Not a Taylor but perhaps still of interest

[sachi]

It's not a NGD. This is a test guitar so that Brad and I can choose the woods for the guitar he is going to build for me down the road.

I also have another Carmen en route for trial, made with Tornillo (which is like mahogany.) After I try that one we'll have a pretty good idea what I need.

And btw, I realized that the strings are still wearing in. It finally dawned on me (duh) when I realized the sound was changing every fifteen minutes or so! It may take me a few days to get the full sense of how the guitar works.

I can say it's a delight to look at!

[Cindy]

sachi, this one is Amazon Rosewood? If so, the back is very pretty...from what I can see, I think it looks nicer than the rosewood from the 7xx, 8xx, and 9xx series Taylors.

Since I don't know much about various woods, what can anyone tell me about Amazon Rosewood. Is it as prevalent as EIR? How are its tonal qualities compared to EIR? Thanks for any insight.

[sachi]

Yes, it's Amazon rosewood. It's hard to see the grain because it's VERY dark, but it's a pretty back.

AR is not as common as EIR. It's considered a bit closer toward the Brazilian Rosewood sound, as I recall, although the builder has more effect on the sound than the choice of wood. I doubt I would be able to tell the difference between an EIR guitar or an AR guitar made by the same maker.

[sachi]

A short update: It's warming up nicely. The sustain is much better (just about perfect IMO) and the bass is coming up. It's not as loud as my EC, but then my EC is 13 years older. The clarity of the tone from the Carmen is striking.

With my hearing I sometimes have to work to figure out what it is that makes one guitar sound different from another. At times I strum the Carmen and it sounds like it has more bass than the EC. Yet the same chord also seems to have a higher overall tone. Maybe what I am hearing are harmonics? Overtones? I'll keep playing and figure it out; the clarity will help me.

It's really turning out to be a delight.

[sachi]

Five days in, things seem to be settling down. It is more balanced every time I play it. I've mostly been fingerpicking it, and the bass is a bit quiet when I do that. I guess I should learn to use a thumbpick, because when I play it with a pick the bass is fine. It's still not a loud guitar compared to my EC, although it's not an issue for my playing.

That said, the quality of the sound is quite remarkable. It has a crystal-like clarity that pulls me into the guitar. It's a remarkably lovely sound, quite different from my other guitars.

This guitar has lattice bracing on the top (similar to Somogyi's bracing), and I believe it's Brad's first attempt at it. I've been talking to Brad about my perceptions and I'm sure that his future lattice braced guitars will be even better. That said, I'm really taken by this little thing.

[dougboy1970]

This has been an amazingly interesting post to follow, not only because of the guitar, but because I have a friend with a cochlear implant and reading about your experience navigating the sounds of this guitar has been riveting.  One thing I didn't read was do you think the additional sound hole has been helpful in aiding you to hear the guitar?  I've often wondered when I sing with my guitar without a PA if the volume I'm singing at matches the volume I'm hearing from the guitar, considering the sound hole is throwing sound more forward than to my ears...perhaps that second sound hole would help remedy that...?

[sachi]

Doug, I think the sound port on this one adds a bit of oomph to what I hear. I do not need to lean my head over the front of the guitar to hear it fully; I can just turn my head a bit so that my right ear (and the microphone!) is directed at the sound port. Still, it's a subtle change.

The thing I most appreciate about this guitar is the quite amazing clarity. I can come close to picking out the individual notes of a chord, instead of hearing just a (very pleasant, to be sure) cacaphony of sound. I've never heard anything like it.

[Cindy]

Doug, I think the sound port on this one adds a bit of oomph to what I hear. I do not need to lean my head over the front of the guitar to hear it fully; I can just turn my head a bit so that my right ear (and the microphone!) is directed at the sound port. Still, it's a subtle change.

The thing I most appreciate about this guitar is the quite amazing clarity. I can come close to picking out the individual notes of a chord, instead of hearing just a (very pleasant, to be sure) cacaphony of sound. I've never heard anything like it.

Does the sound port (I'm assuming that is the hole on the side) take away or minimize any of the volume from the sound coming from the front of the guitar compared to your other guitars? Have any of your friends commented about that?

[dougboy1970]

that's a very interesting question...

Doug, I think the sound port on this one adds a bit of oomph to what I hear. I do not need to lean my head over the front of the guitar to hear it fully; I can just turn my head a bit so that my right ear (and the microphone!) is directed at the sound port. Still, it's a subtle change.

The thing I most appreciate about this guitar is the quite amazing clarity. I can come close to picking out the individual notes of a chord, instead of hearing just a (very pleasant, to be sure) cacaphony of sound. I've never heard anything like it.

Does the sound port (I'm assuming that is the hole on the side) take away or minimize any of the volume from the sound coming from the front of the guitar compared to your other guitars? Have any of your friends commented about that?

[sachi]

Does the sound port (I'm assuming that is the hole on the side) take away or minimize any of the volume from the sound coming from the front of the guitar compared to your other guitars? Have any of your friends commented about that?

Not on this one, as far as I can tell (I temporarily plugged the hole so I could check.) As for others guitars, all I can say is that it depends on the design. Some people have said it can reduce the sound from the front a bit; others say it does not make a difference.

Seems like it's more of an art than a science at the moment.

[dougboy1970]

I'm still amazed by the simplicity, and yet complexity, of the idea itself, and wonder why I haven't really seen it until now.  It just seems like a fantastic idea.  The player should be able to hear the guitar with some proximity to what the audience experiences.  I'm really impressed with it.

[mgap]

That is turning out to be a beautiful guitar.  Love the look with the arm rest.