Taylor 117e Grand Pacific Acoustic-Electric Guitar

The Taylor 117e brings the Grand Pacific — the round-shoulder dreadnought Taylor developed for its flagship lines — down to a working player's budget. A solid torrefied spruce top over layered sapele, C-Class bracing underneath, Expression System 2 electronics and a structured gig bag make it the most complete guitar in the 100 Series, with a seasoned warmth that sounds like it has been played in for years.

The round-shoulder difference

Where a traditional square-shoulder dreadnought throws every frequency at the room, the Grand Pacific's rounded curves blend them: notes overlap smoothly instead of piling up, so strummed chords come out broad, warm and settled. It is the shape Taylor players reach for when they want an old-soul voice with modern manners — and the 117e is the only place in the 100 Series you will find it.

A torrefied top with miles already on it

Taylor roasts the solid spruce top before bracing it, driving out moisture and volatiles the way decades of playing would. The result is a drier, more open response from the first strum, plus a gentle amber tint that gives the 117e a lightly vintaged look to match the voice.

C-Class bracing keeps the bass honest

Underneath, Taylor's C-Class bracing works an asymmetric pattern that reinforces the low end without muddying the mids. Combined with the Grand Pacific's naturally strong fundamentals, the 117e delivers genuine bass authority from a guitar that stays articulate when you dig in.

Layered sapele for the long haul

The back and sides are layered sapele — ribbon-striped, handsome, and deliberately more stable than solid wood when the weather turns. Queensland summers, air-conditioned venues, the back of the car between gigs: this is construction chosen for players who actually take their guitar places. Black binding with a fine white purfling line keeps the edges tidy.

Plug in and go

Taylor's Expression System 2 reads the top's movement from three sensors positioned behind the saddle, translating the guitar's acoustic character into a warm, feedback-resistant amplified voice. A master volume and two EQ dials sit on the upper shoulder, and D'Addario XS coated phosphor bronze strings come fitted from the factory. The structured Taylor gig bag is included. Set up in-store by Guitar World Australia's techs before it ships to you, so it plays perfectly the moment it arrives.