With the American Dream series of US-built acoustic guitars, Bob Taylor and Andy Powers have opened a new chapter in Taylor value and performance. Never before has it been this affordable to own an American-made Taylor guitar with class-leading features. The Grand Pacific AD17e Blacktop slope-shoulder dreadnought is built from solid Taylor tonewoods (spruce, ovangkol, and mahogany), each with minor cosmetic imperfections to honor the mature sound and workhorse aesthetic these early guitars are known for. Taylor’s V-Class bracing gives the AD17e Blacktop impressive sustain and a clean, pure tone that stands up to even the scrutiny of the studio. All in all, the American Dream Taylor AD17e Blacktop is a professional instrument that comes in at a price that will ensure you’re not afraid to take it on the road. Onboard Taylor ES2 electronics — a hallmark of all top-tier Taylors — make the AD17e Blacktop a fantastic option for plug-and-play gigging and recording.
In 1974, a young Bob Taylor cut his teeth building custom acoustics out of San Diego’s American Dream guitar factory. The American Dream series pays tribute to this time in Taylor’s history with its working-class, American-made pro instruments, built with the same values and American spirit that have driven the Taylor name for the past 45+ years.
Have you ever owned a guitar that was too pretty to play out? With the American Dream AD17e Blacktop, you can lay your fears to rest. The woods on this guitar are chosen specifically for their sonic properties and minor cosmetic imperfections. The result is a great-sounding, well-priced guitar that you can haul from gig to gig without any compunction. An included Taylor AeroCase delivers rugged protection around town without adding much carry weight to the equation.
The Taylor American Dream AD17e Blacktop features a matte black solid spruce top (Lutz or Sitka) on back and sides made from solid ovangkol. Ovangkol is a rosewood relative that hails from the tropics of West Africa. It shares many sonic similarities with rosewood but delivers a punchier, more articulate midrange and a little less sparkle in the upper partials. Paired with the spruce top — a Taylor standard — and great-playing mahogany neck, it’s a recipe for rich tone and unmistakable Taylor playability.
The AD17e Blacktop’s slope-shoulder Grand Pacific design is inspired by the Laurel Canyon acoustic scene that Andy grew up with in the Southern Californian ’60s and ’70s. Its smooth top end and full, balanced bass go naturally with the human voice. The enlarged lower bout supplies a good platform for recording and acoustic gigging of any kind. It’s the evolution of the traditional dreadnought sound. And paired with Taylor’s V-Class bracing, the Grand Pacific is better than ever.
Taylor’s V-Class bracing proves that a guitar top can be stiff and flexible at the same time. Stiffness parallel to the strings enhances rigidity for greater sustain. While flexibility on the sides generates the air movement necessary for that robust dreadnought projection. It’s the best of all worlds — tone and resonance, output and sustain. V-Class bracing also reduces harmonic distortion between the strings and top for chords that sound more in tune. This premium feature is normally reserved for the cream of Taylor’s guitar crop. But incredibly, it comes as a standard feature on your American Dream AD17e Blacktop.
If you play plugged-in, you’re going to love Taylor’s Expression System 2 (ES2) electronics on your American Dream AD17e Blacktop. This system features a three-sensor pickup located behind the guitar’s saddle for clear and accurate sound reproduction. A master volume control and a pair of tone controls let you tweak your sound and output from the stage. Meanwhile, a discreet phase switch offers vital onboard feedback suppression.
Built with solid ovangkol back and sides and a black, solid spruce top, the Grand Pacific AD17e asserts itself with a bold throwback aesthetic that complements its vintage-inspired tone. Ovangkol brings warmth and pleasing midrange focus, which, in concert with our V-Class bracing architecture, delivers a stunning tonal blend of power, sustain and musicality. Chamfered body edges and the trademark comfort of the Taylor neck make this Grand Pacific dreadnought a dream to play, offering guitarists of all styles and musical needs a versatile solid-wood option at a more accessible price. Simple appointments highlight this model’s musical focus, featuring a black top treatment with a black pickguard, single-ring rosette, 4mm dot fretboard inlays, and an ultra-thin matte finish. It comes with built-in ES2 electronics and ships in a light yet strong AeroCase.
Named after the guitar shop where Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974, the American Dream® Series reflects the principles of innovation and resourcefulness that have always helped Taylor get through challenging times. Facing the global COVID-19 crisis, we found ourselves again challenged to invent our way out of a mess. Making music felt more important than ever, and yet we knew many folks would have less to spend on a new guitar. So, we thought, how can we pack all the essential ingredients of a great guitar into a pro-level instrument and make it more affordable? With the American Dream Series, we’re proud to introduce the lowest-priced solid-wood, US-made guitars in the Taylor line. V-Class bracing and our signature playability deliver premium performance, while the appointments were streamlined to fit the function of these guitars. Designed for the times, these guitars have everything you need, and nothing you don’t.
This round-shoulder dreadnought delivers a new flavor of warm, rich Taylor tone.
The soundboard choice for most guitars, Sitka spruce produces a broad dynamic range and accommodates a versatile range of playing styles.
Although not as well-known as its Indian rosewood cousin, ovangkol shares many of the same properties, making it a versatile, great-sounding tonewood.
The Expression System® 2 captures more of a guitar’s dynamic properties using a breakthrough behind-the-saddle design.
A revolutionary design that balances the flexibility and stability of the top, V-Class bracing produces unmatched sustain, volume, and intonation.
| String Type | Steel |
|---|---|
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Body Shape | Grand Pacific |
| Left-/Right-handed | Right-handed |
| Color | Blacktop |
| Finish |
Satin |
| Top Wood | Sitka Spruce |
| Back & Sides Wood | Ovangkol |
| Body Bracing |
V-Class |
| Binding | Chamfered Edges |
| Neck Wood | Tropical Mahoganyv |
| Fingerboard Material |
Eucalyptus |
| Fingerboard Inlay | Italian Acrylic Dots |
| Number of Frets | 20 |
| Scale Length | 25.5" |
| Tuning Machines |
Taylor Nickel |
| Bridge Material | Eucalyptus |
| Nut/Saddle Material | Tusq/Tusq |
| Nut Width | 1.75" |
| Electronics | ES-2 |
| Strings | Elixir Phosphor Bronze Medium |
| Case Included |
Aerocase |
| Manufacturer Part Number |
AADS034011006731268 |
