Why The Price Difference?

JeffLancaster

JeffLancaster

New member
So, I've been trying out a lot of different acoustic guitars lately, and the ones that have stuck out the most to me have been the Taylors. Their feel, ease of playablility and pristine sound have seemed consistently great with all the different models I've played. The only others that have come close have been a couple of Martin's and a $1500 Alvarez which I played the other day. Seagulls, Gibsons, Washburns - none of them even came close. So I think I've decided I want a Taylor.

I have not yet decided which model, however. I played a Limited edition 30th Anniversary 410 a few weeks back, which I loved - it had a price tag of $1299, however it's unfortunately been sold since then :( I've also tried some others which played and sounded great in the 2500-3000 dollar range.

My question is, who can tell me why there would be such a price difference between the different models from the same brand? For example the 410 lists on Taylors website at $1698. The 810 lists at $3048. The only real major differences I can see between the two is that the back and sides on the 410 are made from Ovangkal while the 810 is made of Rosewood. Both guitars have Sitka Spruce tops and Ebony fretboards. From my observations, all the Taylors seem to be constructed using the same care and quality. So why the price difference? Certainly it can't cost 1400 more dollars for Taylor to buy Rosewood instead of Ovangkol. :confused:
 
Well for one thing, Indian Rosewood of the quality that Taylor uses in the 800 series is actually significantly more expensive to obtain. Yes, they are constructed with the same level of precision, but with something like an 810, you are getting pretty much the best quality wood that can be had, versus wood that is good quality but not completely top-tier.

Another difference with the 800 series is the detail in the inlays, which can take easily boost the price. While the 400 series just has a simple fiber inlay around the sound hole and dots on the fretboard, the 800's have a high quality abalone inlay around the soundhole and much more intricate pearl inlays on the fretboard. There is also a difference in the binding material, but I don't know as much about that.

All said, I would say that the 800's are overpriced a bit compared to the features of the lower models, but there is reason for a higher price.
 
The bad thing about trying out acoustic guitars in the store is that they are not setup(nut and bridge adjustments). I would not put full focus on how it frets. I would focus mostly on the tone. I own a martin dx-1. It was only 500.00 bucks and american made. No nice finish but the tone is definately there. I had a local martin warrenty repair guy set the guitar up($80.00). After the setup it was a amazing, like playing a different instrument.

Hope this helps you, Garrett
 
Hey Jeff,

After much shopping around, I recently bought a Taylor 814ce. I think one of the reasons Taylors are so appealing in the store is that they come very nicely setup (and consistently so) straight from the factory, whereas the other guitars on the wall don't often feel right until they've been worked on a bit. That gives Taylors an unfair advantage with folks like me who don't have the knowledge or experience to predict how a guitar is likely to sound after it's been adjusted properly.

I agree with sile that the big difference in price from one Taylor to another is in the quality of the wood and the amount of dead shellfish with which it is decorated. I have to confess that one of the reasons I chose my 814 over a 414 is that it's just so damned pretty. I'm also hoping that its indian rosewood will mature better than ovangkol, but I don't really know if that will be the case.

For what it's worth, I recommend that you buy whichever guitar calls out to you, regardless of cost, as long as you can afford it without going into debt. Get the guitar that you know you're going to want to play, the one that's going to be hard to put down. If you keep your guitars half as long as most people do, you'll get your money's worth out of it. And if not, most guitars in that price range have reasonable resale values (I think.)
 
There is more than just different wood and inlays and binding. I highly doubt they are the same guitars with just different wood and a few bits of bling bling. There are bracing structures inside that I am sure are unique to various models.
 
If you get a chance, play some of the sub-$1000 Breedloves. They are set up very well at the factory, and the stealth style adjustable bridge makes future adjustments simple as hell. BTW, I'm *not* down on Taylors. I own a 710CE and it's my main acoustic.-Richie
 
Great responses guys. I'll have to check into those Estebans!

Richard Monroe said:
If you get a chance, play some of the sub-$1000 Breedloves.
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Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for one to try.
 
Sirnothingness said:
Get an Estaban guitar and you'll have a starting point to compare to.
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My Grand dad got sucked into the estaban guitar....he is 93. I tried to get on the testamonial line at qvc to talk to estaban but, it did not happen......I would have give him hell!!!!!! :D
 
Pearl, the labor for the inlays (which is the biggest thing, even with CNC inlays), and rosewood do not cost Taylor an additional $1400. But remember, the dealer price is usually about half of MSRP. And so the $700 Taylor sees needs to not only cover the cost of materials and labor (and if you haven't, check out the prices on pearl some time - sure Taylor gets a better deal than you can, but it is still VERY expensive), but it must ALSO cover Taylor's profit margin, without which they wouldn't bother to make guitars in the first place.

Well, OK, they probably would, because this is more a sickness than a carreer, but my point is still the same. Companies deserve a reasonable profit margin.

And finally, for the economists out there, they charge that much because that is what the market will bare. If people weren't willing to pay it, they wouldn't build those guitars.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Outlaws said:
There is more than just different wood and inlays and binding. I highly doubt they are the same guitars with just different wood and a few bits of bling bling. There are bracing structures inside that I am sure are unique to various models.
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On Martins, yes, but not on Taylors. The different BODIES have different bracing, because they are different shapes, but the "style" (the first number in their scheme) doesn't change the bracing, at least not that I remember.


Oh, and while I am on record as not being a fan of Taylors, I will say this. If you DO like the sound, you will NEVER be unhappy with their customer service. They take better care of their customers than any customer has any reason to expect or even deserve. If they were in any other industry (which is to say, any industry where their customer service department wasn't being compaired to C.F. Martin and Co), their treatment of customers would earn them awards (from customer) and death threats (from competitors who were accusing them of unfair business practices).



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
JeffLancaster said:
From my observations, all the Taylors seem to be constructed using the same care and quality. So why the price difference? Certainly it can't cost 1400 more dollars for Taylor to buy Rosewood instead of Ovangkol. :confused:
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Because people like you are willing to pay the difference. If not, Taylor guitars would be cheaper in price. Personally, I like old Yamaha's much better than any "new" Taylor acoustic that costs nearly 10 times the price. It's all a matter of personal preference.
 
gcapel said:
The bad thing about trying out acoustic guitars in the store is that they are not setup(nut and bridge adjustments). I would not put full focus on how it frets. I would focus mostly on the tone. I own a martin dx-1. It was only 500.00 bucks and american made. No nice finish but the tone is definately there. I had a local martin warrenty repair guy set the guitar up($80.00). After the setup it was a amazing, like playing a different instrument.

Hope this helps you, Garrett
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I don't think I totally agree with this post. When I buy acoustics, or help people buy an acoustic, I play tons of guitars and only buy one that won't really need adjustments intonation and action wise. If an acoustic has intonation problems from the beginning, it could be tricky to fix (action is easier I guess).

edit: sorry, to stay on topic, the difference in price is definitely mostly wood. If you are patient and hunt long enough, you can find a great guitar in the lower range, especially with the taylors. I played a Big Baby Taylor the other day that I thought played and sounded amazing for a cheapo.
 
Buck62 said:
Because people like you are willing to pay the difference. If not, Taylor guitars would be cheaper in price. Personally, I like old Yamaha's much better than any "new" Taylor acoustic that costs nearly 10 times the price. It's all a matter of personal preference.
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I admit that seems like a lot to pay, and no I haven't tried any old Yamaha's - perhaps I should before i make a decision. I do have an old Hohner that I've had for years, but to be honest, it sounds like crap. I've mainly played electrics throughout my life, but at this time I want to try to make some quality recordings featuring acoustic guitar and would like a pristine sounding instrument to record with. I've tried many of the cheaper brands and can say first hand, none of them play as nice or sound as good. No I'd rather not have to shell out $3000 or even $1500 for a guitar, but I guess you're right - I want something of high quality so I'll probably end up paying for it.
 
I'm not a big fan of the Yamaha's, but I've only played a few. If you are looking in the 1500 range I'd go for Taylor, Martin, Breedlove...but alot of it is opinion
 
astoebe said:
I'm not a big fan of the Yamaha's, but I've only played a few.
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That's probably because you haven't played the older, vintage Yammie's.

Here's some of the one's I'm talking about...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404358562&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404297074&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404203108&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

This is the same as the one I've got...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404413520&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

Here's some great "steals"...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404617362&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7404053514&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1


I'm familiar with all of these guitars and each one is a killer acoustic guitar for the money. But of course, tone is subjective. The thing with these old Yamaha's is that they are so melodic, smooth and musical that it's nearly impossible to get a bad recording from them, regardless of where you place the mic. Nothing beats the sound of aged wood. Some of the new Taylors seem a bit too "sterile" sounding to my ears and can sound anywhere from incredibly great to so-so, depending on the mic(s) and where they're positioned. Again, tone is subjective... YMMV.
 
Buck62 said:
That's probably because you haven't played the older, vintage Yammie's.
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you're right, I haven't played old ones. Do you know what kind of woods those FG series ones are? Are they solid or laminate? I had a hard time finding out much about the 335's...thanks!
 
Buck62 said:
Because people like you are willing to pay the difference. If not, Taylor guitars would be cheaper in price. Personally, I like old Yamaha's much better than any "new" Taylor acoustic that costs nearly 10 times the price. It's all a matter of personal preference.
Click to expand...

Hey Buck,

I know this is an old thread but have you played any of the newer Yamaha "L" series acoustics? The ones you can get for $750.
 
JeffLancaster said:
So, I've been trying out a lot of different acoustic guitars lately, and the ones that have stuck out the most to me have been the Taylors. Their feel, ease of playablility and pristine sound have seemed consistently great with all the different models I've played. The only others that have come close have been a couple of Martin's and a $1500 Alvarez which I played the other day. Seagulls, Gibsons, Washburns - none of them even came close. So I think I've decided I want a Taylor.

I have not yet decided which model, however. I played a Limited edition 30th Anniversary 410 a few weeks back, which I loved - it had a price tag of $1299, however it's unfortunately been sold since then :( I've also tried some others which played and sounded great in the 2500-3000 dollar range.

My question is, who can tell me why there would be such a price difference between the different models from the same brand? For example the 410 lists on Taylors website at $1698. The 810 lists at $3048. The only real major differences I can see between the two is that the back and sides on the 410 are made from Ovangkal while the 810 is made of Rosewood. Both guitars have Sitka Spruce tops and Ebony fretboards. From my observations, all the Taylors seem to be constructed using the same care and quality. So why the price difference? Certainly it can't cost 1400 more dollars for Taylor to buy Rosewood instead of Ovangkol. :confused:
Click to expand...



Partially it's the woods, partially it's the decorations (you'll see a lot more and more intricate pearl on a 810 than a 410), and a BIG part of it is the glossy finish on the higher end stuff. Shinny is time consuming, and time is money. I've heard Bob Taylor say, "I wish I could find the guy who decided that guitars should be shiny. I'd like to dig him up and kill him again."

All that being said, Bob's stated goal is to get every guitar in and out of the factory with less than 15 hours of labor.

Mostly, it's an issue of the design team at Taylor sitting around a table and saying, "What guitar can we build to sell at X price point." They make it, and you pay for it. Or you don't, and you get a lower end guitar.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
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