Taylor’s Tribute to the Mahogany-clad Dreads of Yore
Inspired by the 20th century’s golden age of steel-string innovation, the Taylor Gold Label 510e reimagines the timeless square-shoulder dreadnought with a suite of modern enhancements. Dreadnoughts have reigned for nearly a century as the most popular guitar shape for their dense low-end drive and superior projection, and this 510e’s neotropical mahogany back and sides compound on that sought-after sound with resounding depth and a warm, full-bodied timbre. A torrefied Sitka spruce top injects balance and fanned V-Class projection into the mix with traditional, pre-aged tonal appeal reminiscent of old-school flat-top instruments. Equipped with an Action Control Neck using Taylor’s long-tenon joint and a comfortable Standard neck carve, the Gold Label 510e plays like an absolute dream. And when you plug in for shows and sessions, LR Baggs Element VTC electronics capture your instrument’s natural tone with spectacular accuracy. Finishing touches, including a Firestripe pickguard, cream double binding and inlaying, plus nickel tuners and a fresh headstock shape and logo inlay, close out the Gold Label 510e with sensational bygone charm.
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Tones of torrefied Sitka spruce and mahogany
Targeting a well-rounded and traditional sonic combination, Taylor has treated the Gold Label 510e to one of the finest tonewood pairings available: torrefied Sitka spruce and neotropical mahogany. Standard Sitka spruce is already praised by most acoustic players here at Sweetwater as one of the most balanced, articulate, and accommodating top woods you could ask for. Factor in Taylor’s torrefaction treatment, and the spruce top sings with remarkably traditional tone and aged warmth that perfectly suits its heritage-style Gold Label distinctiveness. The mahogany back and sides contribute a lovely complementing resonance laden with a drier, earthier tonality and plenty of midrange punch. Blending these two exceptional choices drops the Gold Label 510e properly back in time with ovation-deserving sonics.
Meet the vintage-inspired Gold Label Collection
For much of Taylor’s half-century history, the brand has served as a beacon of 6-string progress. From their innovative advancements in bracing to their time-tested bolt-on neck joint, Bob Taylor, Andy Powers, and the rest of the Taylor crew lay claim to many of the most lauded acoustic enhancements since the prewar era of acoustic guitar building. However, what if Taylor were to turn back the clock to the 1930s and 1940s, incorporating elements of those trailblazing instruments with its own boundary-pushing approach to guitar building? That’s the philosophy behind Taylor’s Gold Label Collection, within which the brand's classic dreadnought design adopts fanned V-Class bracing and an Action Control Neck with a long-tenon neck joint.
Still, these qualities are only the beginning of the Gold Label Collection’s golden-era appointments — these instruments boast a distinct aesthetic personality to mirror their singular sonics, consisting of a fresh new headstock shape, a reimagined Taylor logo, a Honduran rosewood Curve Wing bridge, and (of course) a golden label laid into the soundhole. The result is a stunning series of instruments that proudly borrows both sonically and visually from the age of prewar flat tops, mandolins, banjos, and archtops, then elevates it with over 50 years of Taylor’s uncompromising and cutting-edge approach to acoustic craftsmanship.
Cutting-edge Action Control Neck joint
Taylor has led the charge in neck joint technology for decades, from Bob Taylor’s earliest bolt-on experiments to the dawn of the easily adjustable NT Neck at the turn of the 20th century. Under the leadership of Andy Powers, Taylor has once again pushed the boundaries of steel-string design with the Action Control Neck, a trailblazing bolt-on system that allows you to adjust the neck angle without requiring removal of the neck or strings.
From fine adjustments to optimizing the neck’s pitch over the top, the Action Control Neck gives you the power to set your string height from shred-ready specs to a higher, strum-friendly action with the turn of a bolt. Moreover, it also transforms repairs that generally require major surgery on traditional glued-in dovetail joints (such as neck resets) into a straightforward, routine procedure. Best of all, the Action Control Neck’s long-tenon joint protrudes well into the heel to properly mate your guitar’s neck and body, increasing the stiffness of the heel and resulting in a deeper tone with greater low-end resonance, even on higher notes.
Big, booming dreadnought body
Of all the shapes in guitar history, the square-shouldered dreadnought is arguably the most iconic. It was originally codified in earnest in the 1930s, and just about every steel-string acoustic manufacturer in guitar history has offered their own spin on it — including Bob Taylor himself, who utilized the shape extensively on his earliest instruments. Thus, it’s a perfect shape for Taylor’s vintage-meets-modern Gold Label lineup, with this 510e delivering a deep, bass-rich drawl that projects with chest-thumping authority.
Taylor Gold Label 510e Features:
- A square-shouldered throwback to the golden era of 20th-century acoustic guitar design, elevated with 21st-century Taylor innovations
- Square-shouldered dreadnought profile booms with a powerful bass response and robust unplugged projection
- Torrefied Sitka spruce top delivers an ultra-responsive, broken-in sound from the moment it leaves the case
- Mahogany back and sides present remarkable resonance with earthy midrange punch
- Fanned V-Class bracing (installed with traditional hot hide glue) complements this guitar’s golden-era character with superior volume and enhanced sustain
- Long-tenon wood joint combines Taylor’s cutting-edge bolt-on system with historic craftsmanship, resulting in greater wood-to-wood coupling and bolstered low-end resonance
- Mahogany neck with Taylor’s fan-favorite Standard Carve maintains the modern playability that guitarists have come to expect from Taylor
- 15-in.-radiused Crelicam ebony fingerboard plays with a smoothness and superb sustain
- LR Baggs Element VTC electronics system faithfully captures this guitar’s unplugged voice when it’s time to plug in
- Taylor sealed-back tuning machines ensure dependable tuning stability every time you pick up this 6-string
- Revamped headstock shape, crowned with a retro-inspired Taylor script logo
