Bought a Taylor 214ce-k DLX before Christmas - Having buyers remorse

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by RP

An elephant in the room that I'm curious about is why the OP paid retail if he already knew from his background with basses that there are better deals to be had. I ask this as one who does far too much guitar buying/selling but tries to minimize the damage by either purchasing used or getting decent discounts...

I had bought a half dozen acoustics over the last year, many at crazy discounts. I have done the same with basses for 20+ years.

This time I decided that I was going to support my local shop that I have been welcomed to since I was a teenager. I got tired of the shopping, the driving around, demoing countless guitars not really knowing if I like 'this' one better or 'that' one better. I said, give me one guitar that is well made, plays well, sounds and looks good, and this Taylor is what I walked out of the shop with.

When I started this thread the honeymoon period had been over for a week or so. I started experimenting with different strings and obsessing over different picks. It was exhausting.

This time, this past weekend visiting my local shop, I decided to go back to phosphor bronze strings and went with D'Addario XT and am very happy with that choice so far. I also purchased a (overpriced?) Taylor capo to start trying some new voicings, and decided that I was going to try to stick with one pick for a while and settled on the Primetone Grip .88 as my choice. The capo really changed things for me as well, opening me up to a new world so to speak. The Primetone Grip .88 picks have an excellent balance between strumming and flatpicking with my hands right now.

In summation, things are good.

However, I did try a Larrivee OM-03R at the store caught my attention. I may go back and play that one again....

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by Texsunburst59

I think your 2 biggest mistakes is that you bought a new guitar, and since your a bass player, you had no idea what to look for.

Definitely. Being a bass player shopping for a guitar was a huge mistake.

[Ludere]

Also, toss DR Sunbeams on your 'strings to try' list - after trying about a dozen different types, those are where I landed with my 314.

Of course, it's an ongoing quest ...

...

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by Ludere

Also, toss DR Sunbeams on your 'strings to try' list - after trying about a dozen different types, those are where I landed with my 314.



Of course, it's an ongoing quest ...



...

Hahaha, no! What are you doing to me?

I will admit I'm pretty excited about the XT pb strings. If they have good longevity to go along with their smooth playability and punchy tone, they may become my default strings.

[FoxHound4690]

Originally Posted by anjoga

Ok, I've got a lot to unload here. I bought a new Taylor 214ce-k DLX just before Christmas from my local dealer, at retail price (ugh...I know.). I've been buying and selling and returning a few lower end acoustic guitars over the last 6 months or so. As a bass player of the last 20+ years, who knows exactly what he wants when it comes to basses and amps, etc., I have no idea what I want in an acoustic guitar. I only play by myself for myself these days. Gigged for many years but had a second kid and life goes on. So, I thought this time I'd spend a little more money and buy something decent, and hopefully put the buying and selling and trading and returning to an end.

I picked this particular Taylor because I appreciate good consistent build quality and finish. The neck feels good and the fretwork is great. The tone was definitely deeper than all the other Taylors on the wall and that is what really helped me pull the trigger. I kept considering buying something solid wood, but I can't seem to keep my music room's RH in the 40's this time of year even with my large whole-home console humidifier. The humidifier says it is at 45%, but the two (cheap) hygrometers in my music room bounces around and seems to stay around 38% when it is particularly cold out.

Anyway, I get the guitar home and I play it a couple hours a day almost every day it seems. You start noticing things after you spend some time with things that you just don't really see in the store. My OCD is being set off by the glue around the inside of the guitar. I know it doesn't affect anything, but it bugs me. Also, as time goes on and my ears acclimate to the same tone again day in and day out, and the guitar acclimates to my house and does it's subtle changes, the tone bores me. So I start the process of trying every pick under the sun. This nylon sounds good today, the celluloid sounds good the next day, the primetone sounds good the day after that, etc. Get the picture? Change the strings? Tried that too. Sound good for a little while, I get used to it, start to get bored and hate, etc. Drives me nuts.

So....I'm having buyers remorse. I bought this guitar at retail and my local shop only has a 7 day return policy. I honestly don't know why I bought a cutaway with electronics as I'll likely never use them. I kind of wish I just bought something like a Yamaha LL16 and move on with my life.

Any thoughts on this subject one way or the other would be greatly appreciated. I really need some help trying to figure out what I'm doing.


Edit: Jan 25th -
I decided to buy the guitar a little gift and see if we can get back to the music and away from the drama.

I installed a set of Taylor ebony w/abalone bridge pins to replace the stock plastic ones, and restrung with a set of D'addario XT phosphor bronze 12's.

I'm really happy with the result so far. These might be the strings I use regularly on this guitar going forward. The new bridge pins look great too.

So far, so good!

I installed brass pins on my Maton with a new set of elixirs and it really gave the guitar more volume and sustain. That is a hell of a nice Taylor you have there, please don't sell it let it age and relic it up a bit and get it to open up and improve.

In terms of you getting bored playing guitar, it's certainly not the instrument you're bored with because that thing is NOT a boring guitar lol. Sounds to me like you need a jam partner. get your kids in on playing guitar and have someone to jam with every once in a while.

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by FoxHound4690

I installed brass pins on my Maton with a new set of elixirs and it really gave the guitar more volume and sustain. That is a hell of a nice Taylor you have there, please don't sell it let it age and relic it up a bit and get it to open up and improve.



In terms of you getting bored playing guitar, it's certainly not the instrument you're bored with because that thing is NOT a boring guitar lol. Sounds to me like you need a jam partner. get your kids in on playing guitar and have someone to jam with every once in a while.

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, it is a very nice guitar and I expect will stick around for a long while. My son is making good progress on bass so that may well be an option soon!

Brass pins sound intriguing. Something to think about...

[bufflehead]

It sounds as if you bought a Chevy and then subsequently discovered that it's not the ultimate driving machine.

The advice to play it until it opens up is probably the best advice you've been given here, but layered guitars tend not to open up as spectacularly as guitars built of solid wood. You guitar is only six weeks old, and it's playing like a guitar that's only six weeks old. There's a reason for that.

Even though you've found better strings, keep trying to find better strings. The strings not only need to resonate with the guitar, they need to resonate with you. It's unlikely that you'll have found the strings in such a short time. And remember that strings on an acoustic guitar are a lot more ephemeral than strings on a bass.

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

It sounds as if you bought a Chevy and then subsequently discovered that it's not the ultimate driving machine.

The advice to play it until it opens up is probably the best advice you've been given here, but layered guitars tend not to open up as spectacularly as guitars built of solid wood. You guitar is only six weeks old, and it's playing like a guitar that's only six weeks old. There's a reason for that.

Even though you've found better strings, keep trying to find better strings. The strings not only need to resonate with the guitar, they need to resonate with you. It's unlikely that you'll have found the strings in such a short time. And remember that strings on an acoustic guitar are a lot more ephemeral than strings on a bass.

Taylor = Chevy? That is a scary thought.

You're advice will stick with me. I will keep playing it, and I'm sure I will keep trying different strings.

[paulp1960]

Originally Posted by anjoga

There is so much great advice on both sides in this thread. I'm going to carefully consider all of it before I make any permanent changes. Thanks again to everyone that took the time to respond.

Do you know any good guitar players? If so get them to play your guitar while you listen. You might like the sound you hear.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by anjoga

Taylor = Chevy? That is a scary thought.

Made-in-Mexico Taylor 214, with layered back and sides = Chevy.

I'm not slamming Taylor guitars in any way, just pointing out that the 214 is built to a price point, and wondering whether this has something to do with the buyer's remorse expressed in the OP.

Either way, play it as if you intend to wear it out, and see whether it opens up a bit.

[Coler]

Originally Posted by anjoga

In summation, things are good.

Great to hear. Keep on keeping on brother.

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

Made-in-Mexico Taylor 214, with layered back and sides = Chevy.



I'm not slamming Taylor guitars in any way, just pointing out that the 214 is built to a price point, and wondering whether this has something to do with the buyer's remorse expressed in the OP.



Either way, play it as if you intend to wear it out, and see whether it opens up a bit.

I would have said Honda or Toyota before Chevy...