New 900, Presentation

Series

DoubleCutawayElectrics

Doyle Deluxe

The 2011 GuitarGuide

Zac BrownBonding with Bob

Bob’s Book of “Guitar Lessons”

We’d like tohear from youSend your e-mails to:pr@taylorguitars.com

A Shared Adventure Thanks for the great article on Steven Curtis Chapman and for building a guitar in his honor. His music has been an aid to my own faith journey. When Bob Taylor recalled his memories about “The Great Adventure,” I recalled singing in the same way with my two sons on vacation and around the house. We loved that song! My boys are now grown, married and with sons of their own, and they are passing on their love of music and their faith to their boys. I have a 110e and a 214 and like to think of the grandsons playing them someday as a part of their own adventure of faith.

Mark Shaw

Phoning It In I’m not positive, but I think I may have witnessed the birth of the Steven Curtis Chapman Signature Model. About five years ago, I dropped in on a Doyle Dykes work-shop at Alamo Music in San Antonio. As part of the show, Doyle was chatting on a cell phone with Bob [Taylor] and taking questions from the audience. Somebody yelled, “When are you going to do a Steven Curtis Chapman signature model?” There was a long pause, after which Bob said, “Uh, I think we could talk about it.” What took you so long? Thanks for continuing to come out with new and interesting models.

Tim Shelfer Arlington, TX

Sweet, Soothing Sound Last week I purchased a 12-fret 814ce Fall LTD from my friends at Custom Fretted Instruments in Sparta, Tennessee. Wow! I can’t put the guitar down. Not only does

it look great, this guitar has a sound unlike any of my other Taylor guitars: sweet, well-balanced, aged tone that soothes the soul! Plus, the playability is outstanding with the short-scale design. It has definitely inspired some new songs. The idea to introduce a 12-fret Grand Auditorium is an excel-lent one.

John Sacca Cookeville, TN

Fun at the Rodeo Last night I had the great pleasure of attending my first Taylor Road Show, in Minneapolis. What a fun and educational evening! [Taylor sales rep] Mike [Ausman] and [product special-ist] Marc [Seal] were entertaining and enlightening. I sold off all of my electric gear long ago and was attending the show to solidify my thoughts on my next acoustic purchase. Last night was my first time hearing any of your electric offerings in person, and I can’t tell you how impressed I was. I warned my wife last night that there will be a T3 joining the family in the future, too. I just wanted to, again, sing the praises of Mike and Marc. Along with Jim at Guitar Rodeo, you could not have picked better people to publicly represent your company. Last night was the most fun I’ve had in ages!

Cory Oslin

An Enlightened Perspective I’ve been a 12-stringer from the beginning and often thought I spent more time tuning than playing. When all I could afford were low-end instru-ments, I accepted it as unavoidable. Later, when I could spend a bit more, I found some improvement, but the sound always seemed incomplete and a bit “off.” I came to believe that the 12-string sounds heard on profes-sional recordings came only through studio enhancement and instruments beyond my means. How wrong I was. A year ago I stumbled upon enlightenment. I was killing some time in a guitar store, and on the way out I tried a Taylor 12. Keep in mind that just before seeing it, I’d been playing guitars back in the “expensive stuff” room. Even being slightly out of tune, I couldn’t believe its full, rich sound and exceptional

intonation. It stood out so much from everything else I’d played that day that I checked its price tag thinking it had been left in the wrong place. I didn’t have the money to buy it then, but the hook was set, and you know all too well how that plays out. About a month ago my 856ce arrived. “Played it ’til my fingers bled” is only a slight exaggeration. The beauty my new guitar exhibits — in all its aspects, be they sonic, visual, workmanship or technological — defies description. I know it’s said that they sound better as they age, but I’m having trouble imagining that. Knowing that it’s built by such nice, accessible folks who are passion-ate about guitars and who conserve the resources from which they’re made completes the perfection of this wonderful instrument. My sincer-est thanks to you and all the folks at Taylor Guitars who have brought so much beauty and enjoyment to so many of us.

Jay BlosserEndwell, NY

Pitching a Mini Series I’m proud to say I bought the first GS Mini to hit the sales floor at Martin Music in Memphis, and I couldn’t be happier. I thought I wanted one until I got to play the demo model, and then I knew I wanted one. Eric Martin got the first one for sale the next day, and I was there to snap it up. Due to spine problems, it’s sometimes hard to play my full-sized acoustics, but the GS Mini is so easy and comfortable. Thanks for another great product. I encourage anyone who wants to try one to be open-minded and not to compare the GS Mini to a full-sized guitar, even though it sounds better than some other full-sized brands I’ve played. It’s a travel guitar, and at that it’s an unbelievable value. I give it 9.5 out of 10. I recommend that you pursue an entire Mini series to include GC, GA and DN, as well as the GS. Why not throw in a Jumbo Mini as well? I’d buy the entire collection and know a lot of other guitarists who would, too.

Robert Hixson

Quick Fix Recently I was performing with my band at an outdoor event in Sarasota, Florida. When I got offstage, a man I did not know, who’d noticed I was playing a T5, asked me if I was going to attend the upcoming Taylor Road

Show. I just about flipped out — I couldn’t believe I hadn’t known that the event was finally coming to a local guitar store! I took my husband (our sound-man) with me, and he can attest that I was like a kid in a candy store! I was so excited to meet the Taylor reps, Aaron [Dablow] and Jason [Salzman], that I had them autograph my copy of Wood&Steel! Not only was it informative and fun, but I happened to have one of my Taylor guitars with me in case I had the opportunity to ask about a problem I’ve been having with the pickup. Sam [Eakins, a Taylor repair technician] not only knew what the problem was, he fixed it on the spot. He replaced the faulty pickup, gave me new strings, and polished it, and now my beloved 614ce looks and sounds brand-new. I almost cried. I had no idea that the Taylor team also traveled with a tech. I had never been in this store before, and now the owner, a songwriter himself, and I may collaborate on a future project. Thank you, Taylor, for the incredible instru-ments I feel lucky enough to play and for providing such incredible service with such nice people!

Sheri NadelmanBradenton, FL

Set and Forget When I was looking for a 12-string acoustic/electric guitar, I had three things in mind. First, of course, tone. Second, and probably most important, playability. Third, I was determined to find one with a built-in tuner, given the 12-string’s propensity to fall out of tune (constantly). When I picked up a Taylor 355ce (which I now own), I was taken by its tone and playability (nice action, lovely neck). I was so taken that I forgot about the built-in tuner. To my astonish-ment, aside from all of its other great features, my 355ce never falls out of tune. I can literally go for weeks or months, and when I pick it up again, it is still in tune. Thanks for making such a high-quality instrument with the player in mind.

Gregory Coleman

Techs Message I recently got my 414ce-L4 back from a trip to the factory for an upgrade to the ES 9v system. Before any work was done, a tech called me and made some suggestions. What was really great about this was that he explained what he saw, recom-

mended repairs, and listened to my input to create an accurate plan based on how I use my instrument. He didn’t try to push me into some cosmetic repair (which I do need because it is a “pre-loved” guitar), allowing me to stay within my budget. He did a revitalization package on top of the ES upgrade. A day and a half later I got the call; she was ready to be shipped. The difference was amazing. Not an understatement, just amazing. The sound was so full and balanced that my wife commented that it filled out like a 12-string. The guitar plays like a dream, and when I plugged it into my amp, the reproduction of the sound was so natural, unlike an acoustic processed through the EQ to sound like an acoustic. Thank you for having such good technicians. I would recommend for anyone needing some adjustment or modifications to their guitar to send it back to you. I would also tell them to listen to the tech and tell him/her what you are trying to do; the tech knew what I needed and delivered big-time. I now have the guitar I thought only existed in my dreams. I felt warmly welcomed into the Taylor family even though my guitar is used. I can’t thank you enough.

Gibson “Gib” Boyer

Nice Inlay I was in Calgary, Alberta over the summer and played the best-sounding Taylor cutaway I have ever heard. The sunburst finish really caught my eye. The price is a bit high at $3,400, so I do what any person who can’t afford it would do: I visit the store every time I come to town and play the guitar for about 20 minutes. I loved the guitar so much that I did what anyone with-out the cash would do: I proudly got a tattoo replica of the guitar on my forearm. I can’t say I own one yet, but I can sure say it’s the best acoustic guitar I have ever played in my 38 years of playing. Hats off to all your hard-working and skilled staff. You certainly don’t have to own one to see the superior craftsmanship.

Brandon Thomas

Letters2 www.taylorguitars.com

14 Zac Brown The award-winning bandleader talks about serving up great Southern music and food, and his friendship with Bob Taylor.

On the Cover

6 Bob Builds a Book Bob Taylor reflects on the experience of writing his first book, Guitar Lessons. Plus, in a pair of exclusive excerpts, Bob recounts the role of co-founder Kurt Listug in establishing the Taylor brand and reflects on the merits of hard work and perseverance.

66 Sphere of Influence Exposing yourself to a variety of musical genres can help you discover unique ways to express yourself on guitar.

Volume 66Winter 2011

Departments

Features

2 Letters 4 Kurt’s Corner5 BobSpeak

5 Editor’s Note11 Soundings 12 Ask Bob

68 TaylorWare

3

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

Cover FeatureCover Feature

18 The 2011 Guitar Guide Among this year’s refinements are the revamped Presentation and 900 Series, a new 416ce, the maple laminate Doyle Deluxe, and a double cutaway SolidBody.

20 Shaping Your Sound An acoustic guitar should complement your playing style. We break acoustic tone into its key ingredients: body shapes, tonewood pairings, and player technique.

25 Acoustic Electronics Our Expression System pickup will translate the natural acoustic sound of a Taylor into a natural amplified sound.

The 2011 Taylor Line

28 Acoustic-Electric Models40 Acoustic Models42 Build to Order 44 Standard Model Options46 Signature Models48 GS Mini50 200/100 Series51 Baby/Big Baby52 The Electric Line60 Customer Support62 Taylor Abroad64 Eco-Management

I’m pleased to announce that on January 1 we opened our own sales and distribution facility for Taylor gui-tars in Europe! Our warehouse and offices are located in Amsterdam, near the Schiphol airport, and will service all Taylor dealers and dis-tributors throughout Europe. Our new European sales and distribution business is 100 percent owned by Taylor Guitars, and is staffed by Taylor Guitars employees. We expect to not only increase our sales and market share in Europe through distributing our own guitars, but also to deliver

much more of the Taylor brand experi-ence and superior customer service that we’re known for here in the States. We’ve utilized many fine indepen-dent distributors over the years to help us sell Taylor guitars throughout Europe and other areas of the world. Up to and through 2007, most of the European distributors with whom we worked focused on one country or a few countries. For the past three years we’ve worked with Fender Musical Instruments, and they did a fine job, bringing their experience in continen-

tal foreign distribution and logistics to the table. It’s now time for us to take the reins ourselves. The financial and human resources we’ve assembled enable us to take this huge step into foreign sales and distribution of our own guitars. A lot of what we do in the States, like the advertising and marketing that build the Taylor brand, or giving supe-rior customer service, is a long-term investment that doesn’t necessarily result in current-year sales. These cre-ate long-term results and brand value. It’s tough for an independent distribu-

tor to justify undertaking these sorts of initiatives for a brand they don’t own and will be the custodian of for only a limited time. But it’s precisely these investments and these initia-tives that can take the brand to a much higher level, and that’s why we are so excited about taking on our own European distribution of Taylor guitars: We get to do all the things we love doing that create higher sales and happy customers. I wrote in my column last spring how we’re unique in the way we mar-

ket and sell our guitars. I mentioned how we’re unique in the way we manage and relate to our staff and how we’ve built the structure of the company. I said the company has a unique culture, which is inclusive and engaging, and that all these qualities and strengths have been created by and are reflections of the people at the company. I also said our future growth will come from leveraging our strengths and resources, namely the people of Taylor Guitars. This is precisely what we’re doing as we expand our reach into Europe and take control of our sales, marketing and distribution. This new business is a huge undertaking, but our executive team is more than up to the challenge. I’d like to thank them for all their hard work and dedication to this expan-sion project. Wherever you are in the world, we hope to see you this year. If you come to San Diego, please visit us and take our factory tour. We’ll be bringing our Road Shows to music shops throughout Europe and the States. If you see us at a music fes-tival or guitar show, please stop by and introduce yourself. We would love to meet you. Here’s wishing you a happy and prosperous year!

We’re Up for Europe

Kurt’s Corner

4 www.taylorguitars.com

— Kurt Listug, CEO

We are excited about taking on our own European distribution. We get to do all the things we love that create happy customers.

ContributorsJonathan Forstot / David Hosler / David Kaye / Kurt Listug / Shawn Persinger Shane Roeschlein / Bob Taylor / Corey Witt / Glen Wolff / Chalise Zolezzi

Technical AdvisorsEd Granero / David Hosler / Gerry Kowalski / Andy Lund / Rob MagargalMike Mosley / Brian Swerdfeger / Bob Taylor / Chris Wellons / Glen Wolff

Contributing PhotographersRita Funk-Hoffman / David Kaye / Steve Parr

CirculationKatrina Horstman

©2011 Taylor Guitars. 100 SERIES, 200 SERIES, 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, ES-Go, Grand Symphony, GS, GS Mini, GS SERIES, T5 Thinline Fiveway, Taylor Acoustic Electronics, ES-T, Thinline (T5) Fiveway, T3, T3/B, T-Lock and V-Cable are trademarks of the company. Patents pending.

Publisher / Taylor-Listug, Inc. Produced by the Taylor Guitars Marketing DepartmentVice President of Sales & Marketing / Brian Swerdfeger Director of Brand Marketing / Jonathan ForstotEditor / Jim KirlinSenior Art Director / Cory SheehanArt Director / Rita Funk-HoffmanGraphic Designer / Angie Stamos-GuerraPhotographer / Tim Whitehouse

Printing / DistributionCourier Graphics / CEREUS - Phoenix

Volume 66Winter 2011

2011 Taylor Factory Tours & Vacation Dates A free, guided tour of the Taylor Guitars factory is given every Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. (excluding holidays). No advance reservations are nec-essary. 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 call in advance (619) 258-1207 and ask for the Factory Tour Manager. While not physically demanding, the tour does include a fair amount of walk-ing. 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, includ-ing directions to the factory, please visit taylorguitars.com/contact/factorytour. We look forward to seeing you!

Holiday Closures Monday, February 21(Presidents’ Day)

Monday, May 30(Memorial Day) Monday-Friday, July 4-8(Independence Day/company vacation)

The Art of Breaking the Rules One reason I look forward to the holidays each year is to carve out extra reading time. On my book list this season was Keith Richards’ new memoir, Life, which delivered everything I expected. It was, of course, abundantly stocked with colorful accounts of his rock & roll escapades, which were at times comically outrageous (at least in hindsight). But it was also a captivating personal chronicle of a transitional era in pop and rock music, packed with revealing insights into the emergence of a legendary rock band. Anytime I read about impactful artists, I enjoy learning about the source of their early creative energy, especially their transformation as they digest their influences and work to develop a distinctive musical point-of-view. In the case of the Stones, Keef and Mick’s discovery of American rhythm and blues, particularly Chicago blues, would provide their musical bedrock. They proved to be dedicated students, learning not only to play and write blues-rooted songs, but to also tap the essence of the blues and filter it through their own lives across the Atlantic. It was fun to soak up Richards’ accounts of gradually unlocking the guitar secrets of his American blues forebears — of figuring out how to make a guitar part sound like a horn line, of learning to alter straight chords for greater musical impact, and of discovering the five-string open G tuning that became part of his trademark guitar sound. A major revelation for Richards as he studied the bluesmen who inspired him was that breaking the musical rules was a valid and useful creative approach. “There is no ‘properly,’” he riffs in reference to the playing of the blues greats. “There’s just how you feel about it.” Reading Richards’ stories, especially the guitar lessons he learned early on, reminded me of some of the stories I’d read from Bob Taylor’s new book. Though the anecdotes aren’t nearly as outra-geous, Bob’s accounts of discovering his passion for making guitars, tools and machines, along with the creative energy he poured into it, resonate in a similar way. Both broke the rules, and it helped them learn how to put their own musical stamp on the world. “There are some people looking to play guitar,” Richards reflects on his early years as a musician. “There’s other people looking for a sound.” Whatever you may be looking for in your musical pursuits this year, we hope you find it.

— Jim Kirlin

Editor’s Note

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

Online

5

BobSpeakBook Report

— Bob Taylor, President

How often have you been exas-perated and sighed, “I should write a book!” Boy, I’ve said that, but now I’ve actually done it. Not out of exasperation, but rather to share the Taylor Guitars story with people. Publisher Matt Holt and editor Shannon Vargo, from John Wiley & Sons, Inc., a colossal book pub-lisher founded in the year 1807, approached me early last summer. They asked if I’d be interested in writ-ing a book about my experience with Taylor Guitars. I asked, “Do you think people would want to read it?” They answered, “Yes!” I said, “Really?” They answered, “Yep. Really.” I said, “OK.” That was the easy part. It seemed that by the next day there were deadlines. I wondered what I’d got-ten myself into. I wondered why I couldn’t just chip away at it and one day it would be done. Then I learned that the book business isn’t much dif-ferent than my guitar business when it comes to putting out products. In the same way that we announce a guitar model, or prepare it for the NAMM show release, and then have to deliver it to a world of waiting cus-tomers, they, too, need to announce an upcoming release and then deliver it. I can respect that, so I started writing. Matt and Shannon were nice. They’d encourage me to make some

progress, while behind the scenes they were probably biting their nails as I turned in little chunks of the book here and there. But the writing continued on my end, and eventually I completed the book. Then Shannon started editing, and the book got better. She’s probably reading this article now, thinking of what she’d change. The book, titled Guitar Lessons, is really a business book that teaches lessons learned along the way as Taylor Guitars evolved from a three-man guitar shop into the leading acoustic guitar manufacturer that we are today. I tell stories that touch on employee relations, branding, innova-tion, technology and planning. I tell the story of our beginnings and the uphill battle to get our little company off the ground. When I was a kid in high school woodshop, trying to do as little as humanly possible in my English class, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be writ-ing a book someday. Back then, I’d always choose to do an oral book report. I learned that by being funny during my speech, I could get an A having done no more than barely skimming the book the night before. I almost got exposed as a fraud in the 11th grade when I did an oral report on The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair. My teacher enjoyed my report so much that she wanted to discuss the book

some more, with me up there in front of the class. Somehow, I walked a tightrope as she told the class about the rest of the book that I didn’t mention, while I just agreed and told her how much I loved that part, too. To keep from getting in a pickle, I’d change her topic by interjecting a passage I’d skimmed, and she’d jump in and finish the story. We were a great team! I’m going to have to give The Jungle a serious read some-day; it sounded like a great book. But that day, I got out of class by the skin of my teeth and ran right back to woodshop and continued the work on my first guitar. They don’t offer woodshop in school anymore because they think it’s a waste of a kid’s time. They think Upton Sinclair’s literary work has more positive impact on the life of a 16-year-old boy. But back then I was allowed to be exposed to both types of learning, just on the off-chance that the way to my brain was through using my hands. I’m thankful for that. I’ve read a lot of books since high school. I’ve always got two or three books going at a time, and reading turned out to be an important part of my life. If you ever want to skim my book for an oral report, you’ll be able to find it at most booksellers.

By Chalise Zolezzi

Guitar Lessons with Bob In his first-ever book, Bob Taylor shares candid stories about mastering his craft, overcoming adversity, and building a successful company.

his time the question came during the Summer NAMM show in Nashville. “Would you like to write a book?” The inquiring party was publish-ing powerhouse John Wiley & Sons, a company more than two centuries old, with core markets that span the business, academic and scientific sectors. Bob had come to the atten-tion of Wiley through some guitar-loving staffers, among them Vice President of Publishing Matthew Holt, a Taylor player and native San Diegan, who had been enthralled by Bob’s story after touring the Taylor factory. “Bob is a local guy who hasn’t just made good, he’s made great,” says Holt. “With Bob you get the innovator, craftsman, philosopher, businessman, family man, friend, rebel and outsider, all rolled into one fantastic story.” It was far from the first time Bob had been approached about writing a book. But in the past he’d felt that the time wasn’t right. For a while there was the lingering sense that the company hadn’t yet amassed enough history or achievements to justify the retrospection. Besides, Bob was a forward-thinking guy — even the company’s commemorative anniversary guitars embodied a look toward the future. He’d begun to warm to the idea of a Taylor book as the company’s 30th anniversary approached. In fact, he was interviewed extensively by writer Michael John Simmons for the first book to officially chronicle the Taylor story, Taylor Guitars: 30 Years of a New American Classic, published in 2004. But a book writ-ten by Bob would be a different kind of book. And for him, now was a good time. The Taylor guitar line had matured and expanded in excit-ing new directions in recent years. Production levels were at an all-time high. The company had become widely recognized for its industry-leading innovation and excellence. The brand had gone global, with a new European distribution and ser-vice facility in development. Taylor guitars were constantly being spot-ted in the hands of some of music’s biggest names. When Bob met with Holt and other Wiley editorial staff to explore the project further, the people and the partnership felt like a good match, which encouraged him to continue. He and the group decided on a narrative format that would

incorporate his personal stories into a business-themed context about parlaying one’s passions into a successful career. The title, Guitar Lessons, came early and proved to be a natural fit. Bob immersed himself in the writing process through the late summer and fall of 2010. A natural storyteller, his memoir-style reflec-tions vividly capture both a sense of the excitement he felt as a budding luthier who was beginning to har-ness his talents and the way they collided with the adversity of the real world. From his childhood to his humble beginnings at The American Dream guitar shop to the company’s early struggles to stay afloat, Guitar Lessons highlights the series of epiphanies that enabled Bob and Taylor co-founder Kurt Listug to weather the tough times and grow their small shop into the company and brand it is today. While the book technically may reside in the business section of stores, Bob’s engaging perspec-tive promises to connect at many levels. Taylor enthusiasts will eagerly drink up Bob’s colorful anecdotes and behind-the-scenes revelations, but readers from all walks of life will also be able to identify with the universal lessons that nurtured his and the company’s growth. At its core, Guitar Lessons revives the fundamental concepts of hard work and perseverance, and how they can lead to success and personal fulfill-ment. All in Bob’s unique voice. As of Wood&Steel’s press time, Guitar Lessons was scheduled for release in January 2011 and will be distributed through leading retail-ers such as Barnes & Noble and Borders, as well popular e-tailers including Amazon.com. The book has already received critical acclaim from both industry insiders and leading business figures, including Bernd Waller, Chief Marketing Office for Adidas, and well-known Taylor players Zac Brown, Tommy Shaw and Doyle Dykes. As he was completing the book, Bob took time to talk about the emerging themes and the writing process. A pair of book excerpts follow.

What inspired you to write this book?The opportunity was presented to me, and the time just seemed right. Sometimes, I think, if you do these things too early it’s a waste of time.

In our case, it seems as if everything is right for people to want to read the book. How would you describe Guitar Lessons to someone who has little knowledge of Taylor?It’s a book of business lessons learned through experience and told in story form. It’s the story of starting a business as a teenager based on a craft I fell in love with, and really, how it turned into a major business by bringing great people in with me and persevering through the years.

Is there content in the book that will surprise existing Taylor own-ers? I think people familiar with the com-pany will see it as a more in-depth and candid story than what they are going to read in a blog, article or company profile. In a book format, there’s enough room to delve into details. There are lots of Taylor guitar owners. If we’ve sold a million gui-tars and 750,000 of those have only recently joined our customer base in the last six or seven years, this will give them a better insight into our story and where we came from.

Which part of the book was the most challenging to write and why? The early years were really easy to write — it’s like a very narrow street. When the company was small, it was easy to reflect from my per-spective. What was challenging was to write from my perspective as a group story because, as Taylor Guitars grew, I didn’t take the liberty to tell what other people were think-ing or feeling. I just had to skip to the part I know, and that was a little challenging.

What lessons do you want read-ers to leave with? The main lessons are that it takes perseverance and the ability to knock down obstacles as you go. There’s no singular thing that acts as a turning point in a business and gets you to finally “make it.” There may be 25 things that you need to solve for your business to be suc-cessful. Maybe you have to get to where eight or nine are solved just to stay in business, and then you go from there. But you must continue to own something, whether it means learning how to do production, mar-keting your products, or taking care of employees. You can run a car

Guitar Lessons with Bob

7

T with six pistons, but it takes all eight pistons to fire for the car to really run great.

In the book, you cite a unique value proposition that Taylor Guitars has learned as a compa-ny: that you must make products and get them out there even if the market isn’t ready to buy. How has embracing this risk cre-ated opportunity for you?To me, there’s no opportunity with-out risk. One opportunity is the abil-ity to do a better job just by merging with everyone else, but really, how are you going to do a better job? It requires risk: to give up profit potential, spend money, take longer, be more dedicated, and turn things around more quickly. In the realm of products, the designer has a place in the ecosystem, and it’s to design. Then you have to let consumers take that and do what they will with it. If you design really good things, consumers will find ways to use them. Maybe not right off the bat, but eventually they come around. To me, the risk always seems very low. How much do you really risk? Other than the early years, I can’t remem-ber “risking it all,” but back then I

had nothing to lose. Now Taylor risks diluting our resources, brand, atten-tion on a new product — but that’s still a low risk. Any smart business person isn’t going to roll the dice on their entire company to put some-thing out. I think that the more you put new things out, the more people are used to you putting new things out, and the less risky it becomes.

What advice can you give to readers who want to pursue their passion but fear having a lack of financial stability?Start young — don’t put it off. You don’t need financial stability when you are young. Don’t waste your life waiting to do it; it only gets harder. If it’s too late for that approach, you’ve got to work two jobs. You’ve got to figure out how to make things hap-pen while you don’t give up your financial stability. Stay out of debt and let your life get very meager. The fruits of that could be wonderful if you can triumph and turn it into a business. As I say in the book, it’s either “pay now and play later” or “play now and pay later.” But sooner or later you are going to pay.

continued next page

Above: Bob inspecting some of his early guitars

8 www.taylorguitars.com

Mine was a Black and Cream Heritage Softail. Kurt’s was a Black Springer. They were both 1990 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We took several trips together on them over the next couple years, getting away from the business to have a little fun and adventure. During one trip we took through Northern California, a rain cloud followed us wherever we rode. The only time it stopped raining was when it would turn to sleet, hail, or snow. Winter arrived early in the Sierra Nevada Mountains that September. But we toughed it out because we had Harleys and we

weren’t about to be fair-weather riders. One year we rode from San Diego to the Canadian border and back, over a two-week period. On my motorcycle, I could smell a guy smoking a cigar in a car a mile ahead, and we could feel the air drop from warm to cool simply because a field was being irri-gated beside us. Along the Olympic Peninsula, a black bear ran across the highway in front of me while I looked down on the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocky cliffs. They sell good rain gear at the Harley-Davidson dealership in

Seattle; gear you don’t find in San Diego. I spent some money there and hoped for rain. Being on the road together felt good; us two partners out on our Harleys. We’d worked hard for 15 years, and this trip was the first real reward we gave ourselves now that we were beginning to have some small successes in the business. Kurt loved the Harley ads that he saw in magazines. One in particu-lar was a photograph of the night sky with a line that said something about some people seeing only the Big Dipper in the sky, while others see a ’59 Panhead. The Harley ad

man.” They’d want to talk to me at the stoplight. A pickup full of El Cajon cowboys would roll down the window and holler, “Ride American!” and give me a thumbs-up. There was a feeling associated with this that spanned cultures and ages. Harley had tapped into it and Kurt had noticed. He wanted to build a brand that elicited a similar feeling from its customers. He wanted people who played our guitars to tell stories about their guitars, to make friends with their guitars, to feel like they were part of something by owning a Taylor guitar. He wanted that brand strength to help fuel demand for our guitars so we could grow and affect more people in a positive way. He started by searching out a local ad agency and was pleased to hear them reference the Harley ad that he loved so much as an exam-ple of advertising they thought could work for us. He wanted to take a chance and go for it, to change the way we were perceived in the mar-ket. He thought he’d start by hiring this agency and creating advertising that would distinguish us from all the other companies. Guitar advertisements at the time were usually photos of rock stars holding guitars, or a photo of a guitar and a list of everything the company does to make theirs bet-ter than everyone else’s. It was a “noisy” time in the advertising world in the sense that when you opened a guitar magazine you felt like you were being lambasted with every-one’s claims. The thing was, they were all making the same claims. So how could we differentiate ourselves in that environment and not waste our effort and dollars? With the help of the agency we hired, who really seemed to under-stand our mission, our first ad hit the magazines. It was a beautiful pas-toral scene, with grass and a clear blue sky. In the middle of the photo stood a lone tree. It was a two-page spread ad and couldn’t possibly be overlooked or confused with any-thing else in the magazine. The byline read, “In its simplest form a guitar is just a hollow box made of wood. It’s up to you to decide how to fill it.” There was a Taylor guitar peghead with the logo peeking up into the corner of the page. People stopped when they saw that ad. It was one of several in the “Trees” campaign. Each ad was a

Bob recounts business partner Kurt Listug’s innovative vision in establishing the Taylor brand, which changed the course of the company.

Guitar Lessons Excerpt

Chapter 15: “Building Our Brand”

was selling the feeling you get when you ride. And the people who “got it” didn’t feel like explaining it to the people who didn’t. But there were plenty of people who got it. Our Harleys were two-wheeled friend-makers. They were cross-generational and cross-cultural. I’d buy gas and a 60-year-old woman pumping gas beside me would tell me about the trip she and her husband took on a Harley when they were in their twenties. I’d drive down the road where I lived and a low rider full of Chicanos would lean out the window and whoop it up at me, “Hey Vato…Cool Harley,

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different photo of trees, with a differ-ent thought written. There were no guitars in these ads and no famous rock stars. One ad that I loved had a photo of a deep forest. It read, “In one pair of hands, a piece of fine wood can become a living room cof-fee table. In another pair of hands, that piece of wood can become the sweetest-sounding guitar. This is for everyone who has no desire to play the coffee table.” This same ad’s subhead read, “Some trees become pencils. Some trees become paper that becomes guitar magazines. Some trees become shoe trees. Some trees become Taylor guitars. Some trees have all the luck.” Another ad read, “Out of all the trees in the forest, only a few get picked to play beautiful music. Come to think of it, it kinda works the same way with people.” We were doing $3 million in annual gross sales in 1992 when we decided to hire the ad agency. Compared to where we came from, that was an honorable figure for us, but compared to the expense of the campaign that we committed to pro-duce and run, we were investing a huge portion of our revenue into the ads. We were still awfully small to be playing such a big game. Kurt, being financially skilled, began to work on how we’d pay for the ads, and he decided that the best place to come up with the money was to earn the money. We made a couple dozen dif-ferent models of guitars at the time. Generally, more expensive models are more profitable, but also harder to sell. That doesn’t mean that a less expensive guitar doesn’t have a good profit margin, but it’s more than just the percentage of profit in a guitar that makes the finances

The very first ads were nomi-nated for Kelly Awards, which are the equivalent of the Oscars for print advertising. It’s an honor to be nominated and a huge achieve-ment to win. The ad agency wins the award, not the client, but nev-ertheless, it was Taylor Guitars advertisements that were nominated and Kurt’s vision in those ads. The first year, we made it into the top 25 finalists, which is in itself a big deal. Our ads were competing with the largest companies in the world, like Nike, Harley-Davidson, Porsche, and others that dwarf our company. The campaign had succeeded in rais-ing the bar for our whole industry. Professionals in the normal business world began to take notice of a little tiny guitar company from San Diego.

Excerpted with permission of the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc., www.wiley.com, from GUITAR LESSONS: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion into Business by Bob Taylor (c) 2011 by Bob Taylor

which in turn would pay dividends back to the company by helping our sales. It was symbiotic. Each task needed to work for the other to hap-pen. It was a risk, but he took it. He felt we could make the guitars that would pay for the ads that would help build a brand and market to sell more guitars. And it worked. Soon a second ad campaign came out that was titled “Discovery.” The campaign was based on a few poignant let-ters we’d received from buyers who had discovered our guitars over the years. It was their stories, skillfully compressed into a short line or two that communicated to readers what these people experienced when they began playing our guitars. They were simple stories about a person coming across and playing a Taylor for the first time and their decision to buy. Later came the “Play Ball” campaign — a concept centered around finding time to play guitar. One ad showed a guy playing ball with his son. Once the son was sat-isfied and the game was over, dad

could go play his guitar, guilt-free. In another, a wife bought two tickets to a game so her husband could take his buddy and she could stay home and play her guitar. There were five different ads for each campaign. It was expensive, but Kurt knew deep inside that establishing a strong brand was the only way to build our future. They were all full-spread ads, with clean designs and powerful copy. They grabbed your attention and you wanted to read them. After a period of time, our brand began to grow. People would see us at trade shows or guitar festivals and say, “I just LOVE your ads! You guys are so much cooler than the other companies.” People could relate to them. They made the customer the star rather than the guitar or the artist. We didn’t ask them to make their buying decision based on what famous player was holding a Taylor guitar. They could see themselves in the ads. They got a chuckle, or a laugh, or a quiet thought, and maybe a tear.

the same amount of guitars? That money would flow to the bottom line as profit and he could pay for the ads. So he worked out a produc-tion mix that favored our high-end guitars: those that yielded greater profit for the company. It was skill-fully planned so that we were likely to make and sell that mix. It wasn’t

People would see us at trade shows or guitar festivals and say, “I just LOVE your ads!” They made the customer the star rather than the guitar or the artist.

work. It’s also the gross sales. If we could raise the income by making a higher percentage of expensive guitars, we’d have more money to work with. What if we could raise our annual sales by $250,000, for example, just by skillfully blending the right models into the mix of

just a list of our most expensive guitars. He cast the vision to the agency, and asked for help getting there. If he could make the right mix of guitars, and they could help in our branding so that we could sell them, we could earn the profit to cover the investment we had made in the ads,

10 www.taylorguitars.com

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor, and rich is better.” That makes me laugh whenever I hear it. The strug-gling years are not something anyone wants to do, but for most people to become successful or to learn to be an expert, there is struggle involved. That’s the part of your story when you work for nothing, when you put out more than you take in, and when you wonder why you’re doing it in the first place. The Taylor Guitars story pro-gresses along a path through many seasons, as does any successful company. Companies are conceived, born, nurtured and grown. Some com-panies live for generations and some don’t, but nearly all have a meager beginning. Ours certainly did, and our beginning seemed to last for years. It’s difficult for me to espouse expert business advice based on our early years since they piled up with very little progress. Nobody knew who we were, and we were only one step away from going out of business every day. We weren’t brilliant kids, but we were smart enough, and we didn’t quit. We got smarter as time went on and as we gained experience. There were years of wrestling with the same things day in and day out. We’d make progress on many fronts, but it wasn’t until progress was made on all fronts that the bottom line began to change. All fronts include things like time. Recently, we introduced solidbody electric guitars into the market. Talking to a dealer we asked, “In your opinion, what does this guitar need in order to be a successful player in the market?” He pondered for a moment and sim-ply answered, “Time.” There wasn’t anything we could do about the time factor back then, and we didn’t accept that anyway as being something that needed to happen. We were wrong, of course, but it’s a moot point because we had to stay in business in order for the time to pass that would allow people to know who we were. So we worked — what else could we do?

The way I look at it is kind of like we were going to school. I knew peo-ple who were 19 when they started college, and spent four years only to go to graduate school for another couple years or more. Then they got a job at a company and had to learn the business before they were worth much to the employer. They might have worked at their first job for five years and then started over some-where else, but all the while becoming a little more able to contribute. Ten or 12 years might pass before they’d feel they were finally getting somewhere. Why should it be different for us? Formal education and work experi-ence are part of a normal approach to becoming a useful addition to the workforce; mine was just different. I was working for myself, which I have observed to be the greatest source of working energy I’ve ever witnessed.

our business as something made of genius, but more a story of a goal and the work it took to get there. It was fueled by passion and commitment. It wasn’t the kind of commitment where we said we were just trying this out to see how it would go, but rather the type of commitment that wasn’t dis-cussed, because we’d already decid-ed, and it was normal in our minds to continue. We had decided we were going to build a guitar company, and that’s what we woke up and did each day. It’s not very sexy at this point, but to me it’s the best part of the story because it’s something that nearly everyone can do. Everyone can work hard. There’s something innately respectable, no matter who you are, about persevering. It doesn’t matter what group of people you happen to be with. If you say you’ve been mar-

Bob reflects on the struggles of the early years and the sense of empowerment that comes from working for oneself.

Guitar Lessons Excerpt

Chapter 7: “Sweat Equity”

We weren’t brilliant kids, but we were smart enough, and we didn’t quit.

I’ve seen people leave their job at the day’s end who are totally beat after eight hours. I’ve seen those same people start their own business and work 15-hour days on the energy of owning something themselves. I’m watching my daughters, Natalie and Minet, along with their partner Michael, do it now. I am pretty sure that much of my early story was fueled by energy that came from working for myself, along with my unfettered passion for making guitars, tools, and machines. It also didn’t hurt that our customers, those whom we did find every once in a while, loved their guitars. Letters of praise would arrive in the mail, and I have to tell you, that alone can keep a guy going emotion-ally. We started early in life and worked hard. I’ve heard it said, “Pay now and play later, or play now and pay later, but sooner or later you’re going to pay.” I paid early and I’m glad I did. I don’t count what we did early in

ried 35 years, you get approval. If you say you’ve had one job for 25 years, you get admiration. You don’t get the same admiration, even if you strike gold, if there’s not the sweat equity behind it. People roll their eyes at other people who’ve had things given to them, unless those people take that gift and work hard to multiply it. If you work, people admire the effort. I didn’t do it for the admiration, I’m just point-ing out that working through the hard part of any pursuit is not something anyone of us want to do, because it’s hard, discouraging, and takes a long time with no immediate reward, but it’s something that everyone respects and admires.

Excerpted with permission of the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc., www.wiley.com, from GUITAR LESSONS: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion into Business by Bob Taylor (c) 2011 by Bob Taylor

Above: Bob Taylor in the first shop circa 1974. Below: Kurt Listug at a sidebending machine

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pointed. A couple months later, I woke up Christmas morning and the guitar was sitting in my living room. My dad had found out I wanted the guitar.” Wilson recently wrapped the first leg of the “Story of Your Life Tour” supporting Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and fellow Taylor player, Matthew West, and will reunite with West in the spring con-tinuation of that tour. www.joshwil-sonmusic.com.

A Swift Escape Late last year, we teamed up with Taylor Swift to celebrate the release of Speak Now, her third album, which went on to sell over a million cop-ies in its first week and has since gone multi-platinum. As part of the launch, Swift and 30 sweepstakes winners were flown to Los Angeles, where, at a private hangar, the Taylor Guitars “Welcome to California” red carpet was waiting for the group. Each winner was given a Taylor Swift Baby Taylor guitar, which Swift auto-graphed, and then had the chance to walk the red carpet. Swift was fol-lowed by a production team that was taping an hour-long special to air on NBC on Thanksgiving, and if you caught the show, you may have spot-ted a few familiar Taylor faces in the crowd — including Bob Taylor’s. Shortly thereafter, we launched the “Speak Now” sweepstakes and celebrity auction with Swift, Sony and Country Music Television (CMT). The promotion offered one winner a flyaway to meet Taylor Swift on tour. At the concert, the winner will receive a prize pack from Sony and Taylor Guitars, and have the chance to photograph Swift from the press pit using their new Sony digital cam-era. The same prize package was also offered through an auction in conjunction with CharityBuzz.com, a leader in online auctions for non-prof-its, to benefit VH1’s Save The Music Foundation, which works to keep music education alive in schools across the nation. As of press time, the closing auction bid was nearing $30,000.

Storied Past In October, Switchfoot frontman and solo artist Jon Foreman and Bob Taylor presented a one-night-only acoustic performance and sto-rytelling event to a rapt audience at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Under the bill-ing “Stories & Songs,” Foreman and Taylor shared details of their personal life journeys, reflected on their unique friendship, and reminisced about how one great-sounding acoustic guitar brought them together. As part of the

night’s festivities, Foreman performed an acoustic set featuring songs from the Switchfoot catalog and his solo material. The two also answered questions from the audience.

’80s Revival Rocker Lita Ford had never tried a Taylor before, but when she sampled one while hanging out with Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell (GSRS, T5, 816ce, SolidBody Classic), she knew she had to have one. Late last year, Ford took time to visit the Taylor factory, meet our Artist Relations team, and try a few new models, and she’s now strum-ming a GS8. Ford was the lead guitarist of the pioneering all-female band, The Runaways, before launch-ing a successful pop-metal solo career in the 1980s, scoring top-ten hits with “Kiss Me Deadly” and “Close My Eyes Forever,” a duet with Ozzy Osbourne. The GS8 should get some good use on the new album she has in the works. Myspace.com/litaford

Christmas Surprise Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Wilson (314Kce) is ready-ing the debut of his third album, See You. Inspired by the tension between his faith and his physical sight, Wilson probes his spiritual curiosity with imaginative, self-exam-ining lyrics. The new project is a follow-up to his critically acclaimed release Life is Not a Snapshot, which spurred the hit single, “Before the Morning” and was awarded the fourth spot on Billboard’s Year-End Top 100 Christian Albums chart. The all-acoustic “It is Well” off the new album was lovingly recorded with his 314Kce, a guitar he calls “my favor-ite Christmas gift.” “About nine years ago I found this one in the store, but I didn’t have enough money to buy it, so I would go in every day and play it,” he says. “After about two weeks, I walked in the store and it was gone. Needless to say, I was pretty disap-

Soundings

Taylorspotting Guitarist Billy Morrison has been backing up Billy Idol on tour in Southern California, and says he’s been enjoying his T5. “When I was looking for a slim-line electro-acoustic, Taylor was nice enough to send me a T5, and it’s absolutely beautiful,” he says. “Right now I have only used it on the Billy Idol tour, but I know it will perform just as well once we get into the studio. It’s easy to play, sounds great, and it’s versa-

tile enough with the controls to cope with whatever room we are in. It’s been a joy to play.”… Guitarist Brian Ray, a longtime sideman with Sir Paul McCartney, strummed his 655 during a Wings medley that included “Band on the Run” on Saturday Night Live in December… Big Bad Voodoo Daddy lead guitarist and bandleader Scotty Morris has been slinging his T3/B on stage.

Clockwise from top: Taylor Director of Brand Marketing Jonathan Forstot, Bob Taylor, Taylor Swift, Public Relations Manager Chalise Zolezzi and Artist Relations rep Tim Godwin; Josh Wilson; Billy Morrison

When I purchased my 2002 815ce, I thought I had finally arrived — it was the dream guitar I always wanted. Now I’m ready for anoth-er. What are your thoughts on the aesthetic and tonal properties that distinguish narrow- and wide-grained spruce and cedar tops?

John Yi Maywood, IL

John, it’s a great question. The more I build guitars, the more I like wider-grained spruce. That’s because it’s nearly as stiff, but much lighter in weight. I like the sound. Visually, I like lots of types of grain patterns on tops. I’m always attracted to wider, earthier tops, which is not the normal reaction. Most people like narrow grain, but those preferences change, and people like you and I discuss it. Bottom line, I dig the wide stuff. It’s hard to find wide cedar, actually, because the trees that make it to the guitar makers always seem to be large, straight and narrow-grained. We’ll have to suffer through those beautiful straight, narrow-grained cedar tops for a while.

We all know (well, most of us) that a new guitar needs to be played for a while for the wood to learn how to play. If you stop playing, does the wood forget? My trusty 1978 Taylor was always known for great sound. I left it in the case for a long time while I was fixated on my new T5. Recently I’ve been playing the 1978 again, and it doesn’t seem to have the magic sound it always had. Is that my ears? The guitar? Am I just so used to the T5 that my ears are jaded? How much playing would you think the guitar needs to stay in good-sounding shape?

Ivan Mann

Ivan, guitars remain a mystery when it comes to this subject. You remem-ber what you remember, maybe not what was. I wouldn’t call your ears

jaded, but it’s true that if you walk away from something for a while, you might have a different reaction when you come back. That said, it is undeniable that guitars get bet-ter with age and with playing, and that they both contribute. I’ve heard guitars get better from just sitting for 20 years. I know players who have guitars they record with and keep locked up otherwise. These people get the guitar out for a month of heavy playing before recording. Does the guitar wake up? Probably. Does one’s ear adjust to the guitar? Probably. It’s a little of each of these factors. How’s that for an answer? I’m practicing to become a politician.

Have you given any thought to making an all-laminate guitar? I have a bunch of acoustic guitars with solid-wood bodies and solid tops, but I find they spend most of their lives in their cases due to concerns about damage from humidity changes. I’d love to have a Taylor that I can keep out on a stand and not worry about crack-ing. I think it would help me be more spontaneous musically, and because of that, my “better” gui-tars would actually get more use. A Taylor 214 with a laminated top would be my dream guitar.

Tommy Collins

Yes, Tommy, I think about it all the time. The challenge is in making a laminated top that is as good as solid wood. The problem is that there is tension on the top. The center lamination in a plywood top is cross-grain and weak in the direction of the string pull. Guitar tops should be flexible in one direction and stiff in the other. Plywood is the same in both directions. I’ve hand-made plywood tops that solve this by ori-enting grain, but they have too much glue, which is a sound sucker, and it’s very expensive to make. A guitar like you’re talking about is a dream of mine, but not yet realized.

I am the grateful owner of a 2008 cocobolo GA limited. It is simply stunning to look at, with tone to match! On the back it has what I’ve been told is sapwood. What exactly is sapwood, and how does it add to the tonal qualities of the guitar?

Bob L.

Bob, it sounds like you’re cuckoo for cocobolo! Lots of people are. First, sapwood doesn’t add to the tonal qualities of the guitar. It would sound the same without the sap. Sapwood is the living part of the wood in the tree, where the sap, the lifeblood of the tree, is running up and down the tree. Inside the sapwood is the heartwood, which is the colored part of the tree. All sap-wood is light-colored, almost white. Even if the tree’s heartwood is light, like in spruce, the sapwood is lighter than the heartwood. If you looked at a cross-section of a cocobolo log, you’d see the red heartwood sur-rounded by white sapwood. Same with ebony, rosewood, walnut, etc. The reason you see more of it nowa-days is because trees are smaller than years past. People used to cut the sapwood away because they could eat the heart and throw away the rind, so to speak. Not any more — the big trees are not available. Let’s hope we don’t have to eat the rind (sapwood) of our watermelons someday, but for guitars it’s kinda cool.

I’ve noticed that the string spacing on the 214 model is narrower than on the 314, 414, etc. I like the spacing on my 1997 414 and wouldn’t mind having a less expensive backup such as a 214, but the spacing is too narrow. Why is there a difference? Will there always be a difference?

Steven HomGaithersburg, MD

Steven, the difference is born out of a bit of tradition and habit, even if it’s only Taylor tradition. When we started building guitars, the standard neck width of most acoustic steel-string guitars was 1 11/16” at the nut, and we conformed to that stan-dard. As time passed, we introduced the wider 1 3/4” width as an option. More advanced players liked it, and

I recently purchased a gently used 2005 814ce-L10. What a beautiful, great-sounding guitar. The cocobolo/spruce combination with maple binding is incredible. Why is cocobolo only used on limited edition guitars? Is it a fairly rare wood, or does it not have the frequency range of rosewood?

Steve Mission Viejo, CA

Steve, you got it right. It’s hard to get. We typically

only get about 500 to 1000 sets in a year. These

days it’s even less available as we comply with the

Lacey Act, which guards against any illegal cutting

of any species. This narrows down the suppliers, as

we require them to verify their process. Currently

we have very little cocobolo as we help suppliers

improve their process to a point where they are fully

in compliance with laws and the spirit of responsible

forestry.

12 www.taylorguitars.com

Ask BobWide-grained spruce, sleepy guitars, sapwood and temper tuning

over time it became our standard width. As we made newer models such as the Baby, Big Baby, 100 and 200 Series guitars, we made the more traditional width because most players buying them were beginners and liked the narrower neck. It may change someday, but I think that with the narrower neck on those models we’re hitting the preference of most of those buyers. We don’t offer two widths because, currently, the busi-ness model of those models prevents us from offering too many choices. It’s a toss-up, and whichever width we chose to build I’m sure some per-centage of people would ask for the other width.

I am an elementary school prin-cipal in Northern Indiana (think Amish buggies and Notre Dame football). My school has a guitar program for third grade students in which students play one of our 32 Baby Taylor guitars dur-ing their regular music instruc-tion time. My issue is with keep-ing proper humidity in a larger room. Currently the humidity level is below 40 percent, and I project it to get worse as the air gets drier in the middle of winter. The Baby Taylors are kept in two wooden closets with doors, and I have a humidistat in one of the closets to monitor the humidity levels. I have tried using wet sponges in a Tupperware container with holes in the lids to let moisture out (in the closed closets), and I have a humidifier in the classroom. The humidifier runs as much as pos-sible. During the day the door to the music room is open quite a bit, as classes transition in and out, but it is closed during rehearsal time and all evening, with the humidifier running all night. With all of this in place, I still am not able to get the humidity up to a range of 45-60 percent. I check the humidity level every morn-ing. The typical humidity range is 37-38 percent. Do you have any other suggestions for attaining the property humidity level in a larger room?

Jeremy MillerMiddlebury Elementary

Middlebury, IN

Jeremy, I love you for trying! I wish everyone was so willing to take care of their instruments. Your guitars

might be OK at the 38 percent level. One way you can tell is if the frets on the neck are not starting to pro-trude. If you feel sharp fret ends, that means the ebony is shrinking out from under the fret. If you don’t feel this, then your Babys are happy. Unfortunately, the amount of water necessary to humidify a large room like that is daunting. It could take 20-30 gallons per day to do the job, and only a system humidifier, one that has a water supply, would work. But let’s say you close up at the end of the day and a couple humidifiers run in the closed room all night and get the levels up in the quiet/dark part of the day. During those times, and over the weekend, a couple of portable humidifiers like you’d buy at Sears, which hold a few gallons of water, would do a lot. We have the same problem when we’re at a trade show. We like to be in a separate room rather than on the show floor, and during the night, we put out humidifiers and give all the guitars a drink. By doing that, they stay in good shape during the dry daytime when everything is open. You could do the same, but before you go through the work, feel the edge of the fretboards. If the frets aren’t pok-ing out, don’t bother; just do what you’re currently doing.

Why is the Indian rosewood that you use on your fine guitars so straight-grained? Is it because the wood is quartersawn? Would a flatsawn piece have more figure, and if so, why don’t you use flat-sawn rosewood?

Jim HayslipJacksonville, FL

Yes, Jim, it’s quartersawn, which is the traditional way of cutting wood for its highest stability. We think Indian rosewood looks its very best when quartersawn. Other woods look good both quartered and flat. I think the answer is that we’re just sticking with tradition on this one because we think the tradition is bet-ter. We do the same with mahogany and koa. We break that rule with some maple, and other very hard tropical rosewoods like cocobolo. Inconsistent, I know, but it’s a value judgment we make from looking at a lot of species.

When I fell in love with a GS5e, my wife bought it for me for our 20th wedding anniversary. I absolutely love the GS5, but I’m also hooked on the sound of nylon strings and really like the look of koa. Could I expect to see a nylon-string koa for sale in the near future?

Martin McGonagleChandler, AZ

Maybe, Martin. If so, it would be an LTD, as we have no plans to make it a standard model. You could also order it through BTO. You can get pretty much anything that is legal through our BTO program.

Is there a structural or tonal benefit to using mahogany as the neck material for the 700 through 900 Series? Visually it seems a little out of place against a beautiful rosewood back. Would rosewood make a good neck?

Joe LivingstonCypress, TX

Joe, if I made a neck from rosewood, most people wouldn’t be able to pick it up. You’re from Texas, and I’m sure you’d have no problem, but we Californians are a little weak. But seriously, mahogany is the perfect wood for necks because of its weight, strength, stability, tonal properties, and yes, the look. Most of us find its look against rosewood to be lovely.

I’ve been noticing a new trend among builders attempting to achieve perfect intonation across the neck of the guitar, e.g., the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, and more recently, frets that twist or bend according to the string gauge and the fret position on the neck. What is your experience with into-nation design challenges, and are you exploring any of these recent ideas for Taylor?

Jim Moser

Jim, this is a topic that lots of people ask about. I believe I’ve addressed it as often as any topic on guitars because people are very curious about it. Guitars are temper-tuned. There are lots of temperaments. Just like a piano tuner knows that he could tune a piano with one of 50 different temperaments, and no one

of those is the “right” one, so should a guitar builder or player understand that the pursuit of one perfect tem-perament is a futile pursuit. Bending frets, etc., will make the guitar great for one player and not good for another. Taylor guitars, which are known for good intonation, have a temperament that we’ve forged and tweaked for years to end up on one that most players can use without much trouble. You should understand also that how you tune your guitar provides infinite versions of tempera-ments. When players tune their gui-tar on a tuner and then proceed to detune a string or two, what they are doing is altering their own tempera-ment for their preference and playing style. So, bottom line, yes, we are intimately involved in this pursuit and have learned when to stop and call it a day.

I currently have a Big Baby with an aftermarket Fishman Matrix Infinity pickup. I truly enjoyed this guitar until it had an accident. I was thinking of replacing it with the same setup until I came across the new GS Mini. My only concern is that trying the Big Baby with numerous aftermar-ket pickups was disappointing. I wasn’t really concerned about the sound quality but mostly the range of volume when compared to a guitar with an under-saddle pickup. Even when the volume was cranked, it still would not match the loudness, and even more, it came with a buzz. This is why I chose the Fishman Matrix Infinity pickup in the end. I understand that the GS Mini and the ES-Go pickup are designed for each other, but before I make a purchase, I’d like to know if I might still find some of the issues I mentioned above (when compared to an under-sad-dle pickup). Would it be worth it to keep my original Fishman pickup and have it installed?

Joel Collard

Joel, seriously, the ES-Go pickup is awesome. It’s loud, it sounds good, it’s balanced between strings, it’s simple to install, and it’s affordable. The V-Cable gives you volume con-trol. This whole GS Mini package is one of our proudest moments. I would not recommend another pickup.

I have two questions about the GS Mini. Is it structurally able to be tuned in A, similar to a Tacoma Papoose, using light gauge strings? Also, could it be adjusted to be Nashville high-strung, using the top strings of a 12-string set?

Jim Doyle

Yes, Jim, you can high-string it. But you can’t tune it to A because the strings are way too long for that. You can put a capo on it. A Papoose is tuned to A because it’s short. Putting a capo on your Mini does the same thing.

Why does the 2010 314ce only have one body sensor?

Jerker Lindblad

Jerker, we just got tired of putting in two. All that work! OK, not really. What happened is we did our third “ground-up” redesign of the ES. This included a new preamp that improved the sound significantly. For one, we upgraded to discrete circuit-ry, which in itself sounds better than op-amp design. Then we put two notch filters into the design, which got rid of some frequencies that we didn’t like. Then we stumbled across an unusual position for the hum-can-celing coil on the fretboard pickup that improved the tone dramatically. Eventually, in our testing, we discov-ered that with all these changes, two sensors sounded bad, whereas one sensor sounded fantastic. It’s always nice when less is more, and that’s the case here. The redesign just sort of made the second sensor obsolete.

Got aquestion forBob Taylor?

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

If you have a specific

repair or serviceconcern, please call

our Customer Servicedepartment at

(800) 943-6782,and we’ll takecare of you.

13

Award-winning bandleader Zac Brown talks about food, guitars, super-serving fans, and his friendship with Bob Taylor

By Jim Kirlin

Photos: Bryan Allen

SouthernHospitality

15

ac Brown wants to feed and entertain you. Good food and good music have always harmonized well in Brown’s life, and he understands that both have a way of connecting strongly with people. So, in a way it’s only natural that the burly, bearded, hat-clad namesake of one of the hottest bands around would find a way to blend two of his passions together. “I’ve always been around great food,” says Brown, who grew up as the 11th of 12 kids in the town of Dahlonega, Georgia, set in the moun-tains of northern Georgia. “Pretty much everyone in my family cooks, and as the baby, I was always in the kitchen with them.” Brown is reminiscing, appro-priately enough, two days before Thanksgiving, so a discussion touching on family gatherings and food feels timely. He says everyone congregates at his sister’s house each year, and that everyone brings something. His contribution this year will be four whole prime rib-eyes that he plans to smoke all night and then bring to temperature in the oven on Thanksgiving day. “It’s pretty serious,” he says, and you can tell he means it. Brown used to co-own and run a lakeside music club and restaurant, Zac’s Place, in his native Georgia. The establishment served up tasty Southern fare, and Brown would per-form regularly, both solo and with the band. As he and the band ramped things up, touring the country and bringing their grassroots following to a widespread simmer, Brown knew that he wanted feeding people to be part of the experience. “Food is a powerful thing,” he says. “When you feed people really well, they remember it.” These days, many bigtime bands offer a VIP “meet-and-greet” experi-ence at shows, where fans who pur-chase a premium ticket package get a brief meeting and photo op with the band before or after the show. Brown’s version is the pre-show “eat-and-greet,” where fans can enjoy a gourmet Southern meal with the band, prepared on site by Brown’s friend, Chef Rusty, who tours with the band and cooks out of a custom-ized semi-trailer. “We’ve been feeding about 150-200 people a show,” Brown says. “The band visits with them, and instead of just snapping a pic-ture and running people out of the tent, it’s our way of showing some

hospitality and getting to visit with everybody. For us, being on a real level with our fans and sitting down and sharing a meal with them is a big deal.” Big enough, in fact, that Brown plans to expand the scope of their food concession for his tour this year. He’s been overseeing the customiza-tion of a 53-foot semi-trailer that has a fully loaded commercial kitchen, an awning that can cover 200 people, and even a platform that could accommodate a performance by the band. “We’re planning to feed about a thousand people per show for about 30 of our own shows,” he says. And when the band isn’t on the road, he envisions being able to provide the food concessions for other bands. You don’t have to talk long with Brown to realize that he’s a guy with big ideas, and a guy with the drive and ability to turn them into something real. For him, music is but one pursuit of many, and he seems equally enthused talking about how he plans to parlay his other interests into some kind of bigger enterprise. Besides the food concession, he, Chef Rusty and bandmate Coy Bowles have already published a book of recipes and stories that they sell on the Zac Brown Band website. And his merchandizing ideas extend well beyond t-shirts and other typi-cal fan gear. He has a machine shop that he’s been setting up to make knives, and he has a leather shop. He also recently purchased land near his home in the Fayetteville, Georgia area, where he plans to establish a camp for autistic children. It’s something he’s wanted to do ever since he worked at a summer camp for developmentally challenged kids when he was in his teens. On this day, Brown is talking from a recording studio in Atlanta, where he’s putting the finishing touches on several records he’s producing by artists on his Southern Ground record label, another of his enter-prises, which he launched in 2009. His taste for rootsy, authentically soulful music can be heard through the Atlanta-based artists on his ros-ter — Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan, Levi Lowrey, and the Wood Brothers. Leigh, Cowan and Lowrey all record-ed here, with the Zac Brown Band as the session players. Brown is notice-ably proud of the artists and the proj-ects, and when we meet in person a couple of weeks later, he’ll play a few freshly completed tracks from Sonia

Leigh. The earthy, visceral, throwback vibe of each tune sticks like a good Southern meal. Brown is technically enjoying a pocket of downtime during the band’s three-month break after a year of heavy touring, although downtime for him is split between his various projects and his family. He’s trying to stay close to home, as his wife Shelley is very pregnant with their fourth child (their oldest daughter Justice is 4, so they have a tight clus-ter of young girls). He could probably use some rest himself, given his tour-ing schedule and the meteoric rise the band has experienced over the past two years. The Zac Brown Band more or less established permanent residen-cy on the music charts with their first major label release, The Foundation, which ranked as one of Billboard’s top 20 albums of 2009 and was

“Darius Rucker won ‘Best New Artist’ at the CMAs last year, and I was a Hootie & the Blowfish fan when I was in high school, so I don’t think my situation was quite as bizarre as his was,” he says. “Being new in the country music scene, I guess, was the recognition. We appreciate being recognized, but the most important thing was that we got to play on national television. That’s what means the most to us, getting to meet some of our musical heroes and getting to play.” And they sure can play. The band boasts a top-notch ensemble: Jimmy De Martini (violin, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass, vocals), Coy Bowles (guitar, organ), Chris Fryar (drums), and multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook (guitar, organ, mandolin, pedal steel, vocals). Cook, the most recent addition, is well-known on the Georgia music scene and formerly

write a reggae song or a folk song. We let songs come into their own and be what they want to be.” Each song, Brown says, follows its own schedule for ripening into form. “Some songs are entirely written in like a month, some in a day, and some take five, six years,” he elabo-rates. “I’ll know — I have an internal radar that goes off when I know the song is done. Then we bring that to the band and work out the arrange-ments and everything around it. Then we start playing it out live. Usually by the time we’ve recorded a song, we’ve been playing it out live for six or eight months, so we already know it without having to think about the changes, and we can really put emo-tions into the song. You can’t do that when your brain is in the way.” The band’s well diversified musical scope has a lot to do with Brown’s development as a player. He started studying classical guitar when he was 7, then moved on to bluegrass and folk. “My oldest brother was 21 years older than me, and I was exposed to everyone else’s music, which I’m thankful for,” he says. “My brother Wynn played banjo and guitar, and got me into bluegrass when I was little.” Eventually he fell under the spell of acoustic guitar-oriented singer-songwriters. He rattles off his early influences, based on the records that played in the house: James Taylor, Jim Croce, Dan Fogelberg, the Eagles, the Allman Brothers, America, Bread, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Cat Stevens. In addition to learning classical guitar technique, he says James Taylor impacted his approach to fingerpicking through his ability to evoke so much melody, including walking bass lines, from one guitar. “I learned a lot by deconstructing his guitar parts,” he says. At age 14, Brown opened for Shawn Mullins, and after seeing Mullins perform, he knew what he wanted to do for a living. It was around that time that he picked up his first Taylor, an 810. When he was 18, he bought an 814ce and started playing with a drummer as Far from Einstyne. “I made a living on that 814 for about six years,” he says. “I played it in Panama City [Florida]. We played six hours a night, six nights a week,

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“The longevity of your band depends a lot on the loyalty of your fan base. I just try to set the bar really high for what we give people. To play a four-hour show, to give them really good food, to give them a great environment.”

recently certified double platinum. The record would produce five No.1 hits, including “Toes,” “Chicken Fried,” and “Free.” Besides radio airplay, they’ve been building a loyal follow-ing through heavy touring (around 200 shows a year) and incredible live shows that routinely stretch to four hours. Brown has definitely managed to give fans the kind of good-time musical escape that would make Jimmy Buffett proud. The band’s efforts earned them a Grammy in 2010 for “Best New Artist,” and they’re nominated for four Grammys this year. They also received an Academy of Country Music Award for “Top Vocal Group,” and five Country Music Association Award nominations in 2010, includ-ing “Entertainer of the Year.” The group took home the award for “Best New Artist” and performed their hit tune “As She’s Walking Away,” from their latest record, You Get What You Give, with Alan Jackson at the awards show. I ask Brown if the “new” tag seems ironic for a guy who’s been playing music profes-sionally for 13 years.

played with the Marshall Tucker Band and in the Lo-Fi Masters, a duo with John Mayer before Mayer launched his solo career. “He’s the icing on the cake for the band,” Brown says. “We needed somebody who could play a lot of auxiliary instruments as well as sing high harmony. The vocal arrange-ments are a lot of fun for me to do, and having the band members that can pull all of that off and more is great.” While the country music genre has been the easiest tag to hang on their music, the band has assimilated different musical styles — bluegrass, folk, pop, Southern rock, reggae and jam band, to name a few — into a ver-satile, vocal-harmony-rich Southern sound with big-tent appeal. Their versatility and independent spirit give them creative freedom, Brown says, because their guiding compass is simply that the music be good. “When we’re writing, each song is born totally of itself and turns into exactly what it wants to turn into,” he says. “We don’t put any boundaries on it and decide we’re going to try to

Z

Hospitality

16 www.taylorguitars.com

and I played outside. I sweated and I beat a hole in the guitar, then I sent it back to you guys when I was on the road, and you sent me a brand new case. You replaced every single thing on the guitar but the wood. You could tell that I had just played the crap out of that guitar. I still have it. It’s hanging over the kitchen table in my house right now.” When the guitar first went down for the count, Brown switched to a used nylon-string guitar that he bought on-the-spot from a guy who had just finished playing it on stage. “That sent me back home to playing on nylon strings, which I had originally learned on,” he says. “So I played it for about a year or so, and then you guys started making the nylon Taylor. That’s when I moved over and found one.” Brown’s NS74ce soon became his main performance guitar. Besides

liking its tonality and the way it fits in sonically with the other instruments in his band, he found that he wasn’t breaking strings like he sometimes did on his steel-string guitars. On the nylon, he liked to tune down a half-step to E-flat, which allowed him and the band to sing more comfortably, an important consideration when you’re playing four hours a night. The one problem was the slightly floppier string tension. With the help of Bob Taylor and some serendipitous timing, the prob-lem would soon be resolved. The two met last year when the band was in San Diego for a show. “The first time I met Bob,” Brown recalls, “I explained to him what my problem was, and he was like, ‘OK, no problem.’ So that’s when he sent me a prototype guitar that I play now, which is actually a 27-inch scale.” It turned out that Taylor had

recently released its Baritone guitars, so the tooling was already in place to make a longer-scale neck for the nylon. The neck on Brown’s custom nylon is actually joined at the 13th fret to keep it from being too long, and the bridge was moved back accordingly. As a result, Brown can play in E-flat and have normal string tension. “That is my go-to guitar,” he says. “That guitar does not die. And it’s a lot easier on my voice.” Bob later sent Brown a long-scale, deep-body Dreadnought steel-string. “That thing is awesome,” he says. “The more I play it in and the more it opens up…it’s gonna be a monster.” At a time when it seems increas-ingly challenging for artists to grow their fan bases and establish a viable long-term career, Brown understands the importance of connecting with

his fans, and as he puts it, “super-serving” them. “The fans are the most important thing to us,” he says. “They are our customers. They don’t care who your record label is. The fans are the ones who will be there, even if all the com-panies that work for you go away. The longevity of your band depends a lot on the loyalty of your fan base, and I just try to set the bar really high for what we give people. To play a four-hour show, to give them really good food, to give them a great envi-ronment. We’ve got a state-of-the-art sound system out with us now that is the only one of its kind in the United States. Martin Audio out of London sent it out with us, including some of the best engineers in the world to dial in this system. A lot of the com-panies that are in the business are showing us love and helping us to present the most powerful fan experi-

ence that we can put together, and that’s the way that I know we can have a career long into the future.” For Brown, delivering quality music, food and other products and experiences are all part of the out-reach of Southern Ground, which he sees not just as a label but a culture and a brand. Brown’s plans for 2011 include the release of several records from the Southern Ground label, plus a heavy schedule of touring, including dates with Kenny Chesney and some stadium shows. “At the end of the night we’ll have a super band on stage — both bands that play the night are playing one big show, united together. That’ll be rehearsed. It should be a lot of fun. We’ll try to keep the shows interest-ing and change them up regularly, so every time we’re in a city, people get to see a different show.”

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Bonding with Bob It’s no wonder that Zac Brown and Bob Taylor have become fast friends. The two seem to have found a kindred connection based on a shared sensibility toward life. Both have doggedly pursued their pas-sions, become really good at what they do, and nurtured their respec-tive talents into a success that has touched a lot of people. The fact that Bob was able to help Zac solve an ongoing guitar problem after their first meeting surely didn’t hurt, either. Brown’s first meeting with Bob in San Diego in 2010 led to a follow-up visit to the Taylor factory soon after-ward. Being interested in machines and tools, Brown found the operation fascinating, and as the two talked, they found that they had other com-mon interests besides guitars and music, from cooking and building things to off-roading adventures and philanthropic pursuits. The two stayed in touch, and when Zac was making arrangements with the USO organization for the band’s second tour through the Middle East, he invited Bob to join

them. Bob eagerly accepted, and he later chronicled his experiences in a series of blog posts that were excerpted in our summer 2010 issue. “Having Bob there was very cool,” Brown says. “We had a lot of time to talk and really get to know each other. He’s an expedition kind of dude; he just saddles up and goes with the flow. It meant a lot to the people over there. I think it was the same thing for him as well. We sure enjoyed having him out there. There were a lot of late nights sitting around laughing and having a good time.” It’s clear that Brown has an enor-mous amount of respect for what Bob has accomplished with Taylor, and as Brown has been building infrastructure into his own expanding operation and dealing with the grow-ing pains of managing rapid growth and people, Bob has been able to offer advice and a sense of perspec-tive. “We share a lot of the same goals and a lot of the same loves — of people, of wanting to provide jobs for people, and wanting to build something that’s perpetual, that’s big, that’s long-lasting,” Brown reflects.

“I’ve enjoyed Bob’s friendship very much. I’ve enjoyed confiding in him and asking advice. From a very high level, we’ve gotten to be friends, and he’s also able to be a mentor in some areas that not that many people get to experience.” Bob is no less effusive in his admiration of Brown. “Zac’s my brother from another mother,” he quips. “Sometimes in life you meet someone that you have instant rapport with, like there’s no favor too big or too small that you wouldn’t be happy to grant. Although we have common interests, what I like most about Zac is his deep desire to build equity in business and relationships. He loves to employ people and see them achieve their potential. He loves to put things where they’re not supposed to be and make it work; make it become a new method or new standard. He thinks out of the box. He’s an inven-tor, but he’s not just an idea man, he’s an implementer. He inspires me. This will be a lifelong friendship, I can tell you that.” The two had an opportunity to spend some time on each other’s home turf in early December. Brown

flew out to San Diego to work on a sport utility truck that Bob helped him find and outfit for off-roading, and then they each took their trucks out for a camping and desert-riding adventure. Bob later flew to Georgia and spent some time with Brown at his home, where he saw his machine shop and knife-forging setup. Brownpicked Bob’s brain about the ins and outs of computer mills, and Brown plans to purchase one soon.

“I’m honored to have a relation-ship with Bob and Taylor Guitars, Brown says. “It’s such an amazing American company. It’s amazing to watch the trajectory and see the consistent quality. And then the research that Bob did for me to solve a problem with my guitar, that was an amazing help because I make my living every night with my instrument. Many thanks to Bob and to Taylor and the guys who work hard building the guitars.”

Bob and Zac during their USO tour in Iraq

With each year’s guitar line we inscribe a fresh chapter in the story of Taylor’s ongoing love affair with guitars. Like any great rela-tionship, ours is built on a strong foundation — a driving passion forcrafting inspiring instruments — and evolves each year as our design team explores new fron-tiers in acoustic and electric tone. On the pages that follow we unfold a scenic road map for this year’s Taylor line. Whether you’re a longtime member of the Taylor family or newcomer, we hope you come away with a fresh apprecia-tion for the wealth of Taylor guitar “personalities” that are available to you.

What’s New for 2011 While our standard guitar line remains largely intact this year, we’re pleased to unveil several

new additions. For starters, we responded to customer requests for a more affordable GS model by adding an ovangkol/spruce 416ce to the line. We also gave the 900 Series a makeover, return-ing to our elegant appointment package from several years ago, which features our popular “Cindy” fretboard inlay, rosewood bind-ing, and red purfling. Within our Signature Series, the Doyle Dykes Signature Model welcomes an attractively priced new sibling, the Doyle Deluxe, which features a maple laminate back and sides, a black finish, and a new headstock treatment. And our Presentation Series returns from a brief hiatus to showcase a beautiful redesign. Distinctive new features include vibrant cocobolo for the back, sides and backstrap, an ebony armrest and binding, green heart

abalone purfling, and beautiful new fretboard and peghead inlays. Meanwhile, our electric line breaks new ground with double cutaway models for the SolidBody Classic and Standard. We’ve also added new color options for the Standard, and we’ve removed the Custom from the dedicated line, although it will likely re-emerge throughout the year in special lim-ited edition offerings.

Finding Your Fit Finding a guitar that “fits” you as a player is ultimately a choice that’s all yours. While there are no set rules to follow, we’re happy to share some guidelines that can put you on a path to some pleas-ant discoveries. Our Guitar Guide begins with a walk through the acoustic “tone equation” that we talk about at our in-store Road

Show events. It’s the idea that the combination of a guitar’s body shape and tonewoods creates a distinctive type of acoustic voice, and that the way your playing style matches up with that voice will determine your guitar tone. We’ll break down our five acoustic body shapes into their fundamental sounds and then survey the ways that different tonewoods flavor a guitar’s sound. We’ll also touch upon ways to match playing styles with compatible guitar choices. By understanding what kind of player you are and what kind of sound you’re after, you’ll be able to hone in on the Taylor models that help you sound your best. We also offer tips for getting great amplified tone using the Taylor Expression System® and our other ES-inspired acoustic pick-ups. From there, we’ll run through

each acoustic series, noting the woods and aesthetic details that distinguish each. Then it’s on to the electric line, where we’ll break down our pickups and other order-ing options that allow you to cus-tomize a SolidBody. Along the way we’ll also showcase the beautiful custom features of our Build to Order program, and highlight the standard model options available with our acoustics. And we’ll share the philosophies that shape our eco-management and customer service efforts. As always, our Guitar Guide is meant to enhance your Taylor experience. Wherever you are on your musical journey, we think there’s a Taylor that will make an inspiring travel partner. For com-plete specifications on all Taylor models, visit taylorguitars.com.

The 2011 Taylor

A revamped Presentation and 900 Series, a new GS, double cutaway electrics and new colors refresh the 2011 line

19

An acoustic guitar’s body design literally shapes the sound that comes out of it. Each of Taylor’s five acoustic shapes was devel-

oped to have a distinctive tonal personality, yet all share fundamental character traits — notably clarity and tonal balance — that define the Taylor sound. When considering different body styles, think about the role you

want the guitar to play. Are you looking for a one-size-fits-all model to handle a range of playing styles, or do you have a specific

application in mind? And don’t overlook physical comfort. How do different body shapes feel against your body and in your

hands? If you can, try playing different Taylor body styles that feature the same tonewood combination. This will help you discern the tonal distinctions of each shape. Once you find the right shape for your needs, you can have fun indulging the deeper tonal nuances that differ-ent woods bring to a guitar. And remember, whichever body style you prefer, you can always rely on the signature playability and intonation of a Taylor neck.

Grand Concert (GC) Body Length: 19 1/2” Body Width: 15”

Body Depth: 4 3/8”

The small-body Grand Concert debuted in 1984 to meet the needs of a new wave of adventurous acoustic fingerstyle players. In contrast to the traditionally darker, boomier voices of bigger body styles like dreadnoughts and jumbos, the GC’s compact size and tapered waist kept the overtones in check. It was also more comfortable to play while sitting down, and the guitar’s slightly wider neck gave players more room for complex fingerings. The GC’s smaller sonic footprint also fit cleanly in a mix with other instruments when tracking in the studio and with a band on stage, making it a useful tool for professional session and side players. Our current generation of GC models continues to accommodate fingerstylists with finger-friendly traits like a shorter 24 7/8-inch scale length, which makes fretting easier and adds a slightly slinkier feel on the strings due to the lighter string tension. If you feel more comfortable with a small body or favor controlled overtones, a Grand Concert is a great option.

Grand Auditorium (GA)Body Length: 20”Body Width: 16”Body Depth: 4 5/8”

Our most popular and versatile body shape, the mid-size Grand Auditorium arrived in 1994 bearing refined proportions that fell between a Dreadnought and Grand Concert. While the bigger Dreadnought was traditionally considered a flatpicker’s guitar and the smaller GC catered to fingerstylists, the GA was designed to deliver on both fronts. The shape produced an original acoustic voice that was big enough to handle medium-strength

ShapesMatching up with the right Taylor body style will give you a solid foundation for great tone

{ S H A P E S + W O O D S + P L AY E R = T O N E }

Top down: 816ce, 814ce, 812ce

picking and strumming, yet with impressive balance across the tonal spectrum, especially in the midrange, producing clear, well-defined notes that suited both strumming and fingerstyle playing. The GA’s overall presence tracks well with other instruments both in a studio mix and on stage, and singer-songwriters have embraced its utility both for composing and traveling with one guitar. Many people want a single guitar that can cover a variety of styles, which is why the GA continues to be our bestselling shape. If you want a great all-purpose guitar, the multi-dimensional GA won’t let you down.

Grand Symphony (GS)Body Length: 20”Body Width: 16 1/4”Body Depth: 4 5/8”

The Grand Symphony shape joined the line in 2006 and delivered Taylor’s boldest, richest acoustic voice. Think of a Grand Auditorium with a turbo boost, thanks to expanded physical dimensions, including a slightly wider waist and a bigger lower bout. Strummers and pickers with a driving attack will love the fullness, volume and sustain, yet for such a robust voice, the GS is also clear and responsive to fast picking runs or a light fingerstyle touch, so if you’re a dynamic player, this shape is a true contender. And the big voice doesn’t come at the expense of balance. The piano-like bass, meaty midrange, and thick, shimmering highs blend seamlessly. If you like a lush, potent guitar tone that has the horsepower to compete with other acoustic cannons out there, the GS shape is a worthy choice.

Dreadnought (DN)Body Length: 20”Body Width: 16”Body Depth: 4 5/8”

What began as a traditional, boxy guitar shape that Bob Taylor inherited has evolved over time to honor the dreadnought’s enduring sonic heritage yet also refine the look and sound into a more modern package. The Taylor Dreadnought still boasts that powerful dreadnought tone that old school pickers expect, with deep lows and crisp highs, but with a voice that, like every Taylor, is more evenly balanced across the entire tonal spectrum. Perhaps more than any other shape, the Dreadnought remains linked with roots music like bluegrass and folk, in part because of its traditional role in defining those sounds. Pickers and strummers with an aggressive attack will love our Dreadnought’s blend of power and articulation, which allows for clear lead lines and crisp, driving rhythms. Even new models have a rich resonance that sounds like an older guitar.

Jumbo (JM) Body Length: 21”Body Width: 17”Body Depth: 4 5/8”

Another inherited body style that evolved in Bob Taylor’s hands, the Jumbo is Taylor’s biggest shape, and conjures a big, full sound without being bottom-heavy. While the Jumbo’s voluptuous curves present a lot of soundboard realestate, the contoured waist helps tighten the midrange, controlling the overtones. This comes in handy with our 12-strings, with which the Jumbo shape is most closely associated. The full bass tones counterbalance the doubled treble strings, producing a rich, lush tone with lots of signature Taylor clarity and balance. Coupled with Taylor’s thin-profile necks, low action, and accurate intonation, you won’t have to work hard or retune a lot to get a great 12-string sound.

212 0 1 1 G U I T A R G U I D E

Top down: 810ce, 815ce

WoodsTuning in to tonewoods will help you gauge a guitar’s sonic nuances

The tonewoods selected to craft a Taylor guitar marry acoustic properties with visual appeal. Each type of wood is defined by unique physical traits, such as density and stiffness, which in turn impact the way a guitar resonates. Guitar enthusiasts love to dissect the tonal frequencies that contribute to a guitar’s sonic identity, often comparing the relative levels of bass, midrange and treble, and noting other acoustic properties like projection, sustain, overtones and headroom. Some terms used to describe tone seem to draw from our other senses, like “bright,” “dark,” “crisp,” “sparkling,” “sweet,” and even “meaty.” Woods work in concert with a guitar’s body shape to “flavor” the shape’s fundamental sound. The next time you’re in a music store, try playing several guitars that have the same body style but different woods. It might help you tune in to some of those flavors, and to discover how each responds to your playing style. The tonewood descriptions that follow are meant as a general reference to help you differentiate each acoustic series in the Taylor line. Keep in mind that there are many other subjective factors. Even with Taylor’s consistency of sound, each set of wood ultimately is physically and tonally unique. Remember also that we each hear tone in a slightly different way, and that a guitar will respond differently to what each player is doing. But that’s the beauty of woods and guitars. There are always new and exciting discoveries to be made, and the answer is always in your hands.

Tropical MahoganyModels: 500 Series, Acoustic 5 Series, LKSM modelsA popular guitar tonewood, mahogany claims its sonic identity largely in the midrange frequencies. Its “meaty” midrange character is the result of harmonic overtones that build up to create a wonderful acoustic “bloom” that’s often described as “breathy.” Paired with a cedar top on a 514ce, one of our most popular models, the tone conveys plenty of warmth and character, which many fingerstyle play-ers and light to medium strummers will enjoy.

Indian RosewoodModels: 700, 800, 900 Series, Acoustic 7, 8 Series, DMSM, JMSM, SCCSM, NS72ce, NS74ce; Laminate: 200 Series, NS24e, NS24ceRosewood’s rich heritage as a pre-ferred tonewood is due in part to its highly musical, full-spectrum tonal range. Boasting a deep low end and capable of a throaty growl, rosewood is also balanced by bright, crisp treble notes, with fewer midrange overtones than mahogany. It sounds great with players who have a heavier attack, especially if you use a pick. If you like a full low end and sizzling highs, you’ll probably enjoy a rosewood guitar.

Big Leaf MapleModels: 600 Series, Acoustic 6 Series, NS62ce, NS64ce, DDSMMaple’s tone is very focused and dominant on the fundamental. Its sound is often perceived as clean and “bright” because of its relative lack of overtones and its treble sparkle. The quicker note decay gives the notes a sense of definition that allow the sound to cut through a live band setting well, making maple guitars a favorite of stage and studio play-ers. Flamed or “fiddleback” maple is quartersawn, which makes it slightly punchier than quilted maple, which is flatsawn and often yields a bit more sweetness and warmth.

Hawaiian KoaModels: Koa Series, Acoustic Koa SeriesThink of the midrange of mahogany blended with the top end of maple. As a fairly dense tropical hardwood, koa’s tone tends to be relatively bright on a newer guitar, but the more it’s played, the more the midrange expands to create a sweeter, more resonant voice. Koa’s initial brightness can be soft-ened by fingerstylists who play with the pads of their fingers.

SapeleModels: 300 Series, Acoustic 3 Series, NS32ce, NS34ce; Laminate: 100 Series, Baby Taylor, TSBT, GS MiniThis highly sustainable African tone-wood yields a consistent, balanced

voice across the tonal spectrum, making it great for a full range of playing styles. It’s a viable alterna-tive to mahogany, with slightly fewer midrange overtones and a little more treble zest.

OvangkolModels: 400 Series, Acoustic 4 Series An African relative of rosewood, ovangkol shares many of rosewood’s tonal properties, including a broad spectrum of tonal frequencies, plus a slightly fuller midrange and a bright treble response that approaches that of maple. While it lacks the name recognition of other more traditional tonewoods, its tonal versatility gives it broad appeal that expands even further this year with the addition of an ovangkol GS to our 400 Series.

WalnutModels: Build to OrderLike koa, walnut’s density and stiffness yield bright treble notes, but with a more present midrange that splits the difference between rosewood and mahogany. Walnut typically produces a slightly deeper low end than koa, yielding a woodier character, at least initially. The bass tones will grow richer with time and extended playing.

Macassar (“Striped”) EbonyModels: Build to OrderThis dense hardwood is typically clear and loud with considerable dynamic range. It has a strong bass and lower mids, clear highs, and a slightly scooped midrange like rosewood. Macassar likes to be played aggressively and, like koa, often takes a little while for the tone to “open up” and become richer. It can sound bright or dark, depending on the technique of the player.

CocoboloModels: Presentation Series, Build to OrderMexican cocobolo is a dense, stiff tropical hardwood that produces a fairly bright overall tone emphasized by sparkling treble notes. Sonically, it’s comparable to koa but resonates a little deeper on the low end, although

not quite as deep as rosewood or ovangkol. Fast and responsive, cocobolo’s note distinction gives it an articulate voice that responds well to a variety of playing styles, depending on the body shape.

LaminatesModels: 100, 200 Series, Baby Taylor, Big Baby, GS Mini, NS24ce, NS24e, TSBT, Doyle DeluxeOffering guitars that feature a laminate back and sides allows us to produce these models more cost-effectively and pass the savings onto the customer. Our veneered construction features three layers of wood that are glued together, which makes for a strong and resilient guitar body that tends to travel well and in general hold up better to extremes of relative humidity. A laminate won’t produce quite the complexity of tone that a solid wood guitar will, but all of our laminate models feature a solid wood soundboard to generate quality acoustic tone.

SoundboardsA guitar’s top, or soundboard, is a vital part of a guitar’s tonal equation. The top resonates together with the strings to generate a complex range of tones. Spruce is the king of guitar tops because it’s relatively light yet strong, with a high degree of elasticity that helps translate the player’s picking or strumming into clear acoustic tone. We use several different types of spruce, although Sitka is the most available.

Sitka SpruceModels: Most acoustic/electric and acoustic models Sitka generates a broad dynamic range and accommodates numerous playing styles.

Western Red CedarModels: 514ce, 516ce, 714ce, 716ce, Acoustic 7, NS72ce, NS74ceLess dense than spruce, cedar’s relative softness brings additional warmth to a guitar’s tone, especially for players with a softer touch, like fingerstylists or light to moderate strummers and pickers. With a lighter touch, cedar is actually louder than spruce, but players with a strong attack are often better paired with spruce, as they might run overdrive

cedar, creating a more distorted sound at higher volumes.

Engelmann SpruceModels: 510ce, 512ce, 710ce, 712ce, NS62ce, NS64ceEngelmann spruce tends to produce what’s perceived as a slightly richer midrange than Sitka. It’s often described as having a more mature sound associated with an older guitar that has been played in. Its availability is limited.

Adirondack Spruce Models: Build to OrderOnce commonly used for guitar tops but currently limited in availability, Adirondack spruce has a “springy” quality. Acoustically, it boasts a robust output and more dynamic range than Sitka, which allows it to be driven aggressively for greater volume without distortion. The midrange tones also tend to have a richer, sweeter quality. Even using it for the bracing on a Sitka or Engelmann top will enhance the overall tone.

Hardwood Tops Models: Koa: K20ce, K22ce, K24ce, K26ce, K64ce, K65ce, K66ce, optional on Acoustic Koa modelsHarder, denser woods like koa that are used on the back and sides of a guitar are sometimes used as tops. Their stiffness initially translates into a bright tone, but the more the guitar is played, the more the overtones emerge, for a fuller, richer sound. Other hardwoods that are available as top options through our Build to Order program include walnut and mahogany.

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Top down: Indian rosewood,Macassar ebony (maple mini

wedge), mahogany/cedar

The PlayerYour playing technique is an essential part of matching up with the right model

While a guitar’s body shape and woods influence its tone, ultimately, tone is largely in the hands of the player. The same guitar will prob-ably sound a little different in every player’s hands, which means that the nuances of your personal tech-nique will help determine which body shape and woods match you best. Much like pairing the right wines with foods can elevate a meal to sublime heights, finding a guitar that comple-ments your playing style will make your playing experience more enjoy-able. Here are a few questions that should help you hone in on the right type of guitar.

Do you plan to strum, flatpick, fingerpick, or all of the above? If you like to mix it up, you prob-ably want a shape/wood pairing that supports versatility, like a GA. If you’re predominantly an aggressive picker or strummer, a Dreadnought or GS will likely work best. If you’re a beginner and aren’t quite sure, think about the styles of music you’d like to play. Do you like rich-ringing open chords or do you plan to play more closed-position chords or single-note lead runs?

Do you have a heavier or lighter attack? In other words, how much energy are you applying to the strings when you play? Do you drive the strings hard to generate volume and cre-ate a robust tone? If so, you want a guitar that’s big enough to handle that energy and produce a full sound without getting distorted.

What will your playing application(s) be? Will you be playing on your own or with other people? If you’re play-ing with others, is it a pure acoustic environment in which you need enough volume to compete? Also, if you’ll be playing with another Taylor acoustic, it will probably sound better if they’re different models. A guitar with a different body style or wood combination will often create a more complex tone with richer harmonic structure. If you’ll be playing solo and sing-ing, does a certain guitar tend to better complement the frequencies of your voice? For example, rosewood’s scooped midrange might allow more room for your voice, which tends to occupy the same midrange fre-quencies. Will you be recording or performing with the guitar? Try to consider the environment in which you’ll be playing.

Is your tone bright or dark? At Taylor Road Shows, we talk about a player’s “bone tone,” often described in terms of the sonic qualities of brightness (with more treble prominence) and darkness (more pronounced bass tones), just like wood tones are differentiated. Players with a heavier attack or who fret with a tight grip, or fingerpickers who use fingerpicks, their nails or acrylics, for example, often produce a brighter tone. This will sometimes dampen the midrange bloom and affect the degree of fullness and sus-tain. If so, it might help to try a wood that naturally has a warmer, darker sound. Fingerpickers can also try playing more with the pads of their fingers. Conversely, fingerstyle players with darker hands might find brighter tonewoods like maple, koa or coco-bolo to be a good match. They can also experiment with using more nail strike in their attack. A bright player on a bright guitar will most likely pro-duce a tone that lacks depth, while a dark player on a dark wood may find a lack of treble sparkle.

Other factors that affect tone Pick materials and the brand and gauge of strings you use can also have a major impact on tone. Also, our senses of hearing are each calibrated differently, so you may per-ceive tonal frequencies very different-ly than someone else. For example, one Taylor dealer recalled a customer who had worked around power tools much of his life, which had resulted in a loss of hearing in high-end fre-quencies. As a result, he preferred the sound of bright-toned guitars. The bottom line is that the experi-ence of playing guitars and exploring tones should be fun. Take your time. Sample a healthy variety of models. But try not to sink in a sea of sonic details. Sometimes a guitar just feels and sounds right in your hands, whether or not you can explain why.

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Acoustic ElectronicsThe Taylor Expression System® blends rich acoustic tone with plug & play simplicity

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People love the clear, full acoustic tone of their Taylors. Why should it be different when they plug in? That’s why we spent several years developing our own onboard acoustic pickup and preamp, the Expression System (ES). After years of installing aftermarket pickups on our acoustic guitars and hearing the difference between true acoustic tone and the more artificial sound pickups typically produced, we feltcompelled to explore ways to give players a more natural amplified tone.

Introduced in 2003, the ES was inspired by the fidelity of studio microphones, which capture the au-thentic detail of an acoustic guitar for recording. An all-magnetic system, the ES actually works like a micro-phone to create a pure signal and a warm, natural sound. It also solves traditional pickup problems like feed-back and a hot B string. For the first time, the tonal nuances of a guitar really came through.

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Seamless Design for Better Performance Developing the ES in-house allowed for seamless design integration with our guitars — the pickup, in essence, became part of the anatomy of the guitar. As a result, we were able to optimize the pickup and preamp for the Taylor voice. The nonintrusive way the ES components were incorporated into the guitar also preserved the aesthetic beauty of the instrument. The current version of the ES features two magnetic sensors. A Dynamic Body Sensor® is strategically mounted to the underside of the soundboard tocapture the nuances of the top movement, while a Dynamic String

Sensor® is embedded near the neck pocket under the fretboard extension to register string and neck vibration. Together, the pickups reproduce all the acoustic clarity and articulation that define the Taylor sound. A pro-audio-grade discrete preamp cleanly boosts the signal without the noise that might otherwise distort or muddy the tone. When you plug in, you’ll hear the same warm, musical voice you’ve grown to love when playing your Taylor unplugged. In fact, the sound quality is so good that many artists and recording engineers use the ES signal for studio recording.

Simple Tone Controls Part of the beauty of the ES design is in the way it simplifies

the tone-shaping process. Three soft-touch roller knobs are elegantly aligned in the upper bout of the guitar, allowing for easy adjustment of volume, bass, midrange and treble frequencies. Another feature that enhances gigging flexibility is a switch on the preamp board inside the soundhole that allows players to turn off the body sensor (see our ES tips on the following page). The easy-to-use controls allow you to adjust to fit the nature of the performance space. The ES comes standard on acoustic/electric models from the 300 Series up and is optional on models in our acoustic line.

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Other ES-inspired Pickups The Expression System was just the beginning of our ongoing commitment to developing guitar electronics. We’ve since introduced other ES-inspired pickups for the Taylor line.

ES-T® Under-Saddle Transducer / 100 & 200 Series The ES-T® is a single-source, under-saddle transducer with individual elements for each string. It 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 The ES-N is 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 enable plenty of tone-shaping and preserve the natural design aesthetic.

ES-Go™ / GS Mini The ES-Go is an after-market, passive magnetic soundhole pickup that was developed specifically for the GS Mini. Anyone can install it in minutes with just a screwdriver thanks to the pre-fitted connecting bracket inside the guitar. Pair it with the V-Cable™, which features a built-in volume control on the cord.

ES Installation and Retrofits For Taylor owners who have an older Taylor with pre-ES electronics or a model without electronics, 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. For more on ES installation, see our Service Package listings on page 61.

Tone Control The ES has a volume, treble and bass control (in order from front to back). Each has a center detent position, which can be felt as a “bump” as you rotate the knob. This position represents “unity gain” on the volume control (an optimal setting in which input and output are the same level) and flat frequency response for the bass and treble controls. The detent positions are the ideal place to start when sound-checking your guitar. Setting the ES volume at unity gain and letting the sound person adjust accordingly will ensure that you have the maximum amount of tone control during a performance.

Tracking Battery Life Since 2007, the ES has been powered by a 9-volt alkaline battery (we previously used two AA batteries). A fresh 9-volt will yield about 40 hours of plugged-in time. Remember that plugging a cable into your guitar turns the ES on and that the battery is active. When the battery gets weak, the signal will start to distort and quickly die out. Try to track your plugged-in time to avoid having a battery die during a performance. When installing a new battery, write the date on it with a permanent marker. The battery indicator light on the edge of the preamp lights up when a cable is plugged in. If the light is on, the battery is good. If you have an important gig and you’re not sure how much life is left in the battery, play it safe and install a new one.

Balanced Versus Unbalanced Signals and Cable Use Before the ES was introduced, most acoustic guitar pickups produced an unbalanced signal. As a result, in a pro sound situation an amplified guitar would be run through a direct box (also known as a DI box) to convert the signal to balanced, which minimizes noise, distortion and ground loops. Once the signal is balanced, you can run extremely long cables without any loss of power or tone. A balanced signal is preferable because it’s cleaner and louder than an unbalanced signal. Think of the ES as already having a built-in direct box. The type of cable you use will determine whether the ES produces a balanced or unbalanced signal. If

you plug your Taylor straight into a PA or a snake box (a multicore cable that houses multiple microphone cables), use a TRS to XLR cable (available through TaylorWare in lengths of either 15 or 21 feet). You’ll have a balanced signal with no direct box needed. If you plug into the ¼-inch input of an acoustic amplifier, or use effects pedals, use standard ¼-inch mono guitar cables.

Turning Off the Top Sensor Switch A small switch located on the edge of the preamp, next to the battery indicator light inside the guitar, allows the body sensor to be turned off. (A refinement in the body sensor design in 2010 allowed us to shift from two sensors to one). It’s positioned so you can reach it with your finger without removing the strings. The sensor is on when the switch is pushed towards the guitar’s back. Sliding it toward the guitar’s top turns it off. With the sensor turned off, the guitar will be less sensitive and have less presence. This can be useful for artists who play large venues and don’t need all the fidelity the ES offers in that performance setting. Others have turned it off because they do percussive tapping on the top of the guitar directly over the sensor. The bottom line is that it gives you a slightly different amplified sound and greater performance flexibility.

Fused String Ground Dirty power and faulty grounding can create any number of problems when you plug in. Those of us who play electric guitars are familiar with unwanted hum and noise that goes away when you touch the strings. This is no magic trick. The noise goes away because your body is now

ES Tips and TricksHere’s how to get the most out of the Expression System

acting as the ground connection for your guitar’s electrical connection. This puts you at risk of being shocked if significant voltage travels up the ground connection to your guitar. On our acoustic/electrics (300 Series and higher), the 9-volt Expression System incorporates our patented Fused String Ground. This gives you the benefit of noise reduction when you touch the strings, and you’re protected from electrical shock by the fuse. If a harmful level of voltage travels up to your guitar, the fuse for the string ground will blow, keeping you safe from being shocked. Your guitar’s electronics will still function; the fuse simply disconnects your strings from the ground connection. Our universal Fused String Ground can be retrofitted into any guitar.

Balanced Breakout Box Let’s say you plug your ES-equipped Taylor into a PA system without any effects boxes. Let’s also say you want to run your guitar balanced because the sound is cleaner and louder that way, but you like to have a tuner in line at all times. We’re not aware of any pedal-style tuners that use a balanced input and output, which is why we designed the Taylor Balanced Breakout Box. This little gadget allows you to run a balanced signal from your guitar into the box with a TRS to XLR cable and out of the box to your PA with a standard XLR mic cable (male to female). There’s a ¼-inch output to run to your tuner, and a mute button to silence the signal going to the PA so you can tune quietly. By the way, a great side application of the Balanced Breakout Box is to mute vocal mics on a live stage when they’re not in use.

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The K4 Equalizer A secret weapon for any tone-conscious musician, the K4 is a preamp and equalizer that picks up where the ES leaves off, 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 super versatile — perfect for studio or home recording and live performance. Features include 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, transformer-coupled 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 acous-tic/electric guitars. If you like to detail your tone, the K4 will always fit in your musical toolbox.

Balanced Breakout Box

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It was easy to find a prime setting in which to photograph our stage-ready acoustic/electric models. Ever since the arrival of Anthology (an-thologysd.com) as one of downtown San Diego’s premier listening rooms, the contemporary supper club has matched Taylor’s refined aesthet-ics with a comparable environment designed for taking in top-level live performances. The club boasts a professionally tuned acoustic room, a state-of-the-art sound system, and open sight lines to the stage. The natural harmony between Taylor and the club has inspired an ongoing, collaborative relationship — we crafted the room’s laser-etched sapele menu covers, and the above-stage VIP dining room, named in honor of Taylor, features a display of Taylor guitars and photos. Owner and music aficionado Howard Berkson, shown with a newly designed Presentation Series guitar, graciously accommodated our photo team’s daytime encampment over the course of a week, and we appreciate it. For a closer look at the Presenta-tion Series, see the back cover. To view video footage of select models, use a smart phone QR code reader app on the Taylorcodes shown.

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Back/Sides: Hawaiian KoaTop: Abalone-trimmed Sitka Spruce or Hawaiian Koa Fretboard Inlay: Abalone Koa SeriesBinding: Curly MapleRosette: AbaloneAdditional Premium Appointments: Maple-bound soundholeModels: K10ce, K12ce, K14ce, K16ce, K20ce, K22ce, K24ce, K26ce, K54ce, K56ce, K64ce, K65ce, K66ce

Shown: K22ce

Between its burnished gold hues and exotic figure, Hawaiian koa remains one of the most visually captivating tonewoods in the world. The Koa Series presents a choice of either a Sitka spruce or koa top, bound with curly maple and edged with abalone. Its tone is bright and focused, with warm overtones that slowly emerge with playing and the passage of time.K

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Representing the upper echelon of our rosewood models, the 900 Series returns to a classic look for 2011, featuring the popular “Cindy” inlay that was designed in tribute to Bob Taylor’s wife. Other former 900 Series appointments are also reunited, including Indian rosewood binding, red purfling accents, and abalone top trim that also borders the fretboard extension. Among our three classes of rosewood guitars, the fine detailing of the 900 Series sets it apart with exceptional design sophistication.

Back/Sides: Indian RosewoodTop: Abalone-trimmed Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: Abalone & Pearl “Cindy”Binding: Rosewood w/ Red PurflingRosette: AbaloneSunburst Options: Tobacco or Honey (top only)Additional Premium Appointments: Abalone-edged top and fretboard extension, pehgead/bridge inlays, Gotoh tuners, bone nut/saddleModels: 910ce, 912ce, 914ce, 916ce, 954ce

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Taylor’s first rosewood guitars, which helped establish a modern acoustic guitar sound. Contemporary appointments include curly maple binding and a pearl fretboard inlay, which together add a splash of refined style. For a more vintage look, opt for a tobacco sunburst top.

Back/Sides: Indian RosewoodTop: Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: 800 Series PearlBinding: Curly MapleRosette: AbaloneSunburst Options: Tobacco (top only)Models: 810ce, 812ce, 814ce, 815ce, 816ce, 854ce, 855ce, 856ce

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rosewood guitars are set apart from other rosewood models by the choice of either an Engelmann spruce or cedar top. Engelmann features a creamier complexion, with a slightly more aged tone than Sitka, and accommodates fairly aggressive playing, while the softer cedar has a darker look and yields the kind of warmth that fingerstylists and other players with a light-to-medium touch will love.

Back/Sides: Indian RosewoodTop: Engelmann Spruce (710ce, 712ce), Western Red Cedar (714ce, 716ce)Fretboard Inlay: Pearl DotsBinding: Indian RosewoodRosette: AbaloneSunburst Options: Tobacco (top only)Models: 710ce, 712ce, 714ce, 716ce

Shown (L-R): Tobacco sunburst 814ce, 716ce

Back/Sides: Big Leaf MapleTop: Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: Pearl “Leaf” PatternBinding: WhiteRosette: AbaloneColors/Bursts: 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), Translucent BlackModels: 610ce, 612ce, 614ce, 615ce, 616ce, 654ce, 655ce, 656ce

Shown (clockwise from top): natural 615ce, red 614ce, honey sunburst 614ce, amber-body 612ce, tobacco sunburst 610ce

Visually and sonically, our maple guitars command a striking stage presence. The bright, focused tone makes these guitars a favorite for performance, recording and any band setting, while a variety of color and sunburst options serve to enhance the natural figure in the maple sets we choose. Other signature touches include crisp white binding and our leaf inlay motif.

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Back/Sides: Tropical MahoganyTop: Engelmann Spruce (510ce, 512ce) Western Red Cedar (514ce, 516ce)Fretboard Inlay: Pearl DotsBinding: Indian RosewoodRosette: AbaloneModels: 510ce, 512ce, 514ce, 516ce

Shown: 514ce

Singer-songwriters are often drawn to our 500 Series because mahogany yields its inspiring tone easily, with a breathy midrange and high-end sweetness that will reward individual playing. Pair it with a top of either Engelmann spruce or cedar, which graces the 514ce, a quintessential Taylor model that blends warmth andarticulation. For a super lush, boldly dynamic mahogany voice, try the 516ce.

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Back/Sides: OvangkolTop: Sitka SpruceFinish: Satin with Gloss TopFretboard Inlay: Large Pearl DotsBinding: WhiteRosette: 3-Ring Models: 410ce, 412ce, 414ce, 416ce,454ce, 455ce

Shown: 416ce

Our new 416ce brings the bold-voiced GS shape to our satin-finish 400 Series this year. Players continue to discover solid African ovangkol’s responsive, rosewood-like tone, which pairs well with Sitka spruce and can accommodate a range of playing styles. White binding applies a crisp counterpoint against the gloss top and mottled brown hues of ovangkol, while the Expression System wires these guitars for high-fidelity amplified acoustic sound.

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Back/Sides: SapeleTop: Sitka SpruceFinish: Satin with Gloss TopFretboard Inlay: Large Pearl DotsBinding: BlackRosette: 3-RingModels: 310ce, 312ce, 314ce, 315ce, 354ce, 355ce

Shown: 310ce

The richness of the solid-wood acoustic experience begins with our 300 Series. Environmentally sustainable African sapele shares mahogany’s lively tonal response and, together with a gloss-finish Sitka spruce top, rings out with a brightness and clarity that give these guitars a definitive Taylor voice. Black binding flanks sapele’s ribbon-like grain, with large pearl fretboard dots adding a traditional touch.

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NS72ce/NS74ceBack & Sides: Indian RosewoodTop: Cedar Binding: Indian Rosewood

NS32ce/ NS34ce Back & Sides: SapeleTop: Sitka SpruceBinding: Black

Shown: NS74ce

NS62ce/NS64ceBack & Sides: Big Leaf MapleTop: Engelmann SpruceBinding: Indian Rosewood

NS24e/NS24ceBack & Sides: Rosewood LaminateTop: Sitka Spruce Binding: Black

The evocative flavor of nylon tone has become a vibrant element of many styles of contemporary music. Popular artists like Zac Brown and Jason Mraz have fully embraced the Taylor nylon voice for their music, and we’ve made the nylon playing experience inviting for steel-string players with signature Taylor playability, a 1 7/8-inch neck, a cutaway, and our proprietary ES-N® pickup for a natural amplified nylon sound. Choose from three different solid-wood pairings, or opt for our affordable rose-wood laminate models.

We all sometimes crave a new sound to spark fresh inspiration, and each of our Specialty models delivers just that. Two GS Baritone models, an 8-String and a 6-String, are designed with a 27-inch scale length and tuned from B to B for a deep, rich sound with normal string tension. Both record incredibly well and blend won-derfully with other instruments. The Baritone 8-String’s two octave strings expand the guitar’s upper range with-out adding too much 12-string jangle, and its low-end seems ready-made for walking bass lines. Our 12-Fret is a rosewood/spruce Grand Concert that truly speaks for itself. The reori-entation of the neck and bridge with the body help evoke the sweetness of a vintage guitar, and blend a rich depth of tone with sparkling clarity and articulation.

Shown (L-R): 12-Fret, Baritone 8-String

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Grand SymphonyModels: GS-K, GS8, GS8-12, GS7, GS6, GS6-12, GS5, GS5-12

Grand AuditoriumModels: GA-K, GA-K-12, GA8, GA8-12, GA7, GA6, GA6-12, GA5, GA4, GA4-12, GA3, GA3-12

Grand ConcertModels: GC-K, GC8, GC7, GC6, GC5, GC4, GC3

DreadnoughtModels: DN-K, DN8, DN5, DN4, DN3

Shown (L-R): GA6, DN5, GS8, GC7

Taylor helped define the modern, performance-ready acoustic guitar with cutaways and onboard electronics. But we also love the clean, traditional aesthetic of a guitar without a cutaway or pickguard, and with understated appointments. It speaks to the pure essence of the guitar-playing experi-ence. Our Acoustic line presents over 30 models, featuring four body shapes and a variety of wood pairings for a rich palette of tonal voices. A pickguard is available at no charge if you like, and for a touch of vintage style, burst options include a mahogany burst top on mahogany models, a tobacco sunburst top on rosewood models, and a full body tobacco or honey sunburst on our maple models. You can also opt for the Expression System pickup, whose unobtrusive controls blend naturally into the guitar to preserve the look and feel of a timeless classic.

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432 0 1 1 G U I T A R G U I D E A custom guitar speaks to you in a way that no other guitar can. Through our Build to Order program, we’ll not only build your dream guitar, we’ll also help you dream. Start with a robust selection of menu options that cover steel-string and nylon-string guitars, along with the T5 and T3. To help you, we’ve brought many Taylor dealers out to our factory to immerse them in the BTO process, turning them into experts who can be a guiding resource. They’ll have a comprehensive options menu and worksheet, since you’ll be placing your order through them. We’re also happy to answer any questions you might have about wood selections and other options. If you live in the U.S. or Canada and have specific questions, call us at 1-888-2TAYLOR, and we’ll help you. For customers outside North America, contact the international Taylor distributor in your country. One of the best parts of the BTO program is that once you’ve ordered your guitar, you’ll have it in your hands in about eight weeks. Not a bad turnaround for a dream to come true.

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Shown (L-R): Left-handed GA with Macassar ebony back/sides;Walnut/spruce GS with tobacco sunburst top and armrest; 12-fret maple GC with koa mini wedge and binding

StandardModel Options

From top swaps to tuner upgrades, we make it easy to modify a model

You’ve done your homework. You’ve played lots of Taylors at your local music store. And now you’re really close to what you want. But you’re not quite there, and you’d hate to settle when you’ve come this far. We understand. Guitars are the culmination of a lot of nuances, and whether it has to do with play-ing comfort, tone or cosmetics, it comes down to personal prefer-ences. Sometimes you want a stan-dard model, only with a slight twist, without having to spec out a custom guitar through the Build to Order program. That’s why we offer standard model options. Maybe you want a short-scale 514ce, or an upgrade to Gotoh tuners and a bone nut and saddle, or a sunburst top. Or maybe you’re a Taylor dealer and you want to offer your customers something unique. We can make it happen with-out a lot of hassle. Some standard model options start with Taylor’s Acoustic 3/300 Series, while others begin with the Acoustic 5/500 Series. Options may also vary between the Acoustic/Electric and Acoustic lines, and within a specific series. Prices also vary by option. We’ve put together a list of available options; for pricing, talk to your local Taylor dealer, since they’ll need to place the order with us. And remember that these options are available for a new guitar being ordered, and not an existing guitar. For a deeper menu of custom guitar options, please refer to our Build to Order program.

612ce with Honey sunburst and 3-piece back options

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K24ce with Florentine cutaway option

510ce with Honey sunburst top

Acoustic/Electric Line

300 Series and Up •Alternative nut widths (1 11/16 or 1 7/8 inches) •Switching to or from a short-scale neck •Pickguard options (black, clear, tortoise, none) •Lefty or lefty strung righty •No strap pin •Abalone dot bridge pins •ES-T®

•No electronics

500 Series and Up •Bone nut/saddle upgrade •Sitka, Engelmann or cedar top substitution •3-piece back •Florentine cutaway •Tobacco/Honey sunburst top •Tuners: Taylor Gold or Chrome •Gotoh 510 Antique Gold w/ black plastic buttons •Gotoh 510 Antique Gold

Series Specific Options

600 Series •Satin neck finish

Choose between different grades of maple quilt or flame: •A Flame •A Quilt •AA Flame •AA Quilt

Color/Burst Options (no charge): •Amber •Black •Blue •Blue Burst •Cherry Black Sunburst •Cherry Sunburst •Green •Honey Sunburst •Natural •Orange •Purple •Ruby Red •Ruby Red Burst •Tobacco Sunburst •Translucent Black

900 SeriesTuner Options: •Gotoh 510 Antique Gold w/ black plastic buttons

Koa Series •AA koa top •AA koa back/sides •Honey or tobacco sunburst top (Sitka tops only) •Shaded edgeburst, entire guitar (koa-top models) •Shaded edgeburst, top only

Acoustic Line

3 Series and Up •Alternative nut widths of 1 11/16 or 1 7/8 inches •Switching to or from a short-scale neck •Pickguard options (black, clear, tortoise, none) •Lefty or lefty strung righty •No strap pin •Abalone dot bridge pins •Taylor Gold tuners •ES-T •ES®

5 Series and Up •Bone nut/saddle upgrade •Sitka, Engelmann or cedar top substitution •3-piece back •Tobacco/Honey sunburst top •Tuners: Taylor Gold or Chrome •Gotoh 510 Antique Gold w/ black plastic buttons •Gotoh 510 Antique Gold

Series Specific Options

5 Series •Mahogany top •Mahogany edgeburst (top only)

6 SeriesChoose between different grades of maple quilt or flame: •A Flame •A Quilt •AA Flame •AA Quilt

Color/Burst Options: •Amber •Natural •Honey Sunburst, entire guitar •Honey Sunburst, top only •Tobacco Sunburst, entire guitar •Tobacco Sunburst, top only

8 Series •Engelmann top substitution only

Acoustic Koa Series •Koa top •Upgrade to AA koa top •Upgrade to AA koa back/sides •Shaded edgeburst, entire guitar (koa-top models) •Shaded edgeburst, top only

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JMSMSignature Artist: Jason MrazBack/Sides: Indian Rosewood / Top: Western Red Cedar

SCCSMSignature Artist: Steven Curtis ChapmanBack/Sides: Indian Rosewood / Top: Western Red Cedar

DMSMSignature Artist: Dave MatthewsBack/Sides: Indian Rosewood / Top: Sitka Spruce

TSBTSignature Artist: Taylor SwiftBack/Sides: Sapele Laminate / Top: Solid Sitka Spruce

DDSMSignature Artist: Doyle DykesBack/Sides: Big Leaf Maple / Top: Sitka Spruce

LKSM, LKSM-6Signature Artist: Leo KottkeBack/Sides: Tropical Mahogany / Top: Sitka Spruce

Shown (L-R): JMSM, SCCSM, DMSM

Each Taylor signature artist has cultivated an original musical voice that resonates with the world. What they all share is a love for their Taylors, which have helped inspire and convey their music. Our Signature models reference the standard Taylor models they’ve played over the years, adding a design twist that uniquely captures a piece of their artistry. We proudly recognize their passion and song-craft through our Signature models.

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Back/Sides: Maple LaminateTop: Solid Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: Pearl DDSMBinding: WhiteRosette: Faux Pearl Fishbone

Taylor signature artist Doyle Dykes has long favored maple Grand Auditorium acoustic models. A decade after the introduction of his DDSM model, we’re pleased to unveil a new namesake guitar, the Doyle Deluxe (DDX), a maple laminate GA with a solid Sitka spruce top. The goal was to bring a more affordable signature-style guitar to Doyle-inspired players while still delivering a high level of performance. Offered in black with a gloss finish, the DDX features Doyle’s Chet Atkins-style fretboard inlays, a stylized signature treatment emblazoned along the headstock, a 25-1/2-inch scale length, and a 1-11/16-inch neck. The guitar comes performance-ready with Taylor’s under-saddle ES-T® pickup.

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Size/Shape: Scaled-down GS (23 1/2-inch scale length)Back/Sides: Sapele LaminateTop: Solid Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: Pearloid DotsRosette: 3-RingPurfling: Black/White/Black

Whether you’re on the beach or on the couch, the GS Mini is a bundle of musical fun. Customers keep telling us we nailed it with this guitar, and as humbly as we can say it, we can’t help but agree. Our modern-day parlor guitar is designed to be compact enough to keep up with your life, whether you’re out and about or just kicking back at home. Sporting a rich, full voice that belies its scaled-down size, the Mini might just become your new favorite guitar. And with the easy-to-add ES-Go™ pickup and Taylor V-Cable™, you’ll have a viable performance tool, too.

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200 SeriesBack/Sides: Rosewood LaminateTop: Solid Sitka Spruce (Gloss)Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid DotsBinding: WhiteRosette: 3-RingModels: 210, 210e, 210ce, 214, 214e, 214ce

100 SeriesBack/Sides: Sapele LaminateTop: Solid Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: Pearloid DotsBinding: BlackRosette: 3-RingModels: 110, 110e, 110ce, 114, 114e, 114ce

Shown (L-R): 214ce, 110e

One of the hallmarks of Taylor crafts-manship is superb playability up and down the line. Our rosewood lami-nate 200 Series and sapele laminate 100 Series hone in on the fundamen-tals of a great guitar-playing experi-ence to give you clear, balanced tone and great intonation. Whether you’re looking for a starter guitar, a second guitar for alternate tunings, or simply the one that fits your budget, these guitars will exceed your expectations. Choose from a Grand Auditorium or Dreadnought, with an optional cut-away and Taylor ES-T® electronics.

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BabySize/Shape: 3/4-scale Dreadnought (22 3/4-inch scale length)Back/Sides: Sapele LaminateTop: Solid Sitka Spruce or MahoganyFretboard Inlay: Pearloid DotsRosette: Laser-etched

Big BabySize/Shape: 15/16-scale DreadnoughtBack/Sides: Sapele LaminateTop: Solid Sitka SpruceFretboard Inlay: Pearloid DotsRosette: Laser-etched

Shown: Baby, Big Baby

With the birth of the ¾-size Baby Taylor 15 years ago, we officially put the travel guitar on the map, and many of you happily traipsed around the world with it. It’s comfortable in small compartments, it fits small hands, and it loves the great outdoors. Go with the spruce top, or if you want a dark-er, earthier sound, try the mahogany top. The laminate back and sides give it resilience during weather swings, just like its bigger sibling, the Big Baby. When you need a songwrit-ing guitar handy, either guitar will be happy to play with you.

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StandardBody: Chambered Mahogany/Quilted Maple TopNeck: Mahogany (Gloss)Single Cutaway: VenetianFretboard: Ebony/12” Models: SB1-S (Single Cutaway), SB1-SP (Single Cutaway/Pickguard), SB2-S (Double Cutaway), SB2-SP (Double Cutaway/Pickguard)

ClassicBody: Solid Swamp AshNeck: Maple (Satin)Single Cutaway: FlorentineFretboard: Rosewood/12” Models: SB1-X (Single Cutaway), SB2-X (Double Cutaway)

Shown (L-R): SB2-S, SB2-X, SB1-X w/ tremolo, SB1-S

More and more players are discovering what makes playing the Taylor SolidBody a fun and inspiring electric guitar experience. Designed completely from the ground up, the SolidBody boasts innovative Taylor touches like proprietary pickups, an ergonomic bridge design, and an array of flexible options that allow you to customize a model for the tones and look you crave. For 2011, we add a double-cutaway Standard and Classic, and the Standard is now available in a variety of colors that vividly highlight the figured maple tops. We’ve also added a new Parchment color option to our pickguards.

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FOR SMARTPHONES

TAYLORCODE

Trans Red

Sublime

Purple Flake

Trans White

Black

Magenta Pearl

Blue Metallic

Titanium Pearl

Natural

Sage Green

Jewelescent Orange

Tobacco Sunburst

Viper Blue

Lava Red

SolidBody Classic Colors

Choose from an array of vibrant body colors, each with a gloss finish, except for the satin-finish Natural. Then accent it with one of five pickguard colors.

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SolidBody Standard Colors

For 2011, we’re introducing a full spectrum of new color options that promise to add luminous dimension to the Standard’s quilted maple tops. As of our press deadline, we planned to bring a wide variety of color options to the Winter NAMM show and then make our final color selec-tions based on input from dealers and players. To see our final selec-tion, visit our SolidBody Standard page at taylorguitars.com.

All specifications are subject to change without notice. For complete up-to-date specs, visit taylorguitars.com.

Standard Colors

For 2011, we’re introducing a full spectrum of new color options that promise to add luminous dimension to the Standard’s quilted maple tops. As of our press deadline, we planned to bring a wide variety of color options to the Winter NAMM show and then make our final color selec-tions based on input from dealers and players. To see our final selec-tion, visit our SolidBody Standard page at taylorguitars.com.

All specifications are subject to change without notice. For complete up-to-date specs,

Build Your SolidBodyExplore the different custom options offered with the SolidBody using our online SolidBody Configurator at taylorguitars.com. The program allows you to select from all avail-able options and build a virtual model. Feel free to experiment with different color, pickup and pickguard combinations. The Configurator gives you the option of download-ing a picture of your guitar with your chosen specs. You can also e-mail them, print them, and be directed to one of Taylor’s premier electric deal-erships to place an order.

Choose Your BodyClassic or Standard.

Choose Your CutawaySingle or double.

Choose Your ColorThe Classic and Standard each have a separate palette of color options.

Choose Your BridgeStoptail or tremolo.

Choose your PickguardFive color options are offered. For the Standard, you can also choose to have certain pickups direct-mounted without a pickguard.

Choose Your Pickup ConfigurationA wide variety of single coil and humbucker options are available.

An assortment of different pickup configurations gives you the flexibility to customize the fundamental tonal palette of your SolidBody. Our proprietary pickup designs include mini and full-size humbuckers (available in either high-definition or high-gain versions), vintage alnico humbuckers, and silent single coils. Not only can you choose your preferred pickup configuration, but you can also easily swap out your pickups with our solderless, “plug & play” loaded pickguards, allowing you to change the tonal personality of your SolidBody any time you like, in a matter of minutes.

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L-R: 2 Mini Humbuckers (HD or HG), 3 Mini Humbickers (HD or HG),

2 Full-size Vintage Alnico Humbuckers, 1 Mini Humbucker (HD) & 1 Single Coil

L-R: 2 Full-size Humbuckers (HD or HG), 3 Single Coils,

2 Single Coils & 1 Full-size Humbucker (HG), 1 Full-size Humbucker (HG)

L-R: Pickguard colors - Parchment, Black Pearloid, White Pearloid, Black, Tortoise

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Choose Your BridgeStoptail or tremolo.

2 Mini Humbuckers (HD or HG)Mini humbuckers take up less sonic space than full-size humbuckers, making them a great choice for a band with multiple instruments. They have plenty of grind and punch without getting in the way of the mix. On stage, they have a little more cut and presence.

2 Full-size Humbuckers (HD or HG)Full-size humbuckers have a heavier, dirtier tone than the minis 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.

2 Full-size Vintage Alnico HumbuckersThe vintage alnicos are our modern version of a traditional PAF-style covered pickup. They feature a fat, round sound with a warm bottom end. Tradition-ally, 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 Another classic electric sound. “Little Wing,” “Sultans of Swing,” and “An-other Brick in the Wall” are examples of single coil gold. Our silent single coils capture all the 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 HumbuckerSome 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. 2 Single Coils/1 HG HumbuckerBorn out of the guitar player culture of swapping pickups, this combo is a popular and versatile setup. If you like to quickly switch between the slam of a humbucker and the wisp of a single coil, the “single single hum” configura-tion will get it done. Perfect for a player who wants access to multiple tones with one guitar.

1 HD Mini Humbucker/1 Single CoilThis 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)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 trans-parent and thick. With a trem, this setup suits any style or tonal flavor.

Pickup Configurations & Loaded Pickguards

Body: SapeleTop: Quilted MapleColor/Burst Options: Natural, Ruby Red Burst, Black, Trans Orange; Tobacco or Honey Sunburst

Shown (L-R): Maple T5C1-12, Black T3/B, Red Edgeburst T3, Koa T5-C2

T5 Custom / Gold HardwareTop Options: Spruce, Maple, Koa, Cocobolo, Walnut, Macassar EbonyModels: 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 Standard / Chrome HardwareTop Options: Spruce or MapleModels: T5-S, T5S-12, T5-S1, T5S1-12

T5 Classic / Chrome HardwareOvangkol TopModels: T5-X, T5X-12

Evolving from both the T5 and SolidBody, the T3 updates the classic semi-hollowbody sound, driving it across inspiring sonic terrain, from crunchy vintage rock to warm, woody jazz. Signature Taylor design touches include a coil-splitting application that allows you to turn the humbuckers into single coils, and a push/pull tone knob that activates two different levels of tone-shaping. A pitch-perfect metal roller-style bridge maintains tuning stability and includes two tailpiece options: a stop tailpiece or an authentic Bigsby vibrato for a neo-vintage look. Awarded Product of the Year by music dealers in The Music & Sound Retailer in 2010, the T3 elevates the feel, sound and performance of a semi-hollowbody electric.

Electric guitar or acoustic guitar? Yes. By bridging two worlds of tone, the hollowbody hybrid electric/acoustic T5 has unleashed its own expansive realm of sound, sweeping from warm acoustic to wailing electric with the flick of a switch. Our proprietary pick-ups are the soul of this versatile guitar, which features an acoustic body sen-sor and two humbuckers (one hidden beneath the fretboard). Plug in to an acoustic amp/PA, electric amp, or both with an A/B/Both box.

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Customer SupportThe Taylor experience delivers much more than just a great guitar

61 e think that building great relationships is just as important as building great guitars. Our emphasis on customer service traces back to Bob and Kurt’s original vision of what great service between a guitar company and its customers could be. That vision continues to inform the many ways we encourage and support the experience of playing guitar today. As a full-service guitar company, we do much more than simply repair guitars. We’ll help you find the right guitar and then get the most out of it as long as you own it. And we do it in a personal way that invites you to be a part of a vibrant Taylor community. It’s part of what makes the Taylor customer experi-ence unique.

A Wealth of Guitar Resources People often have questions as they consider a guitar purchase or look to maintain their exist-ing Taylors. That’s why we’ve put together an array of information resources for customers. The Taylor website houses a variety of videos and Tech Sheets that help you do everything from restring your guitar to keeping it properly humidified. Wood&Steel brings you our latest developments each quarter. We’ve also put together a customer service team of knowledgeable, friendly Taylor staff, and encourage you to call us and talk to a person when you have a question. If you’re thinking about buying a Taylor, feel free to call our inside sales representative Ben Benavente (1-888-2TAYLOR). He’ll guide you in the right direction or help locate an elusive Taylor model that may not be available in your local area. Ben is also happy to assist customers with Build to Order questions. For general questions about service and repair in North America, call our main service number (1-800-943-6782). Outside the U.S. and Canada, please visit taylorguitars.com and click on our Customer Service link for complete sales and service contact information. We’ve also expanded our infor-mation outreach efforts through other programs. Our popular Road Show events, now in their fifth year, have proven to be a fun and lively forum for sharing information about guitars, and they allow us to get out and talk to Taylor owners in person.

Repair Centers In addition to our main Factory Service Center in El Cajon,

California, we’ve built a growing network of certified repair centers with factory-trained technicians throughout North America. You’ll find an up-to-date list of locations at taylorguitars.com. Internationally, our new distribution and service com-plex in the Netherlands will provide a home base for helping European customers.

Taylor Service Packages Beyond providing a complete range of guitar repairs, we also offer four service packages that include general maintenance and other adjustments that “tone up” your Taylor. You can send your guitar(s) to the Taylor factory specifi-cally for one of these packages, or add a service package to a guitar that’s sent in for other repairs. Our Factory Service Center can also perform Expression System installa-tions and upgrades. (ES installation includes our Refresh service pack-age.) Guitars shipped to us will be returned in a brand new shipping carton with Taylor-engineered inserts designed to stabilize the case and cushion the ends.

REFRESH Includes: Stabilizing the guitar at the proper humidity level • Tunertighteningandadjustment • Fretboardcleaningand conditioning • InstallationofnewElixir® strings • Installationofnewbattery • Trussrodadjustment • Cleaningandpolishing $95 All models

REVIVEIncludes the Refresh package plus: • Neckangleadjustment(reset) • Fretdress • Acousticmodels:Nutandsaddle adjustment or replacement (Tusq) as needed • SolidBodymodels:Nut adjustment or replacement (bone) and bridge adjustment • T5models:Nutandsaddle adjustment or replacement (bone) as needed $200 Acoustic models $200 SolidBody models $300 T5 models

RENEWGeared toward the gigging player, Taylor’s repair techs will return your guitar to perfect performance condi-tion. Includes the Revive package plus: • Partialrefretupto10frets(full

refret add $100) • Fullcheckoftheelectronicssystem $325 Acoustic models $325 SolidBody models $425 T5 models

REJUVENATEThe 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 UpgradeAdd a bone nut and wave-compen-sated bone saddle upgrade to any acoustic service package for $100.

Expression System Options

• 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 9-volt 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 sensor(s). ($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 installation also features a standard endpin jack along the tail line instead of the ES battery carriage. (The 9-volt battery is housed inside the soundhole.) ($500)

Taylor Care: Humidity Control Tips

Keeping your guitar properly humidified is the single most important thing you can do to ensure that your guitar lasts as long as you do. The Taylor website is packed with Tech Sheets, videos and FAQs relating to humidity control. Below are some often overlooked tips to help you maintain that ideal range of 45-55 percent relative humidity.

•A digital hygrometer can be purchased for under $30 and is a great way to monitor relative humidity levels in your case and/or home.

•Using the Humidipak® by Planet Waves (humidipak.com, available through TaylorWare) will maintain proper humidity levels all on its own. No monitoring is necessary.

•Ignore humidity levels from the weatherman. He’s reporting on the RH level outdoors. You need to monitor the level inside, where you keep your guitar.

•Keep your guitar stored in its case. Controlling the humidity level in the case is much easier than an entire room.

•Keep your case closed when playing your guitar. In dry conditions, leaving the case open dries it out, which in turn can dry out the guitar.

•Don’t use a humidifier that blocks off the soundhole. You want to humidify the entire guitar and case, not just the body of the guitar.

To view additional videos on humidity control, visit taylorguitars.com and look for our maintenance videos under “Service & Support.”

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Note: Prices apply to the North American market. For international pricing, please contact our offices in the Netherlands.

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. In Europe, sales and service questions are best answered by our international offices in the Netherlands. For contact information, go to taylorguitars.com/dealers/international

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Taylor AbroadAs we expand our presence around the world, our new European headquarters will give more internationalcustomers a direct line to the Taylor experience

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t’s one thing for a company to export its products. It’s another to export its complete brand experience. But that’s exactly what Taylor has been doing in recent years. Luckily, guitars and music appeal broadly across international boundaries, and the Taylor experi-ence has taken root around the world, spawning communities of passionate Taylor enthusiasts far and wide. These days, in locations from the Isle of Man to Melbourne, Australia to the Guangdong Province in China, one would be likely to find a Taylor guitar at a music store. In some cases, players are just discovering Taylors for the first time. In others, players are now being exposed to the rich diversity of our acoustic and electric lines. Wherever it may be, whatever the retail environment may have been up to this point, we want

dealers and customers alike to con-nect with who we are as a company. In 2010, we presented nearly 40 Taylor Road Shows to a record number of international guitar enthu-siasts, offering a fun, interactive way for people to learn more about our guitars, meet our product specialists and factory staff, and experience the “petting zoo” that encourages people to discover why our guitars are inspiring to play. Beyond the Road Shows, our staff from California spent more time than ever traveling to the industry’s biggest interna-tional trade shows, including Music China in Shanghai, MusikMesse in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Musique de la Salon in Paris. Our service technicians also traveled throughout Europe on several occasions to present service and repair training seminars, and to share Taylor’s brand promise to customers.

A New Home Base in Europe This year marks our biggest and most promising opportunity to share the Taylor experience with the European market. Having completed our previous European distribution agreement, we’ve taken over our own distribution and will now directly serve our dealers in Western Europe, including Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Benelux, Austria, Andorra, Monaco, Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal. Our new European headquarters were established in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in late 2010, and throughout 2011 will be developed into a robust Taylor Guitars complex. David Hosler, our Vice President of Quality Assurance, Customer Service and Repair and a longtime member of the company’s product develop-ment team, personally relocated to Amsterdam to coordinate the

setup. Our central location in one of Europe’s busiest port cities is well situated to serve our European oper-ations. The headquarters will include warehouse space to maintain a strong Taylor inventory and facilitate timely distribution. The building will also house a sophisticated service and repair center staffed with skilled Taylor repair technicians, and will be equipped with the same cutting edge repair tools as our service center in California. Hosler is also coordinat-ing the training and certification of a network of Taylor repair technicians throughout Europe, which will enable players with minor service and repair needs to have their guitars worked on more conveniently at a location closer to home. We’ve also been working to strengthen our European dealer net-work. Eventually, the European head-quarters will be equipped for dealer

sales training and other special Taylor events, and we recently began hir-ing for a variety of sales and office positions in Europe. Among the recent additions to Taylor’s European team is music industry veteran Frank Stevens, who joined the company as Director of European Sales. Stevens will be a close ally of our dealers in the region, helping them to deliver the Taylor experience to customers in stores. It’s an exciting time as we reach out to new international customers and build the infrastructure to grow our market abroad. To support our expansion, we’ll be presenting more in-store events and participating in more music trade shows. With our global outreach, a Taylor guitar — and the complete Taylor experience — will be available to more players than ever before.

I 2 0 1 1 G U I T A R G U I D E

Opposite page: Taylor’s David Hosler; This page: Taylor’s new European headquarters in Amsterdam

From sourcing wood to spraying finish, Taylor innovation reaches toward greater environmental sustainability

ECOManagement

nvironmentally responsible manufacturing methods are nothing new at Taylor. Improving the efficiency of the guitar-making process has been one of the driving themes of Bob Taylor’s career, and one of the dividends of the company’s many pioneering innovations has been a reduction in material waste. Changing our cutting specifications for neck wood with mahogany trees, for example, led to a substantial increase in the number of necks that each tree could yield. Improvements in the formula of our finish cut the levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds) released. And the robotic system we use to spray finish on guitars employs an elec-trostatic attraction method, which allows for an extraordinarily high transfer efficiency (in the neighbor-hood of 80 percent), substantially reducing the amount of overspray and emissions. Of the material waste we do produce, much of it is recycled. Our scrap wood is ground in our on-site wood chipper and blended in a con-tainer with our sawdust. This wood is then delivered to a processor, where it becomes particle board and mulch. Ultimately, 100 percent of it

Direct Sourcing Sustainable forestry remains the most crucial issue among guitar manufacturers, especially relating to mahogany, spruce and ebony. In the case of mahogany, Taylor innovation has allowed us to “go primitive” and partner with remote forest communities in Honduras to legally and sustainably procure wood. We’re now in the fifth year of our Honduran partnerships and are currently working with three communities. Each community has legal rights to a small amount of acreage of tropical rainforest, and their government allows them to take out several mahogany trees every year in compliance with harvesting regulations. They select those mahogany trees and cut them into lumber for Taylor. Because of the controlled harvesting, the impact on the forest is minimal, and because of the high dollar value we pay for mahogany compared to a high-volume logging company, the communities can earn a healthy income. “Each community is able to cut so few trees because they get more money per tree from us than if a logging company came in and cleared it all out,” explains Bob Taylor. “The business we do with these communities provides about 40 percent of their annual income.”

A Policy for Good Wood Another initiative with major envi-ronmental implications is the U.S. Lacey Act, passed in 2008, which effectively issued the world’s first official ban on trade in illegal wood. A positive global impact has already been felt, reducing illegal logging according to some reports by up to 40 percent. Internally, we’ve established our Responsible Timber Purchasing Policy, which ensures that our purchasing decisions align with the goal of forest sustainability. It applies to every piece of wood we purchase. The policy also addresses the many conditions that surround the procurement process. We’ve even written a forest floor code of conduct for our wood suppliers. We feel that having a clear, detailed policy in place will help us honor our responsibility to the environment, customers, suppliers and staff to be an accountable, eco-conscious manufacturer.

Looking Ahead: Timber-Tracking Taylor is currently exploring a pilot timber-tracking program that would allow the company to track supplies of mahogany from their source point to ensure the integrity of the supply. The program incorpo-rates bar code and GPS technology, and would also allow guitar owners to make a virtual visit to the forest region that produced the raw materi-als for their guitars. Such technology could help increase environmental awareness among customers and help them become more connected to the process of tree harvesting and to the communities who rely on forestry for their livelihood.

Bob’s Big Picture Outlook For years, Bob Taylor has been proactive in applying creative think-ing to environmental issues. And as an industry leader, his embrace of new guitar-making methods and sustainable alternative tonewoods, such as ovangkol and sapele, has given them a legitimacy that has in turn helped change perceptions within the guitar market in healthy ways. He explains how Taylor and other instrument manufacturers can be responsible stewards of the natu-ral resources they rely on. “I think you need to start by hav-ing a grateful attitude that we have these resources,” he says. “Most natural resources are sustainable if you don’t waste them, if you replace them, or if your participation in some way supports the replacement of them. You also spread the word and encourage others — your colleagues, other people in business — to do the same thing. Rather than be upset about regulations or pressure to not overharvest, you have to slim it down, use the right amount, and get the highest yield. In my case, if a tree comes down and a lot of jobs can be created from that tree, that’s better than just a few. Does the tree get cut into two-by-fours and used up fast, or is it cut into a thousand guitar tops and used up slowly? To me, that’s a great way to look at it.”

65

is reused. We also recycle all of our oil and coolant, and have a solvent still that we use to repurify our ace-tone (a cleaning solvent), which is used over and over. Even the used strings from our Factory Service Center find a second home. We send them to the Second Strings Project, a program run by Taylor singer-songwriter Darryl Purpose, after which they are distributed to musicians in Third World countries.

Opposite page: Bar-coded mahogany lumber is transported from the forest in Honduras (photo courtesy of Greenwood); This page: Left: Milling a mahogany tree at the source in Honduras; Above right: A mahogany tree being felled; Right: A mill in Belize

E 2 0 1 1 G U I T A R G U I D E

ecently I’ve been spending a consid- erable amount of time studying the music of The Beatles. I learned that early in their career they performed no less than 321 cover songs, including everything from the rock & roll standards of Elvis, Chuck Berry and Little Richard to show tunes from The Music Man, the torch song “Falling in Love Again” by Marlene Dietrich, and even the 1921 novelty tune “The Sheik of Araby.” This practiced knowledge of the compositions of diverse songwriters influenced everything The Beatles would go on to compose. One wonders what songs might not have appeared on a Beatles LP if they hadn’t learned the theme from “The Man with the Golden Arm.” What can we learn from the Fab Four? For one thing, that the more musical diversity you embrace, the less commonplace your own playing is likely to be. You never know when something you’ve learned, or simply heard and reflected upon, might

inform your future playing and compositions.

An Eclectic Approach Lately, after almost every show I play, an audience member will come up to tell me how much they enjoyed one song in particular, a tune called “Plain of Jars.” The comments always start out the same way: “I really liked that song. It reminded me of…” and they pause, consider and continue, “…well, actually it reminded me of a lot of things.” That’s where the comments start to diverge: “Klezmer meets King Crimson,” “Japanese Gagaku with a little Eddie Van Halen.” One guy said it sounded like “Egyptian surf music played by an Irish band”! (Download the song for free and decide for yourself at soundcloud.com/innovadotmu/plain-of-jars.)

Sphere of Influence

What this means is that I never actu-ally play a full Am, E or C chord, but I imply those chords by playing groups of notes that relate to each other in such a way as to trick the ear into filling in the missing notes. The droning open A and E strings here are similar to voicings that guitarist James Blood Ulmer or the band Sonic Youth might use. In the “B” section, the harmony fills out as I strum the most basic shapes of Am, E and C that all gui-tarists know (see chord diagrams above Example 1). I’ve modified the voicings of the chords, but the harmonic progression itself has not changed. It’s when the solos start that the progression becomes really interest-ing. Once again, I keep the Am-E-C-E progression going, but now I use new voicings and inversions to imply even more movement (Ex. 2). Chord inversions are most often associated with jazz guitarists, but the shapes I’ve used here came from my study of Texas swing music as played by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and Riders in the Sky.

Melody Perhaps the most unique feature of “Plain of Jars” is the “overlapping” melodic figure that happens in the “A” section of the song (Ex. 3). This kind of melodic/rhythmic figure is often called a cross-rhythm or poly-rhythm. Though there are varying opinions and definitions regarding these terms, for my purposes I’m going to stick with “overlapping” because it is the most accurately descriptive. I should point out that the figure is not actually in 11/8 as shown in Example 3, but rather is an 11-note pattern that repeats itself five times, finally resolving to an E in the last measure. Because it is an 11-note pattern that repeats, playing against a 4/4 rhythm section, the phrase never starts on the same beat twice (Ex. 4). The first time it starts on the first beat of measure one; the second time around it starts on the “and of two” in the second measure; the third time on the fourth beat of measure three, etc. (Note: I’ve writ-ten numbers above the start of each phrase in Ex. 4.) Now, these details of where the phrase starts are not important to me, except for the first one. All that concerned me when composing this idea was to make it resolve in an obvious and satisfying place.

interests and brought them to the composition table, but — and I think this is the most important part — I did this unconsciously. Let’s look at the basic elements of the song (all songs, for that mat-ter, have these basic ingredients): harmony, melody and rhythm, along with the various influences that sub-consciously inspired me.

Harmony The first part of the composition I came up with is shown in Example 1. This seemingly innocuous four-measure, three-chord (Am E C) progression actually makes up 90 percent of the song. This is another reason I think the piece garners enthusiastic responses. There is a lot going on in the tune, but its underlying concept is a simple three-chord jam, twisted and altered in many unexpected ways. The listener hears change and repetition simul-taneously. In the “A” section of the tune, the harmony is Example 1 played with the voicings shown in the tab, which are theoretically incomplete.

R

Diversifying your musical palette will spark your creativity and help you forge a style all your own. By Shawn Persinger

I am the first to admit I wear my influences on my sleeve. And I enjoy giving credit where credit is due. Even though many of my influ-ences are obvious, they have been assimilated evenly into my playing style rather than simply parroted. I also try to keep an open mind and listen to just about every style of music imaginable, so when someone does liken my style to Egyptian surf music played by an Irish band, I can say, “Thanks, I listen to a lot of that.” So, why is “Plain of Jars” getting me so much positive feedback? I believe it’s because it contains at least a dozen disparate influences that coalesce into a cohesive and catchy song. When I originally wrote it, I wasn’t thinking, “I’ll try and marry Balinese gamelan to Appalachian bluegrass.” I simply took my all varied

67

This sort of overlapping cross-rhythm is central to the music played by Balinese gamelan ensembles. While I’ve never been a huge fan of gamelan, I have listened to a lot of music that is influenced by it, such as the so-called minimalists Steve Reich and Philip Glass, as well as the progressive rock band King Crimson (their 1981-84 period). Because I’d had exposure to these types of melodic/rhythmic figures in the past, once I found this piece asking for this type of treatment, it was easy for me to say, “OK, this will work; I just need to resolve it.” The other point of interest in this figure is the scale it is derived from: A harmonic minor (Ex. 5). The harmonic minor sound is immedi-ately associated with Middle Eastern music, though the canon of Western classical music is littered with harmonic minor melodies as well. Guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is per-haps the current ambassador of the harmonic minor sound. Space limita-tions prevent me from overanalyz-ing this scale, but I’ll point out that in the key of A minor, it’s the G# note that gives this scale its exotic sound. This sonority frequently prompts audience members to com-ment that the song sounds like it came from Turkey or Israel or India. It’s interesting to note that Jewish sacred music, Muslim call to prayer, Hindu ragas and Bach chorales all rely heavily on this scale for a feel-ing of tension and release.

Rhythm Now let’s discuss the rhythmic aspects of the song. In addition to the overlapping melody, there are also accents in the chordal accom-paniment that help drive the tune, give it a groove, and add a sense of percussion without added instru-mentation. Despite the fact that the song is in 4/4, the accents fall primarily in groups of three (see accent mark-ings in Ex. 1). If you were to count these accents out loud they would be: 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4. If you add those numbers up you get 16, which subdivides into 4/4. These accents are comparable to, though much more simple than, the rhythms that Stravinsky used in his groundbreaking work “The Rite of Spring.” Though written almost 100 years ago (1913), this work is still a controversial and innova-tive piece of music that demands repeated listening and study.

Though not present on my recording, I have recently started to draw even greater attention to the accents in live performance by arpeggiating the chords in the “A” section (Ex. 6). These chordal arpeg-giations are something I picked up from listening to Al DiMeola, who is arguably the master of this sort of crosspicking style. Al, in turn, has acknowledged that he learned

this technique from listening to Doc Watson records.

The Last Word As you can see, the composers and guitarists who synthesized and inspired me to compose “Plain of Jars” are, to say the least, eclectic. I have cited a dozen different art-ists who influenced this song and could name half a dozen more who

shaped the guitar solo. As a player and composer, I believe one should always be looking for new sounds and ideas. That means looking out-side of oneself and far beyond the conventions of mainstream popular music. Search for the fine line between imitation and inspiration and allow your musical subconscious to exceed your expectations.

Shawn Persinger, a.k.a. Prester John, is a self-proclaimed “Modern/Primitive” guitarist who owns Taylor 410s and 310s. His latest CD, Desire for a Straight Line, with man-dolinist David Miller, has earned rave reviews from publications including Guitar Player, The Village Voice, and All About Jazz. www.PersingerMusic.com

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- 1 -

Plain of Jarsby Shawn Persinger

Copyright © 2009 Shawn PersingerPrester John Music ASCAP

Plain of Jars

New

New

2011 Taylor Guitars Wall CalendarYou asked and we delivered. Our 2011 wall calendar showcases a beautiful array of Taylor acoustics and electrics, offering fresh playing inspiration each month. The split Wire-O binding makes flipping and hanging a breeze. 14.5” wide x 8.875” high; 28 pages, 12 months. Each month includes a description of the featured guitars. For additional photo previews, visit our online TaylorWare store. (#73000, $20.00)

New

Taylor Guitar BeanieKeep your head toasty warm and well appointed with our embroidered beanie, featuring the Taylor name with a guitar emblazoned along the side. 100% acrylic. Choose from three colors. One size. (Black #00116, Maroon #00115, Charcoal #00117, $16.00)

C L O T H I N G / G E A R / P A R T S / G I F T S

TaylorWare®

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Military CapEnzyme-washed 100% cotton chino twill, Velcro closure. One size.(Black #00400, Olive #00401, $22.00)

Taylor Men’s Fleece JacketWrap yourself in cozy warmth with our Sherpa-lined hooded fleece jacket. Boasting a hefty 14-ounce 80/20 cotton/poly-ester body with 100% polyester Sherpa lining, the jacket is stonewashed for a well-worn look and soft feel. Features a Taylor appliqué with an embroi-dered guitar across the chest, cuffs with thumbholes, front pockets, plus a secure media pocket with an interior hole for headphones. Charcoal with plush black lining. (#2891, S-XL, $65.00; XXL, $67.00)

Taylor Pub Glasses20-oz glass, set of four. (#70011, $25.00)

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

Ed, a longtime Taylor staffer, manages all kinds of big projects, from product development to systems implementation to building renovations, and always with a smile on his face.

New

Tattered Patch CapOur newest cap sports a vintage, distressed look with a frayed-edge screen print Taylor patch on brown, with contrasting light stone stitching. Soft structured, garment-washed six panel design. Flex fit. Two sizes. (Brown S/M #00150, L/XL #00151, $25.00)

Winter 2011

New

Taylor Water BottleStainless steel, 24-oz, threaded loop cap. Taylor logo on back. Hand wash only, not suitable for microwave, cooking, freezing or hot liquids. (Black #70014, $15.00)

Antique Logo T-shirtShort-sleeve, pre-washed, 100% cotton. Slim fit. (Green/Tan #1438, Red/Gold #1428, Navy/Gold #1437; S-XL, $20.00; XXL, $22.00)

Front Pocket Wallet Crafted from genuine leather, this Fossil wallet is tastefully embossed with the Taylor logo. Features three card slots, two slip pockets, and a money clip. Fossil tin included. (Brown #71300, $35.00)

New

Taylor Silver Dial WatchOur men’s Fossil stainless steel watch sports a clean, classic look that fits any occasion. Silver dial with silver strap, raised hour markers, luminous hands, and the Taylor Quality Guitars logo in cool gray. Water-resistant to 5 atm. Taylor-branded tin gift box included. (#71025, $99.00)

Taylor Porcelain Cup 11-ounce thermal cup, flexible silicone sipping lid, Taylor peghead icon on one side, Taylor round logo on the other. Microwave and dishwasher safe. (#70008, $15.00)

Taylor Logo TShort-sleeve, sizes: S-XXXL. (White #1435, Blue Dusk #1434; S-XL $15.00; XXL-XXXL $17.00)

Half Guitar T A Taylor guitar gets the setting sunburst treatment, dipping behind a Taylor Guitars horizon on this 100% fine jersey cotton long-sleeve. Reinforced with ribbed collar and cuffs. (Brown #2085, S-XL, $25.00; XXL, $27.00)

Billy, one of our district sales managers, lives the California dream by land and by sea, cruising on his motorcycle when he’s not surfing or diving.

Track Jacket 80/20 blend of cotton and polyester fleece. Full zipper with pockets, cut as a slim fit. (Navy #3920, S-XL, $54.00; XXL, $56.00)

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New

Vintage Peghead T 100% combed cotton. (Black #1480, S-XL, $22.00; XXL-XXXL, $24.00)

Ladies’ Crest TOur crest design incorporates Taylor’s peghead crown into a shield that showcases a silhouette of a Taylor guitar, a pair of guardian lions, and elements of our Byzantine inlay. 100% sheer jersey cotton, combed for softness and comfort, with subtle stretch and delicate texture. Extra long sleeves with a clean finished neck. Slim fit and form-fitting; sizing-up recommended. (Black #4531, Eggplant #4532, S-XL, $25.00)

Angie, a graphic designer in our marketing department, wears one of her latest designs on the Crest T.

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

Taylor Bar Stool 30” high, black matte, vinyl finish. Easy assembly. (#70200, $99.00. Additional $5.00 shipping charge for each bar stool ordered.)

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Taylor Swift Guitar StrapTwo-inch-wide adjustable strap, brown suede and polyester. (#66000, $25.00)

New

Taylor ScarfScarf it up Taylor-style with Taylor’s name/guitar embroidery to coordinate with our new beanie. 69” long x 7.25” wide. (Light Gray #00100, Black #00101, $20.00)

New

Taylor V-CableTM

The V-Cable puts volume control at your fingertips anytime you plug in a guitar, bass, keyboard or other musical instrument that has a pickup but lacks active controls. Simply plug one end of the quarter-inch V-Cable into your amplifying device, such as a guitar amp, keyboard amp, or PA system, and the other end into your instrument. A volume knob located on the cable jack that plugs into your instrument makes it easy to adjust your volume anytime you need to. Together with the ES-Go™ pickup, it’s the perfect plug-in accessory for the GS Mini™. 250K. (Note: The V-Cable is not intended for use on a passive piezo pickup.)

3 Ft. #80850, $62.00, 6 Ft. #80851, $63.00, 10 Ft. #80852, $66.00, 15 Ft. #80853, $68.00, 18 Ft. #80854, $69.00, 20 Ft. #80855, $70.00, 25 Ft. #80856, $74.00

Money Clips Developed with the William Henry Studio, this limited edition offering of money clips features two motifs: one with a built-in pick holder, the other with a teardrop-shaped tonewood embellishment. Choose from two dif-ferent materials: titanium or “raindrop”-patterned mokume, a metal lami-nate of copper, brass and nickel silver that boasts an exotic wood grain appearance. For full details and pricing, see taylorguitars.com/taylorware

New

Weathered Peghead T Pigment dyed, 100% ringspun cotton. preshrunk. (Mocha #1440, M-XL $20; XXL, $22.00)

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

Visit our website for more information

about the TaylorWare Gift Card.

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

71

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.

Taylor Guitar Picks Marble or Solid. 10 picks per pack. Available in thin, medium or heavy gauge. ($5.00)

ES-Go™ PickupDesigned by Taylor exclusively for the GS Mini, the ES-Go is a magnetic soundhole pickup that anyone can easily install in minutes with just a screwdriver. The pickup “floats” in the soundhole with the help of a con-necting bracket that’s pre-installed in every Mini. Just replace the gui-tar’s endpin with the endpin jack and you’ll be ready to plug in and play in no time. (#84022, $98.00)

Flex Fit Cap Taylor logo on front, matching color guitar embroidered on back. Two sizes: S/M and L/XL. (Maroon S/M #00371, L/XL #00372; Gray S/M #00373, L/XL #00374, $22.00)

Doyle Dykes / Live Sessions: People... Places... and Pickin’ This DVD features Doyle Dykes with a stellar lineup of friends. 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. 21 songs. (#72040, $24.00)

Our Sketch T hearkens back to Taylor’s freewheeling early days when our guitars were crafted largely by hand. 100% combed cotton. (Navy #1419; S-XL, $22.00; XXL, $24.00)

Randy, our production planner, helps keep our production schedule finely calibrated and as far from sketchy as possible.

Loaded Pickguards Swap out the pickup/pickguard unit for yourSolidBody in minutes, without the need for soldering. Eleven different pickup configurations and five different pickguard colors. For a complete list of ordering options, go to taylorguitars.com/taylorware.$248.00 (Single HG Humbucker: $198.00)

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.

A Publication of Taylor Guitars

Volume 66 / Winter 2011

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Phoenix, AZPermit No. 1225Taylor Guitars | 1980 Gillespie Way | El Cajon, CA 92020-1096 | taylorguitars.com

Ab FabThe exquisite Presentation Series returns after a thoughtful redesign. We’ve reserved our finest sets of cocobolo, paired them with premium Sitka spruce tops, and incorporated a contoured armrest in ebony with matching binding. Stunning appointments abound, including green heart abalone purfling bands that flank the guitar’s edges and outline the fretboard. The artistic centerpiece is a beautifully detailed Vine fretboard inlay, designed by luthier Andy Powers and inspired by Florentine revival and Art Nouveau styles. Elegant complements include headstock “torch” and bridge inlays, an abalone rosette, and a coco-bolo backstrap. Offered with Gotoh Gold tuners and a bone nut and saddle, the PS can be ordered in all five body shapes with a choice of a Venetian or Florentine cutaway. At every turn, the PS reveals the absolute finest in Taylor craftsmanship.

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