Taylor 217e-SB Plus Spruce / Rosewood

Taylor 217e-SB Plus Spruce / Rosewood - Tobacco Sunburst

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Taylor 217e-SB Plus Spruce / Rosewood - Tobacco Sunburst

There’s something about a Tobacco Sunburst Taylor that just looks right, and the Taylor 217e-SB Plus Spruce / Rosewood has the tone to back up those seriously handsome looks. Built around Taylor’s round-shouldered Grand Pacific body shape, this is an acoustic-electric with a warm, seasoned character, strong low-end presence and a beautifully smooth response that makes you want to settle in and play it for hours.

The star of the show is the torrefied Sitka spruce top. Taylor’s roasting process gives the spruce a more mature, played-in response straight out of the box, with plenty of warmth and dynamic range. That's paired with layered Indian rosewood back and sides, adding depth and richness to the overall voice while providing the stability and consistency that makes the 200 Series such a dependable choice for working musicians.

The Grand Pacific body is a little different from the bright, super-defined Taylor sound some players might expect. Its round-shouldered design produces a warmer, more blended response, with notes that mingle together beautifully when you're strumming big chords. There's plenty of low-end power, but it remains controlled and musical – fantastic for singer-songwriters, folk, Americana, country and acoustic rock.

Taylor’s C-Class bracing with Relief Rout works underneath the soundboard to bring out more volume, sustain and low-frequency response, while the comfortable neo-tropical mahogany neck and West African Crelicam ebony fingerboard provide that slick, immediately familiar Taylor playing experience. A 25.5" scale length and 1-11/16" nut width keep things comfortable whether you're strumming, flatpicking or working through fingerstyle arrangements.

When it's time to plug in, Taylor's proven Expression System 2 electronics are ready for the stage. The behind-the-saddle pickup design captures the guitar's dynamic response with straightforward onboard Volume, Bass and Treble controls, making it easy to get a natural acoustic sound through a PA, acoustic amplifier or recording setup.

And because this is a Plus model, the presentation gets an extra bit of love. The gorgeous Tobacco Sunburst top, gloss body finish, black binding, Italian acrylic dot inlays and nickel Taylor tuners give it a properly premium appearance. Better still, it comes with Taylor's lightweight but impressively protective brown AeroCase, so you've got a quality home for it from day one.

At Musicmaker, this is the sort of Taylor we can see becoming somebody's main acoustic very quickly. The 217e-SB Plus has the playability Taylor players expect, but the Grand Pacific body and torrefied spruce give it a warm, rootsy personality that's tremendously addictive. And that Tobacco Sunburst? Yeah... that's not helping the temptation.