Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: VTexan on August 25, 2016, 10:17:25 AM
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I enjoyed the thread a while back on Taylor's stance and efforts to more effectively use ebony, including the wood that wasn't pure black.
Fast-forward to this morning where I'm changing out strings on my 2012 314ce and I started noticing color variation I hadn't noticed before (see attached picture). Compared to some, it appears subtle, but there's some clear variation there.
Question: does anyone know when Taylor started using the not-all-black wood for necks?
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Nice-looking too! Thanks for sharing....
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I'm not sure when they started, but I would assume yours is an early one. Looks great.
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I'm not sure when they started, but my 2002 414 has a couple nice streaks in it.
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My 1997 Cujo had some "smoke" on the bridge when new, but it has since darkened.
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Nice to hear it's not just my 'magination. ;D
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I think that Taylor began to "advertise" its use of multicolored ebony in 2012. This was the year that I was able to order a BTO with marbled ebony on the fretboard, bridge and peg head overlay.
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Cool. Wouldn't mind seeing a picture of that...(hint-hint)
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Cool. Wouldn't mind seeing a picture of that...(hint-hint)
Here we go...
fingerboard
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa445/abpurfling/Morticiafingerboard.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/abpurfling/media/Morticiafingerboard.jpg.html)
headstock
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa445/abpurfling/Morticiaheadstock.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/abpurfling/media/Morticiaheadstock.jpg.html)
bridge
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa445/abpurfling/Morticiafrontcloseup.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/abpurfling/media/Morticiafrontcloseup.jpg.html)
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Well there ya go. Beautiful stuff. Everyone's got an opinion, and they sure don't have to agree with me. But I really like the whole streaky thing on the fretboard thing. I like the reason behind it, and then the way it looks. To me it takes something that was black or dark brown, and gives it dimension where there was little there before. It also makes each guitar necessarily like no other. Period.
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Here's the Ebony headstock of my 2011 916ce. I love the contrasting colors...
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That's really pretty - thanks for sharing!
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At first I was a bit apprehensive but now I have grown to like the skunking. There are some boards that look amazing and some that look awkward. The art is ones own perspective.
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I almost forgot about this cell phone photo taken on August 16th at Guitar Center. I love striped ebony fretboards. :) This one is a beauty!
(http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz235/MusicForumPics/IMG_0635.jpg)
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That one is very cool!
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Ebony is the only fingerboard I like. All my guitars have ebony fingerboards. Its a deal breaker. I like it for the feel and don't really care too much about the look. However I do think the streaky fingerboards look great and its such a sensible way to use this rare wood. Top marks for Taylor's decision to be sensible.
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Here's the Ebony headstock of my 2011 916ce. I love the contrasting colors...
This is an interesting thread. I suppose I really don't pay much attention to these kinds of things unless they are really noticeable. However, the picture of your 916ce headstock made me look at my own 2016 914ce, and sure enough I have that coloration too, but to a lesser degree for whatever reason. I think it looks just fine too. :)
Tony
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I've grown to love the streaking. Makes for a nice conversation. I just don't see it or at least notice it anywhere other than Taylor and I love the way bob tells the story of his decision to embrace the otherwise left behind trees.
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My jury is back in, and Taylor guitars is guilty of using smoky ebony to improve the overall visual appeal of their guitars...
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My jury is back in, and Taylor guitars is guilty of using smoky ebony to improve the overall visual appeal of their guitars...
Bob is also guilty of using natural resources (Ebony Trees) responsibly. For that he will get many years of beautiful guitars.
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I think one of the criticisms of Taylors by some folks who like other guitars better...is that they're not as hand-tooled. That there are TOO many computerized elements at Taylor. And that there is a unanimity (read: lack of individuality) in their guitars. At least that's what I've seen others post.
The varied appearances and colors and streaking of the ebony necks runs precisely counter to that notion. With interesting streaking, that means your Taylor is unlike any other. To me that means you get the precise nature of their manufacturing, but the individuality as manifested in wood. Win/win.
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I think one of the criticisms of Taylors by some folks who like other guitars better...is that they're not as hand-tooled. That there are TOO many computerized elements at Taylor. And that there is a unanimity (read: lack of individuality) in their guitars. At least that's what I've seen others post.
The varied appearances and colors and streaking of the ebony necks runs precisely counter to that notion. With interesting streaking, that means your Taylor is unlike any other. To me that means you get the precise nature of their manufacturing, but the individuality as manifested in wood. Win/win.
Well said. And if I may add, if CNC yields such "undesirable" results, why have most larger guitar companies followed Taylor's lead? CNC has enabled Taylor to use mahogany that in earlier times would have been unsuitable for necks. The result? More available guitar necks with some having unique figuring. Win/win.
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Hey Cindy! You must have a will of stone. I couldn't have passed that one up.