Taylor American Dream AD27e Mahogany Review

Guitar

Great product staff was great in helping me with my purchase they helped me all the way to my front door Thanks again sweetwater for all your help.

---

Cancel Comment

Exactly what I'd hoped for

Wanted a new acoustic that was American made, aesthetically pleasing while being minimalistic. Size and comfort were deciding factors, too. For my budget, this guitar was the obvious choice, and I still play it daily, 4 months and 2 sets of strings later. Take the leap, you get what you see/read w this guitar, and it punches well over its weight.

---

Cancel Comment

Taylor ad27e

Love this guitar! Came to my house in tune, action is set up very nice, and it sounds great unplugged and plugged in. First thing I notice while playing was the sustain and intonation. Not all fancy and flashy but that can't be seen on a recording anyway. Overall work horse. Taylor hit a bullseye with this one!

---

Cancel Comment

Amazing..

Beautiful guitar. I couldn't conceive a better sounding acoustic. Super bright but also nice and balanced with low end. Perfectly balanced relationship between the strings when playing chords. My favorite part is the way the guitar compresses. It sounds beautiful played lightly then you slam into it and it compresses beautifully. Its like having a compressor pedal on. Love it.

---

Cancel Comment

A different Taylor voice

I'd been playing a Taylor spruce topped GA for years, but found myself looking for a different voice. I needed some new inspiration to take me in another direction. I'd fallen into a rut, and wanted something more unique for my style. I play mostly fingerstyle solo instrumentals and some accompaniment. I'm not really a singer, but sing from time to time. I was originally looking… read more for a smaller body acoustic with a mahogany top. I've loved the warm tone and controlled dynamics of mahogany, tops in particular, for a long time. I knew that combining it with a smaller body would give me even more natural compression and also be better for recording. I don't formally record, but have done a little at home. This larger body was not on my screen at the time. I'm not sure if I can adequately convey what this guitar is about. I'll first say that it has squelched my thinking about "fingerstyle guitars." Although it isn't designated specifically for fingerstyle, it's one of the most responsive guitars I've played in that manner. My perception of mahogany is normally fundamentally focused, fewer audible overtones, and more of a dry tone. Well this guitar challenged those perceptions. It produces beautiful warm overtones with a subtle shimmery edge on top. It never gets overly bright and is quite mesmerizing. In spite of the fact that this shape has replaced Taylor's dreadnought, I would not personally define it as such. In fact, I am NOT a fan of dreadnoughts. While this guitar might remind you of one, it is really its own thing. It does not sound like a traditional dread. It has lots of low end, but it's not overpowering. It's balanced from the lows to the highs, and notes played up the fretboard are as significant as the lower register. I also don't feel like I need to retune when I'm suddenly above the 7th fret. Fretted notes are also on equal par to open strings. I've found it to be very satisfying for fingerstyle melodies. I like to play "self-supporting solo" where I'm essentially accompanying myself. This guitar is perfect for that. There's plenty of low end to support a melody, but I don't feel a constant need to control the dynamics so one end doesn't overpower the other. The body style, "V" bracing, and mahogany top, is a combination you really need to experience in person. This guitar is not about ornamentation or anything elaborate. In fact, it's quite the opposite. At the same time, it's beautiful in its simplicity. It's about appreciating the natural imperfections in solid wood instead of making it perfect. It's a big "less is more" guitar. I'm not worried about cosmetic things that might otherwise deter me from playing my high gloss model. Although mine has electronics, it begs to be played acoustically. I'm truthfully not a fan of Taylor electronics. It's just nice to know I have the option if needed. I could've purchased the standard version and retrofitted it with something else, but I honestly didn't want the hassle. Regardless of what's available in the way of preamps however, I'm convinced that nothing could electronically convey the beautiful nuances that this guitar produces acoustically. It's set up in the typical Taylor fashion. It's easier to play with its medium gauge strings than many others I've played with light gauge. The intonation is spot on. It just kind of gets out of the way and allows expression without having to fight it. I also find it to be more comfortable than its size classification might lead you to believe. I don't feel the same effort to get more intimate with it as I would a dreadnought. I would just encourage anyone to play it. It really speaks for itself. Taylor, Andy Powers, did not reinvent the dread. This is really another animal. It's something different than the usual "Taylor Tone." It has caused me to rethink my definitions. Before you opt for a smaller body "fingerstyle guitar," allow yourself an opportunity to play this model first. I can't imagine too much disappointment.

---

Cancel Comment