Has Taylor got a Surprise coming?
 

I went to a concert in the San Diego area tonight by Alison Brown. After intermission Andy Powers from Taylor joined her for a couple of songs and he was playing an archtop! Didn’t look like any Taylor that I’ve ever seen and I can’t imagine he’d be playing anything but a Taylor. Hmmmm.

Probably one of his own. He made archtops prior to joining Taylor.

Ahh, that would explain it. It was an absolutely stunning instrument.

Could happen, since Andy's got the hands-on know-how and Bob T. is always looking for new avenues to pursue. If you think about it all the necessary elements are there: the basic body (-12 for the David Rawlings fans, -14 in the early 16" L-5 mold. and the retired -15 for a classic 17-incher) and neck ('90s pre-NT) patterns, the woods (Andy's done some great things with maple, and they control their own ebony sourcing), a dedicated workforce, and the innovative spirit to develop the technology that will allow them to get it done, at a street price that could put a domestically-produced all-solid archtop within reach of anyone considering a mid-line flattop from one of the other "Big Three" makers - and if they ever decide to introduce a "100/200-Series" or "Academy" no-frills/solid-top-only 15"/16"version akin to the low-end prewar Gibsons/Epiphones, they may well have another GS Mini success story on their hands...

Anyone else on board...? :guitar:

I like he way you're thinking Steve. I'd like to see this happen.

It would be nice, but is there that much demand?

I've been waiting for Taylor to build an archtop since at least 2002. CNC would be the perfect machine to innovate the process to carve the tops and backs...and last I saw, Taylor has a few of those CNC's laying around. :roll:

Archtop, Archtop, Archtop!

Over the last five decades I've yet to meet even one other person who owns a baritone guitar - same deal for mandola, mandocello, and octave mando (BTW I also own one of the latter), and I've only encountered one plectrum banjo player...

All of these instruments are readily available brand-new, at a variety of price points...

Known plenty of archtop players during my lifetime (come to think of it, isn't this the AGF Archtop subforum? :confused: )...

Godin's 5th Avenue - a latter-day rendition of the student Harmony and Kay archtops of the mid-1900's - enjoys steady (if not overwhelming) sales and a loyal following, and if you're a serious player in almost any genre you need one of these little $500 comp boxes in your collection, period...

Guild saw fit to introduce the $1200 A-150 Savoy several years ago, as a Working Joe/Jane's jazzbox in the mold of the club-players'/teachers' dual-purpose instruments of the postwar period - and there's a long-standing rumor of a full-depth/all-acoustic A-50 (based on the current T-50 platform) waiting in the wings...

Eastman and Loar - the only viable options in a wallet-friendly all-solid-carved factory guitar - seem to have no problem selling their wares, in spite of the sometimes-iffy QC of the latter...

The next step up puts you well over $4K if you're looking for a brand-new instrument - and if you see a nice non-cutaway pre-1960 Gibson or New York Epiphone in the $2500+/- range (yes. they're out there) grab it now, 'cause it won't be there long...

There's a demand... :guitar: