Ever since its arrival midway through 2020, our American Dream Series has channeled the thoughtfully streamlined design philosophy that brought it to life: distill a professional-level acoustic guitar into its essential components to make the instruments as accessible as possible.
While the series was conceived and launched in the throes of a pandemic, that commitment to serving the fundamental needs of players transcends its origin story and gives these guitars evergreen appeal by putting a premium-grade Taylor guitar — all-solid-wood construction, U.S.-made, with tone-enhancing bracing, signature playability and comfort-boosting chamfered body edges — within reach of more customers. As a result, the series earned itself a permanent place in the Taylor guitar line as our best-priced all-solid-wood guitar collection.
And like most series in our line, the American Dream family has continued to evolve. Following its debut as a trio of musically versatile Grand Pacific models — the ovangkol/spruce AD17/AD17e, a blacktop edition, and the sapele/mahogany AD27/AD27e — in 2022, we introduced the uniquely voiced all-maple AD27e Flametop and the first small-body model within the series, the sapele/mahogany Grand Concert AD22e. On our blacktop models, we also transitioned from ovangkol back and sides to walnut.
This year, we’re excited to expand the series with a trio of new walnut/spruce models, each featuring a different body style. The common denominator is the aesthetic treatment: a tobacco sunburst top plus a firestripe pickguard that made its debut on the Flametop model. For the first time, the series will feature our Grand Theater (GT) body style with the AD11e-SB (the SB references the sunburst), along with the Grand Concert AD12e-SB and the Grand Pacific AD17e-SB. Between the different body shapes and fresh aesthetic treatment, it gives the series appealing diversity.
Classic Stage Presence
In keeping with the spirit of the American Dream design aesthetic, the appointment package with these models remains streamlined in terms of ornamentation. But the series was also designed with performing musicians in mind, and like the blacktop models, a sunburst adds instant stage (or video) appeal.
With these models, the combination of the tobacco sunburst, “firestripe” faux tortoiseshell pickguard, matte finish and other subtle touches beautifully complement each other. The lighter striping of the pickguard has a translucent quality that allows the burst to show through — giving the pickguard a rich golden glow toward the center of the guitar and a darker tobacco hue closer to the outer edge.
Another understated detail is the way the burst stops short of the edge of the spruce top to create the appearance of cream or maple binding, with a barely noticeable black purfling line creating a border. The rosette design ties in nicely, with alternating maple and black rings.
Like other American Dream models, the ultra-thin, open-pore matte finish on the body elevates the look, feel and sound. The muted sheen adds to the rootsy throwback vibe, especially on the top. On the back and sides, it allows the rich grain texture and other natural visual character of the walnut to come through in a way that players can feel. And sonically, it minimizes damping, giving the guitar a fast response that allows walnut’s natural tonal properties, especially its warm midrange, to resonate fully.
Other notable details include satin black tuners, a mahogany neck with a walnut stain whose color tones blend seamlessly with the walnut back and sides, a eucalyptus fretboard, bridge and peghead overlay, and D’Addario XS coated phosphor bronze strings. All three models come equipped with onboard ES2 electronics and a brown AeroCase.
Meet the Models
Grand Theater (GT) AD11e-SB
The AD11e-SB introduces our GT body style to the American Dream family, and with it a new feel and sonic flavor. Fans of small-body guitars will embrace the compact proportions, including a 24-1/8-inch scale length for a pleasantly slinky handfeel and easier reach along the fretboard. And with our C-Class bracing architecture under the hood, the GT combines a fast, vibrant attack with impressive low-end depth, making it one of the fullest-voiced small-body guitars you’ll play.
Grand Concert (GC) AD12e-SB
This small-body model features slightly larger proportions than the GT, but it retains an intimate feel that will appeal to players with a smaller frame or hands, or who want a focused voice for fingerstyle playing, recording or ensemble playing. Here, V-Class bracing is the voicing engine, which gives you ample dynamic punch if you’re a strummer with a lively attack.
Grand Pacific (GP) AD17e-SB
Our Grand Pacific body style is no stranger to the American Dream Series, and for players who lean toward dreadnought body styles, this versatile round-shoulder dread delivers. As with other Grand Pacific models, the GP is voiced with V-Class bracing to serve up clear low-end power that blends smoothly with a woody midrange and clear, assertive treble notes. It all adds up to a dynamic, full-range voice that serves a wide range of playing applications.
You’ll find these and other American Dream models at authorized Taylor dealers now.
