Thinking about a BTO again...

[ataylor]

And by 'again' I don't mean ordering another. I don't have a BTO -- just my trusty 210. But ever since Taylor announced their Build to Order program I -- along with most or all of you -- have dreamed up a guitar or three. I used to think I'd order a BTO dreadnought with a deep sunburst and mahogany back/sides, but with my Fairbanks on the way, I'll have everything I could ever want in a sunburst mahogany dreadnought. So I've kind of changed my ideas a little.

Here's what I'm thinking right now.

- 6-string dreadnought, no cutaway, no electronics
- short scale, 1.75" nut width, standard neck carve
- old growth redwood top (not the sinker, but the deep, reddish-golden redwood I've seen)
- Indian rosewood back and sides, rosewood binding (preferably body only)
- Ebony bridge, fretboard, headstock overlay (although I'd do rosewood on these too if they'd let me!)
- Either an ivoroid rosette, the 300/400 series rosette, or maybe koa or maple
- headstock logo in either maple or ivoroid (no bling)
- tortoise pickguard (gotta have a pickguard on a dreadnought)
- silver tuners (I'd maybe see if they'd let me do silver 510s -- don't know why they only offer gold ones at Taylor)

We'll see how things go over the next couple months. The Fairbanks is sure to put off a new guitar for months, but it's looking like I might be getting pretty substantial change in salary here in the next month or two, so who knows. Might need to celebrate that with a new guitar...

[ataylor]

Um, so yeah, basically a mid-2000s 710 with a redwood top

[jjrpilot-admin]

Um, so yeah, basically a mid-2000s 710 with a redwood top

Old growth redwood would look fantastic!

[michaelw]

Um, so yeah, basically a mid-2000s 710 with a redwood top

Old growth redwood would look fantastic!

ahhh ... it'd look 'ok'

those are some pretty cool specs though & adi CV bracing would be a nice touch, imho -
koa binding would frame that ebony (or rosewood) headstock (gloss?) quite nicely

[Tammany Tiger]

We'll see how things go over the next couple months. The Fairbanks is sure to put off a new guitar for months.

Which Fairbanks did you order?

I have been looking at their J-45/SJ inspired dread and the guitars look fantastic.

[ataylor]

We'll see how things go over the next couple months. The Fairbanks is sure to put off a new guitar for months.

Which Fairbanks did you order?

I have been looking at their J-45/SJ inspired dread and the guitars look fantastic.

Dale is making me an F-35 (J-35 homage) in an old 30s sunburst. To say I'm excited would be a gross understatement. I can't wait to see how it plays and sounds. I've always wanted a vintage Gibson and Dale really nails the look and tone. Plus he's a just a really nice guy.

[Tammany Tiger]

Dale is making me an F-35 (J-35 homage) in an old 30s sunburst. To say I'm excited would be a gross understatement. I can't wait to see how it plays and sounds. I've always wanted a vintage Gibson and Dale really nails the look and tone. Plus he's a just a really nice guy.

The vintage Gibson sound is the ideal acoustic tone that I have in my head.

It's a long and heartbreaking story, but several years ago I sold my all mahogany Taylor 512ce L9  in order to finance the purchase of a 1938 J-35 that had shown up in an auction. I thought that I had won the auction just before another guy started bidding it up and a telephone bidder started matching him. I dropped out at $4,000 and the guitar utilmately sold for over $8,000 which was still probably a good price. This was at an auction house so far off the beaten path that you needed a guide dog to find it, but they had a great catalog that obviously had been well circulated.

I learned that day that one great Taylor in hand was worth a vintage J-35 in the bush.

I still have the vintage Gibson itch. Fairbanks sounds like a great option.

[ataylor]

The vintage Gibson sound is the ideal acoustic tone that I have in my head.

It's a long and heartbreaking story, but several years ago I sold my all mahogany Taylor 512ce L9  in order to finance the purchase of a 1938 J-35 that had shown up in an auction. I thought that I had won the auction just before another guy started bidding it up and a telephone bidder started matching him. I dropped out at $4,000 and the guitar utilmately sold for over $8,000 which was still probably a good price. This was at an auction house so far off the beaten path that you needed a guide dog to find it, but they had a great catalog that obviously had been well circulated.

I learned that day that one great Taylor in hand was worth a vintage J-35 in the bush.

I still have the vintage Gibson itch. Fairbanks sounds like a great option.

Aw, man. That is a bummer!

I learned a similar lesson with my 210, which I sold to a friend to buy a newer, nicer Taylor a couple years later. Luckily I was able to return the newer, nicer Taylor a couple days later after I realized it was a huge mistake, and my friend told me he always knew I'd be back for my guitar after a few days (he later picked up a really nice 310 instead).

[Tammany Tiger]

There are a million guitar sob stories in the naked city.

[ataylor]

Well, after playing a 12-fret in sitka/rosewood yesterday, I'm scrapping the plans I made in the original post. The 12-fret sound was such a perfect blend of the Taylor sound and a surprising warm, vintage tone. Plus, there's just something really nice about how the guitar looks -- definitely the closest to a vintage look you're going to get from Taylor.

I'm now thinking of a 12-fret BTO in spruce (probably sitka) and rosewood (probably tried and true EIR) with no cutaway or electronics. I'm thinking that the new 700 series appointments would be right at home on a 12-fret and I'd maybe just go that route (new vintage burst, ivoroid binding/rosette/inlay), or I might decide to go with an even simpler approach of vintage burst with rosewood binding, small dot inlays, and basic three-ring rosette.

Anyone ever seen a pickguard on a 12-fret? I typically prefer pickguards, but I'm not sure how it would look on the 12-fret silhouette.

There's the outside chance I might stick with my DN specs and go with redwood and rosewood with rosewood binding and rosette, but I really loved how the sitka/rosewood sounded in person.

Anyway, the 12-fret is my new guitar crush, right in time for Valentine's Day. We'll have to see what my other valentine (Mrs ataylor) has to say about it. Considering I did get that new job offer, she might just go for it.

[Iplay2]

Um, so yeah, basically a mid-2000s 710 with a redwood top

Old growth redwood would look fantastic!

ahhh ... it'd look 'ok'

those are some pretty cool specs though & adi CV bracing would be a nice touch, imho -
koa binding would frame that ebony (or rosewood) headstock (gloss?) quite nicely

Wowzers.  That looks like cedar all dressed up for a night on the town.  That is beautiful.