Taylor 500 Series Release - New Woods for 2022!

The Taylor 500 Series now features Urban Iron Bark back & sides, new for 2022. What the heck is that and what does it sound like? Watch as Quinton & Paul give the full rundown of Taylor's new 500 Series featuring a 512ce and a 514ce. Let us know what you think in the comments.
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[@kennybluet5527]

" I can Imagine the neighbor going ' what happened to the tree ' ? " Haha. Epic .

[@johnfloridis62]

Great stuff as always from Music Villa. Love the 500 series, having played a 514 C from about 1996 for, well, 26 years. Quinton's demo is an outstanding demonstration of the difference between the two guitars.

[@AlahuSnackbar]

Love the 514's wide and deeper tone. Agh! 😫Also love these experimental wood productions that Taylor pulls off flawlessly every time.

[@johnwashburn3793]

I think that this experiment failed. They sound cheap. Quinton's CEO 7 costs $300.00 less and it sounds like a guitar

[@texhaines9957]

Thanks Quinton! I tried this, really liked the 512ce. Thanks Paul.

[@jed1166]

If you sit on the couch, playing at moderate volumes, no singing, no other instruments, an experienced player can likely tell the difference between ironbark and mahogany back and sides. But, playing and singing solo on stage, or jamming in a band, plugged in, with vocals going, this Taylor 514ce with ironbark back / sides, will sound the same as a previous year 514ce with mahogany, (and a 114e for that matter)…Just depends on what you use the guitar for, couch or stage. I learned long ago that it didn’t really matter to me what a guitar sounds like, it only really matters what it sounds like to the audience. Great job Taylor! Keep it up, so that wooden guitars will still available to my great grandchildren.

[@nellatrab]

Red Ironbark/Mugga wood is endemic to Australia, but is around the US and other places and has planted in the San Diego/LA area many years ago. It is part of the Eucalyptus species and is very hard and dense. It was used for building ships. As we hear here it is producing a very vanilla glassy trebled resonance and is certainly cheaper than real the three traditional tonewoods. I remember way back when Taylor made the Pallet Guitar, I was able to hear it played when I lived in Ocean Beach, SD. It sounded OK, but not really good, so Taylor has a history of making guitars out of just about any wood. However that ability doesn't mean they have the best acoustic tone. Contrary, it is not known to be easy to work with, but can be pretty looking. If you have ever been to the San Diego Zoo, you will see some older tree's around this area. As the cities we live in grow, tree's are removed to make way for buildings, houses and parking lots. At least they are being used to make instruments, that's the only good part about it.

[@anthonyb2334]

I think Quinton can make anything sound good. I do like Taylor and they are extremely easy to play, as Quinton indicates. Someone else stated Taylor can make guitars out of almost anything. I have guitars made from the traditional spruce/mahogany, spruce/rosewood , a couple of exotics like cocobolo or Myrtlewood backs. Maybe I'm just a traditionalist but my ear prefers the old standby combos. Thank you for another excellent video.

[@WSBM]

Mahogany is by far my favorite tone wood. If the worldwide supply is so limited or the chain so disrupted that Taylor can’t get it anymore, this is just huge. Could you imagine if Martin changed the D18 to urban iron bark? This a devastating development in the world of guitars, not just acoustic either. And if necks can no longer be made of mahogany the sound of disappointment around the guitar world will be deafening.

[@jed1166]

I bought a carbon fiber RainSong from Paul at Music Villa… not one sliver of wood on it. It sounds great, stays in tune, plays great and will never need replacing…my granddaughter’s grand children can play it if they want. My brother-in-law, who has a 2012 model year D-18 loved the tone! On the first strum, his face lit up, as did my sister’s. I haven’t used wooden skis, tennis rackets or golf clubs in decades, and it was time to move away from wooden guitars also.

[@WSBM]

@@jed1166 wow! As a former tennis coach I get the sentiment for racquets, but for acoustic guitars I would say a carbon would be a good second or third guitar, but not the primary. But I even play with wooden picks so I’m probably the wrong guy to convince that natural wood guitars don’t exceed synthetics in tonality and feel. Having had maple, rosewood and mahogany guitars I heavily lean toward mahogany and will cherish the ones I have if this is some harbinger for what may be to come.

[@jed1166]

@@WSBM hi! I have played wooden guitars for 55 years. My RainSong sounds great in all applications… you should try one… or try a McPherson Sable… McPherson makes super high end wood guitars too, but the carbon fiber guitars are awesome. Plus, I can leave it on a stand in Phoenix, and not worry about humidification… nice!

[@WSBM]

@@jed1166 I really can't say anything against carbon guitars. I know they sound great and play well and for a desert dweller or someone in the tropics, for sure, the best choice. And I read another comment you made about live or recording, in the end it's all so eq'd it doesn't matter much really what the material is. It then all becomes about what feels best in your hands (for me, especially the neck). I do use a k&k trinity (with a mic) which definitely helps get a more real acoustic tone. To further your point, Tommy Emmanuel's maple Maton sounds almost dry and dead when not plugged in, but the lack of overtones makes it perfect for plugged in play. I do record and play live quite a bit, but when I play unplugged, my pre V-class 514ce cedar/maple, for some reason every day I play it I am amazed at its tone. When I began my Tonewood journey I thought rosewood would be the best because all of the flagship guitars were that, such as Taylor's 814 or Martins D28 series. But then I heard a D18 and I was smitten by the hog. So clear and bell like tones. It lacked those (in my mind, interfering) overtones of rosewood and just sang out. Then I tried this mahogany Taylor and was shocked and it was so much cheaper! I love it when better (for you) is cheaper. 10 years later, I'm still in love more than ever. Have had Martin 00015 and 00017, too (all hog and spruce/hog). Got a hog top GS mini. Such a hog homer. One day I might go carbon, but gotta stay with the hog for now. :)

[@jed1166]

@@WSBM my RainSong has an LR Baggs Stagepro Anthem that sounds great straight through the board or an amp… keep strumming!

[@texhaines9957]

Common tree name is Red Iron Bark. These have a nice bass, and I wonder how it will sound 5-10 years from now. Warmer than the mahogany. Thanks Paul and Quinton

[@jeffberdin]

What option will consumers have for purchasing a cedar top from Taylor if the 512/514 change to this configuration? Custom shop only?

[@johnwashburn3793]

Taylor finally did it. They made a guitar that even Quinton could not make sound good. Good luck with trying to sell these things.

[@martinkleinman2522]

totally agree. especially for that kind of money

[@NicholasANappiNick]

A thousand dollars too much 😢😢😢😢😢😢 ironbark give me a break 😮😮😮😮😮

[@allanclark8811]

Nice!

[@milkshakemuncher]

To me, the 512 has a nice tone and harder punchy clear sound, the 514 has a similar tone but is more mellow and inviting, saying hey, come here, listen to me, really hear what I'm saying.

[@rickysafer2895]

Very interesting.

[@moseslombe3936]

Looking forward to something new in the 100 series.

[@uvp5000]

My speakers are not balanced, so sometimes I hear things that don't come out when I use my headphones. That said, I compare by listening to voices as compared to the instrument. These instruments seem to not put out a lot of sound. What they do put out sounds nice and well voiced. The unfolding environmental catastrophe is going to leave popular tonewoods progressively more scarce. Taylor may well be previewing the future of acoustic guitars amidst the availability of certain wood species.

[@dvanolya]

Urban ironbark, though that may be what it is called, could not be a less appealing name. And the tone is generally unimpressive especially for a $3K+ ax.. I think I’ll stick to my 416ce CE rosewood, thank you.

[@TheThinker39]

Interesting! Thanks! I think the 514 not only has more lows, it also has more highs -- a beautiful, complex, full sound. Not too long ago, you demoed Taylor guitars with a different kind of bracing. I don't remember what the new bracing pattern was called, but I thought it eliminated the low frequencies without improving the sound in any way. It made a large guitar sound like a small guitar. Because you said nothing about bracing here, I wonder -- and hope -- if Taylor returned to the bracing that they were using before they promoted a different kind of bracing.

[@keyofb9513]

I think you need to get one of these in your hands, because I have noticed the complete opposite in Taylors in the past couple years. They are superior than they were a decade ago in almost every way

[@jdstan9650]

As a mahogany fan...this is disappointing. Especially since these are not even close tonally. Is the 517 changing too? Is the price going down? I'm sure it is not.

[@ComicKish]

Lol

[@billa6348]

I've owned and played a bunch of Taylor guitars. The 514 Urban Iron bark totally blew me away. It is without qualification the best sounding guitar I have ever played. I'm itching for the 512, but even it can't possibly match the tone and bass response of the 514. You really must try one yourself before you dismiss the surprising quality of, gulp, yes, Eucalyptus. I was raised around eucalyptus trees. No one was more surprised than I was.

[@Jasper_Yay636]

I’m getting too old to keep up with all the Taylor models. I love my 714ce, D-18MD, SJ200 equally.

[@jed1166]

Wow! That’s quite the collection! Enjoy!

[@DJWRailroad]

...and transitions! Andy Powers, a great guy, however we're having some serious questions or maybe confusion on Taylor's future direction. Seems Taylor is more focused on experimenting (sparing the details) than "listening" to the market (guitarists). Agree with "Jed," nice mix, great collection. Great demo vid Quinton.

[@jed1166]

@@DJWRailroad … Hey! All good points. But, perhaps this “experimentation” is truly what we need? If Andy listens to us, he would keep on building the same old mahogany and rosewood guitars, like everybody else, until all supplies are exhausted. At that point, what woods should we tell him to use, since we are telling him what we want? I admire that has the conviction to tell us what we need, for the good of everyone, and to filter out the “what we want”, so maybe we should follow him? Taylor sells 750 guitars a day. I don’t believe Andy would jeopardize that on mere whimsical experimentation, or guitars that don’t sound good…I believe he has a master plan Also, I listened to every review of these guitars on KZbin, and honestly, the Concert model, didn’t excite me,(they never do), because I don’t play finger style. But, the GA sounds absolutely great to my ears! The comparison made we wonder what these woods would sound like in a 17 or 18 body size! BTW I went 100% sustainable with a RainSong carbon fiber Jumbo. But, guitars made from readily available/ easily harvested woods could well lead me back to wooden guitars. Keep strumming!

[@DJWRailroad]

@@jed1166 - 👍 Congrats on your RainSong.

[@jed1166]

@@DJWRailroad thnx! The RainSong was also ‘cause I moved to Phoenix where humidity is sub 10% most of the year, and I don’t like to humidify. If I can get myself more disciplined about humidification, I will buy sustainable wood guitar… played wood guitars for 55 years!

[@circaSG07]

I’m surprised by the poor reception in the comments these new models are receiving. Both of them didn’t seem too excited either. Curious

[@wvrnstng]

3.3k$ for thin, quiet sound doesn't sound very apealing to me. No pun intended :P

[@BB-od4ct]

Sustainable woods

[@jeffsimslmt]

Eucalyptus

[@terrydavis8957]

First…I have never, ever warmed up to any Taylor guitar. I’ve historically only been a fan of the “scooped” tone of a Martin or (to a lesser degree) Bourgeois instrument. But, I’ve always said that if I had to play a Taylor, I’d choose the 514ce because of the Cedar top and Mahogany back & sides…because that combo produces a much warmer & more bass-forward tone. It’s a shame Taylor has ruined all that with the V-bracing AND going to wood from trees that the city of El Cajon digs up and would have burned if Taylor hadn’t bought them for practically nothing. They can hype this junk all they want, but it’s junk wood that they’re tripling their profit on, and calling it a fancy name. All the new 500 series has going for it is “prettiness”. You can dye any wood, and put inlays on the fingerboard and make any guitar attractive…but now the 500 sounds just like every other Taylor guitar. It sounds “sterile” and has no soul. I think they screwed the pooch here. Sorry…but I’ll stick with my Martins. But…on the positive, Quentin could make a plastic ukulele sound amazing! I still love to hear him play!

[@markinmemphis]

So you’re saying you don’t like it? I have two Martins-a 1970 000-18 and a 2021 HD 28. I LOVE Martin tone. However, the guitar in my collection I pick up the most is my Tay,or 612e. I also have two other very fine Taylors. I must admit Im kinda with you on this wood. The retail price is up there for a non-traditional tone wood that I suspect will get hammed with depreciation.

[@YoSmoked]

"" one of the best things about dude is that he never takes credit for himself when he achieves something . he always respect us, the audience, and his team, and he is always polite in all of his video. we congratulate ourselves on this achievement more to come and everything to come""❤💛🧡💙 Let's we all just appreciate the content this man and his crew makes it's just a masterpiece imagine what's he's gonna doing the future ❤ I hope this channel never ends and keeps spreading happiness.❤😊

[@leighdevereaux9808]

It’s eucalyptus. It’s a poor choice for a guitar because the wood naturally twists. Originally it was planted to replace railroad ties until they realized the wood twists and splits. Probably not a guitar I’d go for.

[@isengard13]

You realize that this wood is dead right? It's not gonna twist buddy

[@leighdevereaux9808]

@@isengard13 The whole point of minding the humidity of your guitar is that wood is in fact not dead, and therefore prone to all manner of issues such as splitting. You are wrong.

[@jed1166]

@@leighdevereaux9808 so this would mean that my dining room table, my bed, my 100+ year old piano, and for that matter, most components of my house are all still alive! Is this really true? I thought that trees died once they were cut down and sawn into lumber.

[@leighdevereaux9808]

@@jed1166 Not alive in the colloquial sense.

[@daddio307]

Taylor has always tried to be ecologically responsible, but Breedlove has far preceded and outpaced them as far as switching to sustainable woods.

[@gabrielobrien21]

In what way. Most Breedloves are made in China and Indonesia. Where you make it matters a lot.

[@awe1953]

@@gabrielobrien21 Not true. The higher end Breedloves are made in Bend Oregon. I have one, and it's a great guitar!

[@gabrielobrien21]

@@awe1953 I said “most Breedloves.” Most Breedloves sold are low end import ones and they’re made overseas. No one said they didn’t make any guitars in the US. Not sure what you thought you were reading, but the vast majority of their catalog are Asian-made imports.

[@MultiPabloe]

🎸 UySiUySii🤍

[@martinkleinman2522]

i'll pass

[@auramac]

These are not for me.

[@3cardmonty602]

These new guitars are brought to you by the Joe Biden Supply Chain Issues. I love the sound of them. I’ll probably buy the 514 from Music Villa.

[@jeffsimslmt]

Yawn... two more Taylor guitars I have very little interest in.