Taylor acoustics

Chili said:
It might have been... Is there anything else inside the violin that can rattle around?? (Honest question)
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All bowed stringed instruments like the violin family or the viola da gamba have a sound post. It's quite simply a dowel that is wedged between the top and back seated just behind the bridge on the treble side. It's purpose is two fold. To stop the top from collapsing and to couple the top and back and it makes a HUGE difference to the sound. The bass side has a bass bar than is glued to the top under the bridge foot along the length of the top. Both are a precise and exact fit and an essential part of violin set up.

The soundpost is not glued and on a neglected instrument it will come loose. I wasn't suggesting thats what you had (well I was but only in jest) but I have often had calls from mums or dads that little johnny has broken his fiddle when it's just the soundpost come adrift.

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Okay, most likely that's what was rattling around. Maybe it came loose during shipment. Still, I didn't want to buy a violin from eBay that needed to be repaired. I'm guessing there's a special tool to set the sound post. Go through the F-hole?? Whatta pain that must be.

Thanks for the enlightenment!! :)
 
Chili said:
Okay, most likely that's what was rattling around. Maybe it came loose during shipment. Still, I didn't want to buy a violin from eBay that needed to be repaired. I'm guessing there's a special tool to set the sound post. Go through the F-hole?? Whatta pain that must be.

Thanks for the enlightenment!! :)
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You get a sound posts setter to fit them but you can also improvise quite easily. It is one of those jobs that the more you do the easier it gets. The real skill is in getting them to fit perfectly to match the curve of the top and back. It's really no different from any instrument set up and a violin guy would do it in no time. You'll know for next time and maybe be able to negotiate rather than return..;)
 
I have purchased numerous items off ebay: pedals, pickups, strings, recording equipment, etc. My wife has also bought a lot off of ebay including a sewing machine (which I did have to do a little adjustment to). I even bought my Washburn acoustic off ebay. I make sure the seller has a good rating (I don't buy from anyone below 97%), lots of sales (at least in the hundreds, higher is even better), and good comments from buyers. So far this has worked for me.
 
That Taylor is only 2 days gone (so I'm at least a week away from my refund), but I'm jonesing again for that Taylor sound. I only played it a couple of times - and if the buyer had offered, say, a $500 refund, I might have opted for getting the Preamp replaced, despite all the cosmetic issues.

I had been on-and-off looking at those cheap ebay violins - seems like the 'stores' always drive up the sell prices though. They get people hooked by offering real low starting prices. If you look at the bid histories, though, you see the same IDs come up again and again.
Of course, you can sometimes get lucky with these places, if they lose track of their open items. that's how I got my Strat clone for $26! I keep eyeing the 12 string Tele's they have, too, just in case they forget to upbid one of them. :rolleyes:
 
I've had a 414ce since 2004 and it is a great guitar. I played acoustic guitars for about a month on the weekends, narrowing down my top five and what I was going to spend. The Taylor won, obviously. Great sounding instrument.
 
I would never buy a guitar that I could not hold it my hand - feel and playability are simply too important (not to mention looking for cracks, fret problems, etc.).

I've purchased a few rare CDs and DVDs form sellers on ebay with decent results - but no music gear. I have found a lot of good gear deals off Craig's list - but always from local sellers so I could test the gear and/or play the instrument) - so far I've had mainly positive experiances and noboby has drugged me and stolen my organs (at least I don't think so)

I did find a used Taylor 110 at a store call "Music Go Round" (they buy and sell music gear) - while the 110 is certainly in the basement of the Taylor line - the one I found is well made and has a very clear and pleasant tone for finger pickin' (it get a little too bright when played with a pick).
 
Maybe it was a rattlesnake tail.

I know plenty of mando players that have them in their mandos.
 
As XDrummer said, I'd never buy a guitar that I haven't seen/touched/played. Especially at those kind of prices.
 
So my wife got her money back for the crappy ebay banjo she got me for my birthday, we headed up to Nashua today - convenience has the Guitar Center in teh same shopping center as Trader Joe's, so she went food shopping an dI went guitar shopping.
AS she hands me the cash that she spent on the banjo she says 'you have my permission to buy any instrument'. Hey, she said it ...

I knew the GC did not have the Taylor 310ce in stock (I had looked online earlier this week - no local GCs have it), but also saw it discounted $150 this week, for some unannounced reason (or mistake). There was also a $150 off anything over $999 coupon - usually Taylors (and most name brands) are exempt from these.
SO I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Played a 210ce they had, but it's laminated back and sides didn't have the same sound as the solid wood 310ce. SO I asked the sales guy about the 310ce, and the coupon. He went to the computer, started plugging things in, made a call, and said they could do it! So $300 off the usual $1699 - how could I refuse? I have seen music stores sell used 310ce's for more than that. So, GC gift card, some left over cash on gift cards, and the Taylor was ordered, should have it in less than 2 weeks.
Wife was a little pissed, but then I took her to the dress store next door to
Trader Joes and bought her some clothes....
Most I have ever spent for a guitar (although not my most valuable one). Can't wait for it! Of course, it's brand new, and I'll get the chance to check it out before finalizing the sale, so I have no qualms about the purchase. :guitar:
 
arcaxis said:
Proud parents usually show pictures of a new arrival in the house. With the name mjbphotos, one would think pics might be happening :D
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yeh pics please,

(although it's dangerous for me! coz I suffer from GAK & I don't got NNOOOOOO money honey!)
 
I'll post pics tonight. jff - I just lucked out with that statement, I really don't think she meant ANY, only any instrument up to the value of the cash she gave me.

Another great thing about this purchase - because GC screwed around with the sale, it didn't get charged to my credit card yet, won't have to pay off the balance for another month+ :D
 
mjbphotos said:
we headed up to Nashua today - convenience has the Guitar Center in teh same shopping center as Trader Joe's, so she went food shopping an dI went guitar shopping.
AS she hands me the cash that she spent on the banjo she says 'you have my permission to buy any instrument'. Hey, she said it ...

:guitar:
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I bought my Nomad 55 out of the Nashua GC the first week it opened back in 03 or 04....can't remember.......I did have a good experience there as well.....
 
Even my wife, (who is still pissed at the cost of it) admits it sounds great. Started giving her lessons on the old Fender. :rolleyes:
 
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