Taylor Builders’ Edition 814ce

A top-of-the-line grand auditorium guitar built with Honduran rosewood and sinker redwood.

February 19, 2025

Originally a way for Taylor Guitars to introduce significant new features or models to their line (including the first V-Class–braced guitars and Grand Pacific models), the Builders’ Edition series has grown into a high-end collection with its own character. Though based on standard Taylor models, Builders’ Edition models include different wood combinations and features such as armrest bevels, beveled cutaways, chamfered body edges, special appointments, and more. Taylor introduced a pair of Honduran rosewood backed Builders’ Edition 814ce guitars at the 2025 NAMM show, one with an Adirondack spruce top, the other with a sinker redwood top. I recently had a chance to check out the redwood version in the Peghead Nation studio.

Like all 814s, the Builders’ Edition version has a grand auditorium–size body. With its shaded edge-burst top, figured ebony fingerboard, wooden pickguard, and mother-of-pearl inlays, the guitar has a striking appearance. Though partially obscured by the guitar’s shaded finish, both the redwood top and Honduran rosewood back display attractive grain. The top is more evenly colored than some sinker redwood, and the four-piece back is bookmatched precisely. The guitar’s “element” fingerboard inlay is similar to the motif in the face of the peghead, which is home to a set of antique gold Gotoh 510 tuning machines. The instrument’s armrest bevel and chamfered body edges increase playing comfort, while the beveled cutaway offers a smidge more access to the highest frets than a standard cutaway. Naturally, the Builders’ Edition 814ce is built with Taylor V-Class bracing and includes the company’s ES2 electronics.

Honduran rosewood is denser than the Indian rosewood used on standard 814s, and its tonal qualities are frequently compared to the coveted gold standard of Brazilian rosewood. Paired with a redwood top (which is known for offering a quick response), the result is a highly dynamic guitar that can easily handle a large range of playing styles. With its easy playability and rich sound when played softly, I enjoyed playing through the changes of “Autumn Leaves,” but the guitar really growled when I dug in a bit harder for some blues-inspired playing. As with all V-Class Taylors, the Builders’ Edition 814ce offers great clarity, controlled overtones, and a feeling of precision, with excellent intonation throughout the fingerboard. Plugging the guitar into our FIshman Loudbox Mini Charge delivered an amplified version of these qualities, as the ES2 is among the most accurate stock pickup systems available.

While the Builders’ Edition 814ce doesn’t reinvent the 814 platform, it offers a great new variation on a theme, giving players looking for a high-end version of Taylor’s most popular guitar a fabulous choice with great tone, superb playability, and attractive looks.

Taylor Builder’s Edition 814ce LTD Specs