Taylor 114e VS 214e (quick comparison)

What are the biggest differences between the Taylor 114e vs 214e? Where do the two acoustic guitars differ on the spec sheet? In this article we're comparing both guitars side by side in tables, to show you exactly where they're different, and how that impacts a potential purchasing decision.

To be fair, both are Taylors and are fairly close in the series lineup, which goes up by 100s:

• 100 series
• 200 series
• 300 series
• etc...

This continues on up to the 800 and 900 series Taylors, which are quite expensive. However, there's also a significant price jump going from the the 114 to the 214, for both the "e" and "ce" versions of each guitar.

Let's start our comparison by looking at the major differences.

Main Feature Differences

What are the biggest differences between the Taylor 114e and the 214e? We've settled on three major spec sheet distinctions that potential buyers should be aware of.

Pricing

If you look at the comparison section below, you'll see the 114e is $999 while the 214e is $1299. That's a significant jump in cost (about $300) which means we're looking to see if the differences justify the jump in expense.

Side/Back Tonewood

While both guitars use a laminate (layered instead of solid) tonewood for the back and sides, the 214 uses Koa while the 114 settles on Walnut. We like Koa a little better, but the top pieces on both guitars are still solid Sitka Spruce.

Finish

The 214's gloss finish looks nicer and is more attractive than the satin finish on the 114. It's not a huge quality issue, but definitely makes the 214 "pop" a little more.

Moving to the neck and fretboard we don't see a ton of quality difference between these two guitars. Tropical Mahogany is used for the neck in the 214 while the 114 is Maple. It's hard to tell if there's a quality difference here without wood grades being listed, so we'll call it even. 

In the parts department, we again see little difference between the two guitars. The NuBone material in the nut and saddle might be a little nicer, but it's not a difference that we could see being reflected in the cost of the guitars. 

We do like the softshell case with the 214e, though most everything else - including the Taylor ES2 preamp - seems to be about the same.

Which one?

Since the difference in price seems to be the most significant distinction between these two guitars, we like the 114e and ce better based on the value argument. You're paying nearly $300 less but still getting a guitar that's appreciably similar to the 214e.

Both in terms of parts (the specs sheet) and sound quality, the 114e is comparable to the 214e.

We don't see much reason to pay the extra money for the 214e if the 114e will do the job.

Questions about these two Guitars

If you have questions about the Taylor 114e vs 214e, feel free to drop them in the comments section below. We've used both these guitars and have tested them guitar-in-hand, so let us know what your thoughts are.