Opinions On Taylor Guitars

[walking man]

I never thought this thread would go anywhere.  I thought that after I posted my question I would go out and play a few more myself.  Well I played a few dozen in the last few days and have come to a few conclusions about Taylors:

The prices are quite high IMO.  I think the pricing is a bit out of sync when you take all aspects of the guitar into consideration.  Especially comparing to other similar manufacturers.

Fit and finish was not extraordinary for most of the models I played.  On par with factory guitars though.

The so called great playability.  Some "new" guitars had intonation problems but who knows how long they've sat on the wall.  Most had a low action, comfortable to play, sounded nice and bright.  

Suprise.  Taylor 12 string!  The best one I played that day.  Sounded quite nice.

There were stinkers and then there were some that were absolutely great.  I'm going to go to the web site and try to identify 3 particular guitars that I played.  When I was in the stores I was just picking them up one after another until I found one that I wanted to play for a while.  This was not intended to be a review but a fresh general impression after playing the Taylor field for a day.

Conclusion:  The guitars are nice.  I will keep playing them in stores and if I found one that I couldn't be without, I'd probably buy it.  Man, loved that 12 string!  Certainly nothing that "I" will bash.  Thanks for all of the opinions, I share many of the opinions put forth here.  

[Frederickmando]

This is a good thread and I can relate to a lot that has been said. I too have learned a lot about guitars in the last year. I think we have to remember that people come to this part of the forum for advice and our advice can make the difference in whether or not they stick around as a Larrivee Forum regular.
I used to get some pretty harsh answers from another forum when I first started playing guitar and guess what? I don't go there, it's not worth it.
Also, Phil what was the Huss & Dalton tour like? I think these are great guitars. Not a lot of people know about them--myself included until another player pointed me to one--and I really think they build a great guitar.
Thanks for sharing everybody.
--Fred

[sully]

You hit the nail on the head!
I've got a Taylor 355 jumbo 12 string that's a very nice guitar for the money. I love the tone, playability, intonation is good. I like everything about the guitar. Whenever I play out I get the most compliments on that guitar.
BTW, I just saw a 355 LTD that was a beautiful guitar for the money. If I didn't own one already  would have bought it!
For 6 strings I own a Larrivee, Paragon and Martin.
Gibson and Fender for electrics.

[Frederickmando]

Sully, what is your favorite Martin? I think they are a reasonable alternative to a Taylor addiction, which is right up there with a Larrivee addiction.
--Fred

[D4ve]

I love my  Taylor it is a GC maple back and sides I bought it in 96 and will keep it.
I went to get another guitar this year and the 814 ce I looked at was $4000 CND.
Way over priced IMO.
Thats when I took another look at Larrivee I heard some guy playing one in the shop and had a look over the stock.

[sawdustdave]

I owned a Taylor 214, a GC sized sapele back/sides guitar. I thought, at the time I bought it, that it was a pretty nice guitar. Then I traded my Martin SWDGT for my JC-16WE and my opinions of the Taylor changed. The new Martin had a sound I loved, and the 214 couldn't measure up. That, and the fact that I needed to re-tighten the neck bolts when I changed strings caused me some misgivings. Mind you, the 214 is a "low-end" Taylor. And, it was the first one in the store when I bought it.

Comparing it to my LV-03, well, they're different animals. Rosewood vs sapele. Price-wise, they're fairly comparable, but I think the construction of the Larrivee blows the 214 away.

Mind you, this is only based upon my experience with one Taylor guitar, so take it for what it's worth!

Dave

[BlueWing]

I love my Taylor 314 - which, as Taylors go, is pretty low-end.  Its not a pretty guitar with the satin finish, no cutaway, and visable flaws in the wood grain.  But its a great fingerstyle guitar.  I like its bright sound and I think it sounds better all the time.  When I'm performing I use my Larrivee SD-50.  But when I'm just sitting around the house I find I go to the Taylor more often than not.

[mnewton]

My opinions of Taylor Guitars.

I like the limited editions/summer specials/fall limiteds etc, because you can get a nice guitar (say a 314ce Koa with ES and gloss) for a good price.

When it comes to their production brands, I think the 400 series is their best value.

I will not buy another Taylor unless I find a great deal on one that blows me away.  Not because I don't like Taylors (which I do), but because there are many other great guitar makers out there.  (Santa Cruz, Mayes, H&D, Larrivee, etc).

I think that have excelled at marketing.  They know how to sell guitars.  They set up their guitars so that they are easy to play.  They have a lot of cool ads in magazines and send out a lot of catalogs, so needless to say that they sell a lot of guitars.

If this were the perfect world, and everyone knew everything there was to know about buying a guitar, then they wouldn't sell as many, but with their current sales, they look to be staying here for a while.

[bluzdulcimer]

I have had a number of Taylor guitars over the years (510, 714 Brazilian, 514,
612, 714, 810WMB, GAMC, 914).  I prefer the older Taylors (1980s to
mid 1990s).  The older Taylors look better, sound better, and play better to me. To my ear, the best sounding Taylor that I have played is the GAMC.  It is an early version of the 514, but lighter built, so it responds much better.  They only built a few hundred of these, so if you run across a GAMC, be sure to check it out.    

The best new Taylor I have played was a 414 limited edition.

Although I still like Taylors, especially for their playability, I now prefer Larrivees.