Taylor Question

[Docjonas]

I am about to purchase a Taylor 410 guitar from a friend. It is in great condition and the sound is really good. I don't know much about Taylors and frankly, I've tended to not like the sound, which in my opinion has always been a bit too strong on the high end. I like Martins with their strong low-end tone. Nevertheless, this guitar sounds good enough to go for.

Can anyone tell me a bit about this guitar? It has a solid spruce top with solid Ovangkol back and sides. This is a new wood sound for me, but I sort of like it.

Anyway, the serial number on the guitar is: 20020312046. From what I can find on the internet, that makes the guitar manufacture date as March 12, 2002.

Any thoughts you Taylor experts might have would be helpful. Also, if you can give me a ballpark value for the guitar that would help as well.

[biotechmgr]

If you like Martins, you may not the Taylor unless you have a specific desire for that treble tone.
I had to go up to a 714ce rosewood to find the balance I sought in an all arounder.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Acoustic Guitar Forum mobile app

[Bob Womack]

Well, let's see. In that period the construction was sitka spruce over ovangkol back and sides. Ovangkol is something like East Indian rosewood but has a little more bight in the upper mids. The headstock would have been a rosewood veneer and the tuners would have been Grovers from Ping. The fingerboard would have been ebony as that has been Taylor's preferred fingerboard wood and the inlays would be dots. The finish was Taylor's UV cured high solids polyurethane. The rosette would be rings. The neck was Taylor's "NT" new technology neck. The neck is unitized from top to heel and is cantilevered. A neck reset is a five-minute job on one of these. The headstock is applied with either a fingerjoint or a scarf joint. The neck is mahogany.

Reverb puts the value of this animal at $800-1100.

One thing about the Taylors: they mellow considerably over time. I have several ranging from 1999 on. Every one of them has mellowed considerably, taking the edge off the high end. Shop with your ears - if you like them you like them. Don't be scared off my Internet options. Taylors are also excellent at single-string definition, meaning that they shine at fingerstyle.

The only age that is considered "golden" for Taylors is the 1990s.

All the best,

Bob

[619TF]

Originally Posted by Docjonas

I am about to purchase a Taylor 410 guitar from a friend. It is in great condition and the sound is really good. I don't know much about Taylors and frankly, I've tended to not like the sound, which in my opinion has always been a bit too strong on the high end. I like Martins with their strong low-end tone. Nevertheless, this guitar sounds good enough to go for.

Can anyone tell me a bit about this guitar? It has a solid spruce top with solid Ovangkol back and sides. This is a new wood sound for me, but I sort of like it.

Anyway, the serial number on the guitar is: 20020312046. From what I can find on the internet, that makes the guitar manufacture date as March 12, 2002.

Any thoughts you Taylor experts might have would be helpful. Also, if you can give me a ballpark value for the guitar that would help as well.

"Ballpark value" can be had by running it through Reverb and/or eBay and seeing what the "completed sales" look like.

Serial number is VERY helpful. Use it to contact Taylor directly ([email protected]) and they'll tell you everything about that exact guitar's build. And yes, it was the 46th guitar to come off the line on March 12, 2002.

Finally, see if it's been registered to your friend. It doesn't matter either way but you should transfer that to yourself with Taylor once you buy it...just in case.

Nice guitar...good luck!

[guitararmy]

I am a big Taylor fan, but they don’t have that Martin low end oomph.
If you grab it try some DR Rare PB strings…

[ii Cybershot ii]

I disagree that Taylors lack low-end.

I think that Martins generally have a "sound" where the trebles are very round and rolled off. This results in a "darker" sounding guitar that is easy on the ears and the illusion that they have a lot of bass.

I think Taylors have every bit of the bass (unless you delve into HD-28 or HD-35 territory) but they can have very lively a sharp trebles, and this is what the ear picks up.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

One thing about the Taylors: they mellow considerably over time.

Bob

This ^^^ my 2012 814 has enough bass punch to keep up with comparable Martins.

[edward993]

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

I disagree that Taylors lack low-end.

I think that Martins generally have a "sound" where the trebles are very round and rolled off. This results in a "darker" sounding guitar that is easy on the ears and the illusion that they have a lot of bass....

I agree, but I'd not call it an "illusion" of more bass as much as I'd call it a genuine bias toward more bass. Still, an excellent point as every one comes with their own sonic preconceptions by years or habit; it's natural, and this creates the basis for what sounds "right" or not. So I understand the predilection to the "Martin sound" which IME is more Martin dred sound as opposed to OOO or OMs, say. But that's just my side note.

As for the 410, these are great guits where the Taylor dred is what I've long called the dred for those who don't like dreds. Taylor builds this big bod with a sonic balance that brings forward the mids/highs such that it is clearly not the "boomy" if you will Marti/esque tone many have grown accustomed to for decades. the Taylor DNs are voiced this way: like em or not, this difference is by intention. Even more, the ovangkol (from my memory of an having owned a beautiful 04 410) puts the mds even more forward which makes for a good punchy tone that is superb in a band setting. Solo play may seem uninspiring, but in a band setting is superb. All IMO and personal perception, mind you. So if you think you di it, go for it. If it doesn't "do it" for you, then pass. But if you're getting a "friend price" you may want to give it a whirl.

FWIW and full disclosure, I ended up with two Taylor dreds, not on purpose or by intent, but because they sound stellar and really fit the bill for me. Stumbling onto a sonic find as a beautiful thing. Just sayin

Edward

[Athens]

Just my opinion, but when Taylor redesigned and went to the NT neck, they re-voiced the line.

The new guitars were heavy on overtones and less on the fundamentals, or low end. Maybe not a real technical description.

Also, the necks got a bit chunkier.

They do mellow over time, but the 90’s Taylor’s are still the good standard, in my less than humble opinion.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by guitararmy

I am a big Taylor fan, but they don’t have that Martin low end oomph.
If you grab it try some DR Rare PB strings…

With the right pick and yes, a different set of strings, you can get that darker sound no problem from a Taylor.

[mawmow]

I used to be a Taylor fan and I also like Martins.
I also played many other brands, but I will limit my note to these makers.

Both build nice playable acoustics.

I recently let go a Taylor 412ce Sitka/Ovangkol because I wanted something more boomy.

I also let go a Taylor 322 Mahogany/Tasmanian Blackwood because it sounded quite like
my Martin OOO-18 and I had a good offer for the Taylor.

I now got a Taylor 514ce I like as much as the Martin OOO-18.

Between a dark sounding Taylor and a quite traditional Martin, I would favor the Taylor.
Why ? Because of the easiness to perform a neck reset on a bolted Taylor neck.
These are totally bolted since 1996, no glue at all.
I did perform such neck reset by myself on two Taylors so far (2006 and 2007).

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by leew3

This ^^^ my 2012 814 has enough bass punch to keep up with comparable Martins.

...That is, if you aren't assassinated for bringing a Taylor to a song circle.

Bob

[Dru Edwards]

I'm going to take a different approach and recommend against getting it. You mentioned you usually don't like Taylors and you also mentioned that this specific guitar "I sort of like it." Are there any other guitars out there that you can get that you can say "I really like it"?

No reason the Taylor won't last you a lifetime though. They're great guitars and I have a couple of lifers.

[Br1ck]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I'm going to take a different approach and recommend against getting it. You mentioned you usually don't like Taylors and you also mentioned that this specific guitar "I sort of like it." Are there any other guitars out there that you can get that you can say "I really like it"?

No reason the Taylor won't last you a lifetime though. They're great guitars and I have a couple of lifers.

I had the same thought. Sort of like it is not an endorsement I'd put money on. I'd buy it at the right price to take places there might be dangers to it. Perfect giging guitar, which I have several friends doing. Their expensive guitars get left at home.

[Docjonas]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts. I went ahead and purchased it, ($925) mainly because it belonged to my friend and he wanted a good home for it. I cleaned it up, put new strings on it (D'Addarios). I'm very pleased. She and I are developing quite a relationship. Don't want my Martins to get jealous though. They will need to understand there's enough love for all!