The Taylor 324ce Next Generation combines the warm, focused character of an all-hardwood acoustic guitar with Taylor’s latest developments in tone, playability and amplified performance.

Its solid mahogany top produces a smooth attack, woody midrange and natural compression, while solid sapele back and sides add balance, projection and extra top-end presence. This creates a clear, controlled voice with strong fundamental notes and fewer surrounding overtones than a traditional spruce-and-rosewood guitar.

Taylor’s scalloped V-Class bracing enhances low-end depth, volume and sustain, while the long-tenon Action Control Neck improves resonance and allows precise string-height adjustment. The Claria acoustic pickup system provides adaptable, stage-ready tone through discreet soundhole-mounted controls.

Finished with a gloss Shaded Edgeburst top, medium-stained body, black binding, firestripe pickguard and Weathervane inlays, the Next Generation 324ce is a distinctive professional instrument for songwriting, recording and live performance.

At a Glance

Feature	Details
Brand	Taylor
Model	Next Generation 324ce
Series	300 Series
Guitar Type	Electro-acoustic guitar
Body Shape	Grand Auditorium
Top	Solid mahogany
Back and Sides	Solid sapele
Bracing	Scalloped V-Class with relief rout
Neck Construction	Taylor Action Control Neck
Neck Wood	Neo-Tropical mahogany
Fretboard	West African Crelicam ebony
Scale Length	25½ inches
Nut Width	1¾ inches
Cutaway	Venetian
Electronics	Taylor Claria acoustic pickup system
Colour	Medium stain with Shaded Edgeburst top
Body Finish	Gloss
Main Appeal	Warm, focused all-hardwood tone with next-generation Taylor performance
Best For	Songwriting, recording, fingerstyle, strumming and live performance
Skill Level	Intermediate, advanced and professional
Condition	Brand new

Why Choose the Taylor 324ce Next Generation?

Warm Solid Mahogany Top

The solid mahogany soundboard gives the 324ce its distinctive tonal personality.

Mahogany produces a strong fundamental note with a focused midrange and controlled overtone response. Its natural compression smooths the initial attack, helping chords feel warm, organised and balanced.

Compared with spruce, mahogany generally offers a woodier and more intimate voice. It responds particularly well to controlled strumming, fingerstyle technique, blues, roots music and singer-songwriter accompaniment.

A solid mahogany top can also develop additional warmth and sweetness as it is played over time.

Solid Sapele Back and Sides

Solid sapele complements the mahogany soundboard with a balanced response across the frequency range.

Its tonal character shares mahogany’s punchy midrange while introducing slightly more presence through the upper frequencies. This helps individual notes retain clarity and prevents the guitar’s warm voice from becoming overly subdued.

Because the back and sides are solid wood, the complete body works as a responsive acoustic system with strong resonance and long-term tonal potential.

Scalloped V-Class Bracing

The Next Generation 324ce features Taylor’s scalloped V-Class bracing with a relief rout.

This updated design builds on the projection, sustain and pitch accuracy of Taylor’s original V-Class architecture. Carefully removing material from selected areas of the braces allows the soundboard to move more freely.

The result is:

• Greater low-frequency presence
• Increased acoustic volume
• Improved sustain
• Stronger open-string resonance
• Clear harmonic relationships between notes
• A warmer and more expansive overall voice

The scalloped structure helps the mahogany top produce greater depth while preserving its natural focus and clarity.

Taylor Action Control Neck

Taylor’s Action Control Neck uses a long-tenon joint that creates a substantial connection between the neck and body.

The extended joint improves the transfer of vibration through the instrument, contributing greater warmth, resonance and sustain.

Its patented adjustment system also allows an experienced technician to alter the string height without reshaping the saddle or carrying out invasive neck work. This provides greater control over the playing feel as the guitar adapts to different environments, string gauges and player preferences.

Taylor Claria Acoustic Electronics

The Claria system combines a redesigned undersaddle pickup with Taylor’s proprietary preamp.

Developed with input from touring musicians and live sound engineers, it is designed to deliver clear, reliable and adaptable amplified acoustic tone in a wide range of environments.

Three discreet controls positioned inside the soundhole provide adjustment over:

• Volume
• Mid Contour
• Tone

The Mid Contour control is particularly useful for adapting the guitar to different musical roles. Turning it below the centre position reduces midrange emphasis for a warm, open rhythm sound. Turning it above the centre adds presence and focus for fingerstyle passages, lead lines and full-band arrangements.

Versatile Grand Auditorium Body

Taylor’s Grand Auditorium is designed to provide a practical balance of comfort, projection and tonal clarity.

Its lower bout offers enough air capacity for confident rhythm playing, while the shaped waist helps keep the midrange controlled. The body also responds quickly to fingerstyle technique, flatpicking and lighter dynamic playing.

This makes the 324ce suitable for musicians who regularly move between:

• Fingerstyle arrangements
• Vocal accompaniment
• Flatpicking
• Open-chord rhythm work
• Solo acoustic performance
• Studio recording
• Amplified full-band use

Venetian Cutaway

The smoothly curved Venetian cutaway provides comfortable access to the upper frets.

Higher chord voicings, melodic passages and lead lines can be reached without the body significantly restricting the fretting hand.

Its soft outline complements the balanced proportions of the Grand Auditorium shape while preserving a traditional acoustic appearance.

Smooth Taylor Playability

The Neo-Tropical mahogany neck uses Taylor’s familiar Standard Carve profile.

A 1¾-inch nut provides useful string spacing for fingerstyle technique while remaining comfortable for chords and general acoustic playing. The West African Crelicam ebony fretboard offers a smooth and durable playing surface.

A satin neck finish helps the fretting hand move freely during longer practice sessions, recording work and performances.

Full-Body Gloss Finish

The top, back and sides receive a polished gloss finish.

This enhances the depth of the medium stain and highlights the natural grain of the mahogany and sapele. It also gives the guitar a more premium presentation while providing everyday protection for its all-solid body.

The neck remains satin finished to maintain a smooth playing feel.

Shaded Edgeburst Top

The Shaded Edgeburst treatment deepens towards the outer edge of the mahogany soundboard.

This emphasises the natural warmth of the wood and gives the guitar a refined, vintage-influenced appearance. The finish works particularly well with the firestripe pickguard and black body detailing.

Natural variations in colour and grain mean every guitar has its own individual visual character.

Refined 300 Series Appointments

The Next Generation 324ce uses a coordinated selection of understated appointments:

• Black body binding
• Black fretboard binding
• Faux-pearl Weathervane fretboard inlays
• Matching Weathervane peghead inlay
• White single-ring rosette
• Firestripe pickguard
• Satin-black Taylor tuning machines
• West African Crelicam ebony bridge and bridge pins

These details complement the guitar’s dark hardwood character without overpowering the natural materials.

What Makes This a Next Generation Taylor?

Taylor’s Next Generation designation identifies three important design developments.

Scalloped V-Class Bracing

The lightened bracing structure increases low-end depth, warmth and open-string resonance while retaining excellent projection, sustain and pitch accuracy.

Action Control Neck

The long-tenon neck joint enhances resonance and tonal depth. Its adjustment system also allows precise string-height changes without conventional saddle modification.

Claria Electronics

The redesigned undersaddle pickup and proprietary preamp provide clear amplified tone with intuitive Volume, Mid Contour and Tone controls.

Together, these features improve the instrument’s acoustic response, long-term adjustability and usefulness during live performance.

Why Choose an All-Hardwood Acoustic Guitar?

An all-hardwood acoustic offers a different response from the traditional combination of a softwood soundboard and hardwood body.

Mahogany produces a controlled attack and places greater emphasis on the fundamental note. Sapele reinforces this focused character while adding balanced projection and a touch of upper-frequency clarity.

Typical all-hardwood characteristics include:

• Warm and woody tone
• Strong midrange presence
• Smooth initial attack
• Natural compression
• Controlled harmonic overtones
• Clear chord definition
• A focused voice for recording
• Additional warmth as the guitar matures

This makes the 324ce particularly rewarding for players who want direct, musical clarity rather than an extremely bright or overtone-heavy response.

Who Is the Taylor 324ce Next Generation For?

Singers and Songwriters

The focused midrange and controlled overtones provide a supportive foundation beneath vocals without creating excessive bass or treble clutter.

Recording Musicians

Its strong fundamental notes and naturally organised response help the guitar sit clearly within a mix, particularly when several instruments are layered together.

Fingerstyle Players

The Grand Auditorium body responds quickly to subtle changes in attack, while the clear fundamental voice preserves the definition of individual notes.

Rhythm Guitarists

The scalloped bracing adds depth and projection, while the mahogany top keeps strummed chords warm, controlled and cohesive.

Live Performers

Claria electronics provide flexible tone shaping for solo sets, band performances, worship environments and professional stage work.

Blues, Folk and Roots Players

The woody midrange and smooth attack naturally complement blues, Americana, folk and roots-oriented acoustic styles.

Players Seeking a Warmer Taylor

The 324ce provides a darker and more midrange-focused alternative to Taylor models built with spruce and rosewood.

Musicians Seeking Long-Term Adjustability

The Action Control Neck makes the guitar particularly appealing to working players who value accurate, efficient setup adjustment throughout the instrument’s life.

What’s Included?

• Taylor 324ce Next Generation electro-acoustic guitar
• Brown Taylor Deluxe hardshell case

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

Every guitar is carefully inspected by the Fair Deal Music team before collection or dispatch.

Our assessment covers the finish, neck, frets, bridge, tuning machines, electronics and general playability. The Claria pickup system and its soundhole-mounted controls are tested to confirm dependable operation.

Any adjustment required before the instrument leaves us will be completed by our experienced team so that it arrives ready to play and enjoy.

Technical Specifications

General

Specification	Details
Number of Strings	6
Orientation	Right-handed
Body Shape	Grand Auditorium
Cutaway	Venetian
Colour	Medium stain with Shaded Edgeburst top
Bracing System	Scalloped V-Class bracing with relief rout
Electronics	Taylor Claria acoustic pickup system

Body

Specification	Details
Top Wood	Solid mahogany
Back and Side Wood	Solid sapele
Back Configuration	Two-piece without centre wedge
Top Finish	Gloss
Back and Side Finish	Gloss
Body Binding	Black
Rosette	White single ring
Pickguard	Firestripe
Armrest	None

Neck and Fretboard

Specification	Details
Neck Construction	Taylor Action Control Neck
Neck Wood	Neo-Tropical mahogany
Neck Profile	Standard Carve
Neck Finish	Satin
Fretboard Wood	West African Crelicam ebony
Fretboard Binding	Black
Fretboard Inlays	Faux-pearl Weathervane
Scale Length	25½ inches
Nut Width	1¾ inches

Peghead and Hardware

Specification	Details
Peghead Type	Paddle
Peghead Veneer	West African Crelicam ebony
Peghead Inlay	Faux-pearl Weathervane
Peghead Binding	None
Peghead Finish	Satin
Bridge	West African Crelicam ebony
Nut	Black TUSQ
Saddle	White Micarta
Bridge Pins	West African Crelicam ebony
Tuning Machines	Taylor satin black with matching buttons
Strap Pin	Black
End Pin	Black
Factory Strings	D’Addario XS coated phosphor bronze light, .012–.053

Electronics

Specification	Details
Pickup System	Taylor Claria
Pickup Type	Undersaddle acoustic pickup
Controls	Volume, Mid Contour and Tone
Control Location	Inside the soundhole
Output	Standard ¼-inch instrument connection

Power Requirements

The Taylor Claria preamp is powered by a 9V battery housed in the end-pin compartment.

Connecting an instrument cable activates the electronics, so the cable should be removed when the guitar is not being amplified to help preserve battery life.

A suitable battery provides approximately 150 hours of plugged-in use. Keeping a spare 9V battery available is recommended for performances, rehearsals and recording sessions.

Taylor Next Generation 324ce Compared with the Previous 324ce

Both versions use Taylor’s Grand Auditorium body with a solid mahogany top and solid sapele back and sides.

The Next Generation model introduces:

• Scalloped V-Class bracing
• Long-tenon Action Control Neck
• Taylor Claria electronics
• Increased low-end presence and open-string resonance
• Simplified action adjustment
• Adaptable Mid Contour control
• Full-body gloss finish
• Updated Weathervane appointments

The previous model uses Taylor’s original V-Class bracing, traditional Taylor neck system and Expression System 2 electronics.

Choose the previous 324ce for the established modern Taylor platform. Choose the Next Generation version for enhanced resonance, greater adjustability and more flexible amplified tone shaping.

Taylor Next Generation 324ce Compared with the Next Generation 314ce

Both models feature the Grand Auditorium body, scalloped V-Class bracing, Action Control Neck and Claria electronics.

The primary difference is the tonewood combination.

The 324ce uses mahogany and sapele, producing:

• Warm, focused mids
• Smooth attack
• Controlled overtones
• Natural compression
• Woody fundamental character

The 314ce uses spruce and sapele, producing:

• Clearer initial attack
• Greater dynamic headroom
• Additional treble brightness
• Strong projection
• Broader all-purpose versatility

Choose the 324ce for warmth, focus and controlled harmonic complexity. Choose the 314ce for greater brightness, attack and dynamic range.

Taylor Next Generation 324ce Compared with the Builder’s Edition 324ce

Both guitars share the same core tonewoods and Next Generation technologies.

The standard 324ce offers traditional Grand Auditorium contours with a Venetian cutaway, full-body gloss finish and Shaded Edgeburst presentation.

The Builder’s Edition version adds:

• Beveled wooden armrest
• Beveled cutaway
• Chamfered body edges
• Additional comfort-focused detailing
• Tobacco Kona Burst satin finish
• Grained ivoroid appointments

Choose the standard Next Generation 324ce for classic Taylor construction and gloss presentation. Choose the Builder’s Edition for maximum ergonomic comfort and its darker satin aesthetic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the mahogany top suit fingerstyle playing?

Yes. Its strong fundamental response and controlled overtones help individual notes remain clear, while the Grand Auditorium body reacts well to subtle changes in attack.

Can the 324ce handle confident strumming?

Yes. Scalloped V-Class bracing increases acoustic volume and low-frequency depth, allowing the guitar to support controlled and moderately powerful rhythm playing.

How does the 324ce sit within a recording?

Its focused midrange and reduced overtone complexity help it occupy a clear position in a mix. This can be particularly useful when recording vocals, keyboards or several layered guitars.

Can the Claria system connect directly to a PA?

Yes. It can connect to an acoustic amplifier, PA system, mixing desk, audio interface or suitable acoustic DI box.

What does the Mid Contour control do?

Turning it below the central position reduces midrange emphasis for a warmer and more open sound. Turning it above the centre adds presence and definition for fingerstyle passages, lead work and dense arrangements.

Is the Action Control Neck intended for home adjustment?

The system makes action adjustment quicker and less invasive, but the work should be completed by an experienced guitar technician to ensure correct setup and avoid damage.

Is the guitar suitable for altered tunings?

Yes. Its full scale, focused midrange and strong sustain make it suitable for many open and altered tunings. A setup may be beneficial following a permanent change in string gauge or overall tension.

Does an all-mahogany-style guitar sound dull?

No. Mahogany produces a focused and warm response rather than an inferior or lifeless one. The sapele body and scalloped bracing provide sufficient clarity, projection and treble detail.

Is the 324ce suitable for professional stage work?

Yes. Its solid construction, dependable hardware, adjustable neck and adaptable Claria electronics make it well suited to regular professional use.

How should the guitar be stored?

Keep it in a stable environment away from radiators, direct sunlight, cold draughts and rapid humidity changes. A suitable acoustic-guitar humidification system may be required during dry conditions.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

★★★★★ 5/5

The Taylor 324ce Next Generation is an outstanding professional electro-acoustic for musicians seeking warmth, focus and modern versatility.

Its solid mahogany and sapele construction produces a woody, midrange-rich voice with smooth attack and excellent note definition. Scalloped V-Class bracing brings additional bass depth, volume and sustain, making this new model feel broader and more resonant than its predecessor.

The Action Control Neck offers valuable long-term adjustability, while the Claria system provides practical tone shaping for live performance and direct recording.

Finished with a full-gloss Shaded Edgeburst body, black detailing and firestripe pickguard, the 324ce looks every bit as distinctive as it sounds. For songwriters, recording musicians and live players seeking an expressive alternative to a conventional spruce-topped guitar, it is a superb choice.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

Choosing Fair Deal Music means buying from a passionate team of musicians who genuinely understand the products we sell. Whether you're purchasing your first instrument, upgrading your current setup or searching for something special, we're here to help you make the right choice with friendly advice and expert support.

When you shop with Fair Deal Music, you can buy with confidence thanks to:

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians
• Carefully checked new, used, pre-owned and ex-display equipment
• Competitive prices on leading music brands
• Secure UK-wide delivery
• Flexible finance options available, subject to status
• Friendly support before and after your purchase
• A trusted independent UK music retailer with decades of experience

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Thinking about upgrading? Your next piece of gear could cost less than you think.

We’re always happy to consider part exchanges and trade-ins on a wide range of musical instruments and equipment. Whether you’re moving on an instrument you no longer use or putting its value towards your next upgrade, our experienced team can provide a fair, no-obligation valuation and guide you through the process.

Contact Fair Deal Music or visit our Birmingham showroom to discuss your trade-in and discover how much you could save on your next instrument.