Taylors special celebration of amplified acoustic tone continues this quarter with the Builder's Reserve V Series, unveiling the latest in boutique-level Taylor craftsmanship with an ultra-limited guitar/amp pairing.

Each Builder's Reserve offering is uniquely inspired by select tonewoods, and for this small-batch release, Bob Taylor personally secured a cache of European maple and chose to pair it with European spruce tops. European maple is lighter in color and density than the more prevalent Big Leaf maple that they typically use. As a result, it produces a slightly more complex tone, adding a splash of extra warmth to the clear, focused tone associated with maple. Similarly, the European spruce yields a distinctive sonic profile relative to other spruce species, blending the power and headroom of Adirondack spruce with a touch of cedar’s warmth. This unique tonewood combination is paired with the Grand Auditorium body style, making for a guitar that will match well with sophisticated chords and fingerstyle arrangements, strummers with a firm attack, and any player looking for a fast, clear response.

Inspired by the shared European heritage of the woods, Taylor guitar designer Andy Powers revisited an earlier era of guitar-making and conjured an Art Deco aesthetic reminiscent of European design in the 1920s and '30s. Figured Hawaiian Koa provides a dramatic visual counterpoint to the blond hues of maple and spruce, appearing as a back mini wedge, backstrap, armrest and binding. The fretboard and headstock inlays also feature a contrasting mix of maple and Koa, arranged in a geometric Art Deco design that blends diamonds, triangles and circles in a symmetrical descent down the neck. Geometric elements also appear within the alternating Koa and Maple rings of the rosette.

The retro, wood-rich aesthetic carries over to the beautiful hand-built cabinet for our Expression System acoustic amplifier. The cabinet is crafted from figured Big Leaf maple and embellished with an Art Deco "cloud lift" that extends out from each side. A contrasting speaker baffle of figured Koa, adorned with three maple "fins," helps transport the amp to another era, evoking the elegant look of a vintage radio cabinet.
The Builder's Reserve V guitar and amplifier are sold as a pair, and only 50 sets will be made. We are proud to be able to offer our discerning clients a chance at this set.

Full specs are as follows:

Guitar

Model: BR-V
Shape: Cutaway Grand Auditorium
Back/Sides: European Maple with
Koa Mini Wedge
Top: European Spruce
Backstrap: Hawaiian Koa
Binding/Armrest: Hawaiian Koa
Inlays: Maple and Hawaiian Koa
Amplifier
Model/Type: BR-V ES Acoustic
Power: 40 Watts
Technology: Solid State
Speaker Size/Type: 8-inch Custom Poly Cone Woofer, 1-inch Textile Dome Tweeter
Speaker Arrangement: Bi-Amp
Cabinet: Big Leaf Maple
Speaker Panel: Hawaiian Koa with Maple Fins

The BR-V's contrasting wood details include (from top) a figured Koa mini wedge, armrest and binding; Koa/Maple inlays adorn the headstock and fretboard, and form the rosette. The maple amp cabinet features a triple cloud lift on the sides, a figured Koa front panel, and contoured maple fins