Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: Jersey tuning on March 14, 2014, 07:56:32 AM
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I began playing guitar in 1967. Until I bought my Taylor 614ce in 2007, the 3 previous guitars I owned all had laminated B & S. The Taylor was my first all solid wood guitar, my first guitar with a four figure price tag, but most of all stimulated my entry into the worlds of guitar collecting and geekdom. Oh yes, the great playability allowed me to become a better player.
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"So what was significant about your first Taylor?"
It isn't a Martin! :D
But seriously...I've owned Martins (D28, D35, D35s) in the past and greatly enjoyed all of them, but I wanted something different. So, I bought an 818e. The neck is great, very easy to play.(even jazz chords at the ninth fret!)
The bass response is excellent, and it sounds great tuned low, also.
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It was my first 12-string.
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It was my FIRST Taylor 8) ... didn't know it was going to be so hard to own just one ... also, it was what inspired me to get seriously back into guitar after a few years of neglect ... the fire was rekindled and I haven't stopped since ...
Actually, in addition to the above, it was my first really top of the line guitar (814ce) ... I was most impressed with the feel and playability of Taylor's when I was searching for my "last" and "only" acoustic ... it was just a great fingerstyle guitar ... felt great in my hands ... once I played an 814, all other guitars were compared to it ... although some of the others compared favorably in the tone department, none felt as good to me as Taylor's ...
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The significance for me? The introduction to this forum and all the exchange of ideas and information. I've been playing for almost 50 years now, but I didn't know what I didn't know. Being a mostly electric guitar player, an acoustic was always a "second guitar" for me. The last decade, I've come to appreciate acoustic guitars more. My first Taylor was a 114ce - sounded great and played more like my electrics than previously owned acoustics. Then, I started to learn more about sizes, shapes, and tone woods. I learned about caring for my guitars (You need to humidify them? Really?). I acquired GAS like I've never before experienced. ;)
Yep, that first Taylor opened my eyes and expectations. I had drifted over to keyboards before that first Taylor; I am back to guitars and I play a lot more. And, that is a very good thing. :)
Best wishes,
Jim
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Quite simple really: It's my first guitar and the one I've been learning diligently on for the past year. It replaced a GPCPA4 rosewood which I had for a few months; a visual, but not sonic equivalent by any means :D
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I began playing guitar on 9/11/73. One day in 2000 when I was at Elderly Instruments (my local store), I picked up a Baby Taylor. I thought it was a cool little guitar that would be a great travel companion when traveling from our home in downstate Michigan to the one up in Northern Michigan. My husband bought it for me. Who knew it would be the spark that ignited a whole inferno of Taylors for me. Thanks to my husband, I now have the newer Taylor travel guitar (GSM), but also have a couple full-sized Taylors that meet all my playing needs. I love everything about Taylor.;)
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What's notable about my first Taylor guitar (a 614 that I bought used at Guitar Center) is that I knew absolutely nothing about guitars when I bought it, and realized a few months later that it was the wrong guitar for me. I sold it, then bought an 814. I'm glad that I stuck with the brand.
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My first Taylor is a GSM pictured to the left. I have had a desire to learn how to play a guitar for several years. My Wife bought me a Yamaha f 310
about 10 years ago. I will not say anything bad about the Yamaha brand. However: in hind site... it's a difficult guitar to learn on. When my fingers started to hurt i gave up. It was no fun. That and the fact I didn't know how to turn the darn thing. Every Thanksgiving my Brother-in-Law came down from NY and tuned it for me. :)
About a year ago my Wife bought me a new guitar... GSMini I bought a snark for tuning and I haven't put it down yet.
Taylor has me hook line and sinker. Now I'm looking to upgrade and it will be a Taylor.
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I had been playing electric guitar for over 20 years, but the last 10 or so very rarely and only as needed when writing a particular song. I wanted to have an outlet for music that didn't rely on electronics (I work mostly on electronic music), and I wanted an instrument that was so nice I'd feel guilty for not putting in my practice time again.
Went shopping for acoustic guitars and right away the Taylors grabbed me for how small they are and for how easy they are to play for an acoustic. When I saw the 814ce there I knew it was the one, fit right when I held it and most important to me it was perfect. I mean physically perfect, every inch of binding, every fret inlay, the wood grain, every part of the rosetta, perfect, not a single flaw anywhere.
I've always wanted a high end hand-crafted instrument, and even though the build process of Taylors is in some ways largey;y automated, it still has that attention to detail that you KNOW was associated with a real life person who knows their craft. I don't look at it (or listen to it) and find little faults like I have with other guitars, it just does it's thing and gets out of the way of my ideas.
It was a lot of money, but I haven't once thought it wasn't completely worth every penny.
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My first Taylor was a lefty 555.
It was a revelation.
First of all, the easiest to play 12 string I had ever experienced.
A wonderful neck shape.
My first jumbo guitar (it seemed BIG!!!).
A wonderful lush sound.
Perfect details . . . fantastic production quality.
A very nice case.
Traded it a few years later for a W65.
Ironically, with my current guitar . . . 556ce, I have nearly the same guitar as the original but with all the improvements that track the history of Taylor . . . NT neck, current generation ES, wonderful finish and the great comfort and projection of the GS body shape.
Eric
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;D
When I started playing guitar in the mid to late 1960's, I learned on the old nylon string Dad had laying around the house. He didn't play much, but I couldn't keep my hands off that thing. The strings were 1/3" off the fret board and I just thought that's the way it was. Over the years I played many acoustics that were all plywood and eventually ended up playing electric guitar professionally in rock and funk bands. In 2001 I got a gig playing with a blues singer who had several songs in the set that called for an acoustic. So I went and got a Seagull with a cedar top. Had a guy set it up, put in a pickup and it played great! Still have it today! It's my campfire guitar now.
In 2005 I hung up the whole "band" thing and quit playing out. For a few years I just went fishing and didn't play at all. It was a nice break. Then I went full circle and got into playing acoustics again. In 2008 I went and got a Martin DM which still had plywood back and sides but a nice spruce top and good neck. At the time, I picked it out of a room full of Martin's that ranged from cheap to 4 figures. The DM sounded the best so I got it. In 2012 I got lucky and found a young woman who could sing and decided to do an acoustic duo. The gig bug bit me hard and when that happens...ya gotta go buy gear right!?
So I started researching acoustic guitars and landed on this forum one day. I ordered a 2012 GSe FLTD. It was breath-taking but the mediums just freaked me out. At my age my hands didn't like playing 3 hours on it so I returned it and ordered an 814ce tobaccoburst. When that thing arrived, I was screwed. My name is Mike....and I'm a Taylor-aholic. My last purchase was....
I have you people to blame for my addiction! Well....and Taylor Guitars. They play and sound so good, a far cry from the nylon string I started on! I discovered that I really need the 1 3/4" neck width. The Martin DM has the skinny 1 11/16" neck and I don't play it much now that I have a couple of world class Taylor guitars. Thank you all for all of your help, whether it was my post or one of your posts I read early on...it was you guys who helped educate and guide me thru the process. I learned about shapes and woods and neck widths and finishes and strings and slotted head stocks and humidity and all sorts of things I had never before cared about. So of all the things, this forum was VERY significant when it comes to the significance of my first Taylor. Thank you for enabling me! ;)
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So I started researching acoustic guitars and landed on this forum one day. I ordered a 2012 GCe FLTD. It was breath-taking but the mediums just freaked me out.
I didn't know Taylor ever made a grand concert that required medium-gauge strings. Did they do that ... or did you make a typo?
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Yyupp...it was a GS. Typo...
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The significance was that it played like butter and sounded great. This was before Taylor was a major player, and the guitar was used, but there's nothing more to it than playing easy and sounding great.
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I bought my first Taylor in 1997 after owning many other brands including Martin, Gibson, Guild, Takamine, Ovation and many others over my 25 years of playing. I saw this one in a Tempe, AZ GC while planning a custom-built Martin. (Needless to say, I never had that Martin built.). There was simply nothing else in the store that remotely resembled this one in looks, tonewood choices and sound. It was all brand new to me back then, but the Taylor GA has since become the standard by which I measure all other guitars.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa445/abpurfling/Cujo-fullfront.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/abpurfling/media/Cujo-fullfront.jpg.html)
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My first Taylor was a 2006 410ce after wanting a Taylor for a couple of years and getting one. I SHOULD'VE saved more money and got a Taylor in the first place instead of the Takamine that I got from Guitar Center. It just wasn't that easy to play, even after a setup. I also wasn't impressed with its sound plugged in.
So my first Taylor was significant because it was solid woods, was easier to play and I ended up selling it for more than I bought it ;)
I grew to love other body shapes though, and sold the dreadnought.
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Same like most of you. After playing many a guitar since 1967 it was thirty years later, in 1997, that I bought my first Taylor: a 1996 714. It was a whole new and completely different experience compared to everything else before. My GA sounded (she still does!) like an organ and I couldn't stop playing anymore. The instrument gave me a genuine boost. And I do believe that the NT-neck on my newer Taylors has even driven my lust in a still higher gear.
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I'll let you know tomorrow ;D
According to FedEX tracking a 2011 814ce should be arriving at my office before noon!!
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I bought my first Taylor in 1997 after owning many other brands including Martin, Gibson, Guild, Takamine, Ovation and many others over my 25 years of playing. I saw this one in a Tempe, AZ GC while planning a custom-built Martin. (Needless to say, I never had that Martin built.). There was simply nothing else in the store that remotely resembled this one in looks, tonewood choices and sound. It was all brand new to me back then, but the Taylor GA has since become the standard by which I measure all other guitars.
My first was a 455, but I couldn't agree more with the underlined statement above...
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Yeah, I keep going to guitar shops, picking up Martins, and asking myself, Why bother?
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Learned quite a lot actually. Such as don't rush it save a little more money and get a lot more for it. Main thing I learned was those folks in PA know how to make the best there is. They say Martin on the headstock since 1833.
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Learned quite a lot actually. Such as don't rush it save a little more money and get a lot more for it. Main thing I learned was those folks in PA know how to make the best there is. They say Martin on the headstock since 1833.
Except they messed up in the 1950's. Stopped scalloping braces, started building much thicker tops, back and sides, sacrificing playability for durability. They've since come to their senses, but until they introduced their performer series, a Taylor knock-off, it was difficult to walk into a guitar shop, pick up a brand new Martin, and find instant bliss. Especially for a fingerpicker like me. On the other hand, Martins do age beautifully. They surely knew what they were doing when they made my once-cheapo 2-17 in 1930. And I recall picking up a 15 year old OM-21 for sale at a GC and falling in love with its tone.
Twice, 1999 and 2007, I went into guitar shops with the express desire to walk out with a Martin. The second time in particular my budget was well into four figures (second and third "decade"). The first time I walked out with a Tacoma, the second time, a Taylor.
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Sure were a lot of hits recorded with those old straight brace dreads. D 28 is straight brace and has probably sold more of this one model than all of the California boxes.
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Sure were a lot of hits recorded with those old straight brace dreads. D 28 is straight brace and has probably sold more of this one model than all of the California boxes.
True, but musicians had fewer choices back then, so Martin was the standard by default, and they have made some great guitars over the years...I owned many Martins including an HD28, an M38, a 000-16, a 000-EC, and a D-45. At one time, I owned both Taylors and Martins. For my musical purposes, Taylors just do it better. In the end, it comes down to personal preferences. If you're looking to replicate the sound on those many recordings, then the D 28 (or D-18 for hog lovers) is probably your ticket. Otherwise, there are many more options to choose from these days. Viva la difference, to each his own, etc, etc, etc.....
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Good points. The Martin is how ever the one everyone else has to live up to. They have been copied over and over thru the years. I still have a Taylor but the wife is about the only one who ever plays it. Only seen a couple in a bluegrass band. Seen a ton of Martins in bluegrass bands.
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Good points. The Martin is how ever the one everyone else has to live up to. They have been copied over and over thru the years. I still have a Taylor but the wife is about the only one who ever plays it. Only seen a couple in a bluegrass band. Seen a ton of Martins in bluegrass bands.
You seem to pop up here every month or so to do nothing more than to claim that Martins are better -- or more widely accepted -- than Taylors. Why is it so important to you for us -- in a Taylor forum -- to agree with you? Do you really think we're going to read one of your many Martin-is-better posts and say to ourselves, "Dang, I hadn't thought of that. I'm going to ditch all my Taylors and immediately buy Martins." Why does it not ever occur to you that we like our Taylors and nothing you have to say, which is extremely little, is going to change that?
I am lucky enough to be able to afford Martins and Taylors. In fact, I own a Martin because, for what it does, I prefer it over Taylor's offerings. But that's the exception. Overall I much prefer Taylors. Can you live with that? I've seen no evidence of it so far.
You've been called a troll in this forum because you have absolutely nothing to offer except to pour gasoline on the Taylor vs. Martin battle. How, exactly, does a thread about the significance of your first Taylor motivate you to start the Martin vs. Taylor war all over again? Why do you try so hard to change our minds? Why can't you just accept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Why, when you continually get the same reaction to your posts, do you come back here time after time and do the same thing over and over again? Why do you never learn?
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Seen a ton of Martins in bluegrass bands.
Last time I checked, there were a lot more acoustic applications than just bluegrass bands. From what I've learned on this forum (I have been around these parts for a lot longer than you), the folks on this forum have a vast amount of knowledge and skill level, of which bluegrass is only a part. Personnally, for how and what I play, my Taylors meet my needs hands down.
Good points. The Martin is how ever the one everyone else has to live up to. They have been copied over and over thru the years. I still have a Taylor but the wife is about the only one who ever plays it. Only seen a couple in a bluegrass band. Seen a ton of Martins in bluegrass bands.
You seem to pop up here every month or so to do nothing more than to claim that Martins are better -- or more widely accepted -- than Taylors. Why is it so important to you for us -- in a Taylor forum -- to agree with you? Do you really think we're going to read one of your many Martin-is-better posts and say to ourselves, "darn, I hadn't thought of that. I'm going to ditch my Taylors and immediately buy Martins." Why does it not ever occur to you that we like our Taylors and nothing you have to say, which is extremely little, is going to change that?
I am lucky enough to be able to afford Martins and Taylors. In fact, I own a Martin because, for what it does, I prefer it over Taylor's offerings. But that's the exception. Overall I much prefer Taylors. Can you live with that? Apparently not.
You've been called a troll in this forum because you have absolutely nothing to offer except to pour gasoline on the Taylor vs. Martin battle. You are entitled to your beliefs, but when all you can sing is that one tiresome note, it gets old pretty fast.
Nicely said, Dennis.
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Good points. The Martin is how ever the one everyone else has to live up to. They have been copied over and over thru the years. I still have a Taylor but the wife is about the only one who ever plays it. Only seen a couple in a bluegrass band. Seen a ton of Martins in bluegrass bands.
I agree that Martin set the standard, which everyone attempted to copy to some extent. (Even Taylor makes a dreadnought that incidentally became the preference of at least a few bluegrass players and pleasantly surprised other dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists, but I digress.) The point of this thread is the significance of each person's first Taylor. As I said in my original post above, Taylor broke ranks and didn't try to copy Martin, but instead had the courage to forge its own path during many lean years. That's what I found so significant about Taylor - they didn't attempt to be another Martin knock-off, but created a new guitar personality, which opened the floodgates for other talented builders as well.
Enjoy your Martins - they're great guitars, but they no longer have to be for everybody, thanks to Taylor.
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I'll let you know tomorrow ;D
According to FedEX tracking a 2011 814ce should be arriving at my office before noon!!
Hi Freddycaster. Welcome to the UTGF. Congrats on what should be a recently delivered 2011 814ce. :) I don't own a 2011 814ce, but it was the first Taylor I ever had the pleasure of playing. My 314ce was the first and still my favorite Taylor. I've become a better guitar player as a result. Enjoy.
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Taylor was the only high-end brand my local shop carried when I started learning (well, aside from the guitars the shop owner and his son would make) so they were the holy grail to me. I didn't dare play them because I was just learning but they sure looked awesome. As an aspiring designer, their catalogs and ads resonated with me as well. Not to mention they all have my last name right there on the headstock!
I figured I'd be saving for a 310 but then Taylor came out with the 200 series. By the time I had enough to get one, they'd made all the right tweaks to the 200 series (normal NT neck joint, etc) and I played several 210s alongside a 310 at the aforementioned local guitar shop. My 210 was a clear winner.
Not long after that, my 210 had some kind of weird chip between the rosette and the bottom of the fretboard which couldn't have been caused by any playing wear. The local dealer and Taylor were both stellar to work with and replaced the guitar with another that sounded as good or better.
A year or two later I found a 410 I liked at a different shop and sold my 210 to a friend to get it. The next day I realized my mistake. The shop was kind enough to take the 410 back, and my friend said he had a feeling I'd come back for my guitar but wanted one like it. He ended up with a great 310.
It's a great guitar and it punches way above its weight class -- the only Taylor I've ever played that I've liked better was a custom all-mahogany 12-fret GC. I've only done one "upgrade" to my guitar -- ebony bridge pins, which were a souvenir from my visit to the Taylor factory about four and a half years ago.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6673718549_3535a1a181_b.jpg)
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Couldn't agree more. I took up the guitar at sixty years of age only knowing that a quality instrument would encourage and motivate me whereas a poor one would end up in the attic. The dealer was absolutely superb in his honesty and played Martins, Yamahas, Gibsons and Taylors etc with no rush or push to one brand or another. I left saying I would give it some thought, but the 210 was the one that just sang clarity. That was Jan 2013 now I've three and couldn't be happier.
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Quote from: freddycaster on March 18, 2014, 11:14:09 AM
I'll let you know tomorrow ;D
According to FedEX tracking a 2011 814ce should be arriving at my office before noon!!
Hi Freddycaster. Welcome to the UTGF. Congrats on what should be a recently delivered 2011 814ce. :) I don't own a 2011 814ce, but it was the first Taylor I ever had the pleasure of playing. My 314ce was the first and still my favorite Taylor. I've become a better guitar player as a result. Enjoy.
« Last Edit: Today at 01:03:37 AM by CodeBlueEMT »
Thanks - it arrived and was in near mint condition except for a set of dead strings.
Now the search is on for a good match for it - after reading reviews I'm starting with DR Rares......we'll see.
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This is fairly simple. My GSMini has inspired me at the age of 59 to play. I can not put it down. I have been to guitar shops and played many other fine guitars looking for my next. I have in fact tried to move away from Taylors to get the biggest bang for my buck. There are some darn sweet guitars out there but... none have the feel, tone & play-ability (spell check on that one) I get from Taylor. Pretty sure my next will be a 114, or 214 as I do not feel comfortable with solid woods yet. The Florida humidity scares me. That being said.. if Bill Gates said he would buy me a guitar it would be a 514. ceder & mahogany.. love it
Jim
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The significance of my first Taylor, a 1999 310 bought used on ebay, is that it got me into Taylor guitars. I've had many other brands, both before and after that 310, but I still find Taylors float my boat more than any other.
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I began playing guitar in 1967. Until I bought my Taylor 614ce in 2007, the 3 previous guitars I owned all had laminated B & S. The Taylor was my first all solid wood guitar, my first guitar with a four figure price tag, but most of all stimulated my entry into the worlds of guitar collecting and geekdom. Oh yes, the great playability allowed me to become a better player.
I'm with you there brother.. My first was a 2000 LOTF 810BCE Taylor, I was ready for a totally great first guitar. and it was! Now 38 Taylors later I'm rebuying back a GAce Ltd-C I sold 1.4 years ago. So make it 39 Taylors. This one will be ... The adirondack CV braced Sitka 2008 coco.
I remember it as ... " Very special "Come home now.
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Quite simply it sings and it's so dang easy to play. It's a GA8 that I bought here on the board and I just love love love it. Nothing else compares.
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I feel deprived-- virtually everyone else has a GS mini in their sig. Required for forum membership?
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I feel deprived-- virtually everyone else has a GS mini in their sig. Required for forum membership?
True Jersey true. Your sig. list is rather paltry. Ha :) :D ;D :o
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hmm... my first taylor is a K10ce. I HATED IT !!! it was too bright and no matter what i did, i couldn't tone it down. i was used to my Ovations and Martin D15M.( it was a boredom purchase as i was recovering from an RPG round exploding between my feet and a bullet wound to my right shoulder...jogging was out for a few day s ! :o :o). i figured that if that's what taylors were, i'd re-sell it and be done with taylors forever.
a friend brought over his 614ce to jam with me as i was recovering. i tried that and the sound was much better than the Koa. i decided to give them another try. i found the GS bodystyle after a bit and it had that bass response that i was looking for along with the high end sparkle...the best of both worlds! you can tell from my sig, that i changed my mind about taylors( there's even a few not listed there)
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I feel deprived-- virtually everyone else has a GS mini in their sig. Required for forum membership?
No, it's not required. But, I do feel bad that you don't have one - they are a sweet little guitar. I'll trade you even up for that Froggy Bottom, so you can feel better about yourself. No, don't thank me - that's just the kind of guy I am. ;)
Best wishes,
Jim
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Significant...
The short scale of my 912
The neck was true all winter, My martins needed more care (YMMV)
I like the sound of all my guitars, Martins and Taylors (and my Blueridge) They are different and all sound great.
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I posted an unfinished though...
All of my guitars sound great, just saying... But the Taylors are the most consistent. Even as the strings get old they hold tone better than the Martin. My martins are more impacted my dead strings.
This could all be a result of the ever changing humidity in the North East but the Taylor handles those changes better.
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I posted an unfinished though...
I'm going to borrow that sentence for my next book.
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To answer the OP question: The TONE!.... combination of Walnut and Cedar in an 810, purchased around 6:30 pm in 1992. I played a lot guitars in the shop and I planned only to spend only a couple hundred....the plan failed after hearing that combination!...
I recently removed the original Tusq saddle, installed a bone saddle and bone bridge pins (Bob Colosi). I then re-strung it with a set of Pyramid Western Folk (Mediums) and the tone has only gotten better!....
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To answer the OP question: The TONE!.... combination of Walnut and Cedar in an 810, purchased around 6:30 pm in 1992. I played a lot guitars in the shop and I planned only to spend only a couple hundred....the plan failed after hearing that combination!...
I recently removed the original Tusq saddle, installed a bone saddle and bone bridge pins (Bob Colosi). I then re-strung it with a set of Pyramid Western Folk (Mediums) and the tone has only gotten better!....
I feel the same about my walnut/cedar GA purchased in 1997 - that combo is magical!
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This is fairly simple. My GSMini has inspired me at the age of 59 to play. I can not put it down.....
Jim
Good to know, as I just ordered my GSMini and we are the same age! It's never too late...as they say.
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My first Taylor was the 516 FLTD that replaced my old Yamaha beater I played while my dad was sick and later died.
I went into the music store not really knowing what I wanted except a nicer guitar and met a very nice guy who helped me by telling me about all the guitars in the acoustic room of the shop.
I was playing a regular 516, cause I liked the cedar top and he said "I"ll be right back" and went to the store room to get the 516 LTD - must have been from a road show.
I was playing it and my hubby walked in and said I had to buy it.....now I'm not one to argue with that logic....ha
I've since learned about guitars, woods, and Taylor's and feel very lucky that I got a great guitar from the git go. As you can see, I've continued to add more Taylor's and there are more in my future.
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Beauty! Pure and simple. I wanted a 12-string and wanted the bling. This really is my last guitar.
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My first was actually an R Taylor, bought gently used. So very different than the Martins I'd grown up with. I've since added three "regulars" to the stable.
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The playability!!!
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What was significant about my first Taylor? It came with a ukulele. Then I decided I should learn to play guitar also. Still working on that!
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First and only12-string and drop deal gorgeous.
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Beauty! Pure and simple. I wanted a 12-string and wanted the bling. This really is my last guitar.
Um...that's one serious "last" guitar. Niiiice!
And I say "last" because I had BTDT ...and it held true for a quite a while. That is, until I ended up running into those "wow, I can't imagine passing this up at that price" once-in-a-lifetime moments. Except that it happened to me twice since I declared "last" guitar ...so I just don't say it anymore. But your 12er is truly off-the-charts beautiful! ...enjoy that gorgeous example in great health!!!
:)
Edward
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614ce- my first acoustic-electric.
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I ended up running into those "wow, I can't imagine passing this up at that price" once-in-a-lifetime moments. Except that it happened to me twice since I declared "last" guitar ...so I just don't say it anymore.
Edward
Edward, declaring it "your last guitar" is a great strategy to make these super deals appear. I may have to try it myself, although I am pretty sure (really) that my 2006 koa GS is my last guitar, and should be selling off several others. I played an all-koa K28e yesterday and it was very beautiful and quite nice, but a few minutes back at home with my GS made me forget about the K28.
My first Taylor was a 2001 414ce that stood out among its peers tonally, had the wonderful Taylor playability, and to my ear even beat out the 814ce hanging next to it. Visually the ovangkol is rather figured, and I refer to it as "koa lite". I have been offered even-up trades for D-28's on several occasions, and even an HD-28 once. I wasn't actively searching, just killing time between meetings in a music store in Fairbanks, AK. That ended up being an expensive break, as it started me on the whole Taylor journey. Two of the three Martin's are gone now, and the third is barely hanging on by its fingernails. I am converted. :D
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Loved the way it played and sounded.
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I was totally into electrics, electric basses and amps; acoustics, including Taylors, were just for buying and selling and I never really liked a great big wooden box laying on my mid-section when I played. However, I had moved into a house with a large basement and I was using part of the basement as my "music" area. Thus, I had to go downstairs to play. I decided I wanted a nice acoustic to keep in the second floor den that I could play while in my La-Z-Boy recliner.
Anyway I started my usual tryout routine in my usual route of non-chain, family-owned, music stores (I hate GuitarCenters). I found lots of pretty guitars, expensive guitars, easy to play guitars and then picked up a Taylor that absolutely resonated with every bone in my body; it made me feel as one with the guitar and the music. That was about 20 years ago; that guitar was eventually sold and I'm sure it also thrilled someone else.
I have owned a couple of hundred Taylors since and have about 20 or so now. Some are great (playing/sounding), nearly all are excellent, and I have found that a less than excellent Taylor is rare, and in that way are much more consistent than Martins.
Needless to say, I may fall in love with a guitar, but its still for sale at the right price, and sooner or later there is always someone out there that wants it more than I do, so I am constantly buying and selling and there is always a new love awaiting.
In the Ozarks where I live Taylor guitars are as well known as Martin guitars and the 200 and 300 series sell exceptionally well. When you get above the price of say a 314ce, they want a Martin. I can usually buy a mint 400-900 series Taylor locally for just a little more than a used 300 series Taylor.
All told I have owned 50-60 of the 400-900 series Taylors and IMHO what you get over the 300s is mostly bling. They don't seem to play any better or sound any better, or even be more consistently excellent. And I think that is the reason they just don't command more money; real players buy for the sound and playability, not the bling. And they buy Taylors and Martins for their investment/resale value.
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All told I have owned 50-60 of the 400-900 series Taylors and IMHO what you get over the 300s is mostly bling. They don't seem to play any better or sound any better, or even be more consistently excellent. And I think that is the reason they just don't command more money; real players buy for the sound and playability, not the bling. And they buy Taylors and Martins for their investment/resale value.
I disagree with your appraisal. I have played them all and when I play them unplugged I can hear and appreciate the 500, 700 and 800 series more than the 200, 300 series. IMHO. Dave Mathews (I think) is a real player who often plays his 914 or is it a 916 not sure, I am sure he plays a 900 series. This is just one of many. If you read Wood & Steel you will find many (real players) that play 500 series and up Taylors.
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real players buy for the sound and playability, not the bling. And they buy Taylors and Martins for their investment/resale value.
Many folks who consider themselves real players (not sure if there truly is a standard criterion for this) might be a bit insulted by the above statement, since these folks have gravitated to higher end Taylors as instruments for life. I guess the point is that it just isn't that black and white...
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I guess we just have to disagree. I only started playing professionally in 1962 and only have 52 years experience playing guitars, and I only buy and sell a couple of hundred guitars a year in and out of my collection. Its also amazing that so many professionals love the guitars that were originally considered cheap junk (and believe me they were junk), and how much the custom shops charge for trashed imitations of that junk.
I was in Biloxi, Mississippi last week at the Beau Rivage Hotel & Casino and I made a point of checking out what the live bands there were playing. There wasn't a single electric guitar, bass or acoustic guitar in use that I cannot buy in a pawn shop for less than XXX. Then I remembered what it was like playing professionally on the road - I played what I had because I couldn't afford to choose anything else. I was never more poor than when I played toured and played 7 days (nights) a week. My point is that just because a pro is playing it, it doesn't mean its what he would be playing if he could afford anything.
Personally, I am at that stage of life that I can afford any guitar I want and as many as I want. I buy for sound, playability and resale value - never bling, never anyone's autograph and I couldn't care less who owned it or played it before me.
$ & language -
Please take a moment to review the forum guidelines.
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=320.0 (http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=320.0)
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I also played pro for many, many years. During those leaner times, I played some fairly nice guitars (based on what I could afford back then), but I would consider them toys compared to what I play today. Some of my current guitars have bling, while others do not. I wouldn't avoid a guitar because of its bling or the lack thereof. I just don't consider it a measurement of an instrument's worth regardless of price.
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I guess we just have to disagree. I only started playing professionally in 1962 and only have 52 years experience playing guitars, and I only buy and sell a couple of hundred guitars a year in and out of my collection. Its also amazing that so many professionals love the guitars that were originally considered cheap junk (and believe me they were junk), and how much the custom shops charge for trashed imitations of that junk.
You're telling us to defer to your judgment and experience. But I'm not inclined to do that, given how subjective guitar ownership is. I find a huge difference in sound quality between the 300 series and the 500/700/800/900 series guitars and I don't personally know a single Taylor owner who would disagree with that observation. If you think the 300 series is the apotheosis of Taylor tone, then fine. I'm just not sure why you're asking us to take your word for it.
edited quote
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I agree on one account and that is, most pro's don't bring their best guitars on the road. Why would they, they just get beat up on the road. However that does not mean they don't own nice ones and leave them at home.
I have a friend that plays all over the Rocky Mountain region, he has a true working C & W band and he is a Martin man. He would never take his HD-35 out of his house, but that is what he writes with and plays at home. On the road he has a Martin dread that is almost worn through(think Willie Nelson)that is a cheap Martin.
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1991 510 with a wider neck(from the 12 string) because I thought my fat fingers couldn't get used to the normal neck. Not sure what the measurements were but I really wish I hadn't sold it a couple of years later. Young and dumb, but I discovered Taylor, and though I have owned a few other brand, when I wanted to start playing again I knew I wanted a Taylor to grow into.
Now of course I have grown into 5 Taylor's :D
Dave
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The most significant thing about my first Taylor was that it was purchased on the same day I closed on my first house. Bought my first house and first Taylor on the exact same day. It was a gorgeous 2000 810ce which I still own today.
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My 02 614 CE my first real guitar period. Bought it when we finally had a few bucks to give each of us a little present after we got married. Still married to the same beautiful woman (who can sing 100x better than I can play)...and I'm nothing fancy but a solid strummer, light picker - finger picker with about 150+ cover tunes under my belt. When I bought it I couldn't finish 3. It's still my fave of my 2 Taylors (and the other is a phenomenal 914 my father gave to me as a gift before he passed away).
Can't explain it except for knowing how many people who think "maple is sooooo bright" can be so off. I went with my gut when I first strummed it thinking how FULL the sound was knowing it would warm over time. I was right...something about this one is simply perfect. Just upgraded to a bone nut saddle on this one as well with those years of seasoning if you will...will always be my 1st love of my guitars know matter how many I may own someday.
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Great story - I agree with you about maple. Although I love all the current guitars in my lineup for what they each have to offer, that maple BTO of mine continues to surprise: very meaty, rich sound sans overtones....
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I played a Takamine that sounded pretty good. I wanted to move up to a nicer guitar as my playing was getting better. My brother and I went to the music store to look around. He played a Taylor and is a very good guitarist. I fell for a 510 with no cutaway or electronics. My brother played a few guitars I liked but it was the 510 that caught my ear. Wish I still had it.
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1) first brand new, quality guitar (I had bought a couple inexpensive models new but those were mistakes)
2) first non-Ebay guitar purchase in almost 20 years
3) first purchase from Trinity Guitars (highly recommended)
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My 02 614 CE my first real guitar period...
the 02 614ce was my first quality acoustic guitar also -
well, i ordered it & in course of having to wait 6 weeks
i picked up a 01 314ce two weeks later, but if it wasn't
for the 614ce, i don't think i would have "had to have" the 314
i didn't care much for the plugged in tone of the fishman matrix
with onboard preamp (prefix, prefix +, onboard or stereo blender) &
when i got to where i needed to plug the guitar in, the LR baggs
element & iMix were my electronics of choice, which i retrofitted
where Taylor is headed with maple & andy powers at the tonal helm seems
to be pretty amazing, imho, & i can't wait to see/hear/play something
like this as a LTD, standard or Custom model, depending on how it goes
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=5273.0 (http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=5273.0)
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My first Taylor was my first all-solid wood guitar(not to mention first anywhere close to 4 figures guitar). It was also special because I'd taken a bit of a hiatus from playing after a personal crisis, and when I started again, I took lessons for the first time in my life. After a couple of years of lessons I had come a long way and the Taylor was kind of my gift to myself. I hadn't set out to buy any particular brand-- in fact, I didn't really know much about Taylor's at the time. But over a period of tryng out lots of guitars, I kept going back to Taylor--specifically, a Taylor 814ce. It's a 2002, and it sounds every bit as sweet as the day I brought it home.
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It was a dark and stormy night. My Guild (insert model number here) just imploded and the dog didn't want anything to do with me. So I went for a walk (sans the dog) and ended up, coincidentally, at this little, real little, mom & pop music shop. Inside was this sage old(er) man (don't know where mom was) cause I knew that he could see right through me. He said, "here son, try this" and handed me a Taylor 810 (2005). I gave it my best "going to the guitar dealer licks". He wasn't impressed but I was. I never heard of Taylor but my insides were going "wow" big time. So I put a deposit on it. Next day, just to show the dog that there were no hard feelings, I took him for a walk and we ended up, coincidentally, at the same real little music shop. Darn. I tied the dog to a utility pole and went in and bought the thing. I was hooked.
True story except for the dog part and the night was not stormy.
Paul
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my first taylor was a solid sapele 214. now they're laminate rosewood.