Newer Taylor Cases bad?
 

When I purchased my 2006 914ce Limited, I was happy as a clam, until I put it back into its case to take it home. The fit and alignment of the newer cases that Taylor uses are horrible! When someone spends upwards of $4,000 for a one of a kind guitar, who on earth would you expect a case that does not fit the guitar right? We tried three other cases for X14 bodies to see if I would be happier with another case, and to my shock, every one of them did not close aligned, all seated the neck off center, or had latches that had to bend to close.

Of all the other Taylors I own, the cases have been wonderful, even after some of them have been used for years almost daily. Did something happen with the guy who used to assemble cases? Did they farm out the case building to some other place? What happened? Are Taylor Quality cases no longer quality cases?

Anyway, I will have to get a decent flight case for this guitar for proper protection with trips everywhere anyway. It just really bums me out, because I even loved Taylor's cases up until this one! :cry:

What happened???

Though they're no flight cases, I haven't found any problems in recent cases. In fact my Taylor cases from 2005 and 2006 guitars have been much nicer and sturdier than my 2001 and 2002 cases. And for both periods, I have a combination of standard and deluxe cases. I've never seen the problem you're describing on a Taylor brand guitar case.

Reuben,

I can sympathize with your situation. I bought a 2006 614ce, because it was a great sounding and playing guitar. When I got home, though, I noticed that the hinge at the headstock end of the case squeaked when the lid was opened or closed. On closer inspection, I found that the entire hinge was rotating on its rivets because it was installed just a bit off line. No problem-the dealer ordered a new case from Taylor. I waited over three weeks for it, and they sent the wrong case to the dealer. So, I waited another couple of weeks. I picked it up, without my guitar, and when I got home, I found that the neck seats off center, just like you said, to the point that the tuners on the treble side almost touch the side of the case! I called Taylor, and they said that some cases are like that, and it's not a problem. Since I rarely take the guitar out of the house, I didn't bother to try getting another one. I figured the dealer would get the feeling that I'm being picky or something. Guess I'm not the only one with a not-so-perfect deluxe case.

IMO, the newer cases are not the same quality as, say, the ones from the late 90's. But, I don't think the're all bad either.

Taylor customer service is very good about taking care of most issues --- as suggested, give them a try.

Hope this helps!!~!

Tp

PS -- I have a new Martin with a top of the line case..... the neck always tries to sit "off center".... same thing on the other Martin I owned....

me too!
 

The case I received with my new 814ce has the same problem. The neck sits off center and the tuners actually touch the side of the case. Sounds like Taylor needs to address this!

Same Problem Here
 

I have the same problem mentioned here with my 2006 614ce. When I first got the guitar, they gave me the "regular" China-made black case (which was a pretty good case, on the inside).

Unfortunately, the outside binding was coming off. I came to this forum and realized that they actually gave me the wrong case - the brown case with gold latches was the deluxe one.

So I swapped it at GC. The new case looks ok on the outside, but the alignment on the inside is awful. The guitar sits in the case at an angle, with the tuners resting on the bottom of the case (when the case is on it's side - as if you were transporting it).

Disappointing for a $4000 guitar... I was going to call Taylor, but seeing that there are numerous other people with the same issue concerns me.


Adam

All my Taylor cases sits a little of center at the headstock on the treble side, from 97 to my 06 914ce ltd. I think maybe this is supposed to be because my Collings D3 case is the same way and it is made for Collings by TKL.
P.S. I just checked my Gibson Les Paul R7 Goldtop case and it is almost touching the side of the case at the treble side too, so i would say it is supposed to be that way.

I wonder if TKL is not building the cases for Taylor now?

How do you like your 914ce ltd.? I have probably the same model, cocobolo, Engleman, 2006.

I love my 914ce LTD. The sapwood on the cocobolo is beautiful as is the engleman and the cindy inlay. I love the tone the guitar gives most of all, very sweet. Finger picking or strumming, it sounds awsome.

I think that the new taylor delux cases are some of the best i have seen around... But the standard ones (and those tacky "delux gs" cases) are horrible, they look like plastic on the outside and are very heavy without being as sturdy as past models... Get rid of the alligator motif, i dont like it when my guitar case matches my girlfriends purse haha... :D

Being a Taylor dealer for a number of years, I have dealt with several case issues, but oddly enough, haven't ran into some of the problems you've brought up here. We were all so deeply saddened when they stopped using the pink poodle interior and went to the monkey-but fur, but we were elated to see the much better (larger) hinges that replaced the quaint little ones that would pop off every once in a while. As far as a Taylor guitar not fitting properly in the case that the guitar was shipped in, I haven't seen it ever be an issue. Also to address the situation that NJay was referring to about waiting over 3 weeks to get a replacement...unless Taylor was on their long break over the Christmas holiday, I would say that the fault may have rested on your dealer, and not on Taylor. When I or one of our techs call customer service for a problem, no matter how big or how small, it is handled. I received a case the other day that had a ding in it, and 2 days later I have a replacement. When I have to order a replacement part like a tuning machine or an electronics kit, they typically overnight it to me. I have yet to see Taylor's customer service dept drop the ball on us. Zach, Mike, and the guys (and girls) have always had a genuine concern that something in the field isn't working quite right. And to address the alligator motif that MattJohnPaul brought up...it is a great sales tool when I bring out one of the GS cases or a T5 case and the girlfriend or wife sees it. If she has a purse like, why wouldn't she want you to have a guitar case that matches.
I had a man call me not long ago to tell me his frustrations with the expression system in his guitar. He had it in to the dealer several times and it never was right. He said he would never buy a Taylor again. Turns out the dealer never callled Taylor a single time. He wasn't a warranty center, and didn't do any repairs at his shop. That's not Taylor's fault, but it sure made them look bad until we got to the bottom of things. My suggestion is that you find a local dealer who you can trust, and then patronize the crap out of him.

Bryan:

Thanks for posting that info. I am not a dealer and have only contacted Taylor a handful of times. But, each time they went out of their way (IMO) to make sure I was satisfied.

Personally, I think they still set a fine example when it comes to customer service. It's very encouraging to read your remarks on this issue.

thanks!!~!
Tp

I've had a good experience with Taylor customer service the only time I used them. The covering on my '05 414ce case was "lifting" in places on the top, where it's contoured. I called them and right away they sent a new case to my dealer. We swapped them out and the new one is fine. Give 'em a chance, and they'll probably make it right.

Taylor Cases
 

I'm having the same issue with the case I received when I purchased my 814ce. When I place the guitar in the case, the neck is not in line with the top of the case. Now that I read your post, I'm thinking about taking the case back. :mad:

- Jim

I've dealt with Taylor's customer service a couple of times on my own and a couple of times through a reputable dealer, and each time they were responsive and quick.

As for cases: I have and have had several plywood cases, and in all but one it seemed that the guitar's treble tuners came a bit too close to the side. although it may be that some have a neck support that's a little off center, I think the problem is a combination of gravity and a neck support sits down near the body. The one exception among my cases is the one that came with my 000-15 (made by TKL, I think). It has two neck supports, one near the body and the other near the headstock, and I think that makes the difference.

Of course, if you measure the neck support and it's off center, the case should be replaced. The same goes for a case that doesn't close properly, has crooked hinges, or latches that don't work properly. I had one of the first of the black Chinese cases, and while the lid fit was close enough for jazz, it bothered me. So did the latches, one of which opened too easily and another of which almost required pliers to open. When I brought my 355 to Taylor for a finish repair, I told the rep about the case and he agreed that it wasn't right. When I picked up the guitar, he brought out another case that fit and worked perfectly, and made the swap without a second thought.