Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF

Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: tdavis on August 26, 2020, 01:02:14 PM

Title: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: tdavis on August 26, 2020, 01:02:14 PM
Has anyone had the opportunity to play, or actually purchase one of the new Taylor "American Dream" models? I am seriously considering buying the natural Spruce/Ovankol AD17's since I'm not an all-mahogany fan, and the black top doesn't do anything for me.

I'd have to order online without playing first since none of the Taylor dealers here locally have any of them. So, I'd like to know from some here what to expect.

Thanks!
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: tdavis on August 26, 2020, 03:54:48 PM
Well...I guess you can call me impulsive, or "early adopter". I just pulled the trigger on an AD17 with a blonde Sitka top and Ovankol back/sides. It should be on my doorstep in a couple of days, then I guess I can do a NGD review!  ;)
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: Strumming Fool on August 26, 2020, 04:10:28 PM
I'll bet you'll like it. I'm a big fan of the tone of the sitka/ovangkol 400s. I have played a few Grand Pacifics, and my guess is that it will be a match made in Heaven! Congrats in advance, and keep us posted....
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: TaylorGirl on August 26, 2020, 07:40:57 PM
Great, fill us in when you get it. I'm also an Ovangkol fan.
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: boneuphtoner on August 27, 2020, 09:34:41 AM
Good for you!  I remember reading there there were members on this forum that actually prefer ovangkol to the other tonewoods.

These are great guitars - I love my AD27
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: tdavis on August 27, 2020, 01:47:35 PM
Good for you!  I remember reading there there were members on this forum that actually prefer ovangkol to the other tonewoods.

These are great guitars - I love my AD27

I hope mine is. My only issue is that I hope the matte finish (it's not "silent satin") doesn't make the guitar feel cheap. How is yours?
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: boneuphtoner on August 28, 2020, 05:38:13 PM
Good for you!  I remember reading there there were members on this forum that actually prefer ovangkol to the other tonewoods.

These are great guitars - I love my AD27

I hope mine is. My only issue is that I hope the matte finish (it's not "silent satin") doesn't make the guitar feel cheap. How is yours?

The silent satin looks and feels amazing to the touch - however it’s slippery nature ultimately led to me ditching what at the time was my favorite Taylor ever, the 324ce BE.  I anchor my arm on the top when I play, and the slippery finish led to the guitar slipping and sliding all over the place.  I hated to part with it, but the unstable playing was affecting my playing.  I think the armrest played a role too but I’ve heard others who have complained about the same things.

The AD finish isn’t nearly as slippery, and that’s a great thing for me!  The woods have not been sanded quite as smooth as say, the back wood on a 317 (I owned one last year) which has satin sapele.  You can See it up close and you can sort of feel it, but it is far smoother than Eastman guitars “open pore” finish which is even less sanded.  I don’t think it feels cheap at all.

In terms of tone and performance, I would rate it slightly higher than the 324ce BE.  Out of the box the bass was stronger whereas I needed 56 gauge strings to get what I wanted out of the 324ce BE.  The AD27 has a more even tone across the fretboard whereas the 324ce BE had a few notes that were hyper-resonant like the G and A on the 1st string.
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: boneuphtoner on August 29, 2020, 09:48:35 AM
One other thing, I just listened to Taylor’s most recent prime time episode last night, and the guy that plays the songs there, Andy Lunn, who knows Taylors product line very well, says the AD27 is his favorite mahogany guitar that Taylor has ever built - I agree with him, but his knowledge and experience count for a lot more than mine

So rest assured tdavis this will be an awesome guitar!
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: tdavis on August 29, 2020, 10:26:07 AM
One other thing, I just listened to Taylor’s most recent prime time episode last night, and the guy that plays the songs there, Andy Lunn, who knows Taylors product line very well, says the AD27 is his favorite mahogany guitar that Taylor has ever built - I agree with him, but his knowledge and experience count for a lot more than mine

So rest assured tdavis this will be an awesome guitar!

Well, it ought to be on my front porch when I get off work today! I have that typical "new guitar day" excitement going on! Lol! I can't wait...
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: tdavis on September 04, 2020, 09:13:26 AM
Wellllllll...finally got the AD17 yesterday! And...sent it back to the source this morning. I don't want to slam the guitar, because there are some that will love it. I just discovered that I am NOT a fan of "open pore" satin finishes on a guitar...or satin finishes as a whole. I just really prefer a gloss finish.

But, the good news is that the sound and playability are very much "Taylor".
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: boneuphtoner on September 04, 2020, 10:14:32 AM
Wellllllll...finally got the AD17 yesterday! And...sent it back to the source this morning. I don't want to slam the guitar, because there are some that will love it. I just discovered that I am NOT a fan of "open pore" satin finishes on a guitar...or satin finishes as a whole. I just really prefer a gloss finish.

But, the good news is that the sound and playability are very much "Taylor".

The open pore finish that Taylor uses is a cost saving measure no doubt, and in my mind that is the only thing that you would visually notice about this guitar that would indicate that - it does not look or feel as smooth as the satin finish on the 300 series, or the silent satin finish which is nicer still.  But Taylor's open pore finish is actually much more refined than the one on Eastman's lower level line.


But tdavis brings up a point I had in the back of my mind - Has anyone noticed that most of Taylors released the past couple of years are some variation on the satin theme? - I can't recall any of them with the gloss finish offhand.  I'm sure this is a manufacturing cost savings, but I do like the gloss finish also.
Title: Re: "American Dream" AD17
Post by: Shutterbug on September 04, 2020, 10:49:27 AM
Wellllllll...finally got the AD17 yesterday! And...sent it back to the source this morning. I don't want to slam the guitar, because there are some that will love it. I just discovered that I am NOT a fan of "open pore" satin finishes on a guitar...or satin finishes as a whole. I just really prefer a gloss finish.

But, the good news is that the sound and playability are very much "Taylor".

The open pore finish that Taylor uses is a cost saving measure no doubt, and in my mind that is the only thing that you would visually notice about this guitar that would indicate that - it does not look or feel as smooth as the satin finish on the 300 series, or the silent satin finish which is nicer still.  But Taylor's open pore finish is actually much more refined than the one on Eastman's lower level line.


But tdavis brings up a point I had in the back of my mind - Has anyone noticed that most of Taylors released the past couple of years are some variation on the satin theme? - I can't recall any of them with the gloss finish offhand.  I'm sure this is a manufacturing cost savings, but I do like the gloss finish also.

I've always held that a high end guitar should have a gloss finish. I don't know exactly why I feel that way, but when you're paying four or five grand for a guitar, a matte finish just seems like a cheap way to go. It's like buying a Mercedes AMG and having roll-up windows.

I can't wait to try the ADC-17, and I'm not at all deterred by an "open pore" finish...