itching to try a Taylor NS
 

I briefly had a NS32 that I was refurbing. Someone desperately needs a NS neck to repair their broken guitar and bought mine before I finished it, so I never got a chance to play it.

I love my Taylor GC7 as a fingertstyle guitar and have been playing classical songs lately, wondering if a nylon would be good for me.

Plus in another could decades I'm planning on getting older so maybe a nylon string will be easier.

I can't find a Taylor nylon string to play in any store for 200 miles and it's been that way for a year.

If I can find a cheap one to refurb I'll buy it to try it, then sell it off again but I'm not going to order one just for test driving.

Wish I could (literally) lay my hands on one.

You might enjoy a Córdoba gk studio or pro. I thought I wanted a Taylor until I got the opportunity to compare head to head. Both were good plugged in, but the Córdoba was much better unplugged. They also make a fusion model which is a crossover with the radiused fingerboard like the Taylor would be.

Otoh a Taylor will come up if you are patient....took me abou 6 months to find one and then I went with the Córdoba. Ymmv of course.

I do enjoy my Taylor NS. I found it on Reverb. Had not played a nylon string before of any kind. Very hard to play ANY guitar before buying for me, since I play lefty.

Turns out the crossover is a sweet guitar....so easy to fret. It's fun to play it, then switch to one of my steel string guitars, or vice versa. Each offers a very different playing experience.

I play solo fingerstyle exclusively. No pick. I also play with the fleshy parts of my fingertips, not nails. The nylon strings are VERY easy on the fingers.

Thanks Carol - that's exactly how I play, too.

Taylor guitars are very playable, and the nylon string crossovers are no different than their steel string counterparts in that regard. Where they differ from the steel string guitars is that the steel string instruments are not a compromise, they are what they are - very fine, excellent sounding instruments.

The nylon string crossovers are also very nice instruments, but they will not sound as full and rich acoustically as a "real" classical guitar. But, then, how they do sound is really well suited to the kind of music one would normally play on a crossover - fingerstyle jazz and that sort of thing. For that kind of styling, these instruments are just fine.

My point is that if you want to play classical guitar and are interested in that classical guitar sound, the Taylors won't provide that.

I have both a full classical guitar, a high end hand made instrument and a Taylor Fall Limited Edition from 2012, nylon string crossover. Both are very fine instruments, intended for different musical styles.

also, I have a Taylor 2016 914CE. To me, the Taylor crossover and the 914CE are very similar in their feel, even though one has a 1 3/4" nut and the other, a 1 7/8" nut. They go very well together, and I have no trouble going quickly from one to the other.

To me, it is really a matter of expectations, so I hope some of this is helpful.

Tony

Thanks Tony, that is helpful. I'm actually not interested in a full-on classical. More of a hybrid sound and softer feel so what you describe might be ideal.

I hope to find one to test drive.

Fazool, I agree. I don't have an interest in a full-blown classical guitar, either. The wide, flat fretboard seems daunting for me. Maybe someday....far, far away, LOL! But to experience the difference between steel and nylon strings...that is really interesting for me. Tonite I just got done practicing for 90 minutes, all on the crossover. It was warm, intimate, easy, sweet. And perfect for sitting on the deck of our lake cabin, where a steel string guitar would be louder, and so heard by neighbors. I cannot help but think they are grateful I played the nylon string tonite, :D !!

Carol,

You're a GAS instigator !


:D

Mayhaps! :)

That is fine. Mainly, I wanted to contrast them because, in my experience with both, it is important that your expectations match what you are looking at. Hopefully, the contrast I provided will help with that, whatever you decide to do (or not do).

Tony

The higher end Taylors will be more difficult to find in a retail shop, that's a simple matter of the popularity of steel vs. nylon, particularly if you're looking for a crossover.

I haven't played one yet, but I'll suggest you look into one of the new Taylor Academy series nylons. I played an A12 (steel string) Grand Concert style Academy and was pleasantly surprised at the comfort and very nice tonality at the lower entry level price.

https://www.taylorguitars.com/guitar.../academy-12e-n

I have a Cordoba Orchestra Fusion crossover, but that's a while other level of guitar. Not much more than the Taylor price-wise, but it's a beautiful instrument that oozes nylon tone. I highly recommend them.

Here's a web archive of my "crossover guitar" webpage if you want further info on the Cordoba.

http://web.archive.org/web/201603282...Crossover.html

There's also some very nice Youtube crossover demos, especially those by AGF member Chris Crouch.

Thanks Rudy4 - that looks like a wealth of info (but the video links are boken)

Carol I think you are spot on about the 'placement' or 'presence' of the NS Taylor. I get tired of reading so much about Cordoba this and Cordoba that...I am a Taylor guy -- sorry?! Please, not to offend the Cordoba people of the world!

My wife and I lived on a sailboat for 10 years. That is a small environment. I was fortunate to be able to carry both a 814ce and NS72ce. Hands down the NS was the ticket. The 814ce was not louder but so much more 'inyourface'. That is not a good trait on a boat. My Ramirez 4E was simply too loud and the tone too complicated.

Try them all (including the Cordobas) then make a pick remembering that the choice of strings is very important.

Here is Amusing in D6 tuning on the NS72ce:

Best to all
D

One thing to consider is that comparing Cordobas and Taylor nylon string is a bit of "apples and oranges". I have played Cordoba cross over guitars at Guitar Center, and they are definitely nice instruments, especially when you are approaching the $1,000 price point. However, to me, Cordoba cross overs are built more like a classical guitar overall and tend to have more of that sound.

Taylor seems to build their nylon string guitars as counterparts to their steel string instruments, and nothing like a classical guitar. That is not their intention. I have a pair of Taylors and, to me, they really are a pair. My 914CE and GAce-N-FLTD are very similar in feel and have the same body size. I can go back and forth between them easily because they are so similar.

Taylor changed the bracing and pickup for the nylon string instrument, but in my opinion, it is still built more like their steel string instruments than like a classical guitar. That produces a different sound that is not better or worse than what nylon string instruments do. I think that people have not set their expectations for the Taylor and are preferring more of a classical guitar sound. The Taylor is really meant more for fingerstyle and jazz than for classical.

To me, my Taylor nylon string handles just as fast and smooth as my 914CE. The nylon string has a somewhat subdued acoustic sound compared to my handmade classical guitar, but I expect that, and would grab the Taylor for jazz and fingerstyle in many situations. The Taylor is a working musician's guitar, meant to be amplified and played I a variety of pop and jazz settings, and it will do that very well.

So, to me, it comes down to whether you want your nylon string cross over to lean more toward a classical sound and handling or what Taylor, very differently, offers as a smooth, fast instrument for jazz and pop. Both are excellent choices.

Tony

Spot on information, Tony. Your observations are letter perfect, and very nicely conveyed.

I love Taylors, but in my case I went with the Cordoba precisely because it sounded like a really nice classical. It drips with tone and isn't anything like the Taylor NS. Absolutely true that anyone's selection should be based on what sound they prefer. I wanted something totally outside of what my steel strings sound like. The Cordoba sounds much like Willy's Trigger at its best, and that's not a bad thing at all!