My Special 810-LTD

[buddiesorg]

Like I said before in another thread, I did take additional photos since I figured you guys wouldn't let my factory pictures count as the obligatory picture posting of TS guitars. These are not the greatest pics, my official website photos won't be done for probably at least a month ... more likely it won't be until Christmas.

http://www.stringsnthings.org/hsguitar/TSguitars/810ltd/

I've gotten a chance to play it a bit more and get to know it better. And I do think I will like it. The top is very tight and the trebles are overpowering, but the bass is there ... just tight and not moving the top very well yet.

As for appearance, I like it alot ... the only criticisms I have are I prefer darker necks and I like greener abalone. That said ... I love my tight grained top, back, and sides. The koa binding is so flamey. I think the koa TRC goes with the binding so well. The current 900 headstock, neck, and rosette has a classy look ... I love that koa soundhole binding. And I'm glad I went with a ebony peghead. For awhile I was questioning it since I had heard so many people going with the cocobolo peghead and wondered if I should have gotten one, but I really love how it turned out.

[jeffrey]

Mary, your guitar is beautiful!

One of my favorite from the TS guitars all together (second to my own of course! hehe).

Seeing the Koa binding on yours makes me so happy that I opted for the same. I just hope mine turns out as beautiful as yours did. It looks fantastic on the neck/headstock. :)

[buddiesorg]

Jeffrey, all I can say is that if I liked sapwood, I'd adore yours. And even though I don't like sapwood, I like the way that Taylor put yours together ... with the meeting in the middle and at the ends ... still, I'd rather not have it so I'll stick with mine. :)

I just did another sound test of it against other guitars ... and I'm thinking the guitar isn't quite as trebly as I thought ... quite a bit of it was the new strings and now it's starting to settle in a bit ... so maybe in a week or so, the trebles won't be quite so overpowering.

[jeffrey]

I appreciate the sentiments towards my guitar Mary. If it is as beautiful in person as it is in pictures, I will be ecstatic I'm sure. This will be my first guitar with sapwood. I'm really indifferent on it honestly. I guess I just liked it because it struck me as different. ;) Mainly, I liked the crazy grain of the Coco. :)

Oh and thanks again for all the pictures you took. It's made all this so much more real for me.

I find new strings can adversely effect the way I judge a new guitar as well.

I usually beat the tar out of a set of strings for a day or so before I start to really judge their sound. I like the sound of worn-in strings (if there is such a thing) most.

Michael Hedges said it best - "I think new strings sound funny." :)

[buddiesorg]

You and me both ... actually, I like the sound of strings starting about a week after I've put them on ... funny, but it doesn't matter how much I play the guitar (whether it's the guitar I decide to play every day for a week or if I don't play it at all), it still takes a week ... I was just kind of surprised when I played it against the 710ce-ltd before I brought it home ... just the brightness of the 810-ltd made me prefer the soothing sound of the 710ce-ltd ... but the 710ce-ltd had the Polywebs I put on just before TaylorStock, so those strings were at the perfect tone in their life ... while the 810-ltd had the brand new Nanowebs.

But the 810-ltd has a 2-piece back, no cutaway, and no electronics ... and the tightest grain and silkiest sitka top I've ever had ... I know it's going to become a deep, booming cannon. The stiff top will probably take years to start breaking in ... but Polywebs will probably help tide me over until then and tone down the brightness of the guitar as it is now.

So, now I don't have any more ce's ... :) ... I think I just have to stop even looking at ce's from now on. I end up buying one because I adore the sound but just can't get used to the hole and black box in the side. I wish more Taylors came standard without the ce ...

[jeffrey]

I prefer the sound of Poly's too actually. From what I gather, most people on the forum do too.. ?

I agree about the CE thing. I wish more Taylors came standard with nothing or with just C. I don't like that barn door either. :)

[Lisa]

Beautiful guitar Mary. That binding is super gorgeous! I'll bet you are a happy camper.

[buddiesorg]

I've decided I like this guitar. Just tried out a song I love playing that sounds awful on my D-45GE and doesn't sound quite right on any of my other guitars ... but it sounds perfect on the 810-ltd.

I'd rather not have the cutaway either and I'm glad this one has a symmetrical top. And boy, I looked at the silking on this beauty for quite some time, then I realized that I wasn't playing it at all.

[buddiesorg]

Either I have an ugly guitar or people are sick of hearing about TaylorStock guitars coming in ... oh well ... I like the way this guitar sounds and I think it's gorgeous ... and I suppose that's the only thing that matters in the end.

[meridian]

Hi Mary, I think we are all glad (and a bit relieved) that you are happy with your TS 810-LTD! And YOU KNOW how gorgeous it is!:)

BUT, if you want to hear it again, well, I get another post!!:roll:

[SonShine]

I'm not sick of hearing about beautiful TS guitars coming in! I also think yours is gorgeous, but I have a personal preference for mine ;) :)

(I'm also just too busy playing mine to login and type a lot :) )

Congrats!

[Lisa]

No, it isn't ugly! It is beautiful! I already said it but I will again :)

LOVE that binding!!

[buddiesorg]

Well, I just played it again ... you know, I should be playing other guitars ... but it's the new kid on the block :)

I'm kind of wondering if it's been set up wrong ... the low E buzzes a little when strummed moderately hard ... but it really buzzes if you put a capo on it ... I just put a capo on for the first time tonight and noticed it ... actually, I have other guitars that have never had a capo put on them

[Mike Carter]

Now that is a beautiful Guitar Mary !!

That top is unbelievable, I can just imagine how it sounds.
seeing yours makes me wish I had ordered a dread like that also.
I wish I had spent more time with you at Taylorstock and picked your brain some on guitars. You have some of the guitars I am thinking about for future purchases. I don't have to tell you about G.A.S !

Hey Jeffrey you didn't make a mistake with the sapwood bro, It is fantastic. I can't tell you how happy I am with mine and I know yours was as good or better than mine.

My TS guitar has inspired me to write a couple new songs, since I can't seem to put it down since I got it. I hope it's the same for all you guys as well.

Mike

[buddiesorg]

Well Mike ... you have a GUITAR too ... (and so do you Joe ... even though you haven't gotten it yet ... and I stand by my assessment of your back even after seeing other cocobolos ... though I'll still say I like mine more :) )

You have to remember what I said when I saw it at the Factory ... it was neat being inches from such artwork. I'm glad you were able to get it and I know you'll enjoy it for years to come.

When I went through tops with BT, it was absolutely amazing. He already knew many of my preferences from previous discussions ... and I told him I was looking for a punchy top, similar to Adirondack, for a dreadnought ... then we looked through tops and BT chose a couple of stiff tops.

Now that I think about the criteria by which we chose the top, it doesn't surprise me that my guitar sounds the way it does ... it will probably take many years to start to open up, being as stiff as it is ... it will probably go through the same maturing process as a couple of Adirondack top guitars I have.

[meridian]

Originally posted by buddiesorg
Joe ... even though you haven't gotten it yet ... and I stand by my assessment of your back even after seeing other cocobolos ... though I'll still say I like mine more :) )

So glad to hear it! Mary, you gotta remember mine is just the "standard" cocobolo, so yours *should* be prettier!:)

[rgregg48]

With all the assessing of different guitars and custom jobs
i wondered what kind of music does buddiesorg Play?
Fingerstyle? vocal with strumming? flatpicking?
with all the guitars, im curious what they are used for.
Rick