(Discontinued) Taylor Dave Matthews Signature Model

This model has been discontinued by Taylor. This post is retained for reference purposes.

Well here it is the long awaited Dave Matthews Signature model from Taylor Guitars. At this point in his career there are probably few people that don’t know who Dave Matthews is. The lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band and his band mates have amassed countless passionate fans and forged a creative and unique sound that has put a stamp on popular music with their live shows and recordings.

Dave is a long time Taylor player, owning first a 714 and then buying a 914ce off the wall of a music shop in Seattle, Washington. This 914ce quickly became his number one guitar and has graced stages all over the world. So when it came time to do a signature model basing it off of Dave’s prized 914ce was the logical choice.

This 16″ Grand Auditorium sized body has a Sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood sides and back, Venetian cutaway, Taylor Expression system and features some very cool inlay work. The fretboard inlay has elements of the popular “Cindy” inlay which is on Dave’s original 914ce and a design that pays tribute to the bands good friend and long time sax player, LeRoi Moore, who passed away in 2008. Moore’s band nickname “Grux” is inlaid between the 13th and 18th frets along with a crown between the 11th and 13th frets partially missing one of its ball tipped points in his memory. The peghead inlay and fretboard tribute elements were designed based on sketches by Matthews. An aged toner was used on the top to approximate the patina of Dave’s number one 914ce.

The Grand Auditorium body shape is a versatile instrument capable of handling medium strumming, single note lines and fingerstyle playing with ease. The neck profile is fast and smooth and felt like butter as I played through verses of “Ants Marching” and “Grey Street” by the Dave Matthews Band. With a tone that has equal amounts of treble cut and shimmer and warm bass response this guitar would be at home in a band or solo setting. Great looks, tone and playability make this signature model a great choice for serious players and Dave Matthews fans. Each guitar comes with a custom label and certificate of authenticity personally signed by Matthews.

Mike Gray

Specifications

* Grand Auditorium
* Sitka Spruce top with aged toner top
* Indian Rosewood sides and back
* Abalone rosette
* Abalone top purfling
* Tropical American mahogany neck
* Ebony fretboard
* Taylor low profile neck shape
* 1 3/4″ bone nut
* 25.5″ scale length
* Dave Matthews “Grux” fretboard inlay
* Dave Matthews Signature peg head inlay
* Ebony bridge with inlay
* Ivoroid body binding
* Venetian cutaway
* CV Sitka spruce bracing with relief rout
* Gold Gotoh 510 tuners
* Taylor Expression system pickup
* Taylor deluxe hardshell case

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