Can you stand one more post asking for help with purchase?

[Ament1]

I'm new to this board but laughed out loud when I read about TAS, because I recognized the symptoms immediately. I own a brand x with rosewood/spruce and was perfectly happy until I heard a guy playing his new Taylor 814ce. The sound blew me away and I knew immediately I had to have one. It's about all I've thought about for the past 14 days. I've pored over the catalog and spent hours on this site researching opinions of various models.

Here's my current thinking -- I'm keeping my brand x for now and want to add a non-rosewood Taylor with a different look ( I know the sound will be awesome no matter what model I choose). I'm considering a K14 without electronics, since I don't play in public except leading worship for youth groups. Mostly strumming, with some fingerstyle. My skills are modest, but my budget isn't, and I just love the sound these things make. I live in a remote area and will buy from a dealer 5 hours away, so I can't sit and try out guitars and pick the best sound. I'm at the mercy of the factory there. My questions are:

1) Any reason not to choose Koa?
2) Can I pay extra and have them choose an awesome piece of wood, or do I take what I get?
3) Can I send it in to add on-board electronics if I change my mind later?
4) Should I wait until fall and see what limiteds are available?
5) When in the fall do the limiteds come out?

Any help will be greatly appreciated, but hurry -- my TAS is killing me. Thanks.

[rsimper]

1- If you dont like it...that would be a good reason to not choose koa. It would probably complement the rosewood x guitar you have

2- Yes you can get an AA grade flame koa upgrade for a bit of cash (900 retail, so probably around 500-600) in actual cost hundred bucks

3- Good question, and I dont know...but you can get a great system without cutting a hole in the guitar. Taylor puts a reinforcing brace around the electronics hole on their CE models...so yours would not have that brace
There are plenty of great options for amplification without cutting a hole in your guitar if you buy it without one, and you could get an onboard system put in if you wanted, I just dont know if Taylor would do it for you or not.

4- I am struggling with this same internal conflict. Also, what about waiting till 2003 models come out to see if they make changes? I really dont know on this one. Id say if there is something you like now, go for it. If nothing toots your horn, then you have nothing to lose by waiting.

5-They are announced in September or October I think...at least thats when they were this year. They start shipping late fall (november/december i think)

There is no GUARANTEE there will be fall limiteds, but they have done it the last 3 years...so id bet the barn on it, but not the entire farm.

[cpmusic]

Koa is very nice, but don't limit your choices to just one wood. Play as many different Taylors as you can, and you might be surprised at what jumps out at you.

Don't worry about adding a pickup later. Taylor won't retrofit a Fishman blender because of the reinforcement Rsimper mentioned, but any good luthier can install whatever pickup you want, and I don't believe it will void the warranty unless it makes wholesale changes (like a new bridge) or otherwise compromises the guitar's structural integrity. This is actually a good way to go, because then you can choose the pickup, mic, or combo that sounds best to you.

Don't make yourself crazy worrying about what might be released down the road. If you're not in a hurry, that's cool, but if you find something in the meantime that really speaks to you, don't pass it up for what you might be able to get later on. A guitar that works for you is far preferable to one that is labeled special by someone else.

[Shemp]

I own 2 acoustics... both are rosewood and spruce with Mahogany/ebony necks... they sound about as similar as night and day. One is a Martin the other a Taylor..

Whenever I buy a guitar, it's based on the one that speaks to me, not what kind of wood it's made of. When I bought my 914 CE last year I played a room full of Taylors without any regard for price, model number, appearance. I simply played them all till I narrowed it down to 2 guitars then 1. The 2 were a Coccobolo with cedar 14, and the 914CE. The winner, without second thought, was the 914CE.

The funny thing is that I thought the 914 was a much lower model (I didn't know they had discontinued the Cindy inlay) when I selected it and was shocked when I checked the model number and price tag.

My wife was with me, and in a blind test, also kept pointing to the eventual winner as the sweetest sounding of the guitars I was playing.

Don't buy wood.... buy tone and feel!

Good luck!

[NdaBoonies]

As for the electronics... I'm almost certain that someone said (in another thread, a few weeks back) that they "had it on good (insider) authority" that the 'hole in the side' on-board approach will be passe by later this Summer or by this Fall... some B-I-G things in the works as regards improvements in electronics.

Anybody remember what was said, and/or who said it? Or, maybe... more and better info on that rumor!?

[Ament1]

Thanks, everyone, for the excellent guidance. Several of you have advised playing a bunch of models and picking the one that sounds best. Unfortunately, that isn't practical for me. I'm buying from a reputable Taylor dealer, but he's 5 hours away and doesn't stock all the models I'm interested in. I'm just sort of taking it on faith that by buying the Taylor name, I'm going to get a great sounding instrument. My understanding is that I'll pick a model and it will be shipped to him, checked out, and then sent to me. From what I'm reading, this isn't the optimum way to buy a guitar, but it's what I got out here in the sticks. Can it work? Is quality more consistant across one model line than others? Am I crazy for buying this way? Any advice to avoid problems?

And most important -- should I go with the Koa or the Maple or the Walnut as an alternative to Rosewood?

Thanks again. Appreciate the help very much.

[Mickeyt]

I found it to be crazy to buy a guitar after visiting just one dealer never mind buying one basd on what you think you want. I speak from experience. In my case my first Taylor was an 814ce. Of course since I had never played one before it was the best guitar I ever played. As TAS set in I went back and found a Koa that I really liked and brought it home. Then another and another, etc. Each time I bought one it was the best guitar I had ever played. Before long I wasn't liking my 814 very much and wanted something else. Walnut sounded good. Bought one, sold the other. Then a 514 got me. Sold the walnut, bought something else. My point is, had I really spent some time trying out as many guitars as possible I would have bought what really spoke to me, saved the money I lost on resale and probably had enough cash now to go find another "speaker" I know you have a five hour drive to consider. I have a Taylor dealer less than 5 minutes from my home but drove over three hours to another dealer just to be able to expose myself to as many models before I made a my last purchase. finally getting smarter. Try as many as you can as often as you can and something may speak to you that may not have even thought to consider.

[rsimper]

Originally posted by Mickeyt
Try as many as you can as often as you can and something may speak to you that may not have even thought to consider.

He just posted saying that this was impractical, even though he agrees that the situation would be ideal.

My personal view is that given your situation, and the fact that it seems you have convinced you will be getting a Taylor without ever playing the one you will buy...I say read as much as you can and make your decision and be confident that you chose right. Dont second guess yourself, and it will be hard for you to be disappointed- especially with nothing directly to compare it to.

Again, this approach is only my advice if you are completely convinced that you want a Taylor and have no oppurtunity to play it first...just read the website/catalog and this forum for peoples reviews and choose what you think is closest to what you are looking for. Dont bother really asking for someones new opinion because theyve all been handed down before, and the thing that is going to matter the most is that you are certain that the guitar you ordered is the one you want.

You surely dont want to order a k14c and then be convinced that maple is the best tonewood...youll be second guessing your brand new 3000 dollar guitar the entire time you own it (what if i had gotten maple? etc...)

If you buy, and it appears that buy you shall, be decisive. (be decisive when you make your decision, and every day of the 60 or so it will take until you get your guitar after youve ordered it...)

[Ament1]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I pulled the trigger today. K14ce with wood upgrade. I know it's gonna be awesome and way more guitar than a person of my meager talents should own, but what the heck. I've satisfied this longing.

For now.

[rsimper]

Congrats! the k14c is one I am strongly considering.

Im very glad also to see that you realize the "For now" nature of the appeasement of TAS...

So many people (myself included) have used the famous words "This will be the last guitar I ever buy" Only to eat them quickly thereafter

Ive eaten 3 Taylors worth of my words, and a fourth time over this summer.

When will I get full????

[Livingston]

Hey congratulations. I'm sure you will really dig the K14. Recently, I was commissioned by some friends to select and purchase a guitar for someone who will be moving away in June. Of course the person receiving the gift is a long time friend and deserving of the best. We selected a K14CE and I purchased it in March. The difficult part is we won't be giving him the gift until June and I'm responsible for keeping the guitar until then. Man, talk about torture. I've had it for several weeks now and I've resisted the temptation to play it. Nonetheless, I did try it before buying it and it is a gem for sure. Enjoy your new axe!