Author Topic: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?  (Read 55861 times)

andyi5

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #30 on: April 19, 2012, 02:17:12 PM »
The Martin X series is not a guitar of questionable quality because it is made in Mexico. It is a guitar of questionable quality because of the matierals used in making it (HPL--High Pressure Laminate, i.e., baked goo). If this guitar retailed for 300 or less, it perhaps should/would be considered for a low price entry guitar. I believe the lowest of that series retails for more than twice that price. I think Martin may be considering manufacturing their 15 series guitars in Mexico, if they haven't already. They do manufacture all of their strings there now.
Obviously, Martin makes some great guitars, but Taylors' entry and intermediate series are, IMO, far superior. I played some of the Martin 16's before buying my DN3 ( Oh, my Lordy, it's mine!) and, well, I think you can tell which one I thought was  the best.
Now, those HD28's.....

Yep, I was shocked to see a Little Martin recently on ebay with some damage to that supposedly impervious HPL. The guitar had obviously been dropped or banged hard and a corner of the back had chipped right off like a plastic toy!

Edward

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #31 on: April 19, 2012, 08:11:03 PM »
Just to add a bit of perspective here: non-US Taylors get users' respect and equal kudos because the material and workmanship are of equally high standards.  The moment Taylor passes guitars that are less-than-US-quality, then folks should rightfully call them on it. 

As I had mentioned previously, I have equal respect for Taylor's made in Mexico guits because they are on-par; no accident, this.  Witness Fender's MIM or Epiphones.  Now before someone accuses me of bashing these guits, be clear I am not; they are decent guitars that serve the lower-end niche.  But make no mistake: the materials and general quality of MIMs and MI-China (or Indonesia) are not to the Standards of their more costly US counterparts.  For whatever reasons, PRS' "SE" line from Korea is a far closer approximation to their US products' standards.  All this IMHO, of course, but all borne out of my rampant GAS attacks (  ;)  ) over the decades.  But the market seems to bear out my findings, so I don't think I am far from the mark.

All this rambling really to say "Huge Kudos" to Taylor for making the obvious effort and spending the capital to ensure that their MIMs are spot-on.  After all, it is far easier (dare I say profitable) to let one's import line slip into something less, as many other makers clearly have done.

Edward

remshooter

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #32 on: April 19, 2012, 09:18:49 PM »
I own one of each.  Like them both and they both sound great!!
Todd

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2001 Taylor 310
1969 Silvertone 319

pacmktg

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #33 on: May 30, 2012, 05:00:44 PM »
I just took the factory tour last week and one of the things I found most impressive was that some of the employees that worked at the El Cajon facility and coming in from Tecate each day to work, when they opened the plant in Tecate, they went to the new plant as supervisors and kept their same US wages.
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Satsuki

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #34 on: May 31, 2012, 01:54:23 PM »
Yes, they are real Taylor's. They are just over priced.

Herb Hunter

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #35 on: May 31, 2012, 03:02:32 PM »
Yes, they are real Taylor's. They are just over priced.


If the market decides what is overpriced rather than the individual, then Tecate made Taylors, given their selling rate, are not overpriced.

Satsuki

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #36 on: June 04, 2012, 11:24:48 AM »
For a Laminate guitar with a solid top, they are over priced! That's my opinion when I look at the Market and the current price of Guitars and their construction, they are over priced. I would never recommend one to someone looking for a guitar in that price range.




please see rule #1 & 2
« Last Edit: June 04, 2012, 12:16:47 PM by michaelw »

Captain Jim

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #37 on: June 04, 2012, 12:16:29 PM »
So, I guess you won't be looking for a part-time job in a guitar shop, huh?  ;D 

The question here wasn't "overpriced", but rather the quality of the guitars made a bit further south.  For those who don't have the discretionary income, any guitar might seem overpriced.  Each consumer has to make his/her own decision about how/where to spend their $$.  Seems that a lot of folks feel the whole Taylor line is worth the cost.

Of course, that's just another opinion.  ;)

Best wishes,
Captain Jim
2014 Taylor 522ce 12-fret
2012 Taylor 814ce
2006 Taylor T-5
2011 Taylor GSmini
2013 Rainsong Shorty SG-FLE
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MR XXXXX

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #38 on: June 04, 2012, 12:21:53 PM »
For a Laminate guitar with a solid top, they are over priced! That's my opinion when I look at the Market and the current price of Guitars and their construction, they are over priced. I would never recommend one to someone looking for a guitar in that price range.




please see rule #1 & 2

« Last Edit: July 23, 2013, 10:30:29 AM by MR XXXXX »

Satsuki

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #39 on: June 04, 2012, 02:17:19 PM »
If the Emperor has no Clothes I'm not afraid to say it. There are a lot of guitars that I feel give you more bang for your buck than the Taylor's. I would recommend an Eastman, or a Seagull or several other guitars. I wouldn't buy a guitar just because it has a bolt on neck.  I have several Taylor's and will continue to own Taylor's but I would never recommend one to someone in the $1,000.00 price point unless it was a 300 and up series.




please see rule #1
« Last Edit: June 04, 2012, 10:54:18 PM by michaelw »

e8n

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #40 on: June 04, 2012, 02:24:41 PM »
If the Emperor has no Clothes I'm not afraid to say it. There are a lot of guitars I feel that give you more bang for your buck than the Taylor's. I would recommend an Eastman, or a Seagull or several other guitars. I wouldn't buy a guitar just because it has a bolt on neck.  I have several Taylor's and will continue to own Taylor's but I would never recommend one to someone in the $1,000.00 price point unless it was a 300 and up series.

A blanket statement really doesn't work here.  There are some great Eastman's and Blueridge's out there in the price range (I have not played a Seagull that I really loved) but they aren't Taylor's.  What I mean by that is that they have their own sound, which is a lot more to the Martin side of things than the Taylor side of things.  If you are looking for something that sounds like a Taylor, a 1xx or 2xx is your best option.  If you are just looking for a guitar, any guitar, you are correct in saying there are better values out there.

It all depends on what you are looking/listening for.

-Dave




edited quote
« Last Edit: June 04, 2012, 10:55:06 PM by michaelw »
2011 Taylor Custom GS (Adi/Rosewood)
2012 Taylor 814LTD Spring Limited
2008 Fender Telecaster
2010 Kentucky Mandolin

Guitars of the past: Alvarez AD60, 2007 Taylor 110ce, 2006 Taylor 710ce, Taylor 2008 GS Fall Ltd, 2010 Taylor 814ce, 2010 Taylor K26c,2010 Taylor Custom DN, Taylor 714ce

Herb Hunter

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #41 on: June 04, 2012, 02:32:03 PM »
For a Laminate guitar with a solid top, they are over priced! That's my opinion when I look at the Market and the current price of Guitars and their construction, they are over priced. I would never recommend one to someone looking for a guitar in that price range.




please see rule #1 & 2


Whether the entry level Taylor guitars are overpriced or not is a matter of opinion. When I am asked to recommend guitars in the $500 to $800 price range, I unhesitatingly suggest the Taylors you consider overpriced.

Satsuki

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #42 on: June 04, 2012, 03:26:21 PM »
Good you recommend what you want to and I will do the same. People have a tendency to go crazy if someone speaks ill of the 100 or 200 series Taylor's so I'm use to it.

Cindy

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #43 on: June 04, 2012, 04:08:51 PM »
Let's get back on topic. We aren't here to post derogatory comments about Taylors so let's please be clear on that.

Satuski, you are allowed to express your opinion, but there is a very fine line here. This isn't a place to talk negatively about Taylors. You've expressed your opinion, and many others aren't going to agree with you. Please man-up and accept the comments.

Here's an example of how problems start...someone states their opinion, and it happens to differ quite a bit from the opinion of the majority. Those other members come along and disagree, but now the OP doesn't like being disagreed with, so the OP starts hammering away whenever others come along stating their own feelings. This creates more and more animosity...

Satuski, you won't recommend the 100-200 series guitars. Okay...fine. Now please let others vent their own feelings. Anyone in this position doesn't need to keep defending himself/herself by hammering away and reposting the same info over and over.

Let's please get back on topic.
Cindy

TaylorGirl

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Re: Are Mexican Taylors real Taylors?
« Reply #44 on: June 04, 2012, 04:51:19 PM »
Thanks Cindy.
Susie
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