Who here has the oldest Taylor

[taylorgtr]

I have 3 '98 models:

514ce
W10
Baby-M

Before that, my previous guitar was an '83 Ovation.....before that, a '77 Ventura Martin copy....and before that....a "Fame" monstrosity that nearly cured me of playing guitar the same year I started.


In '98, I was at the Acoustic Guitar Festival in Marin, CA. I talked to a lot of really cool players (Roy Bookbinder, Janis Ian, Laurence Juber, Ed Gerhard and others). Laurence was doing Taylor clinics at the time, which is how I got my 514ce.

I talked with Jessica Baron Turner, who wrote a book called "Smart Start Guitar". She was playing a very plain looking Taylor - it had the Taylor 'look', but either no binding on it, or a simple, dark binding - if it had a rosette at all, it was just a simple black circle.

She saw my interest, and said, "Go ahead and try it out".

I did - it played and sounded great.

I asked her about it, and she said, "Oh, Bob gave that to me".

"You mean Bob Taylor?"

"Yep."

I looked inside the guitar - the label had Bob's (real) signature on it, and it said:

"GC Proto #1".

I (carefully) handed it back to her before I dinged it.

[CRFAn1]

my 614ce is a 1996 model and it is mint

[Earl]

Technically the first Taylor that I bought was a '96 Baby Taylor, during the first year they came out.  At that time, we were doing a lot of motorcycle touring, and a Baby in its dedicated hard case was a good option for the back of the bike.  I was visiting California from Alaska (where they could not be found) and saw one on the shelf at Tall Toad in Petaluma.  Bought it and took it back north on the plane.  That one ended up being sold to a good friend about three years later for his son to learn on.  Baby proved to be a little too quiet for campfire jams, even though it was easier to strap to the motorcycle.

My first "real" Taylor was a 2001 414ce, so I was a fairly late adopter.

[Strumming Fool]

Not I...

I've got a 1995 GA-KS  (#62 of 100) and a 1997 Cujo14 (#43 of 125). They're incredible instruments - the stuff that first attracted me to Taylor - so far ahead of their time!

[Frettingflyer]

Not I either, although my first Taylor was a 1991 510 with a 1 7/8th fretboard custom ordered. I played it a couple years, sold it, went guitarless for 10+ years before getting my 314ce. Sure wish I had kept that 510....

[Charmed Life Picks]

Excuse my ignorance, but what year did Taylor officially begin to sell guitars?

thanks,
scott memmer

[Strumming Fool]

Okay I'll play....1995 GA.

[Strumming Fool]

Excuse my ignorance, but what year did Taylor officially begin to sell guitars?

thanks,
scott memmer

The company began in 1974, so I'm guessing that this would be the year they began selling guitars under the Taylor name...

[Hornwriter]

In early 1975 I walked into the Lemon Grove shop and had Bob and Kurt build me a custom maple jumbo. Believe it was the first serialized Taylor (S/N # 00109).  Spoke to Bob about it a few years ago and they agreed to change their website information to the below:

The two oldest verified serial numbers are 00109 and 10109. Record keeping in the early days was spotty and it's uncertain which guitar is actually the first one, but these two were built within the first few months of Taylor Guitars production.

SERIAL NUMBERS                YEAR
(No serial numbers)                 1974
00109 and 10109 to 10146      1975
20147 to 20315                        1976

[zeebow]

In early 1975 I walked into the Lemon Grove shop and had Bob and Kurt build me a custom maple jumbo. Believe it was the first serialized Taylor (S/N # 00109).  Spoke to Bob about it a few years ago and they agreed to change their website information to the below:

The two oldest verified serial numbers are 00109 and 10109. Record keeping in the early days was spotty and it's uncertain which guitar is actually the first one, but these two were built within the first few months of Taylor Guitars production.

SERIAL NUMBERS                YEAR
(No serial numbers)                 1974
00109 and 10109 to 10146      1975
20147 to 20315                        1976

pretty cool stuff. just curious, what made you have the courage to buy such an unknown luthier at the time? wish i could be that brave today, but i haven’t taken a chance on a new brand yet

[khh]

Bought my 1991 410 new in 1991. Still my main go-to guitar.

[Frettingflyer]

In early 1975 I walked into the Lemon Grove shop and had Bob and Kurt build me a custom maple jumbo. Believe it was the first serialized Taylor (S/N # 00109).  Spoke to Bob about it a few years ago and they agreed to change their website information to the below:

The two oldest verified serial numbers are 00109 and 10109. Record keeping in the early days was spotty and it's uncertain which guitar is actually the first one, but these two were built within the first few months of Taylor Guitars production.

SERIAL NUMBERS                YEAR
(No serial numbers)                 1974
00109 and 10109 to 10146      1975
20147 to 20315                        1976

I’m thinking that’s the oldest here! Cool story, I enjoyed your earlier post on it too.

[ebick]

In early 1975 I walked into the Lemon Grove shop and had Bob and Kurt build me a custom maple jumbo. Believe it was the first serialized Taylor (S/N # 00109).  Spoke to Bob about it a few years ago and they agreed to change their website information to the below:

The two oldest verified serial numbers are 00109 and 10109. Record keeping in the early days was spotty and it's uncertain which guitar is actually the first one, but these two were built within the first few months of Taylor Guitars production.

SERIAL NUMBERS                YEAR
(No serial numbers)                 1974
00109 and 10109 to 10146      1975
20147 to 20315                        1976

[willyg1967]

3/2/1987 Serial # 4906 Dan Crary Signature Model