Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: Ssawy on December 25, 2017, 01:04:48 AM
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Has anyone ever encountered a flawed or imperfection on a Taylor guitar that could be considered a “second”?
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Actually, my 2013 614ce-LTD (Euro Spruce/African Ebony) has -- or at least so I was told -- a minor flaw. But when I played it, it sounded perfectly fine; and I'll be darned if I can truly pinpoint the flaw to which they were referring...
I never got an exact description of the alleged flaw from the dealer, and I'm comfortable that he was only repeating what he was told by Taylor (finish imperfection -- although after many episodes of intense scrutiny by me, I'm wondering if there wasn't a small crack repair on the body near the neck).
In any case, I got a killer deal on the guitar; and like I said, it sounds great!
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Never seen one, or heard of one (Timftz's is the first I'd heard). And if you saw one and bought it new, the factory would address it, I am sure ...which then no longer deems it a "second" or otherwise imperfect ;)
Edward
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Has anyone ever encountered a flawed or imperfection on a Taylor guitar that could be considered a “second”?
I'm sure Taylor does not ship "seconds" to their dealers. If they can't make it good as new at the factory, then it is most likely destroyed. Pretty sure Martin is the same. The seconds from lower tier brands you see on Ebay, often stamped "used" on the back of the headstock, have generally been repaired (or not) by some third party and don't carry the manufacturer's warranty. I bought one once and it was an OK guitar but was very difficult to resell in the used market. Would not make that mistake again.
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I toured the Gibson factory in Memphis where they make the 335 and similar semi-hollow body electrics. Someone on our tour asked what they do with all their rejects and seconds.
He said, "We sell them to Fender." ;D
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LOL ...nice "cheeky" response from the tour guide. I wonder if that's the standard fare they dole out at staff meetings as "spontaneous wit" to bolster the company's inherent superiority :D :D :D
I, too, went on that tour in Memphis ...cool plant. But the "guide" was more like a shill of a "company man" who knew little more outside his seemingly-memorized script. His "shtick" went over polished with what I gather to be the non-players (or fans) in the group, but for a few who asked some "better" questions, he deflected like a candidate behind in the poles.
Perhaps I am reading too much into this (it's the slow morning with my cup o joe talkin here :) ), but that attitude they (or that guy, anyway) have toward Fender et.al. is very much the same claptrap I heard for years from Martin and Marty fanboys toward Taylor; that was in the 80s ...need I comment further? Fast forward to today, where Fender is, IMHO at least, putting out some seriously good guitars, nothing "breakthrough" but just well-made guitars with genuine QC from their Squier line up to the Standard American series. Gibson? I find their current QC utterly hit and miss, with some deplorable "quality" examples, particularly in the $1-2k pricerange; inexcusable, IMHO ...particularly when a "cheap" Fender sports cleaner fretwork than a Gib costing 2x (or more!) as much.
Full disclosure: I love my Gibsons (electrics) ...great guitars that I've had for many many moons and hope never to part with them. But what passes off as "QC" this last several years that I've been paying attention from Gibson is not commensurate to the prices they demand. Contrast this with Fender who I think has been knocking it our of the park in terms of QC and ready-to-play off the shelf, and ths for several years now.
Like I said, it's my lazy morning and coffee speaking at the keyboard. Feel free to ignore my miscellaneous ramblings and enjoy the day! Oh yeah, I forgot: go Taylor! ;)
Edward
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"I'm sure Taylor does not ship "seconds" to their dealers. If they can't make it good as new at the factory, then it is most likely destroyed. Pretty sure Martin is the same..."
Just a "me-to": Martin was a customer of mine in a former life. During a meeting with one of the middle managers at the plant in Nazareth, he had a D-35 hanging on the wall behind his desk (he took it down and let me play it). It was a 'second', it had a minor flaw in the finish. He said it was not only not to be sold, it could not leave the building.
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"I'm sure Taylor does not ship "seconds" to their dealers. If they can't make it good as new at the factory, then it is most likely destroyed. Pretty sure Martin is the same..."
Just a "me-to": Martin was a customer of mine in a former life. During a meeting with one of the middle managers at the plant in Nazareth, he had a D-35 hanging on the wall behind his desk (he took it down and let me play it). It was a 'second', it had a minor flaw in the finish. He said it was not only not to be sold, it could not leave the building.
I'll have to chime in here again. I toured the Martin factory and saw a dumpster full of what looked like, from a distance, perfectly decent guitars. I'm pretty sure Taylor doesn't let anything out that's not up to par, either.
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I have a second guitar. And a third, and a fourth.
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I have a second guitar. And a third, and a fourth.
;D
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I toured the Gibson factory in Memphis where they make the 335 and similar semi-hollow body electrics. Someone on our tour asked what they do with all their rejects and seconds.
He said, "We sell them to Fender." ;D
That's funny. Here's my 1980 ES-175. I'll be dammed if I can see why it's a second.
(http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv50/ebickphotos/Guitars/DSC_1153.jpg)
(http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv50/ebickphotos/Guitars%20-%20Images%20For%20Personal%20Use%20Only/1980GibsonES175HeadStockBack.jpg)
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"I'm sure Taylor does not ship "seconds" to their dealers. If they can't make it good as new at the factory, then it is most likely destroyed. Pretty sure Martin is the same..."
Just a "me-to": Martin was a customer of mine in a former life. During a meeting with one of the middle managers at the plant in Nazareth, he had a D-35 hanging on the wall behind his desk (he took it down and let me play it). It was a 'second', it had a minor flaw in the finish. He said it was not only not to be sold, it could not leave the building.
I'll have to chime in here again. I toured the Martin factory and saw a dumpster full of what looked like, from a distance, perfectly decent guitars. I'm pretty sure Taylor doesn't let anything out that's not up to par, either.
Hmmm- if you can point me to that dumpster, I`ll bring the lift truck! 8)