Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: Strumming Fool on July 30, 2014, 07:37:18 PM
-
Now that I have a full understanding of Taylor's 40th anniversary offerings, I've decided to go the BTO route. Order placed today for:
Non-cutaway GA with ES1
Heavily figured, symmetrical bear claw spruce top with edgeburst finish
Adirondack CV bracing
Macassar ebony back and sides
Bone nut and saddle
Cocobolo binding and rosette with red purfling
Multi-colored ebony headstock overlay (matching gloss truss rod cover)
Multi-colored ebony fretboard and bridge
Gotoh 510s antique gold tuners
Hopefully, I'll see it in the standard eight-week timeframe! This will make seven GAs, none with rosewood (yet....)
-
Sounds awesome! Gonna stay tuned for this one. Wow!
-
Mmm...sounds delicious! Can't wait to see how this one looks! :D
-
Sounds fantastic! Can't wait for pics. Hope you have a short wait 8)
-
Gorgeous. Can't wait to see it. Maple neck?
-
Nice choices in wood. I think this will look stunning and sound great. It will be a long eight weeks. ;D
-
SF just dropped into DefCon 1 with those specs! Looking forward to seeing your victory :D
Edward
-
Outstanding. Let the countdown begin. :)
-
Gorgeous. Can't wait to see it. Maple neck?
No, mahogany - I like the maple neck on my 2012 BTO, but I'm more accustomed to mahogany necks...
-
Sounds purdy.....will stay tuned!
-
...will stay tuned!
Ha! You made a musical pun! :D
Sounds like a cool build, "SF!" I'll be interested to hear your impressions of that wood combination (Spruce/Macassar); it's one I've considered as well.
-
Wow! Sounds wonderful. I'm so happy for you. Hope everything goes as scheduled and the 8 weeks is a breeze!
-
So Taylor feels that the desert sunburst would clash with the Macassar ebony, so I made one change below:
Non-cutaway GA with ES1
Heavily figured, symmetrical bear claw spruce top with shaded edgeburst finish
Adirondack CV bracing
Wildly figured Macassar ebony back and sides
Bone nut and saddle
Cocobolo binding and rosette with red purfling
Multi-colored ebony headstock overlay (matching gloss truss rod cover)
Multi-colored ebony fretboard and bridge
Gotoh 510s antique gold tuners
I'm also considering changing the red purfling to blue -- I'll keep y'all posted!
-
crap ! I was really excited to see it in desert burst ! I love that color. I keep drooling over the 614ce that Ted has on his website.
-
I love edgeburst and prefer it over desert, personally! So while it ain't my guitar, I can still celebrate vicariously through another :D
Edward
-
Taylor said that the edgeburst would show off the bear claw figure better than any standard burst. I'm also sticking with the red purfling with the cocobolo binding and rosette....and now we wait!
-
Did you actually see a piece of "wildly figured" Macassar Ebony, or just requested one?
Hasn't been too much of that in their stock last couple of years..
They were out of Macassar for a time, and have had some pieces with more straight and streaked stuff...
But they are always looking for and getting new sources, its kind of the luck of the draw in timing for availability sometimes..
Nice specs, I like your choice on the bear claw too..
Looking at the guitars in your signature, it appears you also like the "exotic" visual wood choices, as do I..
No reason guitars can't look as breathtaking as they sound!
-
That's what I requested. I was deciding between ordering a K24e with upgraded koa and the BTO. The Taylor rep told my dealer that the koa in stock is OK, but the Macassar is really nice. We'll see.....
-
Well the Macassar was nice but not really what I was looking for, so I may be back to the K24e...I'll know better Monday....
-
Well the Macassar was nice but not really what I was looking for, so I may be back to the K24e...I'll know better Monday....
Well, that's a pity! But better to delay the BTO than not get the guitar you truly wanted. All things considered, I don't think a K24e will disappoint you; I've been very happy with my K24ce.
-
Thanks Tim- I'll keep everyone posted....
-
Hi strummingfool!
just wanted to share...Ordered my bto a few years back. I wanted striped Macassar and sinker redwood top. well low and behold my dealer messaged me that the current macassar was not striped but had some real cool colors running through it I said okay, figured why not something different? I was later informed there was no sinker redwood available...so I opted for a redwood top with edgeburst. I was elated by the results and am very happy but a small piece of me wishes I would have waited. Bottom line...Get what you want even if you have to wait...worth it in the long run!!!!
-
Well even though the Macassar was not the one, I think you could not go wrong with Koa. Koa is very nice to look at if you get the AA grade, and a nice finish. If memory serves me, don't you have a couple of Mahogany models. Well anyway I would love to have a K24. Doing it BTO style will be excellent. ;)
-
hmm...k24e with the desertburst ?????? I don't think you could ever " drink that one pretty" !!!! :o :o
-
Edgeburst on Koa looks phenominal!
-
hmm...k24e with the desertburst ?????? I don't think you could ever " drink that one pretty" !!!! :o :o
Desert burst is only offered on non-hardwood tops for that reason. Edgeburst is normally used on hardwood tops, but I have seen it on spruce tops as well.
-
Well even though the Macassar was not the one, I think you could not go wrong with Koa. Koa is very nice to look at if you get the AA grade, and a nice finish. If memory serves me, don't you have a couple of Mahogany models. Well anyway I would love to have a K24. Doing it BTO style will be excellent. ;)
Just one hog - a 2013 FLTD 514. Actually, I'm still thinking about the Macassar in the pics they sent - it is still pretty nice - very stripey. I'll decide between the K24e and the BTO today....or tomorrow!
-
Edgeburst it is. Macassar set has been chosen. We're sticking with the red purfling.
-
Suwheeeeet!
And given some of the reddish/brown hues that often accompany macassar, I think the red purling is a good compliment. Can't wait ...for you :)
Edward
-
You'll love the Gotohs' if you don't already have a set on one of your other guitars.
Course mine are just nickle but they are awesome tuners. A pic so you can imagine what they'll look like in antique gold on you new guitar
-
Thanks Soaz-
I actually have Gotohs on my three newer GAs below in my signature...I love 'em! I've actually replaced the buttons on all of them with Gotoh style wooden buttons. My 2011 BTO has Macassar ebony buttons to match the fingerboard and bridge; my 2012 BTO has snakewood buttons to go with the koa binding; my 2013 FLTD has Madagascar rosewood buttons to go with the rosewood bindings. I have a set of cocobolo buttons waiting for this latest BTO to go with the cocobolo bindings - should look cool!
-
Suwheeeeet!
And given some of the reddish/brown hues that often accompany macassar, I think the red purling is a good compliment. Can't wait ...for you :)
Edward
Not sure that there'll be much red, but you never can tell once the finish is applied. Here's the back set I chose:
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa445/abpurfling/macassar1_zps84064ccd.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/abpurfling/media/macassar1_zps84064ccd.jpg.html)
-
Wow....gonna be beautiful. :)
-
Great looking set. Love the multiple colorations in it.
Congrats!
-
Oh yeah...that's gonna look great! By the looks of the pieces, you'll have a narrow strip of sapwood and lots of lovely mac-stripey goodness! And the outer edges of your lumber definitely have a subtle reddish hue going on, at least on my monitor. Niiiice! :)
Edward
-
Wow! #13 is the new lucky number... ;D
-
Yeah, that BTO is going to be a showpiece! Hope it sounds every bit as good as it'll look!
-
Thanks for all the encouragement, guys.
Some background: I was looking for wildly figured macassar, which would have probably had to have been flat sawn. In an indirect conversation with Joe Bina (Taylor's wood guy), I understand that Andy Powers is now directing the procurement of mostly quarter-sawn wood, because that's what he likes to design around and build with. A new shipment of macassar had come in, but this remained the prettiest of the sets for me. I was contemplating having a Bourgeois OM built for me, but the macassar that was available was way too plain for my taste.
So on we go: I'm looking forward to how this one comes out. Heavy symmetrical bear claw figuring on the spruce top should look great with an edgeburst finish, and the cocobolo binding/rosette (with red purfling) should pull it all together. Hopefully, Taylor will have highly figured ebony for the peghead, fingerboard and bridge. There should be a lot to look at once this is done!
-
Looking at your signature you have a bunch of beauties already, but this is going to be an outstanding addition! Keep us in the loop.
-
Just heard from Martin Music that Taylor is shipping my new BTO today...can't wait to see this bohemian beauty! I'll share pics shortly after it arrives...
-
Wahooo. Its almost NGD!
-
Just heard from Martin Music that Taylor is shipping my new BTO today...can't wait to see this bohemian beauty! I'll share pics shortly after it arrives...
You'd better!!! ;)
;D
-
Wow, that seemed quick. Can't wait to see it.
-
Wow! What an amazing spec. Really keen to see how that looks and also hear what ebony back and sides sounds like.
Shine on,
Pat
-
Exciting, can't wait to see it! I've always been curious - are the Taylor BTO "list prices" THE price, or is there negotiation depending on all that you order?
-
Exciting, can't wait to see it! I've always been curious - are the Taylor BTO "list prices" THE price, or is there negotiation depending on all that you order?
They're truly list prices...your dealer will discount those prices based on his/her arrangement with Taylor.
-
Exciting, can't wait to see it! I've always been curious - are the Taylor BTO "list prices" THE price, or is there negotiation depending on all that you order?
They're truly list prices...your dealer will discount those prices based on his/her arrangement with Taylor.
OK, so any "off list" from that pricing is the dealer's to decide. I guess I kinda knew that, but was wondering what to expect on average.
-
Indeed, that was fast. Can't wait to see it.
-
Exciting, can't wait to see it! I've always been curious - are the Taylor BTO "list prices" THE price, or is there negotiation depending on all that you order?
They're truly list prices...your dealer will discount those prices based on his/her arrangement with Taylor.
OK, so any "off list" from that pricing is the dealer's to decide. I guess I kinda knew that, but was wondering what to expect on average.
Others may want to chime in, but discounts could vary over a wide range, depending on the dealer...
$%
-
Hey Strumming Fool! Looks like you have a beautiful guitar coming any day now.
I noticed on your original specs you ordered the ES1. I'm curious about why you chose ES1 over ES2?
Can't wait to see the pics!
-
Hey Strumming Fool! Looks like you have a beautiful guitar coming any day now.
I noticed on your original specs you ordered the ES1. I'm curious about why you chose ES1 over ES2?
Can't wait to see the pics!
My understanding is that due to the uneven density of bone, getting a good plugged-in sound is a bit trickier with the ES2. Since I'm happy with ES1.3 and I wanted bone nut and saddle, I thought it made more sense. I do like the ES2 on my 2013 FLTD 514 though....
-
Can't wait to see pictures of it. I am pretty sure you will love the macassar. I did a BTO GC 12 fret with macassar and redwood. I like it a lot. Just put pictures a few days ago on the "Taylor guitar photos" page. Enjoy it!
-
Well gang, my BTO arrived at my FLGS yesterday, and I went to pick it up today. To sum it up, Taylor made several errors with the specs: no bear claw figure on the top and no multicolored ebony on the headstock, fretboard or bridge as ordered. I was pretty bummed.
Mind you, the guitar is still beautiful with its edgeburst finished top, and the Macassar ebony turned out to be beautiful (probably the best visual feature of the guitar). Fit and finish were spot on. It played very well and sounded very nice. At the end of the day, I couldn't bond with it.
My dealer was already on the phone with Taylor yesterday, expressing his displeasure with their poor performance on this custom build. They have already assured him that they will do what it takes to make this right. The bad news is that they would have to start a brand new build from scratch, using a different Macassar set than I had originally chosen. In any case, be on the lookout for this guitar at a roadshow coming to your area - that's probably where it will end up.
I may go back to my other alternative, which was a K24e with upgraded koa. My dealer also showed me some other wonderful guitars from other makers today (Collings, Bourgeois, etc.) that I may consider, but I'm still leaning towards Taylor, as they are responsible for the six marvelous GAs I own today. I'll keep you all posted!
-
I'm a strong believer that when these types of things happen, they happen for a reason. Mark my words, you will be much happier with whatever you end up with (not that this guitar is bad or anything). You personally will connect with something bigger. Sorry for the added wait, though. I had to wait twice as long for my 512ce, because of a defect. Patience is a virtue. Keep us posted.
-
That must be very disappointing, sorry.
I assume those details were clearly written on the build sheet you approved?
I know there are no places to put those types of specific values (bearclaw, wood figure, etc) other than to hand write them in usually.
I have been fortunate to do a number of BTOs over the years.
Luckily, all exceeded expectations.
They did get a requested detail wrong on one of them (a binding strip was placed down the back that I did not want or request). I considered not accepting it, or returning it for a bit. But I did wind up bonding with its tone, playability and looks pretty quickly, and decided it was a keeper and its wood pattern was irreplaceable for sure. It tends to be a fave now.
I got lucky. But I can understand the pain of waiting through the build process to not get what you asked for. It's too expensive to not be happy with what you recieve.
-
Well, that is a bummer! Hard to imagine that they would get the order that far off, but we're all human, I guess... Susie is correct: as annoying as the outcome with this guitar is, things do happen for a reason. And believe me (and without digressing into the details of my situation): right now, I'm trying hard to remember that myself...
Heck, if the guitar had a cutaway, I might be tempted to consider it. Given my current situation, it's probably just as well... So again, things happened for a reason...! ;)
-
That must be very disappointing, sorry.
I assume those details were clearly written on the build sheet you approved?
Oh yeah!
I know there are no places to put those types of specific values (bearclaw, wood figure, etc) other than to hand write them in usually.
And that's what we did (also with complete success in the past)
I have been fortunate to do a number of BTOs over the years.
Luckily, all exceeded expectations.
Same here - I have two marvelous Taylor BTOs today, so three should have been a charm, right?
-
Thanks for the support, guys. I really am at peace with this. I know it will turn out fine in the end. (I still trust Taylor to do the right thing after all my great experiences with them.) In fact, after the event today, I went out and bought myself a new suit (long overdue), and took my wife out for a romantic Italian dinner - so all is well, and God is still good!
In the grand scheme of life's challenges, this is pretty minor by comparison....
Thanks again!
-
Thanks for the support, guys. I really am at peace with this. I know it will turn out fine in the end. (I still trust Taylor to do the right thing after all my great experiences with them.) In fact, after the event today, I went out and bought myself a new suit (long overdue), and took my wife out for a romantic Italian dinner - so all is well, and God is still good!
In the grand scheme of life's challenges, this is pretty minor by comparison....
Thanks again!
Sorry about that Strumming :( I also feel bad for your dealer...I bet they felt horrible.
-
How disappointing! I know you have experience with BTOs and have not had problems before, but if I ever do one I'm going to go out to Taylor and hand pick all the wood.
-
The worst part is all the terrible guitars in your stable that you'll have to keep playing in lieu of this one. I mean, your list of GA's, I bet they all sound horrible. Depressing, really.
Kidding! LOL!
On a side note, I am very interested in how your 514 with engleman top sounds. You wouldn't have any clips I could listen to of this one, do you? (I have a 514 cedar top that sounds outrageous, but I recently heard a rosewood with engleman that I was amazed with and would like to hear the tone of your hog with engleman if you have the recording.)
-
I am very interested in how your 514 with engleman top sounds. You wouldn't have any clips I could listen to of this one, do you? (I have a 514 cedar top that sounds outrageous, but I recently heard a rosewood with engleman that I was amazed with and would like to hear the tone of your hog with engleman if you have the recording.)
My 514 actually has a European spruce top, and the guitar has plenty of clarity, bass and sweetness that rounds out its characteristic midrange response. I did own a 514 with an Engelmann top, which I traded in for this one. It was a beautiful example of what Taylor can do with this wood combination. I do not have a recording handy, but I will tell you that Engelmann provides that perfect balance between cedar and Sitka, possessing the best qualities of each.
The 514 I did own was traded in for my current 514, but it was a close call. That 2001 514 is still for sale at Martin Music for a very decent price. If I had to name its major drawback, it would be that it had the Fishman barn door opening (which I later upgraded to an ES1.3, along with a complete refresh package at Taylor in 2010). Here's the link in case you're interested.
http://www.martinmusicguitar.com/store/acoustic-guitars/taylor/used-2001-taylor-514ce-engelmann-spruce-mahogany-mahogany-burst-9106.html
-
That's really interesting how they resolved where to put the knobs for the new ES, right in the barn door! Amazing.
D
-
That's really interesting how they resolved where to put the knobs for the new ES, right in the barn door! Amazing.
D
Yeah, it's actually got a lower profile than the Fishman as well, so it looks less obtrusive. By the way, that honeyburst finish looks less brassy in person than in the photos. I should mention that this same shop also has a brand new 2013 FLTD (like mine- European spruce/figured mahogany) for sale that's also worth your consideration. Have fun!