Your Favorite TAYLOR and the Story Behind It...

[RP]

Originally Posted by s2y

I don't think there are luthiers in my area. I suppose I could probably sell it here if the neck bothers me that much.

You could start a thread and inquire about luthiers in your neck of the woods. You never know what resources might be in the area....

[Song]

Originally Posted by GTomcan

2000 Kenny Loggins Signature Model/KLSM #2 of 100

Beautiful guitars everybody!

[s2y]

Originally Posted by RP

You could start a thread and inquire about luthiers in your neck of the woods. You never know what resources might be in the area....

True. I'll see how I adapt. I could potentially leave it as is since my walnut 12 fret is my main player. I got a good enough deal that I should be able to sell it here fairly easily. Not that I'm eyeing the 810e with an Adirondack and Brazilian upgrades.

[Tinkeragain]

I have tried a few 2016 new Taylor 712e's and was very impressed. I tried one used 712e that I can only assume was pre-2016 and therefore prior to the current performance bracing. I felt that the difference was dramatic, with the older one much duller than the 2016.
Has any else had experience with both versions? I may have an opportunity to buy a 2014 at a very attractive price and am wondering if the pre-2016 I tried just happened to be a dud (which rarely happens among Taylors) or whether the new ones are as dramatically improved as my experience may indicate.
Your perspective will be much appreciated.

[RP]

I should first say that I just don't have an appreciation for Taylor Grand Concert models. To me, the GAs are a wonderful combination of tone and playability. I currently own a revoiced 814 and previously owned a prior year 814. That older one was a really nice instrument, but the revoiced one is all that and more. I'd love to do a side-by-side comparison; but in the absence of having both guitars together, I'll just say that I've never played/owned a Taylor that was a dud. In my mind, Taylor/Andy Powers took a great guitar and made it better....

[GuitarFundi]

Originally Posted by jjrpilot

I owned a Taylor GS8e that was my first nice guitar. It was too bright for my taste over the years and the 1 3/4 was a little too large. I ended up selling it.

Fast forward to now and I found my dream Taylor in the new 300 series with a Mahogany top and Tasmanian Blackwood back and sides. I was at a "Find your Fit" event and played a whole range of Taylors. The only one that spoke to me was a 324. It was warm, full and had that rumbling bottom end.

I went home and couldn't shake the sound. A week or two later I ordered it. Ordered it with a 1 11/16th nut. I just got it on the 29th of December and I'm in heaven.

I did a blind listening test with my wife and she swore that the new 324 was my Martin OM with spruce and rosewood.

This is one dark chocolaty Taylor! If you want a Taylor that's super warm and sticks out from the Taylor line give the new 300 series a whirl. The hog top and Tasmanian Blackwood combo is magic!

EXACTLY!!!! I pulled one of these down and played and was blown away by its uniquely different sound that totally works! You described it exactly as I would. I really want one of these one day the wood combinations really complement each other tonally for something warmer, darker, it is almost Baritone-like. I am so happy you have a perfect one!

[Marco Polo]

I attended a spring Taylor road show, played a cocobolo guitar, and went 'cuckoo for cocobolo' after.

My favorite Taylor. I brought it last year and it remedied serious cocobolo GAS - 2013 PS56ce.

[RP]

Marco: That's one beautiful instrument!

[Marco Polo]

Thanks RP. I've been blessed!

[poobear28]

I saw this online and had to have it. The guy was known for commenting that he would never sell it years ago. I gave it a shot and he changed his mind. I feel like I got lucky to have come across this. It was delivered today and I have yet to set it down, 8 hours later. The Cocobolo/Engleman Spruce combo on this guitar is the best I have ever heard.

[GuitarFundi]

Prettiest Taylor I ever saw!

[jeffbrig]

My wife surprised me with an acoustic for Christmas a few years back, after saying for years that I wanted to learn to play. It was a $100 toy, just something to get my feet wet with. Within the first month I decided I was serious about learning to play, and decided I needed something a little higher quality. But it's tough to pick out a guitar when you can barely play a few chords.

My initial thought was to spend $300-$400 on something decent. I wandered onto Craigslist, searching for all the big names. Came across an ad for this beautiful 1995 Taylor GA-MC, #50 of 300. Cedar top, mahogany sides and back. First of the Grand Auditorium bodies. Precursor to the 514, no electronics. Gold tuners, nice inlays, a well dressed guitar. The person selling it had never learned to play it, so it had lived in its case in a closet for the past few years. We met so I could check it out. Everything seemed to be in order. I played a couple of chords that I new (couldn't play a song to save my life back then), and decided to take a leap of faith and go for it. We agreed on $900 for everything - the guitar, case, tuner, strap, books/dvds, you name it. Bought it and drove home thinking - "I just paid $900 for a guitar and I don't even know how to play", lol...

Well, fast forward a few years. This guitar has ended up being awesome. Super easy to play, sounds fantastic. Nothing I've touched since has even made me start to think about wanting to replacing it.



(yeah, I need to take a better picture of this guitar...the cell phone doesn't do it justice)

[Guitarplayer_PR]

For me, there's not such a thing as a "favorite Taylor." I love all of them; but I do have a kind of a story regarding two of my Taylor guitars.

Some of you may have read that I'm a Puerto Rican, and last year, we experienced two hurricanes and the devastation it caused, especially Maria, the latter of the two. Way before that, I was in hunting season looking for a dreadnought. This guy was selling a Taylor DN3 and since Taylor dreadnoughts are way rare in Puerto Rico (it's either a GA or a GS Mini around here) and soon I contacted him to buy the guitar. The guy was selling it to have the money to buy a GS Mini with koa. And then Maria came and everything went south (or so I thought). Having almost no electricity here (I was without it for three agonizing months) and having all sorts of communication problems (internet, cellphone coverage, etc.), I was hopeless. But lo and behold, miraculously, the guy contacted me, telling me he still had the guitar and he lowered about 200 bucks from the original selling price. Thank God, I could save the original money for the guitar and with almost no light in Puerto Rico, I purchased the guitar. Two months later, there was this gorgeous GS Mini. . . with koa waiting for me at a Facebook selling group. By that time, I already had electricity and two more Taylors to accompany my 414CE. And I'm a happy player

[DukeX]

Guess I missed this thread first time around. You can add me to the Taylor 324 Blackwood fan club. I crave it.

[fatt-dad]

I met John Cephas at the Richmond Folk Festival. That may have been 2007 or thereabouts? I just loved the way he played guitar! After his performance, I walked up to the stage and mentioned that I worked sort of near his house. I also asked if he'd teach me to play. He said, "Sure, just give me a call." I did. Next think I knew I was on his doorstep ready for my first lesson.

Well, that went on for a while and I had great fun! Along the way, I had mentioned to John that I wanted to buy a rosewood guitar. At that time I had my Gibson L-1 and my 000-15S. John told me, "Heck, I'll sell you a guitar! Just come up some day and play a few." At that time he was endorsing for Baden and wasn't performing with his Taylors. So, I played about 8 or 10 of his Taylors and picked one! Little did I know it was the Taylor that Taylor made for John for his trip to the White House for the National Heritage Award!

So that's how I got my Brazilian 914. Here's a link to a page about John Cephas showing him in several photos holding that very 914.

http://www.bluesart.at/NeueSeiten/20...%20Cephas.html

f-d