Why do we play guitar? We each have our own answer, but it comes down to some sense of well-being we get from vibrating strings and wood. Maybe it’s to relax and relieve tension. To connect with others. To find out who we are. To earn a living. The question may be philosophical, but it’s not a bad place to start as we ponder which type of guitar to play. If there’s a simple piece of advice we can give you, it’s this: Buy the best guitar you can afford. By “best” we mean a guitar that’s easy to play, has proper intonation, and sounds great. We’ve got you covered there. Beyond that, look for one that’s compatible with the kind of sound you’re looking for. In our previous features on shapes and woods, we shared some basic guidelines to help you understand what factors give each Taylor model a unique personality. (See our newly re-designed shapes and woods features at taylorguitars.com.) If you remember that shapes have sounds, that woods have unique tonal flavors, and that you have your own personal way of playing and hearing those shapes and woods, you’ll be primed to find the right guitar — one that will be your faithful muse. As part of our Guitar Guide, we include some “test-driving” tips to help you properly audition a guitar, plus the complete specifications for all models. And if you ever have any questions along the way, feel free to call our newly established Inside Sales and Customer Relations representative, Ben Benavente (1-888-2TAYLOR). Think of him as your Taylor guitar concierge. He’ll answer all your guitar questions and help you locate a particular model at a dealership if you’re on the hunt. Now promise not to slack on that New Year’s resolution to play more guitar this year. From acoustics to electrics, we have a Taylor for every type of player. Our 2009 Guitar Guide leads you on a scenic tour of our product line. Chefs like to eat; guitar makers like to play. We rounded up Bob Taylor and a few of his boys from the product development team for a photo shoot at Bob’s house to celebrate the pleasures of jamming with friends. Everyone was invited to bring one of their favorite Taylors. From left: VP of Marketing Brian Swerdfeger with a GC8 prototype that currently lives in his office; VP of Quality Assurance, Customer Service & Repair David Hosler with a T5C2; Bob’s longtime design partner Larry Breedlove with a GA5; and the man himself, picking on an 810ce. Get these guys together and it usually doesn’t take long to coax a smile — and a song — out of them. Photo by Bil Zelman
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Transcript
Why do we play guitar? We each have our own answer, but it comes down to
some sense of well-being we get from vibrating strings and wood. Maybe it’s to relax
and relieve tension. To connect with others. To find out who we are. To earn a living. The
question may be philosophical, but it’s not a bad place to start as we ponder which type
of guitar to play.
If there’s a simple piece of advice we can give you, it’s this: Buy the best guitar you
can afford. By “best” we mean a guitar that’s easy to play, has proper intonation, and
sounds great. We’ve got you covered there. Beyond that, look for one that’s compatible
with the kind of sound you’re looking for. In our previous features on shapes and woods,
we shared some basic guidelines to help you understand what factors give each Taylor
model a unique personality. (See our newly re-designed shapes and woods features at
taylorguitars.com.) If you remember that shapes have sounds, that woods have unique
tonal flavors, and that you have your own personal way of playing and hearing those
shapes and woods, you’ll be primed to find the right guitar — one that will be your
faithful muse.
As part of our Guitar Guide, we include some “test-driving” tips to help you properly
audition a guitar, plus the complete specifications for all models. And if you ever have
any questions along the way, feel free to call our newly established Inside Sales and
Customer Relations representative, Ben Benavente (1-888-2TAYLOR). Think of him as
your Taylor guitar concierge. He’ll answer all your guitar questions and help you locate
a particular model at a dealership if you’re on the hunt. Now promise not to slack on
that New Year’s resolution to play more guitar this year.
From acoustics to electrics, we have a Taylor
for every type of player. Our 2009 Guitar Guide
leads you on a scenic tour of our product line.
Chefs like to eat; guitar makers like to play. We rounded up Bob Taylor and a few of his
boys from the product development team for a photo shoot at Bob’s house to celebrate
the pleasures of jamming with friends. Everyone was invited to bring one of their favorite
Taylors. From left: VP of Marketing Brian Swerdfeger with a GC8 prototype that currently
lives in his office; VP of Quality Assurance, Customer Service & Repair David Hosler
with a T5C2; Bob’s longtime design partner Larry Breedlove with a GA5; and the man
himself, picking on an 810ce. Get these guys together and it usually doesn’t take long
to coax a smile — and a song — out of them. Photo by Bil Zelman
Back/Sides: Choice of master-grade Madagascar Rosewood, Cocobolo, Walnut, Maple, Macassar Ebony, Hawaiian Koa or Brazilian Rosewood (limited availability)
Top: Choice of premium Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar, Engelmann Spruce, Sinker Redwood (limited availability), Adirondack Spruce, Walnut, Hawaiian Koa
Fretboard Inlay: Green Heart Abalone “Byzantine” (other options available)
Binding: Ivoroid withGreen Heart Abalone
Rosette: Green Heart Abalone
Additional Premium Appointments: Bone nut/saddle, abalone peghead and bridge inlays
Optional Venetian/Florentine cutaway and ES pickup
Opposite page: Classic Single Coil in Trans WhiteAbove (L-R): Standard in Natural, Standard in AgedCherry, Custom Walnut, Custom Koa
What defines true signature artists is that they do the defining.
Our Signature Series evolved out of the personal relationships
that Bob Taylor developed with two of the world’s most expressive
guitarists — Doyle Dykes and Leo Kottke — both of whom discovered
renewed musical inspiration in Taylor guitars. As stylistic trailblazers
with a clear musical vision, each had his own ideas about the type
of Taylor that would help them articulate their signature tone. If only
it were that easy for the rest of us.
The signatUre Ser ieS ddsmDoyle Dykes Signature Model
“The DDSM is the perfect guitar for me as a performing fingerstyle guitarist. The distance between the strings at the bridge is slightly wider; each string has its own voice because of the hexaphonic pickups; the shallower 16-inch body is comfortable to hold and really adds to feedback control. The short-scale neck makes playing much easier and even adds sweetness to the tone. But the number one reason I love the DDSM is that I can walk out on stage with an orchestra or a band or even just by myself and not have to think about anything else but playing the guitar.” — Doyle Dykes
Back/Sides: Big Leaf Maple
Top: Sitka Spruce
Colors: Black, Translucent Black, Natural, Orange, Brown Sugar
Fretboard Inlay: Offset Pearl “Chet”-style Markers
Peghead Inlay: Pearl / Abalone Rose
Binding: Ivoroid with Abalone-edged Top
Rosette: Abalone
Electronics: Expression System or L.R. Baggs DDSM Hex
Scale length: 24 7/8 Inches
Does a cutaway diminish the tonal output of a guitar?
Conventional wisdom
would suggest that it
would, since a cutaway
does remove real estate
from the soundboard and
slightly diminish the overall
air volume in the cavity of
the guitar. But in reality,
the tonal difference is
negligible, because the
soundboard area in the
upper bout where a cutaway
would be located doesn’t
move much anyway. In
fact, the relief rout that we
cut on the underside of
our guitar tops to enhance
movement doesn’t extend
into that region. Tonal
output is affected more by
the degree of tapering in
the “waist” of a guitar body
than by the cutaway.
Does a slotted headstock affect tone?
Yes, the reduced mass
does slightly affect the
tone, but the biggest
difference is the increased
string angle over the nut.
The tighter tension on the
nut makes the notes more
staccato — they pop out a
bit brighter and decay a
bit more quickly, making
the individual notes sound
more distinct.
TAYLO R FAQs
in the late ’80s, a taylor mahogany 555 would lure Leo Kottke back to the 12-string after years of hand problems.
Of course, in classic Leo fashion, he christened it by using a pocket knife to whittle down the braces. When Bob Taylor
later got wind of Leo’s tinkering, he gave him a call, and the two hit it off.
“One of the things that sold me on the idea of working with Bob and trying this 12-string was that Bob is the first
person I’d run into who can talk as long as I can about guitars,” Leo would later say. “I wanted less wood than is common
for a 12-string. I also wanted it built to be tuned down, instead of up to pitch… I think the real virtue of the 12-string is that
it can just explode out of the bottom. So that’s what we aimed for.”
LksmLeo Kottke Signature Model LKSM, LKSM-6
Back/Sides: Tropical Mahogany
Top: Sitka Spruce
Binding: Indian Rosewood
Rosette: 3-Ring
Tuning Pitch: C-sharp
The NT Neck
Straight, stable necks are
the goal of every guitar builder,
but maintaining stability when a
guitar is exposed to changes in
humidity has long been a chal-
lenge. With traditional neck as-
sembly methods, a substantial
change in humidity could cause
a guitar top to swell or shrink,
leading to a hump at the 14th
fret, where the neck comes to-
gether with the body. Intonation
problems would often follow.
With Taylor’s patented NT
neck design, the neck is milled
so that it extends past the 14th
fret (where the heel butts up
against the body), supporting
the fretboard to the last fret.
A computer mill is used to
rout precision pockets in the
guitar body to house the neck
extension. As a result, the neck
fits cleanly into the body, inde-
pendent of the soundboard. To
ensure dead-on accuracy with
the setting of the neck angle,
precisely milled spacers are
placed into the body pockets to
micro-adjust the neck angle’s
accuracy to .001 inch. Such
consistent accuracy delivers
exceptional playability and spot-
on intonation all the way up the
neck. No other guitar neck is as
stable as a Taylor.
TAYLO R I N N OVATI O N
DDSMBlack
LKSM
DDSMBrown Sugar
DDSMOrange
DDSMNatural
46
Models and specifications are subject to change without notice.
GC, GA, Baby, Big Baby, & All 12-string Models: elixir® NANOWeB® Light Gauge (.012-.053) GS, DN & JM: elixir® NANOWeB® Medium Gauge (.013-.056) Nylon Series: D’Addario Pro-Arté® extra hard Tension
overall Length
6-string
12-string
Body Length
Body Width
Body depth
scale Length
standard
short
Frets
neck Width
6-string
12-string
strings / gauge electric
T3, SolidBody: elixir® NANOWeB® electric Light Gauge (.010-.046)T5: elixir® NANOWeB® electric Medium Gauge (.011-.049)T5 12-string: elixir® NANOWeB® electric Light Gauge
*DDSM body
depth is 4 1/8”
PSGA
PSGA-12
K14ce
K24ce
K54ce
K64ce
914ce
814ce
854ce
714ce
614ce
654ce
514ce
414ce
454ce
314ce
354ce
214
214e
214ce
114
114e
114ce
GA-K
GA-K-12
GA8
GA8-12
GA7
GA6
GA6-12
GA5
GA4
GA4-12
GA3
GA3-12
NS74ce
NS64ce
NS34ce
DDSM
PSJM
PSJM-12
K65ce
LKSM
LKSM-6
815ce
855ce
615ce
655ce
455ce
315ce
355ce
BT1
BT2
BBT T3
T3/B
T5-S
T5S-12
T5-S1
T5S1-12
T5-C
T5C-12
T5-C1
T5C1-12
T5-C2
T5C2-12
T5-C3
T5C3-12
T5-C4
T5C4-12
T5-C5
T5C5-12
SB Classic
SB Classic SC
SB Standard
SB Custom Koa
SB Custom Walnut
PSGC
K12ce
K22ce
912ce
812ce
712ce
612ce
512ce
412ce
312ce
GC-K
GC8
GC7
GC6
GC5
GC4
GC3
NS72ce
NS62ce
NS32ce
PSDN
K10ce
K20ce
910ce
810ce
710ce
610ce
510ce
410ce
310ce
210
210e
210ce
110
110e
110ce
DN-K
910 Legacy
DN8
810 Legacy
DN5
DN4
DN3
PSGS
PSGS-12
K16ce
K26ce
K56ce
K66ce
916ce
816ce
856ce
716ce
616ce
656ce
516ce
GS-K
GS8
GS8-12
GS7
GS6
GS5
GS5-12
Models and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Dimensions by Shape
Models by Shape
47
Back / sides
top
neck
soundhole rosette
Fretboard
Fretboard inlay
top inlay
headstock overlay
Binding
Bridge
Bridge pins
nut / saddle
tuning machines / Buttons
truss rod Cover
Back / side Finish
top Finish
neck Finish
electronics
pickguard
Case
models
presentation
Choice of: Brazilian rosewood, Madagascar rosewood,hawaiian Koa, Cocobolo and other master-grade woods