2010guitarguide

The 2010 Guitar Guide The Jason Mraz Signature Nylon The 12-Fret Rosewood GC Customize Your SolidBody Choose your color, pickups, pickguard & more

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Letters 35

th

Fall Limiteds

Anniversary

Taylor Swift’s Signature Baby

The Armrest, Parlor, 9-String, 12-Fret & More

Artist vs.

Airline:

Limiteds

8-String Baritone

Dave Carroll’s Big Breaks

I can NOT WAIT to play and purchase the baritone 8-string and the 9-string. I am panting like a hound dog that has been climbing hills and valleys all day. When, where and how do I get my hands on these instruments? I will drive to you…unless of course, you wanna drive here and we can jam.

Chet Nichols

Playground Parlor Hammer Off

Thank you for making your new Factory Service Center available for the repair of all brands of guitars. The announcement which appeared in Wood&Steel Vol. 61 (Taylor Notes) featured a photo of your technician working on a fine Taylor instrument.

I’m concerned, though, that the luthier’s hammer appears to be resting upon the top of this guitar. Surely the tool belongs on the workbench in keeping with sound repair shop standards. I respectfully suggest that here is not the place to “hammer-on.”

Kenneth Wepman Studio City, CA [Good one, Kenneth, but not to worry: The hammer is resting on our protective fret buck, a tool we designed to absorb impact when frets are replaced in the fingerboard extension over the guitar body. – Ed.]

Tune Hound

I just about fell off my stump when I read the latest Wood&Steel.

I have been a singer-songwriter and recording artist since the early 1970s. As a solo performer I began creating unique guitar tunings back in the late ’60s and up until this date.

My first two albums for Kama Sutra contained all original material, and not one song was written in standard tunings. I mixed and matched strings and had tunings that were all over the place…very cool sounds. I actually had to create stick-on chord pictures so I could remember the fingering to over 2,000 original songs.

My friend John Fahey used to buy me drinks trying to “over-serve” me and gain access to my secret tunings.

I bought one of the 35 parlor guitars last week in Augusta, Georgia and played it out last night at a local club, The Playground. Just wanted you to know it was a big hit — big sound from a little box. It might be the coolest guitar in my collection.

Pete Boyzuick

Driving Miss Winny

I just wanted to tell a short story of how a 72-year-old student of mine got a new Taylor guitar. I’m a teacher in the Nashville, Tennessee area, and I’ve had a nice lady named Winny taking guitar lessons with me for a while. I’ve always used my Taylor 814ce during the lesson, and one day she said she wanted one, after she played mine. I wondered if she was serious, because I work in a small retail shop where we sell only beginner guitars and work a large amount of lessons. I told her that we would take a field trip to Gruhn Guitars here in Nashville, so off we went. I drove her big ole Buick. We tried out 4-5 different models and ended up getting the Taylor 516ce with a cedar top and mahogany sides. It was the best sounding guitar we tried that day, and we had a great experience. They gave us a great price and set it up perfectly!

Lance Allen

TwilaSpeak

Good morning. First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Bob Taylor’s mother, residing in Spokane, Washington. Yesterday we received our Wood&Steel magazine, which we have for many years now. We naturally go through it over and over sometimes, enjoying the articles and pictures, etc., but I have one

complaint. The picture of Bob in the “BobSpeak” column is the worst I have ever seen. Ha! Is there any chance that you could find another one to replace it? I would be so grateful to you if you would, and I would continue being one of the biggest fans of Taylor Guitars. Who but a mother would ever make a request like that? Have a great day.

Twila Taylor [You betcha, Mrs. Taylor. We had planned to shoot new photos of Bob and Kurt for 2010 anyway, but had we known how you felt, we would have changed Bob’s sooner! We’re running the new one past you before we go to print. – Ed.]

Passion Forward

After the recent W&S issue highlighting 10 years of the NT neck design, I realized that my Taylor is now about 10 years old. You see, I passed up a guitar equipped with the NT because I simply could wait no longer to enjoy the workmanship, innovation and sheer cloud nine enjoyment of a Taylor! I purchased a K14c just as the new design was about to roll out and have no regrets.

The guitar has never approached needing any adjustment whatsoever until recently when I adjusted the truss rod to lower the action. One other thing: I am absolutely stunned by the pace of innovation at Taylor.

Never have I seen such profound breakthroughs with essentially the same raw materials. I believe it is passion of the highest order that can only make such incredible advances happen, and Taylor has harnessed that passion. I can’t wait to plumb the depths of the new 8-string baritone at an upcoming Road Show. A hearty congratulations, Taylor, on 35 years of passionate excellence. Here’s to another 35!

Scott Lehrer Big Rock, IL

No Tweaking Required

I was in Buffalo, New York and on impulse stopped at a music shop.

I was marveling at the Taylor guitars and told the salesman, “If I play one of those I’ll buy one, and I can’t afford it,” so he started showing me other guitars and nothing sounded good. I asked if they had a 214ce.

They had two, and I bought one. I watched the [accompanying] DVD. I have quite a pedal board I use to

color my budget acoustics. The DVD talked about plugging straight into the amp, so I got a long cord and plugged directly in. It sounded fantastic. I am a self-taught repairman and would always tweak any acoustic I previously bought — new saddle, nut, bridge pins, neck adjustment — but I left my new Taylor alone. The set-up was perfect, and it plays like an electric. You folks make a great product, and my only wish is that I had bought one sooner.

Francis LaChappelle

learn, you are automatically made to feel like part of their family. The best store in the city, period. Thank you to all those involved for bringing us such a great evening.

Dan Bourgeault (and Melanie)

We Feel Your Pain

Hitting 21

I had to write. I just got a beautiful Taylor SolidBody Standard, which makes 21 Taylor guitars I currently own. What a fantastic instrument: clear, loud, accurate, great sustain, high gain pickups, great electronics…this could easily become my favorite electric, and I own a few that cost three times as much. Kudos to Bob and the crew for another great guitar. In today’s market, there is no other guitar that gives me what a Taylor does. Tone, quality, looks....

That’s why I own 21 Taylors.

Ron Cabrera

Canadian Ambassadors

Just a quick note to say a great big thanks after having the opportunity to enjoy the Taylor Road Show experience at Lauzon Music [in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada] on October 1. What a great night — even my wife was impressed, and she is not even a guitar crazy like me.

(I am working on it.)

We were thoroughly blown away after listening to Marc Seal work his magic. What a talent and a down-toearth guitar guy — a great ambassador and a perfect match to promote the results of your vision. I definitely left the evening more inspired about improving my own play. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Speaking of great ambassadors, the hosts of the evening, Ken and Dave Lauzon and the rest of the gang at Lauzon are a fantastic bunch.

No matter your level of ability, you are never made to feel judged. The only thing they offer is sincere encouragement to “give it a try.” If you are a “private performer” or a little shy they will set you up in one of their sound rooms to get properly acquainted on your own terms. No pressure, no restrictions and no obligation. If you enjoy making music or you want to

My name is Pete Bellotte, responsible for the Donna Summer hits “Hot Stuff” and “I Feel Love.” I have a Taylor 20th Anniversary, and the other day a 5’ x 4’ painting fell from a great height straight through the side of the guitar. Despite the impact, the guitar remained on its hook, and when I took it down it was still in tune and STILL sounded great. It will, of course, be repaired very soon!

Pete Bellotte

An Extra Sense of Accomplishment

I recently purchased your NS74ce. After an exhaustive search for the right nylon instrument and having already been a Taylor owner (614ce), I must tell you I have never played a finer guitar! The NS74ce has opened new doors for me simply because this instrument far exceeds normal boundaries of tonality, master craftsmanship and just plain playability. I have toured the world playing guitar and performed with several national and international artists, and even as an accomplished guitarist, the Taylor allows me to sound better than ever! I couldn’t be more pleased. Thank you!

John Cook Ft. Myers Beach, FL

We’d like to hear from you Send your e-mails to: pr@taylorguitars.com

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Volume 62 Winter 2010

Find us on Facebook. Add us on MySpace. Subscribe on YouTube. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/taylorguitarspr

Features 14 BT Talks Shop

Bob Taylor fans the creative sparks from 2009 and explains why Taylor’s unique blend of vision and passion will continue to inspire in 2010.

Cover Feature 16 The 2010 Guitar Guide

We ring in the new year with a fresh tour of our 2010 line. There’s a lot to love here.

18 Finding Your Fit: Woods and Shapes

On the Cover

You might know what you like, but is it the right match for the sound you want? We break down the elements of tone to help you understand what makes a guitar right for you.

6 Jason Mraz

20 The Acoustic Line

From the Koa Series to the Baby Taylor, we profile our many flavors of acoustic tone.

36 Specialty Models

The acoustic-grooving Grammy nominee visits the Taylor factory to talk about the inspiration behind his new signature nylon-string model.

A sweet-voiced 12-Fret and a pair of rich Baritones promise to take you somewhere new.

38 The Electric Line

This year, SolidBody customization leads the way. We’ll walk you through the new color and pickup options, including our new vintage alnico humbucker.

48 Build to Order

If you’ve been dreaming of a custom Taylor, our Build to Order program gives you a broad array of choices and an impressive turnaround time.

50 Acoustic Electronics

Whether for stage or studio, the Taylor Expression System® captures all the natural tonal richness you love about a Taylor and helps you share it with the world.

52 Customer Service

We take service as seriously as we take guitar-making. From helping you find a guitar to helping you care for it, we’re all about giving you the support you need.

54 The Specs

Here’s a closer look at the details that define each guitar we make.

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Departments 2 Letters 4 Kurt’s Corner 5 BobSpeak

5 Editor’s Note 10 Ask Bob 12 Soundings

60 TaylorWare

www.taylorguitars.com

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Volume 62 Winter 2010 Publisher / Taylor-Listug, Inc. Produced by the Taylor Guitars Marketing Department Vice President of Sales & Marketing / Brian Swerdfeger Director of Brand Marketing / Jonathan Forstot Editor / Jim Kirlin Senior Art Director / Cory Sheehan Art Director / Rita Funk-Hoffman Graphic Designer / Angie Stamos-Guerra Photographer / Tim Whitehouse Contributors Bob Borbonus / Jonathan Forstot / David Hosler / David Kaye / Kurt Listug Shawn Persinger / Shane Roeschlein / Bob Taylor / Corey Witt / Glen Wolff Chalise Zolezzi

Kurt’s Corner Sizing Up a Down Market I’ll start the new year with a confession: I really enjoyed the challenges and problem-solving of last year. While we didn’t start the year anticipating that the economic issues would be as dire as they were, we shifted gears and changed our game plan to adapt, and we came out on top! It felt great to meet the challenges head-on and win.

While other guitar companies retreated from higher-end guitars and focused on going down-market to pacify dealers, asking for lower price points (and in the process abandoning the high-end customer), we took our message on the road and sold a whole order of magnitude more highend guitars than ever before.

Taylor increased its market share last year and was the topselling acoustic guitar brand in terms of retail revenue generated.

Interestingly, Taylor guitars generated higher retail revenue at U.S. cash registers in 2009 than we did in 2008. This is despite the acoustic guitar market being down from the prior year.

Early in the year we had to lower our production, as we were building too much inventory. We had to cut back and reduce the work hours of the majority of our employees. We retained nearly everyone and paid

their benefits, and we were able to take advantage of a work-sharing program, which paid people unemployment for the hours not worked.

This lasted for several months while we sold down our inventory, and we’ve been back at full production since early November. We’re now very lean on inventory, and have had to increase our projections for 2010 several times. This was a painful process to go through, but we’re now

talented people that were dysfunctional as a team. This completely took the fun out of doing business. Life is too short to not have fun or enjoy your work. When you have a group of people who like and respect each other, have fun working together, are talented and can each handle a large area of responsibility, it can be really enjoyable. That’s how I would describe the great group of executives we have now at Taylor,

While other guitar companies focused on going down-market, we took our message on the road and sold more high-end guitars than ever before. in great shape and well positioned for 2010. Moreover, we’ve put better controls and planning in place to keep sales and production in balance.

Working with others on a team to solve problems can be very rewarding and fun. It can also be not very much fun at all when you don’t have the right group chemistry. I’ve experienced it both ways. In fact, one of the biggest disappointments of my career was in assembling a group of

and is the biggest reason why I’m really enjoying business, even when it involves managing through a tough year and a tough economy.

Here’s wishing you a successful and prosperous 2010!

Technical Advisors Ed Granero / David Hosler / Gerry Kowalski / Andy Lund / Rob Magargal Mike Mosley / Brian Swerdfeger / Bob Taylor / Chris Wellons / Glen Wolff Contributing Photographers Rita Funk-Hoffman / David Kaye / Steve Parr Circulation Katrina Horstman

Printing & Distribution Woods Lithographics - Phoenix

©2010 Taylor Guitars. 300 SERIES, 400 SERIES, 500 SERIES, 600 SERIES, 700 SERIES, 800 SERIES, 900 SERIES, Baby Taylor, Big Baby, Bridge Design, Doyle Dykes Signature Model, Dynamic Body Sensor, Expression System, GALLERY Series, K4, Liberty Tree, Peghead Design, Pickguard Design, PRESENTATION Series, Quality Taylor Guitars, Guitars and Cases & Design, T5, T5 (Stylized), Taylor, Taylor (Stylized), Taylor ES, Taylor Expression System, TAYLOR GUITARS Taylor Guitars K4, Taylor K4, TAYLOR QUALITY GUITARS and Design, TAYLORWARE, and WOOD&STEEL are registered trademarks of the company. Balanced Breakout, Dynamic String Sensor, ES Blue, Grand Symphony, GS, GS SERIES, T5 Thinline Fiveway, Taylor Acoustic Electronics, ES-T, Thinline (T5) Fiveway, T3, T3/B, and T-Lock are trademarks of the company.

Patents pending.

2010 Taylor Factory Tours & Vacation Dates

If you plan to tour the Taylor Guitars factory in 2010, please note that we’ve added Fridays back to our tour schedule. A free, guided tour is given every Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. (excluding holidays). No advance reservations are necessary. Simply check-in at our reception desk in the lobby of our main building by 1 p.m. We ask that large groups (more than 10) and school-supervised groups schedule special tours in advance by calling (619) 258-1207 and asking for the Factory Tour Manager. We kindly request at least two weeks’ notice for all group tours.

While not physically demanding, the tour does include a fair amount of walking. Due to the technical nature, the tour may not be suitable for small children.

The tour lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes and departs from the main building at 1980 Gillespie Way in El Cajon, California.

Please take note of the weekday exceptions below. For more information, including directions to the factory, please visit taylorguitars.com/contact/factorytour.

We look forward to seeing you!

Holiday closures: Monday, February 15 (President’s Day) Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day)

­­— Kurt Listug, CEO Monday-Friday, July 5-9 (Independence Day / company vacation)

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Editor’s Note Photo Synthesis

BobSpeak New Tones for ’10 It’s been ten years since the world was going to collapse into utter despair due to the fact that computers wouldn’t be able to reconcile the date. I guess that didn’t happen.

Instead, we made cool guitars, people dug them, and more good players were added to the world. Other great things have happened since the dawn of the new millennium. For example, I now have a guitar tuner on my phone. OK, I’m just sayin’. The world is so much more in tune now, exactly the opposite of what they predicted. Good times.

We haven’t released any signature models for some time because you can just do too many of those, you know? But this issue will showcase a Jason Mraz model. Jason is a great player and songwriter, just doing his thing with a huge following.

He’s the real deal. It’s been my pleasure to see him use his Taylor guitars to perform his art.

Taylor Swift has also shown her following what a good guitar looks like in the form of her Taylors. And a lot of people are looking. You can thank her for getting a lot of young people going on the guitar — our Taylor Swift Baby Taylor model is already in the hands of hundreds and hundreds of young players who are starting out because of her. She’s become an excellent player, and I’m proud to watch her progress. What a pleasure it’s been to see her success

simply rocket out of this world.

I have a few surprises for this year, probably my favorite being the OMG-sound of the 12-fret Grand Concert. This is a guitar that needs to be in every guitar store for every player to come hear. You’ll want to own one, because it just sounds so beautiful. People can talk about how much bass or treble a guitar has, or the sustain, or the projection, but what is often missing from the conversation is the tone. The tone of those frequencies is as different as the tone of people’s voices. Sheryl Crow and Josh Groban can both sing the same notes, yet the tones of their voices are different. What gets me about this 12-fret is its tone coupled with its large voice, all in a small, lightweight, package. But it’s the tone that just continues to blow me away. You’ll probably see a version of this guitar as a twin to Jason’s nylon signature model at some point.

I sat down with Jason and showed him the guitar, and he strummed it once and looked up amazed and just said, “Wow.” Then he got lost in it for a while. I sent one off to Taylor Swift and had to ask her dad how she liked it, because she was off doing her thing, and he said, “She loves it and hasn’t put it down for days.” It’s easy to fall in love with.

The SolidBody tremolo is out, it works like a dream, and it looks so beautiful. You know, when we

designed that first bridge for our SolidBody, we wanted it to be original, not a copy of anything, and to be pretty and feel good. That’s hard because your mind just slides into designs that you’ve known and seen for years. But we managed, never thinking that we’d have to make a trem version of it someday. Ouch!

But it happened — it took a year, but it happened — and we’ve taken another committed step into the electric guitar world with it. We’re here and here to stay, and it’s fun to show players what we’re up to with electrics. Look for them in stores. They’ll be arriving as the weeks roll on.

All in all, 2009 was a good year for us. We made progress along many fronts, all during a frightening recession. We thank our dealers for their love of guitars and their willingness to keep showing and selling them amidst stomach-churning financial news. We thank you players for playing music and adding your artistic flair to the world. Guitar playing, singing songs, performing and listening to great music all helps the world stay afloat.

Y2K didn’t end up killing us all ten years ago. Last year took a stab at it and lost, and people want their music enough that already this year, we’re starting out with a shortage of guitars to go around. It’s a strange world, and I’m glad to toss some guitars into the mix. ­­— Bob Taylor, President

As you’ve probably noticed, our winter Guitar Guide issue is a little different from our other issues. Over the years, as Taylor has evolved, so have these pages. In the old days, as some of you will recall, Wood&Steel’s newsprint paper made it difficult to convey the beauty and details of our guitars. But we managed just fine, in part because what was important to Bob and Kurt was to connect with Taylor owners in a personal, down-to-earth way. Of course, there was a certain irony to the fact that we printed pictures of our beautiful high-end guitars on newsprint, yet created a glossy insert to sell T-shirts and guitar accessories.

The Taylor catalog, by contrast, provided the sexier print vehicle for showcasing the glorious details of our instruments and refining the Taylor brand. We worked with a design agency to produce those catalogs, and we’re proud of the way they captured not just the premium quality of our instruments, but also the passion and personality of the brand. Yet, for all of the effort and expense that went into the catalogs, their shelf life was becoming shorter and shorter, especially for a company like ours, whose product development efforts were outpacing our print cycle. Our website certainly added a better communication channel to update you on our latest news and developments, but for a company whose products are predicated on having a tangible experience, we felt strongly that a print publication was important, too.

Ever since Wood&Steel made the transition to higher quality paper with our summer 2008 issue, we’ve taken full advantage of our upgraded “canvas,” starting with special features on guitar shapes and woods, and a year ago creating our first expanded-format Guitar Guide. It was meant to serve some of the function of a catalog, as we presented our line in its entirety, complete with the specs details that many folks crave. Yet, as a quarterly, we were also able to update our “catalog” throughout the year, which proved especially beneficial in 2009, given the number of new guitar models that came to life.

This year, we’re pleased to bring you our second annual Guitar Guide issue. We really wanted to take the photography to another level, and we hope you enjoy it. Nearly every photo in this issue was shot by our lean, mean in-house team (with the exception of Soundings), including the shots of Jason Mraz. Some guitar photos were taken in our on-site studio, while others were shot in real-life settings to capture the experience of what makes playing a Taylor so rewarding. It was a lot of work, but sometimes it’s the challenge that makes it fun. One thing’s for sure: Shooting guitars is a lot cooler than shooting medical supply equipment.

Look for more editorial coverage next issue. In the meantime, we hope your year is off to a happy, music-filled start.

— Jim Kirlin

Correction: In last issue’s Editor’s Note, I made reference to the epic 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight between Ali and Frazier; it was actually Ali and Foreman.

Online Read this and other back issues of Wood&Steel at taylorguitars.com under “Resources.”

JASON MRAZ The Wood&Steel Interview

A

Pacific storm has made for a rare day of steady rain in San Diego, upsetting morning commutes and temporarily throwing people a bit off-kilter — remember, this is Southern California, where rain is a major event — but the weather’s dour context only serves to amplify the laid-back vibe of Jason Mraz as he arrives at the Taylor factory. The hat-clad, smooth-crooning tunesmith has driven down from his home in nearby Oceanside during a precious pocket of down time between his return from a South American tour and the start of recording sessions for his fourth studio record. He is here to survey the close-tofinal version of his new nylon-string signature model, adorned with the custom inlay work he commissioned. Taylor artist relations rep Bob Borbonus is in the house, and before long Bob Taylor stops in to hang out and talk about the guitar with Mraz, who has just been presented with it for the first time.

“I love it,” he says, admiring the inlays, before settling into a comfy couch with his new namesake guitar to fingerpick a progression of sweet chords. The nylon is a variation on the rosewood/ cedar NS72ce he’s been playing and touring with for a while now. “It feels like something I’ve had for a long time,” he decides after a few more lightly plucked chords.

The one remaining cosmetic revision for the model is the choice of woods for the guitar’s custom rosette design. A few variations are on their way from the Finish department for Bob and Mraz to discuss. While they wait, as Mraz works through another pretty progression on the nylon, Bob picks up a steel-string GA and asks Mraz about the chords to the tune “You and I Both,” the opening cut from his 2002 debut album Waiting for My Rocket to Come. Mraz obliges, playing through and calling out the changes as Bob follows, setting up a little jam that’s followed by another tune Bob likes, Mraz’s island-chill mega-hit, “I’m Yours.” Both song titles, coincidentally, seem fitting choices to christen the relationship between a songwriter and his new guitar.

It wasn’t far from the Taylor complex that Mraz’s successful career was

launched, in the coffeehouses of San Diego. It was his equivalent of the Beatles’ Hamburg period, during which he honed his talent for blending acoustic grooves, supple melodies, and clever, heartfelt lyrics into compelling pop songs. He played out often, developing himself into a compelling live act who seemed destined to make it.

Mraz, 32, grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia, where, as a teenager, he started writing and taught himself to play guitar, often covering Dave Matthews and Bob Dylan tunes with his brother. He later moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy to study acting, but continued to play guitar and sing. It was there that he discovered he had a natural knack for making up funny songs on the fly with his acoustic.

“It became a party trick,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2009.

“People would come over and challenge me with objects or situations, and I would just make up a song about it and get a good laugh and make people really connect.”

The experience prompted a recalibration of his career plans. He realized that the creative freedom of writing and playing his own songs beat auditioning for acting jobs.

Mraz moved to San Diego in 1999, and it didn’t take long for him to plug into the collaborative acoustic scene and, before long, set in motion a wordof-mouth groundswell. He frequently performed as a duo with local percussionist Toca Rivera (who remains a core component of his live band), eventually setting up residencies at various local venues, where Mraz cultivated a passionate following. The buzz spread to L.A. and beyond.

Mraz’s talents as a songwriter and performer led to a major label deal, and his 2002 debut introduced him to the world with the help of several hits, including “Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” “You and I Both,” and “Curbside Prophet.” Mraz’s second effort, Mr. A-Z (2005), spawned the hit “Wordplay” and was nominated for a Grammy. continued next page

From local coffeehouse king to international star, the acoustic tunesmith is laying his good-vibe grooves on the world, fueled by love and a new signature nylon-string

By Jim Kirlin

www.taylorguitars.com

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His most recent studio effort, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., included the soon-to-be-epic hit “I’m Yours,” which was nominated for two Grammys last year and set the record for the longest running song on the Billboard “Hot 100” Chart. The tune is also one of the best-selling digital songs of all time in the U.S., with more than of 4.4 million paid downloads. Another pair of tunes from the album recently scored Grammy nominations: “Make it Mine” (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and “Lucky” with Colbie Caillat (Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals).

At times, Mraz’s sound suggests a more caffeinated, rock-centric version of breezy jazz-pop singersongwriter Michael Franks, whom Mraz cites as a musical influence (he points to Franks’ 1976 album The Art of Tea as an inspiration). But Mraz brings more of a street/beat poet and hip-hop sensibility to the party, as he assimilates an array of musical flavors into his world: jazz, funk, reggae, soul and Latin music, each of which inject unique rhythmic accents to his fluid, mellow-rock vibe.

Seeing Mraz perform is to experience the fullness of his multi-pronged artistry. His nimble, crystalline tenor, his melodic and rhythmic sophistication, his strong pop instincts, and his ability to unleash a sonorous gush of lyrical wordplay together all coalesce into a soulful groove on stage. His music has a certain lightness to it that’s conspicuously devoid of stereotypical rock ‘n’ roll angst or bravado. On stage, he’s playful, funny and spontaneous. He has a good time messing with his persona: part hipster geek, part street performer, part ladykilling balladeer. Mraz innately understands music’s power to uplift and empower people, along with his own ability to use his songwriting voice to make soul-nourishing music.

It’s a testament to his songcraft that his music connects not only in a coffeehouse but at a huge festival.

Through his world travels and diverse musical experiences, he says he’s gained a greater appreciation for a universal desire among audiences everywhere: They want to be happy.

And through music, happiness is exactly what Mraz delivers.

At the Taylor factory, Mraz took time to talk about the way his Taylors inspire him, the concepts behind his signature guitar’s inlay designs, his techniques for keeping songwriting fun, and why “I’m Yours” became the

hit it did. Soft-spoken, thoughtful and articulate, Mraz makes it clear that his musical journey is part of a deeper spiritual journey.

Do you remember your first Taylor experience?

The first Taylor I ever purchased I got from a local artist who had upgraded and didn’t feel the need to hold onto her guitar, so I acquired a 612ce, and I was still kind of exploring in my guitar playing. At that time, I think I’d been playing for like six years and had gone through probably six or seven guitars, all different makes and models, different sizes, shapes.

I stumbled upon this little 612 and it just rocked. It was built in ’95, I believe, so it was pretty old — it was at least five years old at the time I purchased it. Nice and worn in. It just worked with what I was doing; I really connected with it. And in buying that guitar, I realized that Taylor was a San Diego company, and the guitar was built in San Diego. I’d been living in San Diego for a little bit of time, and here was this guitar that suddenly was working with the songs I was writing and the way I was performing. It was a mellow guitar but very true — in fact, I don’t think it had any controls on it; you’d just plug in and go. It was pretty amazing what it could do.

You have a couple of other models on the steel-string side. Was the 714ce the next one you acquired?

I think I experimented for like a month with a 9 Series. I took it on the road, and it was such a nice guitar I was a bit nervous to bring it on the road.

And I found the 714 was a great compromise to the grandness that was that guitar, but it had sort of a road-ruggedness that I could tear up.

I’d also started playing with a band and went digging in a little more, so I left the 612 at home after a while and was playing the 714 with a little bit bigger body.

You’re a fingerstyle player, but especially when you’re playing on stage with a band, is it primarily still fingerstyle, or are you doing some strumming?

Back when I was playing the 714 in my shows, I was definitely using a pick, and then I would throw the pick and use my fingers and reach into my pocket and grab the pick again, and it was kind of messy. I hate to tell guitar players what I was doing be-

cause I don’t recommend it, and I look back — in fact I was playing my 714 last night and they should put the pickguard up here [above the soundhole] because how I was playing with a pick was digging in at the top. So, it was a little bit of everything. I had picked up a nylon-string to bring to my show for one song, and just having that guitar around I started to play it a lot more. And I found that I could still do the strumming, the digging in, and go right into picking, and basically all the dynamics that I liked with the 714 I could still get out of the nylon-string. All I needed to do was put some acrylic on my nails, so I had four guitar picks on my fingers. I could get that soft sentiment, that really mellow, liquidy tone that I really love about the nylonstring, but I could also get really rhythmic and percussive instantly, without changing guitars and without changing picks or any type of patterns. It took me a little while to figure out, but it’s definitely something I don’t think I’ll stray from.

songs. It made road life a lot easier.

It just gave me this way to communicate with the audience without a guitar standing in my way. It felt like it was a part of me, it was a part of the energy that I wanted to put out there. But it still drove it home when I needed to drive it home. I could still play the big rock and pop songs with the nylon.

Let’s talk about your signature model. It’s based on the model you’ve been playing, an NS72ce.

What’s nice about the signature is being able to add your aesthetic to it. Can you explain the fretboard inlay and the rosette?

Well, I didn’t touch the design of the guitar because the NS72 is great.

Cosmetically I added my “Be Love” symbol, which I recently got tattooed on my arm, so in a sense…maybe I’ll add frets to my tattoo. This is a design I saw repeated over and over from hieroglyphs to various denominations using it in art, and I choose this symbol simply because I want

“When I would write with the nylon, it just opened up a whole new channel for songs.”

So these days, are you performing primarily with the nylon?

Yeah. In fact, the last tour I didn’t even take the 714. It was the first tour where I only took two nylons with me. I took two because one was going to be in an alternate tuning [DADGAE]. So the whole show was played pretty much with just this.

One or two songs I’d switch it up with the alternate tunings, but that was it.

The nylon has such a different flavor from a steel-string. When you started playing nylon more, did you feel like you were writing in different ways, that you were responding to the guitar’s tonality in a different way?

Absolutely. When I would write with the nylon, something about it and the voicings I would use — the mellow tones of the nylon — it just opened up a whole new channel for songs.

I guess when I had the larger steelstring 714, I feel like I had to work a little harder. So, the nylon was more of a feeling that I got, but it nurtured a whole album’s worth of

to be whole in mind, body and soul.

I think that’s a divine trinity there.

What is “Be Love” but cutting out the middle man. You don’t have to have a certain someone to be loved. You don’t have to have certain conditions to have love in your life. You can just be love. So, it’s basically a practice of unconditional love, a practice of unabashed generosity. You can’t be love and have a bad day. You can’t have a bad mood. If I’m committed to being love, I have to show up every day, and I really like that. It creates me as bigger than I’ve ever chosen myself to be in my life. And every song I write is based on love, no matter what kind of song it is. So that’s why I brought it into the guitar.

The rosette is based on one of my favorite Mucha paintings. [Alphonse Mucha, 1860-1939, was a Czech art nouveau painter and poster designer.] Mucha was pretty much the inventor of graphic design; he did it all by freehand. In fact, most rock posters today can be traced back to Mucha. He did original designs for opera, stage shows, cabarets back

in Paris and throughout Europe. One of his designs is called “Zodiac,” and it embraces all different astrological and zodiac signs. And that’s another thing that drives me: I’m always looking into the cosmos to inspire me or to help me create my schedule even for tours and for when I’m going to write and what I’m going to do. So, everyone can relate to this because your zodiac sign is going to be in the rosette somewhere, in the person you love; all the relationships in your life can be related to this. Every chart pretty much in the history of calendar making comes down to a circle, and the rosette is here for us to put ourselves into the universe.

So, I thought it was beautiful. We just today looked at having bloodwood underneath the signs. It really creates contrast, so you can see the signs; the symbols will really pop a lot more on the final product. [Ed. note: The final choice was bubinga.] And that’s basically it. I didn’t want to go too crazy. I thought long and hard, and you can get lost in the world of inlay.

But I honestly didn’t want to add any more weight; I didn’t want to add anything too strong. I still would want any player to take it on and have their own relationship with the guitar.

Jason Mraz on the evolution of his nylon fingerstyle technique: “I had the pleasure of touring with Raul Midón, and he’s the one who helped me organize my style of playing.

Where I used to keep picks on my knee — play and then pick and then strum — he’s the one who really pushed me to let my nails do all the work and not be afraid of treating the guitar like a percussion instrument. And Raul, if you’ve ever seen him, really goes for it. In fact, I’ve never seen anyone play guitar like that guy. And I know that he has a nylon in his arsenal, and it was right around the same time I started playing nylon, so I wasn’t so worried about playing soft or just being stuck in light picking and melody work. It really got me to change, to really bang on it.”

9 This question goes back to the songwriting process. I know that you’re a buddy of Bob Schneider, who’s a great singer-songwriter from Texas, and I’d read that you guys have kind of an ongoing songwriting challenge, where you use a phrase to spur on songwriting. Can you talk a little about that? I think that people who write songs would be interested in how that works.

Absolutely. Basically we have a little online songwriting support group. It isn’t a test or challenge or something where anyone is going to win. We don’t even critique each other. The whole idea is to stop being so darn precious about the songs you’re going to write. Stop worrying about if the world will like it; don’t worry if it’s going to be a single. Don’t write for any other reason than your love of writing songs and connecting with your instrument, connecting with your divine. Whatever reason you love to write, this is a songwriting group that’s going to support that. And to get you started, here’s a word or a phrase. So, let’s say the phrase is “me talking to you.” It’s as simple as that. And I’ll give you until Friday to create a song and e-mail it to us all. So, by Friday you get all these songs in your inbox from all these different writers, and you hear everyone’s different interpretation of “me talking to you.” The thing I turned in for that turned out to be “Lucky,” which was a great hit from the last record. And the whole song opens with: [plays and sings] “Do you hear me talking to you / Across the water…” so it gives you a launch point to write. I end up writing for my friends and for me instead and for the sake of a game rather than the pressures of any label or any other group that wants me to write. So, I encourage anybody to do it with your friends because it puts the fun back in playing. Like, for me, I’ve taken my hobby and turned it into my career. And sometimes that can be a huge distraction. So adding this game with some songwriters like Billy Harvey, a tremendous writer from Austin, Texas, Bob Schneider, Tom Freund, Minnie Driver has gotten involved, Mike Doughty from Soul Coughing. Every now and then you see some real surprises enter the game. It’s all about the Internet.

In fact, I’ve never even met most of the people face to face.

Speaking of surprises, I have to bring up “I’m Yours” because it’s been on the charts forever. It’s a song that you wrote five years ago, and it was almost a cast-off song and then got out and through the underground became this huge hit.

Were you surprised by it?

Yeah, totally surprised by it. I was just kinda churning on some chords in my bedroom while I was making my second album, and the song just came out quickly. I wasn’t even thinking of sitting and writing a song, but it just happened so I recorded it, and I thought, cool, it’s a happy little hippie song. I knew I’d play it live, but it wasn’t fully realized for me to go and put it on the record I was making at the time. So, I started playing it live, and I noticed that people were really responding to it and singing along, and they started to request it. Having road-tested it for three years before we put it on the record, it gave me a chance to record it with a new energy compared to how it was when I wrote

it. And I honestly just put it on the record because I felt like it needed a home for the audiences that already knew it. I didn’t really expect it to grow, and here it is two years since I recorded it, and it still seems to be growing in certain parts of the world. The beauty of the song is that I wasn’t expecting anything out of it. I wasn’t thinking of singles or records.

I didn’t relate it to that part of my life.

For me, the song is about my relationship with whatever inspires me. If you listen to the lyrics, it’s about me surrendering to that, which gives me songs. I think for every other listener it’s a song about generosity; it’s about giving yourself or your time to someone or something else. A lot of people relate to it as a love song, like a man giving his life to his woman — a lot of people use it in their wedding ceremonies. It can be anything to where you give yourself up. Because as soon as you give it away, you’re suddenly free to receive. And I think a lot of the success had to do with

the right message at the right time.

I think we’re bored of hearing about climate crisis and economic struggle, and we’re tired of continuing to support and hear about war and famine and the whole darkness that kind of saturates the news. It’s nice to turn on the radio and, oh, yeah, there’s also light and love that’s flourishing in the world, and I think “I’m Yours” kind of fed that.

You’re getting ready to record a new album. In fact, tomorrow you’re starting. Can you tell us a little about the material? Is it stuff that you’ve been playing out and that you’re now ready to record?

There are only a few songs I’ve played out so far. I’ve been protective of everything else because it’s new for me. It’s a lot more passionate. It’s still spirited and joyous and positive, but there’s a certain, I want to say, anguish, but not from a negative or heavy side. But there’s a certain passion. To me it’s music that gets you

by the shirt collar and says, “Listen to this. Stop and listen.” Because that’s what’s happened to me. I don’t know where songs come from. I just like to pick up a guitar and emote, and it’s like something has just grabbed ahold of me and said, “This has got to be done.” And I’m really moved by it, but I haven’t yet had an arena to go on stage and do that yet because our show has been of a different caliber. So we’re basically starting from scratch. We start tomorrow, and I’m really excited to get the basics down.

Also, this is the first album where I’ve got access to the world’s greatest arrangers and voices and collaboration partners, and because of the success of “I’m Yours” on our last record, everyone has shown up to say, “How can I help?” So, in a sense, I’ve got this great opportunity — I’m one phone call away from anything and anyone in the world. I’m not afraid to use all those resources on this record, as well. I’m thinking big.

My fingers are crossed.

The Jason Mraz Signature Model (JMSM) Based on the nylon-string NS72ce, the JMSM has Indian rosewood back and sides, a Western Red cedar top, and custom inlays. The fretboard inlay features the words “Be Love” below Jason Mraz’s circle/triangle symbol, both in Mexican cypress. The rosette design is a series of zodiac symbols in Mexican cypress against a bubinga background, set in a ring of Hawaiian koa. The pickup is the new ES-N®, which comes standard on all nylon-string models. Each JMSM comes with a custom guitar label and a certificate of authenticity, both of which will be signed

by Mraz.

Mraz’s other Taylors include a 612ce, 714ce, 414ce-R, 314ce-LTD, 612ce, NS52ce and NS72ce.

Note: The prototype pictured has the Fishman pickup formerly installed on our NS72ce. The ES-N features our standard ES controls on the upper bout.

www.taylorguitars.com

10

Ask Bob The art of aging, elusive imbuia, G-string distress and birthday quilt What happens when you “playin” a guitar? I have a koa Dreadnought and didn’t know if it would play-in with light fingerpicking or if I need 10 years of heavy strumming for this effect to take place. Could you accelerate this effect at the factory by vibrating the guitars after they are made, on a vibration machine at different harmonics for a continuous period? I understand if it’s just another guitar myth, backed up by perceptions and anecdotes from musically knowledgeable people, but I’m curious to see if you have a more scientific take on this subject.

Richard Nelson Butte, MT Richard, it’s more than a myth that guitars sound better with age and with playing. However, people don’t know why. Not that it couldn’t be studied, but who’s going to do that? There are some theories, like the vibrations from playing break down the wood, or the age and seasoning of wood break it down somewhat. Yes, people have made “time machines” to vibrate guitars, and a difference can be perceived, but not a difference that is as apparent as the natural change in aging.

I can tell you this: When spruce is relatively new, its grain structure is like celery. If you pick at one strand you can pull off a long strip, even with your hands. We clamp binding to guitars with masking tape and have to be very careful not to pull up the spruce grain when removing the tape the next day, as you can pull a strip out, like pulling a hangnail gone bad. When a guitar gets old, this is no longer a problem, as the grain becomes less stringy. So toss that into the data bank of things that make you go, “Hmm.” I have noticed that guitars change with both playing and with age. I have a 20th Anniversary Taylor that sits in a display case in my house. Today it

sounds way better than when it was new, with very little playing in its history. It’s undeniable. Currently it’s getting played a lot just because it sounds so good. Your guitar will continue to age for the better, and your effort won’t really speed or slow the process.

I have been gigging [with] a 614 and love it to bits. I am considering the BTO program. I know I like the 614 shape and a Florentine cutaway. I have fallen in love with Macassar ebony and wondered if that would work as a top, as well as back and sides? The visual is important for me, too. If not Macassar ebony, then what sort of similar, visually appealing tonewood would you recommend for the top?

Ben Hicklin Ben, I wouldn’t recommend an ebony top. It’s just too heavy, too hard. Top wood needs to vibrate. I haven’t tried ovangkol, like the back and sides on a 400 Series, but it would probably make a top similar in sound to koa, which sounds pretty good.

Mahogany makes a good top. The hot ticket, though, on a Macassar ebony guitar is sinker redwood with gray streaking that matches the color of the ebony. It’s very limited and comes and goes here at the factory.

You could inquire whether we have some or not. I own such a guitar, it sounds great, and it’s amazing how the looks of these two woods complement each other!

I am fortunate enough to own a Taylor 310 imbuia LTD from 2001 and love the look, sound and especially the smell of imbuia. In my opinion, it is one of the more underrated exotic woods out there.

Are there any plans to reintroduce

imbuia to the Taylor line or into the BTO program in the future?

A custom imbuia Taylor with the newest voicings would be wonderful!

Dennis Greensboro, NC Dennis, imbuia is a classic example of a wood species that needs a much larger audience than the guitar buyer. There was a time when other woodworkers used imbuia, although for what I’m not sure. During that time we bought some. The method was to go to a large lumber company that imports the wood and sort through it, buying the guitar-grade stock. A year later we’d return to do it again, but their inventory would be the same as the previous year and already picked through. Without other people using it, we get no fresh stock to select from. The other method is to develop a source whereby the tree is selected and cut into guitar wood. But we don’t use enough to do that. So, we keep our eyes open and look for good imbuia at the right price when it comes along. In 10 years it hasn’t. It could change tomorrow, but it would be from some outside influence that happens on its own. I can tell you that I’m also a big imbuia fan, but 99 percent of imbuia is not guitar quality.

I was paging through Wood&Steel [Fall 2009] and saw the 8-string head. As a mandolin player my pulse raced, but I quickly saw that it was for your baritone series.

Still, wouldn’t a mandocello bridge, saddle and nut be relatively trivial compared to programming the headstock?

I’ve taken to the mandolin as my preferred instrument for tunes. For singing, however, it’s a little high pitched, so most often I use a guitar. I see artists like Tim O’Brien and Ricky Skaggs use a mandocello as a vocal rhythm instrument, and it sounds great.

I think the “Taylor sound” would be well suited to a mando family instrument. If, as you say in the latest Wood&Steel, you’re going to use the growing flexibility of your manufacturing process to fill specialty niches like 8-string baritones and 9-string guitars, why not add the mandocello to the list?

George Wilson San Antonio, TX

I just got Volume 61 of Wood&Steel (Fall 2009) and have fallen in love with the 35th anniversary baritone guitar and the new 8-string baritone. After reading in the 8-string article the sidebar [about] the 6-string baritone, I wondered if that option is simply for a guitar made for baritone purposes, or if I could experiment and try the 6-string baritone option on my 310ce. Would I be able to use baritone strings?

Chris Garnett Chris, I think you’re asking me if you can put baritone strings on your 310ce and tune it down. If so, I’ll say yes, but it’s not the same guitar because the baritone has a much longer fret scale. You need a longer string to get to the low notes. With a standard guitar scale, when you tune down, the strings get loose and floppy and don’t really do a great job.

This is why it’s a big deal that we made a baritone: because it took a real investment to produce the tooling for an all-new neck. But give it a go; there are no fret scale police.

11 Well, George, I’ve got to say that if an 8-string baritone is obscure, then making a mandocello would take that to a new level. Your logic makes sense until we try to support the idea with dealers, sales, marketing, etc. For us, it’s not just a matter of making anything that could be made, but also staying in the family of guitars, where we know the instrument and know the customer.

The soonest exception to that might possibly be a ukulele, but the bass players would filet me alive if I made a mandocello before they get their bass. I hope you understand.

Bob, have you folks ever considered crafting a travel cover for your hardshell cases, much like the ones that Colorado Case Company makes? I love the Deluxe Hardshell case that came with my 814ce, but the vinyl gets beat to pieces! Like every musician/singer who travels, I gate check every time it’s available, but that means carrying 18 pounds through many airports. Having a travel cover would protect the case itself, possibly offer even a few more degrees of temperature protection, and, if you would offer backpack-like straps, carrying it as far as I could through airports would be a lot easier.

Alan Parks Myrtle Beach, SC Alan, yes, we’ve made them in the past, and people didn’t order them.

Like you, I think they’re great. We’ll keep it in mind. It might become a TaylorWare product someday.

Bob, I am very interested in purchasing an acoustic guitar and was wondering what recommendations you might have for someone who does a lot of fingerpicking (Chet Atkins style) and a lot of chord-strumming backup in a church band. I thought I wanted a 614ce. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry Stanton Well, Jerry, if you like Chet and strumming, you’ve already picked one of the best guitars when you think of a 614ce. It’s great for both purposes. A 514ce is also nice, but it has more breath and high end.

The maple in the 614ce can dig in more, cuts through the band better, and will always deliver a solid performance with Chet-style playing.

I recently became the proud owner of a beautiful 614c. The dealer (Electro Music Services in Doncaster, here in the UK) told me that the guitar was made of a particularly highly figured piece of maple, which had been given to you as a gift for your birthday.

Hence, the guitar gained the nickname “birthday quilt.” I would be very grateful if you could clarify this story and perhaps tell me more about this amazing guitar, and if any more were made of this beautiful wood. This is my third Taylor guitar. In more than 30 years of playing, I have yet to find a better instrument than yours.

Graham Campbell Graham, that story is on the right track. Once upon a time, my wonderful wood supplier, Steve McMinn, sent me some killer, over-the-top quilted maple for my birthday. We coined it “birthday quilt,” and the name stuck and became a wood grading word around our shop. It’s kind of a fun name, you must admit.

So, from then on it was declared in the Taylor kingdom that any quilt with such beauty would be referred to as birthday quilt. Yours is such a grade, just not the actual wood that I got for my birthday, which is March 12, in case you want to make a note of that.

After reading the response to Mr. Yoburn’s question [“B Keeper” in “Letters”] in the fall issue of Wood&Steel regarding the mysterious small metal button imbedded in the NT neck paddle (it’s a magnet used to balance the B string on the Expression System pickup), I got to wondering: Do you add this button to the guitars you retro-fit with the ES, such as the one you did on my 855ce?

I’m not about to remove the neck myself to find out!

Blair Hayes You bet we do, Blair. But you didn’t get one because yours is a 12-string and doesn’t need it. It has to do with the 12-string pickup’s unique

design and the difference in string gauges between 6-string guitars and 12-string guitars. I suggest you tell this to your wife, who will then give you permission to run right out and buy a new 6-string so you can get the magnet!

I live in Japan, so finding the right guitar can be somewhat of a challenge. I have finally ordered and eagerly await delivery of my new GS6-12, and I can’t tell you how excited I am! I have done my homework watching your videos and have read the technical advice for maintaining the proper humidity. My problem is that the relative humidity here is regularly well over 60 percent. I use a dehumidifier, AC and, in the winter, the heater to keep my rooms around 50 percent RH. I have hygrometers for my guitar cases and keep them acclimatized with the room. While you go into great detail describing the effects of low humidity, what should I watch for in a high humidity environment? Do you have any other recommendations?

Russ Hagan Thanks, Russ. I’m happy to talk about high humidity. Let’s start with this: As always, my message is that the safest place for a guitar is in its case, not displayed in a house.

Now, I realize that I mentioned in a previous question that I displayed a guitar in my home. That’s because I know how. You sound like you’re doing all the right stuff. I would suggest getting your hands on the Planet Waves Humidipak and using it in your case with the guitar. The Humidipak not only will humidify your guitar, but also dehumidify it based on the humidity level of the environment. It’s pretty easy to use.

Also, when you remove your guitar from the case, please close the case, which will maintain the humidity within the case and not allow it to absorb excess moisture from the atmosphere.

To answer your question about effects of high humidity, here are some. Your guitar will swell, and its sound will change, becoming more “wet” sounding. That’s because the excess moisture content adds weight. But it won’t crack, and at 50-60 percent, it won’t swell very much. In short, I don’t think you have too much to worry about if you do

what you’re doing now. So, keep the guitar in the case when it’s not in use, and pop a Humidipak in with it.

[We also have a pair of relevant Tech Sheets posted at taylorguitars. com under Service & Support: “Symptoms of a Wet Guitar” and “Preventing the Summertime Blues.”

— Ed.]

I’ve owned a Taylor 615 and an 810 and have enjoyed them both a great deal. I noticed in the new Wood&Steel that the ES system is available to be installed in all brands for $500.00. Since one of the elements of the ES is under the fretboard, does this apply only to guitars with a bolt-on neck, or can you accomplish this on a set neck, as well? For example, my Martin HD28LSV. Richard Alan Prow Richard, for guitars with a set neck we make a pickup that fits into the soundhole right at the edge of the fretboard. The pickup is encased in a very slim and beautiful machined ebony housing. It looks good, and a set neck guitar can enjoy the full benefit of ES.

I bought a Taylor 114ce about nine months ago. It was a perfect fit for me. But I keep encountering one problem: Sometimes when I am just jamming out, my G-string will break right around the nut. I use Elixir Ultra-Light strings. I am wondering if it has to do with the guitar or the strings.

Michael Gibson ...Or the player. Don’t forget the player, Michael. And please don’t take offense, because none is intended. It’s just the player is part of the package. Now, the core string on an ultra-light G string is superduper small. It’s not strong at all.

So, ultra-light strings just aren’t as strong as normal strings. They need to be played, tuned and treated as such. So, that’s a factor. Also, if the nut is tight at all, or if it has developed a cross-hatch wear pattern in it, that could be a problem.

The wraps of a string can wear into the nut, almost like threads on a bolt. The string needs to slide freely when being tuned and played.

Imagine if the string is slightly hung up, plus it’s small and not very strong, and maybe you play harder than it can stand. All that can add up. I’d suggest, first off, just putting a little pencil lead in the slot, which will lube it. Look with a magnifying glass to see if there are string wrap impressions in the slot. If so, a luthier might be able to smooth those out. You might also try a heavier string just for the G. I hope that’s enough to help you track it down.

Give us a call anytime!

With the help of YouTube, I recently was introduced to a wonderful tuning (Open Db) that Jackson Browne uses for some of his acoustic renditions. This has caused me to want to keep my 6-string Pelican PG-LTD tuned to Open Db, but I worry about the impact on the guitar. Two questions: Need I worry about keeping my PG-LTD tuned to Open Db for an extended period of time, and second, if I were to purchase a third Taylor (I also own a 12-string 355ce), what might you recommend to work well with this type of tuning?

Rob Reiman Rob, this won’t hurt your guitar in the least. Your truss rod might need to be loosened with the lesser tension, but that’s the extent of it. If you were to buy a new guitar for this, I’d go for a large body like a Jumbo or a GS. Any wood will work, but my first choice would be maple.

Got a question for Bob Taylor?

Shoot him an e-mail: askbob@taylorguitars.com.

If you have a specific repair or service concern, please call our Customer Service department at (800) 943-6782, and we’ll take care of you.

www.taylorguitars.com

12

Soundings A Heroic Effort

Ever since we heard about the lineup of guests on Doyle Dykes’ new DVD, Live Sessions: People...

Places...and Pickin’ — which includes Phil Keaggy, Duane Eddy, Tommy Emmanuel and Steve Wariner — we’ve been champing at the bit to get a taste of what Doyle and friends had cooked up. Alas, our press deadline kept us from a reviewing it this issue, but by the time you’re reading this, it should be available. Doyle says the project initially was going to be a follow-up to his Bridging the Gap CD, featuring him playing live but without an audience, in various settings. But according to Doyle, the death of legendary guitar innovator Les Paul changed the concept.

“After I got word that our old friend had died, I felt part of me was gone,” Doyle explains. “Then one day I realized that there are so many great musicians who I admire, and the fact is there are still heroes out there. So, I called some of my own personal ‘heroic’ friends and family. Suddenly this project escalated into a whole different realm. It was like heaven and earth kissed and I got caught up in the middle of the ‘smack’!”

Among the recording locations were the studios of Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner, along with Doyle’s own living room. Other guests included Dave Pomeroy, Jimmy Capps and John Gardner, plus Doyle’s son Caleb, daughter Haley and brother Aubrey. In addition to the performances, there’s plenty of bonus footage, including an interview between Doyle and Bob Taylor at the Taylor factory, along with interviews from his Bridging the Gap sessions.

Look for a full review next issue. You can order the DVD at doyledykes.com.

Western Wins

Congratulations to the 2009 Western Music Association Male Performer of the Year Bill Barwick and Female Performer of the Year Juni Fisher. Barwick, a longtime 410 player, is a multiple award-winning cowboy performer and a regular at events like the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas and the Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Barwick

was presented with a brand new DN8 at the WMA awards event in November, and dropped us a thankyou note shortly afterward, following his regular gig at the Buckhorn Exchange in Denver, to say the guitar came out of its case “player ready” and that it works perfectly.

Fisher, a multiple WMA winner in recent years, took home a GS5 and also e-mailed us a gracious thank-you, following up a couple of weeks later after some quality time with her new guitar. A longtime Larrivee player, Fisher said that Taylors had never resonated through her the right way.

But when she sat down with the GS5, her reaction was different.

“Oh, my goodness, the responsiveness, the clarity of tone, the sustain: all there,” she said via e-mail. “I especially like the rich bass tones. This beauty will go into the studio with me for my next album (along with a couple of Larrivees) to go on some tracks… I am most delighted with this GS5.”

Other Taylor-playing WMA award winners this year included Dave Stamey (Entertainer of the Year); the Sons of the San Joaquin (Traditional Duo/Group); and Jim “Curly” Musgrave (Instrumentalist of the Year). On a sad note, we learned at our press deadline that Musgrave had succumbed to a brain tumor on December 13. Our deepest condolences go out to his family.

A Nobel Cause

In September of 2006, on the 10th anniversary of the founding of the non-profit organization PeaceJam, 10 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and thousands of kids from around the world came together in Denver, Colorado to celebrate the organization’s commitment to foster a new generation of young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world. Among the attendees was Taylor fan and singer/songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman, who has penned numerous hits for a wide selection of artists, including Faith Hill and her Grammy-nominated song, “This Kiss.”

While known for her poignant lyrical compositions, Chapman counts a

unique, charitable hobby of sorts among her repertoire: painting Baby Taylor guitars and seeking out the legends of Nashville to have them sign the back to be raffled off at a fundraiser concert, usually one in which she was performing. In planning to attend PeaceJam that September, Chapman wanted to take her fundraising to a new level.

“I decided to see if I could have some really serious artists design the guitars,” she says. “My plan was to take them with me to the event, and in my dreams I thought, I’ll get the Nobels to sign them and gift them to PeaceJam. Never did I really expect to get all the Nobels to sign!”

Five artists committed to the project, and with the Babys in hand, Chapman and PeaceJam volunteers were able to make her dream a reality. Although it took a nudge from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to get the Dalai Lama’s signature, ultimately Chapman collected the signatures of 10 Nobel winners, including Máiread Corrigan-Maguire, Shirin Ebadi, Adolfo Perez Esquival, José Ramos-Horta, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Betty Williams and Jody Williams, on each guitar.

The five guitars were auctioned off in mid-December on eBay to raise money for the PeaceJam Foundation.

At press time, the opening bid on each was at $2,999.99, and Chapman hopes they will inspire their lucky owners.

“Music and peace have always gone hand in hand,” she shares.

“Young people have so much energy, such great ideas, and they hold the key to peace in the future. We owe it to them to inspire them to use their gifts, musical or otherwise, to create a bridge between cultures and unfold into their lives with a sense of hope for the future.” bethnielsenchapman.com peacejam.org

Building Wells Across the Country

L.A.-based singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells (810, GSRS) was profiled in a cover story on Pollstar magazine in November about the grassroots approach he’s taken to building his career. The article relates Wells’ experience of signing up with a big-time booking agency, only to languish due to the bigger fish on its roster. Wells eventually moved on, booking shows himself, many on the

college circuit, where’s he’s become enormously popular, and later signing with a smaller agency that better understood the types of venues and crowd draws he could realistically expect. Managing his touring logistics and expenses smartly, Wells says, has allowed him and his band to support themselves on tour, even when playing to modest crowds, as they continue to cultivate their audience base across the country. Wells has also gained exposure through song placement on TV shows like “One Tree Hill,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Rescue Me,” and in promos for “Grey’s Anatomy.” He’s currently on tour in support of his second album, Remain.

Tyronewells.com

The N Result: Gear and Studio Time

Earlier this year, Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings® partnered up to give one lucky band or artist the ultimate in guitars and strings. Musicians who had registered with the bandpromoting website Sonicbids.com were invited to TestDrive 2009, a “fanfavorite” contest that would award five select artists with Taylor SolidBody guitars and Elixir strings and cables.

One overall winner would be awarded recording time at a marquee studio.

Out of 2,000 entrants, 25 were voted into the semifinals, and of those 25, five finalists were chosen by the Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings artist relations teams. The top five included power rockers The Better World, singer-songwriter Matt Duke, genrecrossing band The N Result, modern pop act Kenotia, and energetic rockers Facing Forward. In the end, it was the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based band The N Result that took the top prize. The band has amassed a strong following both on campus at Rutgers University (where most of the band are students) and along the East Coast.

“We are so excited to record,” exclaimed Ross Lippencott, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, upon hearing the good news. As part of the contest, each band had to make a video showing how they were using their gear. Lippencott and his bandmates decided to make a full-scale, heist-themed music video featuring their song “Break it Down” off their debut album, Lines.

“We wanted to portray how we felt about having premium products and what it means to an emerging

band like ours to get this opportunity,” Lippencott explains. “We wanted to create a video that was a throwback to the great stories of thievery, like an Ocean’s Eleven or The Italian Job. We contacted a local museum, and they graciously let us use their space. On the wall there were super expensive paintings, and the thought of putting the guitar in a glass case just seemed like such a cool idea.” myspace.com/thenresult youtube.com/thenresult

Taylorspotting

To lead off his interview in the January issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine, former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty was featured in a full-spread photo with his ES-equipped 510, his main stage acoustic. Fogerty talks about his 15-year rededication to improving his playing technique, including a hybrid flatpick/fingerstyle approach inspired by Nashville players, and the making of his recent solo record, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again… Champion surfer Rob Machado and his longtime friend, surf filmmaker Taylor Steele, recently collaborated to create The Drifter, a film that follows Machado as he ventures through Indonesia in search of waves and self-awareness. The film, which was released in November, blends elements of a solitary, soulsearching adventure with Machado’s experiences with local villagers he meets along the way. Machado had picked up a Baby Taylor for the trip, and it gets some camera time in the film… In November, singer-songwriter Katy Perry released a DVD of her MTV Unplugged performance from July of 2009. Perry played her 814ce on several songs during the show…

If you like old school R&B and soul, don’t miss Raphael Saadiq’s acoustic set from NPR’s Tiny Desk Series, which you can find archived on NPR’s website and YouTube. com. Saadiq and guitar partner Rob Bacon cover three tunes from Saadiq’s Grammy-nominated 2008 album, The Way I See It, a sweet throwback to the days of the Temptations and late ’60s soul. The mini-set features Saadiq on a 314ce and Bacon on an 810ce as they strip their tunes down to their pure, unplugged essence. Saadiq’s voice — and the guitars — sound great.

Clockwise from top left: PeaceJam’s painted Baby Taylors and their Nobel Laureate signers; The N Result; Tyrone Wells on stage during a sold-out show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California (photo by Max Roper); (L-R) WMA winners Juni Fisher and Bill Barwick with their new Taylors (photo by Lori Faith Merritt); Katy Perry performs on MTV Unplugged (photo by Frank Micelotta)

2010 Vision A Conversation with Bob Taylor Bob talks about the company’s creative philosophy, the 2010 guitar line, and Taylor’s commitment to customers

15

“It

was a great year for creativity,” reflects Bob Taylor from his office on a late November afternoon, assessing a year that other manufacturers might be less keen to dwell upon. Despite 2009’s economic slump, Taylor fared well relative to the MI industry as a whole, buoyed by product development efforts that led to a bounty of exciting new guitar offerings. The year saw the successful debut of the semi-hollowbody T3, the formal launch of a fully loaded Build to Order program, and an expansion of the SolidBody electric line to include an optional tremolo, new colors, and “plug and play” loaded pickguards. The Nylon Series welcomed the NS24, new artist signature models were born, and several series of limited editions, including spring and fall LTDs, culminated with Taylor’s bold and inspiring 35th anniversary collection. That creative surge delivered a parlor guitar, a baritone, a 9-string, and, in another breakthrough moment, an 8-string baritone.

In plenty of ways, the year was hardly business as usual, but as Bob points out, every year — whether an up or a down year — brings a unique set of challenges. And within those challenges lie unique opportunities for creative companies.

“When you’re growing, you tend not to focus on small-selling items,” Bob says. “You focus on the big tickets. You might spend your tooling or design money on making the factory efficient so you can produce and sell more of your top-selling models. If you’re not growing, you might think, we need to get where we need to be one guitar at a time, which means that 35 9-strings might be welcome, where another year we wouldn’t have time for that.”

While creativity has never been lacking around the Taylor complex, the key, Bob says, is to apply it to the right projects. “In 2009, we were willing to look at guitars we wouldn’t necessarily sell in high volume. But out of that comes some pretty cool stuff.”

Having built Taylor into a successful company that has become synonymous with innovation, Bob shares his thoughts on the underlying Taylor philosophy that continues to guide the company’s efforts moving forward through 2010.

A Manufacturing-Driven Approach “I think life is about 10 percent ideas and about 90 percent implementation,” Bob says. “Once an idea is out there, you have to figure out how to make it real. This is where most people or companies fail, and this is where we excel as a company.”

What helps Taylor implement ideas better than other companies, Bob feels, are vision and passion.

“We are a builder-driven company, not a sales-driven company,” he elaborates. “Companies that lack innovation, I believe, are run by their sales force. And the sales force really wants the best-sellers at a lower price. We’re a company driven by our

be, “What’s next?” Not surprisingly, requests for other specialty instruments that Taylor has never made before continue to trickle in, like a mandocello (see “Ask Bob”) and a tenor guitar.

“Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile,” Bob laughs. “As far as the more obscure guitars go, a lot of what we chose to build this past year was based on steady requests over a pretty long time. It would make more sense for us to develop the bass next. People are also dying for us to make ukuleles.”

But he’s not ready to promise either.

“I think 2010 will be a bit different than 2009 in that we will find our-

“We are a builder-driven company, not a sales-driven company. Companies that lack innovation, I believe, are run by their sales force.” love of the guitar. If I say we want to make something, we start making it. I can add enough excitement to a project and release the funds to do it because we believe that this thing needs to live and breathe. We can hear an electric pickup and go, ‘I guess we’re in the electric guitar business.’ That’s not a sales-driven decision. It’s like it’s our destiny. We have to now put a design shoulder to the task of making a cool guitar so these pickup ideas can live.”

The same mindset was applied in 2009, and as a result, three models — a 6-string baritone, an 8-string baritone (a spinoff from the 6-string baritone and a 9-string) and a 12-fret Grand Concert — inspired enough excitement that they were added to the Taylor line for 2010.

“I’ve fallen in love with that 12-fret GC,” Bob says. “It’s that pure and wonderful. We’ve got something in our lineup that affects me that way, and it all sort of happened because my building team and I got excited about them and I was able to pull the trigger on them. There are excited builders at other guitar companies, but often times, nobody in that group has the authority to pull the trigger.

That’s the difference.”

After last year’s 35th anniversary embrace of more niche-oriented guitars like the parlor, 9-string and baritone, the question on the minds of Taylor enthusiasts for 2010 might

selves needing to make more guitars from Taylor’s standard line,” Bob says.

“We ended up selling well in the stores this year, so there will be some inventory pipeline we’ll want to fill to keep the right amount of inventory in stores.”

Bob concedes that the year won’t pass by without Taylor introducing something entirely new. In fact, there are a couple of development projects in the works that Bob and his team are very excited about, but it’s too early to make an announcement.

However, the company was planning to bring some prototypes to the NAMM show in January, so it won’t be long before the word starts to get out.

More Custom Capability Alongside the standard Taylor line, an emerging theme that delivers even more possibilities in 2010 is model customization. In 2009, the ability to order a custom guitar through Taylor’s Build to Order (BTO) program quickly caught on with dealers and customers. Hundreds of BTO guitars were ordered last year, and now that the program is well-established and more dealers are hip to the ordering process, the program is poised for more growth in 2010.

“We could potentially become the world’s largest custom guitar company,” Bob says. “People are getting used to the idea that these guitars are available, that it’s not so exclusive

or difficult to order one, and that you don’t have to wait forever to get one.”

Taylor’s BTO program expands its menu options for 2010, including the ability to order a custom 9-string, 12-fret or baritone acoustic, as well as an optional armrest or backstrap.

The T5 can be custom-ordered with binding of maple, koa, or ebony. (See our BTO spread on pages 48-49.)

Meanwhile, greater customization is a driving force behind this year’s expanded line of SolidBody electrics.

Customers will have more color choices for the Classic, and numerous pickup configurations will be offered for the Classic, Standard and Custom. The Standard and Custom are also available with a pickguard this year, and a new Vintage Alnico (VA) humbucker also joins the mix.

(See our SolidBody coverage on pages 38-43.)

Raising the Bar on Customer Support As passionate as Taylor is about guitar making, the company is equally committed to being a full-service resource that helps people with virtually every aspect of their relationship with guitars.

“I think it’s about time a guitar company gives service like we expect from other companies that we buy things from,” Bob says. “If you buy a Canon camera, you want someone at Canon to back you up. If you buy a car, you want service. When I first started, guitar company ser-

vice meant fixing your guitar under warranty if something went wrong.

That’s how it was defined until we started to change it and make it more ‘service’-like — a combination of presale info, tech support, straight-up repairs, and referrals to authorized people in your area who can get you taken care of really fast. For us, service might be answering questions about care of the guitar. It might be answering questions about your next purchase and how that guitar might be different than your others. It might be answering questions about the tone or specific applications.

“People just want to feel like they can call and get support,” Bob continues. “So we offer that. We have six people on the phone, just answering calls, talking with people about guitars all day long. That’s big.

I’m sure it helps us sell guitars, but that’s not really the point. The point is to treat someone who already bought a guitar as well as you treat someone who might buy a guitar. That’s really what service means to me. Because in reality, you’ll roll out the red carpet for someone who’s thinking of buying. Why not roll out the red carpet for the person who already bought?

If you can treat the person who already paid as well as you treat the person whose money you want, I think you’re doing a good thing.”

You can read more about our Customer Service department in our Guitar Guide on page 52.

th E 2010

guitar guide Specialty acoustics, custom electrics, and more expand this year’s Taylor line

A

new year brings fresh possibilities, and our 2010 guitar line is no exception. Boasting more guitar choices than ever before, this year’s lineup of Taylor models celebrates the many flavors of musical inspiration, some already discovered, others yet to be born in your hands. Whether you’re a beginner, a virtuoso, or somewhere in between, our guitars promise a playing experience that brings out your best.

In our 2010 Guitar Guide, we present an overview of the many flavors of Taylor tone that are available to you. Like people, each guitar has its own unique personality, and with more than 100 different standard Taylor models on the menu, our guide is intended to help you find the right one.

This year we’re pleased to welcome three fresh acoustic voices to the line as part of our “Specialty” series. Two of them are baritone models, a 6-string inspired by our 35th anniversary LTD and an 8-string we introduced last issue. Joining them is an amazing new 12-fret rosewood Grand Concert, also inspired by a 35th anniversary model.

As we detail elsewhere in this issue, our Artist Series continues to grow this year, starting with a new signature nylon-string designed with popular singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, a longtime Taylor player.

We also debut a new pickup for our nylons, the Expression Systemderived ES-N®.

In our electric division, the big news is the evolution of our SolidBody series to offer a much greater ability to custom-order a model. Now you can choose from a variety of options that include new colors, new pickup configurations, pickguards — now available for the Standard and Custom — and a tremolo option for any model.

We also have a new pickup, a vintage alnico humbucker. And from the T5 series comes the new ovangkol-top T5 Classic.

Each year it seems to get a little harder to contain the Taylor line for very long because we’re constantly working on new designs that spring to life throughout the year. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.

As you leaf through the following pages, we hope you get a sense of one of our underlying goals: to make the guitar-playing experience more enjoyable. We do it through constant innovation that redefines what a guitar can be, and we do it through the kind of customer outreach and support that strives to help you enrich your life through music.

L-R: Bob Taylor and Jason Mraz at the Taylor factory in December.

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Finding Your Fit The right pairing of shape and woods will lead you to a Taylor that sounds great on you Choosing a guitar is a highly personal, subjective process. This is both the beauty and the challenge of finding the right model — one that inspires you and delivers the sounds that you’re after.

Each person has different playing mechanics, we each perceive tone in a unique way, and our attraction to a certain look may get in the way of finding the right sound.

Understanding a few basic ideas about the factors that contribute to acoustic and electric guitar tone

will streamline your search and help you find the most compatible instrument for your musical needs.

Keep in mind that certain guitars are highly versatile, while others shine in a more specialized playing application, so knowing what you want always helps. If you aren’t sure, you can always talk to a Taylor dealer or call Ben Benavente at the Taylor factory (1-888 2TAYLOR) for recommendations.

When Taylor product specialists talk with customers at Road Shows

about acoustic guitars, they often start by offering this basic “tone equation” for reference:

A guitar’s body shape + the tonal properties of woods + player technique = guitar tone

In other words, a guitar’s dimensions generate the guitar’s fundamental sound, the types of woods used for the guitar help flavor that sound, and the way one plays interacts with those tonal attributes. The

idea is to choose a body shape and combination of woods that respond well to the way you play. For example, if you’re a lively strummer who wants a lot of volume, a smallbodied guitar may not be right for you. Or, if you’re a fingerstyle player who craves a warm sound with rich overtones, maple probably won’t cut it. Working out your own personal tone equation will help you find some great model options.

Acoustic Shapes A guitar’s overall shape defines how big the soundboard is, and a bigger shape tends to translate into more tone because there’s more surface area vibrating with the strings. Each Taylor shape features a refined design that helps establish a distinctive sound for that guitar. Here’s a rundown of our five standard shapes and their Grand Auditorium (GA) accompanying sounds.

The medium-size GA gave the world an identity-defining Taylor shape

Grand Auditorium (GA) The medium-size GA gave the world an identity-defining Taylor shape and sound. It was big enough to compete with the bigger, traditional dreadnought shape, long established in the acoustic world, yet the GA offered more sonic balance instead of a bass-dominant tone. The slightly tapered waist helps create an even blend between the bass, midrange and treble notes. That tonal balance comes through for strummers, the clarity suits fingerstyle playing, and the overall presence sits well in a studio mix with other instruments.

The GA is a superb all-purpose guitar shape that rewards players with versatility and incredible range.

Grand Symphony (GS) If you crave acoustic horsepower — if you’re a strummer or picker who likes to drive a guitar and get full-bodied tone and robust volume, yet without compromising balance — the GS is your shape. It’s Taylor’s boldest, richest acoustic voice, and, like a good sports car, blends power with responsiveness, which means players can drive the GS hard without sacrificing clarity.

Grand Concert (GC) Taylor’s smallest body shape features a slender waist that helps curb the overtones. As a result, the GC tends to occupy less sonic space, which helps it blend well with other instruments both on stage and in a recording mix. Because of its tonal clarity, the GC is well suited for fingerstyle and for pickers who play lead lines.

With the availability of the Expression System® acoustic pickup or studio microphones, acoustic volume is not an issue. The GC also features a shorter 24 7/8-inch scale length, which, together with the more compact size, offers physical comfort and playability that may appeal to players with smaller hands.

Dreadnought (DN) Bob Taylor chose to honor the large, traditional guitar shape he inherited by refining it, taking a potent tone known for its strong bass response and adding a balanced midrange and clear notes to give flatpickers and strummers the ability to be both aggressive and articulate across the tonal spectrum. Strong pickers are bound to love the blend of power and fidelity, which adds a new tonal dimension to roots-flavored music.

Jumbo (JM) Taylor’s biggest shape delivers a big, full sound without the bottom-heavy boominess. The curvy dimensions present a lot of soundboard real estate, yet the contoured waist helps tighten the midrange, keeping the overtones in check. Jumbos are great as big, full strummers, especially for solo artists who want a robust acoustic voice without sacrificing balance.

Taylor Jumbos particularly shine as 12-strings, yielding a rich, lush tone with lots of signature Taylor clarity and balance.

Woods The woods used on the top, back and sides of an acoustic guitar interact with the fundamental sound profile established by the shape, adding distinctive tonal “flavors.” A wood’s stiffness and density, for example, will influence its tonal frequencies, meaning that different species of woods will yield different degrees of bass, midrange, treble and overall sustain relative to each other.

The description of each series in our acoustic/electric line on the following pages includes a note on the distinguishing properties of the tonewoods used on the back and sides of the guitar. These are just generalizations for reference; keep in mind that each set of wood is unique, which of course adds to the fun of sampling guitars.

When it comes to soundboards, Sitka spruce is far and away the tonewood used most often for guitar tops.

It’s strong yet flexible, which produces a clear acoustic tone. Here is a brief rundown of soundboard properties among the woods we commonly use for guitar tops: Sitka Spruce — Used on the majority of Taylor acoustics, it yields a broad dynamic range and accommodates a versatile range of playing styles.

Western Red Cedar — Cedar’s softer density adds an element of warmth to a guitar’s tone, especially for players with a softer touch, like fingerstylists or moderate strummers and pickers.

More aggressive players are better matched with spruce, as they might run out of headroom with cedar.

Adirondack Spruce — Compared to Sitka, it has more dynamic range and can be driven hard for greater volume without losing clarity. Some players also perceive an additional sweetness in the midrange tones. Its availability is limited.

Engelmann Spruce — Compared to Sitka, Engelmann often has a hint of additional richness that sounds like an aged or played-in guitar. Its availability is also limited.

Hardwood Tops — Woods like koa and walnut that are used on the back and sides of a guitar are sometimes used as tops, as well. Their stiffness translates into a bright tone initially, but the more the guitar is played, the more full-bodied the tone becomes.

To read more about acoustic shapes and woods, visit taylorguitars.com under “Features.”

Player Technique It’s fair to say that a guitar’s tone is largely in the hands of the player, so it helps if you understand what kind of a player you are and what you’re going for when you play. Your playing style (strumming, flatpicking, fingerstyle), your attack (how hard or soft you hit the strings), string type and gauge, the way you fret — essentially the sum total of everything you physically do to the guitar — is a big part of the equation. For more on the tone-shaping variables of the player and how they can be matched up with the right tones or woods, go to taylorguitars.com/guitars/features/ woods/tone.

Electric Tone When it comes to electric guitars, pickups are another key part of the tone equation. In the electric portion of the Guitar Guide, you’ll find more details on Taylor’s proprietary electric pickups, their tonal personalities, and the different pickup configurations that are available.

In terms of body styles, certain distinctions are reflected in the different body designs of the T5, T3 and SolidBody. The T5 is a fully hollowbody design, which helps yield more natural acoustic tones that contribute to the T5’s incredible sonic range.

The T3 is a semi-hollowbody with a solid center block that runs down the length of the center. The SolidBody is, as the name suggests, the most solid, although the Standard and Custom feature special tone chambers, partly for weight relief but also to optimize the body’s natural acoustic “bloom.” This enhances sustain, which is otherwise hard to create on an electric when everything is locked down.

Bob’s Guitar Tips People often have questions as they consider the many guitar choices available to them. Bob Taylor answered a few common questions and offered some personal advice on finding the right guitar.

What qualities set a Taylor acoustic guitar apart from other guitar brands?

A Taylor has a unique tone, known for its clarity and balance. This tone-print not only sounds fantastic when played on its own, but works very well when played with other instruments or when recorded. Equally important and widely recognized are the superb playability and intonation of a Taylor. Currently our NT® neck design is the ultimate in straight, precise, adjustable guitar necks. It allows total control over action and intonation. This adjustability allows the original factory setup to be perfect, and allows easy, quick, affordable adjustments for the life of the guitar after the purchase. It’s the best neck/body attachment in the industry today.

How will I know when I find the right guitar?

Sometimes this is easy, and sometimes this is hard. First, try not to second-guess a feeling when you know you’ve found the right guitar. All too often a person laments the guitar that got away, so when one inspires you in a way that you know is right, act on it.

Now, if that doesn’t come to you, and you’re shopping for a guitar among many options, try to define what the guitar is meant to do for you. Is it a one-time purchase to solve all your guitar needs for life, or is it a guitar to fit a particular musical style or desire? Most people have multiple guitars because they have multiple needs and play many styles. For instance, a small-bodied guitar might be perfect for fingerstyle, but you might want a larger guitar for strumming. This is where people get confused. It’s so much easier if you try not to make each guitar solve every musical problem, especially if you’re a person who already knows you need more than one guitar. However, even with these challenges, you will eventually like one particular guitar more than the others, and when that happens, go for it!

How will an acoustic guitar’s sound change over time?

It will develop more clarity, more depth and more volume. In short, it will just sound better and better. It’s one of the amazing treats of buying a guitar. Whereas your clothes, car, computer, TV and furniture wear out with age, your guitar wears in with age. Sure, it gets worn cosmetically, but the tone just improves. It’s most noticeable when you play your 10- or 15-year-old guitar against a brand new one of the same style. I often smile when I read forums where people proclaim that Taylor made better guitars in the early ’90s than now because their old guitar sounds better. They’ll claim it has some quality they can’t describe. I can describe it very easily: It’s called “age.”

What are the most important things to remember about caring for a guitar?

Caring for a guitar is easy if you consider heat and humidity. Low humidity ravages a good guitar. Also, heat, as in leaving your guitar in the trunk of your car while you shop or eat at a restaurant on a summer day, will wreak havoc on your guitar. But in our experience, it’s the long, slow lack of humidity that does more damage to a guitar than anything else. Store you guitar in its case rather than displaying it in the living room or music room, unless you are controlling the humidity in those rooms. Use a soundhole humidifier to restore lost humidity to the wood in your guitar. Sharp fret ends or low, buzzy action are signs of a guitar drying excessively.

Other than humidity control, in my opinion a guitar doesn’t need too much other care. Just play it, wipe it down, polish it once in a while, and change the strings to keep the tone sounding good.

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2 0 1 0 G u itar G u ide T he A C O U S T I C / E L E C T R I C L I N E

The koa Series Back/Sides: Hawaiian Koa Top: Abalone-trimmed Sitka Spruce or Hawaiian Koa Fretboard Inlay: Abalone Koa Series Binding: Curly Maple Rosette: Abalone Additional Premium Appointments: Maple-bound soundhole Models: K10ce, K12ce, K14ce, K16ce, K20ce, K22ce, K24ce, K26ce, K54ce, K56ce, K64ce, K65ce, K66ce

Hawaiian koa, you had us at “Aloha”. Koa’s seduction is often kindled with the first glimpse of its flamed figure and rich variegation. The romance with its tone, however, tends to unfold more gradually. As a dense tropical hardwood, koa’s tonal properties initially project a bright focus like maple, especially when also topped with a koa soundboard. But the tone slowly reveals its full range as it opens up with playing over time, sweetening as the midrange takes on rich, mellow overtones similar to mahogany. Fingerstyle players who use more flesh than nails will naturally soften the brightness. To match the wood’s visual splendor, we appoint the Koa Series with figured maple binding and vibrant abalone trim. A truly rare beauty both above and below the surface, koa promises to age gracefully. If you spend enough time with a koa guitar, chances are that you will, too.

K24ce shown

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th e 9 00 S e r i es Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood Top: Abalone-trimmed Sitka Spruce Fretboard Inlay: 900 Series Pearl Binding: Ivoroid Rosette: Abalone Sunburst Options: Tobacco (top only) Additional Premium Appointments: Gotoh tuners, bone nut/saddle, peghead and bridge inlays Models: 910ce, 912ce, 914ce, 916ce, 954ce

th e 8 00 S e r i es Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood Top: Sitka Spruce Fretboard Inlay: 800 Series Pearl Binding: Curly Maple Rosette: Abalone Sunburst Options: Tobacco (top only) Models: 810ce, 812ce, 814ce, 815ce, 816ce, 854ce, 855ce, 856ce

th e 700 S e r i es Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood Top: Engelmann Spruce (710ce, 712ce), Western Red Cedar (714ce, 716ce) Fretboard Inlay: Pearl Dots Binding: Indian Rosewood Rosette: Abalone Sunburst Options: Tobacco (top only) Models: 710ce, 712ce, 714ce, 716ce

East Indian rosewood’s sweeping tonal range is matched by its broad appeal, having carved out a deservedly rich heritage among acoustic players for decades. Boasting deep, full lows, bright, articulate highs, and rich sustain, rosewood’s tone is both complex and responsive to the player, and pairs well with a variety of guitar shapes. With a small guitar body, fingerstylists and lighter pickers have access to a crisp, full-range tonal palette. With larger body shapes, flatpickers can drive basslines and pick out clean melodies, while strummers benefit from the dynamic range and the tonal balance. A rosewood Grand Auditorium lives in both worlds, making it one of the most versatile Taylor guitars a player can own.

Rosewood is appealing and abundant enough that we use it for three different Taylor series. Our premium 900 Series rosewood has the broadest range of colors and tends to display tighter, straighter grain.

The overall aesthetic is of elegant sophistication rooted in tradition.

The 800 Series has evolved from its workmanlike appearance during Taylor’s early days into a stylish appointment package featuring figured maple trim. The 700 Series displays rosewood’s most organic personality, often with thick chocolate-hued bands and complemented by rosewood binding. The 700s also feature alternative soundboard offerings — cedar for extra warmth and richness and Engelmann spruce for a creamier look and slightly mellower response. Whichever series you favor, rosewood will simply sing in your hands.

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L-R: 916ce, 814ce, 714ce

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th e 6 00 S e r i es Back/Sides: Big Leaf Maple Top: Sitka Spruce Fretboard Inlay: Pearl “Leaf” Pattern Binding: White Rosette: Abalone Colors/Bursts: Aged Toner, Amber, Black, Blue, Blue Burst, Cherry Black Sunburst, Cherry Sunburst (or optional top only), Green, Honey Sunburst, Natural, Orange, Purple, Ruby Red, Ruby Red Burst, Tobacco Sunburst (or optional top only), Transparent Black Models: 610ce, 612ce, 614ce, 615ce, 616ce, 654ce, 655ce, 656ce

Maple’s focused tone is strong on the fundamental and produces a clean, bright sound. Its physical density translates into fewer overtones and quicker note decay. (It has less low end and more high end than rosewood.) Consequently, it has been a preferred guitar wood for ensemble playing, both on stage and in the studio, because it articulates clearly through a mix with other instruments. It’s also more immune to feedback. Maple’s tonal properties work well for smallerbodied guitars where the tone is being amplified, and with biggerbodied guitars, including 12-strings, because it’s not bottom-heavy, so the sound tends not to be overly boomy. Of course, tone is often only half of maple’s equation, as its blonde complexion, coupled with varying degrees of figure, from flame to quilt, invite a variety of vibrant color shades and bursts that enhance the dimension of the figure while evoking vibrant personalities.

On our 600 Series, white binding adds a crisp counterpoint to more than 15 available color shades, including sunburst options, offering more visual “pop” to the abalone rosette. And through our Modify a Model program, you can order any color or burst treatment we offer through your dealer, at no additional charge.

L-R: Natural 610ce, cherry sunburst 616ce, tobacco sunburst 616ce, blue 614ce, tobacco sunburst 610ce

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th e 5 00 S e r i es Back/Sides: Tropical Mahogany Top: Engelmann Spruce (510ce, 512ce)

Western Red Cedar (514ce, 516ce) Fretboard Inlay: Pearl Dots Binding: Indian Rosewood Rosette: Abalone Models: 510ce, 512ce, 514ce, 516ce

Mahogany sits alongside rosewood in terms of its enduring appeal among acoustic guitar makers and players. Tonally, mahogany flourishes in the midrange zone, yielding a “bloom” of overtones that add richness to the overall acoustic sound. You’ll hear that midrange resonance sometimes described as meaty or earthy. As a traditional tonewood, mahogany is associated with a lot of vintage acoustic music like blues and folk, although plenty of contemporary players (including Leo Kottke) are devoted to mahogany’s tone. That midrange character, along with superb dynamic range, records well and offers a lot to a musician who appreciates character and texture — singersongwriters, fingerstyle players, and blues/roots artists come to mind.

Mahogany also sounds wonderfully resonant in alternate tunings.

Our 500 Series offers a choice of cedar tops on the popular 514ce (GA) and 516ce (GS) — adding even more warmth for fingerpickers and strummers — and Engelmann spruce on the Dreadnought 510ce and Grand Concert 512ce.

Taylor acoustics have long been favored for recording due to their natural clarity and balance. With more people involved in home recording projects, working with a Taylor means it’s easy to get a great acoustic sound. Robin Whitehouse, 23, began recording at home with his computer in 10th grade. Pictured in his home studio with a 510ce, he has recorded a variety of music projects, including two full-length albums with his own bands and the music of other local artists, ranging from ballads to pop-punk to musical theater. “My Taylor has changed recording acoustic guitar from a tedious process into an artistic sonic exploration,” he says.

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th e 4 00 S e r i es Back/Sides: Ovangkol Top: Sitka Spruce Finish: Satin with Gloss Top Fretboard Inlay: Large Pearl Dots Binding: White Rosette: 3-Ring Models: 410ce, 412ce, 414ce, 454ce, 455ce

th e 3 00 S e r i es Back/Sides: Sapele Top: Sitka Spruce Finish: Satin with Gloss Top Fretboard Inlay: Large Pearl Dots Binding: Black Rosette: 3-Ring Models: 310ce, 312ce, 314ce, 315ce, 354ce, 355ce

A reliable, performance-ready guitar is an indispensable tool for a gigging musician. Our 400 Series and 300 Series deliver that and plenty more. Both series feature woods that may not boast the recognizable heritage of rosewood and mahogany, yet they give players a comparable range of tones, with a splash of extra sparkle.

Ovangkol is an African alternative to rosewood that yields a similarly wide tonal spectrum from lows to highs, with a bit more midrange.

Sapele, another African tonewood, is a highly sustainable alternative to mahogany that has a similar sound, but with its slightly higher density, adds a touch of extra treble zing. Both series feature a satin finish and a simpler appointment package, translating into our most affordable price point for solid wood acoustics without sacrificing any of Taylor’s signature playability.

Liz Grace fronts the country band Three Chord Justice. “I’ve been singing in honky tonks across the Western U.S. for 20 years,” she says. “When I first picked up my Taylor and heard its clear and wonderful ring, I knew I would be a loyal Taylor player. My guitar is perfect for my band, because it gives me a rich, warm sound that cuts through the band. Every other guitar I’ve played struggles to be heard. But my Taylor is perfect.” She’s pictured here at Hooleys Irish Pub playing a 314ce, flanked by a 355ce and a 412ce.

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th e 200 S e r i es Back/Sides: Rosewood Laminate Top: Solid Sitka Spruce Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots Binding: White Rosette: 3-Ring Models: 210, 210e, 210ce, 214, 214e, 214ce

th e 100 S e r i es Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate Top: Solid Sitka Spruce Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots Binding: Black Rosette: 3-Ring Models: 110, 110e, 110ce, 114, 114e, 114ce

We know how to make a great guitar more affordable without compromising great tone. Our rosewood laminate 200 Series and sapele laminate 100 Series are designed to give players an inspiring Taylor playing experience and arm them with a fun tool that can cover a lot of musical applications, all at a reasonable price point.

Both series feature a choice of Dreadnought or Grand Auditorium shapes with a solid spruce top, come with or without a cutaway, and can be ordered with or without our under-saddle ES-T® acoustic pickup. Whether you’re in the early stages of woodshedding or you’re just looking for a killer value, you can’t go wrong with either series.

For some guitarists, the garage may end up being the biggest venue they ever play, but in the end, it’s all about having fun. The 100 and 200 Series give players great tools for honing their chops and offer the kind of playability and tone that’s hard to match at their price points. Here, Brandon (left, 214ce) and Connor (right, 110) goof around, while Connor’s brother Dallas dials in the drum kit and lead vocalist Rocky the dog struts his stuff.

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th e nylon s e r i es NS72ce/NS74ce Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood Top: Cedar Binding: Indian Rosewood Headstock Overlay: Indian Rosewood NS62ce/NS64ce Back & Sides: Big Leaf Maple Top: Engelmann Spruce Binding: Indian Rosewood Headstock Overlay/Bridge: Cocobolo NS32ce/ NS34ce Back & Sides: Sapele Top: Sitka Spruce Binding: Black Headstock Overlay: Indian Rosewood NS24e/NS24ce Back & Sides: Rosewood Laminate Top: Sitka Spruce Binding: Black Headstock Overlay: Indian Rosewood

One of the pleasures of living in the modern acoustic guitar era is the diverse palette of tonal flavors available to players. Our Nylon Series represents the next generation of nylon tone, used not just for traditional classical or Spanishtinged music, but in virtually every contemporary genre, from rock and pop to jazz and world music.

Grammy favorites from Jason Mraz to Zac Brown to Wayne Johnson rely on Taylor nylons for songwriting and performance. With a cutaway and a 1 7/8-inch neck, our nylons offer steel-string acoustic players a smooth crossover to a fresh sonic texture, and the lighter string tension adds an extra helping of playability. In 2009 we added a pair of more affordable rosewood laminate nylons to the family, and new for 2010 is our ES-N速 pickup, featuring a preamp and tone controls that were designed to naturally capture the nylon-string voice.

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NS74ce shown

baby taylo r Size/Shape: 3/4-scale Dreadnought (22 3/4-inch scale length) Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate Top: Solid Sitka Spruce or Mahogany Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots Rosette: Laser-etched

big baby taylo r Size/Shape: 15/16-scale Dreadnought Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate Top: Solid Sitka Spruce Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots Rosette: Laser-etched

A big reason for the guitar’s widespread popularity is its portability, and the Baby Taylor has taken this to a whole new level. The ¾-size Dreadnought helped establish the travel guitar market, and now, even 14 years after its debut, its appeal remains as strong as ever for travelers, children and artists from Lindsey Buckingham to Taylor Swift for a simple reason: It plays and sounds like a real guitar. Its bigger, louder sibling, the Big Baby, is another favorite for players who want to keep a songwriting guitar handy at the office, in their house for friends to pick up and play, or as an alternate-tuning guitar. Whatever your needs, whichever direction you may be headed, the Baby’s appeal is as far and wide as you want to go.

You don’t have to be off in the wilderness to appreciate the Baby Taylor’s portability. It makes a great companion when you’re commuting around town, too. Plus, you’ll be well equipped if you get inspired to do a little busking on the fly.

Baby Taylor shown

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2 0 1 0 G u itar G u ide T he aco u stic L I N E

grand symphony Models: GS-K, GS8, GS8-12, GS7, GS6, GS6-12, GS5, GS5-12

grand AU D ITOR I U M Models: GA-K, GA-K-12, GA8, GA8-12, GA7, GA6, GA6-12, GA5, GA4, GA4-12, GA3, GA3-12

grand concert Models: GC-K, GC8, GC7, GC6, GC5, GC4, GC3

dreadnou ght Models: DN-K, 910 Legacy,* 810 Legacy,** DN8, DN5, DN4, DN3 *Features “Cindy” fretboard inlay and abalone-edged top **Features 800 Series fretboard inlay and white binding

The clean, symmetrical contours of a noncutaway acoustic speak to the aesthetic of elegant simplicity that defines our Acoustic line.

Appointments are understated and kept to a minimum, pickguards are withheld (available as an option), and our less-is-more design approach honors the essential elements of a fine acoustic guitar: shapes, woods and pure tone. A world of rich detail and nuance lives within that tone, and we don’t want anything else to take away from your playing experience.

Inspired by the development of the Grand Symphony (GS), the Acoustic line features 34 models, organized around four shapes: the GS, the Grand Auditorium (GA), the Grand Concert (GC), and the Dreadnought (DN). Several 12-string models are available in the GS and GA shapes, and the optional Expression System® pickup fits the line’s design sensibility by amplifying the acoustic tone in the most natural way possible, without intruding on the beauty of the instrument.

A quartet of acoustic models against a backdrop of figured Hawaiian koa boards.

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L-R: a lefty GA3e, GC-Ke, GS-7 and DN5e

2 0 1 0 G u itar G u ide T he specialt y models

Baritone 6-String Baritone 8-String 12-Fret Three unique guitar voices from 2009 have inspired new models for our line this year: a 6- and 8-string Baritone Grand Symphony and a 12-fret Grand Concert. Linking the trio are the tonewood combination of Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce and an underlying theme of discovering fresh musical inspiration. The Baritone models feature a longer 27-inch scale length and are tuned from B to B, giving singersongwriters a guitar with deeper, richer tone, yet with normal string tension, and allowing them to sing in a lower vocal range. The 8-string is a sonic revelation, pairing two upper octave strings with the third and fourth (D and A) strings to extend the baritone range into the upper register without overemphasizing the 12-string jangle. It’s great for walking bass lines and other melodic chord embellishments.

The rosewood/spruce 12-Fret has stolen Bob Taylor’s heart and given the world a Taylor sound like no other — a modern vintage tone that blends warmth and depth on the low end with crisp, snappy treble and surprising overall volume. Because the neck meets the body at the 12th fret instead of the 14th, and the bridge is repositioned farther back on the soundboard, the result is a sweet spot of sound that gives the 12-Fret the voice of an aged guitar right out of the case. The model also features a slotted head and a cutaway design inspired by our Nylon Series. If you’ve been craving something different to stimulate your creative juices, look no further than our specialty models.

San Diego singer-songwriter Cindy Lee Berryhill enjoys her first exposure to our new 8-string Baritone. Berryhill often writes in the keys of B and B flat and says the Taylor Baritone is now officially on her wish list. “I’ve always loved the lower tones of the guitar and have been an admirer of Neil Young’s detuned guitar sound,” she says.

“But probably most important is my desire to reinvent. As a guitarist/songwriter, I invite each song cycle to come from a fresh place.

I like to get myself in a sea of tones on a ship that’s lost its bearing, its North Star, which forces me to reinvent a new constellation of chords. Then the songs start blowing in.”

L-R: The 12-Fret, Baritone 8-string, and Baritone 6-string

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2 0 1 0 G u itar G u ide T he E L E C T R I C L I N E

th e solidbody Fueled by our proprietary pickups and innovative design touches, the Taylor SolidBody has given the electric guitar world a uniquely inspiring voice. For 2010, we diversify the SolidBody’s appeal with a fresh array of custom ordering options and after-market flexibility.

Now you can have exactly the look and tones you want by choosing from options that include color (for the SolidBody Classic), pickup configuration, and pickguard color, with an optional tremolo bridge available for any model. We’ve also added a new pickup to the mix, a vintage alnico (VA) humbucker, which boasts a big, full sound. You can now order a SolidBody Custom or Standard with a pickguard, and the Classic now comes in 14 different colors. On top of that, our solderless, “plug & play” loaded pickguards give you additional options that let you easily swap out pickups to completely change the tonal personality of your guitar in minutes. Now more than ever, the SolidBody experience means you can own a Taylor electric that fits your style and sound.

L-R: Viper Blue Classic with white pearloid pickguard, 3 mini humbuckers and tremolo; Jewelescent Orange Classic with black pearloid pickguard, 2 single coils/1 humbucker and tremolo; Custom Koa with vintage alnico humbuckers and tremolo; Standard with white pearloid pickguard and 3 single coils; Custom Walnut with white pearloid pickguard and 2 full-size humbuckers

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th e solidbody

Classic - Magenta Pearl

Classic - Sublime

Classic - Sage Green

Classic - Viper Blue

Classic - Blue Metallic

Choose Your Pickup Configuration Eleven different SolidBody pickup configurations give players a unique palette of electric tones from which to choose. In addition to these choices, our pickups are designed for aftermarket “plug & play� flexibility, so you can swap out for other loaded pickguards with different pickup configurations, without the need for any soldering, giving you the ultimate in SolidBody customization.

Classic - Purple Flake

Classic - Jewelescent Orange

Choose Your Pickguard All SolidBody models come with a pickguard, available in a choice of four colors: white pearloid, black pearloid, tortoise and black. The Standard and Custom can also be ordered with direct-mount pickups, without a pickguard.

Classic - Lava Red

Classic - Titanium Pearl

Classic - Trans White

Choose Your Body The SolidBody comes in three different body styles: Classic, Standard and Custom. The Classic features a solid ash body with a choice of 14 different colors (shown and listed below). The Standard features a chambered sapele body with a top of figured Tamo ash and an aged cherry sunburst. The Custom also features a chambered sapele body, with a choice of two different tops, koa or walnut.

Custom - Koa w/ pickguard

Single Coil: Uses only one coil by design. When played through a clean channel on an amp, single coils can sound shimmery, glassy and bright.

They take on a different personality when played through the crunch or high gain channel of an amp. Players who have popularized the single coil sound include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and David Gilmour. Our breakthrough noiseless single coil responds with all the breathiness, sparkle and other distinctive character of the single coil sound, but without any of the traditional buzz, hum or other sonic artifacts.

Custom - Walnut w/ pickguard

Standard - Aged Cherry Sunburst w/ pickguard

Custom - Walnut

High Definition / High Gain: Our full-size and mini humbuckers are available in two different versions.

The High Definition (HD) is our original high fidelity design, while the High Gain (HG) is slightly darker-sounding and unleashes more front-end drive for a crunchier tone with extra rawness.

Vintage Alnico (VA) Humbucker: Our newest pickup is a full-size, covered humbucker with a big sound.

The Alnico 5 magnets we used are known for their hot output and round sound. Our VA pays homage to the tradition of classic humbuckers, yet with a more modern sonic flavor.

Taylor’s David Hosler explains: “I’ve always liked that big, woolly tone that comes with PAF humbuckers. Our goal was to create a pickup with a little more drive on the front end of the amp.”

Custom - Koa

Mini Humbucker: Also uses two coils and has all the advantages of a full-size humbucker, but because of its smaller size, it provides a tone that takes up less sonic space, which is great for cutting through a mix.

Standard - Aged Cherry Sunburst

Classic - Black

Humbucker: Uses two coils to generate sound. Humbuckers are known for having a high output and for their ability to produce sound without the noise that is inherent with a traditional single coil pickup. Players such as Jimmy Page, Dickie Betts and Carlos Santana have defined their signature tones with humbucker-equipped guitars. Our humbucker was designed to balance the sweetness and definition of a vintage pickup sound with the power to fully drive an amp without overpounding it. It unleashes raw rock power and great sustain without sacrificing balance or great tone.

Classic - Trans Red

Classic - Natural

Classic - Tobacco Sunburst

pickup personalities Much of the distinctive tonal character of an electric guitar comes from the types of pickups used. With the SolidBody, our pickups were actually developed before the guitar was. The fact that they had such a cool and unique character justified designing a whole new guitar around them.

Our electronics team captured all the familiar “goodness” of the iconic electric pickups we’ve loved for years, but also solved some of their inherent problems. Our developers also added unique Taylor “flavors” and enhanced the tone-shaping capability. The following pickups are available in different configurations on the SolidBody.

th e solidbody Pick u p config u rations Choosing from different combinations of pickups allows you to customize the fundamental tonal palette of your SolidBody. With nearly a dozen configurations available, you can completely personalize your sound for your playing preferences. Here’s a rundown of available configurations.

5 6

2 Mini Humbuckers (HD or HG) 1 Because mini humbuckers take up less sonic space than full-size humbuckers, they’re a great choice for a band with multiple instruments. They have plenty of grind and punch without getting in the way of the other arrangements in the mix. On stage, the minis have a little more cut and presence. A sideman will be able to cover a lot of ground.

2 Full-size HD Humbuckers 2 2 Full-size HG Humbuckers 3 2 Full-size Vintage Alnico Humbuckers 4 Two full-size humbuckers have a heavier, dirtier tone than the mini for more of a rock edge. For years, players have relied on this combination to deliver the warm, sweet sound of the neck pickup and the bite of the bridge. The HG version is full of presence and is engineered to hit the front of the amp harder than the HD for a heavier, crunchy tone. The vintage alnicos are our modern version of a traditional PAF-style covered pickup. They feature a fat, round sound with a warm bottom end. Traditionally, guitars with two humbuckers have a 3-way switch. Our 5-way switching system adds both a parallel and series option for a broader tone palette.

3 Single Coils 5 Another classic sound in the electric world. “Sultans of Swing,” “Brown Sugar,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Another Brick in the Wall” are examples of single coil gold. Our noiseless single coils capture all the great character of the single coil sound without the buzz and other sonic noise. The bridge pickup sounds great overdriven, yet has lots of sparkle and clarity when played clean. Our switching allows each pickup to be selected individually and also provides two combined pickup positions.

1 Full-size HG Humbucker 6 There is a simple beauty to the signal chain of a guitar, cable and amp. Some players just want to plug in, turn up, and rock out. If you like to ride the volume knob for more nuance, turning down the volume controls a little and hitting the amp in different ways will yield all kinds of colors and flavors at different levels. Pulling up the volume pot will split the coil.

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4

7

3

9

2 Single Coils/1 HG Humbucker 7 This combination, born out of the guitar player culture of swapping pickups, is a very popular and versatile setup. If you’re a player who needs to quickly switch between the slam of a humbucker and the wisp of a single coil, the “single single hum” configuration will get it done. Perfect for a player who wants access to multiple tones with one guitar.

8

2 1

1 HD Mini Humbucker/1 Single Coil 8 This setup throws a nod to Keith Richards and other great blues players like Albert Collins. A 3-way switch allows you to toggle between the modern sound of our high definition mini and the spank of our noiseless bridge single coil. Great for cutting, groovy, rhythmic chording.

3 HD Mini Humbuckers (HD or HG) 9 The three-mini setup is reminiscent of the ’60s Firebird 7 but with Taylor’s own sonic imprint. Positions 1 and 5 (Neck and Bridge) deliver a smooth and driving front edge, with great distortion and clean sounds available at the flick of a switch. Both positions drive the front end of an amp really well. Positions 2 and 4 capture a thick single coil vibe, and make great choices for blues rhythm or lead. The real gem of this configuration is Position 3, the middle pickup alone.

It sparkles and drives at the same time; it’s really transparent and thick. With a trem, this setup suits any style or tonal flavor.

Loaded Pickg uards In addition to custom ordering options, Taylor’s solderless, “plug & play” loaded pickguards give SolidBody owners ongoing pickup flexibility, making it easy to swap out pickups for a new configuration that translates into incredible versatility. Players can choose from a variety of pickup combinations and pickguard colors. Owners of a SolidBody Standard or Custom who have their pickups directmounted without a pickguard can purchase individual replacement pickups in the form of full-size or mini humbuckers, available in both HD and HG versions. Both the loaded pickguards and replacement pickups can be swapped out in minutes with a Phillips head screwdriver.

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The T5 The incredibly versatile hollowbody hybrid T5 continues to amaze players with its stunning range of electric and amplified acoustic tones. Equipped with an acoustic body sensor derived from the Expression System® and two humbuckers (one installed beneath the fretboard), the T5 is fully compatible with acoustic amps, a PA system, and electric amps. A five-way switch offers access to a full range of acoustic and electric tones, and an A/B/Both box lets players dial in a blend of both. A winner of multiple industry awards, the T5 has redefined what a guitar can do and given performers across the musical spectrum a guitar that can cover as much ground as they need to on stage. For 2010, we’re pleased to add another model to the mix, the ovangkol top T5 Classic (available as either a 6- or 12-string). To view a video demonstration of everything the T5 can do, visit taylorguitars.com.

The T3 The T3 rounds out the Taylor electric line with yet another inspiring blend of tones and smooth functionality that embrace the semihollow sound and then take it to another level. The T3’s coil-splitting application allows players to turn their high definition humbuckers into single coils. Our push/pull tone knob activates two different levels of tone-shaping that yield a colorful range of electric voices, from rockabilly twang to hard rock to warm, fat jazz. A metal rollerstyle bridge includes two tailpiece options: a stop tailpiece or, on the T3/B, an authentic Bigsby vibrato that adds a touch of vintage, chromed-out cool. The Bigsby/roller bridge pairing solves the pitch problems long associated with fixed bridges and tuning stability.

Every step of the way, the T3 enhances the feel, sound and performance of a semi-hollowbody electric. Plug one in and you’re bound to discover a heap of cool new sounds.

L-R: Ovangkol top T5 Classic, koa top T5-C2, tobacco sunburst T3/B, honey sunburst T5C1-12, Macassar ebony top T5-C5, red T3 with stop tail

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th e signatu re m o d e ls Great artists bring something uniquely compelling to the world.

Our Signature models represent an extension of each Taylor artist’s unique musical expression. In each case, a signature guitar has evolved from a standard Taylor model an artist has played for years, incorporating additional design elements that visually capture part of the artist’s identity. For 2010, our Signature models embodies a range of musical styles. Our DDSM and LKSM celebrate two of the most accomplished fingerstyle players in the world in Doyle Dykes and Leo Kottke. The TSBT is an invitation to young Taylor Swift fans who have been inspired by her songs to pick up a guitar themselves. The STSM-T5 captures the creative energy of rock singer-songwriter Serj Tankian and the dynamic range of musical emotions the T5 can articulate on stage. And the JMSM, designed with Jason Mraz, showcases the ways a nylon-string’s expressive flavors and rhythmic textures fit into the acoustic pop world. With the right guitar, we each can find our own signature sound.

JMSM Signature Artist: Jason Mraz Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood Top: Western Red Cedar Unique Features: Mexican cypress “Be Love” triangle/circle fretboard inlay, zodiac rosette inlay featuring koa, bubinga and Mexican cypress STSM-T5 Signature Artist: Serj Tankian Body: Sapele Top: Maple Unique Features: Red binding, “Energy Wheel” fretboard and peghead inlays, unbound f-hole TSBT Signature Artist: Taylor Swift Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate Top: Solid Sitka Spruce Unique Features: Custom rosette featuring a vine motif with “Love” inscribed three times, with Taylor Swift’s stylized signature and the word “Fearless” over the bridge DDSM Signature Artist: Doyle Dykes Back/Sides: Big Leaf Maple Top: Sitka Spruce Unique Features: Florentine cutaway, 4 1/8-inch body depth, offset pearl “Chet” style fretboard inlays, pearl/abalone rose peghead inlay, abalone-edged top, different color options (see specs) LKSM, LKSM-6 Signature Artist: Leo Kottke Back/Sides: Tropical Mahogany Top: Sitka Spruce Unique Features: No fretboard inlay, heavy gauge strings tuned to C#

L-R: Jason Mraz Signature Model, Serj Tankian T5, Taylor Swift Baby Taylor, Doyle Dykes Signature Model, Leo Kottke Signature Model

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2 0 1 0 G u itar G u ide c u stomi z ation

build To order Part of the pleasure of being a guitar enthusiast is envisioning one’s dream guitar(s). In recent years, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to make those guitar dreams tangible through the Taylor Build to Order program. Our goal is simple: to use our wood resources and design expertise to help you create a Taylor that’s truly your own.

The program is based on three key ideas: choice, support and turnaround. Starting with choice, our BTO menu features about 40 separate categories from which to choose, from amazing grades of exotic woods to custom neck profiles to a rich palette of inlay, binding and purfling options. Next is support. With the many available options, you might have questions along the way, and we’re more than happy to answer them. We’ve also brought a good number of our dealers out to the Taylor complex to spend time with Bob Taylor and our BTO team and learn firsthand about BTO options, giving you an additional resource, since you’ll place your BTO order through your dealer. Last is turnaround time. We reserve daily build slots for BTO guitars because you shouldn’t have to wait six months or more. This means that orders are fulfilled in around eight weeks.

Our Build to Order program doesn’t just cover our steelstring acoustics. It includes nylon-strings, the T5 and the T3, too. Our menu of options may change on a quarterly basis, based on the availability of woods. In 2010, new BTO options for acoustic guitars include an armrest or a headstock backstrap, plus the ability to order a custom 9-string, 12fret or baritone guitar. New options for the T5 and T3 include Koa Backstrap the availability of maple, koa or ebony binding. For a listing of BTO categories, check our Specifications pages in the back of the Guitar Guide.

L-R: GA with AA-quilt maple back and sides, tobacco sunburst finish, 900 Series fretboard and bridge inlays, koa binding and rosette, and abalone top; GC with a cocobolo back, sides, armrest and binding, Engelmann spruce top, and 600 Series fretboard inlays; T5 with Macassar ebony top and headstock overlay, “Cindy” fretboard inlays, Koa Series peghead inlay, and antique gold Gotoh 510 tuners

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m o d i fy a model If you want a variation on a guitar model from Taylor’s existing line without having to order a custom Build to Order guitar, we offer a number of options through our Modify a Model program. The program applies to any model from the Acoustic 3 or Acoustic/ Electric 300 Series and up. (These options apply when ordering a guitar only, not for an existing guitar.)

Common choices include: •

•

•

•

•

Alternative nut widths of 1 11/16 or 1 7/8 inches Switching to or from a short-scale neck Tuner upgrades (including Gotoh 510s) Pickguard options (black, clear, tortoise, none) A bone nut/saddle

Some options are specific to certain series. For the maple 600 Series, you can choose between different grades of quilt or flame, and for no additional charge can select from all available color and burst options. On the 500 Series and higher, top swapping options include Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce or cedar, and you can choose between a two- or three-piece back. The Koa Series offers a shaded edgeburst option.

You can also opt for a Florentine cutaway in place of the standard Venetian on any acoustic/electric.

Prices vary by option and may not be available on all models. For more information about modifying a model, contact an authorized Taylor dealer.

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Acoustic

Electronics The K4

The performance-ready Expression System faithfully reproduces your Taylor’s natural voice Our commitment to great acoustic tone doesn’t end with the guitar. It includes the realm of amplified sound for players who want to plug in and convey all the great acoustic nuances they love about their Taylors. A guitar’s shape, its wood pairings, and the technique of the player together create a unique tonal character, and we think that voice deserves to be heard when the guitar is pluggedin. After all, many gigging acoustic players stake their livelihood on their live sound, and they want a pickup that sounds natural, is reliable, and is easy to use.

We decided to develop our own acoustic pickup, the Expression System® (ES), because other aftermarket pickups like a traditional piezo transducer had never managed to produce a true acoustic sound. We started by studying how a guitar resonates. We worked closely with legendary pro audio designer Mr. Rupert Neve. Ultimately, our product development group designed a highfidelity acoustic pickup and preamp that are fully integrated into the guitar. We’ve been installing it in our guitars since 2003, and some of the biggest names in music, from John Fogerty to George Strait, rely on it for a great acoustic sound on stage.

The ES incorporates a network of magnetic sensors that work like a microphone to capture the acoustic detail coming from the guitar’s body and neck as they resonate. Two body sensors affixed to the underside of the guitar’s soundboard (top) capture all the sonic detail of its movement, while the neck sensor picks up string and neck vibration. A pro audio grade preamp cleanly boosts the signal and eliminates noise that might otherwise distort or muddy the tone.

The result is amplified acoustic tone that sounds like you and your guitar,

with all the richness, articulation and dynamic range you could ask for. It’s also highly feedback resistant.

Another goal of the ES design was to offer easy-to-use tone controls without intruding on the beautiful aesthetic of a Taylor. With three soft-touch roller knobs elegantly embedded in the upper bout of the guitar, you can adjust your volume, bass, midrange and treble frequencies, allowing you to dial in your sound to suit the performance space.

The latest version of the ES (updated in 2007) allows players to turn off one or both body sensors with a switch on the preamp board inside the soundhole, features a battery indicator LED, and includes a fused string ground to protect players who play at venues that may not have proper electrical ground.

Although the ES was originally designed with performance in mind, the sound quality is good enough that many players and recording engineers also use the ES signal for recording.

In the end, the ES will satisfy the most demanding pro player, yet makes it simple enough for anyone to plug in and get a great live tone.

Even if you’re not quite ready for that open mic night, with the ES, your guitar will be ready to go when you are.

The ES comes standard on acoustic/electric models from the 300 Series up and is optional on models in our acoustic line.

ES-T Under-Saddle Transducer / 100 & 200 Series Inspired by our Expression System technology and installed on our 100 and 200 Series, the ES-T® is a single-source, under-saddle transducer with individual elements

for each string. The ES-T has an onboard preamp and the same active controls found on the full ES. Featuring a custom-voiced EQ and dynamic response, the system is powered by a 9-volt battery, with a battery life LED power indicator (which is lit when the battery is being used). The pickup also has a Phase switch for feedback control, which is located on the preamp board inside the soundhole.

ES-N / Nylon Series New for 2010, the ES-N applies our ES pickup technology to our Nylon Series. It’s similar to the ES-T, but the preamp design and tone controls were customized to complement the nylon-string voice. Our standard ES control knobs replace the Fishman EQ control unit formerly installed in the guitar’s upper bout, adding more tone-shaping control and preserving the natural design aesthetic.

ES Installation and Retrofits Whatever model of acoustic guitar you own, whether an older Taylor with pre-ES electronics, a model without electronics, or even another brand of acoustic, our Factory Service Center can install or retrofit the Expression System. A retrofit for “classic” Taylor necks (featuring a one-piece, pre-NT neck design) incorporates the same type of a neck/string sensor used on the standard ES, only the pickup housing is mounted in the soundhole. The Baby and Big Baby can be equipped with an active under-saddle transducer ($150).

• The ES install adds the ES to a Taylor that doesn’t currently have electronics, or a guitar that has

other electronics inside the body of the guitar and won’t present an obstruction to the installation process. NT neck design only. ($500)

•

The ES retrofit is used on a Taylor that has the Fishman Onboard Blender, Fishman Prefix or the L.R. Baggs pickup used on the Doyle Dykes Signature Model.

Side-mounted controls fill the existing preamp hole in the guitar. ($500)

•

The ES upgrade will modify your ES-equipped Taylor guitar from the former AA battery power source to the 9v system currently used. The latest version of the ES also includes a fused string ground, battery indicator LED, and switches that allow you to turn off the body sensors. ($300)

•

The ES-NC (no controls) is an option for customers who want the ES electronics but also want to preserve the pure acoustic aesthetic of their guitar. This version features the ES sensors and preamp, but has no volume or tone controls. The pickup installa- tion also features a standard endpin jack along the tail line instead of the ES battery carriage.

(The 9v battery is housed inside the soundhole.) ($500)

ES installation includes our Refresh service package. For more information, see our service package listings on page 53, or feel free to call Taylor’s Customer Service Department at (800) 943-6782.

Another Taylor toneshaping product that we feel deserves a place in any serious musician’s toolbox is the K4 Preamp and Equalizer. Like the ES, it incorporates the ultra-musical analog circuitry of Mr. Rupert Neve and expands the degree of tone control of the ES, allowing you to precisely shape your guitar’s tone by honing in on the notes or frequencies of your choice and then cutting or boosting them to taste. It’s perfect for studio or home recording and live performance. Among the K4’s features are a tuner output, phase reverse switch, headphone jack, and an effects

loop, which allows you to use reverb, a stomp box, a volume pedal or other effects and maintain a balanced signal chain. Multiple, transformercoupled balanced outputs give you routing flexibility, enabling you to drive an amp, PA or both. The K4 is also handy for enhancing the amplified sound of other types of acoustic/ electric guitars. If you like to detail your tone, the K4 is an essential piece of gear.

Tip: Because of its flexible, smooth EQ section, the K4 can come in handy in a mixing session. Try using the K4 as a channel insert on your mixing console the next time you do a mix.

51

Taylor Customer Service Manager Glen Wolff

Customer Service Taylor’s commitment to service extends well beyond guitar repairs. From tech support to guitar care tips, we provide a direct line to a great guitar experience.

52

Part of Bob and Kurt’s long-term vision for Taylor Guitars has been to redefine what service from a guitar company means. We’re passionate about making guitars but also about helping customers find the right ones, get the most out of them, and keep them in great condition. The beautiful thing about a well-made guitar is that if it’s well cared for, its tone will only get better over time.

Guitar service used to simply mean repairing a broken instrument if it was under warranty. For us, service has come to mean many things. It starts with open, direct lines of communication for prospective customers and owners alike to interact with us.

It’s Ben Benavente on the phone helping a customer decide on a koa or cocobolo guitar and then informing him which dealer near him might have the model in stock. It’s a Road Show Q&A or hands-on demo with Taylor employees at your local music store. It’s an “Ask Bob” response, straight from Bob Taylor himself, in Wood&Steel. It’s a friendly and informative factory tour. It’s the instructive tech sheets and videos on the Taylor website, designed to educate owners on everything from properly changing their strings to swapping out pickups to keeping their guitar humidified. It’s helping a traveling singer-songwriter get to a qualified repair technician on the road so they can get their guitar fixed in time for their next gig. And of course, it’s the expert care and repair of your favorite guitar, whatever its condition may be. As a full-service company, we’re committed to providing all the resources you need to enjoy your guitars as long as you own them.

As Taylor and our customer base have grown over time, we’ve expanded the scope of our authorized service network to support customers throughout North America and the rest of the world. At taylorguitars. com you’ll find a growing list of repair contacts who have gone through extensive training at the Taylor factory. We encourage you to call our Customer Service department here at our factory complex in El Cajon, California, where our service staff can refer to our list of over 300 repair techs to find the right tech for your needs in your area. We also have four international factory service centers located in England, Sweden, Germany and France, staffed by repair techs who’ve trained here at Taylor’s headquarters.

In 2008, in response to customer requests, we put together a series of service packages designed to help owners keep their Taylors primed.

In 2009, we opened an expanded Factory Service Center in El Cajon and extended our reputation for great service beyond Taylors to include other guitar brands. We know that quality service can be hard to come by, and it’s gratifying when someone drives in from out of state to drop off their Martin or Gibson because of the work we did on their Taylor.

Taylor Service Packages We currently offer four service packages that cover any level of maintenance a guitar might need.

Send your guitar(s) to the Taylor factory specifically for one of these packages, or add a service package to a guitar that’s sent in for other reasons, such as warranty service, ding repair, etc. Our Factory Service Center can also perform Expression System® pickup installations and upgrades. Guitars shipped to us will be returned in a brand new shipping

$200 Acoustic models $200 SolidBody models $300 T5 models

Renew Geared toward the gigging player, Taylor’s repair techs will return your guitar to perfect performance condition.

Includes the Revive package plus: • Partial refret up to 10 frets (full refret add $100) • Full check of the electronics system $325 Acoustic models $325 SolidBody models $425 T5 models

Rejuvenate The ultimate hydrating solution for a dry guitar. Your guitar and case are returned to optimum humidity levels with our rehydrating process. Once the guitar is stabilized, we repair any cracks in the fretboard or bridge, file sharp fret ends smooth, level any uneven frets, and finish with all the services in the Refresh package.

(Guitars with additional wood cracks will incur further charges.) $200 All models

Bone Upgrade Some of you may own 20 Taylors, while others may be encountering Taylor for the first time. Either way, our service team has your back throughout your guitar journey, wherever it may take you, and whatever your questions or concerns may be.

Need help finding a guitar?

If you’re interested in a Taylor but aren’t sure which model is right for you, or if you want a particular model but can’t find it, give Taylor’s Ben Benavente a call. Ben helps customers locate elusive Taylor models and answers questions that help people hone in on the right Taylor for their needs. He’ll be happy to answer questions about tonewoods, body shapes and other appointment details, and because he is able to track dealer inventories, he can direct you to a store that carries the specific Taylor model you’re looking for.

Ben can also assist customers with Build to Order questions. Whatever information you need, Ben is here to help, without any sales pressure. Just call 1-888-2TAYLOR.

carton with Taylor-engineered inserts designed to stabilize the case and cushion the ends.

Refresh Includes: Stabilizing the guitar at the proper humidity level • Tuner tightening and adjustment • Fretboard cleaning and conditioning • Installation of new Elixir® strings • Installation of new battery • Truss rod adjustment • Cleaning and polishing $95 All models

Revive Includes the Refresh package plus: • Neck angle adjustment (reset) • Fret dress • Acoustic models: Nut and saddle adjustment or replacement (Tusq) as needed • SolidBody models: Nut adjustment or replacement (bone) and bridge adjustment • T5 models: Nut and saddle adjustment or replacement (bone) as needed

Add a bone nut and wave-compensated bone saddle upgrade to any acoustic service package for $100.

Customers in the U.S. and Canada are encouraged to contact our Factory Service Center staff toll free at 1-800-943-6782 with any service, maintenance or repair questions concerning their guitars. Our hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. We’ve found that a personal conversation is the most effective way of answering questions and quickly troubleshooting problems. So, please call, and we’ll be happy to help you. Outside North America, sales and service questions are best answered by our international distribution partners.

For contact information, go to taylorguitars.com/dealers/international

Taylor Care: Restringing and Tuning Tips

Taylor Customer Service Manager Glen Wolff shares a few tips that will help you keep your guitar in tune when you change strings.

• Every time you change your strings, tighten your peghead tuning machines and check for loose tuner buttons.

• When installing new strings, make sure the ball end of the string is seated firmly against the underside of the top.

• Install strings neatly on the tuner post, 3-5 wraps straight down, never crossing over wraps.

• Stretch and retune new strings several times to help them stabilize and settle in.

• Always tune strings up from flat, never down from sharp.

• Electronic tuners all react a little differently. Spend a little time with a new tuner to learn its “personality.”

• Using harmonics to tune will help your tuner lock onto the note faster, especially on the bass strings.

• Wash your hands before playing and wipe down your strings afterward with a clean, dry cloth.

For a video demonstration of how to properly clean, polish and restring a guitar, visit taylorguitars.com and look for our maintenance videos under “Service & Support.”

53

2010 Guitar Guide Specifications

Dimensions by Shape GA

GS

GC

DN

JM

BABY

BIG BABY

T3

T5

SolidBody

41”

41”

40 1/2”

41”

42”

33 3/4”

40 1/4”

41 3/16”

40 3/4”

38”

Overall Length

6-String

12-String

41”

41”

•

•

43”

•

•

•

40 3/4”

•

Body Length

20”

20”

19 1/2”

20”

21”

15 3/4”

19 1/2”

20”

20”

17 2/5”

Body Width

16”

16 1/4”

15”

16”

17”

12 1/2”

15”

16”

16”

13 13/20”

*DDSM body

Body Depth

4 5/8”*

4 5/8”

4 3/8”

4 5/8”

4 5/8”

3 3/8”

4”

2 1/3”

2 1/3”

1 3/4”

depth is 4 1/8”

•

Scale Length

Standard

25 1/2”

25 1/2”

•

25 1/2”

25 1/2”

22 3/4”

25 1/2”

•

•

Short

24 7/8”

24 7/8”

24 7/8”

24 7/8””

24 7/8”

•

•

24 7/8”

24 7/8”

24 7/8”

Baritone

•

27”

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Frets

20

20

20

20

20

19

20

21

21

22

Neck Width

6-String

1 3/4”

1 3/4”

1 3/4”

1 3/4”

1 3/4”

1 11/16”

1 11/16”

1 11/16”

1 11/16”

1 11/16”

12-string

1 7/8”

1 7/8”

•

•

1 7/8”

•

•

•

1 11/16”

•

Series 100/200

1 11/16”

•

•

1 11/16”

•

•

•

• Electric

•

•

Strings / Gauge

Acoustic

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

GC, GA, Baby, Big Baby: Elixir® NANOWEB™ Light Gauge (.012-.053) All 12-string Models: Elixir® NANOWEB™ Light Gauge (.010-.047)

GS, DN & JM: Elixir® NANOWEB® Medium Gauge (.013-.056)

Nylon Series: D’Addario Pro-Arté® Extra Hard Tension

Baritone: Elixir® Baritone (.016-.070)

Models by Shape GA

GS

GC

DN

JM

BABY

BIG BABY

T3

T5

SolidBody

BBT

T3

T5-S

SB Classic

T3/B

T5S-12

SB Standard

T5-S1

SB Custom Koa SB Custom Walnut

K14ce

GA8

K16ce

K12ce

K10ce

K65ce

BT1

K24ce

GA8-12

K26ce

K22ce

K20ce

LKSM

BT2

K54ce

GA7

K56ce

912ce

910ce

LKSM-6

TSBT

K64ce

GA6

K66ce

812ce

810ce

815ce

T5S1-12

914ce

GA6-12

916ce

712ce

710ce

855ce

T5-C

954ce

GA5

816ce

612ce

610ce

615ce

T5C-12

814ce

GA4

856ce

512ce

510ce

655ce

T5-C1

854ce

GA4-12

716ce

412ce

410ce

455ce

T5C1-12

714ce

GA3

616ce

312ce

310ce

315ce

T5-C2

614ce

GA3-12

656ce

GC-K

210

355ce

T5C2-12

654ce

NS74ce

516ce

GC8

210e

T5-C3

514ce

NS64ce

GS-K

GC7

210ce

T5C3-12

414ce

NS34ce

GS8

GC6

110

T5-C4

454ce

NS24ce

GS8-12

GC5

110e

T5C4-12

314ce

NS24e

GS7

GC4

110ce

T5-C5

354ce

DDSM

GS6

GC3

DN-K

T5C5-12

214

GS5

NS72ce

910 Legacy

T5 Classic

214e

GS5-12

NS62ce

DN8

T5 Classic 12

214ce

Baritone 8

NS32ce

810 Legacy

STSM-T5

114

Baritone 6

12-Fret

DN5

JMSM

DN4

114e 114ce

DN3

GA-K GA-K-12

Models and specifications are subject to change without notice.

54

46

2010 Guitar Guide Specifications

Build To Order Menu Categories

Taylor’s Build to Order program enables you to custom-design your dream Taylor by choosing from a robust menu of guitar specifications. Here you’ll find a list of BTO categories for our steel-string and nylon-string acoustics, as well as the T5 and T3. For a complete list of options and pricing within each category, contact your preferred Taylor dealer, who will have a comprehensive BTO worksheet and will be able to help you with your order. If you live in the U.S. or Canada and have specific questions about the BTO program, call us at 1-888-2TAYLOR, and Ben Benavente will be happy to help you. For customers outside North America, contact the international Taylor distributor in your country.

Please note that some options, particularly wood choices, may change on a quarterly basis.

Acoustic, Acoustic/Electric

Nylon

T5 / T3

Guitar Type (6- or 12-string) Baritone 12-Fret Body Shape Cutaway Electronics Right or Left Handed Left Handed strung Right Handed Nut Width Scale Length Neck Profile Peghead Back/Sides Top Back Configuration Wedge Material Headstock Overlay Truss Rod Cover Neck Wood Binding (Body, Fretboard, Peghead) Bound (Peghead) Purfling Rosette Abalone Top Fretboard Inlay Peghead Inlay Bridge Inlay Top Finish Back/Sides Finish Neck Finish Peghead Finish Color Tuners String Type Bridge Pins Pickguard Nut/Saddle Strap Pin Bracing Armrest Backstrap Peghead Logo

Guitar Type (6- or 12-string) Body Shape Cutaway Electronics Right or Left Handed Neck Profile Peghead Back/Sides Top Back Configuration Wedge Material Headstock Overlay Neck Wood Binding (Body, Fretboard, Peghead) Bound (Peghead) Rosette Abalone Top Fretboard Inlay Peghead Inlay Top Finish Back/Sides Finish Neck Finish Peghead Finish Color Tuners Strap Pin Peghead Logo

Guitar Type (6- or 12-string) Electronics Right or Left Handed Bridge (T3) Nut Width Scale Length Neck Profile Back/Sides Headstock Overlay Truss Rod Cover Neck Wood Binding (Body, Fretboard, Peghead) Purfling Abalone Trim Fretboard Inlay Peghead Inlay Top Finish Back/Sides Finish Neck Finish Peghead Finish Color Tuners String Type Bridge Pins Nut/Saddle Strap Pin Peghead Logo

Back/Sides (Steel-string Acoustic & Nylon)

Tops (Steel-string Acoustic)

Tops (Nylon)

Cocobolo Hawaiian Koa, A Hawaiian Koa, AA Hawaiian Koa, Master Indian Rosewood, A Indian Rosewood, AA Macassar (Striped Ebony) Madagascar Rosewood Mahogany Maple, A Flame Maple, A Quilt Maple, AA Flame Maple, AA Quilt Ovangkol Sapele Walnut, A Walnut, AA Walnut, Grafted

Adirondack Spruce Adirondack Spruce, Premium Engelmann Spruce Engelmann Spruce, Premium Hawaiian Koa, A Hawaiian Koa, AA Hawaiian Koa, Master Mahogany Redwood, Premium Redwood, Standard Sinker Redwood Sitka Spruce Sitka Spruce, Premium Walnut Western Red Cedar

Engelmann Spruce Engelmann Spruce, Premium Redwood, Premium Redwood, Standard Sinker Redwood Sitka Spruce Sitka Spruce, Premium Western Red Cedar

Build To Order Wood Choices

The following woods are available for our BTO acoustic guitars through the first quarter of 2010.

55

Standard Features Koa Series

Acoustic Koa

900 Series

800 Series

Acoustic 8

700 Series

Acoustic 7

600 Series

Acoustic 6

Back / Sides

Hawaiian Koa

Hawaiian Koa

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Big Leaf Maple

Big Leaf Maple

Top

Sitka Spruce or Hawaiian Koa

Sitka Spruce or Hawaiian Koa

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Engelmann Spruce / Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Neck

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Hard Rock Maple

Hard Rock Maple

CV w/ Relief Rout

CV w/ Relief Rout

CV w/ Relief Rout

CV w/ Relief Rout

CV w/ Relief Rout

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Bracing Rosette

Single Ring Abalone 3-Ring Abalone

Single Ring Abalone Single Ring Abalone

3-Ring Abalone

3-Ring Abalone

3-Ring Abalone

Single Ring Abalone

3-Ring Abalone

Fretboard

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Fretboard Inlay

Abalone Koa Series

Abalone Dots

Pearl 900 Series

Pearl 800 Series

Abalone Dots

Pearl Dots

Abalone Dots

Pearl 600 Series “Leaf”

Abalone Dots

Top Inlay

Abalone

Abalone

Abalone

None

None

None

None

None

None

Headstock Overlay

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony w/ Pearl Inlay

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Ebony

Indian Rosewood

Binding

Curly Maple

Ivoroid

Ivoroid

Curly Maple

Ivoroid

Indian Rosewood

Ivoroid

White

Ivoroid

Bridge

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony w/ Pearl Inlay

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Bridge Pins

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Nut / Saddle

Tusq

Tusq

Bone

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tuning Machines / Buttons

Taylor Gold

Taylor Gold or Taylor Slot Head (GC)

Gotoh

Taylor Gold

Taylor Gold or Taylor Slot Head (GC)

Taylor Gold

Taylor Gold or Taylor Slot Head (GC)

Taylor Gold

Taylor Gold or Taylor Slot Head (GC)

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Ebony

Indian Rosewood

Back / Side Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Top Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Neck Finish

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Gloss

Gloss

Electronics

Expression System®

Expression System® Expression System® Expression System®

Optional Expression System®

Expression System®

Optional Expression System®

Expression System®

Optional Expression System®

Pickguard

None

None

None

Tortoise

None

Tortoise

None

Tortoise (Amber) None (colors/bursts)

None

Case

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Models

K10ce, K12ce, K14ce, K16ce, K20ce, K22ce, K24ce, K26ce, K54ce, K64ce, K65ce, K56ce, K66ce

GA-K, GA-K-12 GC-K, GS-K DN-K

910ce, 910 Legacy 912ce, 914ce, 916ce, 954ce

810ce, 812ce, 814ce, 815ce, 816ce, 854ce, 855ce, 856ce

GA8, GC8, GS8, DN8, 810 Legacy GA8-12, GS8-12

710ce, 712ce, 714ce, 716ce

GA7, GC7, GS7

610ce, 612ce, 614ce, 615ce, 616ce, 654ce, 655ce, 656ce

GA6, GC6, GS6, GA6-12

Truss Rod Cover

56

Standard Features 500 Series

Back / Sides

Acoustic 5

400 Series

Acoustic 4

300 Series

Acoustic 3

200 / 100 Series

Baby Taylor

Nylon Series

Sapele Laminate

Indian Rosewood (NS72ce, NS74ce) Big Leaf Maple (NS62ce, NS64ce) Sapele (NS32ce, NS34ce) Indian Rosewood Laminate (NS24ce, NS24e)

200 Series: Rosewood Laminate Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Ovangkol

Ovangkol

Sapele

Sapele 100 Series: Sapele Laminate

Top

Engelmann Spruce / Western Red Cedar

Sitka Spruce (DN) / Western Red Cedar

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

BT1, BBT: Sitka Spruce, BT2: Tropical Mahogany

Western Red Cedar (70s) Engelmann Spruce (60s) Sitka Spruce (20s, 30s)

Neck

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Sapele

Sapele

Tropical Mahogany

Bracing

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

X Bracing

X Bracing

Rosette

3-Ring Abalone

3-Ring Abalone

3-Ring

3-Ring

3-Ring

3-Ring

3-Ring

Laser Etched

Mexican Cyprus & Myrtle Geometric Pattern

Fretboard

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Fretboard Inlay

Pearl Dots

Abalone Dots

Large Pearl Dots

Pearl Dots

Large Pearl Dots

Pearl Dots

Pearloid Dots

Pearloid Dots

None

Top Inlay

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

Headstock Overlay

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Lexan

Indian Rosewood (20s, 30s, 70s) Cocobolo (60s)

Binding

Indian Rosewood

Ivoroid

White

Cream

Black

Cream

White (200s) Black (100s)

None

Indian Rosewood (60s, 70s) Black (20s, 30s)

Bridge

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony (20s, 30s, 70s) Cocobolo (60s)

Bridge Pins

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Black

Black

None

Nut / Saddle

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Tuning Machines / Buttons

Taylor Chrome Taylor Gold (514ce, 516ce)

Taylor Gold or Taylor Slot Head (GC)

Taylor Chrome

Taylor Chrome

Taylor Chrome

Taylor Chrome

Chrome

Chrome

Ping Classical Gold w/Ivoroid btns Classical Chrome w/cream btns (20s)

Truss Rod Cover

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Rosewood

None

None (32, 62, 72) Indian Rosewood (24, 34, 74) Cocobolo (64)

Back / Side Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Varnish (100s) Satin (200s)

Varnish

Gloss (60s, 70s) Satin (20s, 30s)

Top Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Gloss

Varnish (100s) Satin (200s)

Varnish

Gloss (30s, 60s, 70s) Satin (20s)

Neck Finish

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Satin

Varnish (100s) Satin (200s)

Varnish

Satin

Electronics

Expression System®

Optional Expression System®

Expression System®

Optional Expression System®

Expression System®

Optional Expression System®

Taylor ES-T® (E and CE models)

Optional

ES-N®

Pickguard

Tortoise

None

Tortoise

None

Tortoise

None

Tortoise

Tortoise (BBT)

None

Case

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Hardshell (Black)

Taylor Hardshell (Black)

Taylor Hardshell (Black)

Taylor Hardshell (Black)

Gig Bag (100 Series) Black (200 Series)

Gig Bag

Taylor Hardshell Black (30s) Deluxe Brown (60s, 70s)

Models

510ce, 512ce, 514ce, 516ce

GA5, GC5, GS5, DN5, GS5-12

410ce, 412ce, 414ce, 454ce, 455ce

GA4, GC4, DN4, GA4-12

310ce, 312ce, 314ce, 315ce, 354ce, 355ce

GA3, GC3, DN3, GA3-12

110, 110e, 110ce, 114, 114e, 114ce 210, 210e, 210ce, 214, 214e, 214ce

BT1 (Sitka) BT2 (Tropical Mahogany) BBT (Big Baby)

NS24ce, NS24e NS32ce, NS34ce NS62ce, NS64ce NS72ce, NS74ce

Nylon Series Bracing

57

48

Standard Features - Signature Models

Standard Features - Specialty

DDSM (Doyle Dykes)

LKSM (Leo Kottke)

TSBT (Taylor Swift)

STSM (Serj Tankian)

JMSM (Jason Mraz)

Baritone

12-Fret

Back / Sides

Big Leaf Maple

Tropical Mahogany

Sapele Laminate

Sapele

Indian Rosewood

Back / Sides

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Top

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Maple

Western Red Cedar

Top

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce

Neck

Hard Rock Maple

Tropical Mahogany

Sapele

Sapele

Tropical Mahogany

Neck

Tropical Mahogany

Tropical Mahogany

Bracing

Standard II (Forward Shifted Pattern w/ Relief Rout)

LKSM Bracing

X Bracing

Standard T5

Nylon Series Bracing

Bracing

Baritone Bracing

12-Fret Bracing

Rosette

Single Ring Abalone

3-Ring

Screen Printed Custom

N/A

Mexican Cypress/Bubinga/ Koa Zodiac Symbols

Rosette

3-Ring Abalone

Single Ring Abalone w/ Bound Soundhole

Fretboard

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Fretboard

Ebony

Ebony

Fretboard Inlay

Pearl DDSM

None

Pearloid Dots

Serj Tankian Energy Wheel

Mexican Cypress “Be Love” w/Circle/Triangle

Fretboard Inlay

Small Pearl Diamonds

Pearl Dots

Top Inlay

Abalone

None

None

N/A

None

Top Inlay

None

None

Headstock Overlay

Ebony w/ Pearl / Abalone Rose Inlay

Indian Rosewood

Lexan

Ebony

Indian Rosewood

Headstock Overlay

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Binding

Ivoroid

Indian Rosewood

None

Black

Indian Rosewood

Binding

Indian Rosewood

Ivoroid

Bridge

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Bridge

Ebony

Ebony

Bridge Pins

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony

Black

Ebony

None

Bridge Pins

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Ebony w/ Abalone Dots

Nut / Saddle

Tusq

Tusq

Tusq

Bone

Tusq

Nut / Saddle

Bone

Tusq

Tuning Machines / Buttons

Taylor Gold

Taylor Gold

Chrome

Chrome

Ping Classical Gold with Ivoroid Buttons

Tuning Machines / Buttons

Taylor Gold Mini (8-String) Taylor Gold (6-String)

Taylor Slot Head

Indian Rosewood

None

Black

None

Ebony

Truss Rod Cover

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood

Back / Side Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Varnish

Gloss

Gloss

Back / Side Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Top Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Varnish

Gloss

Gloss

Top Finish

Gloss

Gloss

Neck Finish

Gloss

Satin

Varnish

Gloss

Satin

Neck Finish

Gloss

Satin

Electronics

Expression System® or Baggs / DDSM®

None

Optional

T5 Electronics w/ Five-Way Switch

ES-N®

Electronics

Expression System®

Expression System®

Pickguard

None

None

None

None

None

Pickguard

None

None

Case

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Gig Bag

Taylor T5 Hardshell (Black)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Case

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Taylor Deluxe Hardshell (Brown)

Models

DDSM colors: Natural Black (opaque) Black (translucent) Orange Brown Sugar

LKSM LKSM-6

TSBT

STSM-T5

JMSM

Models

Baritone 8-String Baritone 6-String

12-Fret

Truss Rod Cover

58

Standard Features - The Electric Line T5

T5 Classic

T3

SolidBody

Body

Sapele

Sapele

Sapele

Swamp Ash (Classic) Sapele (Standard, Custom Walnut) Tropical Mahogany (Custom Koa)

Top

Sitka Spruce (T5-S, T5-C); Figured Maple (T5-S1, T5-C1); Koa (T5-C2); Cocobolo (T5-C3); Walnut (T5-C4); Macassar Ebony (T5-C5)

Ovangkol

Quilted Maple

Tropical Mahogany

Sapele

Sapele

Fretboard

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony (Standard, Custom) Indian Rosewood (Classic)

Fretboard Inlay

Pearl Dots (T5-S, T5-S1) Pearl T5 “Artist” (T5-C, T5-C1, T5-C2, T5-C3, T5-C4, T5-C5)

Small Diamonds

Pearl Dots

Pearl Dots (Classic, Standard) Pearl Progressive Diamonds (Custom Walnut) Koa Series (Custom Koa)

Headstock Overlay

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Ebony

Fretboard Binding

White

Black

White

None (Classic) Black (Standard, Custom)

Bridge

Ebony

Ebony

Chrome Roller-style w/Stop Tail (T3) or Bigsby Vibrato (T3/B)

Taylor Stoptail Aluminum, fully adjustable Optional tremolo

Nut

Bone

Tusq

Tusq with Teflon®

Bone

Tuning Machines / Buttons

Taylor Chrome (T5-S, T5-S1 and blue bursts) Taylor Gold (T5-C, T5-C1, T5-C2, T5-C3, T5-C4, T5-C5)

Taylor Chrome

Taylor Chrome

Taylor Chrome

Back / Side Finish

Gloss

Satin

Gloss

Satin (Classic Natural, Standard Natural) Gloss (All other models)

Top Finish

Gloss

Satin

Gloss

Satin (Classic Natural, Standard Natural) Gloss (All other models)

Neck Finish

Gloss

Satin

Gloss

Satin (All Classics) Gloss (All other models)

Electronics

T5 Electronics w/ Five-Way Switch

T5 Electronics w/ Five-Way Switch

Taylor HD Humbuckers w/Coilsplitting Capability

Full-size or Mini Humbuckers (HD or HG), Vintage Alnico Humbuckers, Single Coils, available in different configurations (see page 42)

Pickguard

None

None

None

White Pearloid Black Pearloid Tortoise Shell Black None (optional on Standard and Custom)

Case

Taylor T5 Hardshell (Black)

Gig Bag

Taylor T3 Hardshell (Black)

Deluxe Hardshell

Color / Burst Options

Natural, Red, Blue, Black (Translucent Black Optional) w/ Edgeburst; Sunburst Options: Tobacco, Honey, Cherry

None

Natural, Ruby Red Burst, Black, Translucent Orange; Sunburst Options: Tobacco, Honey

Classic: Translucent White, Translucent Red, Black, Natural, Sage Green, Sublime, Magenta Pearl, Tobacco Sunburst, Purple Flake, Jewelescent Orange, Viper Blue, Lava Red Pearl, Titanium Pearl, Blue Metallic; Standard: Aged Cherry Sunburst, Custom: Shaded Edge

Models

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

T5 Classic

T3, T3/B

Classic, Standard, Custom Walnut, Custom Koa

Tamo Ash (Standard) Walnut (Custom Walnut) Koa (Custom Koa)

Neck

Sapele (Standard, Custom Walnut) Tropical Mahogany (Custom Koa) Maple (Classic)

59

48

49

TaylorWare

®

Winter 2010

CLOTHING / GEAR / PARTS / GIFTS

Elixir® Strings We’ve been factory-installing Elixir® Strings on Taylor guitars for years. We love the way Elixir’s coated strings prevent string corrosion from finger oils, perspiration and other residue that can deaden string tone. All Elixir sets available through TaylorWare feature Elixir’s ultra-thin NANOWEB™ coating.

Acoustic Custom Light 6-String (.011-.052) #89600 $14.00 Acoustic Light 6-String (.012-.053) #89601 $14.00 Acoustic Medium 6-String (.013-.056) #89602 $14.00 Acoustic Light 12-String (.010-.047) #89603 $23.00 Acoustic Heavy 12-String (.013-.056) #89604 $23.00 Acoustic Baritone 6-String (.016-.070) #89800 $20.00 Acoustic Baritone 8-String (.016-.070) #89801 $22.00

Suede Taylor Guitar Straps (Black Suede #62001, Honey Suede #62000, Chocolate Suede #62003, $35.00)

Our Ladies Long Sleeve Floral Guitar V-Neck T is incredibly soft and stylish, thanks to lightweight 100% Pima cotton and a floral guitar print on chocolate brown that flares down one side. Extra length makes for a contemporary fit. (#4530, S-L, $28.00)

The Taylor Neck Ballpoint Pen is back, this time with two additional color options, gray and burgundy, in addition to black. The retractable twist pen features a pocket clip fashioned as a Taylor neck, and comes in a matte finish with a silver etched “Taylor Guitars” script. Whether you’re jotting down song lyrics or grocery lists, the sleek design will look and feel great. (Black #71040, Gray #71041, Burgundy #71042, $15.00)

New On our Taylor Guitars Ray T, a T3/B radiates cool tones in every direction. An over-arching circus-style font celebrates the company’s heritage, while a banner treatment salutes our acoustic and electric lines. The water-based, screen printed image is smooth and soft to the touch, matching the softness of the pre-shrunk, 100% ringspun cotton fabric. Fashion fit. Side-seamed with double-needle stitching for long-lasting comfort. (Black, #1450, S-XL, $20.00 XXL, $22.00)

Aaron from Sales, the original poster boy for our Road Show logo, strikes a fresh pose in our Ray T.

60

Electric Super Light 6-String (.009-.042) #89700 $11.00 Electric Light 6-String (.010-.046) #89701 $11.00 Electric Medium 6-String (.011-.049) #89702 $11.00 Electric Light 12-String (.010-.046, .010-.026) #89703 $20.00

Our vintage Throwback T commemorates Taylor’s 35th anniversary by going old school, showing off the company’s original logo in yellow with a distressed treatment on dark brown. The soft, 100% preshrunk cotton, featuring double needle stitching, blends vintage comfort with durability. (#1459, M-XL, $20.00, XXL, $22.00)

Guitar Stand. Beautifully crafted in Sapele/Mahogany, this stand features a laseretched Taylor logo, a rich satin finish, and rubber pads to protect your guitar’s finish. (Sapele/ Mahogany #70100, $70.00; assembly required)

On our Ladies Black Signature T, a cursive Taylor Guitars inscription is emblazoned across the front in a choice of pink or light blue.100% preshrunk cotton with a generous, relaxed fit that’s comfortable for all body types. (Pink script #4270, Blue script #4280, S-XL, $20.00)

Antique Logo T-shirt Pre-washed, super-soft 100% cotton, featuring our distressed logo and cut as a Slim Fit. Sizes S-XXL. (Short Sleeve; Green/Tan #1438, Brown/Tan #1439 (new), Navy/Gold #1437, S-XL $20.00; XXL $22.00)

The Men’s Gothic Vine Long-Sleeve T was inspired by one of our popular custom fretboard inlays. The gothic vine motif, in red on black or gray on white, runs down the left sleeve and across the chest, framing the Taylor Guitars text treatment. Fashion fit, 100% preshrunk, ringspun cotton, sideseamed and double needle-stitched for comfort and durability. (Black #2094, White #2095, S-XL, $25.00, XXL, $27.00)

The children’s Let’s Play T celebrates the little groovers and shakers of the world with a Taylor-strumming boy on baby blue and a girl on pink.

100% cotton jersey knit with ribbed neck, double stitching on the hem and sleeves. Available in Infant and Toddler sizes.

(Infant Pink #1404, Infant Blue #1406; Sizes: 6, 12, 18 months; Toddler Pink #1407, Toddler Blue #1408; Sizes: 2T, 3T, 4T; $15.00)

Taylor Pub Glasses Hoist your favorite beverage for a toast with a touch of Taylor style. Four different designs, in black and gold, put a unique stamp on each 20-oz glass in this set of four. (#70011; $25.00)

New Our Zip Front Sweat Hoody is all about casual comfort. Taylor’s round logo accents the left side of the chest, while “EST. 1974” appears on the right sleeve.

A lined hood, underarm gussets, double-needle stitching and a generous cut support an active lifestyle, while the soft, pre-washed 80/20 cotton/polyester blend make it the perfect choice for kicking back, too.

(Charcoal/Heather #2899, S-XL, $39.00, XXL, $42.00)

Our Vintage Electric T rocks out with a winged SolidBody design in gray on lightly marbled black. 100% cotton, mineral washed and distressed for a soft, worn-in feel. (Vintage Black #1453, M-XL $25.00; XXL $27.00)

For a Director of Finance, Bryan looks pretty laid back in our new Zip Front Sweat Hoodie.

61

Order online: taylorguitars.com/taylorware | Order by phone: 800.494.9600

Taylor Guitars Digital Headstock Tuner Clip-on chromatic guitar tuner picks up vibration and comes with a built-in mic. Back-lit LCD changes color to show correct tuning. Swivel design for easy viewing.

Automatic power-off after 5 minutes. Quadra flat tuning for tuning with capo on. “A” calibration: 433-447 Hz with 1 Hz steps. Accuracy: ± 0.5 Cent. One coin cell battery included. (#80920, $29.00)

Taylor Bar Stool 30” high, black matte, vinyl finish. Easy assembly. (#70200, $99.00.

Additional $5.00 shipping charge for each bar stool ordered.)

The Black Flex Fit Cap features a red Quality Guitars logo on comfortable six-panel brushed twill with a matching red guitar embroidered on the back. One size fits all. (#00370, $20.00)

Our Navy Garment Washed Flex Fit Cap features the Taylor logo in silver. One size fits all. (#00380, $24.00) Our black Guitar Hoody Sweatshirt features a partial guitar in cool gray and white across a Taylor Guitars horizon. The comfy 50/50 cotton/polyester blend boasts a double lined drawstring hood and a front pouch pocket to keep those guitar-playing hands warm. (#2898, S-XL, $39.00, XXL, $42.00) Our SolidBody Trucker Cap sports the Taylor SolidBody logo patch on orange, featuring side and back panels of tan trucker mesh to keep your head well vented, with Taylor Guitars ’74 screen printed on the left side.

An adjustable polysnap closure ensures a comfortable fit. (#00160, $20.00)

62

New The Four Guitars T proudly showcases the diversity of our lineup. It’s designed for maximum comfort, featuring soft-washed, garment-dyed 100% ringspun cotton, and durability, thanks to a ribbed collar with double-needle stitching on the neckline, sleeves and bottom hem.

A small round Taylor logo appears on the sleeve. (Green #1449, M-XL, $20.00, XXL, $22.00) Richard, VP of Manufacturing, shows off the fruits of his team’s efforts on our Four Guitars T.

Our Weathered Peghead T has a lived-in look and feel that you’ll love. Distressed treatment of the iconic Taylor peghead and lettering applies a vintage touch to the soft, pigment dyed, ringspun cotton.

100% preshrunk, generously cut for comfort, with double needle stitching for extra durability. (Mocha #1440, M-XL $20; XXL, $22.00)

Order online: taylorguitars.com/taylorware | Order by phone: 800.494.9600

Taylor Guitar Picks.

Marble: copper, blue, brown, purple, abalone. Solid: turquoise, red, green, yellow, black; Ten picks per pack by gauge; two of each color per pack.

Available in thin, medium or heavy gauge. ($5.00)

Taylor Logo T Sizes: S-XXXL. (Short Sleeve; White #1435, Blue Dusk #1434; S-XL $15.00, XXL-XXXL $17.00)

Our K4 Preamp and Equalizer lets you control the tone of your Taylor acoustic/electric guitar whenever you’re recording or plugged into a PA system. Designed for the specific frequencies of the acoustic guitar, the K4 EQ uses pure analog tone shaping for isolating and adjusting individual notes and tones. It features transformer-coupled input and output, and can even run on two C batteries, in case you forget your power supply. (#80845, $498.00)

Our Universal A/B/Both Box lets you run your Taylor T5,® Taylor acoustic, or any brand of electric guitar, acoustic guitar, or bass to two separate outputs. It’s perfect for running a T5 into an electric amp and an acoustic amp. And, the A or B indicator stays lit when BOTH is activated, which means you’ll always know where your signal is. Want to connect a tuner between you and the PA and maintain your Expression System’s® balanced signal?

Plug into the Balanced Breakout , connect your tuner, and you’ll stay balanced into the rig. Thanks to its high-quality transformer, your signal always stays pure. (Universal A/B/Both Box, #80820, $89.00; ES Balanced Breakout,™ #80821, $89.00)

Taylor Loaded Pickguards let you swap out the pickup/pickguard unit for your SolidBody in minutes, without the need for soldering. Choose from seven different pickup configurations, including HD and HG mini and full-size humbuckers, single coils, or a mix of both. Available in four different pickguard colors. Each loaded pickguard gives you a unique pickup personality, allowing you to dial-in your preferred tone with incredible ease. For a complete list of ordering options, go to taylorguitars.com/taylorware. $248.00 (Single HG Humbucker: $198.00)

Visit our website for more information about the TaylorWare Gift Card.

Guitar Parts. Choose from an assortment of replacement parts like chrome or gold tuners, nuts and saddles, guitar cables, pickguards and bridge pins­­— with or without abalone dots.

Visit taylorguitars.com/taylorware to see the full line.

The Planet Waves Humidipak® makes it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar in its case. Using patented technology, the Humidipak’s disposable, moisture-filled packets have a breathable membrane that provides two-way humidity control, allowing it to either release or absorb moisture to consistently maintain a predetermined relative humidity (RH) level of 48 percent. The complete kit includes three packets and two pouches. The soundhole pouch houses two packets and maintains the RH of the guitar body. The headstock pouch/packet is placed beneath the headstock in the case to maintain the neck and fretboard. The packets are designed to be tear- and puncture-resistant and completely resistant to leakage. Depending on climate conditions, they should last from two to six months, after which they can simply be disposed of.

Humidipak Complete Kit (includes 2 pouches & 3 packets) #80350, $40.00 Humidipak Replacement Packet (1) #80351, $10.00

SolidBody Pickups Our HG (high-gain) humbucker gives SolidBody players a simple-toinstall pickup option. Slightly darker-sounding than our original HD (high-definition) humbucker, the HG unleashes more front-end drive for a crunchier tone with extra rawness. The modular design allows anyone to swap them out at home with ease. The pickups are connected with a Molex (pin-and-socket) connector, so all you’ll need are a Phillips head screwdriver and a few minutes for a simple “plug and play” experience. Available as Style 1 (Classic, Custom) and Style 2 (Standard), and offered in two versions, neck and bridge, with each voiced and output-balanced for their respective string positions.

Available exclusively through TaylorWare. (Chrome, $79.00) #83706 Style 1 HD Neck #83707 Style 1 HD Bridge #83726 Style 1 HG Neck #83727 Style 1 HG Bridge

#83708 Style 2 HD Neck #83709 Style 2 HD Bridge #83728 Style 2 HG Neck #83729 Style 2 HG Bridge

63

Presorted

A Publication of Taylor Guitars Volume 62 / Winter 2010

Standard U.S. Postage

PAID

Phoenix, AZ Permit No. 1225

Taylor Guitars | 1980 Gillespie Way | El Cajon, CA 92020-1096 | taylorguitars.com

The paper we used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC is a non-profit organization that supports environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Brazilian Dreams

Each of the 35 exquisite Brazilian rosewood guitars crafted to celebrate Taylor’s 35th anniversary is one-of-a kind. Bob Taylor personally selected the ultra-rare wood sets from his reserves and chose unique specifications to best complement each. Pictured here are two guitars that together showcase the beauty of the woods and appointments. In the foreground, a cutaway model displays a creamy Adirondack spruce top trimmed with vibrant green heart abalone. The fretboard inlay was designed by luthier Greg Deering of Deering Banjos, a longtime friend of Bob’s who worked at Taylor during the company’s early days and who also designed Taylor’s “Cindy” inlay. The inlay graces each model in this series, adding a unifying element of vintage elegance. In the background, ebony binding traces a GS body and gives shape to the striking bookmatched symmetry of the rosewood.