Taylor’s Grand Auditorium signature body shape embodies the ultimate all-purpose acoustic electric for clarity and focus. The Taylor 324e has the clean, symmetrical look of a traditional acoustic guitar.
A rich-grained mahogany top paired with Tasmanian blackwood back and sides give Taylor’s medium-size Grand Auditorium body plenty of tonal and visual character. The clear, punchy midrange behaves well in a mix with other instruments, and delivers the kind of musical versatility that makes this a reliable guitar in different playing scenarios.
Neo-traditional appointments complement mahogany’s dark, vintage looks, including a shaded edgeburst top and all-satin finish. The guitar comes equipped with Expression System® 2 electronics for a dynamic amplified acoustic sound.
Tropical Mahogany Top
As a top wood, mahogany produces a natural compression, so it won’t yield as quick a response as a spruce-top guitar will. A mahogany-top guitar will produce strong fundamentals, with clear and direct focus. It might be characterized as having a woody, dry tone.v
Tasmanian Blackwood
Blackwood’s tone profile resembles that of koa or mahogany in its midrange focus — a little dry and clear yet also warm — with an added splash of top-end shimmer and richness found in rosewood. Its musicality suits a variety of body sizes and musical styles.
Expression System® 2
The Taylor Expression System® 2 (ES2) is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar.
Behind the ES2 Design: Rethinking the Piezo Pickup
For decades, piezo-electric transducers have been positioned under the saddle of a guitar based on the long-held belief that the string and top vibration cause the saddle to “bounce” up and down. But Taylor’s electronics team, led by developer David Hosler, discovered that the vertical movement is actually heavily restricted, and that the saddle gets “locked down” due to the string tension’s downward pressure. That’s why a traditional under-saddle pickup with piezo-electric crystals often responds with a sound often characterized as thin, brittle, brash or synthetic, especially with more aggressive playing.
The saddle’s natural range of movement as the guitar is being played is actually back and forth like a pendulum. That revelation led Taylor’s design team to relocate the crystals from under the saddle to behind it. The new positioning enables the crystals to respond more naturally to the guitar’s energy as it is transferred through the saddle. Three pickup sensors are installed behind the saddle, through the bridge, with three tiny Allen screws that calibrate the position of the sensors in relation to the saddle.
Like the original Expression System, the ES2 features the same volume and tone control knobs. The preamp is similar but with a slightly different gain structure. As a result it will be about 25 percent hotter, which is more in line with other pickups. This makes it plug-and-play friendly both for artists and live sound mixers.
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WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm -
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.