New Taylor Model Unveiling October 2-4

[Mark Stone]

I'm ambivalent. Hey, I likes my Taylors like Popeye likes his Spinach - but by October I'll forget about the event.

[Brucebubs]

It's the new 'Austin' Taylor with 'Shagadelic' bracing - named after Andy Powers brother.

[llew]

Shagadelic bracing...love it!

[Lkristians]

"Ground up"
New factory in the Northeast.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by mischultz

Maple Street Guitars has an entry in their acoustic list for a Taylor in Theater Ash and Spruce with an aero case slotting beneath the American Dream price point.

That sounds like it is in my wheelhouse! Hope it's a 12 grand concert size! I would dig the American Dream, but it's too big for me...

[ribsareyummy]

Hmm, yeah, according to that Maple Street site looks like it's called the Grand Theater. Interesting. Is a theater bigger or smaller than an auditorium?

Also, now I have "The Grand Theatre" by the Old 97's stuck in my head, but that is not a bad thing.

[upperhand]

He did for years. Bob Taylor recruited him and openly says Andy is a better builder.

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Am I the only one that thought Taylor's guitar line up was just fine before Andy Powers came along and reinvented everything?

Can't help thinking if he's so great why didn't he build his own guitars .... like auto executive John DeLorean did!

[upperhand]

And it’s great. I can’t tell you anything, but I’ve been playing it a ton. It’s a ton of fun and a great playing experience. I’m not someone who likes to do the Apple “declare everything a game changer” thing, but I’ll say that this guitar is pretty rad and I think will find its way into the hands of a lot of players.

[upperhand]

Andy has repeatedly said they won’t be a cutaway GP. The curves don’t support it.

Originally Posted by btaylor

I have no idea what they're doing with the new model. Personally, I would like to see a 12 Fret Grand Pacific, maybe even a cutaway. I'm guessing a jumbo or a parlor

[upperhand]

Wholly inaccurate though. That’s not how Taylor works or Andy designs, and this idea has been in the works quite a while. Remember, V-class was around for 5 years before they brought it to market.

Originally Posted by sumokids

This is awesome!

[boneuphtoner]

On the unofficial Taylor forum, someone found a site in the UK that posted the full details of the new Grand Theater (GT) before it was taken down - see below - interesting they are introducing “C-class” bracing with this model. This sounds cool but I prefer medium large/large Guitars personally.




The Taylor GT introduces a new category of acoustic guitar in size, feel and sound - the Grand Theatre. Made in Taylor's California factory, the uniquely modern proportions of the Taylor GT's' body dimensions and scale length sit between the compact size of Taylor's ever-popular GS Mini and their delightful Grand Concert, the smallest of Taylor's full-size body shapes. The GTe adds Taylor's groundbreaking Expression System® 2 pickup system to this incredible new guitar, making it ready to record or gig at any time. The resulting guitar is exceptionally fun and easy to play, with a big sonic personality worthy of any player's toolbox.

How the Taylor GT Came to Be
With more and more players being drawn to the comfort of smaller acoustic guitar bodies but not wanting to sacrifice tone, Andy Powers - Taylor's master guitar designer - has worked his magic and designed a guitar that delivers both. Taylor have built a guitar that combines the inviting playability of a more compact instrument with the rich tones and sophisticated voice of a full-size, solid wood guitar.

The Body
The GT borrows the basic body curves of the Grand Orchestra (Taylor’s largest body style), but they’re scaled down. The width at the lower bout (15 inches) is nearly the same as the Taylor Grand Concert, but the GT’s body length is shorter. Solid-wood construction and ultra-thin finish optimize the tonal response.

The Neck
Scale length: For an acoustic guitar, the GT’s 24-1/8” scale length is in the mid-length range. (The GS Mini’s scale length is 23-1/2”. The Grand Concert’s scale length is 24-7/8”.) The GT’s scale is the equivalent of playing with a capo on the first fret of a 25-1/2”-scale guitar. Nut width: 1-23/32”. This is wider than 1-11/16” but narrower than 1-3/4”, making it comfortable for fretting. String gauge: .012-.053 light-gauge strings Tension profile: It has the same string tension as if you tuned a guitar with a 25-1/2” scale length down a half step (E-flat to E-flat). The tension feels like it’s strung with a set of 11s (Custom Light). This makes the guitar easier to play. Neck-to-body relationship: Between the compact body and string length, the design has the effect of bringing your hands closer together, which adds to the playing comfort. Fret spacing: The scale length condenses the fret spacing slightly, creating a more agile playing experience. All-around playing experience: For all the reasons above, it’s a lot easier to get around the fretboard. In fact, the GT delivers the most comfortable playing experience Taylor offers among its solid-wood, US-made guitars.

Internal Bracing
The Taylor GT is voiced with new C-Class™ bracing architecture. The “C” refers to the cantilevered, asymmetrical design, which combines stiffness and flexibility in a way that helps accentuate the lower frequencies to produce a surprisingly warm bass response for its compact dimensions. This bracing borrows some of the functional benefits of Taylor’s V-Class™ bracing, including greater stability, yielding impressive volume, sustain and intonation that sonically helps the guitar punch above its weight.

Tonewoods
Solid Urban Ash™ Back/Sides: First introduced on Taylor’s Builder’s Edition 324ce, Urban Ash is a tonewood Taylor has embraced both for its sustainability and tone. Responsibly sourced from Shamel ash trees scheduled for removal from municipal areas in Southern California, its tonal properties rival those of high-quality Honduran mahogany — dry, woody and clear, with pleasing midrange warmth. Solid Spruce Top: Together with C-Class™ bracing and the compact dimensions of the body and neck, the spruce top is responsive to a light touch yet capable of impressive tonal output, offering players a dynamic and expressive musical palette to explore. Eucalyptus fretboard, bridge and peghead overlay: The GT gives Taylor a platform to introduce another fretboard wood, eucalyptus, which offers great potential alongside ebony. Its comparable weight and density are ideal for holding frets.

[DownUpDave]

Originally Posted by ataylor

"...from the ground up"

There's the clue folks. Taylor has been bioengineering tree seeds and will be unveiling their own proprietary tonewoods with sonic properties previously unimaginable.

This gets my vote....with a twist. The seeds will be from pot plants, giving the GP models a whole new meaning, shimmer and aroma. Especially for you sound hole sniffers.

[mischultz]

It does sound interesting, unique in terms of the market niche. I was hoping for an American Dream style small slope (LG/L00) option. But then, I’m not a prospective buyer either way and my preference should be weighted accordingly.

[BadWithNames]

Originally Posted by boneuphtoner

On the unofficial Taylor forum,...

Thanks for that - maybe this is the “all solid GS mini” people have requested. I’m intrigued. Wonder what it will cost.

[jklotz]

Sounds interesting. I wish they had stuck with the 1 3/4" nut though.