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Gibson Dove Original
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
VS
Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
94
Value
70
Score
85
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Playability
73
Sound
86
Build
82
Value
65
Score
80
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Dove Original vs Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB

Reasons to Get
Gibson Dove Original over Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB

Pickups Brand
LR Baggs vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Bone vs Graphite
Good quality nut with rich tone
Nut Width
1.725'' (43.8mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
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
Value Score
70 vs 65
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB over Gibson Dove Original

Release Year
2019 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.725'' (43.8mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
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

Other Key Differences
Gibson Dove Original vs Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB

Back Material
Flame Maple vs Rosewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Flame Maple vs Rosewood
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Bone vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Dove vs West African Crelicam Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Graphite
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Dove Original vs Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
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
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
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
  • 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
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Dove Original is probably the better product overall with its final score of 85 compared to the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB's 80 score, although not by a lot.

The Gibson Dove Original wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

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

New Player Friendliness

Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
  • 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 Dove Original Overview

  • From Gibson's 2016 Original Acoustic series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Flame Maple back
  • Solid Flame Maple sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: LR Baggs VTC (Preamp/Active)
  • Dove bridge
  • Acoustic Rounded Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Grover Keystone tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB Overview

  • From Taylor's 2019 700 series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Indian Rosewood back
  • Solid Indian Rosewood 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
  • Taylor Nickel tuners
  • Weight between 4.8lbs (2.2kgs) and 4.95lbs (2.2kgs)
  • 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
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Gibson Dove Original

Flame Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Flame Maple

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

Woods Used in the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB

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: Tie.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Dove Original
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86

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 Dove Original compares to the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB.

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 Dove Original 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 Builder's Edition 717e WHB comes with a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

Winner: Gibson Dove Original.

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 Dove Original's are Grover Keystone while the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB's are Taylor Nickel

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Dove Original
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Dove Original
Quality of materials 96
Features 85
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 94
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
Quality of materials 71
Features 75
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 82

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 Dove Original Nut Width
Gibson Dove Original Nut Width
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB Nut Width
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB 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 Builder's Edition 717e WHB, 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 Dove Original and Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB'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 Dove Original Neck Profile
Gibson Dove Original's neck profile
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB Neck Profile
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB'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.

Both the Gibson Dove Original and the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB have a C-shaped 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 Dove Original Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Dove Original's Fingerboard radius
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB Fingerboard Radius
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB'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 Dove Original's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB'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 Builder's Edition 717e WHB.

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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Gibson Dove Original:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Dove Original and Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB 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 Dove Original
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Dove Original vs Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
General Gibson Dove Original Taylor Builder's Edition 717e WHB
Brand: Gibson Taylor
Year: 2016 2019
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Original Acoustic 700
Colors: Sunburst Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Flame Maple Rosewood
Back Material: Flame Maple Rosewood
Bridge: Dove West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover Keystone Taylor Nickel
Fretboard: Rosewood West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Tropical Mahogany
Decoration: Mother-of-pearl Parallelograms Arrowheads, Mother of Pearl
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 Graphite
Nut Width: 43.8mm (1.725'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: LR Baggs VTC (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)