Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: Jersey tuning on February 19, 2014, 10:25:01 AM
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With all the recent discussions on 12-frets, I thought it might be interesting to see how experienced our forum players with guitars other than 6-string steel 14 fret models.
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My most frequently played guitars, including all 14 fret and full scale models, are my Taylor and Froggy Bottom 12-fret short scale models. My baritone gets played fairly regularly, my 12-string and travel guitars (Martin LX1) less so, and my Classical and electric hardly at all.
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I have some hand strength issues left over from a medical event in late 2012, and have nearly stopped playing my 354-LTD 12 string and my 416-LTD baritone 6 string, even with much lighter strings on it. I used to be able to play them for up to 60 minutes, but now anything more than 20 minutes is a problem, and is not likely to fully resolve. I should put them up for sale, rather than let them sit around unplayed, but find it hard to part with them.
I have always avoided 12-fret guitars, since they confuse me. I am so used to 14 frets to the body that when I play up the neck, it takes a long time to find myself hitting the right places.
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I have a similar issue. I used to be mostly a flamenco guitarist but developed focal dystonia in my picking hand some years ago and can no longer finger pick at all. So I had to learn to use a flat pick and switched from playing pretty much nylon string guitars 80% of the time to only flat-picking steel strings. So my flamenco nylons (Hermanos Conde negra /Jesus Bellido blanca) just sit in their cases. :( I can't sell them…there is too much history.
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I have a Fender strat but rarely play the thing. I just love acoustics soo much more :)
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I have a Fender strat but rarely play the thing. I just love acoustics soo much more :)
My electrics aren't feeling much love, but I've got the next 4 days off from work. Hate it for the neighbors. ;)
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My baritone guitar is seeing more and more action. Its already my go-to guitar for several songs, and that low B growl is, well, really satisfying. For those of us who love that visceral connection between ourselves and our instruments, the baritone has it in spades. I expected the longer scale and heavier string gauges to present a challenge played fingerstyle in comparison to my go-to short scale 12-fret guitars, but that really hasn't happened.
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My 12-fret Taylor is my number 2 (after my Lowden).
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My 12-fret Taylor is my number 2 (after my Lowden).
Yeah, my 12-fret Taylor is #2 behind my Froggy Bottom. Just don't tell my wife (Taylor was a gift).
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My new 12 fret 522 is my primary guitar . . . right now by a long shot. I have several and the rest are getting jealous.
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BTW, after #2 Rosie (my GC Taylor EI Rosewood 12-fret) and #1 Froggy, my baritone (Jerome) is currently #3 on the list.
Jerome Hynes was a basso profundo Met Opera star we knew....................
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i would hardly consider a 12 string, 12 fret, nylon, electric or parlor to be a "specialty" guitar because
they have been around for quite some time & their use in recording & performances are very common -
perhaps a baritone, tenor, 7 string (with a low B) or a model whose primary tuning is something
other than standard (concert pitch @ 440hZ), like a LKSM tuned to C#, or even a "non-specialty" steel
6'er either in DADGAD or one of the goo-goo dolls tuning can played to sound "unothodox", but for those
that play them in that tuning on a regular basis, then any of those could be considered "standard" :-\
i can understand, "what is your main go-to guitar ?" if there is one that consistently gets pulled first &
then letting the rest of the chips fall where they may, whether there's one other or a whole bagful
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I agree with michaelw. I have two old tenor guitars, and if one tunes them as designed which is in fifths CGDA, that would certainly fit the specilty bill. But every guitar was a 12 fret for a long time and 12 strings although rarer are common.
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i would hardly consider a 12 string, 12 fret, nylon, electric or parlor to be a "specialty" guitar.......
Ah, but Taylor has.........just check out W & S from a few years back; that's where I got the lingo from.
Maybe we should refer to them as "Mainstream acoustic guitars that have taken a slight detour"
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I play 6- and 7-string (normal 6 strings plus a low B string, sometimes tuned down to A) electrics alongside my steel string acoustics and am looking to add a 12-string and a nylon string this year. Does any of that still count? ;D
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i would hardly consider a 12 string, 12 fret, nylon, electric or parlor to be a "specialty" guitar.......
Ah, but Taylor has.........just check out W & S from a few years back; that's where I got the lingo from.
Maybe we should refer to them as "Mainstream acoustic guitars that have taken a slight detour"
"has" is the key word -
some series used to be separated by body shape, number of strings (12'ers) or type of strings (nylon), but since then the baritones
are no longer standard production models, the 12 strings & nylons have been phased into the numbered series & the 12 fret as well,
or at least in the 5, 7 & 800s they are, as to not have "separatist differentiation" as being "outsiders", which they really aren't anymore
the original 02 NS models were 12 fret GAs, with a slightly shallower body (4 3/8" vs 4 5/8")
ns34
http://www.elderly.com/items/28U-2433.htm (http://www.elderly.com/items/28U-2433.htm)
ns44
http://www.elderly.com/items/28U-1767.htm (http://www.elderly.com/items/28U-1767.htm)
ns54
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/28U-1646.htm (http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/28U-1646.htm)
ns64
http://www.elderly.com/items/28U-1639.htm (http://www.elderly.com/items/28U-1639.htm)
ns74
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/28U-1615.htm (http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/28U-1615.htm)
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I play 6- and 7-string (normal 6 strings plus a low B string, sometimes tuned down to A) electrics alongside my steel string acoustics and am looking to add a 12-string and a nylon string this year. Does any of that still count? ;D
Sure! Going to see a well known pair of 7-string players next week--Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub. I know Ed tunes his low 7 string to A.
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Could it be what we are seeing from Taylor is the result of what sells?
For example, they sell substantially more 800 series guitars than baritones or 12 frets.
They probably sell more steel strings than nylon strings. More nylon strings than Ukuleles.
Percentage wise, the so called "specialty" guitar designation is probably a small overall percentage of total sales.
I could be so super wrong on this, but that would make sense from a marketing standpoint.
I would guess that the acoustic market overall is similar in sales percentages.
When I go to any of the online sites, they always have more inventory in the standard 6 stringers than they do of 12 frets, 12 strings or baritones.
Anyone?
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Just like its easier to find a selection of PB strings at GC than 80-20's-- the former outsells the latter
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Could it be what we are seeing from Taylor is the result of what sells?
For example, they sell substantially more 800 series guitars than baritones or 12 frets.
They probably sell more steel strings than nylon strings. More nylon strings than Ukuleles.
Percentage wise, the so called "specialty" guitar designation is probably a small overall percentage of total sales.
I could be so super wrong on this, but that would make sense from a marketing standpoint.
I would guess that the acoustic market overall is similar in sales percentages.
When I go to any of the online sites, they always have more inventory in the standard 6 stringers than they do of 12 frets, 12 strings or baritones.
Anyone?
Taylor rolled its erstwhile "specialty" 12 fret GC into its standard product line, as sales warranted
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My "collection" of three Grand Auditorium Taylors seems pretty pale by comparison...
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My "collection" of three Grand Auditorium Taylors seems pretty pale by comparison...
You're one Taylor up on me.
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Could it be what we are seeing from Taylor is the result of what sells?
For example, they sell substantially more 800 series guitars than baritones or 12 frets.
They probably sell more steel strings than nylon strings. More nylon strings than Ukuleles.
Percentage wise, the so called "specialty" guitar designation is probably a small overall percentage of total sales.
I could be so super wrong on this, but that would make sense from a marketing standpoint.
I would guess that the acoustic market overall is similar in sales percentages.
When I go to any of the online sites, they always have more inventory in the standard 6 stringers than they do of 12 frets, 12 strings or baritones.
Anyone?
Taylor rolled its erstwhile "specialty" 12 fret GC into its standard product line, as sales warranted
yep ...
the "specialty" moniker was eliminated altogether, the models that weren't selling
well enough were dropped & the ones that are were phased into the standard series
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The baritone 8 is gone for now?
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The baritone 8 is gone for now?
yep ...
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-8 (http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-8)
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-8-mahogany (http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-8-mahogany)
& the 6s too
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-6 (http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-6)
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-6-mahogany (http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/baritone-6-mahogany)
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So far 19 out of 29 voters own electric guitars, and 16 own 12-strings. Only 4 own baritone guitars. 11 own 12-fret guitars and 10 own nylon-stringed guits. 1/3 of electric guitar owners, and fully 1/2 of nylon string owners, rarely play those instruments.
Hopefully we will get a larger sampling of players..........
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It was a little confusing because the 12-frets were right next to the 12-strings, so I passed right over them. And once I clicked the Send button, I couldn't go back and add my 12-fret to my baritone.
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imho, i think the limit of votes per person should have been 6 -
there might be more results if the question posed was not "specialty", but guitars "other than steel
6 string, 14 fret acoustics", as it's hard to see where the T3 hollow body & T5 electric acoustic fit in
here's an older poll, which probably turned out to be primarily steel 6 string responses -
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=1104 (http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=1104)
out of 34, 26 were cutaways with factory electronics, 1 3/4" nut, 25.5" scale & 32 were right handed -
i guess 2 may have been ambidextrous because there were no leftys, but there were no "other" votes :-\
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imho, i think the limit of votes per person should have been 6 -
there might be more results if the question posed was not "specialty", but guitars "other than steel
6 string, 14 fret acoustics", as it's hard to see where the T3 hollow body & T5 electric acoustic fit in
here's an older poll, which probably turned out to be primarily steel 6 string responses -
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=1104 (http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=1104)
out of 34, 26 were cutaways with factory electronics, 1 3/4" nut, 25.5" scale & 32 were right handed -
i guess 2 may have been ambidextrous because there were no leftys, but there were no "other" votes :-\
I think the current survey gives a good sense of the big picture, sort of a quick and dirty summary of everyone's signatures, with a reaffirmation that most responders consider their 6 string acoustic to be their primary instrument. Hindsight--and maybe a course in statistics--might have led to slightly different poll construction.
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In my case, my main guitar now is the 814ce just because my band stopped gigging. But before my band split up, my elec guitar used to be my main axe. :)
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I am a 12-fret short scale fan. I have 5 and I spend more time with them than any of the others.
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I am a 12-fret short scale fan. I have 5 and I spend more time with them than any of the others.
I have 3 -- and likewise spend the most time with them