Played My First Taylor Last Night...

[therage!]

the quality difference between a $1500 acoustic and a $4000 acoustic is not as drastic as the difference between a $100 acoustic and say a $1000.=QUOTE]


although, guitar center was selling some guitars about a year ago for $50 that sounded REALLY good...

$1000 up seems to be about right for any good sounding acoustics. People are fooling themselves if they think they can get $1500 sound out of a $300 instrument.

 

[stetto]

$1000 up seems to be about right for any good sounding acoustics. People are fooling themselves if they think they can get $1500 sound out of a $300 instrument.

From the guitar I played the other night, it seems to me that some people are fooling themselves thinking they can get a $1500 sound from a $1500 guitar...

My guitar plays and sounds amazing to me, regardless what I did or didn't pay for it. I think there's a shitload of status mongering that goes on with the obsession with expensive guitars. I personally could care less what name a guitar carries or how much one gets suckered into paying for it...Playability and sound are the ONLY considerations. I started this particular thread simply to express that I had finally played one of the more sought after brands and found it to be neither of those considerations...

Those who like colorless instruments because they're easier to record and modify "on tape" have a valid point, but I get fatigued very quickly from playing a bland guitar...My guitar has character and tone, making it a finicky subject to mic, but an intense pleasure to play...For $300...

Eric

 

[PHILANDDON]

To me the greatest deal in acoustic guitars right now, by far, are Blueridges. Anyone played any? I love mine. I have a BR-160 ($800) that sounds almost as good as my Brazilian Rosewood Martin D28 from 1969. More importantly, it's super easy to play and really stays in tune!! If you haven't checked out Blueridges, I can't recommend them enough. Like Martins, though, they don't all sound the same. You gotta find the one that rings right for you....

 

[Henry Mars]

For 50 years I have played all kinds of Acoustitic guitars. I liked Taylor at first ..but to my ears they sound dry. For my money the best soundin' store bought axe is a Martin. Opinions and ears vary of couse. Martin's also seem to me to be made better. Taylor's look to me like they are very fragile.

 

[philboyd studge]

For 50 years I have played all kinds of Acoustitic guitars. I liked Taylor at first ..but to my ears they sound dry. For my money the best soundin' store bought axe is a Martin. Opinions and ears vary of couse. Martin's also seem to me to be made better. Taylor's look to me like they are very fragile.

50 years of playing here too and I'm still not sure what it is about Taylors I don't like. They're like a USC cheerleader with a 4.0 average.....too perfect. I'll always go for the non-sorority art/history major with glasses and a good body.

 

[Richard Monroe]

My God, the extent of Taylor-bashing in this thread is unbelievable. I respect everyone's opinion to some extent, especially Light, who seems to be a luthier. I've owned a vintage Gibson SJ, a D-28, a D-35, and more other acoustics than I can remember, and my Taylor 710CE is simply the best acoustic I've ever owned. Yes, I would like a Huss and Dalton, a Froggy Bottom, a Collins, and a dozen other handmade guitars I could name. I know guitars are like fingerprints. They're made out of wood by humans, and I agree with the statement that different examples of the same model can vary quite a bit. However, one of the things that makes a luthier honest is that if a guitar *really* sucks, it doesn't go out the door with his name on it. I haven't played a Martin in the last 25 years that I would want to own that had a sticker price of less than $2800. And I *will* admit that I have played a couple $2800 and up that were *very* good guitars. I haven't played a new Gibson in 10 years that I would even consider. The best off the rack sub-$1000 guitar I've played lately is Breedlove.
However, what y'all can't do is convince me that my Taylor isn't a *great* guitar, because I know better. And Stetto can't convince me that an Ovation Balladeer was ever built that was a good guitar. Good acoustics are not made of plastic.-Richie

 

[stetto]

My God, the extent of Taylor-bashing in this thread is unbelievable.

Taylor bashing? Were you a Carvin or Behringer owner in a previous life? The only "bashing" I've seen in this thread is against a 17 year old kid who can't/won't maintain his guitar...To like or dislike an instrument is not akin to liking/disliking a politician; There are NO political affiliations manifest here...I've also never played a Fender acoustic guitar that I liked. Is not liking them "bashing"?

However, what y'all can't do is convince me that my Taylor isn't a *great* guitar, because I know better. And Stetto can't convince me that an Ovation Balladeer was ever built that was a good guitar. Good acoustics are not made of plastic.-Richie

Re-read my original post...You must have been skimming the first time through...Then note in your last 2 sentences...That is bashing...

Eric

 

[bwindsor]

I own a 614ce that lives in the studio...I've heard many claim Taylors are overly bright, and this particular model especially (maple)...all I can say is, I can't for the life of me figure what they are talking about...nothing but smooth full range here...did I get a "good" one? Who knows...as for "paying for the name"...welcome to the world, lots of good stuff out there that's not "popular", but no "snob-appeal" in that

BW

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

stetto, of course I could be wrong, but I think your first experience on a badly maintained Taylor has skewed your impression. Sure, they're not for everyone, but they do make fine guitars. I agree that they can be a tad light on the bass and maybe even a bit bright, but there are ways to address that, including string type and guage selection. I have my Taylor 814c set-up perfect for me.

I also bought two Norman B20s (another of the Godin line of guitars and almost exactly the same as the Seagull S6) for my two sons. Although I agree Seagulls/Normans are perhaps the best bang for the buck acoustics, IMO it's quite a stretch to compare them to a *properly maintained* Taylor (or Martin, or whatever).

 

[gibsonguy09]

I'm with you Eric. I HATE the sound of Taylors. Way too bright. Seagulls have a lot more soul. I play Martins myself. But I used to have a seagull which I loved. Cedar is a sweet sounding wood.

i'd take a martin over a taylor any day .. more deepr less "bright" tone like you said

 

[gibsonguy09]

your also a little bit paying for the name.

 

[brandrum]

I'll take a Breedlove over a Taylor any day.

 

[stetto]

Hey Monkey, my impression was absolutely without a doubt FOR SURE skewed, and I made mention of it. I've seen Taylors played by name artists and read the glowing stuff on this site and others (must mean something) and appreciated the opportunity to try one...And though it didn't suck, neither was I twitterpated by it...From the responses in thread (for the most part) I've noticed that a lot of people aren't all that impressed by them either, though nobody denies that they make a fine instrument...I may play another and fall hopelessly in love one day.

...A couple of guys here nailed it, I think; "To each his own"...

And I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was comparing Seagull guitars to Taylors...I was comparing my Seagull to the Taylor I played the other night...

Eric

 

[Richard Monroe]

First, Stetto, I'm *not* a monkey. Secondly, you are one of the few people in this thread who are *not* bashing Taylors, except the one being destroyed by a clueless kid with too much money. And I'll freely admit to bashing Ovations. But why not? It won't damage them much, as long as you hit them in the back. I actually used to have a cheap Applause, which was good for camping. I used it for several years as the expendable camping guitar.-Richie

 

[guitar junkie]

Ok so here is my stance on this one....

My Dad used to have a 12 string guitar over thirty years ago, it was something he had a lot of fun with... but he was married had his first kid (my idiot older brother) and did not own a home... well my Mom and Dad sold as many things that they had that were worth anything at all, in order to buy a house...

well ok so Dad sold his first guitar (swedish build classical) and the 12 string i think he said is was an Aria he still had his Goya G10 that was supposed to be for my Mom tp play.... well any way Mom never plays EVER

any way for 30 years Mom wished that Dad could get another 12 string guitar, i think Dad wished for one sometimes too.... he stayed out of guitar stores for years just to make sure he never blew the money that was supposed to be used to feed us kids...

some years back i was learning to play guitar really heavy and Dad was teaching me how to play chords and stuff, we wore out the strings on our guitars! duh it happens

so any way we headed into town and stopped in Mars music (tells you something about the dates) any way Dad had some money that he had earned in a fluke and kind of got G.A.S there and was looking at some Takamine 12 strings on the wall, my Mom started digging around in the back room and found a nice! Guild 12 string mapel jumbo with all the trimmings and of course Mom asked Dad if it was a good guitar...

any way Dad just about lost it when he was playing that Guild (that thing was awesome!) any way Dad felt like the money was needed in other places, did not feel like he could spend so much on himself.... so Mom let him sleep on it and then the next day we walked in and Mom got Dad that guitar through some stashed money....

Dad was so happy with that guitar until the top cracked on it while changing the strings....

so the house tech looked at it and found some stuff wrong with the bracing and said that he could fix it up and make the repairs or.... the store could offer Dad anything in the same price range... well to make a long story short Dad decided that if the guitar was fixed it might not sound the same... so he dug around the guitar room for an hour and found the Taylor 355 he still plays today, he loves that guitar more than he ever did the Guild!

its got a sweet tone and ringing sustain lots of bass on that jumbo body!


any way i still was learning to play guitar then, so i played a pile of junkers for about a year... then i earned some money and got myself a ncie guitar for the money i had, that was a Taylor Big Baby! i used that guitar for a year, then i found myself playing a Tacoma DM10 the Taylor was a great guitar, i learned a lot with it, the tone was nice enought to suit me just fine but the size was smaller than i wanted for playing live, the finish was not fancy either and by this time i needed a show stopper!

so ended up with a used Guild D25 and later the guitar i still use today a Gretsch Rancher acoustic...

do i like Taylor?

i loved my baby and i love my Dads 12 sting....

i have played a lot of Taylors now and i have to say some of them are kind of lame and weak while others have been just great!

i can say that i hate the strings they send out with them, when you but some nice phospher bronze strings on them they open up a lot more...

i would not mind getting a Taylor like the one Dad uses, maybe one day a few Taylors to sit around my house and write on... my tastes run into a Huss&Dalton CM rosewood!

but right now i am playing my Guild D25 and my Gretsch

i got rid of my Tacoma when i gifted it to a friend who needed it more than i did

the Taylor sold to a family i am friends with.


Dad has found Taylors he hates, has still said that he would take his Taylor over any of the Martin 12 strings!

 

[astoebe]

this forum makes me chuckle and makes me angry all at the same time...i think to sum up my thoughts i'll just say:

There are a ton of great sounding Taylor's out there, some that sound better than (gasp) handmade guitars perhaps...

I don't like Seagull at all because of my experience with them, but I'll bet there are some Seagull's out there I'd love...

I'm not a huge Martin fan, but there is a Martin in a store here I'm in love with and wish I had the money to buy...

Some people love bright guitars (I know I do) and that's one reason I love Taylor's, they are usually very bright...I have a friend who has a Martin that he loves. He doesn't like the way my Taylor sounds, I don't like the way his Martin sounds, they both play nice though.

Anyways, so it makes me laugh and makes me angry that people say things like "their guitars are boring as heck" (what an incredibly stupid statement) or "i'd take a breedlove over a Taylor any day" (oh by the way, all the breedloves i've played so far have been incredibly expensive and have sucked)

All acoustic guitars are gonna sound different, and guess what...what sounds awesome to me might not really be great for your style or preference. Heck, I bet I could even find some Ibanez acoustic guitars I kinda liked (ok, maybe not ). All I know is I played a girl's 300$ Big Baby Taylor this weekend and I liked it better than most acoustic guitars I've played...

Perhaps there is a reason Taylor is so popular? Could they possibly make a quality, good sounding guitar?

Just for reference, my go to acoustic is a Taylor 414MACE

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

First, Stetto, I'm *not* a monkey.

Richard, I believe stetto was addressing me (Cheeky Monkey) and my comments.

 

[stetto]

Richard, I believe stetto was addressing me (Cheeky Monkey) and my comments.

Yep, I was, but he left a couple of interesting bashe--uh, statements that got my attention;

...you are one of the few people in this thread who are *not* bashing Taylors...

Which reminds me of the territoriality of folks with their things, especially brand names...Cars, guns, bands, breakfast cereals, political affiliations, you name it, if I love it it can do no wrong...Takes a LOT of the objectivity out of a LOT of peoples' opinions...

...except the one being destroyed by a clueless kid with too much money...

The kid's income was never mentioned, but now that you do, I'll tell you that when I asked him how much he paid for it, he told me that he sold a car and put 3 months pay into it...He works his dad's farm in N. Dakota...When he's not in school...NOT a spoiled rich kid, more of a clueless slob...

And I'll freely admit to bashing Ovations. But why not? It won't damage them much, as long as you hit them in the back. I actually used to have a cheap Applause, which was good for camping...

I own an Applause too. It's not just a plastic back, but also an MDF top with a "picture of wood" laid across...And it sounds just like you'd imagine. I'm giving it to my 8 year old as a starter, once I can get the action anywhere close to the fretboard...

But Applause is hardly an Ovation. As I mentioned in a prior post, endorsements cloud the issue when using "what the stars use" as a barometer, but still, if a "star" is actually using that free endorsement axe to record and perform with, it can't be junk, can it? And Ovation has as many endorsers as any other brand...

So I've played Applause and Ovation guitars...The Ovations I've played were all very good instruments, and the Balladeer I spoke of belonged to a friend, but I coveted that guitar for a whole summer...And Hokey Smokes, Bulwinkle, Ovation is still in bidnez, still getting top dollar for some of their models, and still finding successful folks to endorse their products...

Objectivity, man....It'll open your mind....

Eric

 

[0018G]

This is not bashing, this is my opinion. I don't like the way Taylors sound. Period. I would estimate I've played close to 100 of them over the last 20 years, from 300 series to top of the line Brazilian's, jumbos, dreads, -12 and -14's, cutaways and not cutaways, six string and twelve. Out of 30+ fretted instruments, I own Martins, Gibsons, Guilds, a handmade, some oddballs, hell, even one Ovation, but 0 Taylors.

That's not to say I can find no good. If you've ever reset the neck on a Martin, you'll appreciate Taylors bolt on neck joint and it's ease of serviceability. Their quality control seems to be very good. I suspect they might record well. They are just not for me-hey, look on the bright side- if you like 'em, I'm not depleting your supply .

 

[Monkey Allen]

Very happy with my Taylor 110. And it's about the cheapest Taylor you can get.

It felt awkward to start with but after you work it in and get a bit of dead skin, sweat and tears on the old fret board, why, it's just as sweet as mum's apple pie.