With a price tag of just under $800, Taylor 110e is an upper-middle-class acoustic guitar. It features a classic dreadnaught design and a high level of craftsmanship.
Read on to find out how it compares to its sibling, the Taylor 114e, and also to Martin D-10E. Of course, the guitar’s sound quality, playability, and manufacturing quality will also be duly reviewed.
Overview
The guitar’s solid Sitka spruce top has satin varnish, and the back and sides are made of walnut wood. The maple neck with rounded edges feels exceptionally comfortable in hand, while the X-bracing inside guarantees excellent tone and volume.
The Die-cast chrome-plated tuners maintain intonation, while the nut and the saddle are made of a special synthetic material called TUSQ that eliminates string buzz. Connect the ES2 electronics to an amplifier, and you are ready for some serious concert playing.
Technical Specifications
Body
- Body design: Dreadnought
- Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
- Back & Sides Wood: Walnut
- Body Bracing: X-bracing
- Binding: Black
- Finish: Satin Varnish
- Color: Natural
Strings
- String Type: Steel
- Number of Strings: 6
- Strings: Elixir Phosphor Bronze Medium
Neck & Fingerboard
- Number of Frets: 20
- Scale Length: 25.5″
- Radius: 15″
- Neck Wood: Maple
- Fingerboard Material: West African Ebony
- Fingerboard Inlay: Dots
- Tuning Machines: Die-cast
- Bridge Material: West African Ebony
Nut & Saddle
- Nut/Saddle Material: NuBone/Micarta
- Nut Width: 1.6875″
Other
- Electronics: ES-2
- Case Included: Gig Bag
- Left/Right-handed: Right-handed
How It Sounds
The X-bracing inside the guitar, paired with a solid Sitka spruce top and walnut back and sides, generates deep and full-bodied sound with distinct bass and long-lasting projection.
The classic dreadnaught design lends itself nicely to strumming and flat-picking. This particular combination of body shape of tonewood generates a prominent bottom end and a crisp mid-range. At the same time, the X-bracing scalloped system adds warmth to the highs.
Check out this neat video on the 110e and hear how it sounds before you go out and grab one of your own:
The ES-2 System
The “e” in Taylor 110e stands for electric. In ES-2, Taylor has strategically put a specially-designed pickup right behind the saddle. It’s got three individually calibrated and precisely positioned piezo-electric sensors. Their job is to collect the acoustic tone and resonance as it passes through the saddle.
When the sonic energy reaches the preamp, it transfers into a steady, multi-ranged acoustic sound that alters with every stroke of the pick. You can use the ES-2 in concert with Taylor’s custom-designed preamp or connect it to your computer with recording software.
Playability
Taylor 110e is an excellent electric-acoustic guitar for beginners, intermediate fingerpickers, and pros. With this guitar, you aren’t limited to playing any particular style, but the lack of a cutaway makes access to the highs a bit more complicated.
As a full-sized dreadnaught, Taylor 110e claims certain playing space, be it on stage or in the club. When connected, Taylor’s Expression System makes 110e more responsive and its tone – a bit sharper. Soft style fingerpickers will appreciate how the X-bracing responds to harsh runs without compromising the tone or the volume level.
Quality
Two things strike me about Taylor 110e’s manufacturing quality. First, the nut and the saddle are made of synthetic bone-like materials called TUSQ.
When it gets in contact with the Elixir phosphor bronze strings, it does not affect sound quality as plastic nuts and saddles do.
Second, the back and sides are made of walnut. One doesn’t have to be a master woodworker to figure out how expensive walnut wood is.
The fingerboard and the bridge are made of the even pricier West African ebony, while the maple neck adds a sweet touch of comfort.
What Others Are Saying
One happy owner mentions that Taylor 110e lends itself particularly well to the so-called Chet Atkins style. Chet “The Country Gentleman” Atkins introduced the Nashville Sound in the mid-1950s by adding smooth strings and choruses to the rough honky-tonk music of the 1940s.
Reviewers unanimously agree that Taylor 110e’s level of craftsmanship and tone quality far exceeds its medium price tag. Yet, for more precise bell-like tones, one may also try Taylor’s more expensive Grand Auditorium or Jumbo models.
Pros and Cons
PROS 👍
- Quite versatile for a dreadnaught guitar
- Excellent Build Quality
- Deep and warm sound
CONS 👎
- No cutaway
Taylor 110e vs. 114e
These two representatives of the tailor 100 series have a lot in common. They both feature a solid spruce top and forward-shifting scalloped x-bracing. Their nuts and saddles are of a similar size. Let’s focus on the differences.
Body size
114e’s more compact body is more appealing to smaller guitar players, while 110e’s dreadnaught body is more suitable for bigger guys.
Sound
Not surprisingly, the bigger dreadnaught model sounds louder than its smaller sibling because of the better-defined bass.
Electronics
Both models feature a transducer pickup under the saddle. When plugged in, 110e and 114e sound equally natural.
Build Quality
For the sake of objectivity, there are cheaper versions of both models fitted with laminated Sapele wood backs and sides.
Taylor 110e vs. Martin D-10E
Here’s how Taylor 110e performs against one of Martin’s more affordable models.
Price
Both guitars sell for around $800, but this does not mean you should automatically go for the more famous brand.
Body
Both models have classic dreadnaught bodies with a satin finish. However, Martin D-10E’s hand-rubbed neck finish demonstrates a higher level of craftsmanship.
Electronics
the Fishman® MX-T electronics package on Martin D-10E is easier to set up than 110e’s ES-2 pickup system. For one thing, the built-in soundhole tuner automatically mutes the audio output, so you don’t need a tune-up pedal.
Case
Taylor 110e’s gig bag is no match for Martin D-10E’s premium soft-shell case.
Taylor 110e FAQ
Where is the Taylor 110e made?
If you are thinking of buying a brand-new Taylor 110e, it will probably have been made in the company’s factory in Tecate, Mexico.
Conclusion
On the whole, Taylor 110e is an excellent electric-acoustic guitar whose playability, responsiveness, versatility, and build quality far exceed its affordable price.
It is thus an excellent instrument for budding talents and intermediate fingerpickers alike. I prefer the walnut back version, but the Sapele wood one also gives a great sound.
Thanks for checking out our review on the Taylor 110e. We hope you had as much fun reading this article as we did making it.
Any questions feel free to leave them in the comments section down below.
Justin is an audio engineer with years of experience in the field. He has been creating and playing music his entire life, but he really found his passion for engineering when he was introduced to Logic Pro at age 10. Justin has spent countless hours perfecting his craft and now works as a freelance engineer out of Boston, MA.