The relaunch of the 500 Series introduced the world to Urban Ironbark, the newest product of Taylor’s ongoing urban wood initiative. Taylor are excited to add more options to the family with a trio of new models: the Grand Pacific dreadnought 517e, the compact 12-string/12-fret 552ce and the 512ce 12-Fret.

The 517e features solid Urban Ironbark backs and sides paired with a torrefied Sitka spruce top, a combination that yields a lively, muscular sound with lush resonance. With a tone profile comparable to Indian rosewood, Urban Ironbark delivers a high fidelity response with clear trebles, warm lows and a blooming overtone character, offering up a complex sonic mix that remains balanced across the frequency spectrum despite its highly dynamic musical personality. The torrefied spruce contributes bold projection and mature sweetness and depth. The V-Class bracing inside dials up more volume, longer sustain and clearer harmony between notes all the way up the neck.

Strummers and songwriters will surely appreciate the seasoned, blended sound of the 517e. Aesthetic appointments include faux tortoiseshell binding with purfling in black acrylic and maple, a single-ring green abalone rosette, nickel hardware, a faux tortoiseshell pickguard, and a subtle shaded edgeburst paired with a glossy finish that draws out Urban Ironbark’s natural reddish hues. The 517e also sports a Marquise inlay design.

Specifications

Back/Side Wood: Urban Ironbark
Top Wood: Torrefied Sitka Spruce
Neck: Neo-Tropical Mahogany
Fretboard: West African Crelicam Ebony
Scale Length: 25-1/2”
Bracing: V-Class
Nut Width: 1-3/4”
Electronics: ES2
Guitar Protection: Deluxe Hardshell Case, Western Floral
Strings: D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Medium