Well pull my finger and call me Daddy. I played a revoiced 616ceFE a couple of days ago and it flat blew me away! I had to hold on to an amp so I didn't fly right out of the building. This isn't Kansas or maple anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love the now legacy Taylor maples. I had a 2003 310ceLTD with maple/spruce and it's still in the top 2 of my favorites. But what Andy has done with this is nothing short of amazing. The sound, the look, the appointments, the playability, the thin finish, the ES2. It may be the perfect guitar. To make a maple that will be equally received and appreciated from the rosewood/mahogany crowd is unprecedented. To create a guitar that comes close to those two tonewoods in a sustainable and locally grown wood is incredible! I still love the legacy maples, but I also love the revoiced. Bob and Andy you are still my hero's!! I know everyone has their own opinion, but those who don't like this probably didn't like power steering, snow blowers, electric lights or cell phones when they came out either.
LOL, wow, another "convert". It is truly exceptional what they've accomplished.
Now, one either favors the sonic profile of the old or new usually, and less often like both like you do, I've observed. And that's cool, I'm thinking as the new ones roll out there will be plenty used "old" maple Taylors to be had for those who want them, and the older they are, the more naturally torrefied they'll be!
It is a new sound, I haven't said this before, but the new 600 Series does exhibit mapleness, just in a more broadly appealing way. Seems they achieved their goal. The linear aspect that Andy Powers talks about when he describes maple is there in spades, something that rosewood and mahogany don't exhibit nearly as much. As a result, the guitar is more coaxable by the player, with many different sounds possible as a result. Much more so than the other two tonewoods. And, just go ahead and compare the responsiveness of the new 600s compared to most if not all standard, say, 800 and 500 series Taylors. (I have) They can't compare to the 600s in that regard. Put that all together and they are very much
not mahogany or rosewood guitars.
I think all of that is what causes the excitement when you play one.
Now, if Taylor could just go ahead and finish their first run of 614, 616, and 618s so they can build my 656, I would appreciate it!
