Opinions On Taylor Guitars

[walking man]

Just wondering if anyone has played a Taylor guitar lately.  I would love to hear opinions about the build quality and tone.  Any other comments you would like to share?

[ducktrapper]

My old Taylor statement: Not Bad for Girlie Guitars!
My new Taylor statement: Everything Sucks About Taylor, Except the Guitars!

;)  

[All4Him]

Earlier this year I was looking for a replacement guitar for my cracked, retiring Guild.  One of the guitars I looked into and actually bought was the 814ce.  At the time I have not played a Larrivee and was comparing the taylor to a Martin Custom 16.  To me, the sound of the Taylor was way too thin for my taste and lacked richness in tone that I've heard on some Martin and SCGC guitars.  While build wise the Taylor was a fine instrument, it lacked a lot of appointments compared to other brands in the similar price range.  Oh and the electronics on that particular guitar had some issues which did not help to win me over.  Eventually I returned it and now I have a Larrivee C-10.  I do not regret that choice one bit, as sound and look wise it's the best choice I made IMO.

I do think Taylor make fine instruments that appeals to some, just not me.  If possible you should go down to a store with friends and have them playing while you listen, don't forget to test the electronics as well if so equipped.  And most importantly, play a Larrivee!

[walking man]

All4Him,

I do play a Larrivee!  I've played about 60 or 80 Taylors, most of them when I was shopping for my Larrivee.  I really liked a half a dozen out of all the ones I played and they were older guitars.  That's the unbiased fact from my journey.  Wouldn't buy a guitar with electronics anyhow, that goes for Larrivee too.

Ducktrapper,

So what you're saying is you're not a big fan of Taylor?

[Ratishna]

If you want opinions on Taylor guitars, try www.acousticguitarforum.com

If you want less biased opinions, try www.harmony-central.com.

If you want *unbiased* opinions, play a lot of guitars and form your own.

E. Shoaf

[bing4sons]

I thought you may have been joking with this topic, given the string of Taylor bashing.

I have a '97 814ce and it is a great guitar.  The LV-05 makes a great tag team with the 814ce.  The 814ce is nice and warm, great clarity, and not at all tinny (as I've seen some folks describe Taylors).

[C-10thunder]

I just purchased a 614 CE from Buffalo Bros.I have previously owned a 410 CE and I said I would never own another Taylor guitar because they don't have "the sound".Well,that was then and this is now.
After searching for the longest time I came to this conclusion: I needed an acoustic/electric that has the most comfortable neck for my sometimes arthritic hands.
Does it sound like my Martin HD-28? Get real,never will either.Does it sound like my Larrivee C-10? Not a chance.
I bought it for one reason...because it fit my hands and it came with the electronic package I liked.
In other words,it's what I need at this stage of my life.
Ron

[HangFire]

If you want opinions on Taylor guitars, try www.acousticguitarforum.com

If you want less biased opinions, try www.harmony-central.com.

If you want *unbiased* opinions, play a lot of guitars and form your own.

E. Shoaf

ditto...

[Frederickmando]

Wow, the guy just asked an honest question...
I agree with the comments about the 600 series Taylor. I have tried those guitars and I think they sound great. I tend to prefer the sound of most Larrivees, Martins or Guilds over the Taylors. But, it's all a matter of taste. I do like the action on most Taylors while the neck doesn't fit my hand as well as the other guitars I mentioned.
Great question for this group because you have some great knowledge on this forum. It always amazes me--it's a good place to be.
Fred

[harlon]

My opinion, Walking Man, is that Taylors are great guitars. I have a 610 that impresses anyone who plays or hears it. Great tone and intonation, and the action and playability are literally as good as my electrics. I've had several dealings with Taylor's customer service and have always been happy. Now - I just purchased a new OMV (can't wait for it to get here!). I was in the market for a second acoustic and really liked the feel and tone of the 05 series I tried. It's a perfect compliment to my 610. It's a different beast than the Taylor, no doubt. However - while searching for a new acoustic it made no sense to me to purchase another Taylor (as I already had one), so my month long search and "test-drives" led me to a Larrivee (over Gibson, Martin, Takamine, etc). However - at the risk of being bashed - if I were shopping for my FIRST acoustic, I'd buy a Taylor. Just my opinion, mind you - that and .25 cents will buy you a cup of coffee!

[flaggerphil]

I like both Taylors and Larrivees...perhaps Taylors a tad more, but not that much.  I think they are very similar in many respects...far different in others.

Taylor build quality is first rate, as is their customer service.  They are a first rate company.  As to tone...some (such as myself) really love the Taylor sound, others do not.  I mostly like the Taylor dreads...especially in mahogany and maple, teamed up with Sitka.  I don't like the tone of their Koa guitars, or their rosewood with Englemann guitars...at least when I play them.  Part of that is the way I play.  Same with their GA bodies...they don't work well with me.

That being said, though, my Taylor PG-LTD (the Pelican guitar) is a GA body with myrtlewood and Sitka, which sounds fantastic.

I also love Larrivee Parlors and mahogany L series guitars.  And if I didn't have so many guitars right now, I'd probably have a D-50.

Anyway, Taylors are great guitars, but you may or may not like their tone.  The best thing to do is play a bunch of them and see.

[johnlg]

I think that the average Larrivee sounds better than the average Taylor.  Taylors sound very bright to me.  Talyors sound to me like a really fine acoustic with an active pickup and the owner has cranked the treble pot.  They sound good but the bottom is lacking.  

My other gripe about Taylor is a reaction to the comments that I hear about their factory set up.  I've heard hundreds of times from hundreds of players that Taylors have great curb appeal because the factory set up is so very terrific.  I don't see that in reality.  I think it's nearly an urban legend.  I play some Taylors that are set up very well in stores.  I play more Larrivees that are set up very well in stores.  I play as many Martins that set up really well in stores but the strings are green and grungy.  The whole concept of amazing Taylor factory set ups is like one's perception becoming one's reality.  You hear it or read it 50 times and you just begin to believe it.

I will admit that it was hard for me to buy a Taylor (and yes I own 1 humble Taylor) because I resent the restrictions that they place on advertising pricing, inventory and information sharing on the internet.  It's hard for me to invest in something that cannot be freely discussed - I have a real bug up my fanny when consumers cannot compare notes.  When I read Ducktrappers comments, my knee jerk reaction was a big smile of approval.  I've taken a deep breath and thought about this more.  My patient and collected reaction to Ducktrapper's comments remains a big smile of approval.

If any one you fear taking your Larry-Parlor on a plane or to a camp site or you fear putting it in a hot or cold car trunk, find a nice used Big Baby Taylor as I did.  They sound nice, they play well, the travel bag is top notch and you don't have to feel bad leaning the guitar against a tree while it sits in a mud puddle.  I paid $290 USD for mine (used).  Man that felt good to say!  I do like it a lot for travel.

Best Regards,
John

[Frederickmando]

FlaggerPhil, I hope you follow your nose, as they say, or your fingers to the right decision. John makes some interesting comments about set-up. I talk to some shops that say they just take the guitars right out of the box most of the time and then I hear some claim that each one needs to be tweaked in some degree. Maybe some of you who work with new stock in shops can chime in on this, but I wonder what company has the best set-up out of the box? I know a small dealer who says he does fret work and set-up on everything he gets in, but he is selling low-to-mid level guitars--none of the brands we have covered here. Now, for me, I always find Taylors to be set-up pretty well in the stores I visit. But, I am not a fingerstyle player and I tend to find I like a lower action since my fingers are still in the whimp-mode.
Interesting topic,
Fred

[jwieties]

I once took home a Taylor 414 that I really liked the tone of.  Once I got it home, turned out it was tuned down a 1/2 step (I guess I should have been able to hear this in the store, but did not).  I took the guitar back (actually for another reason) and later heard the same thing had happened to several people on the TGF.  I have since noticed that many places seem to tune their Taylors down.  My guess is that this could make them more playable as well as sound more rich.  
-josh

p.s. - I did recently own a 410r that was fantastic. Generally do not like dreds that much but all aspects of this guitar were great.  However, the best thing about the 410... was that I traded it for my L-09. ;)

[Frederickmando]

Josh, you are dead on. I just heard this over the weekend and thought it was folklore. Funny thing is that this was a Taylor my friend was telling me about as well!
I once played a Gibson that sounded like it was on steroids. I can't tune a guitar by ear, so I was pretty screwed until I asked a salesman for a tuner. All he said was "some funky guy" was trying out that guitar and used an "alternate tuning!" Alternate? I think it was tuned in the Metric system or fractions--both of which I totally suck at! :lol:  

[TaylorFishin']

I once took home a Taylor 414 that I really liked the tone of.  Once I got it home, turned out it was tuned down a 1/2 step (I guess I should have been able to hear this in the store, but did not).  I took the guitar back (actually for another reason) and later heard the same thing had happened to several people on the TGF.  I have since noticed that many places seem to tune their Taylors down.  My guess is that this could make them more playable as well as sound more rich. 
-josh

jwieties,

The old "tune down" trick has been around as long as there have been guitar shops. It is totally the actions of the shop and not the builders.

All,

Until the last couple of years, no one could have convinced me a better guitar existed than Taylor. The fact of the matter was, I had not played very many different brands of acoustic guitars. In my area of the world you have Three choices - Martin, Gibson and Taylor. Given only those Three choices, I chose Taylor, not because of tone, but ease of play.

Thank God (or was it Al Gore) for the internet! I learned of so many other makers in such a short time. All of my Taylors, except one, have been sold with absolutely NO plans to replace them. They have been replaced with Breedloves, Santa Cruz, Larrivee and many others on the wish list. Goodall is next on the list. I'm not a brand loyalist and like a little variety!

Taylors are what they are. They are nice guitars, with build quality as good as any Mass produced guitars and a tone of their own.
You like the tone or you don't. They made over 74,000 guitars last year, evidently many people love their tone. I just happen to like the tone of many others better.

Scott

[Geek]

LOL........ducktrapper :lol:  

[rockstar_not]

I know for a fact that when I bought my L-03 back in 2000, the official Larrivee website had a FAQ about guitar luthiery (sp?).  It was written by Matthew Larrivee, if I recall correctly.

Well, in that website, Matthew suggested that if you lived in California, you should visit the Taylor factory, as they made fine quality guitars, etc. or something to that effect.

I believe that I've also read that Misters Larrivee and Taylor actually share manufacturing process tricks, to help each other try to beat Martin and others.

Many people have snapped pictures of these two guys shaking hands, arms around each other's shoulders at trade shows and the like.

Taylor guitars (not the absolute lowest models) always feel real nice (especially the grand concert models) in my hands.  I'd be proud to have one.

If there was a shop where I could have tried out both my Larrivee and an equivalently priced Taylor at the time, I can't honestly say which I would have purchased.

But as fate would have it, I have the Larrivee, and I don't regret the decision one bit.  Being on a one-axe kind of budget, I'm sure I would be saying the same thing had I bought a Taylor.  Some things have happened since I bought my Larrivee that help me to love the company even more, but I have a friend at work who has very similar stories to tell about his experience with Taylor.

I see some of the dudes on this forum with the long list of several models of each brand and sure I would love to have several of each, and a nice big Guild Jumbo (So I could try to get that Billy McLaughlin mojo) to boot.  But hey, there are six mouths to feed in this house and buying lots of guitars doesn't put the protein in the stomachs!!!

If you end up with a Taylor, you have nothing to be ashamed of.  I would just steer shy of the very lowest models.  The back side of the necks just don't feel finished off - like they used a porous wood for the neck and forgot to fill the holes.

-Scott

[gaz]

If you want opinions on Taylor guitars, try www.acousticguitarforum.com

If you want less biased opinions, try www.harmony-central.com.

If you want *unbiased* opinions, play a lot of guitars and form your own.

E. Shoaf

and over here you ask about taylors, they give you larrivee  :)

both are great guitars... but i my eyes, i would say that taylors some how has got more eye appeal... they just look a tad more beautiful that larrivees.. tonewise, it all comes down to what you want... i love both guitars' tonal offering...

the main reason that should steer you away from taylors is what they are charging.. seem to get higher everytime you look at them, okok, on an annual basis...

[flaggerphil]

I know for a fact that when I bought my L-03 back in 2000, the official Larrivee website had a FAQ about guitar luthiery (sp?).  It was written by Matthew Larrivee, if I recall correctly.

Well, in that website, Matthew suggested that if you lived in California, you should visit the Taylor factory, as they made fine quality guitars, etc. or something to that effect.

I believe that I've also read that Misters Larrivee and Taylor actually share manufacturing process tricks, to help each other try to beat Martin and others.

Many people have snapped pictures of these two guys shaking hands, arms around each other's shoulders at trade shows and the like.

Taylor guitars (not the absolute lowest models) always feel real nice (especially the grand concert models) in my hands.  I'd be proud to have one.

If there was a shop where I could have tried out both my Larrivee and an equivalently priced Taylor at the time, I can't honestly say which I would have purchased.

But as fate would have it, I have the Larrivee, and I don't regret the decision one bit.  Being on a one-axe kind of budget, I'm sure I would be saying the same thing had I bought a Taylor.  Some things have happened since I bought my Larrivee that help me to love the company even more, but I have a friend at work who has very similar stories to tell about his experience with Taylor.

I see some of the dudes on this forum with the long list of several models of each brand and sure I would love to have several of each, and a nice big Guild Jumbo (So I could try to get that Billy McLaughlin mojo) to boot.  But hey, there are six mouths to feed in this house and buying lots of guitars doesn't put the protein in the stomachs!!!

If you end up with a Taylor, you have nothing to be ashamed of.  I would just steer shy of the very lowest models.  The back side of the necks just don't feel finished off - like they used a porous wood for the neck and forgot to fill the holes.

-Scott

I do know that the Larrivees and Bob Taylor get along very well...they are contemporaries in the guitar building business and use some of the same methods.  Other methods they use are far different.

I found Taylors first, but to me the two brands are equal in build quality and playability.  Tone is different, but that's the way it's supposed to be.  And I love when I call for customer service...I'm always treated by both companies as if they know me.  I've even talked to both Bob Taylor and Mathew Larrivee...to me that means a lot.  

Next is touring the Larrivee factory in California...I really want to do that.  I've toured Taylor, Martin and Huss & Dalton.