Taylor Guitars

[federali]

For the guitar pickers among us, you may have noticed on TV shows like "The Voice" or "America Has Talent," that Taylor Guitars seem to be exceedingly popular where the contestant is using an acoustic guitar.

I happened to visit my local Guitar Center where I plucked a bunch of new and used Taylors. I was surprised to discover that for a pricey guitar, the actions seemed unusually high. Based on this experience, if I were to buy an acoustic guitar, I would automatically rule out Taylor. I went online and learned that there are many threads across guitar and music forums whose subject is a high action on a Taylor.

Just thought I'd give my fellow guitar nuts a heads-up.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Interesting. I've always wanted a Taylor grand concert. While it's been several years since I've played one in a store, I don't remember noticing a high action. Then again, I use a fairly high action on my Strat, so that may be why. Or maybe it's a recent development.

 

[gregintenn]

I bought my son a Taylor Big Baby for his birthday last year. That thing sounds as good as any guitar I've ever heard, and has a great action.


I recently picked up one like it at a Guitar Center store, and it sounded like it was made of plastic.


I'm not sure if they buy seconds, or if it's just luck of the draw, but not all acoustic guitars are created equal.


I've also played Martins the big box stores that didn't sound as good as the $200 Yamahas next to them.


Don't judge an entire brand by one guitar, and as I'm sure you know, you usually need to set up a new guitar to your personal taste anyway. I'd rather start with an action that was too high than one that was too low.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

A lot of acoustic guitars ship with a high action. I did a tune up on both of my Martin acoustics, a D-28HD, and a D-18GE. I would never turn down a deal on a nice acoustic guitar just because the action was high.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Narragansett]

I have played Taylors. Not a lot, but to me the just seem very bright. I prefer the Martin or Gibson, but have neither at the moment. However, being a RI boy, I do play a RI made Guild F65CE that the action and neck are nothing short of fantastic. Great tone too. Everything else is electric. What I really would like to have is a nice arch top, but that is like the equivalent of 4 M27's.

Everything needs to be kept in perspective

 

[jag312]

I believe there is a Bob Taylor and a Bruce Taylor. Bruce Taylor in Connecticut makes a copy of a Stanley Francis 12-string. I would like to own one of the Bruce Taylor 12-strings.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I would like to have a arc top also, but I am happy with my Martins.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[biku324]

I pay no attention to models, but bought an acoustic Taylor for my traveling/contracting guitar companion. It's not my Martin D35, but the action is good and sound good enough for my ability. If you keep good quality light gauge strings on it, it sounds good always. I play bluegrass and some old folk music.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

I bought my son a Taylor Big Baby for his birthday last year. That thing sounds as good as any guitar I've ever heard, and has a great action.


I recently picked up one like it at a Guitar Center store, and it sounded like it was made of plastic.


I'm not sure if they buy seconds, or if it's just luck of the draw, but not all acoustic guitars are created equal.


I've also played Martins the big box stores that didn't sound as good as the $200 Yamahas next to them.


Don't judge an entire brand by one guitar, and as I'm sure you know, you usually need to set up a new guitar to your personal taste anyway. I'd rather start with an action that was too high than one that was too low.

AGREED!
I've seen high dollar guitars that were handmade that didn't have as good a tone or feel as a $200. I've also found some of these high priced instruments that had tone and power and sounded like angels singing.

That is why when buying an acoustic guitar, it is always best to try out several before purchasing.

 

[shouldazagged]

I'm sure Rustyt1953 will be along shortly.

 

[Squarebutt]

Taylor may have product placement deal with the TV show. Sometimes the performers play a different brand when rehearsing, and then appear on stage with a shiny new Taylor.
I play an all-mahogany Martin 00018-S when the arthritis permits. I'd love to find a Westerly-built Guild Dreadnought from the early days, but they're getting scarce and pricey.

 

[biku324]

Our family entry-level guitar was a Martin 0018 from 1943. The action was high, and someone butchered it by cutting string grooves in the ivory bridge to lower it a little. My late daughter had it until 10 years ago or so when it was stolen in a burglary.

Dad paid $20 for it at a yard sale in 1961.

 

[gregintenn]

Taylor may have product placement deal with the TV show. Sometimes the performers play a different brand when rehearsing, and then appear on stage with a shiny new Taylor.
I play an all-mahogany Martin 00018-S when the arthritis permits. I'd love to find a Westerly-built Guild Dreadnought from the early days, but they're getting scarce and pricey.

^^^This!

Years back, everybody you saw was playing a Takemine.

 

[Imissedagain]

Action is something a guitar smith can set up for you.
Slide vs fretting
How hard you pick.
Same with fiddles.
Been doing it since I was 12 in ‘59.
Flat belly and proper neck angle should be checked.
My new/old Sho Bud Professional just landed in town and the morning couldn’t come soon enough.

Real ebony boards are nice as well.
Inside of a ‘33 Martin C1.... some lousy repair work in years past so lining the inside with linen/wood glue as I rip out the junk.
Top is minty and got the sides... where most of the damage is ....stabilized for a sound check.
Installed solid truss rods and Gaboon Ebony board before I began work on the box.

Whatever you buy... don’t let it sit in a corner... play it as you’ll get better.

 

[kozmic]

I have a Limited Addition (Fall 02) Taylor 814CE made with cocobolo back and sides. It has terrific action and plays like a dream. I usually string it with 12s. I've played a bunch of friends' Taylors and tons at guitar stores. I've never seen one with an action that couldn't readily be tweaked if it was needed at all. I believe for the most part, Taylor make a fine acoustic.
That said, I much prefer Montana Gibsons to any other current production guitars. No hate towards the higher end Martins, Guilds, Larivees, Breedloves, etc. just my quirkiness. I have a Gibson Dove, a prototype 12 string and my son, a gorgeous J200. They will always be in our family.
My gripe is that they have all become rudely expensive while both materials and quality (in some cases) have been compromised.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug are brilliant, innovative guitar builders and really good people. The company has some of the best QC and CS I have ever encountered.

Some of the old guard purists scoffed at their headstock joint to negate the need for volutes..



and their equally clever bolt on neck..



..but soon changed their tunes (sorry).

One of the most eye/ear opening experiences I had was in 1995 at the Anaheim NAMM show when I got to play their "Pallet" guitar. They wanted to showcase their luthier skills while downplaying the need for exotic tone woods. It was built of scrapped oak shipping pallets with aluminum plugs to fill in the nail holes. The forklift inlay (designed by Larry Breedlove) was Formica and pearl. It was an indescribably great playing and sounding work of art.





Those two men certainly shook up the acoustic guitar world and made all the other manufacturers take notice.

PS: Guitar Center and Sam Ash are notorious for not setting up display guitars and on any new out of the box Taylor it takes all of 5 minutes to set the action to how one wants it.

 

[bill2000]

Molly Tuttle seems to get the best out of this Taylor.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHaLu8ibxZg[/ame]

 

[Mule Packer]

As many have said before, it depends on the guitar. I've only played a couple of Taylors and both sounded good and the action on both was not excessively high.

You have to remember, if your used to an electric guitar's action, the action on an acoustic will usually seem a little higher.

I have found, as others have stated, that the more you play an instrument, especially a well-made instrument, the better it sounds. I think it has something to do with the vibrations against the tone wood. Rusty can enlighten us on that.

Whatever the case, I have found that my old guitars seem to sound better the more I play them over the years. Of course, that may just be my imagination. Here are my two old Martins. Not real flashy, but they both sound great!

I do know this, however. In regards to one of my mandolins, I hadn't played it for quite a while. It's a sweet sounding 1920 Gibson F-4 (the one on the left in the pic below). Well, one day, I took it out of its case and started playing it. Dang! It sounded dead! However, when I started playing it regularly again, it opened back up to its great sound. I had heard of instruments "going to sleep," so to speak, but had never experienced it until then. A fluke? I dunno, but that's what happened.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Of all the woods available to use in making stringed instruments the one that truly changes with age is spruce. As the top dries and stiffens it becomes more responsive and less brittle sounding. I played a '59 Korina "V" next to a reissue at the Gibson factory and, under oath, could not tell much difference tonally, feel? Yes, but sound wise, no.

There is no secret alchemy involved in making any stringed instrument play better. Give me a $200 off-shore guitar, a bone saddle/nut blank, a fist full of tools, a few hours and I can turn it into a fire breather that, blindfolded, you couldn't tell much difference from a high dollar "name".

It ain't the gear. A pool shark can beat you with a mop handle.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Not sure how relevant this is, but my Strat's been customized, including a compound radius fretboard and bass frets. I use fairly heavy strings, typically .11-.54, with a high action. I've had a couple of guitarists, both more experienced and better skilled than me, try my guitar and say they loved how it felt and played.

Maybe action height isn't the only factor in a guitar's playability?