TAYLOR AD27 GRAND PACIFIC £1619

The most affordable American-made all-solid Taylor series yet

- Rob Laing

If you think the saying ‘less is more’ is becoming overused these days, how about ‘less is cool’ – because an acoustic guitar that eschews the bells, whistles, abalone, and gloss to embrace a simpler approach can be a very attractive proposition. Especially in mahogany and Sapele. A more minimalist approach is not something most of us might associate with Taylor, but here it is – and although it might not be obvious, there’s also some more in the mix, too.

At street prices around £1349, this is still a sizeable investment for most of us, but it’s also the most affordable USA-made solid wood acoustic we’ve seen yet from Taylor. And the recent Grand Pacific slope-shouldered dreadnought has been the first Taylor design chosen for this American Dream series.

If the plainer look is part of a cost-saving approach, it’s one we’re on board with. The open-pore mahogany gives this guitar a traditional look that feels at home in the first half of the 20th century, but the V-Class bracing is very much here and now. The best of both worlds? We hope so...