Any Grand Pacific Owners Around Here???

[kcnbys]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

So do you find it holds up well to some heavy strumming?

Holds up pretty good sitting in my house. It's definitely not boomy like a lot of dreads - more balanced and focused. It definitely has a sound all its own. I'll be playing it out for the first time this weekend.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by kcnbys

Holds up pretty good sitting in my house. It's definitely not boomy like a lot of dreads - more balanced and focused. It definitely has a sound all its own. I'll be playing it out for the first time this weekend.

Sounds good. I’m used to Martin dreads which I can lay into and not overdrive the tops. I’ve found Taylor GA are too delicate for my ham-fisted style. Maybe the GPs will be different.

[BoneNut74]

Originally Posted by kcnbys

Just picked up a 517 with the sunburst, and dang it's a beautiful guitar! I front a band, and will be using it primarily for rhythm strumming. I purchased it sans the ES2, and just had a Baggs Anthem SL installed. I had a pickguard custom designed for it based on the R. Taylor Style 3 (dread) pickguard shape, but haven't applied it yet. The pickguard looks fantastic on it, and I tend to prefer a pickguard on my guitars, but still thinking about whether to stick it on the 517. BTW - I got a very nice price on it from Willcutt Guitars in Lexington, KY. I REALLY like this guitar.

Congrats to you! I have had my burst 517 for almost 3 months and am enjoying it very much. It has a warm, dry articulate tone that sounds really good to my ears! And it just feels so good playing it. I hope you enjoy yours for many years.

[BoneNut74]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Shipped out the 000-18 this morning. I bought the 000-18 because I LOVE Julian Lage and his sound. But, alas, I discovered that I am no Julian Lage, and while it was cool having that sound, it just isn't me. I like big guitars with big sound.

I've now played three 717s, and each time I liked them more and more. The comfort and aesthetic sucked me in first, but it just sounds right for DADGAD. I am not looking at these guitars for bluegrass or standard tuning, but specifically for DADGAD. 75% of what I play is in DADGAD.

So, sound wise the 717 is balanced and the low end is strong but not overpowering. I'd say it replicates what I loved about the 000-18 and just amps it up a bit. The sound is right in between a Martin and a Gibson. It's got enough of that honky midrange I love in the Gibson, but with the assertiveness and power of a Martin dread. Low end is enveloping, rather than forward and out front.

Oh yeah....so here she is....

Beautiful guitar Shades of Blue! After reading your post this morning I found myself thinking about which of mine I could sell to get a 717.... Finding a place locally where I can play a 717 right now may be a challenge, but I'm making it a priority. Enjoy your new voice!

[Dwight]

Originally Posted by brencat

I played a 717 builders edition (Sunburst torrefied Sitka over EIR) at the NYC Sam Ash a few weeks back. It was a nice guitar! I loved the medium-fat C neck, which was noticeably fuller than the standard Taylor neck (which I like). The semi-matte finish and overall aesthetic reminded me of a less glossy Lowden (which are also semi-matte finished).

Playability was great but the tone was 'okay,' certainly nothing to make me want to sell any of my boutiques to buy one. I wouldn't call it lightly built either. Not heavy, but could be made a lot lighter.

Nice guitar and I'm sure it will sell very well for them.

They had three out last week, I gave them a quick play (30 seconds each) and thought they sounded really good. The tone was Taylor, a little closer to Martin. If I had to, I could make one work as my only acoustic. I wouldn't trade my 2011 914ce for one though.

[boneuphtoner]

I'm also a new GP owner as of this week - I chose the 317e. Two weeks ago was my first opportunity to play these gems, and they had a 317 and 517 available. While the 317/517 I played were not quite as responsive and loud as my K16 for the light fingerstyle I primarily play, they did have more volume than my former 324 and had such a nice roundness to the notes (perhaps even more so). Since my criticism of the 324 mainly centered around volume (or the lack thereof) and the store offered a very favorable trade in for the 324, I'm now the proud owner of a new 317e!

In terms of comparisons with the other Grand Pacific models, my first experience was with the 317 and 517. I thought the 317 had slightly more rounded trebles and a more full bass response with fingerstyle whereas the 517 was a touch better at strumming (you can also sort of hear this with Taylor's own sound samples of these on their website). This past weekend at the road show I got to briefly sample the 717 in a fairly loud room and compare it against the 517 - not ideal conditions to say the least but I didn't observe appreciable differences with the light classical fingerstyle I usually play. At the road show demo, they performed a strumming comparison of these two, and to my ear, it was the classical hog versus rosewood differences.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

Sounds good. I’m used to Martin dreads which I can lay into and not overdrive the tops. I’ve found Taylor GA are too delicate for my ham-fisted style. Maybe the GPs will be different.

You know, if I was to try out a Grand Pacific for the sole purpose of strumming chords in standard tuning, I can’t say this guitar would excite me all that much when Martins and Gibsons sound so good already. If you were looking for something to keep in a different tuning or use for a different style of playing, then this guitar becomes interesting.

With a D-41 at the ready, I can’t see the Grand Pacific being all that enticing.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

You know, if I was to try out a Grand Pacific for the sole purpose of strumming chords in standard tuning, I can’t say this guitar would excite me all that much when Martins and Gibsons sound so good already. If you were looking for something to keep in a different tuning or use for a different style of playing, then this guitar becomes interesting.

With a D-41 at the ready, I can’t see the Grand Pacific being all that enticing.

Yep...that’s pretty much true with any other guitar. I’ve had the 41 for 18 months and it already turned a D-18, J-45 and 714ce V-Class into case queens. Sold them all and bought a relatively inexpensive new Martin slope dread (DSS-17) to be its backup. It’s pretty much a case queen now too...but at least I don’t feel as guilty as when an iconic Martin and Gibson were collecting dust in the music room.

[Shades of Blue]

I hear you man, that’s fantastic. If I felt that way about a guitar, I think I’d only look for guitars that are so different that there is no way you could compare the two.

[arwhite]

Originally Posted by boneuphtoner

I'm also a new GP owner as of this week - I chose the 317e. Two weeks ago was my first opportunity to play these gems, and they had a 317 and 517 available.

Congrats on the new 317.

I played a 317 and a 517 today. Both very nice. I thought the 317 tone was a little more raw. Seemed to have a bit more bass and bite to it. The 517 sounded more refined to me. Very smooth tone from the 517. I liked the 317 better. It had a more aggressive tone to my ear. I could have fun with that. Both seemed very versatile whether using a pick or fingerpicking.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by arwhite

Congrats on the new 317.

I played a 317 and a 517 today. Both very nice. I thought the 317 tone was a little more raw. Seemed to have a bit more bass and bite to it. The 517 sounded more refined to me. Very smooth tone from the 517. I liked the 317 better. It had a more aggressive tone to my ear. I could have fun with that. Both seemed very versatile whether using a pick or fingerpicking.

The shop I ventured into had two 717s and a 517. No 317s, but I was more interested in rosewood as I don't have a rosewood guitar right now.

I would have loved to have purchased my 717 at the shop, but they only stock models with ES2. That, and they wouldn't budge on price, which is unfortunate.

[arwhite]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

The shop I ventured into had two 717s and a 517. No 317s, but I was more interested in rosewood as I don't have a rosewood guitar right now.

I would have loved to have purchased my 717 at the shop, but they only stock models with ES2. That, and they wouldn't budge on price, which is unfortunate.

I don't need another guitar and one of these really wouldn't add anything to what I already have, but I can't stop thinking about that 317. That doesn't bode well for my wallet...

[bil40272]

The GPs have been out long enough for people to need to make a string change.
I learned that I did not like Elixers long before I bought my first Taylor Guitar. Now when I buy a Taylor, one of the first things I do is to change strings.
I am curious if the GPs respond to string brands like my
510e does. It really likes the Martin PH lifespan strings. I wont say its a completely different guitar, but it is a much better sounding guitar with the Martin strings.
Just curious if People have started experimenting with strings on their GPs.

[RP]

Originally Posted by arwhite

I don't need another guitar and one of these really wouldn't add anything to what I already have, but I can't stop thinking about that 317. That doesn't bode well for my wallet...

On the other hand, your wallet would be happier with a 317 than a 517 or 717. FWIW I purchased a 317 several weeks ago, and am real pleased - it could easily be my only guitar....

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by RP

On the other hand, your wallet would be happier with a 317 than a 517 or 717. FWIW I purchased a 317 several weeks ago, and am real pleased - it could easily be my only guitar....

That's high praise! As I wait for my 717, I have asked myself what I would do if I fall in love with it, but I don't want to put the cart before the horse. I'm not great at keeping things around the house that don't get used.

My goal as a guitar player is to get to the point where our dear Rev Roy is....where you have that single guitar that makes the rest obsolete.