Taylor ES Replacement System for ES1 and ES2 Guitars

This ES2 Replacement System has allowed me to finally love my Taylor 814ce plugged into my amp or PA system as much as I do unplugged. The sound is absolutely incredible. Rich, warm, clear, and defined notes are now the norm for a guitar I always hated when plugged into any amplification system.

The installation process was easy when following the instructions and examples on the website. The string-balancing and mid-contour adjustment process took me about three hours only because of my desire to make it perfect.

I made string-balance adjustments that took about 15 minutes and then set the guitar down for 30–45 minutes. After that ear break, I would listen and make minor adjustments until I was satisfied. I did that process three times just to make sure everything was correct.

I went through the mid-contour process the same way into both my amp and mixer through PA speakers. Once completely satisfied, final installation of the preamp into the guitar took five minutes.

In addition, I talked to Paul, the owner, a couple of times on the phone and can assure you that he is one of the best business owners I have ever worked with. He knows every aspect of his product and wants to make sure every customer is 100% satisfied.

I recommend this pickup system completely and without hesitation.

I have a 2004 Taylor 412ce-L7 that is wonderful to play and sounds great, but it was always an “adventure”—in a bad way—onstage.

I had been struggling for years with a variety of acoustic pickups. Some were stable but required tons of downstream effects to “fix” the sound, while others were great at home but became a feedback disaster onstage with a band.

I thought about the holy grail:

Stability: Set it and forget it. I can move around the stage and just play.

Tone: Low noise plus a strong, clear signal with a wonderful timbre.

Balance: Nicely balanced output from each string for both strumming and soloing.

Technique: From hard strumming to soloing with a pick to fingerstyle, it works great.

Feedback rejection: No matter what is going on with the venue and speaker placement, it simply is rock solid and does not complain.

I discovered Go Acoustic Audio online and reached out to Paul regarding the ES Replacement System for Taylor guitars. Best decision I made. Paul was more than gracious with all of my questions. He even made a custom system because my endplate was not the right size.

I installed it myself and was blown away. But the true test was a recent gig in a small barn where a live band was not a “design consideration.”

I ordered this because I have a high-end Taylor that I love to play and that is a beautiful instrument. I could never play it plugged in, however, because of the awful noise from the ES2 system.

It amplified every finger touch on the strings. I am not talking only about sliding up the strings, but even touching them. Playing fingerstyle at all sounded horrible.

I was considering selling it, but thought I would give this a try based on the other reviews I had read.

I installed it myself without too much trouble. The moment I plugged it in, I could not believe the difference.

The pickup sounds very good, and there is no annoying string noise at all. I played it with our band at the next gig, and it was wonderful.

If you came across this pickup because you were annoyed with your ES2 system, I think you have found what you were looking for.

I bought my new Taylor 217 because I love the playability and quality of Taylor guitars, but I was unaware of the issues with the ES2 pickup system. I also have an older 314ce that sounds amazing when plugged in, so I assumed the ES2 would also sound good.

From the first day I played it, I was disappointed with the output. I tried adjusting the pickup as suggested by Taylor and using a compression pedal and other pedals. The ES2 was quacky, had lots of string noise, low output, and just was not warm.

I watched a few online videos of players using this pickup and went ahead and purchased it. I had never installed a pickup myself and was a little nervous, but I did it slowly and carefully, and it went right in.

I installed the ES2 Replacement System in my Taylor 814ce. Start to finish took me about 40 minutes, including putting the strings on.

First, it is clear that this company takes every concern, question, or problem during installation seriously. It is obvious that everything that has come up during an installation over the life of the product has been simplified as much as possible.

The packaging of the individual components was impressive, and the instructions were phenomenal.

Now that I have had it for a month, I can confidently say this is the best-sounding acoustic pickup on the market and a fantastic upgrade for any Taylor with the ES1 or ES2 system.

This system has made my Taylor sound better than other guitars I own with LR Baggs or Fishman systems in them.

I had a lengthy conversation with one of the creators of this system, and it is clear that he has a passion for music and guitars and takes pride in the work they have done with this system.

True Acoustic Preamp and Unequaled Support!

For years, I have been trying to achieve a natural acoustic-guitar sound for live performances. I stepped up to a Taylor Koa 724ce, which has a fantastic natural sound unplugged.

However, it fell short of my expectations once plugged in. The ES2 pickup seemed to strip away the beautiful, rich tones of the guitar.

I eventually purchased the Go Acoustic Audio ES Replacement System, which was advertised to achieve exactly what I was looking for.

To my surprise, I received a call from Paul McGill just 20 minutes after placing my order online to ensure that I had selected the right system. What other company does that?

The ES Replacement System is designed as a DIY kit, and the step-by-step user guide is straightforward and easy to follow.

Unfortunately, due to my own error, I damaged the preamp board while connecting the micro-ribbon cable port. When I called for support, Paul answered immediately once again.

He quickly identified the step I had missed and immediately shipped a replacement part, which I installed with no further issues.

Yes, finally! The natural acoustic-guitar sound I have been trying to get out of my Fishman amplifier has been achieved.

The electronic magic developed by the Go Acoustic Audio engineers is unmatched. Thank you, Go Acoustic Audio, for a fantastic product and unequaled support!