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Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB
Taylor AD27e
VS
Playability
73
Sound
84
Build
89
Value
67
Score
82
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Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
84
Value
77
Score
82
FIND IT ON:
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Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB vs AD27e

Reasons to Get
Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB over AD27e

Strings
12 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Nut Width
1.875'' (47.6mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Grand Concert vs Dreadnought
Slightly larger than the Concert body with a strong mid-range
Scale Length
24.9'' (632.5mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone

Reasons to Get
Taylor AD27e over Builder's Edition 652ce WHB

Strings
6 vs 12
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Number of Frets
20 vs 18
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.875'' (47.6mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Grand Concert
Prominent low-end tones in a large body
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.9'' (632.5mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
77 vs 67
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB vs AD27e

Back Material
Maple vs Sapele
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Maple vs Sapele
Different Sides Material
Bridge Material
West African Crelicam Ebony vs Eucalyptus
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Spruce vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Eucalyptus
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6-6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Black Tusq XL
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB vs AD27e

Saddle Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Saddle Material
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
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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
  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT

Taylor AD27e Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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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 AD27e wins when it comes to sound, value for the money. On the other hand, the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

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?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB is the better choice.

The Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Taylor AD27e meets only 3. 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.

New Player Friendliness

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor AD27e
  • 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.

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB Overview

  • From Taylor's 2020 600 series
  • Made in United States
  • 12 strings
  • 24.9"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Maple back
  • Solid Maple sides
  • Hard Rock Maple neck
  • West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • West African Crelicam Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 18 Medium frets
  • Gotoh tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor AD27e Overview

  • From Taylor's 2020 The American Dream series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Tropical Mahogany top
  • Solid Sapele back
  • Solid Sapele sides
  • Tropical Mahogany neck
  • Eucalyptus fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • Eucalyptus bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Taylor Nickel tuners
  • Weight between 4.35lbs (2kgs) and 4.65lbs (2.1kgs)
  • 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 the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

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.

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 Taylor AD27e

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Eucalyptus wood pattern used for guitar building
Eucalyptus
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

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.

Eucalyptus is not a common tonewood, but it's becoming more popular recently. There are many species around the world, each with its own characteristic, so it's hard to describe the tone it produces without knowing the exact species.

It's similar to Mahogany in both color and tone. It can produce warm tones, and it's known for its beautiful figured grain patterns. Find out more about Sapele.

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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB
Sustain 90
Versatility 75
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 84
Taylor AD27e
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 Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB compares to the Taylor AD27e.

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 Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

On the other hand, the Taylor AD27e 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 Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB's are Gotoh while the Taylor AD27e'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
Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor AD27e
  • 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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB
Quality of materials 91
Features 75
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 89
Taylor AD27e
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 84

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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB Nut Width
Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB Nut Width
Taylor AD27e Nut Width
Taylor AD27e Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB has the wider nut with 47.6mm (1.875'') vs 44.5mm (1.75''). This is a 3.1mm (0.125'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce 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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB's Scale Length
Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB's Scale Length
Taylor AD27e's Scale Length
Taylor AD27e's 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.

The Taylor AD27e has the longest scale: 25.5". The Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB is only 24.9" long. This is a 0.6'' (15.2mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same 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 Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB and the Taylor AD27e 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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB and the Taylor AD27e have the same fretboard radius of 15". This radius y closer to the 12'' that most Les Paul guitars have, but a bit flatter. It'll make it easier to play single notes than chords, but it's still comfortable for playing chords without muting strings.

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 .

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor AD27e:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB and Taylor AD27e 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

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Taylor AD27e
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB vs AD27e
General Taylor Builder's Edition 652ce WHB AD27e
Brand: Taylor Taylor
Year: 2020 2020
Strings: 12 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: 600 The American Dream
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Tropical Mahogany
Sides Material: Maple Sapele
Back Material: Maple Sapele
Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony Eucalyptus
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gotoh Taylor Nickel
Fretboard: West African Crelicam Ebony Eucalyptus
Neck Material: Hard Rock Maple Tropical Mahogany
Decoration: Scepter, Mother of Pearl 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic
Scale Size: 24.9" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic Taylor Standard Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 18 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 15"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Black Tusq XL
Nut Width: 47.6mm (1.875'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)