In celebration of their 50th anniversary, Ibanez releases a collection of anniversary guitars.
LACS5 "Root Beer Float"
Over time, this model has become the quintessential metal guitar, but the luthiers at Ibanez' LA Custom shop aimed to strike a warmer, more vintage note with this design. A Light Root Beer Burst finish rests atop a stunning, roughly half-inch-thick Flamed Maple top, delivering a color combination that blends perfectly with the Maple fingerboard, a rarity on any modern Iceman. The styling is more reminiscent of designs from the late 70’s, rather than the menacing metal machines of today. This throwback motif is further enhanced by Flamed Maple neck binding, gold hardware accents and a custom made Flamed Maple truss rod cover emblazoned with the classic Ibanez “spaghetti” logo. The LACS 5 Iceman is an exquisite example of what happens when the skills of Ibanez’s best modern-day luthiers are matched with a longstanding symbol of the brand’s enduring legacy.
Specifications
- Neck: 3pc Maple / Korina
- Neck Width: 43mm @ Nut, 57mm @ 22nd Fret
- Neck Thickness: 20mm @ 1st Fret, 22mm @12th Fret
- Grip Shape: Round
- Fretboard: Maple
- Fretboard Radius: 12”
- Inlays: Block Pearloid / Abalone
- Side Dots: Luminlay
- Scale Length: 24.7”
- Neck Joint: Set Neck
- Body: Mahogany
- Top: Flamed Maple
- Pickups: DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary
- Controls: 2 Vol, 2 Tone, 3 WayPickup Selector
- Tuners: Gotoh Magnum Locking
- Bridge: Gibraltar 1
- Finish: Light Root Beer Burst
JPCS32 "Sakura"
Ibanez' Japanese Custom Shop team opted for the name ‘Sakura’, ‘cherry blossom’ in Japanese, for this very special bass. The reason for the name is fairly obvious: the entire span of the top of this bass is inlayed with many cherry blossoms made from various types of wood and seashells. The inlay work on this bass involved individually cutting, sanding and seating well over 90 individual pieces of shell and wood. Not to mentioned the extra time involved to seat, level, and dress the stainless steel frets. The end result of all the hours that went into this bass is absolutely stunning. The inlay work, combined with the Maple Burl top, and Yozakura Blue finish, combine to form an exquisite piece of functional artwork. Other unique features found on this instrument include matching pickup covers with cherry blossom inlay work and a Maple Burl “mountain ridge” headstock inlay.
Specifications
- Neck: 5pc Maple/Purpleheart (Timeless Timber Maple core)
- Neck Width: 38.0mm @ Nut, 60.0mm @ 24th Fret
- Neck Thickness: 19.5mm @ 1st Fret, 22.5mm @ 12th Fret
- Grip Shape: Atlas-4 HP
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Fingerboard Radius: 12”
- String Spacing: 19mm
- Inlays: MOP & Abalone
- Side Dots: White
- Scale Length: 34”
- Neck Joint: Bolt-On
- Body: Alder
- Top: Maple Burl
- Pickups: Nordstrand Big Singles
- Tuners: Gotoh RES-O-LITE
- Bridge: MR5SEQ: Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-Band EQ
- Controls: Vol/Blend/Treble/Mid/Bass/EQ Bypass/Mid Selector
- Finish: Yozakura Blue
LACS18 "Hang 10"
This surf wagon-themed Talman inspires visons of the beaches of Southern California from which it hails. This spectacular instrument doesn’t only evoke vintage imagery, but also delivers a vintage-style sound, capitalizing on a classic tone wood mix of Alder, Maple and Rosewood. This wood combo, paired with the three lipstick-style pickups, delivers a highly-stylized design that’s totally impossible to overlook.
Specifications
- Neck: 3pc Maple/Purpleheart
- Neck Width: 42mm @ Nut, 57mm @ 22nd Fret
- Neck Thickness: 20mm @ 1st Fret, 22mm @ 12th Fret
- Grip Shape: Half Round
- Fretboard: Rosewood
- Fretboard Radius: 16”
- Inlays: Mother of Pearl Dots
- Side Dots: Luminlay
- Scale Length: 25.5”
- Neck Joint: Neck-ThruBody: Alder
- Top: Quilted Maple
- Pickups: Seymour Duncan Strat Lipstick
- Controls: Vol, Tone, 5-Way Pickup Selector Switch
- Tuners: Gotoh Magnum LockingBridge: Gibraltar Std. II
- Finish: Turquoise Blue Stain Gloss
Additional info at ibanez.com.
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
