New Taylor Acoustic
- BadBluesPlayer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:31 pm
New Taylor Acoustic
So I decided to get a new acoustic guitar. I wanted a short scale, small body (like 00 or 000 size). I wanted electronics and I also wanted a cutaway. My budget was about $2,000 or so.
There are very few stock guitars that fit the bill. Martin doesn't make a short scale guitar with a cutaway and electronics, so they really didn't have anything for me.
I looked at a couple of Simon & Patrick and Seagull guitars, which have a short scale, but I didn't like the guitars. Not very playable.
The only Gibson that fits the bill is the J165. Beautiful guitar but too expensive. Like $2850. That was just too much for me.
So I got a Taylor 412CE. Lightly figured spruce top, bookmatched back and sides made of Ovangkol, which is supposedly similar to rosewood as far as its sonic properties go, but not so exotic and expensive. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. The workmanship and the setup are absolutely perfect. Taylor has a reputation for having the most playable guitars out of the box, and that's the way this axe was. I paid $1849 minus 15% for some sale coupon I had. It came out to about $1570, which is a great deal.
I've had it for almost a week and I'm on my third set of strings and my fingers are raw. I'm doing about half fingerpicking and half flatpicking.
Here's the pix:
There are very few stock guitars that fit the bill. Martin doesn't make a short scale guitar with a cutaway and electronics, so they really didn't have anything for me.
I looked at a couple of Simon & Patrick and Seagull guitars, which have a short scale, but I didn't like the guitars. Not very playable.
The only Gibson that fits the bill is the J165. Beautiful guitar but too expensive. Like $2850. That was just too much for me.
So I got a Taylor 412CE. Lightly figured spruce top, bookmatched back and sides made of Ovangkol, which is supposedly similar to rosewood as far as its sonic properties go, but not so exotic and expensive. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. The workmanship and the setup are absolutely perfect. Taylor has a reputation for having the most playable guitars out of the box, and that's the way this axe was. I paid $1849 minus 15% for some sale coupon I had. It came out to about $1570, which is a great deal.
I've had it for almost a week and I'm on my third set of strings and my fingers are raw. I'm doing about half fingerpicking and half flatpicking.
Here's the pix:
- VikingBlues
- Posts: 4466
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
That's one beautiful guitar there. Not surprised your fingers are raw. Good choice.
You know what we're going to ask I'm sure - please can we hear it.
You know what we're going to ask I'm sure - please can we hear it.
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
- Strummer07
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:59 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
BBP .. that is a cracking geetar !!
Enjoy !!
..............obviously you are !!
whilst your fingers do complain a tad !!.....they'll catch up tho !
Incidentally bbp .................what was the attraction of the shorter scale length ??
Enjoy !!
..............obviously you are !!
whilst your fingers do complain a tad !!.....they'll catch up tho !
Incidentally bbp .................what was the attraction of the shorter scale length ??
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
BBP - That's one beautiful guitar. I'll bet your fingers are sore but happy.
The sensation of a guitar is so tactile. I look at the pictures and my hands itch to hold it. The photos just present a tease for the actual experience of the guitar.
Maybe you could mail it around the group so we could all try it.
The sensation of a guitar is so tactile. I look at the pictures and my hands itch to hold it. The photos just present a tease for the actual experience of the guitar.
Maybe you could mail it around the group so we could all try it.
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
Nice!
Can't wait to hear it.
Can't wait to hear it.
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
- HalfBlindLefty
- Admin
- Posts: 2015
- Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
WOW that's a really beautiful instrument.
Cant's wait to hear a sound demo
Cant's wait to hear a sound demo
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
- Strummer07
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:59 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
You are so right Mojo jim
a new guitar , especially an acoustic is just such a supeb senstaion to so many senses.......
the first two are pretty obvious ,...............sights and sounds
Visually ..................the looks entice you...........they probably seduced you in the 1st place
Sounds ..........more obviuosly I guess ....................the tone , the resonance of the body, the sustain of a single note.
But as you point out .the whole tactile experience , can be very special.
Touch , the feel of the woods and the smoothness of the fretboard, the curvature of the bouts etc
but one sense not so often apprecaited with guitars ..................Smell ............
Smell, you probably don't notice it so much in the shop ..but when you get it home the fantastic smells of new different woods is just so evocative.
Particularly when its new , you enter the room where you store your guitar , or open the case ......and Wow !! the great woody smells just blow you away.
Great things guitars ........................don't do much for the taste buds perhaps .......but isn't that what beer is for !!
a new guitar , especially an acoustic is just such a supeb senstaion to so many senses.......
the first two are pretty obvious ,...............sights and sounds
Visually ..................the looks entice you...........they probably seduced you in the 1st place
Sounds ..........more obviuosly I guess ....................the tone , the resonance of the body, the sustain of a single note.
But as you point out .the whole tactile experience , can be very special.
Touch , the feel of the woods and the smoothness of the fretboard, the curvature of the bouts etc
but one sense not so often apprecaited with guitars ..................Smell ............
Smell, you probably don't notice it so much in the shop ..but when you get it home the fantastic smells of new different woods is just so evocative.
Particularly when its new , you enter the room where you store your guitar , or open the case ......and Wow !! the great woody smells just blow you away.
Great things guitars ........................don't do much for the taste buds perhaps .......but isn't that what beer is for !!
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
Pretty much the same things that attract us males to females... eh? Keep her a few years and she gets even better!!!Strummer07 wrote:Visually ..................the looks entice you...........they probably seduced you in the 1st place
Sounds ..........more obviuosly I guess ....................the tone , the resonance of the body, the sustain of a single note.
But as you point out .the whole tactile experience , can be very special.
Touch , the feel of the woods and the smoothness of the fretboard, the curvature of the bouts etc
but one sense not so often apprecaited with guitars ..................Smell ............
Smell, you probably don't notice it so much in the shop ..but when you get it home the fantastic smells of new different woods is just so evocative.
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
- Henry Ford
- Henry Ford
- oneeyedslide
- Posts: 156
- Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 8:19 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
I don't even have to hear it to want it.
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
When I was shopping for my acoustic one EBay seller wrote:
"This guitar has seldom been played. I only open the case once in a while to smell it."
My wife said, "Isn't that kind of weird or creepy - or something?"
I said, "Nope, I understand that guy completely."
I still love opening the case of the acoustic. It's a much more complete experience than unpacking one of the electrics. The electrics are very pretty and shiny but it is very, very satisfying to get out the acoustic. And the first strum brings that complete, full, organic sound - it doesn't get any better.
"This guitar has seldom been played. I only open the case once in a while to smell it."
My wife said, "Isn't that kind of weird or creepy - or something?"
I said, "Nope, I understand that guy completely."
I still love opening the case of the acoustic. It's a much more complete experience than unpacking one of the electrics. The electrics are very pretty and shiny but it is very, very satisfying to get out the acoustic. And the first strum brings that complete, full, organic sound - it doesn't get any better.
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
Congratulation! Looks beautiful!
3rd set? Interesting, cause I usually need only one set a year.BadBluesPlayer wrote:I've had it for almost a week and I'm on my third set of strings and my fingers are raw.
At least more costly...Golfxzq wrote:Pretty much the same things that attract us males to females... eh? Keep her a few years and she gets even better!!!
- BadBluesPlayer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:31 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
Yeah - I'm usually pretty hard on the wound g strings and after maybe five or ten hours I've mashed the windings down and the string isn't smooth anymore.12bar wrote:
3rd set? Interesting, cause I usually need only one set a year.
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- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:37 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
Nice looking Taylor BadBluesPlayer.
Have a question for you, how does the sound compare versus an Ovation? I have never tried a Taylor guitar.
Why are you changing the strings so often?
Regards,
Musicians Resources
Have a question for you, how does the sound compare versus an Ovation? I have never tried a Taylor guitar.
Why are you changing the strings so often?
Regards,
Musicians Resources
http://musi-source.blogspot.com A blog for musicians, free tips and articles on the music industry. From learning to play to recording, and marketing music. Musicians Resources is a trusted resource blog, by a musician for musicians.
- BadBluesPlayer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:31 pm
Re: New Taylor Acoustic
I played and Ovation a couple of years ago. The Ovation was not so woody sounding as the Taylor. The Taylor is fairly bright, but very natural sounding.Musisource wrote:Nice looking Taylor BadBluesPlayer.
Have a question for you, how does the sound compare versus an Ovation? I have never tried a Taylor guitar.
Why are you changing the strings so often?
Regards,
Musicians Resources
I've been trying some different strings to see how they sound. I wear out the strings every five or ten hours, and I've been swapping them out when I get a hankering to try something else. I've tried the Elixir Nanowebs that came on it - they are bright and a little thin sounding. I've tried some Martin 80/20 Bronze's and they're loud and bright. I've always liked the Martin SP Phosphor bronze strings and I've tried those too, and they sound really good. I guess I kind of like them the best so far. I'm going to keep trying different strings and see how they sound.