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  #46  
Old 12-12-2017, 12:21 PM
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I think those knobs on the top shoulder of Taylors shows how much Mr. Taylor pays attention to the smallest details. If he didn't care he'd have stuck with that barn-door design the earlier models had. Taylor makes sure the frets are level, the strings are at a decent height, the screws are all tight, the finish is impeccable, etc. etc. He's conscientious about the woods he uses (using all of an ebony tree instead of just the blackest parts), the prices, while high, are correct for the market with outstanding models for all budgets. Well, you won't find a new "under $399" Taylor, I think, but a $599 starting level is pretty low for a manufacturer of this quality.

I have not always appreciated the Taylor sound, but my first quality guitar was a Taylor 3xx and that Taylor rescued me from giving up on Guitar. I wish I had kept it because this was one from the early 90s and Taylor had only been around for a few years at that point and guitar stores were already stocking them and raving about them.
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  #47  
Old 12-12-2017, 01:22 PM
markm2553 markm2553 is offline
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The Taylor I own has neither knobs or cutaway.

There are lots of places that let you try one for free.
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  #48  
Old 12-12-2017, 01:42 PM
edward993 edward993 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mickthemiller View Post
... Sorry, I just remembered I have owned a Taylor gs mini for about two months.
Seriously?

Edward
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  #49  
Old 12-12-2017, 01:55 PM
Swamp Yankee Swamp Yankee is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by edward993 View Post
Seriously?

Edward
You have to give the OP an A+ for bravery.

Think of the guts it took!

I could not imagine myself claiming to dislike a brand of guitar I've never played. I mean, I'd be too afraid I would appear idiotic.

To imply I hated a brand so much I've never even mustered the desire to try PLAYING one, and then to blithely admit - OOPS! I actually owned one (but it played badly) That's real chutspah there!

I must applaud the OP for this demonstration of character

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  #50  
Old 12-12-2017, 02:44 PM
tonyo tonyo is offline
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I'll take their 3 little knobs over the big ugly electronic boxes you see on some guitars.
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  #51  
Old 12-12-2017, 04:07 PM
Goodallboy Goodallboy is offline
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I have played many Taylor models from the time they came into production until recently, and never liked the tone. Until that is, I came across the re-voiced, newer Taylors. The difference I experienced was as stark as playing different brands. The newer Taylors (all 600 series and above) were great sounding instruments.

I don't recall knobs, some had cutaways, but I only measure a guitar in terms of what comes out the sound hole.

Try a newer one that meets your requirements.
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  #52  
Old 12-12-2017, 06:14 PM
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As a mechanical engineer, I like their approach to guitar building to insure consistency and quality and also ease of service down the road with the NT neck. I believe their approach to on-board electronics is elegant and effective. Everything else that is debated on this forum is subjective so YMMV is very applicable. I’m obviously a fan (look at my sig) in terms of tone, playability, aesthetics, and value.
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  #53  
Old 12-12-2017, 06:22 PM
mmasters mmasters is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goodallboy View Post
I have played many Taylor models from the time they came into production until recently, and never liked the tone. Until that is, I came across the re-voiced, newer Taylors. The difference I experienced was as stark as playing different brands. The newer Taylors (all 600 series and above) were great sounding instruments.

I don't recall knobs, some had cutaways, but I only measure a guitar in terms of what comes out the sound hole.

Try a newer one that meets your requirements.
I second this, I never cared for Taylors until I came across the newer voiced models (the upper end models since 2014). They've really got something now!
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  #54  
Old 12-29-2017, 09:28 PM
Guitarplayer_PR Guitarplayer_PR is offline
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Originally Posted by mickthemiller View Post
I've never played or even touched a Taylor acoustic. I have no yen to do so either. Am I odd? Or could it be that every Taylor I see either has a cutaway or knobs on the side. Must admit I am not a fan of either. But, when I see contributors raving about their Taylors I really want to know why and what is so special, to some, about the Taylor sound and feel. Sorry, I just remembered I have owned a Taylor gs mini for about two months.

Actually, I own two Taylors. One of them has neither a cutaway nor the Expression System (well, neither of the two have the ES to be fair) and the other is a cutaway. Two different bodies. The Taylor 414CE (Grand Auditorium) has an LR Baggs Anthem SL installed because the original ES1 stopped working and, to be sincere, I love the Anthem much more than the ES, at least the first one. The Taylor DN3 (dreadnought, for those keeping score) has the K&K Pure Mini, with the Pure Mini preamp separately.

At first, I was somewhat skeptical of Taylors, solely based on what I heard on videos and because I was kind of a rebel, who would probably dislike something if many people love such thing. That was until I started playing them and listening to them. What made me a Taylor lover was 1) its finger-friendly neck, which fits my chubby fingers and it's great for fingerpickers 2) its tone, specially the fact that it has a clarity that many of other guitars I've owned or played don't have 3) it's like a samurai sword cutting through any mix. In fact, after my first Taylor, I've owned Gibson, Martin, Takamine, etc. Many of them were sold. I've never sold a Taylor and probably never will.

In fact, my guitar tech told me that the DN3 has been the best guitar, from the ones I've put in his hands (MAAAANY of them), I've owned
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  #55  
Old 12-29-2017, 11:29 PM
Biddy44 Biddy44 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tonyo View Post
I'll take their 3 little knobs over the big ugly electronic boxes you see on some guitars.
I agree. I find the large equalizer cutouts to be an abomination on a guitar, but the ES2’s aesthetics are about as good as they could be, subtle and in character with the body. The quality is only ok, but good enough for when I need to plug in.
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  #56  
Old 12-31-2017, 08:24 AM
Sagebrush Tom Sagebrush Tom is offline
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Not being a fan of cutaways or factory installed electronics, every store i've walked into that stocks Taylors have these features. And if they don't have any models without those features, i'm not going to play one. Besides i wouldn't know the difference between a 412ce or a 618ce, or a 210ce or a 856ce (these are just models i have heard being discussed in this forum).

I'm just saying that it seems to me 8 out 10 Taylors come with these features and if most of you like them, more power to you. Even youtube videos seem to have the same ratio. And i'm not going to special order a guitar i haven't had the chance to hear. Just my thoughts.

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  #57  
Old 12-31-2017, 08:44 AM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mickthemiller View Post
I've never played or even touched a Taylor acoustic. I have no yen to do so either. Am I odd? Or could it be that every Taylor I see either has a cutaway or knobs on the side. Must admit I am not a fan of either. But, when I see contributors raving about their Taylors I really want to know why and what is so special, to some, about the Taylor sound and feel. Sorry, I just remembered I have owned a Taylor gs mini for about two months.
You haven't missed much... I have owned/played four of them; owned a XX Anniversary D (spruce/quilted sapele), 314, GS Mini, Baby-and borrowed a 714. None stayed more than a few weeks. Recently played a used GS6 (spruce/maple), in Manson's which had been there for months. I understand why nobody wanted it; it was absolutely lifeless, bland and toneless: 'beige' would describe it well. Looked pretty though!
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  #58  
Old 12-31-2017, 09:11 AM
Teherie Teherie is offline
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I don't own a Taylor but my son has three: A 214, a Baby and a solid body electric that they only made for a few years. I have first right of refusal on the 214 if he ever sells it since I paid for half of it when he graduated from college. It's a sweet guitar and it once had a defective tuner. They sent him a couple of replacements immediately with no questions asked at no charge.

I own 4 Martins and two Larrivees and for what it's worth, these owners/builders (Bob Taylor, Chris Martin, Jean Larrivee, Richard Hoover, the late Bill Collings and others) all seem to speak highly of each other and all appear to be on friendly terms. That counts for a lot in my book.
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  #59  
Old 03-29-2018, 07:54 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tonyo View Post
I'll take their 3 little knobs over the big ugly electronic boxes you see on some guitars.
^^^This!!!!

I hate looking down at my guitar while playing it and seeing the big ugly control box that looks like it belongs in a cockpit somewhere. Love the simple 3 knob look of the Taylors.
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  #60  
Old 03-29-2018, 08:00 AM
jazzguy jazzguy is offline
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I have owned 8 taylor's over the years and my 512e is perhaps the best. I also own a fantastic Martin 00-18. Perhaps an odd comparison, but Taylor / Martin is sort of like Fender Strat / Gibson Les Paul. Fender/ Taylor = clear, open and chimey. Martin / Gibson = meatier, woody, thick creamy. Both are fantastic.
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Last edited by jazzguy; 03-29-2018 at 09:59 AM.
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