GUITAR:
This custom Grand Concert acoustic-electric guitar features back and sides of A-grade Indian rosewood, a walnut top, V-Class interior bracing, and ES2 electronics with a built-in TaylorSense unit. Other custom details include a single-ring faux pearl rosette, grained ivoroid body binding, West African Crelicam ebony fretboard binding, satin black tuners, Sea Forest Vine peghead and fretboard inlays in faux pearl and grained ivoroid, and a full-body gloss finish with a shaded edgeburst color treatment.
AMP:
Designed by Bob Taylor and a handpicked team, this new two-channel acoustic/vocal amp combines warm sound, simple controls and elegant woodworking craftsmanship.
Beautiful. Musical. Simple:
What started as a fun side project for Taylor Guitars co-founder Bob Taylor and two other tone-and gear-obsessed Taylor guitar nerds grew into Circa 74, an all-new, 2-in-1 acoustic/vocal amplifier designed to help musicians sound their best in any environment.
The idea:
Build a great-sounding acoustic guitar amp you can also sing through. The guiding design thoughts: Make it compatible with a wide range of acoustic guitar pickups and playing environments. Make it practical and easy to use, without over-engineering it with too many controls or effects. Make the cabinet from an acoustic guitar tonewood to bring an extra warm, smooth sonic character to the amplified tone. Give it the elegant aesthetic appeal of a finely crafted piece of furniture. And add Bluetooth connectivity to stream music and play or sing along. Working on the project reminded Bob of the creative, freewheeling spirit of a startup, like the earliest days of Taylor Guitars, circa ’74 — which gave birth to the name.
Sound:
The Circa 74 amp was designed to dial down the high-end harshness found in many acoustic amps and produce a warm, analog musical character. The sound is smooth, yet without sacrificing articulation. One important material choice was to build a wood cabinet for the amp — choose from mahogany or ebony/mahogany — leveraging Taylor’s tonewood voicing expertise to contribute to the amp’s smooth sound palette and room-filling sound.
Looks:
The warm sonic characteristics are matched visually by the cabinet (mahogany or ebony/mahogany), with clean lines and rich wood texture reminiscent of mid-century modern furniture design. The aesthetic is enhanced by the modern-retro fabric grill cloth and an equally gorgeous wood stand designed to complement the amp.
All instruments from Music Makers are professionally evaluated and set-up in our historic Galesburg, IL. storefront prior to shipping.
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