Back in 2020, Taylor Guitars collaborated with Naughty Dog, the developer behind the enormously popular video game The Last of Us Part II, on a replica of the acoustic guitar used in-game by its protagonist, Ellie. Now, in a full-circle moment, that very same model will appear in the second season of the TV adaptation.
In a new two-minute trailer for the forthcoming HBO season, the custom Taylor 314ce Grand Auditorium gets a surprising amount of screentime, appearing in the hands of stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, while there’s a closeup on the distinctive 3rd-fret moth inlay (thanks for the spot, MusicRadar).
On its launch, the 314ce was described as a “one-to-one recreation” of Ellie’s guitar, and featured a Sitka spruce tobacco sunburst top and solid sapele back and sides, teamed with Taylor’s V-Class bracing and ES2 electronics.
It’s not the only guitar that features in the trailer for the new season. Another scene shows – minor spoilers ahoy – Ellie sitting in an abandoned building with a natural-finished acoustic guitar, replicating the same moment that appears in the game. However, its headstock looks suspiciously square, indicating there may be a Martin dreadnought or two included in the show, too.
Pearl Jam deep cut Future Days soundtracks the trailer, following the inclusion of the band’s All or None in season one.
We’ll find out how big a role these guitars play when the new season drops sometime in 2025.
This isn’t the first time The Last of Us has crossed over into the guitar world. Gamers were using Part II’s in-game guitar to cover songs by the Beatles and Metallica, while percussive virtuoso Manuel Gardner Fernandes turned the TV theme into a jaw-dropping two-hand tapping workout.
