Product Description

's bold-voiced Grand Symphony projects a strong lower midrange emphasis and pairs well with mahogany's strong, focused tone in the 500 Series 526e Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric Guitar. Rootsy strummers and pickers will love the blend of power and articulation. A black pickguard, ivoroid binding, and a Century fretboard inlay tastefully convey mahogany's time-honored heritage. 's Expression System 2 pickup.

Grand Symphony (GS)
Body Length: 20" / Body Width: 16-1/4" / Body Depth: 4-5/8"
The ultimate strummer.

The Grand Symphony shape joined the line in 2006 and delivers a rich, powerful acoustic voice. Think of it as a Grand Auditorium with a turbo boost, thanks to expanded physical dimensions, including a slightly wider waist and a bigger lower bout. Strummers and pickers with a driving attack will love the fullness, volume and sustain. Yet for such a robust voice, the GS is also clear and responsive to fast picking runs or a light fingerstyle touch, so if you're a dynamic player, this shape is a true contender. And the big voice doesn't come at the expense of balance. The piano-like bass, meaty midrange, and thick, shimmering highs blend seamlessly. If you like a lush, potent guitar tone that has the horsepower to compete with other acoustic cannons out there, the GS shape is a worthy choice.

Tropical Mahogany
Origin: Central and South America
Mahogany is a good wood to anchor a discussion of tones, as a lot of other wood tones can be described in relation to it. Its essential sonic profile is well represented in the midrange frequencies. Acoustic guitars in general tend to live in the midrange portion of the sound spectrum, but mahogany in particular displays a lot of midrange character. That thick, present midrange sound is sometimes described in guitar circles as meaty, organic or even "chewy" - wherever a player digs in on the fretboard, they're tapping into the core of the harmonic content of what a guitar produces. Those great midrange frequencies produce overtones that stack up and produce bloom, giving the sound extra girth. When one hears the resulting harmonics, the "chewy" tone serves up a big mouthful of midrange. As a popular tonewood for many decades, mahogany has been used on scads of old school acoustic recordings, and that sonic heritage carries across various strains of roots music, from blues to folk to slack key.

Expression System 2
The Expression System 2 (ES2) is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in 's ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is 's proprietary behind-the-saddle pickup (patent pending), which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. Together with 's custom-designed "professional audio"-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your guitar.

Behind the ES2 Design: Rethinking the Piezo Pickup
For decades, piezo-electric transducers have been positioned under the saddle of a guitar based on the long-held belief that the string and top vibration cause the saddle to "bounce" up and down. But 's electronics team, led by developer David Hosler, discovered that the vertical movement is actually heavily restricted, and that the saddle gets "locked down" due to the string tension's downward pressure. That's why a traditional under-saddle pickup with piezo-electric crystals often responds with a sound often characterized as thin, brittle, brash or synthetic, especially with more aggressive playing.

The saddle's natural range of movement as the guitar is being played is actually back and forth like a pendulum. That revelation led 's design team to relocate the crystals from under the saddle to behind it. The new positioning enables the crystals to respond more naturally to the guitar's energy as it is transferred through the saddle. Three pickup sensors are installed behind the saddle, through the bridge, with three tiny Allen screws that calibrate the position of the sensors in relation to the saddle.

Like the original Expression System, the ES2 features the same volume and tone control knobs. The preamp is similar but with a slightly different gain structure. As a result it will be about 25 percent hotter, which is more in line with other pickups. This makes it plug-and-play friendly both for artists and live sound mixers.

Tropical mahogany body and top Tropical mahogany neck and heel Ebony fingerboard and distinctive appointments Expression 2 electronics Includes case

Enjoy improved tone with ES2 electronics. Order today.

SPECIFICATIONS

500 Series 526e Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Shape: Grand Symphony
Back/Side Wood: Tropical Mahogany
Scale length: 25-1/2"
Top Wood: Tropical Mahogany
Body Length: 20"
Electronics: Expression System 2
Body Width: 16-1/4"
Cutaway: None
Body Depth: 4-5/8"
Nut & Saddle: Tusq Nut/Micarta Saddle
Neck Width: 1-3/4"
Neck/Heel: Tropical Mahogany
Bracing: Forward Shifted Pattern with Relief Rout
Fretboard Wood: Ebony
Fretboard Inlay: Century
Headstock Overlay: Ebony
Binding: Ivoroid
Bridge Inlay: None
Bridge Pins: Ebony
Tuners: Nickel
Truss Rod Cover: Ebony
Back/Side Finish: Gloss
Top Finish: Gloss
Neck Finish: Satin
Pickguard: Black
Case: Deluxe Hardshell Brown
Number of Frets: 20
Armrest Binding: None
Back Config: 2-piece No Wedge
Backstrap Wood: None
Backstrap Finish: None
Brand of Strings: Elixir Phosphor Bronze Medium
Buttons: Nickel
Edge Trim: None
Fingerboard Ext: None
Fretboard Binding: Ivoroid
Heel Cap Binding: Ivoroid
Heel length: 3-1/2"
Peghead Finish: Satin
Peghead Inlay: None
Peghead Binding: Ivoroid
Peghead Logo: Ivoroid
Peghead Type: Standard
Rosette Mat.: Ivoroid
Rosette Size: Single Ring
Stain/Sunburst: Medium Brown Stain
Type of Neck Joint: Scarf
Wedge: None

Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage

Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.

Gold Coverage Includes:

Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidity

Other plan features include:

For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear

*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details

Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.

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I will start this review off by saying "No, I don't own this guitar" but I'm not nearly proficient enough to need a $2300 guitar. But I walked through the guitar store playing my way around the acoustic section. There were a few standouts that I really liked. Surprisingly there were a few top of the range washburns that really surprized me. Then the really pretty gibson, taylors and martins. They were nice as you would expect with a few QC blindspots thrown in the mix.
Then I came upon this guitar and WOW. It was like I heard the tone I had been wanting to hear my whole guitar playing life. I like the idea of a jumbo guitar for the added bass end accent. So that's what inspired me to pick up this particular guitar. The tone is really balanced, but not just balanced and weak like some of the other taylors I've played. In fact that's one of the things that has always bugged me about taylor. The sound while very balanced and clean is never full enough. It's like it lacks just a little and I couldn't quite put my finger on what was missing. Maybe it's a x factor thing that hasn't ever been named. But this guitar is the uncola of taylors. It sounds like you've taken all the tone knobs on an amp and turned them all up to give a thicker, more full sounding tone with extra everything.
It had a think rich bass tone without being overwhelmingly boomy, but just enough to announce itself as being present. Mids were as described above thick, meaty and the heart of the sound. The mid range tone gave the guitar's sound a genuine honesty in tone without over-coloring your playing. And the hardest part for guitars to pull off, a clean clear treble without being shrill or thin. It was like the guitar could enunciate it's words without exhagerating the consonants. It had plenty of what it should and none of what it shouldn't. In essence the perfect tone.
The feel fo the guitar was very good. I like that most manufacturers now are doing gloss bodies with satin necks. And as with all taylors this guitar had a thin, very playable neck. Tuners fit the bill nicely holding a good tune as expected. I also always like when the heastock is veneered in rosewood in taylor's customary style.
The only thing I wasnt in love with was the look of the mohogany body. I never really have been crazy about the look of an all mohogany guitar. but maybe a burst would've dressed it up a bit. Though all of that to say, that those looks are a miniscule trade off for a playability and tone like this guitar has. Hands down the best guitar I've played to date, better than martins and gibsons I've played that were listed for more next to this guitar. And given the opportunity and the money I would absolutely buy it.

Great guitar!
Chaylor 500 Series 526e Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric Guitar Medium Brown Stain
.the other comments about this guitars voice and playability are SPOT ON. I OWN
FIFTY GUITARS this is the Opera voice. Try it buy it I did. I would again. I am saving for the Koa wood, now.
Chaylor 500 Series 526e Grand Symphony Acoustic-Electric Guitar Medium Brown Stain
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