Taylor ES2 pickup review | How to setup Expression System 2 pickup
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video I review the Taylor ES2, demonstrate how it works and some of great tones you can achieve with the pickup system.
Some people can't get a good sound from the ES2 pickup, but here I show you that it is easy and does a much better job at capturing the tonal qualities of your beautiful Taylor guitar than a standard under the saddle pickup.
I was just setting out to try what you did but searched first. You have done a stellar job on this video, both the clarity, process, and logic. Thanks very much.
I’m so glad you found this useful and thanks for the kind words! Good luck with setting up your Taylor!!
I have been so dissappointed with my 414ce since I bought it. It sounds beautiful live but I've hated it plugged in. So much that I was about to put a martin pickup in it. Your video convinced me to give it another shot and after adjusting the preassure on the bridge, It's awesome! thank you for making this video.
I’m so glad that the video helped!! Thanks for sharing your story 😊
I actually sold my 414ce because I hated the pickup system so much. Loved it unplugged, but not when playing plugged in, and that is how I play most of the time when performing. I have 2 high end Takamine's, and the electronics in those allow me to get the plugged in sound I want. Just could never find that with the Taylor.
Thanks for putting this together, I know it’s a lot of work to do a video, edit it, and publish it. Great job. I appreciate the tips on setting up my Taylor. I love the sound of it when it’s unplugged and am a little less thrilled with it plugged it (using the pickup. You have inspired me to try adjusting the pickup to see if I can find a sound that I like better.
Thank you! The ES2 can be tricky to setup, but it definitely sounds better than a normal piezo. I’m so glad the video was helpful and you’re inspired to give your ES2 another go! Thanks for watching!!!
Have had 3 Taylor’s…all three were fine plugged in.
I just used a guitar pre-amp for my own desire, and love all of them.
Yeah same. I’m not sure why people dislike the ES2 so much.
great sound and demo, I have a 214ce from 2006 , with e system and sound greats , no complains
Taylor make beautiful guitars. Glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
I love the sound of my 214CEDLX. If course it isn't as good as the pricey models but I enjoy playing it plugged into my modeling amp. Sounds good to me
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Thanks for this video. I was getting frustrated because I didn't understand how the system worked together. Very well put together video.
No worries - good luck with the setup. Also happy to answer any questions
@@sonusaurelius6576 Much appreciated. I actually was able to dial in the best sound of gotten out of my acoustic amp I've ever had. Definitely needed to understand the system better to dial it in. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that the video helped!!
Wow I don't know ES2 can sound this good. Good job
Thank watching, mate!
This is super helpful thank you! I didn’t realize that I could tweak the electronics. I have an 814ce with the ES2. You got it sounding great. I honestly liked the dry sound you ended up with (before the modeling, etc…). I’d probably stick with that and just add in a little nice reverb. Thx!
Glad to hear it was helpful!!
I have seen folks complain about the ES2 many times. I don't find them confusing at all. I tend to use mine (314ce LTD) at 12/12/02 and then I fine tune the sound with my amp (Fender A40) itself. No fuss, no muss. And it sounds great. It's not just about the pickups, but how they react with your amp or other processing. I was a tad worried before buying my Taylor, because of the bad comments about the ES2, but.... I just don't see the issues.
Completely agree!! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
As a lifelong musician who has been searching for the perfect acoustic/electric sound, this was a very informative video.
Thank you glad it was useful!! 😊
Classic under saddle piezo “quack” from the Martin. Nice video thanks.
Haha! Yeah under the saddle pickups are disappointing. I should have showed that first because the difference between ES2 and under saddle is astounding. Thanks for stopping by!! 😊
Even yamaha f310 will blow that es2 easily..
Good job and thank you for sharing as it is really helpful!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching 😊
Did you change the saddle and nut to bone or are they still the standard tusq and micarta?
Hi again! My guitar is a first edition 818e so it comes with an ebony bridge and ebony bridge pins and tusq saddle and nut. I think the new ones come with a micarta bridge. Regardless, I changed the saddle to bone because it performs better, I think. Hope that’s helpful!
@@sonusaurelius6576 thank you. I thought you might have changed to bone. That helps. Just wanted to ensure I covered all your changes to get that great sound.
Hi @@martyc513 I did change to Bone saddle but found that not as good as Micarta. End up I switch back to micarta. 🙂
So strange I happened across this video just now. I have two Taylors(618e 1ne 858e LTD) and love the sound, but have never played them amplified. I've read how bad the ES2 is loads of times and was never really bothered about it. However, I have an event coming up in 6 months that I will need to play them plugged in and was getting a little worried. You have really put my mind at ease.
I’m so glad to hear that my video helped instil confidence in your ES2. Good luck and I’d love to hear how you go with your event! Thanks for watching.
Nice job!!! …and tastefully played riffs I might add 😊
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for stopping by 😊
Wow... I switched out my ES2 almost instantly to an LR Baggs Anthem, and now I'm not sure that I gave the ES2 enough chance that it perhaps deserved. Great video!!!!
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching mate
How have you found the l r baggs anthem?
Thanks. I think the ES2 sounds fine. I do prefer Tak pups. But in the past few years I’ve moved over to a “Kk Pure Mini” knockoff. I run it through a 10 band eq pedal. Sounds the best of the three. Cheaper. No significant altering of the guitar itself.
Thanks for watching mate!’
I have a Taylor 816-CE and hated the E2 system. I had an LR Baggs Anthem installed and night and day difference! My luthier kept the battery compartment so I don’t have to use the velcro bag inside the sound hole and can do an easy battery change. It’s like a different guitar now. I will also add that I have also purchased a Martin 000-15m and installed a K&K pure mini and it sounds awesome. Can’t go wrong with a Martin.
Sounds like a nifty mod! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the effort on this. It is much appreciated.
Pleasure! Hope it helped 😊
This video is absoluatly helpful! After Allan's Music closed down I really don't know any decent music store any more in Melbourne...
Alan’s music was great! Thank for watching ☺️
Thanks for the advice, great vid. On a general note, I've found the Fishman Aura spectrum really helpful and I'm going to try silk steel strings on my maton to tame those higher frequencies.
Fishman aura is a great pickup. Blended pickups are ultimately the best.
The changes you made without processing/EQ were much better than the first. Much fuller, but adding the extra P/EQ and effects was the perfect enhancement. I might add a touch more bass to fatten it up a smidge. Otherwise, on the mark. I own a ‘14 Taylor K26ce and will have to try this out. Thanks for the inspiration brother. 👍
Thanks mate!! Yeah it lacked a bit of low end for sure. Thanks for stopping by 😉
In my opinion, Takamine has the best acoustic plugged in tone. I've owned a Taylor and liked it, but the Takamine was just right for me. Every person has their own preferences, so mine isn't right or wrong, just my opinion. Great video though, I learned something about the Taylor's.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Takamine make great guitars too and you’re right to love yours!! And thanks for the feedback. Glad you found it interesting 😊
I couldn’t agree more about Takamine. They are wonderful instruments. I have two Martins but enjoy the playability and electronics of Takamine. Can’t stand the feel of Taylor’s. No soul.
Thanks for your information. I use a Bose L1 Compaq with the tonematch 8s mixer. I have no problems with sound from my 2003 710ce, 2015 856ce 12 string, 2020 712 12 fret, 2022 814ce-n, or my 2023 814ce builders edition.
Great collection of guitars! From what I’ve heard the tonematch is excellent. Thanks for sharing.
I bought a used 214ce with an ES2. It sounds good and stays in tune. I double checked the pick up and it was fine. I just plug in and play. zero hassle. I got rid of my other guitars.
That’s awesome!! Thanks for watching mate
Thank you fir this video - tommorrow will try to make better sound of my new Taylor 214ce Koa!
Good luck mate!
Wow a great video with analysis and solutions and I understand a lot of what you are saying. A Fab end result and I am pleased you achieved that as I have just bought a 214 se with the same system. I do not however think it is the pressure of the bridge on the piezo element that causes quack. I f one uses a cheap bought round pickup of Chinese variety that just sits on the top, no pressure involved the quack is even worse. It is the nature of the ceramic element that produces certain harmonic spectrum that results in the quack sound. I have experimented a lot with such material particularly for violin pickups which I have made. It the element is made very small the harmonics are pushed up into and out of human hearing limit and results are much better. I suspect that all the development that Taylor put into this aspect of production concentrates on modifying the frequency response to eliminate the harmonics via their pre amp. It certainly seems to be an over complex unit to me.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a detailed and thought provoking comment!! Very interesting.
Hello, thanks for the video, I want to calibrate the pick up , can you tell me what kind of wrench you are using?. Do you still have the link where you bought it from? Luis.
Hi! Thanks for your question. You can use a torx t5 screwdriver. I bought it as part of an iFixit repair kit, but they’re very cheap, only a few bucks. Thanks for watching!!
The ES2 is one of the main reasons why I bought a Taylor. Never touched the pins and seldom move the bass & treble from noon settings. With or without processing it's as good as you can expect from a piezo system. Thanks for the advice though, maybe a tweak will be appropriate some time.
I really like my 314ce's Expression system. The book on Taylors used to be they sounded great plugged in -- but a bit thin live. They tried to fix something that wasn't broke. My recommendation: start using LR Baggs or Fishman pickups. Problem solved.
Thanks for watching!!
I finally got the nerve to pull out the es2 and install k&k pure minis and couldn’t be happier. I just couldn’t get a good sound from the es2.
Yeah I’ve heard good things about the K&K pickups. Glad you found a sound that works for you! Thanks for sharing 😊
I always knew the ES2 is a good system, I've heard my friends play their Taylors live multiple times and it really sounded good all the time. The user issue was definitely because of the loose screws.
I do love the undersaddle aswell, but it generally requires tons of processing to sound its best. Going by the logic of "It already doesn't sound like an acoustic instrument, let's shape it to however I like!" and ending up with something totally different. That's not necessarily the case with the ES2, I think it's definitely gonna sound good through the same heavy processing I use for undersaddle piezos but it doesn't actually need it all that much.
I'm curious if someone has ever installed both an undersaddle and an ES2 on the same guitar, or even if it's possible
I’m sure it’s possible but I’ve never heard anyone install both.
Thanks for watching!! ☺️
i disabled the ES2 on my 416 and replaced it with lrbaggs LB6 .. i'm happy now with my setup
Good one!! LR Baggs make great pick ups.
@@sonusaurelius6576 yes, LB6 is great passive undersaddle pickup .. no wonder why all of james taylor's olson guitars are equipped with LB6
One note, the 818 is a Grand Orchestra... the x14s are the Grand Auditorium size. the Grand Orchestra is much larger.
Yeah thanks mate! I realised that mistake the day uploaded it 😨.
Thanks for watching!!
@@sonusaurelius6576 awesome walk through on tuning the ES2, by the way! It's kind of a pain to get set up, but it sounds really great once it's dialed in!
Thanks mate!! It’s a great pickup. I’m really happy with it overall.
Thanks for the video and info on the ES2! What two tunes are you playing for testing?
Hey! No worries glad it was useful. The strumming tune is mine - just made it up for the video G Cadd9 D Em Dsus2/F# back to G. The picking one is a variation of Bonnie Prince Billy’s Lie Down in the Light. Hope that’s useful
I actually searched for my Taylor for the ES2. I didn't like the sound of the other offerings at the time, and my trusty Ovation had seen way better days.
I can dial it in easier than most others. All pickups are a compromise in what sound you are looking for. The ES2 gets there easier for me
Great to hear you found your sound!! Thanks for sharing 😊
When looking at the offerings of Acoustic guitar pickups there must be allowance for the OEM price point as related to manufacturing cost. My break down on the price point tells me that the manufacturing cost on most is about $8. The Taylor is an exception, it is clear that they are attempting to provide something better, but there are a lot of people who find the sound undesirable regardless.
I have it from a source who was directly exposed to the manufacturing issues The ES1 was causing problems in final assembly. A fluid in the top sensors was coming out and the magnet inside was vibrating.
The foreman is the patent holder of the ES 2, John Hosler, and I assume it was designed to correct the issue. Personally, I am not a fan of the 3 holes in the bridge and question its long term durability under load.
There is a drop-in replacement that corrects the overly bright sound of the ES2. In looking at this video I want to point out that the frequency graph shows a bump at around 100hz. This is by design. Its their attempt to provide bass response and by our calculations the gain is about 35 DB.
I am co owner of Go Acoustic Audio. goacousticaudio.com
We did not get into this business to serve only Taylor sound. It was my need for High vol stage sound for my own guitars that drove me to find a solution. mcgillguitars.com
I have been known for high Vol. stage guitars for 25 years. The #1 issue for us was feedback resistance. The second was string balance.
The touch sensitivity and dynamics followed beautifully, allowing players to not be altering attack, to avoid pickup tonality from over taking their performance.
I offer 3 videos here. one is a Taylor. which is last.
first is one of Nashville's most celebrated guitarists, Jack Pearson is playing a 00 Alvarez model. He could not play slide on an amplified acoustic before using our system. please excuse the cell phone distortion. the system is louder without feedback or distortion.
th-cam.com/video/i71taytLxks/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dfr96X9sZe1s6jwM
Next is a National finger style champion at Winfield, Shane Adkins. Please do not presume this was staged. It was shot in a hotel room and Shane had never played the system before. They shot him to capture his reaction in real time.
th-cam.com/video/II9SNQ0bu7U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lWZVyPmqkELGq0hC
Lastly is Roger Hudson. This is a Taylor 314 and is recorded direct through a Neve mike pre into a mixing console. There is an internal mike in our system. The EQ was set flat. Here we recorded one system, changed it out and re recorded the other for a comparison between the ES 2 and our replacement, which is a direct fit preamp, featuring 6 individual vol pots for each string, in the same guitar. To control feed back we use individual string amplification and engineer the strings separately before summing into the output signal.
th-cam.com/video/lowOyyPtm2E/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dD639ROeZ9UQ6vP9
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and examples
Excellent video on optimizing the ES2! I recently bought the 2023 Taylor 114CE Special Edition with the ES2 and this video will really help with setup, as I play in a church setting. At 9:02, you used the NOX MG30 for extra spice, but I was curious as to your opinion of acoustic pedals in general and if you could make recommendations based on your experience?
Great question! This is a deep and broad topic and depends on what you’re after. Acoustic pedals aim to reduce problems on stage, like feedback so they have notch, phase switches and multi band EQ - LR Baggs venue DI, for examples. The ES2 has these features but a pedal would help in large venues or where you’re playing in a large band and you need lots of control options.
In terms of FX there’s a huge range of options these days. I would recommend anything from Fender, Boss, TC.
Hope that helps.
ES2 pickups are fine for what they are - I have three Taylors, so I know. But I put a K&K in my Martin, and I'd take that over any ES2, any day, any time.
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I am seeing a lot of horrible reviews. After having one, i see so many things i don't like. I plugged it in and was mortified. I hope I can fix this too. Thanks!
First impressions with the ES can be like that. So can first impressions of a standard under saddle piezo. Take your time and adjust it for your playing style. If you need help let me know
@@sonusaurelius6576, different amp worked, thanks
Here’s the difference though, any other guitar that you pay that much for is going to have a great sounding preamp/pickup system right off the shelf. You shouldn’t have to do that much work to make a Taylor sound ok/good. They make great guitars, but the es sounds like garbage to my ears. Some love it and that’s fine by me! But if they’d just switch over to a baggs or fishman system they’d solve a lot of their issues. I’ve owned 2 Taylor’s. One was 8000$ new and they both sounded like garbage plugged in no matter what I did. So I changed the pickup to the a baggs anthem and problem solved
Thanks for shearing your thoughts and experience @matt284fun, really useful insights!
Yeah the LR Baggs sounds so incredible it’s really hard to recommend anything else
Ive ordered a Baggs anthem but it might be problematic because of the cross members in my 317e, Ive just messaged L R Baggs for clarification
I had to change the battery box recently on my gs mini, it kept cutting out, the difference in sound was incredible! I bought the Bluetooth as it was the only one I could find. I'm not sure how this should affect the tone but it did and now I'm really happy
@@devileyedelvis3739 Well, unquestionably the best acoustic pick up bar none. the Maton AP5 Pro.
That martin piezo was um realy something else. Anyone complaining about the ES2 probably just needs it set up. It is the best pickup. Id put it against any pickup system
😜 yeah the Martin pickup just doesn’t compare. To be honest even with the mic blend it doesn’t have the same character and feedback is an issue live.
Thanks for watching!!
Early 214ce. Love it through an amp. The simpler the better.
Nice one!! Simple IS better
I have a K16 Taylor, which has the earlier ES-T system, a Piezo under-saddle pickup only, which is lower quality than the ES2 and even harder to tame. An external acoustic preamp made a significant improvement, but the Taylor alone couldn’t do it. Boss Ad-2 was my solution.
K16 is a lovely guitar!! I haven’t tried the boss ad-2 but hear good things. Thanks for your recommendation and thanks for watching!
I have a 2003 814ce with the original ES-1. It sounds good but is prone to feedback. It's an interesting design unlike anything else I've seen. It's a wonderful guitar, but I have considered upgrading it to replace the battery holder with the ES-2 9V battery. I seldom play the guitar amplified, and the batteries swelled up over a couple years and were a bit difficult to get out.
I have an ES-Go equipped GS Mini, and an ES-2 equipped GS-Mini. Through a Mesa Express 5:50 the ES-Go sounds good clean or with some gain. There are some good rock tones from the ES-Go. The ES-2 sounds good through an acoustic amp, but not the Mesa so far.
Thanks for this comment! Vey useful.
I wanted to buy Taylor, but after all, I decided to buy Takamine (made in Japan) guitar. One of the reason was the pickup system. I also own Gibson with LR Baggs Anthem which is awesome! But Takamine palathetic pickup and preamp (Japanese models, not G-series made in China) are probably one of the best system for live performance. Just google how many people complaining about ES2 compare to Takamine electronics or LR Baggs Anthem. That is poor for Taylor because they produce really nice guitars.
And just one thing off topics. Your pronouncing of "piezo" is wrong. 😉
Anyway, great video for Talyor owners. 👍
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Antonio.
Great video. I have a K24ce BE and I am having volume problems with mine just running through a Marshall AS50D Acoustic amp. I saw on the Taylor website that you need to turn the volume all the way down on the amp before plugging in the guitar. Still doesnt help. Glad to see youre from Australia. Im in Sydney. If you do have some time to respond it would be greatly appreciated. I am not very tech savvy.
I’m in Melbourne!! Thanks for tuning in.
I’d love to help. Could you tell me a bit more about what’s wrong and what you’ve done to troubleshoot? Sounds like you’re not getting any volume from the guitar, is that right?
@@sonusaurelius6576 thanks for replying, yes just volume. Crank the amp and guitar volume but the loudest sound from the amp is the fingers on the strings when changing cords or playing a riff/soloing. Cheers Nik
Trs cable not mono but your amp will not take stereo
Great concise work and yep both the ES2 and Fishman fall well below a decent 10:54 sound. I had both and years of frustration from pickups and preamps until I installed a jjb330 in all my guitars. No preamp no onboard eq, no quack and for less than $100 Au would never use anything else. Used with a bodyrez straight to PA or direct to my acoustic amp. My guitars now sound like guitars and a fifth of the price of all the over rubbish available.
Wow just had a listen and watched an install of the JJB prestige 330. Really nice passive pickup and very affordable. Thanks for sharing!
Hey man, thought you might be interested in this video of me comparing the JJB to the ES2 - thanks for suggesting the JJB - it's great.
th-cam.com/video/rfwo2Yls4xc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks mate. Once you work out how to use it, the ES2 is great!
You’re welcome and thanks for watching ☺️
Thanks for the video! 👍 614ce Builders Edition here.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
Beautiful guitar!! Thanks for dropping by 😊
@@sonusaurelius6576 👍
I have a Taylor 916 which sounds phenomenal unplugged but not nearly as good plugged in, regardless of the settings. My Cole Clark Angel on the other hand sounds a lot better plugged in so maybe the answer is the Cole Clark pickup in the Taylor. Would ne quite similar to a Baggs Anthem I suspect.
Haha! Are you proposing a corporate merger! 😜
Answer, because i am playing it
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The Taylor still sounds bright to me.
Yeah it’s not as full as some other guitar makers’. In person the 818 is well balanced to my ear, but overall Taylor guitars tend toward mid-high resonance.
with an impulse response will sound even better.
You’re right! What IR do you use?
@@sonusaurelius6576 i use the "worship tutorials Martin D35 IR". they have some samples here, on youtube. worth it!!! i use it on a taylor gs mini and sounds huge
My brothers $3000 Taylor is awesome.
Hope you get to play it often!
@@sonusaurelius6576Yes At least once a week I get to play it.
Not all Taylor dealers know what they are doing either. My local dealer took three months to trouble shoot and repair my ES2.
Oh no! Hope it worked out in the nothing. Thanks for stopping by
How about taylor 110ce that no three pins adjusted..how it fix
I don’t own one, but from what I can see online it does have the three pin screws. You need a torx screwdriver. Thinks it’s T3 or T5 can’t remember exactly.
@@sonusaurelius6576 but my taylor 110ce doesn’t have three pickup adjustment screw..how to adjust the piezo??
@@aditmullen1847 hi again, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Perhaps check the manual. Or the Taylor website.
0:07 818e if it’s a jumbo guitar it can’t be a Grand Auditorium
You’re correct! I made a mistake and only realised after I uploaded the video. It’s a grand orchestra. The largest they make, I think.
Why was this 6 grand. I picked up my 2014 816ce for $3800 new.
Good question! I live in Australia so our dollar is equivalent to Canadian dollar. American made guitars are expansive outside of US. Thanks for watching!!
Should have bought a Maton. AP5 Pro all the way!!
Matons are excellent. I don’t own but loved everyone I played and they’re on my future guitar list!! Will check out the AP5. Thanks for sharing.
@@sonusaurelius6576 AP5 pro is the pick up system and it’s glorious
Taylor Grand Auditorium is not comparable with a Jumbo.
It is a smaller body style.
You’re right, Ron. I mistakenly said auditorium, but the 818 is actually a grand orchestra size 16 & three quarter wide at the lower end and 5 inches deep. Thanks for watching!!
I have wonder how many of the people in this section dogging on the ES2 think their Martin with a junk Piezo is the pinnacle of plugged in tone. At the end of the day, very few systems compete with the Anthem for tonal quality and diversity, including most of the junk they put into Martins these days or any ES system that's ever been on the market.
Blended pickups are the best and the anthem is up there, for sure.
Great guitars especially for finger style. Terrible pickups though. I sold mine. Couldn’t take the nasal pieazo
Thanks Greg!!
It lacks a bit of bass frequencies, 80hz/100. It sounds too Middle and treble
Completely agree mate. For a solo scenario I’d add more depth. For a band scenario this would cut through nicely.
"Good alternative pickup systems are incredibly "expensive"??? You obviously haven't tried either the K&K Pure Mini or the very similar Journey Tek EP001K acoustic systems. K&K just raised the price of their Pure Mini 50% for a total of $150 US, and even though they offer some of the purest, most transparent acoustic sound in the entire industry ( if installed & used properly), the huge price hike is ridiculous & unjustified, especially when it's closest competition is the Journey Tek EP001K that costs only $50 US, and most guitarists including myself feel that it sounds even better than the K&K Pure Mini. Both systems are passive ( no batteries or onboard pre-amps ) and sound absolutely amazing through a PA system OR a good quality acoustic amplifier. I installed the Journey Tek in all 4 of my Hsienmo acoustic guitars, and when played through my BOSS Acoustic Pro Singer amp, they have the best acoustic sound I've ever heard..........( aside from a good microphone ), and I've been playing guitar since 1973, and have been performing for decades.
Thanks mate! You’re right both of these pickups are excellent value and sound great.
@@sonusaurelius6576 You're very welcome. I know both Journey Tek and K&K recommend using a DI box IF NECESSARY to have even better control of your sound with their PU systems, but with several of the best acoustic amps available today, such as my Boss Acoustic Pro Singer, a DI box is not even necessary. My Boss amp has 4 different settings/choices for "acoustic resonance". The 1st setting is the default setting, but a single button has 3 enhanced settings that are great for various acoustic instruments & PU systems. These 4 different settings ( under various circumstances ) work great for taming just about any piezo pickup.
Good advice. Thank you!
I recently purchased a 414ce and have struggled to get a decent sound out of it. I am having serious buyers remorse. I am thinking about dumping it and trying to recover most of my money and pulling my Epiphone DR500mce refitted with a K and K pure mini back out of the closet which sounds a thousand times better. Taylor may be built more solidly but their pickups sound horrible unless buried deep with a mix.... A 3,000 guitar should not have issues like this.... I have tried 3 Taylors of the last 10 years and have not been happy with any of their plugged in sound. More expensive is not always better.... Sometimes the Brand Name tax exceeds the actual value. Taylor is way over hyped in my actual experience. Coming from someone who has been playing over 40 years...
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I can tell you my 814CE had the ES1 system which distorted. I had it replaced by an authorized Tayor dealer but it still had a metallic tone and the b string was too loud. I replaced it myself with a K&K passive system which is so much better. I also bought a 614 CE that had the same distortion. So my opinion of Tayor is great guitar with a junk pickup system. Way overpriced guitar. Never again for me, I'm back to Martin and Takamine.
Thanks for sharing!! Go with what you know and love!
It is the piezo in bridge is damaged ！the original piezo system is not good Quality ! So you can change to the other piezo pickup
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Try comparing transacoutic yamaha with es2. Es2 has only one sound, monotonous, cant make it with chorus etc...... i plan to buy yamaha with TA and take the TA and put to taylor guitar, i think that would be a best thing to do
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!! 😊
Just my opinion but they call it an "acoustic" guitar for a reason..... use a mic or plug in a solid body but I've found you can't have both.
Yeah, you’re kinda right. Thanks for watching!
Taylor guitars are awesome! The ES2 is the worst pickup system ever! I put a Fishman in all my Taylor's and they sound incredible!
Nice!! So did you swap out the ES2 or do you own non-electronic models?
Here's how to setup the ES system; tear it out. While I use Taylor 6/12 string guitars faithfully; no amount of 'selling' will convince me that the ES system is worthy of anything, except tearing out of the guitar-and putting in a Fishman Prefix or Blender. Oh, you get the 'quacking sound' with the cheap ES system on their 12 strings. Taylor pickups suck on their 12 strings. Drop a Fishman Prefix Pro or Blender into it. Taylor stopped selling their guitars with 'Fishman systems', to cut costs and sell more guitars. The six's are barely tolerable with their ES pickups-but their 12 strings sound like garbage. Don't let ANYONE, including Taylor tell you otherwise. Doubt me? Go find an early 2000's Taylor 12(And six,)-and plug it into a p.a. system. (Not a guitar amp.) My 2004 855 sounds amazing, so why have a cheap, 'it'll do' pickup in it...Taylor sold out with the public; by dumping the Fishman systems, and pushing these horrible-sounding ES toys. (I don't mean to sound so negative; but I'm tired of listening to amateurs-push these horrible sounding ES pickups.)
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Because it’s not a Martin.
Martins are beautiful guitars and Taylor isn’t for everyone! Thanks for stopping by 😊
Had a taylor 12 fret electro acoustic with this system fitted and it was bloody awful!
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why would you spend that kind of money on a box that did not sound good is the question
I got it for 60% off 😜
Thanks for stopping by!!
I bought a Taylor about 15 years ago. It was by far the worst sounding guitar (through a PA) I have ever heard. Sounded like a plastic ovation.
Oh no! That must have been disappointing. Thanks for sharing 😊
Its much better than I've heard before, but its still so poor. I would say - if people can afford 3-6k guitars, then buying something like fishmann rare earth should not be a problem.
Glad it was much better than you’ve heard in the past!! Thanks for watching
Yeah I gotta say my big baby Taylor sounds great. But my more expensive Taylor sounds like straight shit plugged in. And the frets wore really fast. The guitar just didn’t stand up to the test of time. Really over priced I’m not sure I would buy another Taylor.
👍🏼
The short answer is because it’s not a Yamaha.
😂
Take it to a Taylor dealer..
Spot on!!
It sounded terrible in second 1.
Thanks for watching, anyway! 😊
Because you should have bought a big baby Taylor’s for 499
Thanks for watching!
I HATE Taylor pickups -- completely ruin the guitar's tone live. They really need to get back to outsourcing to the experts and put Baggs and Fishman in them.
Thanks for sharing!
Cause there trying to hard to compete with the other big two that they are over engineering
You feel tried and true is the best way to go! Makes sense. Thanks for sharing ☺️
Taylor ES2 are worst pickup on any setting. Yuck
Thanks for sharing
Because it’s a Taylor lol
Thanks for dropping by!
Because it's a Taylor.
Go with what you know and love, and make good music!! Thanks for a stopping by!
Exactly. Taylor is made with precision tooling.. for that I have no squam . However, they use hard resins for everything from fillers to topcoats. These will never improve with time and playing like varnishes.
But the worse of it is the neck system. You simply cannot beat a dovetail neck joint. It transfers all vibration that can be transferred by design once the glue hardens.. it's a self sustaining joint even without the glue . The glues just a locking agent..
While the Taylor has Big shims that are not glued , a small mortise and trunion which are not glued and heavy steel bolts soaking up the vibration.. The fingerboard extension isn't glued in place which not only helps transfer sound to the neck block but also pushes against the neck for neck support .
Taylor lives off its name . Which I have never understood got so big .
Grab a 30yr old Martin dreadnought and play it . Then grab a 30 year old Taylor . The sound of the Taylor resembles more of a plywood topped guitar while the Martin's wood and finish have let air and moisture go in and out , improving the sound ...
People buy Taylor's becuse of the " easier " Neck reset . As a luthier I personally think dovetails are actually easier .
That’s really useful information, and from a luthier!!
I never thought about resonance through the neck before. Thanks for sharing!!
@@sonusaurelius6576 Necks do resonate.. granted , not near as much the top , but they do . Sides resonate. Again not near much as the top. The back resonates considerably.
None of these matter much by themselves . But every little extra adds up to the total quality of the instrument.. theres solid bridge pins, deer antler or bone saddle and nut .. these 2 items make a very notable change
Properly voicing the top is absolutely critical because if it's not tuned to a half note or a note that's not one of the strings , your sure to get a hum ..
Ex. If the top is resonant at E , when you hit your E string it will cause the top to over sustain.. kind of feedback on itself if you will.. That's why you would do better tuning it to E# . Or even better F or F# . Because there is no F string on a guitar. In the factory, they rush through a lot of this because seconds count .. and at Taylor, they really count..
Acoustics are a precision science and a learned skill.
Not trying to run down your axe .. you got an excellent deal on it ... If anything is wrong electronic wise , it's always a simple fix .
Taylor is the Ikea of guitar production
The system should be more intuitive for the average person...Too much wasted time dicking around ....
Yeah that’s fair enough. Thanks for stopping by!
As someone who has played through the following pickups (some worse than others), I’m a bit of a qualified expert:
-Journey Tek
-Mojotone NC Passive
-K&K Pure Mini
-LR Baggs HiFi
-Fishman Classic 4
-JJB 330 Prestige
-DeArmond Toneboss
-K&K Double Helix
I will say that not a single one is perfect, and ALL of them require some level of tweaking. Whether it is EQ, compression, proper gain staging, or any combination of things, none are simple out of the box. I think the ES2 might be one of the most simple ever seen! How? Because it is already installed, because once it is dialed in (with one tool), it is set for good, the 9V is easy access compared to non-OEM options, and 3 simple knobs. I also appreciate that there isn’t the horrible “barn door” cut into the side of these beautiful guitars.
I’ve never owned a Taylor with and ES2, but it does seem that the larger public needs this PSA considering how many ES2 Taylors are out there. Excellent review and information!
Taylor guitars suck. Bad.
Thanks for dropping by!
It Sounds so bad because ITS A TAYLOR!!!!!! PERIOD.
Go with that you know and love and make good music!! 🙂
Then what are you a fanboy of and, most importantly, why are you here watching this video?
Taylor and Martin are Both Grossly overpriced guitars.
@@sonusaurelius6576Classy response. 😁
@@HonorTodd-e2k it’s an issue throughout the guitar industry. Even an electric Epiphone, which I class as “entry level”, is overpriced, and they’re made in China.
I would rather have my J45 over that Taylor any day of the week
J45s are classic! Thanks for sharing!
LOL.. $6 Grand; for a guitar that sounds like $h!t. That you have to set up your self??
C'mon man?
And I'm pretty sure you still think it was worth the price..
News Flash for Ya, it never was,
Just a $6,000 pair of..100% Clown Shoes.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
There are some $8000 troll shoes that would probably look great on you Randall❤
Because it’s not a Martin.
Go with what you love and make good music!! Thanks for watching ☺️