Thinking about a Taylor or other High-End Acoustic

A

azraelswings

New member
Hello All,

I've been deployed in Afghanistan for just a bit too long now. I haven't spent a dime here. I'll be saving most of my earnings, but I do intend to spoil myself on 1-2 new axes.

I've heard many criticisms about Taylors. Overpriced, all machine made, all bolt-on necks, etc. The two Taylors I'm considering are the 800 and 900 series, on which I expect to spend (based on what I've heard on local price wiggle room) $2500 or $3300. I of course plan to play every high-end guitar under the sun first, but I'm curious of what insights anyone can offer.

Thanks in advance.
 
I'm also looking for a good acoustic. They had the 800 at the music shop I went to.

Maybe it's just me, but I played it and it did not seem worth the price tag. Although guitars (especially acoustics), even the same make/model, can sound a lot different. So of course the only way would be to go try it.

It didn't sound bad by any means and would be alright for fingerstyle stuff but I still think there are better options out there, especially for that kind of money.
 
I've got a 615 and I really love it but it doesn't get as much play as my '72 Martin D28. Totally different animals, Taylors great but a lot brighter
 
What are you looking for in an acoustic? What type woods/size, etc? My absolute holy grail would be a McPherson, but they're a bit out of your $3k price range.
 
I still lose sleep nightly after selling my old Norman b-50. You'll have to build up hand muscles to play the thing, and it's so loud that you'll need to play outside, but the tone is great for recording, or anything else. The maple back and sides are not laminates like other Canadian models, and there is no filigree to speak of, either. Expect to pay around $400 for a good condition one.

Hey, thanks for your service, BTW. Be proud.
 
There are a lot of small shop luthiers that offer instruments in the price range you quote.

Look at these before you buy:

MacIlroy
Huss & Dalton
Lowden
Collings
Brooks
Fylde
There are plenty of others

And my personal favorite, Northwood, John Mcquarry Builds 'em himself in a one man shop. I have a mini-jumbo he made. If I had a Taylor, My MJ would have eaten it by now.

Try some Taylors too, some folks love them. Older Taylors are great guitars.

Don't forget Gibson, sure they're overpriced and the quality control sucks but if you find a good one, Its a great guitar. Your price range can get you an early fifties J-45 or J-50. Those can be AWESOME and will only go up in value.

I wish to thank you for your service to my country. Everybody over here is pulling for you and proud of you regardless of their politics. Please be safe and come home whole. You guys are our heroes.
 
Milnoque said:
I wish to thank you for your service to my country. Everybody over here is pulling for you and proud of you regardless of their politics. Please be safe and come home whole. You guys are our heroes.
Click to expand...
Amen to that. :cool:
 
Workmanship on Taylors is impecible. Anyone who ever tells you otherwise doesn't have a clue what they are talking about. There are some cosmetic things I wish they would spend a little more time on, but they are making a particular product which is aimed at a particular market, and they do a VERY good job of it. (That being said, I would strongly advise against using their ES electronics, which have been very spotty in terms of reliability.)

Additionally, you will never be dissatisfied by the customer service you recive from Taylor. They are one of the few companies (apparently in the world) who still know exactly how important great customer service is, and exactly what it takes to actually deliver great customer service. They are one of my favorite companies to do warranty service for, because we know that when we call them up they will ALWAYS do the right thing, except for those times when they cover things which really shouldn't be covered (which, while not the right thing to do, is in the customers favor). I've seen them cover jobs where the customer severely abused the guitar, where we have told them that we don't believe the repair should be under warranty because it is clearly the customers fault. Their customer service is probably the best in the industry right now, but I have to included that probably because Martin is right up there with them. Taylor and Martin also treat their dealers and warranty centers well, which means those dealers and warranty centers go out of our way to work with you when you buy one of their guitars. We like our relationship with Taylor, and we want it to continue.

Now, the only question is if you like the sound or not. Personally, I don't like them. It's not that they sound bad - the certainly do not - it's that they don't sound very interesting to me. They are too clean sounding, and the bass on their guitars is (to my ear) anemic and sterile. Martin's are much better in that regard, at least to my ear. My dad's acoustic guitars are better than any of them, but then I'm a bit biased! (I just wish my acoustics were that good - I probably wouldn't be spending so much of my time making electrics.)

All that being said, do make sure you try everything you can get your hands on, and make sure you get to a great guitar shop (i.e., NOT Guitar Center). You want to find a place with a knowledgeable but low stress sales staff, a large selection of different brands (including Martin, Taylor, Santa Cruz, etc. and as many small shop builders as possible), and a comfortable environment to try the guitars. If you think you might want to spluge a bit, try to make it to the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. It's a lot of fun - at least if you like music!


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Oh, and you might want to contact some of the big manufacturers directly - some of them have extremely good deals which they extend to veterans which I'm not actually at liberty (even under a made up name) to talk about, but which they will be happy to talk to you about. It's something they don't do for advertising, but out of real gratitude.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Heya, Sean. My cousin just got back from two tours in Iraq. You guys are the best. Thanks for all you do, man. Listen, about the Taylors, I don't own one, but I'd suggest picking up one of the 3-4 compilation CDs put out by Taylor and Windham Hill--"Sounds of Wood & Steel" (1,2,3, etc.).

In short, Taylor contacted pro guitarists playing different Taylor models and asked these folks to each record a song, using their Taylors, for a CD. Some tunes sound better than others, but there are some real knock-out recordings there, many of them solo or small-group so the guitars ring clearly. What's nice is that the CD notes often explain which Taylor and mic models each player used, so you can get a pretty good idea of how the models compare. Nothing's better than playing a guitar yourself, of course, but some of these CDs may help in some way, especially if you're far from home.

Stay safe,
J.
 
Hey Azraelswings,

Where do you call home and where are you stationed? I bet you can get some reccommendations for good guitar shops nearby.

What guitars have tripped your trigger in the past, and what kind of music do you play?
 
I'd follow Light's advice and break the chain of command and go from the top down back contacting manufacturers directly.

I'll add from personal experience coming back from Viet Nam that you should take your time and play 'em.....there's an impulse to buy right away.
 
If you're looking in the $3K range, please check out a Santa Cruz OM/PW (or D/PW if you want a dread); it will KILL anything Taylor puts out (IMNSHO) I sold my Taylor 710 to buy an OM/PW and haven't look back. As Light says, Taylors are finely built guitars, but the sound is just too sterile without alot of character. I do still own a 1997 512 that is sweet as could be (and plays like butter), but it is a "specialty" guitar with its small body and engelmann top.

The OM/PW is alot more versatile.

Good luck and be safe!

PS - A good friend of mine at work was looking at high end Taylors, but me and the guy at Acoustic Roots in Philly convinced him to look at the smaller builders. He bought a Collings OM2H (a bit more than $3K though) and couldn't have been happier!
 
Thanks for your service, it's appreciated mostly by those who have been to other places and know first hand how valuable freedom is. Keep up the good work and share my sentiments with your fellow soldiers. As far as the guitar choice goes, buy what sounds good and plays good for you. If it's a Taylor, Fender, Ibanez, Ovation, or whatever...just so it's what you like. Every one has a biased opinion. I agree with those who suggest you try it before you buy it. Patience may be rewarded too. The other day I bought an Ovation on clearance for half price. Not the top model, but it plays and sounds good to me and I saved $600 bucks too. It is doubtful that you will get a top of the line Taylor or Martin for half price on clearance, but you may be able to get something off. I agree with the suggestion that you pursue getting a "service" discount through the manufacturer also. Good luck, and thanks again.
 
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