Kinda surprising not as much interest in the new slope from Taylor as I expected. ...
I'm not surprised at all.
The dred shape has long since been the veritable "trademark" of Martin and the innumerable Martin-esque guitars, which ranges from the ubiquitous Yamaha and Takamine on the low end, up the chain to the high-end small builders who try to out-Martin Martin. That sound is indelibly etched in many a player's mind, which explains why so many (eg. other forums, particularly
that one
) derides Taylors so often.
Taylor has never "been known" for their dreds that I recall. Their playability, their neck and innovations, their build quality and consistency, their company ethic, their tone, their GA/GS ...these have been their hallmark. That dred shape almost seems like it was something Taylor "had" to do for these decades, but it never was their bread and butter, nor did they ever really seem to be bothered by it, almost as if they relegated that segment to the other guys.
The so-called "slope dred" body is an even narrower niche of the dred. That there seems to be little interest here is not surprising as perhaps we are not "that" player. Yet look around at other forums, and that "other" type of player (call em the "traditional" set, the bluegrass crowd, or the like) is showing marked interest.
Like so many changes Powers has brought to Taylor, it now seems he/Taylor are no longer relegating that to the other guys. Head on, he/they are challenging the status quo. Um, like they did in 1974. So while I have no personal interest in this new guitar, I have a sideline interest in its effect on the market. Bob and Kurt's little upstart has created a sea change in a scant few decades. I see this baton being passed to Andy, and the original ethic seems to be alive and well.
Edward
