Jacob Collier Signature Models | Taylor Guitars

A pair of five and six-strings that are based on the Grammy-winning artist's custom guitars.

October 11, 2024

Taylor Guitars and Jacob Collier are excited to introduce the Jacob Collier Signature Model, an all-koa acoustic guitar designed in collaboration with the acclaimed, multiple Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. The creative partnership brings together two musical innovators who share a passion for inspiring others to express themselves through music.

The Jacob Collier Signature Model features Taylor’s comfortably compact Grand Concert body style, crafted with a top, back and sides of beautiful Hawaiian koa. The guitar will be produced in two different configurations: a five-string tuned to DAEAD (the lower strings are tuned by fourths while the higher strings are tuned by fifths) and a more traditional six-string strung in standard tuning.

The five-string signature model is based on a custom acoustic that Jacob asked Taylor to make him several years ago, which has become a staple of his writing and live performances.

“I dreamed of this guitar tuning for many, many years before [the guitar] existed,” Jacob says. “And then one day, I asked Taylor, ‘How would you feel about putting five strings on a six-string guitar neck, tuned in a very particular way, with exactly the same range as a normal guitar, but just with a different set of intervals?’ And they said yes, which changed my whole life.”

While Jacob is known for his colorful visual style, he wanted his signature model to have a more natural, wood-centric aesthetic but with unique visual character, so sets of Taylor’s Select-grade koa, featuring rich color variegation, were selected for these guitars. Similarly, the sets of West African ebony used for the fretboard, bridge and headstock overlay feature natural marbling, showcasing a blend of espresso and caramel hues. The natural character of the woods gives each guitar its own unique visual personality, which means each owner will enjoy a truly one-of-a-kind instrument to inspire their musical pursuits.

Signature details include a customized Hawaiian koa truss rod cover featuring Jacob’s personal logo laser-etched in the wood and a custom Jacob Collier Signature Guitar label inside the guitar. Each guitar also comes with a customized guitar strap emblazoned with Jacob’s logo. Other unique features include antique chrome Gotoh 510 tuners and onboard L.R. Baggs Element VTC acoustic electronics with volume and tone controls discretely located inside the soundhole. The guitars ship in a lightweight but durable Taylor AeroCase.

Taylor’s Chief Guitar Designer, Andy Powers, who built Jacob’s original custom Taylor 5-string, was thrilled to collaborate with Jacob again on the design of his signature guitar.

“Jacob is so gifted — a one-of-a-kind musician,” Andy says. “It’s been a joy to get to know him and a pleasure to build him a custom Taylor five-string for the voicing he favors. When he approached us with a suggestion of this tuning and string arrangement, it made a lot of sense to me musically. After hearing him write and perform music on these instruments since their creation, we’re excited to also collaborate with him on building more as a signature model for others to enjoy. What I love is that this configuration makes the acoustic guitar accessible for entry-level players while offering an inspiring new sonic palette for experienced players to explore.”

Check out this video of Jacob playing and discussing the guitar:

Guitar Specifications:

Body Style: Taylor Grand Concert
Top, Back & Sides: Solid, Select-grade Hawaiian Koa
Neck: Mahogany
Fretboard & Bridge: West African Ebony (Marbled)
Body Edge Treatment: Rounded Edges, Black Top Trim
Rosette: Alternating Maple and Black
Fretboard inlays: Mother-of-Pearl Dots
Finish: Matte (Body & Neck)
Internal Voicing Architecture: Taylor V-Class® Bracing
Tuning Machines: Gotoh 510 with Antique Chrome Buttons
String Scale Length: 24-⅞” (63.18 cm)
Nut Width: 1-11/16” (4.28 cm)
Strings: D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light
Acoustic Electronics: LR Baggs Element VTC
Guitar Case: Brown Taylor AeroCase®
Price: $2,799 USD

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