In love with the most expensive guitar in store...

[Kettil]

Originally Posted by AcousticAmber

My boyfriend has been lovely and bought me several guitars over the years including my dream guitar Martin 000-15M. It's his birthday coming up so I wanted to buy HIM a guitar. We go to L&M and what does he fall in love with? The Taylor K24CE at $6200... why!!!

Someone please tell me there is an all-solid Koa guitar in existence that sounds great but doesn't cost more than my car?!?!

Yes, there is, and it has already been mentioned in the thread - a 324ce-K FLTD. I have one and its fabulous. I am a big fan of Taylor's Koa guitars, so I can endorse your BF's preference as well. If he doesn't already have a Koa guitar in his stable, I don't think you could go wrong with this purchase.

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by ohYew812

If you need any recommendations for the area, give me a shout.

What part of the Sheandoah river? I live at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers.

I think he means the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers in the U.S.A, not the ones in Iceland.

[blindboyjimi]

Here's a nice K24CE at $2700.....Deals are out there....Don't spend $6K!

http://www.madisonmusic.com/componen...7-35-47-detail

[AcousticAmber]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

The solution to this is actually pretty simple....assuming you have the cash, give him roughly what he has spent on you and call it even. Then, he can put it towards the guitar, or he can buy something else.

This is a great idea, thanks. And now that you remind me, I remembered that this is exactly what we did with our surfboards and it worked out great

[AcousticAmber]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Amber, you are a keeper! Lucky boyfriend.....

At $6200 something is wrong. You list your location as Florida, but L&M usually means Long & McQuade in Canada? That would explain the difference......
$6200 is even more than the MSRP price shown on the Taylor web site, and well more than the $4400 MAP advertised on sites like www.Elderly.com and Musician's Friend.

I was living in Florida, now I'm in Canada wandering around for 4 months before returning to Australia. So yeah the L&M we went to was in Canada and in Canadian dollars.

To avoid the issues of trying to transport such an expensive guitar, I would prefer to wait until we're back in Australia to buy him one though. I'm finding that Canadian and Australian prices of guitars are USUALLY pretty comparable so still sussing it out

[AcousticAmber]

Originally Posted by dodge

Taylor did a 324ce Koa ltd a couple of years ago. Great sounding guitars without the bling. You can still find them for sale on eBay or reverb.com
https://reverb.com/p/taylor-324ce-k-natural

Perfect, this is what I was looking for! Thanks

[mkitman]

Amber, your last comment is probably your best bet.

As far as the 324ce FLTD Koa, I've had mine for almost 2 years, & love it. However, it is NOT in the same vein as the Koa series (K24, K22, K62, etc.) I also own one of those; not in the same ballpark (depending on what it was about the guitar that he saw that he fell 'in love with').

Good luck with your decision!

[mkitman]

You made 2 posts since I started writing mine. I meant your idea of giving him the comparable cash to let him decide.

Again, the FLTD is in a different catagory than the Koa series...

[AcousticAmber]

Originally Posted by devellis

I think it can be a minefield to buy someone else a guitar. What did he love about the guitar in question? Did he love it in an "I really want one" kind of way or in a "that's really something" kind of way (which isn't the same thing)? Would he love another guitar of the same model as much as he loved a particular example of a model he actually played?

He only has one guitar right now (although he's obviously free to play any of mine whenever he likes) and it's a Taylor 314 LTD with koa back and sides, spruce top. It was damaged when I bought it for him which was the only way I could afford such a nice guitar at the time. I fixed it for him and it plays like a dream now.

He loves the guitar but he has said before that he wishes it was all koa, because he LOVES koa. When the played the K24 in the store, I could see his eyes light up and I knew he loved it before he even said so. He said "If I had this guitar, I would play it every single day". He very clearly said he was in love with it and he really wants one. So I know its legit. We've been back 3 times since then and he goes straight for it every time and his opinion hasn't changed.

It's not the vine inlays on the fretboard or the fancy binding, he just likes the tone of an all koa guitar. But of course, he does think it's gorgeous too. So I think he would be just as happy with any all koa Taylor, one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! I'm just finding it hard to justify spending $6k on a guitar, especially because he doesn't actually play all that much. But I can't forget the look on his face the first time he played it and I want him to have that every day

[AcousticAmber]

Originally Posted by roylor4

I'm sorry, but I don't get most of these comments.

I don't see anywhere that the OP's boyfriend requested or expects to receive the guitar in question, she simply says he "fell in love" with it and asks for alternatives.

This!

Never in 1 million years would he expect me to buy him a $6k Taylor, even taking into consideration the guitars he's bought for me. If he expected me to buy it for him, I'd indeed be worried!

[AcousticAmber]

Originally Posted by A-Mac

Amber, do not surprise him with any guitar, regardless of price.

Some years ago a friend of mine bought a Martin Backpacker and was showing it to me. I oohed and ahhed and said I thought it was great, all the while thinking what a piece of junk. But my wife was there and went out and bought me one for my birthday. I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't want it, and it's still upstairs with my gear somewhere.

Point is, I advise you to involve him in any purchase of this magnitude you make for him.

Haha, I might be worried about that, except he picked the guitar out himself. That, and he already knows I want to buy it for him. In fact, he's been reading these replies! Some of them he thinks are hilarious:

"Dump him and buy yourself the Taylor"
"He doesn't deserve you, come and live with me"

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by AcousticAmber

Haha, I might be worried about that, except he picked the guitar out himself. That, and he already knows I want to buy it for him. In fact, he's been reading these replies! Some of them he thinks are hilarious:

"Dump him and buy yourself the Taylor"
"He doesn't deserve you, come and live with me"

Sounds like a good dude and ya'll seem a good fit with similar senses of humor. . Both ya'll should check out the new 324 - Mahogany over Blackwood. I know it ain't Koa, but the one I played blew me away. Warm and woody with strong midrange presence. Too big for me though. My cc# bill may have been higher now if they had've had a new 322 in stock.

Not cheap but not over the top either.

[mcduffnw]

[QUOTE=blindboyjimi;5481036]Here's a nice K24CE at $2700.....Deals are out there....Don't spend $6K!

http://www.madisonmusic.com/componen...7-35-47-detail[/QUOT

Be sure to take a look at this one Amber...

This one keeps you in the model range that he likes, and seems to be a very very good deal.

I guess the one issue is...and as a guitar player you know this well yourself...this one guitar you and he have found really speaks to him, both visually, and apparently sonically, and there is no guarantee that another of the same would be quite the same for him...even as consistent as Taylor guitars really are.

I guess it could be your Birthday, Christmas, Valentines Day, Anniversary gift to him for the next several years. I reckon he would be AOK with that!

You seem like a wonderful couple, meant to be together...which is terrific!

Good Luck in your decision.

duff

[TBman]

All this talk of koa and Taylors is giving me GAS. Now I'm curious.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by AcousticAmber

I was living in Florida, now I'm in Canada wandering around for 4 months before returning to Australia. So yeah the L&M we went to was in Canada and in Canadian dollars.

To avoid the issues of trying to transport such an expensive guitar, I would prefer to wait until we're back in Australia to buy him one though. I'm finding that Canadian and Australian prices of guitars are USUALLY pretty comparable so still sussing it out.

Amber, I suggest buying before you go. Taylor (and all other US brand) guitars about cost twice as much in Oz as they do in the US, even more than in Canada. I sold my NS34ce (314 nylon string) to a person in Australia a couple of years ago because even with air shipping it cost her half as much as she could get one for locally used. If you already own the guitar before you move, you might even avoid some customs duties and import taxes that way.

I happen to use the SKB i-Series flight case, and it is quite durable for airline transport, especially for only US $300. It would also work as well as any case for shipping with household goods. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...-case-w-wheels
I'm an NFL lineman sized guy, and I can stand on my case without damaging it, and it seals up airtight.