Taylor GA3 issues

[strat89]

I posted this, word for word, on the TDPRI forums but I want to know what you guys think:

So I've been loving my GA3 ever since I received it in July. I got it off of Ebay so I'm not the original owner. But I noticed some things the other day that I'm not too pleased about; some worry me more than others.

1. Is there a way to replace the putty between the neck and the body? I know that Taylor uses their own thing to hide that seam, but it just seems ugly and unfinished now. This is a small issue and I can live with it if it can't be fixed.

2. My rosette is made of white plastic. I would assume it's placed in the wood, with the gloss on top, then they cure it with their UV system. One part of the rosette (maybe an inch in length) doesn't seem to be raising per se, but it catches if I run against it with my nail. It's completely tactile, it can't be seen by the eye. Any explanations? It seems a bit weird to me.

3. The issue that really worries me is this: on some area of the back where the sapele meets the plastic binding, the wood seems to be coming out. If I were to run my nail along the binding, it's usually flush with the wood (as it should be). But on this area, the wood seemed to have "escaped" the binding; it's no more than half an inch in length. I feel that if I tried hard enough, I could chip the wood with my nail. I'd post a picture, but it's so subtle that it can't be captured with any camera I have. It's more of a tactile thing I guess.

I would have spotted these issues when the guitar was sent, so I'm pretty sure these things happened within the last few weeks. I want to attribute all of this to humidity, but I have a feeling it's not that simple. So if anyone can help out, please share the insight.

[charles Tauber]

As always, start by knowing - not guessing - what the humidity level is in which your guitar lives. Once you know that, you can take steps, if necessary, to adjust the humidity level. If the issues still persist after those measure have been taken, you can begin to look at other causes. What you seem to be describing is differential movement/sizing of plastic versus wood.

As for the putty, it's a design/manufacturing feature of that brand.

[Dru Edwards]

Strat - welcome to the AGF. It could be a defect. I would take some detailed pics and email Taylor. Although your guitar is not under warranty (since you're not the original owner), Taylor may be able to help you with what the issue is.

Ultimately, you're going to need to take it into a shop since pics only tell part of the picture.

Do you have any pics?

[Ned Milburn]

Regarding the rosette area not flush with the wood (and perhaps the binding, too)...

Woods (and plastics) of different hardnesses tend to sand to a different level. Even one piece of wood with hard and soft spots can tend to sand to different levels, with the softer grains being sanded more easily so they can tend to lower more quickly. I expect this may be the cause of the non-flush plastic rosette.

I don't think it is anything to worry about (based on your description), but you should keep your eye on the binding area to make certain no seams begin to open up. As Charles stated, verify and control your humidity, then you can be confident that you are doing everything correctly to take care of your axe.