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Taylor GTe Urban Ash
Taylor GT 811e
VS
Playability
82
Sound
86
Build
84
Value
79
Score
84
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
82
Sound
86
Build
87
Value
70
Score
85
FIND IT ON:
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Taylor GTe Urban Ash vs GT 811e

Reasons to Get
Taylor GTe Urban Ash over GT 811e

Value Score
79 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor GT 811e over GTe Urban Ash

Other Key Differences
Taylor GTe Urban Ash vs GT 811e

Back Material
Ash vs Rosewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Ash vs Rosewood
Different Sides Material
Bridge Material
Eucalyptus vs West African Crelicam Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Fretboard Wood
Eucalyptus vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Taylor GTe Urban Ash vs GT 811e

Saddle Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Saddle Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Black Tusq XL
Same Nut Material
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
Nut Width
1.71'' (43.4mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.125'' (612.8mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
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

Taylor GTe Urban Ash Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Taylor GT 811e is probably the better product overall with its final score of 85 compared to the Taylor GTe Urban Ash's 84 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor GT 811e wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the Taylor GTe Urban Ash has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

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 5 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

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

New Player Friendliness

Taylor GT 811e
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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 GTe Urban Ash Overview

  • From Taylor's 2020 GT series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.125"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Urban Ash back
  • Solid Urban Ash 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 Mini tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor GT 811e Overview

  • From Taylor's 2020 800 series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.125"'' 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 Mini tuners
  • Weight between 4.25lbs (1.9kgs) and 4.3lbs (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
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.

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 GTe Urban Ash

Eucalyptus wood pattern used for guitar building
Eucalyptus
Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

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.

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Woods Used in the Taylor GT 811e

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

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.

Winner: Taylor GT 811e.

Electronics

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

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Taylor GTe Urban Ash
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86
Taylor GT 811e
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 Taylor GTe Urban Ash compares to the Taylor GT 811e.

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.

In this case, both have Black Tusq XL nuts. 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).

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. Both come with Taylor Nickel Mini.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor GTe Urban Ash
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor GT 811e
  • 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 GTe Urban Ash
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 84
Taylor GT 811e
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 87

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 GTe Urban Ash Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43.4mm (1.71'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Taylor GTe Urban Ash and Taylor GT 811e'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 24.125".

This is a slightly shorter scale than the more common short scale of 24.75". It's a good choice for beginners that want to get an easier-to-play guitar without it being much different than a normal scale guitar.

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 GTe Urban Ash 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 GTe Urban Ash and the Taylor GT 811e 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 GTe Urban Ash 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 GTe Urban Ash and the Taylor GT 811e 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 GTe Urban Ash:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor GT 811e:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Taylor GTe Urban Ash and Taylor GT 811e 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 GTe Urban Ash
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82
Taylor GT 811e
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82

Specs Side-by-Side

Taylor GTe Urban Ash vs GT 811e
General Taylor GTe Urban Ash GT 811e
Brand: Taylor Taylor
Year: 2020 2020
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: GT 800
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Ash Rosewood
Back Material: Ash Rosewood
Bridge: Eucalyptus West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Taylor Nickel Mini Taylor Nickel Mini
Fretboard: Eucalyptus West African Crelicam Ebony
Neck Material: Tropical Mahogany Tropical Mahogany
Decoration: Pinnacle, Italian Acrylic Element
Scale Size: 24.125" 24.125"
Shape: Acoustic Taylor Standard Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 15"
Nut: Black Tusq XL Black Tusq XL
Nut Width: 43.4mm (1.71'') 43.4mm (1.71'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)