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Old 11-11-2015, 11:25 PM
Kamo287 Kamo287 is offline
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Exclamation Won Auction! Taylor 810ce ! Wrong Serial Number?

Hello!

First time here - hope I do this right!

- Won a beautiful taylor 810ce guitar at auction. It was delivered today. Sounds amazing, great guitar. NOW...

The auction indicated that there was a crack on the top (very fine) but that it was professionally fixed BY TAYLOR.

Also the auction indicates that this guitar (2010 model) was upgraded to the new ES2 pickup system BY TAYLOR.

The facts:
The crack is certainly repaired- and it does have the ES2!

The Issue:
I called taylor to check on the serial number and they have no records of fixing any crack or upgrading any electronics (using the serial number found inside the guitar (sticker) )

What should I make of this?

I contacted the seller to ask about this and they said they received the guitar directly from taylor as a certified pre-owned guitar.

I am taking it to a local shop tomorrow morning to get it looked at by "my guy" ... the whole situation is strange.

The price for this 2010 810ce was great so I am not complaining about that. I am just thrown off by no one claiming to add the ES2 or fixing the crack?

I thought only Taylor could put in the ES2?

Please share your thoughts on what I should do with this- and if you've experienced where maybe the serial number on a guitar changed? or if it's incorrect?

I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO REPAIRED THE CRACK AND PUT IN THE ES2 (assuming the 2010 model came with older ES)

THANK YOU!
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Old 11-11-2015, 11:41 PM
Kamo287 Kamo287 is offline
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Wink More Info

Getting the easy questions out of the way:

Yes the bridge has the newer 3 circle/adjusters? for the ES2

Yes it has the amber tortoise? pick guard and not the new wooden one

Yes I am sure it is not counterfeit as it plays beautifully and has the exact inlays on the neck that it should etc... It has a very deep sound that the 810 should have!

---------------------

I thought maybe this was an 810c before? and then got upgraded during the mystery repair?

I am upgrading from a mostly laminate wood 300-400 fender cutaway I got 5 years ago so this is a HUGE move for me
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Old 11-11-2015, 11:52 PM
SKYHIGH SKYHIGH is offline
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I'm not clear on what's you're asking or wanting to know...

But just random answer to your questions.
My understanding is that Taylor authorized repair shop can do most repair such as neck reset. Can they upgrade pickups top, I'm not sure. You see some people thing Taylor second generation pickups are the ES 2 pickups when it's not. This is why you ask for serial number before making the purchase and check with Taylor first.

Only the seller will know who repaired the crack. He is your source for this.
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Old 11-12-2015, 01:37 AM
Shippy Shippy is offline
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Firstly, where are you based?

If US then I guess you would have contacted Taylor US. If in Europe, I believe repair are done in the Netherlands at the European HQ/Distribution. Not sure if they share repair records?

I would take it to your local Taylor dealer/repairer for their opinion.
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Old 11-12-2015, 01:58 AM
GCWaters GCWaters is offline
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I didn't think Taylor sold pre-owned guitars directly...


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Old 11-12-2015, 06:33 AM
chitz chitz is offline
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I suspect the repair & the pickup system swap were performed at a qualified Taylor repair shop and not at the Taylor factory.

I have not heard of Taylor selling used guitars. But then, you can fill an encyclopedia with things I haven't heard.
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Old 11-12-2015, 07:20 AM
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fazool fazool is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chitz View Post
.... But then, you can fill an encyclopedia with things I haven't heard.

I'm going to steal and use that quote!
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Old 11-12-2015, 07:32 AM
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fazool fazool is online now
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AFAIK, Taylor does not sell pre-owned, refurbs or such.

I also suspect that the repair was done by an authorized Taylor repair facility and the seller equated that with being done "by Taylor".

If something seems fishy, it is probably more reassuring to verify with Taylor that it is a legit guitar and not a counterfeit. They can check the serial number and match it up with the guitar you have (specs, features, etc) just to be sure.

If you got a good deal and it is a legit Taylor, then everything is good and I wouldn't worry about it.

Was it an eBay auction?
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Old 11-12-2015, 07:52 AM
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mikealpine mikealpine is offline
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Ok, it's early where I am and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet, so forgive me if I write something silly. My initial thoughts are:

1) Is the serial number accurate regarding the model, irrespective of the pickup change? In other words, does Taylor show that serial number as being an 810, and if so, a "c" or "ce"?

2) Is the crack stabilized?

3) Do you like the guitar enough to keep it for the price you paid, assuming your local tech says that everything is in good working order?


If the eBay ad clearly states this was repaired and upgraded by Taylor, as well as having been sold by the Taylor factory, and Taylor has no record of doing so, it would seem you have grounds to return the item for a full refund. Based on your description of the issues, eBay would fully support you in this.

However, if the guitar is worthwhile keeping, I don't know that having any of the information regarding the repair/upgrade helps you in any way. The guitar is no longer under warranty because you are not the original owner. It's almost as if you saw the guitar hanging used in a shop and had no access to its history. You take it down and play it, bring it to a guitar tech and ask, "Is this a good guitar and is it worth $X, and do you see anything that says it won't last long me a long time".

In short, if you like the guitar and your tech says its in good shape, keep it. If the lack of information bothers you - and I'm making no judgments about that, because if that is an important aspect to YOU, that's all that matters - return the guitar for a refund. I don't think digging deeper other than to ensure it isn't a counterfeit guitar is really going to do much for you other than that.


[As I was typing my long monologue, Fazool eloquently stated everything in a much more concise package, lol]
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:13 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamo287 View Post
The auction indicated that there was a crack on the top (very fine) but that it was professionally fixed BY TAYLOR.

Also the auction indicates that this guitar (2010 model) was upgraded to the new ES2 pickup system BY TAYLOR.

The facts:
The crack is certainly repaired- and it does have the ES2!

The Issue:
I called taylor to check on the serial number and they have no records of fixing any crack or upgrading any electronics (using the serial number found inside the guitar (sticker) )

What should I make of this?

I contacted the seller to ask about this and they said they received the guitar directly from taylor as a certified pre-owned guitar.
There are a few possibilities but the part about the seller getting the guitar from Taylor as a "certified pre-owned" is confusing unless this person was looking for a particular model that was out of production and called Taylor who then found him a used guitar through one of their dealers. Some out of production guitars listed on the Taylor website have this kind of language on their page:
Legacy guitar models are no longer in production. If you are interested in a legacy model, please call our sales team at 1-888-2TAYLOR.

And apparently at least one dealer used the phrase "certified pre-owned" to describe some of their Taylors.

As for the pickup installation... Some years back (probably around 2006-7) I was in the market for a Taylor XXX-RS with the Expression System. They were out of production but a few guitars were still around, however, none had the pickup installed. One dealer called Taylor and explained that he had a buyer for the guitar but only if the Expression system was installed. Taylor agreed to install the pickup and the guitar was shipped back to them, then back to the store, then to me.

That was my experience. I don't know if they allowed their certified repair techs to do those installations on new guitars. And I don't know if anyone at Taylor went back and changed the original production paperwork to indicate that the guitar was upgraded from a non-pickup guitar. Honestly, I'm not sure why they'd even bother.

I hope you find some answers to your mystery. Good luck.
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamo287 View Post
. . . I am taking it to a local shop tomorrow morning to get it looked at by "my guy" . . .
Here's the key statement in your post afaic. You love the guitar, and its tone - so if your luthier tells you that the top repair is fine then my suggestion is to play it and bond with it. It's likely the seller may have "embellished" in his/her product description, but - - dude - - if you have a gem, you have a gem! If your tech confirms that the instrument is in good condition, and the top repair is sound, I suggest forgetting it and moving on.
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:43 AM
AmericanEagle AmericanEagle is offline
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It is my understanding that some manufacturers, when selling a guitar as a second, change the serial # to a new one.
Perhaps this happened in your case, and they just happen
to not have the new serial # in their system.
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:55 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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What does "certified pre-owned" mean when it comes to a Taylor? Only new Taylors have the lifetime warranty.
A 'certified pre-owned' car may have a warranty similar to a new model - but its supplied by the dealer/outside warranty company.
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:57 AM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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You guys aren't reading the post carefully. Nowhere in it does he say he bought the guitar from Taylor. It says the seller bought bought it from Taylor as "certified pre-owned" - he then bought it from the seller. I have never heard of this but perhaps the seller bought from a dealer that is an Authorized Taylor repair location and THEY certified it as pre-owned. They could just be confused.

As long as it is a REAL Taylor and plays and sounds great what's the big difference? The OP says it is and at a great deal. Seems like semantics and hair-splitting to me.
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Old 11-12-2015, 08:58 AM
Jim Jim is offline
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As others have noted already - Taylor does not sell refurbished guitars and they do not sell used guitars. To add a bit, Taylor does not sell guitars directly to customers - they only sell to their authorized dealers. That is part of their agreement with the authorized dealers otherwise there would be some undermining of their own dealers which makes no sense to Taylor.

Taylor does have their own repair operation at their factory in El Cajon, California. They also have some arrangements with some private guitar repair men for those certain repair guys to do Taylor authorized servicing, but those guys are not part of the Taylor factory.

What you have sounds like a real Taylor that has been repaired and had a new pickup system installed by someone. It is possible it was done at the Taylor factory by an individual or retail store sending it to them, having the repairs made and then returned to that individual or retail store, and it is that individual or retail store that was the one selling it on Ebay, or that they sold it to someone else who then sold it on Ebay. Or, it could have been repaired by one of Taylor's authorized private repair guys somewhere and then it was returned to the owner or store who then sold it on Ebay, or they sold it to someone who sold it on Ebay.

As for the cracked top, if it was repaired professionally it should be stable now, though it could always crack again somewhere else. You need to keep the guitar properly humidified to prevent more cracking. It is possible you got a good deal on the guitar because it has a repaired crack on the top. This does reduce the value of a Taylor or any other brand as it is considered to be damage even though it is now stabilized damage.

If you like the guitar and feel you got a good deal then that is all that is really important. If you ever do sell the guitar in the future, please to not pass along the incorrect information that you were given when you bought it.
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