room, Hall, Spring, Plate, Reverse, Dynamic, Auto-Infinite, Shimmer, Polyphonic, Resonant
- Additional FX blocks: Delay (Digital, Analog and Tape emulations), Tremolo, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Graphic EQ, Saturation, Bit Crusher, External FX Loop, Volume
- Create custom signal path routing with up to 8 effects blocks. Two blocks may be re-verb, the rest may be any of the additional FX blocks.
- Infinite reverb sustain with the press of a footswitch
- Stereo Audio I/O
- Stereo FX Loop routing on TRS Jacks
- Dual action footswitches allow for momentary or latching use
- Easily enable or disable tails
- 128 fully customizable presets
- All controls can be saved to presets
- Dive deep into global and preset settings to set up Oceans Abyss for your specific needs
- Illuminated slide pots and buttons
- High-visibility OLED graphical display
- Multiple graphical views: Signal Path, Performance, Settings, Physical, Explorer
- Easy-to-navigate menu system
- Ergonomic NavCoder knob allows rotary and directional navigation through menus
- EXPRESSION / CV input to control nearly any parameter in any FX block
- Footswitch input allows for adding up to three external footswitches, each assigna-ble to a number of functions
- MIDI In and Out. MIDI IN supports PC, CC (over nearly every available parameter), and Tempo Clock
- USB-C port to connect to Windows or Mac and interface with EHXport™ app (coming soon)
- 96kHz / 24-bit sample rate conversion
- Supplied with 9.6VDC / 500mA power supply