Getting to Know My TS 810-LTD [Archive] - The Acoustic Guitar Forum

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meridian
11-05-2002, 08:07 PM
"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you,
Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me" -- old song.

Some first impressions of my 810-LTD:

Definitely suffered from "too new out of the box" syndrome when I first picked it up. Almost sounded "plastic-y." Better after a few hours of play time.

The neck on my other dreadnought, a 1999 310-MCE is slender. The 810's neck is a bit chunkier feeling and I have to say I REALLY LIKE IT! A lot! It feels great!

This is the "backwards" guitar! When I selected the cocobolo set, I was shown how the set went together, but when the guitar was built, the set was reversed! There is apparently a good guitar-making reason, and the end result is really nice. The sides of the set have these interesting little knots that I liked alot and thought that they would be visible on the upper bout. They put the knots down on the lower bout where you can't see them. Still, it is a pretty set of wood and overall I think the guitar looks (and plays) wonderful.

Then there is the top! WOW what a piece of spruce! Clear, silky, gorgeous! Virtually perfect!

The Gothic Vine inlay is even better than I expected and the gloss ebony headstock overlay is just gorgeous.

I chose maple binding because the koa binding blended in too much with the color of the neck. Maple actually adds a little bit of a "sapwood" feel to the guitar! I like it a lot!

Tonally, this is a new "color" in the palette. Stronger, more vibrant and less mellow than I thought it would be. Not exactly what I expected, but it's sound is definitely growing on me.

Here's the REAL kicker, though. Every Taylor I have has it's own unique voice. And each "inspires" me differently. It's almost as if each guitar has its own music already in it and is leading me towards discovering it. THAT'S amazing IMO!

Many, many thanks to BobT, Ed Alves, Jonathan and the gang at Taylor, to Steve Parr and of course to J.R. and everyone who makes this forum the amazing place it is!

jeffrey
11-05-2002, 08:53 PM
That's what it's all about man. Playing an instrument that inspires you. :)

rsimper
11-05-2002, 08:58 PM
:)

SonShine
11-05-2002, 11:25 PM
Nice pics, Joe! Beautiful guitar!!

buddiesorg
11-06-2002, 07:32 AM
So, Joe ... are you sure you like it? I thought you were ready to send it back weeks ago.

Lisa
11-06-2002, 07:40 AM
Nice guitar Joe. I think it turned out great. I'm sure you'll fall in love with it as it opens up.

meridian
11-06-2002, 08:16 AM
Originally posted by buddiesorg
So, Joe ... are you sure you like it? I thought you were ready to send it back weeks ago.

Getting there, Mary, getting there!

meridian
11-06-2002, 11:08 AM
Gotta admit it sounds even better this morning than last night! *There's a double entendre in there somewhere!

While I'm not a big fan of the dreadnought shape (I think the GAs are a REALLY pretty shape) I am a big fan of dreadnought versatility.

If I HAD to have a single guitar it would be a dread. I'm a big guy so the size is not an issue. Musically I am a child of the power-chord driven '60s and like a guitar that doesn't beg for mercy if (what IF? WHEN) I drive it hard. Plus it is more than passable for fingerstyle, and of course for flatpicking it goes without saying.

So while tonally I am still getting used to it, and visually I would have turned the wood around, overall I think this guitar is going to work out really, really well for me in the long run!

Heck, I thought FOR THE FIRST TIME about selling my 310-MCE, but I probably won't. I might just sell my Gibson J-50 and J-200 though. We'll see.

Golly, between this 810, the 654 the K14 (and keeping the 310 as a travel guitar), I might just go ALL Taylor (acoustically speaking).

Naive, I know, I know!:)

jeffrey
11-06-2002, 01:34 PM
Glad to see that you are coming grips with it Joe. I'm sure it's a wonderful guitar. ;)

meridian
11-06-2002, 02:03 PM
Remember that thread about trying to get serial numbers on our birthdays??

Well, I just noticed the serial number:

20021002xxx

the DAY BEFORE my Birthday!

Pretty close!

:)

buddiesorg
11-06-2002, 03:35 PM
Well, Joe ... I still think it's prettier the way they did it ... I imagined how it would look the other way and personally wouldn't have liked that diamond in the middle ... and if it didn't get matched up exactly (the ends of the diamond ... either cutting one side too much so one side is smaller or joining them so the ends don't meet), I really wouldn't like it.

Anyway, enjoy the guitar. :)

meridian
11-06-2002, 08:15 PM
Mary, I am sure that you are right!

Check out my new pics (link in my sig). As you know pictures cannot do justice to these guitars. (OK except Rick Crider's)

I think the artists at Taylor did a great job with it! In person, it is dramatic and very interesting, way better than the pictures. The more I see it, the more I like it! Which is good, because I own it!

I just though it was kind of interesting how I thought one thing would happen and then something else did! But let's face it, they know their art way better than I do and the results are truly terrific as you say.

How do you like yours? How is your Koa PS? Did you get it yet?

buddiesorg
11-06-2002, 09:34 PM
I'm glad you see the artistry in the way your guitar was put together. I didn't get to see it with a gloss finish, but it sure looked nice before it got to finish. :)

I like the 810-ltd quite a bit ... the sound has grown on me ... I've always thought it looked beautiful ... just the way I was thinking. Haven't seen the PS-10 for a week ... I hope I have it back soon.

meridian
11-06-2002, 10:05 PM
Originally posted by buddiesorg
Haven't seen the PS-10 for a week ... I hope I have it back soon.

Oh, I forgot about that broken Schaller!

When you DO get it back, I know we'd all love to see some pics! I am sure it is gorgeous!

Thanks for your encouragement on my 810. I value your opinion and your enthusiasm for the way the wood is put together really helped me to see that what they had done IS brilliant! That is after gettting out of my own head and looking at it more objectively -- which is always a good exercise!

My two TS guitars are probably as close as I'll ever get to a PS. And I have to say they are both quite wonderful.

jeffrey
11-07-2002, 01:51 AM
That's a beautiful guitar Joe.

The back almost has a flame to it kinda. Very, very nice. :)

buddiesorg
11-07-2002, 07:24 AM
When I get it back ... <sigh>

I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard. It feels meanspirited that I get such a tiny sampling of the sound of the guitar and have to be without it so long. Oh well. And it turned out there's two broken Schallers ... I was fiddling with the tuners trying to get it in some sort of relative tuning so I could at least get an idea of how it sounded "in tune" and another one busted.

Anyway, you didn't answer my question ... Are you sure you like it? You could persuade me pretty easily to take such a defective instrument off your hands. :)

meridian
11-07-2002, 07:57 AM
Thanks for the offer Mary! But even YOU couldn't afford the price!:)

buddiesorg
11-07-2002, 04:24 PM
Well, that's good ... I kind of like my guitar anyway. :)

meridian
11-07-2002, 04:29 PM
Originally posted by buddiesorg
Well, that's good ... I kind of like my guitar anyway. :)

Life is GOOD!:)