I didn't like Taylors at first. Had an Alvarez-Yairi dreadnought as my main acoustic and later a Baby that my wife gave me to travel with. I got very fond of the Baby's action. Killing time one rainy day at the music store, I played a 414 Taylor. You know how it is--something just grabbed me in the sound, especially fingerpicked. Action's never an issue with these guitars, and I like the slightly wide neck. This one had a big bearclaw flaw in both sides of the spruce top. I traded a banjo, a Japanese Strat and M80 amp, the Yairi, and cash for the Taylor the next day. Only (!) $1350 new (the price, not the cash I came up with). One other Taylor, of a bunch up on the wall, sounded as good to me--a 714, with cedar top and I think rosewood back, but that one was pushing $2000. Most of the other Taylors sounded thin to me. OM Martins sounded muddy to me, and I really don't need that extra action under the strings to wail on it with. A friend I play with a lot has a Doyle Dykes (Taylor). Gorgeous, expensive, thin maple body, very thin sound. Fun to play with, though, because I can only hear me when I play! Both Taylors record very well--not boomy at all. If I had it to do over again, I'd think about one without electronics, though I haven't heard the new pickup Taylors have now and that style is harder to find. The piezo Fishman saddle pickup stinks, like they all do.
