American Dream guitars
 

Are there any American Dream Guitars out there from 30 years ago from Taylord exsistance?HAs anyone ever seen one or played one? Im curious with this being the 30th anniversary of the Tayolr guitar.

I see "em turn up on Ebay every once in a blue moon.

Sure, but they aren't Taylors. Sometimes when you see them for sale the owners try to market them as "early Taylors" but they aren't. They are simply American Dream brand guitars.

Technically, yes they are not Taylors but their head stock is what inspired the Taylor headstock and Bob bought the factory so thay do play a role in the history of Taylor.

To be technical, it wasn't Bob who bought the business, it was Bob and Kurt and Steve together in a three way partnership. Steve left after a while and since then it has been Bob and Kurt together in a two-way partnership.

I would agree that one could say that American Dream guitars have a kind of an historical link to Taylors, but then I would also agree that Martins have perhaps an even stronger historical link to Taylor since they are the ones who invented the dreadnaught steel string guitar in the 1930s and the smaller sizes based on the dread on which Taylor designs are based.

American Dream Guitars
 

I see that none of the replies to this old post are from anyone who has ever actually handled an American Dream.
Folks are quick to point out that there is no "technical" association. I would beg to differ as the owner of a custom built, signed by Bob Taylor American Dream. 19 year old Bob Taylor hand built this guitar for me, commissioned face to face in Lemon Grove in late summer of 1973 and delivered in March of 1974. This was 4+ months before Westland Music came into existence, later to be renamed Taylor Guitars.
Bob sent me letter early last year to confirm that my American Dream is one of the first three instruments he ever built.
Daily driver, Spruce/Walnut Dreadnaught she has aged with grace and plays like the dream she is....
They are out there, but I would imagine most owners would be hard pressed to part with them. I'm lucky to have been at the right place at the right time to have commissioned an original Bob Taylor custom that pre-dates Taylor guitars but is certainly a prototype for all that followed...

Six-string maple jumbo handbuilt by Bob Taylor 9/74
 

I ordered a custom-built six-string maple jumbo with seagull fret markers and a sun in the headstock from Bob in the summer of 1974. I took delivery in September 1974. It still looks and plays great!

I think the pre-Bob shop, American Dream, was a combination repair shop and group of people who wanted to build stuff, which I visited in 1971. I went there to visit Greg Deering, who I knew from hanging around church camp, and who was working there at the time.

There are still AD guitars for sale around here from time to time. I got to play some new ones, in the shop, before they were sold. I remember a few of them going sideways before they were sold - warps and ripples in the sides and backs. They were learning some pretty basic wood working and lutherie lessons back then.