
Don't be scared of diminished scales.
Advanced
Intermediate
⢠Understand the mechanics of the half-whole diminished scale.
⢠Use basic triads to break from the fear of symmetrical sounds.
⢠Learn how to use bebop phrasing with wide intervallic leaps.
It's nearly impossible to improvise over a tune without hitting a dominant chord. They are ubiquitous in rock, pop, jazz, country, and nearly every other type of Western music. I'm sure you've heard the phrase about how all music is based around tension and release? Well, I want to teach out how to make the tension cooler and the release more musically satisfying.
Instead of walking through basic 7th chord arpeggios, which have their place, I want to investigate the half-whole diminished scale and the four major triads that are inside it. We can all get our head around triads, right? Let's start with a quick review of the half-whole diminished scale.
The half-whole diminished scale is a symmetrical scale created by alternating half- and whole-steps, which creates an eight-note scale. In C this would be CāDbāEbāF#āGāAāBb. The other defining factor is thatāmuch like diminished chordsāthis scale repeats every minor third. In other words, the C, Eb, Gb, and A half-whole diminished scales all contain the exact same notes. Not coincidentally, those four notes also outline the major triads included in the scale.
Because of the symmetrical nature of the scale and the fact that it repeats itself, there are a total of three half-whole diminished scales: C (which is the same as Eb, Gb, and A), Db (which is the same as E, G, and Bb) and D (which is the same as F, Ab, and B). In essence, once you've learned all three scales and have gained a strong sense of how this scale sounds, you will able to apply it to any dominant 7 chord from any root.
Why Not Just Play the Scale?
Great question. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with using scales to improvise, I find that isolating and combining the major triads in the scale can provide a fresh perspective and distinct color when playing over dominant chords. It gets me away from familiar sounds and patterns. Using the triads in combination creates a strong dominant sound that's begging to resolve, while also often sounding mysterious and far less like you're just running up and down the scale.
Diminished Resolutions
In the following examples we'll be looking at how to use major triads from the diminished scale in combinations of two to four and hear how they resolve to major chords, minor chords, and other dominant chords. Worth noting is that for most of the examples we'll be using the G, Bb, Db, E major triads to resolve to some sort of C, Eb, Gb, or A chord. The reason we're able to do that is because the scale repeats in minor thirds. Therefore, G7 can be treated the same as Bb7 (and can resolve to any type of Eb chord), which can be treated the same as Db7 (and can resolve to any type of Gb chord), which can treated the same as E7 (and can resolve to any type of A chord). Let's get started!
Feel free to learn these examples using positions and fingerings that feel comfortable to you. As long as you're paying attention to the quality of your sound and playing the lines with a strong sense of rhythm and phrasing, there is no single "right" place to play these on the guitar. The tabs are merely a suggestion.
We'll start off simply in Ex. 1 with a IIm-V7āI in the key of C. On the Dm7 chord we have a line essentially constructed around the arpeggio with a bebop sensibility. Once we arrive at the G7 chord, notice that while there is no major triad played in its entirety sequentially, the line is constructed using the notes of a Bb major triad and a Db major triad. As we resolve to Cmaj7, there is a slight suspension of the #5 (G#) that quickly resolves to the natural 5 (G).
Dominant Chord Domination Ex. 1
In Ex. 2 we clearly outline and connect a C triad to a Gb triad over the A7 chord resolving to Dm7. This time on the G7 chord we use the two other major triads from the scale that we did not use in Ex. 1: E and G. In this measure the E triad is played in its entirety in 2nd inversion and for the last two beats we use a combination of notes from the E and G triads resolving to the 7 (B) on the Cmaj7 chord.
Dominant Domination Ex. 2
Ex. 3 changes key, this time playing over a IIm7āV7āI resolving to Ebm6. Notice that we're able to draw from the same pool of triads for Bb7 as we did for G7. We're still using two major triads on the dominant chords, this time E and Bb, resolving to the natural 6 (C) of the Ebm6 chord.
Dominant Domination Ex. 3
Next, we get a chance to hear the other two triads (G and Db) played over the Bb7 chord, this time resolving to Ebmaj7 instead of Ebm6 (Ex. 4). It's worth noting how well this dominant sound can resolve to both major and minor chord qualities. Here, we also begin to break things up with eighth-note triplets and larger intervallic leaps.
Dominant Domination Ex. 4
Ex. 5 gives us our first chance to hear a dominant chord moving to another dominant chord before resolving to the I chord. Pro tip: You can change any IIm chord to a dominant chord to create a half-step move to the V7. On the D7 chord we hear a syncopated Ab triad followed by a B triad with a D natural leading into it (the note is not outside of the chord, but in this instance still functions like an approach note). Next, the line combines the notes of an E and Db triad on the Db7 chord, finally resolving to Gbmaj7 with a line built around seconds and fourths and highlighting the #11 (C).
Dominant Domination Ex. 5
In Ex. 6 we have a similar progression to the one in in Ex. 5, but this time each dominant chord is two measures long instead of one and we resolve to a minor chord instead of a major chord. Because of the longer duration of the dominant chords, we're able to utilize all four major triads on each dominant chord (F, B, D, and Ab on B7; G, E, Db, and Bb on Bb7).
Dominant Domination Ex. 6
This one tackles a tricky part of George Shearing's song "Conception" using our triadic approach on the quickly descending dominant chords (Ex. 7). I find this approach helpful on this type of progression in terms of playing a line where the trajectory moves independently from the downward direction of the chord movement. In this example we get into some more challenging rhythmic phrasing and generally use only one major triad on each dominant chord.
Dominant Domination Ex. 7
Finally in Ex. 8 we see an often-encountered progression where the root motion is VāI from beginning to end. Here, we are back to using two triads per dominant chord (but this time with some approach notes) mixed with a strong bebop sensibility.
Dominant Domination Ex. 8
As you can see, the diminished chord gets a bad rap for being overly complicated and too pattern based. By thinking of more melodic fragments (triads!) you can tackle more difficult harmonies with ease and give your lines a fresh perspective.
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 Iāve ever come across. If youāve 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, heās a millennial.) But Steve, on the other hand, is about 10 years my senior and is a native New YorkerāBrooklyn 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 (heās exiled here among us Philadelphia sports fans) and heās 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 heās been added to my circle (and is such a mensch), I decided I should work him into a column.
So hereās 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. Iāve also seen Kawai guitars with the Zim-Gar label, but the Zimmermanās seemed to sell cheaper and cheaper gear as the ā60s wore on, including the piece you see here.
āThis build reminds me of the cutting boards I used to make in wood shop back in my high school days.ā
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 ādragon snoutā shape of the mid to late ā60s, which is where I would place the birthdate of this one, probably circa 1966. Everything is just so goofy about this buildāeven 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 didnāt 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 ā80s. I once even saw a guitar with the label Lim-Gar, which is totally puzzling. I think there shouldāve 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.
Guitarist Scott Metzger and his Lollar P-90-loaded Creston T-style onstage with LaMP, next to organist Ray Paczkowski.
The guitarist, who splits his time between the groove-driven jam band supergroup and Joe Russoās Almost Dead, energizes the Tele vernacular on One of Us.
āNight after night playing next toDean Ween was really my foundation for learning what it means to be a lead guitarist, and how to do a gig, and the pacing of a gig, and a lot of things that I still consider really, really important lessons,ā says guitarist Scott Metzger. Heās thinking back to his formative years in the small town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles north of Philadelphia and across the river from his hometown of Lambertville, New Jersey. It was there, on the intimate, low-ceilinged stage at eclectic musical outpost John & Peterās, that the guitarist cut his teeth next to the Ween co-founderāreal name Mickey Melchiondoāas a member of Chris Harfordās Band of Changes, which Metzger joined at just 17 years old.
āThey treated me like a kid, man,ā he continues. āThey really put me through the paces. There was a lot of hazing, and there was some tough love on a lot of those nights.ā
Metzger estimates he left it all on the John & Peterās stage hundreds of times, forming an old-school style of musical apprenticeship that can be heard in his playing today, three decades later. In any of the improv-heavy settings where he tends to find himselfāsuch as his collaborative trio, LaMP, with members of the Trey Anastasio Band, the transformative Grateful Dead tribute Joe Russoās Almost Dead, or in freelance situationsāMetzger takes the patient and complementary approach of someone playing the long game. Heās a supportive and colorful collaborator who, to make a baseball analogy, always seems to have a good read on the musical ball, equally adept as a finely attuned rhythm player or commanding lead voice. For that, he offers a lot of credit to those early days.
Guitarist Scott Metzger and his Lollar P-90-loaded Creston T-style onstage with LaMP, next to organist Ray Paczkowski.
Photo by Andrew Blackstein
āI kept my mouth shut and my eyes open,ā Metzger explains, āand I learned what it takes to become a good, competent guitarist and what it means to have a distinct voiceāDean Ween has one of the most distinct lead guitar voices in rock ānā roll as far as Iām concerned. But not only that, also how to support a singer, and how to play a song, and when not to solo, which is just as important as knowing when to.ā
Metzger remembers his early teen years, learning tunes by the Ramonesāhis first concertāand Jerseyās own Misfits, and getting turned ontoHendrix bootlegs and Boredoms records at New Hopeās Now and Then shop. Later, Melchiondo expanded his psychedelic worldview, hipping him to P-Funkā specificallyEddie Hazelās guitar workāand theAllman Brothers.
Metzger at home in Brooklyn, surrounded by an inspiring array of gear and posters.
Photo by Andrew Blackstein
It wasnāt long until Metzger put all those early lessons to work on the road. At 19, he was playing with his experimental trio F-Hole at Princeton, New Jerseyās Small World coffee when Phish guitaristTrey Anastasio wandered in. āAs soon as we get done playing,ā Metzger recalls, āhe makes a beeline to me and basically started interrogating me about who I was listening to and what I was into gear wise and what kind of guitarists I was into. What I didn't realize was that he was basically auditioning me in real time to be in his friend Tom Marshall's band, who writes all the lyrics for Phish and was putting together a band at the time.ā
Metzger scored the gig with Marshallās Amfibian, playing sold-out shows on the road and opening him up to a whole new musical world. āI wasnāt that familiar with Phish at all,ā he points out. āBut I knew I liked being up in front of all those people and being able to just play all night. I was really kind of a focal point of the band, and that was my introduction to what is now considered the jam band scene.ā
Fast-forward to the present: Metzger is a formidable member of the jam scene. Heās led and collaborated on a host of projects, including WOLF!, with bassist Jon Shaw and drummer Taylor Floreth; the blazing country-swing trio Showdown Kids, with his wife, violinist Katie Jacoby, and guitarist Simon Kafka; and his resplendent, forward-thinking 2022 acoustic-focused solo record, Too Close to Reason. In 2013, he teamed up with his longtime pal drummer Joe Russo, along with guitarist Tom Hamilton Jr., bassist Dave Dreiwitz, and keyboardist Marco Benevento, in forming Joe Russoās Almost Dead. Colloquially known as JRAD, the group, in a sea of reverence, treats the Grateful Deadās songbook almost as if itās an edition of the Real Bookāthe shorthand jazz-standards tomeācracking open the large catalog and infusing their own voices with every improv-heavy performance.
Scott Metzgerās Gear
Guitars
- Creston T-style
- Ronin Songbird
Amps
- Headstrong Verbrovibe 1x15
- Victoria 35210
Effects
- Bearfoot Putting Green Compressor
- Benson Germanium Fuzz
- Paul Cochrane Timmy overdrive
- Interstellar Audio Machines Octonaut Hyperdrive
- Analog Man-modded MXR Phase 90
- Ibanez Analog Delay
- Keeley 30ms Double Tracker
- Benson Delay
- Wilson Wah pedal
- Line 6 DL4
- Voodoo Lab power supply
Strings and Picks
- DāAddario NYXL .011s
- Dunlop Prime Tone 1.0 mm
Being a part of a Dead tribute act was never part of Metzgerās plan. In fact, he says he wasnāt all that familiar with the bandās catalog. āI wasnāt sure I was the right guy for the band,ā he says. But with exploration and personal vocabulary so paramount in JRAD, Russo knew Metzger was the right guitarist for the job.
āYou have to be willing to get in there and do your thing and make your mark unapologetically,ā Metzger muses. āThat's something that's made us stand out in a world of bands that are playing those songs.ā
JRAD has developed a large, dedicated following, rising to the top of the Dead tribute scene. āThe size of the audience that we have is mind blowing,ā Metzger points out, āand the fact that the audiences are willing to go to the places musically with us that we take it, it almost feels like we're testing how much we can get away with a lot of the time.ā
Metzger and LaMP bandmates Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton. āThose two guys are kind of celebrities up in Burlington,ā he says, āso it's like doing a gig with the mayor or something.ā
Photo by David Gray
These days, JRAD makes up about half of Metzgerās current gig commitments, and LaMP fills the other. The trio was formed one night in 2018 at Burlington, Vermontās jam nexus Nectarās, when the guitarist joined forces with keyboardist Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton, both longtime members of Trey Anastasioās solo band, who also work as the psych-funk duo Soul Monde. āRight off the bat, there was a chemistry that was going to work,ā Metzger recalls. āThose two guys are kind of celebrities up in Burlington, so itās like doing a gig with the mayor or something. The whole town came out to see us, the place was packed, and I think it was very clear to everybody there that night, including us, that it would be a crime not to do it again.ā
LaMP builds on the long history of the organ-trio tradition, referencing ā60s ensembles helmed by Grant Green and George Benson, the Metersā soulful funk, more modern jammers like Medeski, Martin & Woodāand most notably their late-night groove collabs with guitarist John Scofieldāas well as thrill-seeking, forward-leaning groups like John Abercrombieās Gateway Trio and Tony Williamsā Lifetime, all while embracing the spirit of rock ānā roll abandon. As unabashed and freewheeling as that might suggest, Metzger and company shoot for a tasteful sonic experience more than a barn-burning blast-off, and at the fore of the bandās sound is a shared improvisational language built upon close listening just as much as any influence. āThe real thing that weāre focusing on,ā Metzger shares, āis having a good feel, a group sound, and some catchy melodies. Those things are enough to carry the thing without having to worry about ripping some blazing solos every song.ā
This year, LaMP released One of Us, the follow-up to their self-titled 2020 debut. Itās filled with live-off-the-floor energy, or as Metzger puts it, āfresh tension.ā The mostly first and second takes heard on the record, with barely any overdubs, successfully capture the bandās collaborative heart, making One of Us a ferociously spirited listen from beginning to end. āI like records that are made really quickly on low budgets with the clock ticking,ā Metzger conveys. āYou can feel that a little bit on the record. Itās not too polished. It's like you can feel that itās three guys in a room playing together.ā
LaMPās One of Uscaptures the bandās effervescence with a set of mostly live-off-the-floor first and second takes.
Throughout One of Us, Metzger showcases his deep fluency in the Telecaster vernacular. With his Creston T-style, a chambered all-black affair loaded with Lollar P-90s, he slings lyrical licks that offer nods to the masters of the form, all the way back to the first Tele virtuoso, Jimmy Bryant through aces Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, Jim Campilongo, and Steve Cropperās deep pocket. (In JRAD, Metzger calls on a Ronin Songbird loaded with DeArmond gold-foils, but his vocab and approach remain much the same.)
Metzgerās take on the tradition is less virtuosic gunslinger than most of those maestros, instead favoring a more complementary approach with an ear toward supporting the group. To that end, he keeps his sound mostly on the cleaner end by reserving a load of potential sonic energy. āI crank the amp,ā he says, pointing out he prefers to set his comboāeither a Victoria 35210, a 2x10 Fender tweed Super copy, for LaMP, or a Headstrong Verbrovibe 1x15, a replica of a 1963 Fender Vibroverb, which he favors for JRADāto 7 or 8 so itās fully opened up. A self-described āminimalist pedal guy,ā he keeps four punch-packing pedalsāa Bearfoot Putting Green compressor, Benson Germanium Fuzz, Paul Cochrane Timmy, and an Interstellar Audio Machines Octonaut Hyperdriveāon at all times. As hairy as that may suggest, Metzger maintains clarity, he explains, by keeping his guitar volume set between just two and four. That means that when he wants, heās just a crank of the volume knob away from a wide-open, full-throated sound.
YouTube It
LaMP deliver the knotty mid-tempo groove of āJasperās Worldā from One of Us from a concert in fall 2024 at Bostonās Wilbur Theater.
His approach to pedals says much about Metzgerās playing style in general. Thereās always a load of possibility on reserve, and you can sense it. Heās not one to frequently lay sonic waste with a technical assault, but, rather, a massive map of potential musical avenues is perpetually close at hand, with his ear in the driverās seat.
Listen to Metzger in just about any situation, whether as a bandleader, bandmember, or just sitting in, and thereās an obvious musical set of ethics in placeāand itās probably been in effect since his early days at John & Peterās. The responsibilities are something like work hard, support others, be ready to deliver at all times, and, maybe above all, be yourself.
āI was told in no uncertain terms,ā he recalls, āthat the important thing about being a musician was to find your own thing. Youāve got to stand on your own feet. The ultimate goal that weāre all still working on our own voice.ā
See and hear Taylorās 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 Taylorās classic acoustic models, curated by the legendary luthier and innovator himself. āTo imagine that weāre doing guitars that harken to our past, our present and our future all at the same time,ā Bob says, āI really like that.ā
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. āItās an up-to-date version of what those guitars would be,ā Bob explains, ābut with the same sound.ā
Visually, these guitars feel classicāclean, understated and unmistakably Taylor. While Bobās 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 Taylorās reputation for smooth-playing, comfortable necks. Legacy models feature slim mahogany necks built with Taylor's patented New Technology (NT) design. āMy first neck was a bolted-on neck but not an NT neck,ā Bob says. āThese are NT necks because itās a better neck.ā 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 Bobās 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 PowersāTaylorās current Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEOādebuted his patented V-Class bracing in 2018, V-Class has become a staple in Taylorās premium-performance guitars. Still, Bobās 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 āharkens back to those days.ā
The team at Taylor thought the best way to demonstrate the sound of the Legacy guitars was to ask Andy Powers, Bobās successor, to play them. A world-class luthier and musician, Andy has spent the past 14 years leading Taylorās guitar innovation. In addition to V-Class bracing, his contributions include the Grand Pacific body style, the ultra-refined Builderās Edition Collection, and most recently, the stunning Gold Label Collection.
Below youāll 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 Taylorās first official guitar series. Today, it remains home to some of the brandās most acclaimed instruments, including the flagship 814ce, Builderās 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 Raddingāthe original owner of the American Dream music shop where Bob and Kurt first met. āI was making my guitars in the molds that Sam had made at American Dream,ā Bob recalls. āThere was a Jumbo and a Dreadnought. Thatās all we had.ā
All three Legacy 800 Series guitars feature one of Bobās 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 Bobās āstraight-earā peghead design. Both Jumbo models also showcase a mustache-style ebony bridgeāa nod to Bobās early Jumbo builds.
Legacy 810e
The 810 Dreadnought holds a special place in Bob Taylorās heart. āMy first 810, the one I made for myself, was a thrilling guitar for me to make,ā he says. āItās the one and only guitar I played. It didnāt matter how many guitars we made at Taylor, thatās the one I took out and played.ā 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 DemoĀ
Legacy 855e
Taylorās first 12-strings found an audience in 1970s Los Angeles. āI was making guitars that would find their way to McCabeās in Santa Monica and Westwood Music,ā Bob says, āand 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.ā The Legacy 855e, with its resonant Jumbo body, slim neck and gorgeous octave sparkle, carries that tradition forward.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 855e | Playthrough DemoĀ
Legacy 815e
The Legacy 815e revives Taylorās 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: āNot everybody wants a dreadnought guitar anymore.ā Players were asking for something with comparable volume but different proportionsāsomething 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, Bobās Grand Auditorium attracted a wide variety of players. āWe came into our own with our Grand Auditorium,ā he says. āPeople were describing it as āall around.ā Itās a good strummer and good for fingerstyle, but itās not totally geared toward strumming or totally geared toward fingerstyle.ā Also referred to as the āSwiss-Army Knifeā of guitars or the āGoldilocksā guitar, the GA quickly became a favorite among guitarists across playing styles, musical genres and different playing applications including recording and live performance. āThat guitar made studio work successful,ā Bob says. It gained a wider fanbase with the debut of the āceā version, which introduced a Venetian cutaway and onboard electronics. āThat became one of our hallmarks,ā says Bob. āIf you want to plug in your guitar, buy a Taylor.ā
Today, the Grand Auditorium is Taylorās 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 Bobās 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 DemoĀ
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 cedarās soft-touch sensitivity and warmth. Itās 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 DemoĀ
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 isnāt 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 āpinstripeā body purfling.
While the Legacy Collection spotlights Taylorās past, newer models from the Gold Label, Builderās Edition and Somos Collections show the companyās legacy is always evolving. Explore the Legacy Collection at taylorguitars.com or visit your local authorized Taylor dealer.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 714ce | Playthrough DemoĀ
The Oceans Abyss expands on Electro-Harmonixās 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 weāve 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