"Gorgeous, giggable and collectible." Taylor 50th Anniversary 858e LTD Grand Orchestra 12-string combines vintage glory with modern tech for a glorious playing experience

It’s been six years since Andy Powers introduced V-Class bracing on Taylor 12-strings, and 50 years since founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug introduced the world to a revolutionary new brand that’s gone on to become an acoustic icon. Taylor began releasing commemorative limited editions at a rate of one model per month starting in January and will continue to throughout 2024. As an homage to its founding year, no more than 1,974 guitars for each model will be made available worldwide.

When GP got a preview of the collection representing the diversity of Taylor’s contemporary range, I immediately set my sights on this month’s 858e LTD. It’s a beautiful big-bodied acoustic 12-string that’s more attainable than some of the other anniversary editions, while being unique and collectible. Equipped with ES2 electronics and shipped in a ruggedly lovely Western Floral deluxe hardshell case, it’s designed to go on the road, not simply hang on the wall.

All of Taylor’s Golden Anniversary acoustic guitars share a common design theme and signature appointments, including a commemorative label with a “50 Years” ribbon-head design inside, ebony bridge pins with gold acrylic dots, and gold tuning machines and buttons. They look extra awesome on a 12-string headstock, while the green abalone rosette and mother-of-pearl Progressive Diamond inlays add elegance. The exquisite Indian rosewood selected for the back and sides is dusky and handsome, punctuated by its contrast with the bright white binding on the body and neck heel cap. The seams on the three-piece headstock-neck-heel design are barely noticeable. I couldn’t find a blemish anywhere.

Andy Powers found a nice niche for Taylor’s contemporary 12-strings by making many models much smaller than the traditional jumbo of yore, which is most closely associated with Leo Kottke and his classic signature Taylor. By putting 12 strings on a Grand Concert with 12 frets to the neck, Powers created a more manageable and playable guitar that delivers the signature chime associated with the instrument, along with more boom than one might presume possible. Great as those Concerts are, there’s something magical about the resonance of a bodacious, full-scale 12-string with 14 frets to the body, which facilitates greater playability up the neck, even without a cutaway. I couldn’t wait to play the 858e, but I did, due to the release schedule. It turned out to be worth the wait.

Playing a 12-string guitar can be literally twice as fun as a typical six-string, and that was the feeling I got right out of the case with the 858. Playability is great, and my fingers knowingly launched into “Hotel California,” “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “Wish You Were Here.” Your musical ear innately recognizes that’s how those tunes are truly supposed to sound. One definite advantage of V-Class bracing is how it lends to an instrument sounding holistically in tune with itself, and that’s particularly true on the 12-string. I was able to get locked in and rip away on all my favorite classic 12-string things without having to retune much, and that makes all the difference! You want to keep playing this 12-string, not just pick it up and pluck a bit until it falls flat.

Of course, a bigger body is inherently a bit more to manage. The Grand Orchestra is Taylor’s biggest and deepest body style. It’s a modern jumbo, which my body surely is not, but I still found this guitar quite comfortable to play, even standing up.

I didn’t have any problems with string breakage, but it’s noteworthy that Taylor uses a clever double-mounted string anchoring system. Having one bridge pin anchor each pair of strings simplifies string management. Taylor has been making some 12-strings with the higher octave strings positioned beneath the main strings for a more bass-forward sound, instead of the traditional way, with the high octaves above, so they get hit first with the downward stroke of a pick. This is not one of those. The 858e LTD is configured in traditional fashion and hence has the traditional chime.

The 858e LTD is designed to deliver a voice that Taylor refers to as a “wall of sound.” While the volume isn’t quite as powerful as I expected from its jumbo body, the tone sure is expansive, especially in open tunings. I miked it up with a Universal Audio Sphere DLX modeling microphone and lined it in through a UA Max preamp/compressor to record a new tune, and the 858e indeed added a bit of that expanse associated with Phil Spector’s famous “wall of sound” production style from the ’60s. It’s tempting to add the 858e LTD to everything, even recordings you thought might be finished.

The 858e LTD is a modern take on a classic Taylor tone. Rosewood and spruce is a tried-and-true wood combination, and if this were a Grand Auditorium it would essentially be a 12-string version of Taylor’s most recognizable sound. Since it’s a Grand Orchestra, the tone is that, plus a bit of what they’d call lagniappe in the south, meaning a little extra. And with those 12 steel strings ringing out on top, it’s nice to have a bit more body underneath.

This Grand Orchestra shines with the tuning lowered a step or so, à la classic Kottke. Then you get a bit more of the depth and remarkable sustain, along with easier playability. You’d think it might sound boomy, but to my ears it’s more on the brushy side. There’s a silky, sweeping quality to the feel and sound, with a lively dynamic response, surprisingly sensitive to even a feather-like touch. Its high-fidelity tone and feel are light years ahead of a lot of the wonky honky-tonkers in the vintage section of the old mom-and-pop guitar shop. The 858e LTD features Taylor’s ES2 electronics and the sound is well balanced through a hi-fi acoustic amplification system.

Anyone who’s after classic 12-string tone — but with the advantages of contemporary technology lending to fabulous playability and functionality — should audition the gorgeous, giggable and collectible Taylor 50th Anniversary 858e LTD Grand Orchestra. All things considered, the street price seems reasonable, and the bottom line is an Editors’ Pick Award.

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SPECIFICATIONS

CONTACT taylorguitars.com

PRICE $3,999 street, with Western Floral deluxe case

NUT 1.875” wide, Tusq

NECK Neo-Tropical mahogany, bolt-on

FRETBOARD West African ebony,
25.5” scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Taylor gold

BODY Solid Indian rosewood back and sides, solid Sitka spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony, Micarta saddle

ELECTRONICS Taylor Expression
System 2

CONTROLS Volume, bass, treble

FACTORY STRINGS D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bromne Light, .010–.047 and .010–.027 (unison/octaves)

WEIGHT 5.6 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS Quality craftsmanship, impressively in-tune, great playability, articulate acoustic and amplified tone

CONCERNS Volume rather soft for a jumbo, but overall sound is sweeping
and dynamically sensitive