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Taylor 520e Mahog Dread ES
Manufacturer Part #:
520E
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Price:
$2,599.99
A focused tone, strong upper midrange, world-class ES electronics and an old-school vibe! The Taylor 520E Mahogany Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar is the perfect fit for lively strummers and pickers who want to stand out while not completely overtaking the overall mix. Taylor gives the all-mahogany 520E a black pickguard, ivoroid binding and rosette, and a neo-vintage Century fretboard inlay for a classic look. Taylor Expression System electronics provide incredible tone when plugged in.
The natural compression of the all-mahogany construction yields a slower response than a spruce-top guitar will. As Andy Powers explained with the recent introduction of the all-koa Grand Orchestra K28e, there tends to be more of a subtle ‘roll-in’ effect to a note. ‘Punchy’ is a word that’s often used to describe the character of mahogany, particularly in the midrange.
‘It’s punchy in the sense that the notes you play are the notes you get,’ Andy elaborates. ‘That’s what people mean by ‘dry’ tone. Many players will hear the response and say, ‘Oh, it’s right in my face. I hear just the notes that I played. I’m not hearing this sharp attack, or a long, ringing complex overtone mix.’ So, the common description is a focused midrange punch.’
Considering mahogany’s strong fundamental focus, an all-mahogany guitar such as the 520E dreadnought will fit a number of playing scenarios.
‘Like koa, it’s a fantastic wood for recording or stage use,’ Andy notes. ‘Because of its unique response, an all-mahogany guitar really flatters its pickups. And since its sonic imprint isn’t a mile wide, it’s a guitar that plays well with others. On a track with other guitar parts you don’t want interference between players.’
‘After we re-designed the 700 Series with all-ivoroid appointments, players really flocked to it,’ he says. ‘The sentiment was like, ‘This isn’t my dad’s guitar, this is more like my granddad’s guitar,’ but with all the refinements of modern guitar-making techniques. So we brought more of that aesthetic to the 500s.’
A black pickguard adds a bold visual counterpoint to the mahogany top of the 520E. Other new appointments include ivoroid binding, an ivoroid rosette, and an ivoroid Century fretboard inlay design that comes from the same family as the 700 Series Heritage Diamonds inlay motif.