Any thoughts on Taylors new soundport?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by docwatsonfan

I think it prevents the guitar from overheating with a [SIZE="3"][COLOR="Red"]hot picker/strummer

Maybe next internal fans to "blow" the notes out?

[BluesBelly]

Originally Posted by fitness1

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

ROTFLMAO.
Ain’t that the truth Bro!

Blues

[Brucebubs]

New review just posted on YouTube.

[BluesBelly]

Just watched the video of Chris McKee of Alamo Music playing the new sound port 816CE Taylor. He did an admirable job of hyping the sound port even though it was a lot of work for him to try and get the wheels on the ground concerning the whys and wherefores. I almost dropped off for a nap in the middle of his explanation and sales pitch, but I hung with him and kept what I perceived to be an open mind.
But in the end when he played a bit, if the sound port had any effect at all, I feel that it made the Taylor guitar sound more like a Taylor than a Taylor should.

Blues

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

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

Larry, did you do that yourself or get someone to do it for you. It looks very professional. Considering taking my Ovangkol OMC-16e to a luthier and getting one put in the same spot.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by BluesBelly

But in the end when he played a bit, if the sound port had any effect at all, I feel that it made the Taylor guitar sound more like a Taylor than a Taylor should.

The effect of covering the sound hole was -- uh -- subtle.

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by BluesBelly

Just watched the video of Chris McKee of Alamo Music playing the new sound port 816CE Taylor. He did an admirable job of hyping the sound port even though it was a lot of work for him to try and get the wheels on the ground concerning the whys and wherefores. I almost dropped off for a nap in the middle of his explanation and sales pitch, but I hung with him and kept what I perceived to be an open mind.
But in the end when he played a bit, if the sound port had any effect at all, I feel that it made the Taylor guitar sound more like a Taylor than a Taylor should.

Blues

My god, I’m with you on this...I watched it too...That guy is basically an extension of the Taylor marketing team...He does a decent job overall with his videos for sure, but listening to some of the marketing dribble coming out of his mouth for Taylor products is nauseating at best sometimes...bah...

Having said this, listening to that 816 in this video and others gives me hope that I may actually be able to purchase the Taylor I have always dreamed of, but couldn’t pull the trigger on since the V class debacle. It certainly wouldn’t be one like this with this silly sound port though.

Does anyone know if Taylor would make one of those 816s with a standard cutaway, or a Florentine? Without having seen it in person, those vids make it seem much much better than I have experience with about 4 other v class models in person. I like what I’m hearing, and I generally love the Taylor aesthetic and design.

[tbeltrans]

What it reminds of is tinkering with a thing until you go too far. Many of us have done with with filing down the saddle until we eventually learn after a few tries where to stop. I feel that my 2019 K14ce is about as far in tinkering as I want it to go. It is perfect. So Taylor can go ahead and continue to tinker with guitars built for other customers.

I really don't care if Taylor continues to hype my model or not. I like it and that is what matters to me as a consumer. The next year, new Builder's Editions came along and mine was pretty much forgotten. I am just glad I was able to try one, find it suited me, and buy it.

Tony

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi TW

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

That's my initial thoughts too, Larry. I wonder if Taylor's soundport is for the benefit of the player or a listener?

[Brucebubs]

It's like Taylor have abandoned the guitars that built their reputation.

Martin and now Gibson have gone back to the guitars that built theirs ... and Guild never left.

[Wade Hampton]

Boy, you guys are harsh!

As for me, I’m going to reserve judgement on this new soundport design until I get a chance to play a guitar that has one for myself. Unlike what seems like everyone else, I can’t see much point in criticizing either Taylor or Andy Powers for trying new things: I mean, honestly? How does it harm any of us if Taylor puts a soundport where none of us of us would expect to see one? I mean, seriously, does that actually shake the foundations of your worldview?!?

Not mine. If it works, more power to them.

Short version: it doesn’t trouble me in the slightest when Taylor does something that I don’t expect. In fact, I admire them for it.

After all, the last I checked, the Taylor Guitar Company has not been sending gun thugs to drag reluctant guitar owners to music stores to buy ANY of their products. Participation remains entirely voluntary.


Wade Hampton Miller

[magazine]

Use too builders could throw exotic wood on an old model and bam instant hit. Now those woods may not be available in the quantities needed or are illegal..?. So we are getting innovation instead. I'm ok with this. In fact im better with it. I'm just getting sick of what these new taylors are costing. 2k for a 3 series is getting kinda crazynisnt it? Pushing 4k for an 8 series and maple is suddenly more expensive than rosewood.

[frankmcr]

Soundport facing away from the player . . .

Next up - rosewood top, spruce back & sides?

[Racerbob]

I personally like sound ports, my experience is they do what is claimed the majority of the time. In this case putting a mic in front of the guitar then covering the port will not duplicate the player's experience.

It seems to lower the volume when he covered it but the explanation he gave was it was supposed to "surround" the player with the sound normally heard only out front. So unless he put a mic at his ear I don't see how the video will tell us anything useful.

On the other hand, I had a Nightingale with the "flutes" sound ports which are pretty much under the player's right arm and yet they definitely create a "surround sound" effect very distinctive from guitar with them plugged. So who knows, but this item like the V-bracing will require in person evaluation.

But they won't sell me one anyway as long as the only saddle spacing offered is 2 3/16.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Boy, you guys are harsh!

As for me, I’m going to reserve judgement on this new soundport design until I get a chance to play a guitar that has one for myself. Unlike what seems like everyone else, I can’t see much point in criticizing either Taylor or Andy Powers for trying new things: I mean, honestly? How does it harm any of us if Taylor puts a soundport where none of us of us would expect to see one? I mean, seriously, does that actually shake the foundations of your worldview?!?

Not mine. If it works, more power to them.

Short version: it doesn’t trouble me in the slightest when Taylor does something that I don’t expect. In fact, I admire them for it.

After all, the last I checked, the Taylor Guitar Company has not been sending gun thugs to drag reluctant guitar owners to music stores to buy ANY of their products. Participation remains entirely voluntary.


Wade Hampton Miller

Easy now. Being a guitar forum, these things being discussed are of little consequence outside the forum. Those of us who have experienced the world outside our own little corner are not going to mistake an oddly placed soundport for some seismic world change. Things get pretty silly here, no doubt. But all in all, it is just a bit of fun and I like to think most of us realize that.

Tony