What attracted you to Taylor?

[SDTaylorman]

OK, I'll bite (and revive this thread). Although I started as a teen with all-electric I hadn't played in decades when I moved to San Diego County. A few friends played there and many (though not all) had Taylors. A few of us went on a factory tour and at the end they have a big room where you can try their guitars. Well I hadn't picked up a guitar for longer than I could remember but I did that day and WOW was I impressed. The sound, the feel but most of all the playability! A friend showed me a few chords and I just knew I'd get back into playing then...with a shift to acoustic! It's been a few years now and (once I saved up to buy that first Taylor) I rarely let a day go by when I don't pick up that Taylor and play a while.

[tnfiddler]

When I first started playing guitar, I had an Art & Lutherie guitar which was ok, but nothing special.  I don't remember exactly what turned me on to Taylor guitars, but I was surfing the web and found my 1995 810 at Steilberg String Instruments in Louisville, Ky.  I called them and talked to them about it and found out that a lady had bought in new in '95, hurt her arm not long after that and kept it with plans of getting back into playing.  That day never came and it sat under her bed in the case for many years until she traded it in.  I got it within just a few days of her trading it in and I ended up with a 12 year old "new" guitar with just one spot on it.  It's the easiest playing guitar I've ever owned and just has "IT" in every way!  I've owned 10 other Taylors and a couple of fabulous ones, but the 810 is the only one that I'll never let go.  I've jumped into the Bourgeois family now, but will always be a Taylor guitar fan and owner! I can see a Grand Pacific in my future too!!

[sacredground]

Great thread!

Yep, the neck and playability combined with the sound of my 1995 810. I went through a boutique phase and had some Goodalls, a Breedlove custom build and two Charis SJ’s come and go. I’m back with Taylor because my 914 compares very well with $8-10K guitars in playability and tone. Still have a Lowden Old Lady that I adore. See http://www.lowdenguitars.com/guitar-range-oldlady

[Black-n-Tan]

I have found a guitar lessons at Youtube -"Shut up & Play". The guy used to play 214ce-K-Dlx. I liked the sound so much. At that time I have no idea of Taylors at all. Once I came at local music store for a new set of strings for my old Ibanez and they just brought a few Taylors. And there was 214-K-DLX among! I did not expect to spend such amount of money, but when I strummed it I just gone. Call my wife and she said -get it.

In Russia to pay $$$$ for a hobby guitar is VERY unusual. Maybe for professionals only. Some folks look at me as to a crazy. What? You spent so much for guitar? 
But I am really happy with sound and playability 

[Gamehenge757]

For me it was two-fold. First the sustainability efforts of the company really struck a nerve with me, not just the tree farms and what not, but the sustainability of the guitars themselves. Having come fresh off a neck reset on a vintage guild, and weighing the costs of that bs vs the cost of a reset on a Taylor was painful. Second was the tone, playability and aesthetic appeal of the particular model I fell for, I’ve owned and played other rosewood/spruce combos, but this one just got the right place in my ear. And the necks really are amazingly fast and comfortable.

[jjrpilot-admin]

I know this will sound silly, but I knew that most upper name brands were made of all solid wood.  Taylors NT made me go with them.  Knowing that it's not a matter of "if" but "when" a guitar needs a neck reset, Taylor won me over with the neck reset being such an easy process.  Obviously the sound of Taylors made them that much more attractive.

[Edward]

Lots of good acoustics out there, the "big names" and scores of others, to be sure.  But like our fearless leader above, it was the NT the clinched it for me. 

Playability and tone were and are still up in the top tier of requirements, but Taylor's NT sits squarely in the top-3 criteria of any acoustic purchase because it assures that the great-playing guitar I have at that moment will stay that way throughout its life, and easily beyond mine

Edward

[Gabrielobrien]

Ooh what a cool thread! I first learned about Taylors as a repair tech. I worked on guitars in an Ohio music store for 17 years and their tone and build quality immediately impressed me. This was in the early days of the Internet, so I went on their website and watched their Factory Fridays videos and learned how they make things. Then I started seeing them pop up on stages, in the hands of some people I liked such as Dave Matthews. Back then you couldn't be a dealer if there was one within 30 miles, so when a store dropped them (or was dropped by them more likely) the store that I then worked at swooped them up. I got to know my reps and various folks at Taylor over the years and now have written for their website and make videos for them.

[beninma]

Reputation for quality & innovation.  NT neck joint, knowing I would not be paying for an expensive neck reset if needed on a Taylor.  Reputation for guitars that were correctly built without flaws.

I had 2 acoustic guitars prior to my Taylor, both had quality issues.   I also had gotten my first electric guitar, it also had quality issues, but they were issues (electronic) I was able to address myself.

My Taylor is the only guitar I've bought that had/has 0 quality issues.

The other thing was there is a high quality "flagship" dealer that stocks Taylor nearby.  I had bought my previous 2 acoustics from Guitar Center which was a really bad experience, especially given both guitars had quality issues and GC could not really handle them well.   I can pretty much go in there and try almost any Taylor in a safe/comfortable environment and the staff is very helpful.

Sustainability is a big plus for me but I wasn't aware of that till after the fact.

[Violeiro]

The sound, right next to it the playability....so much fun, love the action, the neck...the name Taylor...but the top is Taylor Swift 😁

[AVTaylor83]

For me it was the tone, the comfort of the neck, and the GA body style.

I was style getting started as a player back then. I didn’t know about brand name guitars. I just knew I loved the sound of Taylors.

And to this day, they’re the standard I hold all guitars to.

[bigtim]

I did not know anything about any acoustic for that matter. I know the name brands and all but that was it. I was looking to go a different direction in my music. I wanted a good guitar but did not know where to start or even look for. Now do not get me wrong I know my electrics quite well but an acoustic is a different animal. I wound up with a GS6 I found locally for sale. I knew I wanted a good bright sound and it had what I was looking for. It is a beautiful guitar through and through. I love the big sound and it rings out nice. I love the ebony fretboard too. I like the fancy inlays on guitars but there is something about a bound ebony fretboard with just dot inlays that is attractive and tasteful to me.

I own a Taylor but I only am familiar with the Grand Symphony series really like my GS6 is. I know there is a 5,6,7 and 8 in the 2006 GS series although I do not know all of the woods they were available in other than maple which is the GS6.  I am not educated yet on the number series Taylor has and I like a large body. Which this one is a full size guitar it is still comfortable to play. And that is another thing, it plays so well compared to a ton of other acoustics I have tried. I guess that fact it looks great, is easy to play, sounds fabulous and it is made here in America. I love it actually.

[Piccard]

They build wonderful nylon stringed, slim neck guitars. The first one I purchased I fell in love with. That purchase convinced me of Taylor quality and since then I’ve purchased others.