Taylor Tuesday - The Taylor Expression System 2

The Taylor Expression System 2!!!

Hello everyone and welcome back to Taylor Tuesday, Heartbreaker Guitar's blog series featuring Taylor Guitars and everything about them. Sometimes we highlight specific guitars, other times we highlight the people who play them. Today we are going to highlight a specific feature that is common in many Taylor Guitars, specifically the Taylor Guitars sold at Heartbreaker Guitars, your favorite Taylor Guitars Dealer! That feature is the Taylor Expression System 2! 

In late 2013 and early 2014 Taylor went through a process of revamping their 800 series with improvements a crossed the board including a new version of Taylor's Expression System. This was not just an upgrade on the original, but instead a fully re-imagined new creation with a distinct tonal signature and a unique approach to the piezo pickup system!

What Makes the ES2 Special? 

The ES2 was a result of an discovery about the motion of a guitars saddle while vibrating during the process of playing. Conventional wisdom always said that the saddle vibrated up and down, so the piezo crystals were set under the saddle so as to best capture this bouncing up and down motion. This traditional system often leaves much to be desired, with people often saying that a piezo tends to sound cold, tinny, and heavily synthesized.  

Well that just would not do for the guys at Taylor, who don't take "good enough" and only settle for perfection. Their electronics team, headed by David Hosler, threw themselves at the problem. What they realized is that the saddle does not actually bounce up and down with vibration. It really swings back and for, almost shuffling side to side, because the tension of the strings on top of it prevent an up and down motion. 

With that in mind, Hosler and the team relocated the Piezo pickups from below the saddle, and put them behind the saddle. This allows for a more natural pick up of the tone from the piezo, leading to a warmer, more natural sounding tone. The team found the character of a guitar really started to show through with this new system. 

The Response...

Taylor, as we previously said, released the ES2 with the revamped 800 series in early 2014. The response was instantly and overwhelmingly positive. People loved the response of the expression system, and soon it was available in a broad selection of Taylor guitars a crossed multiple series. 

From Heartbreaker!

Heartbreaker Guitars has a wide selection of Taylor Guitars featuring the Taylor Expression System 2, and you can find them all on our Taylor Product Page. 

Have you recently got to Fall in Love with a Taylor from Heartbreaker Guitars featuring the Taylor Expression System 2, but need a little help figuring our how to maximize it's potential? Well, as a top Taylor Dealer, we have a lot of information on their guitars, and we would start by sending you to Taylor's official guide on using the ES2, which you can find here!