Any thoughts on Taylors new soundport?

[BluesBelly]

I really like the new cutaway styling.
I really Don’t like the sound port as it is visually disturbing.
I think it’s a gimmick to Try to sell a couple of guitars or at least to suck people into demoing a Taylor or two.

Do not interpret my post as anti-Taylor. Wonderful well built guitars for those that like the Taylor sound.

Blues

[fitness1]

I've installed ports on a couple dozen guitars, and got the before and after effect each time.

Two things jump out at me - first, the directional issue. The ports that are most effective are pointed right at each ear for me in the playing position. You'd have to be a contortionist to get that one pointed at you.

Secondly, I would place a heavy wager that when recording and playing up the neck when your hand or forearm is over the port, there would be some slight changes in what the mic is hearing.

I'm assuming this would not be for me.

[fenderball]

i haven't seen one in person, but from the LOOKS of it, not for me...

[why2]

The latest Wood & Steele Taylor mailer has an interview with A. Powers explaining "a second smaller hole broadens the response. It extends the peak of the note." I'm sure they have measured it and I would assume one could hear it.

Not too pretty though, in my opinion.

Edit: He also states that a port on the side can make tuning a bit more difficult in his experience.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by TennesseeWalker

Hint: It's in the cutaway - - - never seen one there, not sure what to think about it.
At first I thought it was somewhat Kevin Ryan-ish, but, just the opposite.

Hi TW

It's only mildly reminiscent of Kevin Ryan's aesthetic, and really not in the same class. I hope to play one of the Taylors with a side port soon.

It's kind of a lame takeoff of side ports adjacent to the neck we saw a couple decades ago on Classical guitars (who had side ports long before acoustic 6 string guitars). But the ones on Classical guitars are larger and more effective.

The purpose of side ports is to increase the ability to hear the guitar for the player, and I don't see how the Taylor version would accomplish it.

I had a side port added to my Kronbauer 13 yrs ago. I play the neck elevated so it's positioned for my ears/head.



I added one to a Recording King, and it is positioned between the player's head and the sound hole. It works well too…



Putting one on the lower bout makes little sense to me, but I'll reserve final judgement till after I play one.

[ctvolfan]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I haven’t tried it, and am not really wanting to. Taylor disappointed me a little this year. I’m tired of the hyping of new products and then on to the next thing. It’s like they are selling cars or computers. There was so much hype about the Grand Pacifics and then this year it’s like they’ve forgotten all about them. I don’t know, I just really am not fond of the silent satin finish and was hoping for some updates or expansion to the Grand Pacific line. It’s like they’ve already moved on. They will support the sound port until next year when they come out with something else new.

Can't believe in saying this but i agree with you and quite honestly I'm getting tired of Taylor marketing and tired of Andy Powers. I've been a Taylor nut since my first one in the early 2000's but I'm really turned off of them anymore. I did buy a 317ce GP and was very disappointed with it and it didn't last long. I'm also tired of hearing about their conservation horn tooting. I used to search for Taylor threads on this forum but now I'm all about the value and quality of Yamaha. Now i look for Yamaha threads.

[nickv6]

Originally Posted by RP

Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine Foxy Lady or Purple Haze on an oversized acoustic....

How about Hey Joe?

https://youtu.be/CjLueBxbbn8

[cliff_the_stiff]

Maybe it’s to have an alternative mic option- further from finger/string noise.
Though you can probably plug it in...
Weird

[Audie]

Originally Posted by why2

The latest Wood & Steele Taylor mailer has an interview with A. Powers explaining "a second smaller hole broadens the response. It extends the peak of the note." I'm sure they have measured it and I would assume one could hear it.

Not too pretty though, in my opinion.

Edit: He also states that a port on the side can make tuning a bit more difficult in his experience.

Yeah. I saw this as well and through the BS flag. I think the port on the side is not there because of the location of Taylor electronics. He even says so. But the part about tuning, no, the guitars are to well made for that to be a problem.

[Robin, Wales]

That sound port is in the wrong place!

Surely it should be here:



For me, the problem with Taylor guitars is that they just don't look like workhorse instruments - and that's sort of what I like.

[DownUpDave]

I’ve played custom instruments with the soundport in the usual spot. Which is on the side facing up towards you. It acts like a personal monitor and gives the player more volume. You can argue about the overall merits but it does it’s intended job effectively.

This hole in the scooped area treble side pointing out.......not sure what it will accomplish. Besides hype and another thing for Taylor and guitar nerds like us to talk about. I am starting to feel the car salesman approach about change for just change sake. Feels like the golf industry with the newest latest greatest driver being hyped every year. That gets tiresome after a while

[guitararmy]

As the owner of a first gen GS model, I'll bet the new one sounds great! But I think the soundport/cutaway looks odd. Fortunately I'm not in the market for a new Taylor GS...

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by DownUpDave

Feels like the golf industry with the newest latest greatest driver being hyped every year.

I get a kick out of the 20 handicappers that buy the next 500.00 driver. I'm still playing a Callaway Hawkeye 7 degree and doing just fine!


But make sure you go out and get that new Mavrick.....it will go 30 yds farther.....into the trees.

[DaveKell]

When I got the latest issue of Taylor's propaganda magazine and saw this I thought of the Ford Edsel. No way that appeals to me in the slightest. As for Mr. Powers and Taylor's relentless hyping of V class bracing, if I owned an X brace Taylor I'd be ticked off at how they're promoting V class. It's almost as if they've purposely tried to obsolete every guitar they made prior to Powers arrival.

[docwatsonfan]

I think it prevents the guitar from overheating with a "hot" picker / strummer