any Taylor owners here?

[ST]

I have had several Taylors. They were all terrific guitars. When I went through the great guitar purge of 2015, they were the first to go. It's not that I valued them less, or that it was easier to let them go. They were the most marketable.

[jpmist]

I've enjoyed several GC sized Taylors but they all got kicked out of the nest 4 or 5 years ago when 12 frets changed my ear for how I like a guitar to sound.

I did manage to get Gased by my recent Taylor 322 which is a grand concert sized 12 fret short scale with a cutaway. A set of specs that are bafflingly hard to find. The guitar is ridiculously easy to play- literally the first time I picked up one it was as if I'd been playing it for years. Set up is probably the strongest point to me of Taylors as I'd cut my teeth on their neck profile and string spacing since my first one over 20 years ago.

I had to abandon my favorite Elixar Phos-Bronze strings and go with the same Earnie Ball Alum Bronze that I now have on my OOV hogtop. The blackwood top, hog body and shorter scale needed brightening up.

It's a damn handsome looking guitar also, another one of Taylor's strengths with a sunburst satin finish that I like much better than Larrivee's as it's slightly glossier. I'll likely hang onto it until the day comes when I come across an Larrivee OOV short scale, but not holding my breath.

[rockstar_not]

Did you know Mr. Larrivee and Mr. Taylor are friends?

I had the good fortune of a tour of the Oxnard facility on a Saturday by none other than Jean himself. While he was showing off the CNC machine that they were using at the time to cut necks, Jean said something like "Bob Taylor showed me how to set this up."

[ShellTones]

I've owned four Larrivees and two Taylors.  I currently own a 324 (GA) Hog over Blackwood.  It's a terrific instrument.

[Mikeymac]

I check out Taylors whenever I'm in a shop that has them (which is often, because most shops do, unlike Larrivee...  ), and they are always beautiful, well made, well set up guitars.  I've never been a big fan of the tone, although I know Andy Powers has been modifying that in recent years.

I will say either the Baby Taylor or GS Mini (I don't know which is which - it has an arched back - it's the larger of the two) sounds surprisingly good for its size; better than the Larrivee parlors I've played... one shop I was in had a lefty and I was slightly tempted by it as a travel guitar option...

...there's a shop near me that also has a lefty Taylor dread w/cutaway that sounds quite good - I've resisted so far because I do NOT need another dread, and I'm not crazy about dreads with cutaways (they just look wrong). But it does play wonderfully ... unfortunately, if I could get them down a couple hundred more $$, I'd probably give in to the dark side...

[eded]

I will say either the Baby Taylor or GS Mini (I don't know which is which - it has an arched back - it's the larger of the two) sounds surprisingly good for its size; better than the Larrivee parlors I've played... one shop I was in had a lefty and I was slightly tempted by it as a travel guitar option...

I'll preface this with a comment that I am a Taylor fan.  If they made an all solid wood 24" scale small body guitar, I'd own one. 

I have had 2 Baby Taylors. I got the second thinking the first must have been a fluke. They are the most environmentally sensitive Guitars I have *ever* played.  Temperature and humidity just threw them way off.   Blech...  The Mini's, they always feel like toys. 

Like I say, in general I like Taylor's.  Great materials, great workmanship, great tone.  But their lesser models were just that...  lesser models.

Ed

[ShellTones]

...I will say either the Baby Taylor or GS Mini (I don't know which is which - it has an arched back - it's the larger of the two) sounds surprisingly good for its size; better than the Larrivee parlors I've played... one shop I was in had a lefty and I was slightly tempted by it as a travel guitar option...

Both the Big Baby and the GS Mini are great guitars although very different (shape, scale, #frets), so if you played either of these, I understand why you liked it.  The BBT has a slightly arched back (I've played lots of them).  Can't remember if the GS Mini does.  The smaller 3/4 size Baby Taylor cannot compete with either of these guitars.

[AZLiberty]

I traded my Baby Taylor for a Mexican Strat and thought I got the way better end of the deal.   

[psp]

I did a tour of Taylor guitars and am now back with Larrivee. I did like my Taylor 814ce the best of the them, but sold it as with the GS8 . I still have a GS mini Hog w/ LR baggs ANTHEM SL installed. Removed the pick guard an it looks great. But love my Larrivee L04 very much

Heres a pic of the GS8 I owned with pick guard removed - nice guitar:
https://i.imgur.com/uKyIcXW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/U9MF04X.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ParNxFT.jpg

[eded]

I traded my Baby Taylor for a Mexican Strat and thought I got the way better end of the deal.   

If you can't say anything nice...

I have nothing to say on the subject.

Ed

[AZLiberty]

If you can't say anything nice...

I have nothing to say on the subject.

Ed

The wonderful thing about free exchange.  I thought I got the better end of the deal, so did the other guy. 

[eded]

The wonderful thing about free exchange.  I thought I got the better end of the deal, so did the other guy. 

I have no doubt you did!

Try though I might, I can't find much of anything good to say about those Baby Taylor's..

Ed

[bobsnuscruz]

I played an old Lemon Grove 555 for years, and loved it.
I've enjoyed a '96 512-M for about 15 years, and have just put it out on consignment.  So easy to play, someone is going to get a great deal.

[prof_stack]

Two years ago, a group of my former HS students (now approaching 60 years of age!) got me a used and in very good shape Taylor 214ce, the Grand Auditorium shape.  It has solid spruce top, "layered" back and sides mahogany, and an arched back.  Made in Mexico.  This darned thing is GREAT sounding, easy to play everywhere on the fretboard (I love the cutaway), and has changed my perception of laminates and Mexican made guitars.  If I had more money, I would consider their 2018 high-end models with the new bracing A pattern. 

[sub rosa]

About a year ago I got a GS Mini given as a gift, mahogany back and sides model.

Not something I would seek out myself; had no real desire for a Taylor but I gotta say it's been a very nice "compact guitar" to take about, with a rather large voice and projection.

Doesn't sound "small."