Acoustic Amps Quick Pick: The Taylor Circa 74 Offers Much More Than a Pretty Face
Taylor Guitars is best known for their long history of making world-class acoustic guitars with a variety of exotic tonewoods, but the Circa 74 acoustic amplifier marks the company’s first foray into acoustic amplification. One look at the Circa 74 will tell you that looks were a top design priority, which would naturally make one wonder whether the tone is comparable to more established acoustic amps.
What is the Taylor Circa 74 Acoustic Amp?
The Circa 74 is the first acoustic guitar amp from Taylor Guitars, and it began with the idea of using beautiful tonewoods to prioritize looks as much as tone. Bob Taylor (founder of Taylor Guitars) assembled a team including pro player Terry Myers, electronics guru Tyler Robertson, and woodworking wizard David Judd, and the Circa 74 amp was born.
With a powerful 150 watts of amplification, two channels for vocals and guitar, and an included wood amp stand, Circa 74 is as distinguished as the company’s guitars are.
- 2-channel acoustic amp for guitar and vocals
- 150 watts of power for high-headroom, low-noise performance
- Custom full-range 10-inch speaker offers balanced sound with instruments and vocals alike
- Rich mahogany cabinet with matching amplifier stand
- 3-band EQ and Reverb per channel, Aux input with Bluetooth, XLR DI output, and more
High Headroom for Clear, Detailed, Dynamic Acoustic Tone
With 150 watts driving a custom 10-inch speaker, Circa 74 offers more power than most 1x10 acoustic combo amps.
If you think that’s too much for a living room performance, think again — higher wattage means you have more headroom before distortion occurs, and also means you can play low-output guitars without introducing excessive noise.
In other words, having more wattage than you think you need is much better than having to crank up a lower-powered amplifier to its maximum. You don’t need to play the Circa 74 loudly, but if you do, you’ll enjoy the same level of sonic accuracy and clarity.
Sing and Play Along, No Mixer Required
Circa 74 is perfect for singer-songwriters, with two independent channels for vocals and guitar.
Each channel offers 3-band EQ for fine-tuning your sound, and a Reverb control for the onboard reverb effect.
You can also use the 1/8-inch Aux input or even Bluetooth to play along with backing tracks, or simply enjoy Circa 74 as a music player.
An Acoustic Amp You’ll Be Proud to Display
It has to be said that the Circa 74 simply looks great wherever you put it, whether you need an acoustic amp for your living room, office, or classy gigs like wedding receptions and fancy dinners.
The rich mahogany cabinet looks elegantly understated, and the included matching amp stand gives you all the benefits of a stand (better sonics and easier access) without detracting from its aesthetics.
Is the Circa 74 a Good Amp for Live Performance?
While you’ll want to be careful to protect that beautiful cabinet from dings and scratches, Circa 74 has everything you need for a great stage performance at suit-and-tie gigs.
With 150 watts of power you’ll have plenty of volume on tap.
Dual channels with independent EQs make it easy to swap guitars without needing to change your settings—just optimize each channel’s EQ for each guitar during sound check.
On the Circa 74’s rear panel, you have an XLR DI output and 1/4-inch line output to connect to a larger sound system.
Circa 74 — Elegant Looks and Masterful Acoustic Tone
The Circa 74 began as an experiment for Taylor to create an amazing-looking acoustic amp from spare guitar tonewoods, but it also offers the core experience any guitarist would be looking for in a high-powered 10-inch combo amplifier.
The great looks simply encourage you to display your Circa 74 instead of hiding it in a corner, and that’s sure to lead to playing more in the long run.
If you’re looking for a versatile acoustic combo amp for guitar and vocals, rest assured that the Taylor Circa 74 sounds as good as it looks.
