My "Mystery" GS5e-12

[ntotoro]

Hey, everyone...

I'm going to call Taylor this AM when they open, but this is a pretty interesting guitar, indeed.

I put this GS5e-12 on layaway after a local Taylor Road Show and picked it up last night (it was a guitar brought by Taylor for the show). When we opened the case today to check it before leaving the store, there was something no one at the store had noticed... the adjustment screws on the bridge for the current-gen ES. No one noticed it, not even when I was playing it at first did I noticed it. The serial number says it's a 2012 model, which obviously did not have the 2014/2013 Fall LTD ES.

Only thing I can figure is that this was a demo or something Taylor used to prototype the current ES, but I'll call and check. Pics are attached.

Nick

[ntotoro]

Got some info from Taylor. The guitar is actually in their system twice, built in 2012. The first time around it is listed with no electronics (GS5-12) and said spruce top (the guitar clearly has a cedar top). Second time in the system, it does show a cedar top in the description (could they have re-topped it at the factory) with the addition of the electronics.

Interesting guitar, indeed.

Nick

[deepermagic]

Interesting.

Did you provide your guitar serial number for Taylor to give you the information? I'm curious how much information they could give on one's guitar that you can't tell from just the serial number (ie, day, month, year, line number). Like that they saw that yours was re-topped. Just wondering what type of info I could get on mine if I were to contact them.

[Edward]

The ES2 is definitely an interesting tidbit ...likely a prototype, and on a 12er no less.  But the really cool thing is the cedar ...on a 12!!!  Wow, I am envious, curious, and thrilled all at once.  I had always thought cedar would make for a glorious 12, but Taylor told me years ago that it was too soft for a 12.  Impressions please ...really great score!!!

Edward

[ntotoro]

Yeah, it was when I called Taylor this morning that even they were intially stumped... 

The SN is actually in their records twice. The first time, it lists the guitar as a 2012 GS5-12 with a spruce top, sold to Melodee Music. The only things funky about that are the missing "e" and the spruce top (when the guitar was actually at the road show @ Melodee, it already had electronics and clearly had a cedar top).

The second time it shows in their records, it is annotated as a 2012 GS5e-12 with the ES2 and a cedar top. There is a note about adding the ES2, but not why. The original spruce top appears to be more a misprint than anything else, although they can't verify. They have a hunch that it's more an initial misprint than re-topped.

The only thing they can gather is that the guitar was kicked around Taylor from road show to road show, demo to demo and maybe had various artists or potential customers playing it, then they put the ES2 on the guitar to let people test drive it and see what they thought. There were no notes exactly why ES2 was even added, but being a 2012 guitar that was the closest thing they could guess.

Nick

[BathTimeStrummer]

I'm just curious if it's under warranty? Very cool guitar--especially with the ES2. Gotta' believe it's a one-of-a-kind?

[ntotoro]

The ES2 is definitely an interesting tidbit ...likely a prototype, and on a 12er no less.  But the really cool thing is the cedar ...on a 12!!!  Wow, I am envious, curious, and thrilled all at once.  I had always thought cedar would make for a glorious 12, but Taylor told me years ago that it was too soft for a 12.  Impressions please ...really great score!!!

Edward

Put it this way... ES2 or not (I swear I didn't even notice it when I first played the guitar), I had to have it after maybe a handful of chords strummed on it. It sounds like a 12, obviously, but has a smoothness and "growl" that you'd expect from a hog/cedar combination. It was hanging in the top row if guitars in the acoustic room and I just noticed it out of the corner of my eye. Traded a 2002 655ce for it that I liked, but didn't blow off my socks like this did.

I know a lot of people like 12's to be jangly, but I really don't. This guitar has a smoothness that really makes the fact that it is a 12 stick out even more, if that makes sense.

Nick

[ntotoro]

I'm just curious if it's under warranty? Very cool guitar--especially with the ES2. Gotta' believe it's a one-of-a-kind?

That was the first thing I asked, since it was from a road show... 

They recorded it as a new sale in their database, so there is a warranty. Most road show sales are not, from what I understand. I have to think it a one-of-a-kind, too, since they don't even make this model anymore, let alone with the ES2. When the store employees discovered it, they wanted to "rub it in" with the manager because they figured he'd try to get a few more bucks out of it if he knew...

Nick

[Edward]

Nick,

I think you got something very special there, man!  I've loved what cedar brings to the table for some time now, and as I had mentioned wanted a 12er in cedar years ago.  Looks like a wonderful one-off that the factory was playing around with, getting impressions on ...and now you win!  Sometimes these little experiments Taylor creates turn out to be very special guitars.  FWIW, I own a very special (IMHO) Custom DN that the factory built to kick around NAMM ...and it literally travelled around for a few years before I "found" it offered as "new."  I am never letting that one go, ever.  Hope you bond with this one ...and if you don't, you know where to find me!

Edward

[ntotoro]

LOL! Thanks, Edward.

My singer did say the same thing. I have to admit I'm a little shocked to also see a cedar 12, but apparently it was available base in this model, with hog, engelmann and sitka as options.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/gs5e-12

Don't recall seeing it ever on a 12 otherwise. Maybe the larger soundboard being a GS... ? Couldn't say. What I can say is this is the 12 of my dreams. It was a very good deal, too. I'd feel cocky about it, except that I've been upside-down on these things more than once in my life.

Never let go of that DN, either...

Nick

[michaelw]

it's interesting how things get overlooked some times -
this prototype (DDX or 214ceMA DLX, perhaps ?) shows to be made in 09
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-Taylor-200-Series-Prototype-Maple-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-214CE-210CE-/231119862703?pt=Guitar&hash=item35cfd13baf&nma=true&si=grE8gORXTBLuoM4iUP1Fmna4w18%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
no mention of ES2 in the description & yet

the fall 13 514/6eFLTDs had the New ES, nee ES2, & there were reports of
some artists that had been using that pickup for a full year at that point
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/514e-fltd
sounds like your GS5e-12 is a pretty guitar -
congrats

[ntotoro]

Thanks! I actually do have a 2013 516e-LTD, which was what got me familiar with what the ES2 could do. The big deal was not a single person who handled the 12 (including me) even noticed it.

Good thing you posted that pic. Looks like someone else caught it and the listing ended... 

Nick

[Joseph]

Great "mystery" 12 string Taylor!  Now... If I could just stumble across a one-off GS7-12 with a cedar top... lol.. Not likely. I really wish that Taylor would try it since they obviously thought cedar would work on a GS5-12!  Enjoy that guitar!

[ntotoro]

Thanks! All I can say is keep trying the road shows and you never know what you’ll find… 

This one is a keeper.

Nick