Taylor’s Gold Label Goes Grand Pacific
Taylor’s time-turning Gold Label collection now ventures into more attainable territory with the Gold Label 717e acoustic-electric guitar. It boasts a unique deep-body rendition of Taylor’s Grand Pacific shape, structured at the back and sides with rosewood for a sonic disposition that's incredibly deep, rich, and musical. A top of torrefied Sitka spruce 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 717e 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 such as a Firestripe pickguard, cream double binding and inlaying, plus nickel tuners and a fresh headstock shape and logo inlay close out the Gold Label 717e with sensational bygone charm.
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Gold Label collection’s latest addition
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 a deep-bodied version of its round-shouldered dreadnought — the Grand Pacific — adopts new fanned V-Class bracing and an Action Control Neck with a long-tenon neck joint.
The aforementioned traits are only the beginning of the Gold Label Collection’s golden-era appointments, as their distinct aesthetic personalities showcase a fresh new headstock shape, a reimagined Taylor logo, a Curve Wing bridge, a Crest headstock inlay, 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.
Tones of torrefied Sitka spruce and rosewood
Targeting a well-rounded and rich sonic combination, Taylor has treated the Gold Label 717e to an exceptional tonewood pairing of torrefied Sitka spruce and Indian rosewood. 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 rosewood back and sides contribute a beautiful contrast with a deeper, richer tonality that rings out with unmatched musical complexity. Blending these two exceptional choices drops the Gold Label 717e properly back in time with ovation-deserving sonics.
Voiced with the LR Baggs VTC system
LR Baggs VTC electronics capture the kind of amplified acoustic tone you’d expect from a world-class audio engineer working overtime. At the core of the VTC system lies an LR Baggs Element pickup with Tone and Volume controls — a unique build that tracks the guitar top’s vibrations instead of string attack. VTC technology saturates amplified tone with extra harmonic content and analog warmth that’s natural sounding yet noticeably better than a standard acoustic pickup. Additional dynamic automatic EQ handles problematic frequencies as they arise with touch-sensitive compression that works with your playing for a more authentic amplified tone that’s tough to beat.
Taylor Gold Label 717e Features:
- A collection of instruments inspired by the sights and sounds of the golden-era flat-top guitars of the 1930s and 1940s
- Deepened Grand Pacific body style offers a more traditional feel for Taylor’s standout round-shouldered dreadnought
- Torrefied Sitka spruce top delivers an ultra-responsive, broken-in sound from the moment it leaves the case
- Rosewood back and sides deliver superb depth and richness with a more complex musicality than mahogany
- 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 intonation every time you pick up this 6-string
- Revamped headstock shape, crowned with a retro-inspired Taylor script logo
