GO Models

[Buffadog]

The 518e, 718e and 918e are now all showing as legacy models on the Taylor website and no longer available - does anyone know what is happening with these? I have an opportunity to still pick up a 718e FE and 918 FE and if they are no onger in production I guess it would be worth it?

[Guitarsan]

I suspect this is about demand, or lack thereof. Fewer choices these days for the GO body shape, but they do include the recently revised 600 and 800 series.

[Jersey tuning]

How about the ce versions?

[krugjr]

PS. When I got home and played my warm, bassy 514ce, the tone I love, after playing the legacy 6 my ears had adjusted to it and my 5 just sounded dark and muddy.  It's so funny how your ears will play tricks on you and make adjustments when playing such drastically different instruments.  The strings were a little old, so I just restrung the 5 and she's back to beautiful tone.  Or maybe my ears just readjusted! HA!

When Awesome ended with this paragraph it stood out to me as much as anything in that whole discussion on the new 600s. It's so true. Ours ears and thoughts do play tricks on us as we play an instrument...and we say to ourselves "compared to what?"....and "for what purpose?".....are we shopping, buying, selling, playing what we own, playing what we don't own???.....as I've gone through this process of acquiring a dozen Taylors, cutting it down to four, and now which two are the "keepers", I know that any of the dozen could be the one guitar that I own for life, and only when I start to compare them to each other do I "hear and think" so many different things. Every time I pick up my 2013 818e FE it speaks to me in a different way, based on what I was thinking and which guitar I played last, etc...(make any sense?)...you nailed it, Awesome... just when we think we know the sound and the purpose of one of our guitars......it changes....that is a frustrating, and beautiful predicament to be in!

[Buffadog]

I suspect this is about demand, or lack thereof. Fewer choices these days for the GO body shape, but they do include the recently revised 600 and 800 series.

Understand they are doing the revised 818e and 618e; just got me wondering whether the GO model has not been as successful as they expected; you could well be right about the demand or lack thereof. I can never quite work out if they are too big or not, and guess that's why I haven't pulled the trigger on one of these two. 

[Maximus]

Just to be clear, the 618e, 818e, PS8e and K28e are all still available.  Only specific models of the GO are going way, not the body shape itself.

Yes - I know you never said this, however, just for clarity sake, I thought I would point that out, as to not cause confusion for other readers. ;0)

[krugjr]

Buffadog.....after trying GAs, GSs, and Dreads this past year the Dreads won out as my favorite "shape" to fit my style.....but I had to give the GO a try just to be sure I wasn't missing out.....bought the 2013 818e FE to compare to my Dreads (520 and 810)...at one point I played my 818 vs the 2014 GO at the local shop and preferred the tone of the 2013 over the 2014, IMO the 14 had more pronounced mids and sounded a little jangly and not as balanced and warm.....back to my 2012 810e Proto (with Powers' bracing yet to come on GOs and the new 800s)...it has volume and overtones galore, and replaced that 12 string sound I played and loved for years, only a 6 string version, it's kinda my go to guitar.....so what did I expect from the 818? a bigger yet version of my 810? well it isn't that but it has it's own beautiful sound...less volume and overtones and a warm low end (cleaner and warmer sound) when strummed easily, but then, when aggressively strummed, gains more volume than any guitar I've ever played, and stays balanced....and capo it up a few frets and it stays "full"......
     so that's what I was saying earlier, every time I pick up my 818 it sends me a different message....I'm not going to build back up to a dozen guitars so I'm selling the 818, a tough decision...but man, I know I would find so many ways to use it if it were to stay in my "permanent" collection!

[timfitz63]

I suspect this is about demand, or lack thereof. Fewer choices these days for the GO body shape, but they do include the recently revised 600 and 800 series.

Understand they are doing the revised 818e and 618e; just got me wondering whether the GO model has not been as successful as they expected; you could well be right about the demand or lack thereof. I can never quite work out if they are too big or not, and guess that's why I haven't pulled the trigger on one of these two.

I think you both have it right:  the GO has not been in high demand and therefore, not a sales success -- at least according to what I've been told by some of the Taylor dealers I know.  The Rosewood GO's (718e, 818e, and 918e) have been, I think, particularly poor sellers.  Frankly, they sound the least balanced to my ears; very heavy on the bass end...  I understand that sales of the 518e have also been comparatively slow; the 618e seems to be the best selling GO -- and we already know that's turning into a 'legacy' model too...

All of that being said, I've heard that the 900 Series is next in line for the Andy Powers treatment, so Taylor may have dumped the 918e sooner in anticipation of that...

Regarding whether or not a leftover 718e FE or 918e FE is worth purchasing:  I guess you need to let your ears (and not mine) be your guide.  If you like one of them enough, you might want to grab it -- just in case they are going the way of the dodo...

[Guitarsan]

You know, I recall it wasn't so long ago that Taylor was talking up the GO shape, likely because demand was underwhelming....

3 Reasons To Go Big With The Grand Orchestra

I just think it's also a comfort factor too - just a bit big for lots of folks, especially with the low end available with better construction techniques these days in smaller shapes. Heck, my Custom GC has the best low end of my guitars easily, so it can be had without a GO shape.

[timfitz63]

... I just think it's also a comfort factor too - just a bit big for lots of folks, especially with the low end available with better construction techniques these days in smaller shapes. Heck, my Custom GC has the best low end of my guitars easily, so it can be had without a GO shape.

I think this is a good point as well.  The GO can be an armful for smaller men and probably your average-sized woman; heck, it's a a bit of an armful for me, and I'm 6'...!  I really think Taylor could mitigate that shortcoming if they made the bevel/armrest standard on the GO models, though...

And my impression is the same:  even the smaller Taylor bodies can produce copious bass with the right combinations of wood and body style.

[mgap]

Buffadog.....after trying GAs, GSs, and Dreads this past year the Dreads won out as my favorite "shape" to fit my style.....but I had to give the GO a try just to be sure I wasn't missing out.....bought the 2013 818e FE to compare to my Dreads (520 and 810)...at one point I played my 818 vs the 2014 GO at the local shop and preferred the tone of the 2013 over the 2014, IMO the 14 had more pronounced mids and sounded a little jangly and not as balanced and warm.....back to my 2012 810e Proto (with Powers' bracing yet to come on GOs and the new 800s)...it has volume and overtones galore, and replaced that 12 string sound I played and loved for years, only a 6 string version, it's kinda my go to guitar.....so what did I expect from the 818? a bigger yet version of my 810? well it isn't that but it has it's own beautiful sound...less volume and overtones and a warm low end (cleaner and warmer sound) when strummed easily, but then, when aggressively strummed, gains more volume than any guitar I've ever played, and stays balanced....and capo it up a few frets and it stays "full"......
     so that's what I was saying earlier, every time I pick up my 818 it sends me a different message....I'm not going to build back up to a dozen guitars so I'm selling the 818, a tough decision...but man, I know I would find so many ways to use it if it were to stay in my "permanent" collection!

Krugjr you are getting rid of the 818??   In your post you gave one reason to do that

I'm not going to build back up to a dozen guitars so I'm selling the 818

but every reason to keep it.  What gives? 

[Strumming Fool]

I think this is a good point as well.  The GO can be an armful for smaller men and probably your average-sized woman; heck, it's a a bit of an armful for me, and I'm 6'...!  I really think Taylor could mitigate that shortcoming if they made the bevel/armrest standard on the GO models, though...

Agreed - Taylor could also include a bona fide jumbo model in its lineup by simply narrowing the waist of the current GO, bringing it more in line with Taylor's signature aesthetic and providing better comfort to the player. 12 string jumbos helped put Taylor on the map, while the GO has barely made a ripple in the guitar world....

[krugjr]

mgap.....started a thread last month, "got 4, how do I cut it to 2" sort of thing.....the whole thing was I spent the year searching for a couple on 6 strings to replace my 855ce, learned a ton about Taylors and guitars in general, and ended up with 4 gems...the 818 being the last, and the plan for it was will it blow me away enough to replace my 520e FE or my 810e Proto.....I kept it beyond the "return to dealer" time frame because I really wanted to give it a chance, put it through the paces (open up a little, different strings, unplugged and plugged into Bose L1, with and without capo, strum away and see what she does).....add my 2013 514e FLTD to my dreads and I've got the needs pretty well covered, at least for me.....hard to speak a negative about a guitar when you're trying to sell it, right? but I'm among friends here at UTGF, that's what I love about this place.....so, the biggest thing I noticed about the 818 is all the promo said, even with it's size, you don't have to play it hard to get the volume...that somehow this size and bracing would "break the mold" and be different than all the other "shapes", volume vs attack, and I'm not entirely convinced Andy pulled that off...and that's just my ears when I play it back to back, over and over again with my 810, which by the way is a 2012 Proto using some of Andy's bracing from the not yet released GOs and new 800s, so I think I landed on something pretty special when I found it (don't you love it when that happens?)...I've even wondered if the added depth to the body changes the way my ears hear it when I'm playing it??? it is just a mystery to me...yeah, I know, a little crazy, huh?.....Guitarsan nailed it a couple of comments ago when he mentioned the beautiful lows can come in all the shapes and sizes and woods, and you don't necessarily have to go with the GO to get it....but that's why many of you suggest when we are "shopping", let someone else play it, stand back and see (hear) what comes out of it, and compare a couple guitars like that.....so that's what ya get, mgap, when you ask krug "what gives? I don't know what the final destination is, but I still enjoy the ride!

[Edward]

The market has spoken

When the GO first came out, do you all recall the hubub (dare I say hype)?  All the gushing and glowing reviews flooded forums as well as store websites.   No offense to any who love their GO, as it's a splendid guitar that, if it checks your boxes, then relish it!! 

But as the guy who lamented the demise of the Taylor Jumbo, I tried to embrace the GO and demo'd all three myself.  Done.  That was at the height of the hubub, and I knew then this was not the guit for me; and apparently more than a few seem to feel the same. 

Bottom line is one's personal assessment of a given guitar's tone and feel.  And for me, the GO is lacking in the former and too girthy in the latter.  Everytime I see a jumbo used, however, the pavlov in me gets to salivating

Edward

[mgap]

mgap.....started a thread last month, "got 4, how do I cut it to 2" sort of thing.....the whole thing was I spent the year searching for a couple on 6 strings to replace my 855ce, learned a ton about Taylors and guitars in general, and ended up with 4 gems...the 818 being the last, and the plan for it was will it blow me away enough to replace my 520e FE or my 810e Proto.....I kept it beyond the "return to dealer" time frame because I really wanted to give it a chance, put it through the paces (open up a little, different strings, unplugged and plugged into Bose L1, with and without capo, strum away and see what she does).....add my 2013 514e FLTD to my dreads and I've got the needs pretty well covered, at least for me.....hard to speak a negative about a guitar when you're trying to sell it, right? but I'm among friends here at UTGF, that's what I love about this place.....so, the biggest thing I noticed about the 818 is all the promo said, even with it's size, you don't have to play it hard to get the volume...that somehow this size and bracing would "break the mold" and be different than all the other "shapes", volume vs attack, and I'm not entirely convinced Andy pulled that off...and that's just my ears when I play it back to back, over and over again with my 810, which by the way is a 2012 Proto using some of Andy's bracing from the not yet released GOs and new 800s, so I think I landed on something pretty special when I found it (don't you love it when that happens?)...I've even wondered if the added depth to the body changes the way my ears hear it when I'm playing it??? it is just a mystery to me...yeah, I know, a little crazy, huh?.....Guitarsan nailed it a couple of comments ago when he mentioned the beautiful lows can come in all the shapes and sizes and woods, and you don't necessarily have to go with the GO to get it....but that's why many of you suggest when we are "shopping", let someone else play it, stand back and see (hear) what comes out of it, and compare a couple guitars like that.....so that's what ya get, mgap, when you ask krug "what gives? I don't know what the final destination is, but I still enjoy the ride!

Yep, I get it.  For me the GO is a bit big and don't want one for that reason.  Some people would like to bring back the Jumbo(Strummin Fool I doubt you would get one.) but not me I would never own another one I bought a 655 and admit it is beautiful sounding, but just to much to handle.  I like the GS size but the GA is what I always play.  I sold a GS. Sitka/Madagascar so I could get a GA Sitka/Madagascar.   I also understand that the hunt is a fun part of our love affair with these stringed instruments.