buying first guitar... is Taylor 814 too much?

[Dwight]

Buy the guitar, it's a good price on a very good guitar. If you decide not to, let us know and one of us will buy it.

[Speedwagon]

While you have the time before med school you need to try everything you can get your hands on. Martin and Taylor make great guitars but so do other companies, like Larrivee. Second, focus in the pre-owned market. Your biggest “bang for the buck” will be there. Lastly, good luck in your search!

[frances50]

My first real guitars were my Fender American Strat and my Gibson J-45. Most of my guitars have been purchased new (except for my two antique instruments and my Olson). I think starting off with a really nice guitar is the key for staying motivated. Or at least it was in my case. Good luck.

[3notes]

The positive is... if you start out with an 814 every guitar you buy from then on will cost less.

[perttime]

To recap:
It is a good price for that guitar, if it is in good condition. Some pointers were already posted about checking it out.

A good guitar that is set up right is easier to play. That is obviously good for a beginner.

When you know how to play and try some different guitars, you might prefer something different, instead.

For most people, that is a lot of money to spend on a first guitar. If you can afford it, it doesn't matter what somebody else is willing to spend.

[dgt178]

Originally Posted by HOF dad

Welcome to the forum.
To give a little perspective on your value question:
The model you have pictures of is a 2001.
I see a couple of the same guitars from 2001 and 2000 that have an asking price of $2100 of Reverb (they'll probably sell for a little less).
If the one you are considering is in good condition (hard to tell from the photos) then $1600 seems like a good price.
Taylor 814's are really nice guitars too.

.....am I missing something?......the inside label that I see shows that it's a 2003.......

[HOF dad]

Yea - it's the goofy Taylor serial number system:

1107064001 First digit indicates where it was made. (1 = El Cajon, California, USA; 2 = Tecate, Baja California, Mexico)

1107064001 2nd & 7th digits indicate the two-digit year - '14 (2014)

1107064001 3rd & 4th digits indicate the two-digit month - 07 (July)

1107064001 5th & 6th digits indicate the day - 06 (the 6th)

1107064001 Last three numbers indicate the guitar's position in that day's production sequence.

I always have to refer to the site to remember the "code"
The above is copied from their website.

[SecondCity]

I think it is a 2003. Taylor has had several numbering systems over the years. This particular guitar has an 11 digit serial number, so I think the following (from Taylor's website) is the "decoder."

Based on this, I think the guitar was the 31st guitar made on April 15, 2003, at Taylor's California factory.

11-Digit Serial Numbers

January 2000 - October 2009, the serial number expanded from 9 to 11 digits to accommodate the four-digit year designation. Other than the first four digits noting the year, it's decoded the same as the 9-digit serial numbers. See the explanation for serial number 20070311301 below:

20070311301 First four digits indicate the year - 2007

20070311301 5th & 6th digits indicate the two-digit month - 03 (March)

20070311301 7th & 8th digits indicate the day - 11 (the 11th)

20070311301 9th digit is a series code number - 0 for 300 or 400 Series, 1 for 500 thru Presentation Series, 2 for 200 Series, 3 for a Baby, 4 for a Big Baby, 5 for T5, 7 for Nylon Series, 8 for 100 Series, and 9 for SolidBody Series. This example is number 3, a Baby.

20070311301 Last two digits indicate the guitar's position in that day's production sequence.

[boombox]

Take along a guitar-playing friend just to see if the condition is as described and it's the sound you have in your head, and if so and you can afford it, buy it. A high end Taylor will inspire you far more than eg a lower range Martin. I made that mistake when looking for my first quality acoustic after years of electric playing. I bought a 16 series Martin, which I sold at a £100 loss within a month, then sold something else too and bought a Collings for only £800 more than I'd paid for the Martin. Completely different class: 6L6's advice to buy the best you can afford is sound.

I may be biased as I own two Taylors, but that seems a very good price on what is a potential lifetime instrument. And believe the hype: Taylors are just about the most consistently easily playable guitars there are. If as your skills and tastes evolve you think it's perhaps not "the one", then you will have no trouble selling it for at least what you paid.

Have someone familiar with guitars look at that 814 before you buy it. $1600 is probably on the low side of average and makes me wonder if the frets have been chewed to nothing or there's another issue he's not talking about. Used guitars can be a real can of worms if you don't know what to look for. I handled a guy's used 714 at a local store a month or two ago that he brought in there because was thinking of selling/trading it in. He thought it was fine as-is, but in reality it was a bit of a hot mess with high action, low saddle, a few buzzy strings and divots in the first-position frets. He wasn't trying to sell it to me so I believed that he honestly thought the guitar was in decent shape when it clearly wasn't. The store offered him something but I left so I don't know how that turned out.

If that deal falls through consider something like a new Gibson J-15 or J-35. Much better for country music in my opinion, although anything would work of course. If your budget can handle a bit more a 00-18 or D-18 Martin would work really well too.

BTW, I think you should get the best guitar you can afford even as a first guitar. Why struggle with junk at the time when you need something decent to help you develop through those initial stages? People will say that if you don't follow through at least you haven't lost much, but chances are greater that you won't follow through if you're playing a dead-sounding guitar that is hard to play. A nice guitar won't be a bad investment since you can actually sell it to someone else if you lose interest and make back 60% of your money on a brand new purchase.

[lowrider]

Are you buying this guitar in person? If so, bring someone with you who knows about acoustic guitars, someone who's judgment you trust. Listen carefully when they play and decide.

If this is an internet deal, I say don't do it. You don't know enough. Too many things can go wrong or be wrong and you don't want to get stuck with that. Find something local.

And, welcome to the acoustic guitar and the Acoustic Guitar Forum!

[guitar george]

Most first-time guitar buyers would not buy a fancy-looking expensive guitar, with a cutaway and electronics, as their first guitar. Do you have $1,600.00 to spend on a guitar? Do you want to spend $1,600.00 on your first guitar? If so, this guitar would be more like a money making investment. If it is in good shape, you could most likely sell it for a profit.

You would be getting this guitar, at a good price, because of your connection to your student. Would you feel bad buying it and selling it at a profit if you didn't like it?

[hairpuller]

I concur that getting a nice guitar to start is a great idea. I know my first guitar was pretty bad and it did not inspire me at all to pick it up and practice.

I'm also not a Taylor guy, but I'm sure that model you're looking at is a really fine piece. Sounds like a good price, too!

I still say it's really smart to play some other well respected makers to see if one feels and sounds better to you. You can get a lot of guitar (especially used) for that price.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

scott

[SnowManSnow]

I say go for it UNLESS you can find a superior Luthier made instrument here in the classifieds although it would be hard to test drive

[Tico]

I teach and encourage my students to get the best guitar they can, even (actually especially) that all-important first guitar.
It eggs you on and doesn't stand in the way of learning and progress.

Yes, a great guitarist can make a lesser guitar sound good, but that doesn't mean better guitars are not better or not worth the money.
IMO you'll progress faster on a guitar that sounds better and offers more reward.

I'm in my 60s now, but at age 19 I bought Guild's top of the line dreadnought, the D-55.
It seemed crazy-expensive at the time, but has averaged out to 4 cents a day ... and I ain't dead yet.
... buying that gem and enjoying it 4 decades is the best thing I ever did.

I had already been playing over 10 years on mostly junky-guitars that sounded horrible and hurt my fingers.
I'm certain I would have advanced faster and I'd be a better guitarist today if I started out on a really good guitar.
Plus I would not have wasted the money on the first 5 or so low end guitars that preceded my fine guitar.

Upgrading makes money go poof.
Buy your last guitar first.
In the long run it's cheaper.

You don't have to justify your priorities to anyone ... well, if you stay single that is.