TAYLOR IS MAKING a huge move by introducing a new, sustainably sourced tonewood that the manufacturer has dubbed “Urban Ironbark,” which it’s offering on two re-imagined incarnations of its venerable 500 Series: the 512ce Grand Concert and, on review here, the 514ce Grand Auditorium. The 500 Series is a stalwart in the heart of the Taylor range, so they wouldn’t mess with it without good reason and high confidence.
“Where we get our wood matters,” explains Andy Powers, Taylor’s chief guitar designer, president and CEO. The company sources red ironbark via its lauded urban wood initiative that gives old trees from city settings around Southern