Catch It While You Can!

V-class Bracing: a sonic revelation

Bracing is the internal framework of an acoustic guitar that helps shape its sound. Although X-bracing has been standard in acoustic guitars for over a century, it creates an innate conflict between two key elements of a guitar’s sound: volume and sustain. The guitar’s top (its soundboard) contributes to both. The flexibility of the top generates volume (projection), while its stiffness generates sustain. And with X-braced guitar tops, here’s where the trade-off comes in: when something is made stiffer, its flexibility is reduced (and vice versa).
V-class bracing changes all that. With Taylor’s V-class bracing, an acoustic guitar top can be both stiff and flexible — for more volume and sustain. V-class bracing provides stiffness parallel to the strings for more rigidity and hence sustain. Flexibility on either side generates the air movement necessary for robust projection. It’s the best of both worlds. This groundbreaking innovation also improves intonation; not only producing notes that are louder and with longer sustain — but more in tune with each other for a highly responsive and expressive instrument with increased dynamic range, robust projection and sustain, and harmonic synergy when chording up the entire fingerboard. Guitarists at here are amazed and delighted. But don’t take our word for it — pick up the superb Taylor Custom Grand Pacific Walnut and experience it for yourself!

The eternal charms of walnut

Guitarists who favor a blend of brightness, projection, and warm overtones gravitate toward all-walnut guitars, which deliver robust power, crisp highs, and low end that support an aggressive attack. Like koa, walnut’s density and stiffness yield bright treble notes, but with a more present midrange that splits the difference between rosewood and mahogany. The bass tones initially produce a woody character that will grow richer with time and extended play. With a exhibits a density and stiffness that’s similar to koa, walnut delivers a similarly bright top end, but with a more forward midrange that sits somewhere between mahogany and rosewood. Like koa, walnut’s initial brightness tends to mellow when broken in. Its low end also starts off a bit deeper with a slightly woodier sound than koa that tends to round out after being played in.

Cutting-edge Taylor Expression System 2 electronics

If you play plugged in, you’re going to love the Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2) electronics built into your Custom Catch Grand Orchestra #31. The key to this highly effective system is the 3-section proprietary pickup located behind the saddle. Because of where it’s positioned and how it’s integrated into the instrument’s saddle, the ES2 pickup provides you with remarkably clear and accurate sound. In addition to a master volume control, a pair of tone controls lets you tweak your highs and lows to get the sound you need, and a discreet polarity switch offers vital onboard feedback suppression.

Grand Orchestra complexity and nuance

The Grand Orchestra is one of Taylor’s biggest, strongest body shapes, offering incredibly deep and rich tone with potent low end. Yet, despite its brawn, Custom Catch #31 is also what you'd expect from a Taylor: a balanced, comfortable guitar that’s made to be played and played well, and it holds a multitude of voices fit for an orchestra. Strum or pick lightly and it sings with mellow sweetness. But strum fast or hard and the Grand Orchestra quickly opens with wide depth, powerful bass, and incredible sustain. Plus, the Grand Orchestra's voice has been carefully dialed in with features like V-class bracing and optimized dimensions that keep its power in check by tamping down on stray overtones that often plague big-bodied guitars. If you’re a dynamic player looking for a guitar that matches your range, this Custom Catch #31 Grand Orchestra just might be the guitar for you.

Taylor Custom Catch Grand Orchestra #31 Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:

• Extremely limited production run of 20 instruments — Sadek Music Center only gets one!
• Grand Orchestra body shape provides a robust, deep tone with a powerful projection
• All-walnut body construction produces a crisp, bright tone that clearly articulates your every note
• Sturdy mahogany neck with a sustainably sourced Crelicam Ebony fingerboard
• Stage-ready Taylor ES2 electronics authentically reproduce your unplugged tone
• Eye-catching Gotoh 510 antique gold tuners
• 1.75-inch nut width offers plenty of room for fingerpickers
• Beautiful grained ivoroid binding