Couldn't agree more... even the ones that didn't float my boat were easy to recognize as great values, based on the wood choices, the attention to detail, the extra features. The limiteds are about much more than occasionally substituting rosewood on the 400 series for the budget-minded player (as if we needed a fourth rosewood series in the Taylor line! I'm so glad that Taylor continues to offer ovangkol, which is a superb tonewood that has helped to broaden the horizons of the open-minded player.).
Well I don't see why we wouldn't "need" a fourth Rosewood series in the Taylor line, given that Martin has Rosewood series in the 21s, 28s, 35s and 40s series. Having three Rosewood series all in the higher price bracket is like Martin only offering Rosewood for 40s, 41s, 42s and 45s but offering Ovangkol for the 28s.
And what's wrong with more choice? Like I say, they don't do it because they don't want to compete with their own line, not because more choice for the consumer is a bad thing.
There's nothing wrong with offering Ovangkol for "open-minded players" but what's wrong with offering Rosewood for close-minded players alongside Ovangkol so that the consumer has a choice?
Because it doesn't fit with their profit maximizing business model, that's why (not that I have anything against businesses doing what's best for them, I'm just simply pointing it out).
BTW, I'm fortunate to be able to afford some of the higher-end Taylor offerings, although I'm not being compensated by any mega church for the Christ-centered music I compose, record and perform. With that said, I'm glad that Taylor continues to offer limiteds that appeal to a broader spectrum of musicians' budgets. I think that the Taylor limiteds program represents a win-win for the company and its customers.
What I meant by that was not that they are necessarily compensated by their churches, but rather that they are the demographic that are targeted, as those who attend megachurches tend to be in the wealthier demographic, and the teenagers in that demographic are heavily influenced by their worship idols to play Taylor guitars (same goes for their worship idols who play Collings (Chris Tomlin) or McPherson (which actually gives their guitars away to many Christian artists for free:
http://mcphersonguitars.com/artists/ - there's actually a video on YouTube where Keith Harkin says: "I've got one, Dave [Bakey]'s got one, [McPherson]'re great, they give their guitars to everyone").
