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Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200
Taylor 327e
VS
Playability
73
Sound
85
Build
87
Value
67
Score
82
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Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
85
Value
72
Score
82
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 vs Taylor 327e

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 over Taylor 327e

Neck Profile
Acoustic Rounded vs Acoustic Taylor Standard
Comfortable neck with more grip
Nut Width
1.725'' (43.8mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Jumbo vs Dreadnought
Large body with a tight waist for more top-end
Paint Finish
Nitro vs Poly
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Taylor 327e over Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200

Release Year
2019 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Acoustic Taylor Standard vs Acoustic Rounded
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.725'' (43.8mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Jumbo
Prominent low-end tones in a large body
Paint Finish
Poly vs Nitro
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
72 vs 67
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 vs Taylor 327e

Back Material
Flame Maple vs Mahogany
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Flame Maple vs Mahogany
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Bone vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
SJ-200 Four Bar Moustache vs West African Crelicam Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Spruce vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Black Tusq XL
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 vs Taylor 327e

Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 82 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Taylor 327e wins when it comes to sound, value for the money. On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Taylor 327e.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor 327e
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2016 Historic Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Thermally Aged Sitka spruce top
  • Solid Flame Maple back
  • Solid Flame Maple sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • SJ-200 Four Bar Moustache bridge
  • Acoustic Rounded Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Gotoh Keystone tuners
  • Weight around 4.65lbs (2.1kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor 327e Overview

  • From Taylor's 2019 300 series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Tropical Mahogany top
  • Solid Tropical Mahogany back
  • Solid Tropical Mahogany sides
  • Tropical Mahogany neck
  • West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • West African Crelicam Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Satin Black tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce
Flame Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Flame Maple

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Woods Used in the Taylor 327e

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200.

Electronics

The Taylor 327e comes with a preamp that allows you to connect it to an amp, unlike its competitor. This allows it to have more versatility and sound quality if you want to record with it or play live.

Winner:Taylor 327e.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200
Sustain 90
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85
Taylor 327e
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 compares to the Taylor 327e.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Taylor 327e comes with a Black Tusq XL nut. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to tune stability).

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200's are Gotoh Keystone while the Taylor 327e's are Satin Black

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor 327e
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Black Tusq XL Nut
  • Electronics
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200
Quality of materials 96
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 87
Taylor 327e
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 85

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 Nut Width
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 Nut Width
Taylor 327e Nut Width
Taylor 327e Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Taylor 327e has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 43.8mm (1.725''). This is a 0.7mm (0.025'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Taylor 327e, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 and Taylor 327e's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200's neck profile
Taylor 327e Neck Profile
Taylor 327e's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 has a U type of neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.

The Taylor 327e, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200's Fingerboard radius
Taylor 327e Fingerboard Radius
Taylor 327e's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Taylor 327e's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Taylor 327e.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 favors large hands more than the Taylor 327e.

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor 327e:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 and Taylor 327e Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Taylor 327e
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 vs Taylor 327e
General Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200 Taylor 327e
Brand: Gibson Custom Taylor
Year: 2016 2019
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Historic Collection 300
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Thermally Aged Sitka spruce Solid Tropical Mahogany
Sides Material: Flame Maple Mahogany
Back Material: Flame Maple Mahogany
Bridge: SJ-200 Four Bar Moustache West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gotoh Keystone Satin Black
Fretboard: Rosewood West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Tropical Mahogany
Decoration: Mother-of-pearl Graduated Crowns Gemstone, Italian Acrylic
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic Rounded Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 15"
Nut: Bone Black Tusq XL
Nut Width: 43.8mm (1.725'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)