I've reviewed Martins, Gibsons and Taylor acoustic guitars priced well over the $2,000 during my years in the job on guitars mags and sites. Lovely guitars, but could I afford them? Absolutely not.
I've always thought when the time and budget was right to buy my acoustic for life, it would be around the $1,000 mark. And from those three brands, that's actually asking for a lot. Or… it was. Because Thomann just entered the chat with an absolutely incredible Taylor deal that I think should be getting a lot more attention online.
When people ask me, 'I want to buy a really good electro acoustic guitar, what should I look at? 'I always say, 'Taylor American Dream'. They are Taylor's most accessible USA guitars, but don't feel compromised. For the money, I think they offer one of the very best experience for sound and build in their price range you can get and buyers should use them as a benchmark in their shopping. But that was when they were $1,700+ guitars. Thomann is now offering the Taylor American Dream AD22e SEB for £1,179/$1,222.
That's a USA-made Taylor Grand Concert guitar with V-class bracing, solid mahogany top, solid sapele back and sides and a Shaded Edge Burst finish at a price I never thought I'd see it at.
It even comes in the excellent quality Taylor Aero Case. And it's ready for shows with Taylor's Expression System 2.
I'm a big fan of the smaller Grand Concert size, compared to a dreadnought and jumbo. This feels and plays like a guitar for songwriters – it's just a little more comfortable to sit and stand with, in my experience.
I also love the more vintage vibe of the Shaded Edge Burst – if you're coming from the school of thought that Taylor can't compare with the longer history Gibson and Martin have with its aesthetics, this is the kind of guitar that can change your mind. I'd choose this over a natural finish and a cutaway for the heritage looks every time too.
And it's not the only American Dream bargain Thomann is offering too – or the cheapest!
We spotted the Sunburst Grand Theater AD11e above for just £1,175 – a model Andertons is charging £1,499 for at the time of writing. And for left-handed players, Thomann has the sleek AD17 Blacktop for just £1,099.
Check out Thomann's full range of Taylor American Dream guitars.
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