Bob Taylor and Kurt Listing have now been in the guitar building business for over 30 years, and in that relatively short amount of time they have completely revolutionized the world of acoustic guitars. Taylor Guitars is now the largest acoustic guitar manufacturer in America, meeting a demand for more guitars than any other company out there - which is staggering considering they were started not too awfully long ago by two young men who struggled to stay in business for years. Truly the only American guitar company who has blossomed to be an industry leader in the last century, Taylor has pioneered new designs, building practices and acoustic/electronic advancements that have left the guitar world in awe.
Initially, Taylor was put on the map by three things, their 12-string guitars (amazing compared to what was available at the time- and they still are), their slim neck and playable action (they almost play like electric guitars), and their balance of tone all the way up the neck. Unlike many guitars which will feature construction and bracing physically tuned to a note (like a G), Taylors are voiced quite differently. On a guitar tuned to a G, for example, when you play a G chord the result sounds huge and powerful, but when you play in another key, like A, Bb, or any other, the guitar seems to be missing something compared to that initial G. This is also true as you proceed up the neck – there is a clear deterioration in tone and volume. Taylor’s guitars are voiced to give you optimum sound anywhere on the neck and in any key. In other words, as you play up and down the neck, and in a number of keys, the volume and tone produced will be very similar and balanced.
In the beginning it was slow going for Taylor, seeing as how so many acoustic guitarists favored “tried and true” brands, but by building on their original designs, and addressing old problems they quickly began turning heads. People realized there were better ways of doing things – ways of designing guitars that hadn’t been redesigned since their grandfathers bought their first instruments. Over the years Taylor Guitars built a catalog sporting guitars of 4 different sizes (Dreadnought, Jumbo, Grand Auditorium, and Grand Concert) and made of woods ranging from Sapele Mahogany, Ovankol, Maple, Honduran Mahogany, Rosewood, Koa, Walnut, Brazilian Rosewood, and more.
Today, Taylor’s line has grown further to include a full line of nylon string guitars, the ever-popular Baby Taylor, as well as budget models like the 110 and 214 (all still made in the USA). With all their shapes and woods, their different guitars are popular with a diverse group of musicians, from celtic fingerpickers and Atkins/Travis style players, to singer songwriters and rock musicians, bluegrass players and jazz cats – many different players find Taylor Guitars to be the ultimate in high performance instruments.
With advantages like the NT neck design (on models post-1999), Taylor guitars necks are much stronger and give a greater ability to make repair or adjustments with less effort. For example, to do a neck reset (which is often necessary after many years of any acoustic guitar’s life) on a traditional guitar it would take hours and hours of labor stretched out over a long period of time, usually weeks, but with Taylor’s design the same job can be done in a matter of minutes. We’ve got examples of how this works in our store, so if you’re interested, come in and we’d be happy to show the exact differences. You might be surprised at what a smart and revolutionary design they’ve devised.
As another exclusive feature, Taylor Guitars use the Expression System electronics on all of their acoustic/electric models. Designed by Taylor and legendary sound guru Rupert Nieve, this pick-up truly is the next step in acoustic amplification. Doing away with a traditional piezo pickup, they feature two liquid-filled accelerometers, mounted internally on the soundboard, and a magnetic pickup located under the fingerboard, out of sight. The active volume, bass, and treble controls are unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing. When played, the result is an amplified sound that really is more of your guitar and what it naturally sounds like - and you also have the luxury of having minimal electronics cut into the guitar body. Truly the next step in acoustic amplification, this system will get you leaps ahead towards perfecting your acoustic sound.
Celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2004, Taylor continues to move forward. Not a company to rest on its accomplishments, surely the future will just hold more improvements and quality guitars from Bob Taylor and Company. Beautiful, great sounding, dependable and comfortable guitars are what they produce – if this is what you seek come on by, or give us a call. All of the Taylors (and we generally stock over 50!!) we stock are chosen guitars and perfect in all ways – if their not perfect for your style we’ll adjust them to your specs for no charge. Your satisfaction is our goal.
Website: http://www.taylorguitars.com
