Taylor Solid Bodies Discontinued!

[Sword Bringer]

I was very disappointed to learn that the excellent Taylor Solid Body line was no longer being produced. I spoke with Jim in the service Department a minute ago about getting a new pick guard with Humbucking High Gains to swap out on my Solid body classic. the Guitars are no longer being made and they no longer make the inter-changible pick guard with Pickups. I'm really disappointed though I can understand. They weren't selling very many of them. I think they are fantastic and have many revolutionary features. I guess too many people just couldn't grasp the concept of a solid body Taylor electric guitar. People are so locked into the Gibson/Fender/PRS mind set and there are tons of small players out there to boot. I also need a new tone pot as mine is just not changing the sound. the only way I can get the original tones out of it is to turn the treble and presence all the way up and the bass all the way down. They gave me a number of the nearest Taylor approved shop to see if they have any in stock. I know they don't since they stopped selling and servicing Taylors three years ago. Man, I really want this guitar to work well. I love the neck and the action.
I was really looking forward to changing those pick-ups too. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Did anyone see any announcements that they were discontinuing the Solid Bodies? I get Wood and Steel. I didn't see anything there. This just doesn't seem like Taylor. Why wasn't this more generally publicized? Why would they give me a reference to a Service Center that no longer Services Taylors?

I feel sorry that future and current guitarist will never have the opportunity of playing one these ground breaking guitars. On the other hand - maybe it will become a collectable?

[Matt McGriff]

That writing has been on the wall for about six months now, in my mind. I was interested in getting one over the summer, and in my online research, noticed no recent marketing buzz from Taylor or any dealers online. At that same time I received my quarterly wood and steel and thumbing through it noticed there was not so much as a hint that Taylor even had a solid body electric product. No letters, ask bob questions, much less an article or column. Not even a happenstance picture of one of them sitting on a stand. I wondered and sent an email to Taylor with no response. That really made me feel uncomfortable in buying one seeing the impending demise of the line. I ended up buying a G&L instead.

[muscmp]

Originally Posted by Sword Bringer

I was very disappointed to learn that the excellent Taylor Solid Body line was no longer being produced. I spoke with Jim in the service Department a minute ago about getting a new pick guard with Humbucking High Gains to swap out on my Solid body classic. the Guitars are no longer being made and they no longer make the inter-changible pick guard with Pickups. I'm really disappointed though I can understand. They weren't selling very many of them. I think they are fantastic and have many revolutionary features. I guess too many people just couldn't grasp the concept of a solid body Taylor electric guitar. People are so locked into the Gibson/Fender/PRS mind set and there are tons of small players out there to boot. I also need a new tone pot as mine is just not changing the sound. the only way I can get the original tones out of it is to turn the treble and presence all the way up and the bass all the way down. They gave me a number of the nearest Taylor approved shop to see if they have any in stock. I know they don't since they stopped selling and servicing Taylors three years ago. Man, I really want this guitar to work well. I love the neck and the action.
I was really looking forward to changing those pick-ups too. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Did anyone see any announcements that they were discontinuing the Solid Bodies? I get Wood and Steel. I didn't see anything there. This just doesn't seem like Taylor. Why wasn't this more generally publicized? Why would they give me a reference to a Service Center that no longer Services Taylors?

I feel sorry that future and current guitarist will never have the opportunity of playing one these ground breaking guitars. On the other hand - maybe it will become a collectable?

it may become collectable. put it away and get a gibson/fender/prs that you like and don't have to make any changes.

play music!

[terrapin]

Originally Posted by Sword Bringer

I feel sorry that future and current guitarist will never have the opportunity of playing one these ground breaking guitars. On the other hand - maybe it will become a collectable?

What was "ground breaking" about these guitars? I found the ones I played to be OK, but certainly nothing special? They are well built like all Taylor stuff, but Collectable? I doubt it. Not meaning to be negative, but I was "underwhelmed".

[Doubleneck]

Ask Martin about their Electrics they made in the 60's. That tanked and though they are collectable because of the Name and rarity, no one got rich on holding on to these. It is interesting that Gibson is one of the fee companies that had both successfully. That is probably cause a lot of famous players used both sides.

[worshipvertical]

Yeah, they were discontinued and disappeared form the website at the beginning of November. I too was bummed but as others have pointed out they weren't selling well. Taylor hasn't ruled out trying again. I think it may have been bad timing. Electrics as a whole are down sales wise in the industry with acoustics on the rise.

[terrapin]

To me, Collins is the ONLY "modern" primarily acoustic guitar company that has done well with initiating a line of electrics. The Collins' electrics are as good as it gets!

[Sword Bringer]

Let me qualify that statement. Perhaps, I overstated the uniquness a bit but, they had a new bridge design, a one bolt through the body neck and inter-changable pickguards with various pickup configurations. The neck was also unusual for an electric in that it was very much like their acoustics, which I happen to like. In fact, I like it better than the new PRS "Pattern Thin" neck design. But, that's an individual preference. They sounded and played great. Mine would have sounded better to me if I had the high gain buckers instead of the minis it came with. They were incredibly light and comfortable guitars. The design was a lot like the late 50's, early '60s Melody Makers.

The bigger point is that these things were brought out to great fanfare. The "Configurator" is still on line if you Google it. So you can design the guitar of your dreams which will always be a dream. I guess, I'm just really surprised and a bit let down by the way Taylor has handled this whole thing. They were selling these thing up until very recently and now there's no support for their inter-changable pick guard/pickups. the pickups were propriatary and supposed to better designed since they were engineered from scratch by the Taylor engineering department. They said the whole design stemmed from the pickup ideas.I may not even be able to get my pots replaced and they didn't last very long considering. My volume is either all on or off and my tone control does nothing. I'm sure they can be replaced by other brands. But that's not the point. This was not handled well from a customer service point of view. They should have let the public know what was going on so they could have made better choices. I know - what business does that? But Taylor presents itself as a customer service jugernaught. This shouldn't have happened this way. I guess they're just another company after all. I know manufacturers do this sort of thing every day. But this was marketed as a comprehensive new approach to the solid body electric. I bought a new system, not just a guitar. I expected support for the product and it should be available, discontinued or not. I love this guitar. I was just playing it a few minutes ago. I will continue to play it once I figure out how to get it fixed. They told me the humbuckers were available for the T5. That doesn't really help me. I also asked if it would void the Warranty I found a luthier who would put another brand of pickups in it. Fortunately, he said no. But he also said I would have a hard doing it if it could be dome at all. I think they should have at least stocked the parts for few years longer. I'm disappointed.

[Psalad]

I think they are too expensive. I personally would never spend that much for a solid slab of wood, regardless of the nameplate. I don't believe the wood makes much, if any difference in the sound of an electric solid body, and I think it's crazy to spend a lot of money on one.

Acoustic guitar? Sure! Even semi-hollow I can sometimes hear a difference when it comes to sustain especially... but solid planks? The great majority of it comes from the fingers, the pickups, and the strings.

[terrapin]

Originally Posted by Sword Bringer

Let me qualify that statement. Perhaps, I overstated the uniquness a bit but, they had a new bridge design, a one bolt through the body neck and inter-changable pickguards with various pickup configurations. The neck was also unusual for an electric in that it was very much like their acoustics, which I happen to like. In fact, I like it better than the new PRS "Pattern Thin" neck design. But, that's an individual preference. They sounded and played great. Mine would have sounded better to me if I had the high gain buckers instead of the minis it came with. They were incredibly light and comfortable guitars. The design was a lot like the late 50's, early '60s Melody Makers.

The bigger point is that these things were brought out to great fanfare. The "Configurator" is still on line if you Google it. So you can design the guitar of your dreams which will always be a dream. I guess, I'm just really surprised and a bit let down by the way Taylor has handled this whole thing. They were selling these thing up until very recently and now there's no support for their inter-changable pick guard/pickups. the pickups were propriatary and supposed to better designed since they were engineered from scratch by the Taylor engineering department. They said the whole design stemmed from the pickup ideas.I may not even be able to get my pots replaced and they didn't last very long considering. My volume is either all on or off and my tone control does nothing. I'm sure they can be replaced by other brands. But that's not the point. This was not handled well from a customer service point of view. They should have let the public know what was going on so they could have made better choices. I know - what business does that? But Taylor presents itself as a customer service jugernaught. This shouldn't have happened this way. I guess they're just another company after all. I know manufacturers do this sort of thing every day. But this was marketed as a comprehensive new approach to the solid body electric. I bought a new system, not just a guitar. I expected support for the product and it should be available, discontinued or not. I love this guitar. I was just playing it a few minutes ago. I will continue to play it once I figure out how to get it fixed. They told me the humbuckers were available for the T5. That doesn't really help me. I also asked if it would void the Warranty I found a luthier who would put another brand of pickups in it. Fortunately, he said no. But he also said I would have a hard to do if it could be dome at all. I think they should have at least stocked the parts for few years longer. I'm disappointed.

Sounds like ALOT of marketing hype to me!

[Sword Bringer]

Yes Collings are wonderful. Both guitars and amps. I don't know how innovative they are though.Right now ,at least for the most innovative company my money is on Godin - Great quality,mid priced and incredible electronic variation/combinations.

[Sword Bringer]

I beg to differ with you regarding the wood in electrics not making a difference. In fact, Bob Taylor proved with his pallet guitars that wood doesn't make much difference in acoustics- at least that's what he says. But then the whole point of buying acoustic Taylors, is to get the different sounds that the different models deliver. Kind of contradictory on the face of it. I can hear the difference between an acoustic Koa, Maple, rosewood or Mahogany. the tops make the biggest difference ( Spruce Vs. Cedar). But, you can't tell me that an Alder electric sounds like a mahogany or mahogany maple combination. Swamp Ash certainly delivers a unique tone as does Bass wood. I'm sure the folks with different electrics will verify what I'm saying.

[terrapin]

Originally Posted by Sword Bringer

I beg to differ with you regarding the wood in electrics not making a difference. But, you can't tell me that an Alder electric sounds like a mahogany or mahogany maple combination. Swamp Ash certainly delivers a unique tone as does Bass wood. I'm sure the folks with different electrics will verify what I'm saying.

Uh-Oh, here we go AGAIN!!! The wood in solid body electirics makes MINIMAL difference..............

[Psalad]

Originally Posted by Sword Bringer

I beg to differ with you regarding the wood in electrics not making a difference.

(snip)

But, you can't tell me that an Alder electric sounds like a mahogany or mahogany maple combination. Swamp Ash certainly delivers a unique tone as does Bass wood. I'm sure the folks with different electrics will verify what I'm saying.

I have different electrics including a vintage telecaster.

I don't want to be "that guy"... but let me put it this way. If there was really a huge difference you'd be able to tell from a recording what electric was being played.

We can't tell. Well, at least I cannot.

We are all susceptible to confirmation bias... even if we are aware that exists. We can't tell when it happening to us.

The bottom line for me is I did some recordings myself and played through the same amp with similar pickups and I have concluded in blind testing the only difference is likely the pickups. I did hear a difference between my semi hollow guitars vs. solid body but even then, with similar pickups I believe the only difference is the amount of sustain.

I'm open to being proven wrong, but I really think there is little or no difference... and I think this is why the Taylor solid bodies are being discontinued. Good electric guitars are becoming a commodity IMHO.

I have been an audio engineer for a long time and can hear differences in equipment including outboard gear, microphones, etc so I don't believe it's my ear.. but it could be!

[Psalad]

Originally Posted by terrapin

Uh-Oh, here we go AGAIN!!! The wood in solid body electirics makes MINIMAL difference..............

I apologize if this has been a topic of contention before, didn't mean to do a thread tangent! I do think it's relevant to Taylor's discontinuing of solid body electrics though.