The Taylor Custom grand auditorium is made with a top, back and sides of hand-selected, premium neo-tropical mahogany for a classic look and sound. A Taylor original, the Grand Auditorium helped establish the Taylor acoustic sound with a popular body style that yields ample volume in response to light fingerpicking, and reacts to medium strumming and flatpicking with a clear, balanced sound across the tonal spectrum. Equipped with Taylor's revolutionary ES2 pickup design, all the nuance of your tone comes through clearly whether you're playing acoustically or plugged-in. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before while playing plugged-in. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar. The Taylor Expression System 2 operates through a proprietary 9-volt battery compartment and easy-to-use volume, and active bass and treble controls.