Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: Edward on February 14, 2023, 12:48:29 PM
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Just noting and musing aloud here so nothing even close to "data" at all. But I've noticed in maybe the past year or so of casually browsing through various forums' for-sale classifieds that the Taylors I see are all newish, as in within a year to three old. I have zero idea if that's trend, a mere blip on the radar, or significant in any way so no real "conclusion" to be drawn except my casual thought: are folks holding on to their "older" Taylors? That perhaps after a bevy of this and that new wood spec, new bracing, even new body style that the "new" has perhaps not impressed those who have the "old" build Taylors? Aint startin a fight, just wondering aloud as I know where I sit. Chime in with your thoughts, musings, analysis, or learned wisdom! :D
Edward
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I wonder how much of that turn over is at the intersection of COVID and the oft touted statistic of "10% of people who set out to learn guitar actually stay with it."
Scott
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I wonder how much of that turn over is at the intersection of COVID and the oft touted statistic of "10% of people who set out to learn guitar actually stay with it."
Scott
Very nicely stated, Scott. I'm a guitar instructor, and I've been surprised how many people, in the past three years, have begun their guitar journey, only to give it up soon after. The number of give-ups compared to stick-with-its is far greater now than it's ever been.
Edward, after I read your post, I went to Craigslist and keyed in Taylor Guitar. It seems the ratio of new (past 5 years) to old guitars is about 70/30. I'm seeing a lot of GS Minis, 110s, and Academy 10/14s for sale -- which supports Scott's point about beginners, enthusiastic in the beginning, giving up shortly thereafter.
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I suspect it is a number of factors:
- plague start-ups that have now dropped out as life normalizes again
- normal beginner attrition
- moving from 100 series entry level up the food chain into 300 series and higher models
- dissatisfaction with V-bracing (not trying to start a New Coke / Original Coke debate)
- less need recently for travel guitars like the GS Mini
I was reluctant for a while to part with some of my X-braced Taylor guitars knowing that they would now be impossible to replace in kind with new ones. Taylor won't build another X-braced 414, for example. But there are plenty of used examples in the market if that ever became an issue for me. There are always 100+ sales of entry level guitars for every five sales of 800 series, just based on price point alone. Lots of people buy a Ford Focus; comparatively few buy a high-end Mercedes or BMW.
As a private teacher, there have been many guitar and ukulele students that took lessons for 2-6 months, but few that stuck around longer. I like to think that I gave them the tools for effective self-study without me, but it could be simple drop-out.
When I first got involved in martial arts back in the mid-70's there was one tae kwon do chain that advertised "....$500 total through black belt, including uniforms...". Of course, they knew that 97% of new students never get to black belt level, and only maybe 10% even get to the lower brown belts, so they had collected up front for lessons that would never be used. Clever marketing....
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The Market is flooded with low end Taylors of late. don't forget post pandemic, now near recession inflation. Guitars are on hold, and cash is needed.
I think folks are hanging on to their prized older Taylor's, they were a bargain my oldest Taylor is a 2014, I have 10, 5 are Engelmann topped.
I am done buying, I love the sound each makes, especially after fifteen /twenty + years.
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Hmmm, the "beginning guitar" thing sounds like a very plausible explanation for part of it, particularly given what types of guitars are on sale.
That said, I am also seeing Taylor's "main line" 300+ series guits within a few years old on sale with regularity, but not so with the older, say, "pre-Andy" guits (more or less, not exclusively "Andy" models, of course). All anecdotal observations, of course, and just wondering aloud. It's likely a combination of a bunch of things, of course. Interesting thoughts, though, to be sure!
Edward
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Casual observation about used Taylors for sale...
Just noting and musing aloud here so nothing even close to "data" at all. But I've noticed in maybe the past year or so of casually browsing through various forums' for-sale classifieds that the Taylors I see are all newish, as in within a year to three old. I have zero idea if that's trend, a mere blip on the radar, or significant in any way so no real "conclusion" to be drawn except my casual thought: are folks holding on to their "older" Taylors? That perhaps after a bevy of this and that new wood spec, new bracing, even new body style that the "new" has perhaps not impressed those who have the "old" build Taylors? Aint startin a fight, just wondering aloud as I know where I sit. Chime in with your thoughts, musings, analysis, or learned wisdom! :D
Edward
I think thoughts about the pandemic effect on the market are valid, and may be the chief reason behind selling new model Taylors.
I am happy with the Taylors (and others) I have, and am not even passively seeking more. Being semi-retired has of course a lot to do with it, especially swimming in the shallow end of the financial pool. But, never say never . . .
Stuff happens.
Don