First thing first I think it has to be said that I feel like people either love this guitar or are very 'meh' or saying it sounds like a toy. The latter of which I cannot agree with this is a very very solid guitar, an instrument in it's own right.
Does it sound good? This is quite a bright and rich sounding guitar. Ignoring the countless horrible recordings off youtube this guitar isn't as harsh or shrill as a lot of those videos make it out to be. It sounds great and balanced overall! This guitar records perfectly.. imagine having a high pass filter at just the right spot on your guitar. Sits perfectly in a mix! I recorded this guitar DI + a WA-47jr mic and the result was honestly very surprising. The recording was perfect. Without having to process it and EQ it like crazy it just sounded good. After cleaning up 2 or 3 frequencies I could of honestly just left the guitar like that and it would of sounded perfect in the mix. Compared to my old Takamine which I had to process quite a lot and still did not get this result even after all of that.
How loud is it? Compared to a standard dreadnaught I tested the db(SPL). My Takamine had a max peak of 79.7 when recorded acoustically in my home studio and the Taylor sitting at 78.3. How does that compare in real world applications? Well in a room of about 30 people the Taylor was perceived to be louder because it sounds brighter and more open. If you need more than 30 people to hear you guitar please get an amp. This little monster will do.
Does it have bass? Yes it has bass. Does it have the same bass as a dreadnaught? Well no.. it would be impossible given the different sizes of the guitar. This is slightly smaller. BUT! You gain a more balanced tone overall. Should you ever want more bass out of this guitar you can always accentuate the bass side of the chords and I'm pretty sure you will be fine.
Amplified you need to turn down both bass and treble most likely as this packs quite the punch! It sounds very natural.
Playability is fantastic, I've never played such a comfortable guitar, fretboard feels amazing and easy to play. Your back will get tired faster than your hands while playing this. It's smaller so it feels more ergonomic, the finish is just great on the neck and provides smooth playing.
Overall the guitar is amazing, satin finish looks pretty amazing! Feels great. I would recommend it to anyone.
Gig bag is just premium quality. Great space to carry stuff to a gig. It's soft/hardshell case. It's like a cross between it feels amazing..
Cons? I don't consider this guitar having any cons as long as you know what you're buying. Some people complained it doesn't sound as big as other bigger guitars(OH REALLY!?). It sounds big enough for most acoustic situations I would say. Amplified it's just like any other guitar.
With that out of the way I really only have 2 minor gripes about it.
1. The guitar's G-string tends to ring out too much when you strum it open. I blame this in my elixir set as I've had this happen before with Elixir strings. I'm just not a huge fan and would of liked another string manufacturer, but this is a personal choice.
2. Bridge pins are plastic, I expected more considering this is not a cheap instrument.. I changed them with Ebony Taylor pins. While the effect on the actual tone is not huge I did hear that over-all it just made the guitar feel a bit more rounded and more defined/warmer. Depending on your ear you might or might not hear anything.
Overall a great purchase and I highly recommend this guitar.
