Me? A Taylor?

KenL · #1 10-24-2021, 07:41 AM

I've owned two Taylors in my time. The first was a 2000 710 in cedar/rosewood. Stunning guitar. The second was an older 514 in cedar/mahogany, with a cutaway. Another nice one. However, despite the beautiful woods and build quality, I never really fell in love with either and eventually moved them along. And I never cared for the necks on the several Taylors I've played since then. Too slender. Too bad for me, because I respect the company and like the looks of their guitars.

Now I'm looking for the last piece of my collection "puzzle," and would like a small-bodied couch guitar.

I'm considering a nice Taylor that has popped up, and it is a 12-fret slothead in cedar/mahogany. Pretty thing, decent price (slightly used).

I'm wondering if the neck on a modern Taylor 12-fret slothead would be okay for me, if it would be a bit chunkier than the 20-year old guitars I owned in the past? It has a 1 3/4" nut, if that is a clue, while those other two were 1 11/16", I think.

Help me out here?

llew · #2 10-24-2021, 08:25 AM

A 12 fret GC slothead might be really nice Ken. Can't help you with the neck info...I haven't owned a Taylor for a long time.

Bob Womack · #3 10-24-2021, 08:55 AM

I have a 2016 312ce 12 fret short scale slothead guitar with a 1-3/4" nut.

It has a neck with a shallow "C" profile that is very much akin to Martin's new (as of 2018) standard series OM necks. There's just the slightest hint of a "V" in it so it isn't really chunky.

Bob

KenL · #4 10-24-2021, 09:00 AM

Thanks, gentlemen.

Bob, that's a handsome guitar. I'm on Taylor's site right now trying to sort this out. Man, they make a lot of different models!

Bob Womack · #5 10-24-2021, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenL

Thanks, gentlemen.

Bob, that's a handsome guitar. I'm on Taylor's site right now trying to sort this out. Man, they make a lot of different models!

Thank you sir! Here's how I was able to make the comparison between it and the Martin:

Bob

EZYPIKINS · #6 10-24-2021, 09:28 AM

I would love to love a Taylor.

I found one I liked. Was a BTO guitar, much like the one pictured above.

It was used, with a price of $3400.00

A little steep for me at the time.

jklotz · #7 10-24-2021, 09:39 AM

I had a 322ce 12 fret for a while. It was a nice guitar, but it had the standard Taylor neck. I too like a fuller neck carve, and it was playable but I'd have preferred it to be thicker. It felt a little better than the Martin mlo though

KenL · #8 10-24-2021, 09:51 AM

"It felt a little better than the Martin MLO..."

Thanks, that is helpful.

KevinH · #9 10-24-2021, 10:45 AM

I have a Taylor 522ce whose neck profile I measured some time ago. I've attached a plot of it here, taken at frets 1 and 6 in case that's of use. Maybe you could compare it to one of your guitars. I'd call it a medium C. Definitely not chunky, but not as thin as my Larrivee.

522.jpg

KenL · #10 10-24-2021, 11:04 AM

KevinH, can I assume that your 522CE is a 12-fretter?

FingahPickah · #11 10-24-2021, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenL

I've owned two Taylors in my time. The first was a 2000 710 in cedar/rosewood. Stunning guitar. The second was an older 514 in cedar/mahogany, with a cutaway. Another nice one. However, despite the beautiful woods and build quality, I never really fell in love with either and eventually moved them along. And I never cared for the necks on the several Taylors I've played since then. Too slender. Too bad for me, because I respect the company and like the looks of their guitars.

Now I'm looking for the last piece of my collection "puzzle," and would like a small-bodied couch guitar.

I'm considering a nice Taylor that has popped up, and it is a 12-fret slothead in cedar/mahogany. Pretty thing, decent price (slightly used).

I'm wondering if the neck on a modern Taylor 12-fret slothead would be okay for me, if it would be a bit chunkier than the 20-year old guitars I owned in the past? It has a 1 3/4" nut, if that is a clue, while those other two were 1 11/16", I think.

Help me out here?

Ken - As I dyed-in-the-wool vintage Guild guy for many years, my impression of Taylors (for a long time) was that many sounded a little shallow to my ears - and to your point - I preferred a beefier neck. I was taken quite by surprise a year or two ago with a Taylor X braced 324e - a bit of a chunkier neck and a full voice (Martin/Gibson blend) - I believe the Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood pairing is a real winner for Taylor. It fits right in with my Guilds, Martin, Breedlove, Larrivee and Eastmans.

K20C · #12 10-24-2021, 11:23 AM

I bought a TF several months ago. I love the neck on it. Actually, I love everything about it. I now play it 99% of the time. Others just sit.

KevinH · #13 10-24-2021, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenL

KevinH, can I assume that your 522CE is a 12-fretter?

Yup, a 12-fret slot head. 1-3/4" nut. Love it. Taylor really got the all-mahogany tone right.

0P5A7687.jpg

KenL · #14 10-24-2021, 01:39 PM

Very nice, KevinH, love it! And I see you have a 00-18V- if I could get that neck shape on a Taylor 522, that would be quite the guitar!

Thanks for the graph, interesting. According to that, your Taylor is about the thickness as my old Guild at the 1st fret. And I love my old Guild, even though on paper you would think the neck is too slender for me. But it is not.

And K20C, that is a beaut! I don't know what the Taylor TF line is all about, so I'll do some checking.

Does anybody else think Taylor makes too many models of guitars? Just when you think you've got the designations figured out, you find out about a whole different line of instruments. I guess it's the way of the world these days. I can remember when Honda (I'm a Honda guy) made the Accord, the Civic, and the Prelude, and I owned a couple of each through the years. Now they make about 65 different models of cars. I can't keep track.

Wellington · #15 10-24-2021, 03:41 PM

I wish Taylor would stop using the batman logo for a bridge, I'm pretty sure it's copywritten