Taylor Guitars at Gear Expo 2022: stunning new American Dream and Grand Theater acoustics

GEAR EXPO 2022: Headquartered in El Cajon, California, Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug. Today, Taylor employs over 1,200 people and produces hundreds of guitars per day exclusively in two factory complexes in the U.S and Mexico: El Cajon, California, and in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.

By blending innovative manufacturing techniques with tone-enhancing designs, Taylor has set industry-leading standards for playability, craftsmanship and musical performance. Taylor Guitars is now proudly 100% employee owned.

As our two newest body styles, both the Grand Pacific and Grand Theater have emerged as strong musical ambassadors within the Taylor line, reaching out to players in ways that other Taylor models haven’t. So as we begin a new year, it won’t surprise you to learn that the GP and GT factor prominently into our latest releases. Read on for our rundown of new models.

AD27e Flametop

A throwback look and sound channels an earthier Taylor vibe

• Back and Sides: Solid Big Leaf Maple
• Top: Solid Figured Big Leaf Maple
• Neck: Hard Rock Maple
• Fretboard: Eucalyptus

Sonically speaking, the most intriguing addition to the line is the AD27e Flametop, an all-maple Grand Pacific that bolsters the American Dream series with a voice that’s unlike anything Taylor has ever offered. In the same way that the Grand Pacific body style marked a notable departure from the modern, high-fidelity sound our guitars have been known for, the Flametop pushes even deeper into that warm and dusky sonic terrain.

The guitar’s origin story is a confluence of musical ideas. For starters, Taylor has deepened our connection with artists in Nashville, Los Angeles and other music communities in recent years. Our artist relations team has spent more time talking to players about what they like and don’t like in an acoustic guitar for the types of music they’re making, and we’ve made a point of introducing many to the Grand Pacific (and, more recently, the Grand Theater) as emblematic of Taylor’s more diversified acoustic menu.

Find out more about the AD27e Flametop

AD22e

A hardwood-top Grand Concert joins the American Dream Series

• Back and Sides: Solid Sapele
• Top: Solid Mahogany
• Neck: Mahogany
• Fretboard: Crelicam Ebony

Master builder Andy Powers is a big fan of smaller-bodied guitars with hardwood tops, so he was happy to bring the mahogany-top Grand Concert to our American Dream Series.

“There’s something about the combination of a hardwood top on a relatively compact body,” he says. “They’re fun to play, they’re bluesy sounding, the controlled focus of the body makes it a super guitar to play fingerstyle music or jazz on, and they respond well to strumming chords too. The combination is really well-suited for a lot of different styles of music.”

Find out more about the AD22e

GTe Blacktop

Walnut brings extra sonic girth to the GT voice

• Back and Sides: Solid American Walnut
• Top: Solid Spruce
• Neck: Mahogany
• Fretboard: Eucalyptus

Walnut is a tonewood we’ve used frequently over the years, and as we look to maintain a healthy, balanced portfolio of responsibly sourced species, it’s a wood that looks to find a more prominent place in the Taylor line. With the GTe Blacktop, we’re excited to offer another unique GT voice to the mix, and we simply couldn’t resist giving it our blacktop treatment.

Find out more about the GTe Blacktop

GTe Mahogany

Raw, rootsy character makes this GT feel extra alive in your hands

• Back and Sides: Solid Neo-Tropical Mahogany
• Top: Solid Neo-Tropical Mahogany
• Neck: Neo-Tropical Mahogany
• Fretboard: Eucalyptus

Our GT family is filling out nicely for 2022, especially with the addition of this all-mahogany edition. Brimming with bluesy mojo, it’s a guitar that’s equally happy being fingerpicked, flatpicked or strummed, with the mahogany top rounding out the initial attack to produce a woody, focused voice that’s evenly balanced across the frequency spectrum. 

The slinky feel, courtesy of the GT’s 24-1/8 inch scale length, makes chording and string bending blissfully easy on the fingers. It’s also a fun guitar to plug in, as the natural compression from the mahogany top translates into clear, natural amplified sound, courtesy of the onboard ES2 electronics.

Like its Blacktop sibling, the GTe Mahogany also incorporates a maple/black rosette, 4mm dot fret- board inlays in Italian acrylic, and Taylor Mini nickel tuners, and comes with our popular AeroCase.

Find out more about the GTe Mahogany

Head to Taylor Guitars for more information on all of the 2022 models.