Times being what they were (there were
no hordes of online guitar nerds dissecting
a guitarist’s every onstage move and
model choice back in ’78), Neil’s use of the
instrument didn’t translate into immediate sales. Maybe that’s why Bob Taylor feels less
sentimental about the model. Whatever the
reason, Taylor saw room for improvement in the venerable Taylor Jumbo. And the result is the new Grand Orchestra—an evolution of
the biggest Taylor that’s unique in voice and
shape, and that in the mahogany-and-spruce 518e incarnation reviewed here, inhabits an
intriguing and expansive tonal spectrum.
New Directions
If a new shape for one of Taylor’s most
adored body styles isn’t testament enough to Bob Taylor’s open-mindedness, the fact
that he shelved his idea to redesign the jumbo and instead went with the Grand Orchestra idea brought to him by the company's new master builder, Andy Powers, is more than ample evidence.
Taylor has not been shy about all but
anointing Powers as his successor, and though the new master builder is relatively young at 30 years old, he's got more than 20 years of building under his belt—enough to earn him the gig as sole designer at Taylor these days.
A first
gaze at the 518e suggests that Powers and Taylor Guitars may be
onto something. The body profile Powers
drew for the Grand Orchestra is attractive
and well balanced. Measuring 16 3/4" at the
lower bout, it’s got the voluptuous dimensions
that make the classic jumbos—the Guild F-50, Gibson J-200, and the Taylor
855, for that matter—such formidable and
beautiful instruments. But the taper at the
waist and the slim silhouette of the upper
bouts assert a Taylor family connection.
With a trace of what you might call melted
bear claw pattern in the Sitka spruce top, the 518e has beguiling and organic visual
presence. It manages to seem simultaneously
light and deep in texture (a visual foretelling
of its most pronounced sonic qualities,
as it turns out), and the swirling, reddish
faux-tortoise pickguard is a perfect complement
to the spruce top’s visual complexity.
This is the kind of attention to aesthetics
we see from luthiers trying to make a splash
at Healdsburg, but coming from the Taylor
factory, it has a way of bolstering your hope
for art and craft in mass manufacturing.
The 518e has just enough in the way of
flash accoutrements to assert up-market status
without looking ostentatious. The three-ring
rosette has a center ring of abalone
and a super-fine pinstripe inlay around the
fretboard is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it detail
that up close, imparts a luxurious sense of
bespoke detail.
Visually, there’s almost nothing wrong
with the 518e, save for the Expression system
controls, which are mounted on the upper bout. While it’s hard to argue the functionality
of the controls, they’re a jarring presence on a guitar that’s otherwise this exquisite.
The same goes for the battery drawer located
at the endpin. It’s fast and convenient, but
looks terribly out of place on a guitar that
will set you back more than $2,500.
Though the plastic parts of the Expression
system detract from a near perfect exterior, a
peek inside the soundhole reminds you why
Taylor remains among the most-esteemed
builders in the business. The construction is
virtually flawless—all precision cuts and tidy
glue work. Look closer and you’ll notice that
Powers’ rethink of the Taylor jumbo model
applies to more than its shape. The bracing is
light and thin—a big part of what makes the
518e and its cousins in the Grand Orchestra
series sound so very different.
Boom and Bounce
Whether you’re used to the power of a
dreadnought or the control and harmonic
balance of an OM, picking up the 518e is a
pronounced departure. That said, it exhibits
some of the best performance aspects of
both styles. When I lightly fingerpicked a
chord progression in double-drop D, the
518e sounded alive and responsive. It has
the mellow presence and definition in the
midrange you’d expect from a mahogany-backed
small body like a 000-18—or
Taylor’s own Grand Concert—but with a
lot more body. Even with a light touch you
hear and feel the extra oomph and presence
in the low end as well as baritone, harp,
and dulcimer overtones—a cool and very complex voice.
The low end has a sort of elasticity that’s
attributable to the light bracing, the body’s
considerable depth, and the expansive real
estate behind the bridge. There’s a lot of
vibrational surface and it seems to work
with the lighter bracing to create a very
bouncy and reactive—if not immediately
responsive—feel. If you use a thumbpick or
hybrid picking approach, you’re more likely
to notice the less immediate attack and a
touch of natural compression in the bass and
midrange. In the first few sessions with the
518e, the sonic sum can be a little bit confusing.
There’s no doubt that the low-end
is big—you can feel it in your ribs. But the
rubbery bass and the way it blends with the
compressed, almost scooped low-mid output
blunts the otherwise remarkable articulation
just a touch. For folks who play fingerstyle
without a thumbpick or flatpick, this might
not be an issue at all. But players who use an
aggressive picking approach may favor the
more reflective, immediate, and responsive
properties of the rosewood 918 version.
Ratings
Pros:
Killer low end. Complex sound that’s full of color and overtones when played with a light touch.
Cons:
Heavy picking makes midrange blurry and compressed. Expression controls detract from a beautiful design.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$2,649
Company
taylorguitars.com
The bouncy low end and compressed
low mids can make heavy strumming with
a heavy pick sound paradoxically small as
well. Put a thinner celluloid pick and a
light touch in the mix, though, and the 518e sounds positively orchestral. Open
tunings built around doubles and octaves
sound enormous, lending propulsive force
and color to Fahey-style workouts and giving
languid Indian-flavored drone pieces
an intricate and rich harmonic foundation.
Strum with a light pick in standard tuning
and this guitar is a Jeff Lynne-style producer’s
dream—bright, detailed, balanced,
and precise enough to contribute hi-hat-like
rhythmic textures and add texture to
chord melodies.
The Verdict
Bob Taylor’s willingness to tinker is one of
the great creative energies in the guitar business.
In the case of the 518e, that spirit, and
Taylor’s incorporation of the adventurous,
player-centric design skills of Andy Powers,
yields a guitar just a few shortcomings shy
of being a modern masterpiece. Its most
pronounced drawback is a sound that can
be confoundingly small and compressed and
a bit blurry under heavy picking attack. But
for players who use a more dynamic and
generally lighter fingerstyle approach, the
518e is a wonderland of color, overtones,
and rich, low-end throb that can make a
solo composition sound massive and lend
body to a spare band mix.
Like most high-end Taylors, the craftsmanship
is exemplary. But whether the
mahogany-and-spruce tonewood recipe
of the 518e is the best match for the light
bracing and big body of this new Grand
Orchestra model is debatable. Players who
incorporate heavy picking may prefer the
greater definition and projection from the
rosewood 918e or the brighter, more-even,
maple-backed 618e. There is no debating,
however, that Taylor and Powers have created
an exciting and gorgeous new shape
in the Grand Orchestra. It’s an instrument
that’s full of sonic potential, and given the
way these guys are inclined to innovate,
odds are even that this design will yield
magical guitars in the years to come.
Watch our video review:
