I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

[Surgeon]

So, I'm going to buy a high-end acoustic soon. I must have tried every taylor on the wall and this baby was the one who spoke to me:

Grand Auditorium, spruce top, ovankol back and sides. Really really sweet sounding, the ovankol balances the tone so nicely it's not even funny... I just kept coming back at it between every guitar, I just kept drooling and smiling like an idiot... I'll have to order one since I don't want the cutaway version nor the expression system and I'm wondering if I should get the Jumbo version... I always liked the tone of jumbos but they didn't have any in stock so I couldn't try one... Any idea what kind of change in tone I should expect between a grand auditorium and a jumbo?
Here are the dimensions of the two guitars:
Jumbo: W-17'' x D-4 5/8'' X L-21''
GA: W-16'' X D-4 5/8'' X L-20''

Thanks

 

[Mincer]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

for buying a high end factory acoustic try out breedloves too..i always liked em better than taylors. Depending on how much $ you want to spend, check out private builders too. you will get a guitar made just for you.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

Thanks for the reply... There are no breedlove dealers in my area (or maybe I just don't know about them)... Same thing about private builders, pretty rare specie if you ask me... I was able to get a good deal from the guy too (I'm a good customer there)... Thanks for the input tho, I appreciate it... I'll keep an eye open for these options,

Thanks

 

[Curly]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

FWIW, I think that the grand auditorium is Taylor's best selling model .. you might check that, though ... it seems to have the right combination of comfortable size and balanced tone

the model I always look at is the 714

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

IMO there are some subtle differences between the models, but I played a ton of Taylors, and I couldn't justify the additional price for the higher models vs the 314. Any Taylor that you pick will be an outstanding instrument. I've wanted an acoustic for years, but really never found one that I could afford and like the sound of at the same time. I also had never found an acoustic that made me want to drop $1500 dollars either.

Taylor changed all of that for me.

 

[34029324079]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

taylor is the best of the best, no doubt.

but I would check out ovation elites, they play like electrics, and give you more bang for the buck. Save yourself the dilemma if you like, get the ovation elite and a backup acoustic for shows.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

i think that size is perfect. it is a lot like the martin i bought last week. it is very comfortable and it is loud enough. order it.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

My Taylor is a 814C. Looks like the one in your picture but mine has more inlay on the fingerboard and mine has Indian Rosewood back and sides. I traded a super fine Lowden and some cash for my Taylor. It's one of the best playing, best sounding acoustic guitars I've ever played, let alone been lucky enough to own.

My wife has been playing my Taylor lately. She has a really nice Martin D-18 she's owned since 1969, but she likes my Taylor more. She's performing this Sunday and using my Taylor.

I use a Jim Kaufman Sunrise pickup and Sunrise preamp with mine. Same pickup Richard Thompson and Lyle Lovett use. Sounds better to me than any other pickup I've owned. Lyle Lovitt said he thought the Sunrise had a more acoustic tone than any other pickup he'd tried and I 100% agree.

One thing I look for in an acoustic is how the low E sounds. As often as not I can't hear the actual fundamental stongly enough in most guitars. I play alot in open tunings where the E is detuned to a D or sometimes a C and most acoustic guitars can't really produce that low E note solidly and authoritively enough...let alone a D or C. So that's one thing I look for in an acoustic.

But the biggest thing is just the vibe and how the guitar inspires me to write a song or just play and play. My Taylor hit me like that from the moment I picked it up. I tried it out at H.B. Woodsongs here in Boulder, asked the salesman to hold it for me, came back the next day with my Lowden and some cash and took home the Taylor. I don't miss the Lowden at all...even though it was good one!

My advice? Try as many guitars as you can get your hands on. When you find "the one", ask the salesman to hold it for you and then return the next day. If it blows you away just like before: buy it. Even if it's a little more than you wanted to spend.

People spend $20,000, 30,000, 40,000 or more on a car or suv that'll end up in the landfill in 20 years or so. 20 years from now, I'll still be playing and loving my Taylor.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

Thanks for the input everyone, I really appreciate that, really. I went out a lot lately, tried all I could around here, martins, larrivées, etc... and of course all the taylors on the wall yesterday... I dunno what about this one (probably the wood combination) but that 414 just did it for me... so balanced and it fitted with my voice just wonderfully... I don't have the kind of money to buy a 6 or 7 series from taylor but I tried them and frankly, while they were great playing/sounding/looking instruments, the tone of the 414 is just "mine"... So the real question remains: Jumbo or Grand Auditorium... If I get the GA I'll be ordering a non-cutaway version and from what I've read I should expect a 15-20% increase in the lows and volume. I'm wondering how the overall tone would change from a GA to a Jumbo... I'll have to discuss that with the salesman I guess, he's a really frank and nice guy (I've been a really good customer there) so I wouldn't doubt his honesty reagarding that kind of input...

Thanks again for your help guys, keep the replys coming in... every little bit helps...

*edit* Lew- Once I get it we'll have to discuss pick-ups....

 

[mrfjones]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

in my experience with acoustic and that is limited, the jumbo added volume, highs and lows. I have only played taylor and Gibson jumbos but both added the lows and highs making it a little unbalanced to my ears. I really like the balanced tones that the Grand auditorium shape gives a player and the volume is not overpowering but definately enough.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

Lew's advice is good...when it comes to acoustics they can vary so much that you just have to go with the one that moves you. Just make sure that the strings on the ones you try are relatively new so that you don't miss out on a great guitar that sounds muffled because the strings were installed during the Nixon administration.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

Mrf: that's exactly the kind of info I needed, thanks, I'll definitely need to put some thought into this...

Falstaff: Thanks also, I did make sure that the strings were recent tho but that is good advice...

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

I've now tried a couple of different strings on my Taylor, and the best IMO are the Elixers. The Nanowebs are slightly brighter and shimmer a little more, and the Polywebs are a little smoother and richer. With my 314, and for the way I want an acoustic sound, the Polywebs are my choice. They are a little more expensive, but they do last, and Taylor recommends them, and the are OEM.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

Yes, I've been using Elixirs polyweb 12 on my present acoustic for a couple years... They do last a lot longer and add so much to the tone IMO... The nanoweb were too bright for me but that might be only with the guitar I presently have. Definitely worth the extra cash for me... thanks Jeff!

 

[mrfjones]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

i am using elixers polyweb also. very good strings and well worth the extra cash

 

[jmv]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

FWIW.... i wouldn't wanna order a guitar worth that much. Play it in person, and find the perfect one, they all sound different, i bet you'll be happier that way. I would anyway.

I dunno why, but i've always been a martin man. Taylors are wonderful guitars, and they seem to be less hit-or miss than some of the martins these days, but i just have a thing for them. Much fuller sound, IMO.

 

[strat_master]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

I have never played a taylor but ive herad nothing but good comments on them. IM sure you wil be happy with it. Also, for acoustic strings i use D'adarrio string extra lgiht, they seem to do ti for me and they are relatively cheap. The highest end acostic ive tried is a gibson J-45. I was completely blown away by it. Even my mom who was with me said she liked the sound of it, and mind you the mother hates my guitar playing! ...haha stop that racket its tooo loud! But as Everyone here has said, if the acoustic inspires you to play mroe then go for it. Like lew said too, 20 years down the line im sure you will still be playing that guitar if thats what you want.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

Thanks again for the comments guys!

JMV: I'd like to play it in person but I really want one without the cutaway but they do not have it in stock.... In fact that store only keeps cutaways in stock (most people want cutaway acoustics I guess) So I'm a little trapped here. I also do see a problem with not trying it first, that'll be something I'll discuss with the guy before ordering.

Thanks

 

[mrfjones]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

a good store and good taylor dealer should be able to just bring one in for you. If it is not to your liking then they can han it on the wall with the others. they will find out that more than one person will be interested in it, if they only have the cutaways in stock.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: I just went out to try some Taylors again... Help me a little if you can...

a good store and good taylor dealer should be able to just bring one in for you. If it is not to your liking then they can han it on the wall with the others. they will find out that more than one person will be interested in it, if they only have the cutaways in stock.

Good point...