Taylor 210ce Review: Acoustics Under $1500 Reviews

Hello and welcome to my Taylor 210ce review.

This review will look at the 210ce in terms of:

• The Tone;
• The Playability;
• The Materials the 210ce is made from;
• Who the 201ce is best suited to;
• The 210ce’s value-for-money

I’ll also provide video of the 210ce in action so that you can get an appreciation of the tone for yourself.

First let’s take a look at the name and what it means.

• 2 = 200 series
• 1 = Solid Sitka Spruce Top
• 0 = Dreadnought size/shape
• C = cutaway
• E = Electric-Acoustic

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The Tone

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The 210ce makes use of what some consider to be the best tonewood combination – Sitka spruce top with rosewood back and sides – albeit laminate rosewood back and sides.

So it has that spruce/rosewood kind of sound to it – which is bright and clear with defined pronounced bass, clear ringing trebles and a good serving of mid-range, though a dip in midrange compared to something like Mahogany.

In terms of brightness, it’s certainly on the bright side of the warm to bright scale – but it’s reasonably balanced and not too bright. I’d say a 7/10 if 1 were the warmest possible and 10 the brightest possible.

Being a dreadnought it’s got that slightly boomy sound and is definitely a good strummer/flat picker. You can play fingerstyle on it of course, but it won’t sound as good as it would on other body shapes.

I also played the 110ce in the same session and comparing it to that the 210ce had more clarity of tone and you could definitely hear that more defined bass and shimmery trebles compared to the 110ce. That’s not to say that it was necessarily better – if you prefer a more mid-range dominant/warmer tone, then the 110ce is probably more up your alley.

But if you prefer more clarity in your tone, then the 210ce will be music to your ears.

I discuss the difference between the two in more detail in the post at the link below.

>>Taylor 110ce vs 210ce

The Materials

Shape: Dreadnought with cutaway

Top: Solid Sitka Spruce

Back & Sides: Laminate Rosewood

Bracing: Forward shifted scalloped X Bracing

Bridge: Ebony

Saddle: Tusq

Nut: Nubone

Electronics

The 210ce is fitted with Expression System 2 electronics.

Videos

Check out the video below to hear the 210ce in action for yourself. A video will rarely be able to replicate the exact sound that you’ll hear in real life – but it will give you a good idea of the sound.

This first one is a little quiet but still a good example of the 210ce unplugged.

The second video below allows you to hear the guitar plugged in. There’s also a fair bit of talking about the guitar – so if you want more info about it you could listen to that – or you could skip to around 5:20 in the video if you want to just listen to the guitar. The first minute of the video is the guitar being played also.

He has a play around with the EQ too which is nice to hear it with different EQ settings.

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Playability

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The 210ce was all round very smooth to play and played like a Taylor typically does.

Action

The action feels about right where it is off the shelf to be fair. It was nice and easy to play and no fatigue which can sometimes come from a high action. I’m a fan of a low action and this felt good where it was off the shelf – which is rarely the case for me.

Nut Width

The 210ce has a 1 11/16″ (43mm) nut width. This is standard for dreadnoughts – so it felt pretty typical.

Fretboard (fingerboard)

The 210ce has an ebony fretboard – which I definitely wasn’t complaining about. Personally I prefer the feel of ebony over rosewood – though rosewood is still good, I just like ebony that little bit more for smooth playing.

The 210ce definitely felt smooth to play.

Scale Length

The scale length on the 210ce is 25.5″ (648mm) – so it’s a full length scale. So, in this respect it’s in the typical range for dreadnought scale lengths. Perhaps, if you were a beginner, or if you have finger ailments, it would be better to go for a guitar with a shorter scale length (a bit easier on the fingers).

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Who this Guitar is Most Suited to

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The 210ce is for anyone who likes the feel of a Taylor guitar and wants that Sitka Spruce/Rosewood tonewood combo – but doesn’t want the price-tag of their higher end models.

You’re getting a guitar that won’t match the tone of the higher end Spruce/Rosewood Taylor’s (700, 800 & 900 series) but the feel is pretty similar. And the tone you do get is pretty darn good to be honest.

If you like a high clarity, bright kind of tone then this will be a step up from the 110ce – if you prefer a slightly warmer sound, then the 110ce will be your better bet (and will save you some dollars).

If you’re after a dreadnought with that Sitka Spruce/Rosewood sound and a Taylor feel, then you’ll most likely dig the 210ce – especially if you want a cutaway and electronics.

Not really the best guitar for beginners or kids – too big for kids and probably too expensive for beginners and whilst it was easy to play, there are other guitars out there, that are smaller with a shorter scale length that would be more suitable.

You can definitely gig with this guitar and record – it’s definitely of a high enough quality to do everything you want it to.

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Value-for-Money

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Even though the MSRP on this thing is like $1,328, you’ll most likely be able to pick it up for less. So, considering you’re getting that Taylor playability and a great tone, I’d say it’s definitely value-for-money.

You don’t get solid back and sides and there are some other things that are better on their higher end models – but for the price it’s definitely worth it if you’re after that dreadnought/spruce/rosewood combo with electronics/cutaway and easy playability.

More Info and Where to Buy

Disclosure: Links below are affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

If you’re interested in the 210ce, want to learn more, want to research prices or are ready to buy, check out the links below.

>> Taylor 210ce at amazon.com

Thanks for reading and I hope this review has helped you to learn more about the 210ce and helped in your guitar buying decision.