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Old 12-13-2020, 07:12 PM
tenonsix tenonsix is offline
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Default Sold: 1996 Taylor GA Custom w/Cindy inlays, cutaway

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I have for sale an unusual and remarkable golden era Taylor. It is a 1996 GA Custom, originally owned and autographed by George Sabolick (pictured with him on the CD cover).

It has a cedar top, mahogany back and sides, cutaway, rosewood binding with a teal highlight strip, abalone purfling and a beautiful set of Cindy inlays. 1 3/4" nut, 2 3/16" bridge spacing. It also has a an LR Baggs RT System undersaddle pickup from the era, although I've never tried it.

This is an amazing guitar - I've owned many Taylors over the years and this is the best sounding - the cedar/mahogany combination really works here. It is currently strung with EJ16s and it is perfect for fingerpicking or playing with a pick, and is great in open tunings. It has very little fret wear and plays perfectly.

That's the good, now for the bad. This was a guitar played hard by a professional musician early in its life. The guitar has serious finish damage to the top. There is what seems to be fingernail or fingerpick wear beneath the treble strings that has been filled with lacquer. On the bass side there is a patch of finish that has come off and has been lightly touched up with lacquer. As I understand it, there were two pickguards on the guitar at one time, and some of the finish came off when removing the one on the bass side. This is all cosmetic and not structural, but it is unattractive. This aside, there are some other minor dings in the top, and the back and sides are very clean.

I have had the guitar for 16 years and I haven't played it much simply because I have many other instruments. The finish damage never bothered me, but I've realized I'm just never going to get around to fixing it up and it is time to pass the guitar onto someone else. If you don't mind the finish damage you get a top of the line Taylor for a very low price!





























Last edited by tenonsix; 12-15-2020 at 03:52 PM.
  #2  
Old 12-13-2020, 07:50 PM
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Man if that had a wider nut I'd be thinking about buying it and sending it back to Taylor for a top refinish and "renew" package.

Got to be a nice one!
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Old 12-13-2020, 08:36 PM
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Smile Yep...

Quote:
Originally Posted by fitness1 View Post
Man if that had a wider nut I'd be thinking about buying it and sending it back to Taylor for a top refinish and "renew" package.

Got to be a nice one!
Good idea. I have a 96 514c. same woods. Mine Sounds wonderful, and I bet this does too. The famous Excalibur that belonged to the big shot producer and was used on a pile of hit records was a 514c.

I still have a 96 412ce (with an upgraded ES1.2 Pickup) and a refresh/dial.
I bought it new and played about a couple thousand gigs on it! It has way more Top wear than this one, and still sounds GREAT, especially plugged in.

Folks don't understand the Taylor Renew Package. When they are done at Taylor Repair it will play and sound like new. And look a LOT better, too. All it takes is money and time! . Hahahaha

The only wider Nut available at that point was 1 7/8" It would have been a special order and used a 12 string neck blank with a regular headstock, as I seem to remember...

Best on this

Paul
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Old 12-14-2020, 05:36 AM
Steely Glen Steely Glen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitars44me View Post
Good idea. I have a 96 514c. same woods. Mine Sounds wonderful, and I bet this does too. The famous Excalibur that belonged to the big shot producer and was used on a pile of hit records was a 514c.

I still have a 96 412ce (with an upgraded ES1.2 Pickup) and a refresh/dial.
I bought it new and played about a couple thousand gigs on it! It has way more Top wear than this one, and still sounds GREAT, especially plugged in.

Folks don't understand the Taylor Renew Package. When they are done at Taylor Repair it will play and sound like new. And look a LOT better, too. All it takes is money and time! . Hahahaha

The only wider Nut available at that point was 1 7/8" It would have been a special order and used a 12 string neck blank with a regular headstock, as I seem to remember...

Best on this

Paul
Based on Taylor’s website, they don’t mention refinishing in any of their packages so my hunch is that it isn’t included, which makes sense based on how much time/work it takes. I’m sure Taylor would do it, but it could easily cost you a thousand bucks once it’s said and done. It’a a pity someone didn’t attend to this otherwise gorgeous instrument.
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  #5  
Old 12-14-2020, 05:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steely Glen View Post
Based on Taylor’s website, they don’t mention refinishing in any of their packages so my hunch is that it isn’t included, which makes sense based on how much time/work it takes. I’m sure Taylor would do it, but it could easily cost you a thousand bucks once it’s said and done. It’a a pity someone didn’t attend to this otherwise gorgeous instrument.
Last time I checked - top refinish was about 450.00. That was probably 8-10 years ago.
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Old 12-14-2020, 10:19 AM
Steely Glen Steely Glen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fitness1 View Post
Last time I checked - top refinish was about 450.00. That was probably 8-10 years ago.
I'd guess $600-750 today, but impossible to know without talking to Taylor. But this guitar is a beauty....part of me wants to take on the challenge of seeing it restored to its former glory. It deserves that much.
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  #7  
Old 12-14-2020, 11:49 AM
tenonsix tenonsix is offline
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It really is a beauty, and, to be clear, the issues are cosmetic and it is in excellent playing condition.
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Old 12-14-2020, 12:10 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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How is the interior of that case? How is the action?
  #9  
Old 12-14-2020, 01:40 PM
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Guitars44me Guitars44me is offline
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Smile Live with it.

I asked Tim Luranc his thoughts on this.

Unfortunately the Top would probably not be able to be refinished. Apparently Cedar tops can't be thinned much at all.

So I would just live with it and play the heck out of it! No worries about play wear!

I hope someone snags this and gigs it a LOT.

It is awful cute!

Paul
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3 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS:
Big Maple/Cedar Dread
Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC
Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC

R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro
96 422ce bought new!
96 LKSM 12
552ce 12x12

J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut

More
  #10  
Old 12-14-2020, 02:41 PM
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A new pickguard would at least hide most of the lower surface damage.
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Old 12-14-2020, 04:51 PM
dylanheeg dylanheeg is offline
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Wow what a cool guitar!! Love this
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Old 12-14-2020, 04:57 PM
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Just a fyi, our local dealer is a taylor repair. Hes refinishing a third of the back of my DN8 along with repairing some areas where the finish is bubbling on the back binding. He quoted me around $200. I have my doubts but he had 30 ahead of me and sent me home with my taylor for a month. He is planning to mark a section off and somehow blend it in, granted a top would likely be much more difficult.
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  #13  
Old 12-14-2020, 06:36 PM
Rosewood99 Rosewood99 is offline
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The damage doesn’t seem to be in an area that the pick guard would be located at.
  #14  
Old 12-14-2020, 07:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulzoom View Post
The damage doesn’t seem to be in an area that the pick guard would be located at.
Imo, a pickguard would cover not all, but a good part of the lower damage.
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'21 Martin D-18 Standard | '02 Taylor 814c | '18 Taylor 214ceDLX | '18 Taylor 150e-12 | '78 Ibanez Dread (First acoustic) | '08 CA Cargo | '02 Fender Strat American '57 RI
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  #15  
Old 12-14-2020, 07:08 PM
lbh56 lbh56 is offline
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....this won't last long
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