Taylor NS64CE Maple Grand Auditorium with Engelmann Spruce Top

Home » Obsolete Products » Taylor NS64CE Maple Grand Auditorium with Engelmann Spruce Top
Taylor NS64CE Maple Grand Auditorium with Engelmann Spruce Top
Product Code: TAYNS64CE

Obsolete

Taylor NS64CE Maple Grand Auditorium with Engelmann Spruce Top

This product has been discontinued. Please contact our sales department for help in selecting a similar replacement.

Taylor NS64CE Maple Grand Auditorium with Engelmann Spruce Top

The NS64ce is Taylor's take on the classical guitar sound. This is a nylon-stringed acoustic-electric guitar with a twist. Think of it as classical tone meets Taylor playability, beginning with a slim and fast 1-7/8" neck. With the Grand Auditorium guitar, the inspired blend of Big Leaf maple and Engelmann spruce sounds even bigger and bolder, with increased bass response and sustain.

The NS64ce guitar has a Fishman Prefix Pro Blend that features the Acoustic Matrix under-saddle pickup. Fishman's preamp and pickup delivers a clear, articulate sound with emphasis on string definition and attack. A miniature electret microphone is mounted on the underside of the preamp chassis and captures the guitar's elusive natural ambience and sound chamber resonance. Blend the pickup and mic together for a powerful and cohesive acoustic guitar tone that is deeper and more full than either the mic or pickup alone.

When people talk about the Taylor sound, knowingly or not they're probably describing the Grand Auditorium. Introduced in 1994 as a limited edition to commemorate Taylor's 20th Anniversary, the GA would go on to establish itself as a definitive Bob Taylor original.

Tonally, the NS64ce guitar embodied the signature qualities of balance, clarity, and versatility that became hallmark Taylor traits. Visually, the shape gave the world an equally balanced and refined aesthetic of smooth curves. In both respects, the Taylor GA was at once big enough and small enough to cover a lot of ground. The goal, according to Bob Taylor, was simply to make a guitar that was big like a dreadnought, but without a dreadnought's traditionally boomy sound. I was looking for a good, clear tone that had volume when you played fingerstyle, but then when you strummed didn't have too much bass. The GA has the width and depth of a dreadnought, but its tapered waist and contours give it the appearance of a smaller instrument, making it comfortable to play. The tonal balance means it's full in the lower register, present in the midrange, and sparkling on the treble strings.

The GA's tonal balance has made it a favorite among artists AND engineers. You put a mic in front of the guitar and set everything to zero, you turn on the tape, and you play, Bob continues. We had a lot of studio owners and engineers buy those guitars just to put in the studio, because when things started going bad with players' guitars during a session, the engineer would say, We can get this job done today if you just play this guitar.' So that was sort of what we had in mind with that. And a lot of it was the shape. We made a few bracing changes, but we depended on the shape to change that tone.

Features:

Type/Shape: 6-string grand auditorium

Back and sides: Big leaf maple

Top: Engelmann spruce

Soundhole rosette: Mexican cypress

Neck: Tropical American mahogany

Fretboard: Ebony

Fretboard inlay: None

Headstock overlay: Cocobolo

Binding: Indian rosewood

Bridge: Cocobolo

Nut and saddle: Tusq