Play

Time
The 2009
Taylor Line
The Semi-hollow
T3 Electric
Backstage Pass:
Taylor Swift
New Music from
Doyle Dykes
As an owner of a new Taylor guitar,
I just got my first issue of Wood&Steel,
featuring information about how wood
affects tone. I was particularly inter-
ested in the information on Hawaiian
koa. I have long admired Taylors skillful
use of koa, and I believe Taylor has
taken the lead in creating beautiful koa
instruments.
In 1970 I moved to the Big Island
in Hawaii and worked at the local
lumber mill in Hilo. Their primary wood
was koa for furniture, plywood and
stringed instruments. In those days
the company could harvest old growth
trees, which in some cases involved
trees so old and huge that they were
too big to handle using the convention-
al mill equipment. We had to cut the
biggest logs using portable saws with
the logs laid out in the mill yard on the
ground. What would you give today for
a koa log six feet thick, filled with highly
figured chocolate brown koa? Every
cut of the saw exposed something
new and beautiful. That was what I did
every day, all day, for months. I would
imagine that I have seen more koa
than almost anyone. Barely in my 20s, I
developed a lifelong appreciation for it.
What most people dont realize
about koa is that it has a wide range of
colors and figure. Everything from tan
to mahogany red to dark, dark brown
sometimes all in one board! In fact, if
you look carefully at the cover of your
fall issue, every one of those guitars
could be koa. That may seem to be a
stretch, but I can tell you from personal
experience its the truth.
So, thanks for the Wood&Steel,
and kudos to you for your commitment
to beautiful hardwood guitars.
Phil Winter
Pendleton, Oregon
Wed like to
hear from you
Drop us a line!
Send your e-mails to:
pr@taylorguitars.com
Letters
2 www.taylorguitars.com
by itself. I had tears in my eyes as I
exclaimed, You deserve a commen-
dation and a promotion!
Thieves beware: If you steal one of
our Taylors, well be on your trail like a
bloodhound!
Wayne Napier
Dayton, Ohio
I recently had some questions
about the Fall Limited Editions and
had trouble finding one available. I
talked to your in-house sales depart-
ment, and they said they would get
back to me. Inside of an hour I got
three calls (from different people),
all of whom were very helpful. They
referred me to a dealer who was
1,500 miles from me. I never would
have found him without their help.
I received the guitar (within four
days), and its a dream to play
excellent tone and a beautiful instru-
ment. Thanks so much. This type of
customer service is the exception.
Peter Scanlon
I just recently received a copy of
Wood&Steel. I enjoyed it immensely,
reading it in one sitting. The fact is
my wife and my daughter have Taylor
guitars. I play the Dobro but was
impressed by the tonewood articles
delineating the tonal differences in the
woods, as well as Taylors procure-
ment efforts. Exceptional work. Im
more and more impressed with Taylor
as a company.
Steve Branscom
Gig Harbor, Washington
Thanks for building the Taylor 200
Series. Im a solo acoustic musician
who plays local bars in my area. For
years I yearned for an Ovation and a
Takamine, which I obtained. Taylors,
cost-wise, were out of my reach. Plus,
gigging in bars, I didnt want to spend
$1,500-plus on a guitar; although I
could tell the difference in quality and
sound of a guitar that good, the bar-
attending public couldnt.
So, last year around this time, I
took my Ovation and Takamine to a
music store about an hour from my
house, looking for a trade-in. As I
looked at the Taylors, I didnt think
I could afford one. The music store
ended up giving me a trade-in price
that was pretty good. I was looking at
a particular guitar, then looked on the
rack above it and saw my 210e hang-
ing there, with the same price.
As soon as I played it, I knew it
was the guitar I needed. Dont let
anyone tell you that you shouldnt be
using laminates. The 210e sounds
better and plays better than a lot of
guitars Ive tried at twice the price.
Again, thanks for bringing your
instruments into the hands of people
like me who otherwise would take for-
ever to be able to get one.
Mike Wieland
I recently purchased a SolidBody
Custom in walnut burl, in a left-hand-
ed model. I own three Strats, a Tele
and a Gibson Les Paul Standard, so
I know what these classic guitars
sound like. I just love the tones of my
SolidBody! I am impressed with the
quality of workmanship it is impec-
cable. Everyone who sees it says how
beautiful it is, and the great thing is
that it sounds as good as it looks! I
have found that it has a greater variety
of sounds, is lighter, has compa-
rable sustain, and looks much better
than my Les Paul. Since getting this
Taylor, I have found that I rarely play
the Gibson anymore. It just seems
heavy and clunky compared to the
SolidBody.
Thanks for the great guitar, and
thanks for catering to us lefties.
Bob Eldredge
My wife Maefair and I were part of
a Taylor factory tour group, which was
hosted by Martin [Cenoz]. We would
just like to let everyone know how
alive and informative Martin made
our tour, how much we appreciated
his interaction, and how he imparted
a sense of visiting someones small
workshop. He truly has a gift for this.
I was pleasantly surprised at how
homey and warm the factory was.
I was truly expecting a more detached
mega-factory, considering how large
a share Taylor Guitars holds in the
marketplace. Even with the high level
of technology that exists in the fac-
tory, the great amount of personal,
hands-on craftsmanship was evident.
I now have a sense of place for
visualizing where my 2001 cocobolo
714ce-LTD was crafted.
Thank you so much for allowing us
to tour, and for making us feel so wel-
come in your large, warm guitar shop.
Scott and Maefair Herrbold
I just got my Jewel signature gui-
tar back from the Taylor service center
with the Expression System retro-fit, a
fret dressing and a neck reset. Woo-
hoo! It sounds and plays great acous-
tically, and is awesome plugged into
my home amps for direct recording.
City of New Orleans, Eight Miles
High and Tangled Up in Blue all
sounded great.
I have to say I was sweating the
return by UPS. This guitar means a
lot to me, and I have similarly priced
and featured guitars from sources
beginning with M and G, but this
is the one acoustic-electric guitar that
sounds and plays the best!
Thanks for offering the Taylor
family this upgrade for guitars that
preceded the Expression System.
Jack Whitney
I was re-watching the Liberty Tree
DVD last night, and saw the section
about the 14 seedlings that were
grown from seeds retrieved from the
Liberty Tree. I was wondering if there
is any information on the status of the
trees (did they survive, take root, etc.).
Rich Klemanski

[Ed. Note: All but one of the saplings
have been planted. See Soundings
on page 18.]
Just attended my fourth Taylor
Road Show this past week, and all I
can say is Awesome! Your regional
rep gave a fascinating short course
on tonewoods, much enhanced by
playing example instruments of the
various woods back-to-back. Rob
and the crew from Music Loft in
Wilmington, North Carolina did a
great job hosting in one of the best
venues Ive seen. The clinician, Marc
Seal, played amazingly well but, more
importantly, was very approachable
and interactive. He was eager to
chat about the guitars, his set-up, his
music and things in general. Hes a
keeper.
I couldnt resist buying a used
guitar: the walnut SolidBody Custom
Marc played so impressively. Its my
fourth Taylor; the addiction continues!
A.R. Stanley
Landing in Austin on July 28,
I was ready to begin a wonderful
vacation. Imagine my horror when
I arrived at the Continental Airlines
baggage office, and my beloved
cherry sunburst 615ce was nowhere
to be found. Continental began a
(slow) search to try to locate it, and I
filed police reports in my originating
city and layover city as well. When
it wasnt found after several days, it
was assumed to be stolen. Because
I loved this guitar so much, Id only
be happy with an identical one. Since
it would be a special order with aba-
lone trim and would cost significantly
more money to replace it, I put on
my detective hat and searched the
Internet like a man possessed, hop-
ing to either find it or one very similar
to buy. Gradually, I eased into a daily
search of ebay and craigslist, check-
ing the newest listings.
On the morning of October 9,
my eyes bugged out when I saw my
guitar on ebay. I quickly called the
officer who had filed my report, and
by the next day my baby was in police
custody. Since the case was not with
the guitar when it was recovered, I
called the officer and begged him to
take very good care of it. He wrapped
it in a burn victims blanket, and it
was secured in an evidence locker
Inside:
Koa Meets Cocobolo:
The 2008 Fall LTDs
Darrell Scotts Double Life
Remembering Artie Traum
I N S I D E T H E W O R L D O F T A Y L O R G U I T A R S / V O L U M E 5 7 F A L L 2 0 0 8
THE
WOOD
ISSUE
HowWoods
Affect Tone
Sustainable
Sourcing
Unsung Seasoning
Koa Fantasies
Sealing the Deal
Exceptions Rule
Design Within Reach
Burly Man
Fans of Martin, Taylor
Reset Jewel
Liberty Lives On
Even the Dobro Guys
Like Us
Case Closed
(Minus the Case)
Correction: In the fall 2008 issue,
our Seasoning feature included
a sidebar stating that our spruce is
baked in an oven at 200 degrees
Celsius. The correct temperature is
actually 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
We regret the error.
BobSpeak
8 A Semi-Hollow Offer:
The T3
Our electric guitar line just got
bigger, thanks to a new semi-hollow-
body inspired by the T5. New tones,
coil splitting, and a Bigsby to boot.
Brace yourself for one cool guitar.
10 Guitar Therapy
Looking to turn your guitar-playing
rut into a groove? A guitar instructor
explains how an attitude adjustment
can reinvigorate your playing.
12 On Review
Doyle Dykes serves up a sumptuous
ngerstyle feast, plus reviews of
Kathy Mattea, the Refugees, the
BoDeans and Beldock & Watson.
14 Fearless at the Factory:
An Evening with Taylor Swift
Countrys triple-platinum teen queen
continues her artistic ascent on her
sophomore record. She premiered
it at the Taylor Guitars venue and
made Uncle Bob proud.
From Our Clubhouse to Yours
Youll nd a nice feature on our friend Taylor Swift in this issue. Its hard to listen to the radio or log onto the
Internet without seeing or hearing Taylor. Her CDs are setting records, and shes a bright spot in todays music
business. What you might not know is that Taylor Guitars and Taylor Swift have had a relationship since she
was twelve or thirteen years old. You might have seen her young face on our price lists or her videos playing
at our NAMM shows, some of them with her just sitting on a stool, playing a guitar and singing solo. You can
imagine that were proud of her colossal success. This is one of those relationships that is all good, and more
than what she does to help spread our name into households, Im simply happy for her, and her parents too, as
theyve put so much into her career.
Weve taken our own show on the road this past year, having completed about 140 Road Shows. We have
200 scheduled for 2009, so be sure to look for them. What we nd on the road are large groups of players
who are happy to learn what we can share about our guitars. Weve had as many as 245 people in attendance
at one time!
For many people, guitar playing is a hobby, a passion, a pastime that they cant live without, and were nd-
ing that you are hungry for more connection with your instruments and even the people who make them. We
have a great time out there visiting you at the dealers shops. They really are the ultimate clubhouse for your
hobby. I believe that our Road Shows have helped fuel what has been a fantastic year for us at Taylor. I know
the economy has been a drain on
everyone, but there are always
some bright spots, and theres
nothing better than connecting
with customers in their own
communities.
Guitar development is still
my main focus here at home,
and this year saw some neat projects that will nd their way to stores in 2009. One of them is the new T3,
which answers the need for a nice semi-hollowbody electric. Ive spent some time playing this guitar in a band
setting and, wow, its a lot of fun. It really delivers some great tones and versatility.
Having released the SolidBody just one year ago, weve spent this last year lling in the blanks with some
great new pickup offerings. Our noiseless single coils have earned a lot of admiration from players. Of course,
ultimately, we cant be in the electric guitar business without offering a good tremolo bridge. It took a lot of
work to take the bridge we offer on our SolidBody and design that into a trem version, but we took the year
and did it. Well be debuting some of those at Winter NAMM, and you should start to see them showing up
early in the second quarter. Look for the full story in the next issue.
All in all, 2008 was a great year for us. We have a constant passion to keep guitars moving forward, so no
matter what the bad news is out there, take some time to go down to your local dealer and see what cool stuff
theyve got at the clubhouse.
14
22
8
Volume 58
Winter 2009
Departments
2 Letters
3 BobSpeak
4 Kurts Corner
5 Editors Note
On the Web
6 Dealer Forum
Calendar
7 Mixed Media
16 Ask Bob
18 Soundings
20 Taylor Notes
50 Events
52 TaylorWare
Bob Taylor, President
3
Features
Cover Feature
We have a great time visiting you
at the dealers shops. They really
are the ultimate clubhouse for
your hobby.
22 The 2009 Guitar Guide
First it was shapes, then woods.
Now we bring them both
together in our 2009 Guitar
Guide. From test-driving tips to
specs, youll get a feel for the
personality of our guitars, with
the help of our people.
24 Acoustic
From the Presentation to the
Baby, each Taylor acoustic
series offers something different.
40 Electric
Weve eshed out our line with
three unique categories of
electric tone.
46 The Specs
Sometimes its all in the details.
Here you go.
people take their minds off what-
ever is bothering them. The guitar
business has typically outperformed
many other business sectors during
economic downturns, and the current
recession is no different. While not
every musical instrument company
ourished in 2008, it was a record
year for us. We enjoyed our greatest
growth since 2000. This wouldnt
moving into ofces in another build-
ing, where they will join our market-
ing staff. A conference and meeting
space with a catering kitchen is
being constructed in another build-
ing to accommodate dealer training
and allow us to host other in-house
events. We are gaining square foot-
age to accommodate growth, but we
are also lowering our cost per square
foot in the process.
Weve also begun a major
software implementation project
to replace our existing accounting,
manufacturing and customer relation-
ship management software. This is
no small task, as were replacing the
systems we use to take an order,
ship a guitar, keep track of inven-
tory, manage credit, provide nancial
reporting and so on. This will help us
increase efciency as we eliminate
redundant systems, and also allow
us to better manage the information
needed to run our operation well.
This year will also mark our 35th
anniversary. We have some exciting
new guitars in the works, a sample
of which youll see in this issue, with
more on the way.
We hope to see you at one of our
many Taylor Road Shows this year,
or here at the factory if youre able
to visit San Diego and stop by for
a tour.
Contributors
Julie Bergman / Bob Borbonus / Jonathan Forstot / Dan Forte / Marc Harris
David Hosler / Wayne Johnson / David Kaye / Kurt Listug / Jamie Reno
Chris Proctor / Simone Solondz / Bob Taylor / Corey Witt / Glen Wolff
Technical Advisors
Ed Granero / David Hosler / Gerry Kowalski / Tim Luranc / Rob Magargal
Mike Mosley / Brian Swerdfeger / Chris Wellons / Glen Wolff
Photographers
Rita Funk-Hoffman / David Kaye / Steve Parr / Marc Tule / Tim Whitehouse
Bil Zelman
Illustrators
Rita Funk-Hoffman
Circulation
Katrina Horstman
2009 Taylor Guitars. 300 SERIES, 400 SERIES, 500 SERIES, 600 SERIES, 700 SERIES, 800 SERIES,
900 SERIES, Baby Taylor, Big Baby, Bridge Design, Doyle Dykes Signature Model, Dynamic Body Sensor,
Expression System, GALLERY Series, K4, Liberty Tree, Peghead Design, Pickguard Design, PRESENTATION
Series, Quality Taylor Guitars, Guitars and Cases & Design, T5, T5 (Stylized), Taylor, Taylor (Stylized), Taylor
ES, Taylor Expression System, TAYLOR GUITARS Taylor Guitars K4, Taylor K4, TAYLOR QUALITY GUITARS
and Design, TAYLORWARE, and WOOD&STEEL are registered trademarks of the company. Balanced
Breakout, Dynamic String Sensor, ES Blue, Grand Symphony, GS, GS SERIES, T5 Thinline Fiveway, Taylor
Acoustic Electronics, ES-T, Thinline (T5) Fiveway, T3, T3/B, and T-Lock are trademarks of the company.
Patents pending.
Those of you who have been part
of the Taylor Guitars family for a long
time no doubt remember Harvey Reid
(www.woodpecker.com). Harvey is a
great songwriter, guitarist and singer
who lives in Maine. Bob and I have
been friends with him since the early
1980s. Harveys been carrying the
banner for acoustic guitar, folk music
and independent record labels for
Musical Flourish
Publisher / Taylor-Listug, Inc.
Produced by the Taylor Guitars Marketing Department
Vice President of Marketing / Brian Swerdfeger
Director of Brand Marketing / Jonathan Forstot
Editor / Jim Kirlin
Senior Art Director / Cory Sheehan
Art Director / Rita Funk-Hoffman
2009 Taylor Vacation Dates
If you are planning to visit Taylor Guitars in 2009, please note that we
normally are open Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. 4:30 p.m. (Pacic Time)
and always are closed on weekends. Factory tours begin promptly at 1 p.m.
and you need not make a reservation unless you are part of a group of ten
or more, in which case please give us at least two days notice by calling the
number below and asking for the factory tour manager.
Please take note of the weekday exceptions below; on those dates, the
entire complex will be closed, and no one will be answering phones.
For more information about tours and/or for directions to the factory, see
the Contact page of our website. If you live outside of the San Diego area
and cant remember if were going to be open on a certain date, please call
us at (619) 258-1207. We look forward to seeing you!
Closed Monday, February 16
(Presidents Day)
Monday, May 25
(Memorial Day)
Monday-Friday, June 29-July 3
(Company Vacation, Independence Day)
Distribution
The Mailing House at
Brokers Worldwide
Printing
Anderson Lithograph
Volume 58
Winter 2009
Kurt Listug, CEO
4 www.taylorguitars.com
Were fortunate to be in a creative
business whose products help people
take their minds off whatever is
bothering them.
have been possible without the hard
work of our dealers and distributors,
along with the many wonderful Taylor
enthusiasts who share our passion
for great guitars.
As we look out over 2009, we
have several projects in the works to
help us consolidate our growth and
prepare for the future.
The rst few months will see us
vacate our old warehouse and ship-
ping facility, sales ofces and wood
storage building. Certain adminis-
trative, warehousing and shipping
functions will be relocated into a new
facility closer to our other buildings
up the street. Our sales staff will be
Kurts Corner
more than three decades, going back
to a period before the current resur-
gence of acoustic guitar music began
20 years ago.
I recently received Harveys an-
nual newsletter, and he made a great
observation which I thought Id share:
There is hardly a better way to
spend time during an economic
downturn than banging on a guitar,
and it has worked for folks for centu-
ries. Music has always ourished
in hard times, and either playing it or
listening to it can be therapeutic.
I agree with Harvey, and I have
to say were fortunate to be in a cre-
ative business whose products help
Editors Note
Every Picture Tells a Story, Dont It
Im guessing youve noticed the beeer page count of this issue.
We wanted to do something special to present the 2009 guitar
line, so we put together our 28-page Guitar Guide, including full
guitar specs. Think of it as extra guitar nourishment to help you get
through the winter months.
While Im on the topic of our line, Id like to dole out major props
to a few of my Taylor cohorts for all the great photography work that
went into this issue. Wood&Steel senior art director and designer
Cory Sheehan, art director, designer, photographer, Photoshop
maven and seasoned Wood&Steel veteran Rita Hoffman (who has
endured years of trying to make guitars look good on newsprint
paper), and photographer Tim Whitehouse all really turned it up this
time around. Ever since our paper upgrade last summer, its been
a privilege to have such a crisp format in which to share our world
with you. In the same way that Bob, Kurt and everyone here are
committed to crafting beautiful guitars, were committed to bringing
you that beauty from afar.
Presenting an expanded product feature, of course, meant more
photo shoots. And even though we always start with a beautiful
guitar, getting the right shot is hardly a given. Determining where the
light should fall to best showcase the contours, color and other
details, along with being true to the unique character of each guitar,
can be tricky work. But it really is a labor of love to shoot objects of
such beauty. Nice work, gang.
When we rst hashed out photography ideas for our Guitar
Guide, we knew that we wanted not only guitar photos, but people
and lifestyle imagery, too. After all, a guitar cant enjoy itself. So, we
set out to portray some of the scenarios in which we play. Photog-
rapher Bil Zelman, with whom we always enjoy working, got in on
the act and did a really nice job. Bil shot Bob Taylor and some of
our product development crew at Bobs house for the intro spread
(p.22), along with Koaguitarman (p. 25) and our father/son porch
image (p. 34). Bil has a natural ability to capture the right moment
with people, and hes super cool to work with. A st bump to you, sir.
And while were on the subject of photography: Is that T3 one
cool-looking guitar or what? (Shooting it, incidentally, involved one
light and 12 silver reection cards.)
By the end of January, we should have a new and bigger photo
studio to work with here at the Taylor complex. Itll come in handy, as
were planning an upcoming feature on our Build to Order program
and will have plenty of stunning guitars to shoot.
I hope 2009 is off to a great start for each of you. Hopefully well
see you at a Road Show this year.
Jim Kirlin
Sharing, Service, Shapes
and MySpace
Were sure youve seen a Share
This or Add This feature on the
websites you visit regularly. We
recently added one to our News
section so you can share Taylor news
and reviews with your friends on your
favorite sites like Facebook, MySpace
and Digg.
Service and support are hall-
marks of the Taylor experience. For
us that means making sure you get
everything you need as an owner to
enjoy your Taylor to the fullest. Its as
important to us as making quality gui-
tars. In our newly relaunched Service
& Support section, tabbed browsing
guides you to our FAQs, tech sheets,
warranty information, owner registra-
tion and user guide videos to help
you dial in your tone and keep your
guitar in prime form.
Our special cover story features
on Taylor shapes and woods from the
past two issues of Wood&Steel are
now accessible on the Taylor website
in our Features section. Its great
information to have available when
you want to refresh your understand-
ing of how shapes and woods each
contribute to the voice of a Taylor.
We recently put some serious
work into the Taylor Guitars MySpace
prole. Check it out sometime while
youre online, and take a minute to
add us while youre there (myspace.
com/taylorguitars).
Several new videos have been
posted at taylorguitars.com, including
highlights from Taylor Swifts album
release party held at the Taylor fac-
tory and some amazing performance
footage of singer-songwriter Rachael
Yamagata from the nal night of the
Hotel Caf Tour at the MusicBox
Theater in Los Angeles, California.
On The Web
5
Read this and other back issues of
Wood&Steel at taylorguitars.com
under Resources.
Online
Taylor news and reviews are easy to share online
Our woods feature
Highlights from Taylor Swifts CD release party
Air guitar: A SolidBody Classic SC in our photo studio
Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill,
Ontario, Canada bears the distinc-
tion of being Canadas rst Taylor
dealer, having carried the brand
since 1977. The business recently
consolidated its two Toronto-area
stores into one new mega-store, and
to help celebrate the stores grand
opening, Taylor organized a special
mega-Road Show, featuring Taylor
VP of Marketing Brian Swerdfeger,
Regional Sales Manager Steve Parr,
and a pair of special guests: Bob
Taylor and clinician Doyle Dykes.
The new facility is massive,
encompassing a retail, lesson and
warehousing operation that covers a
staggering 55,000 square feet and
employs 200 people, including staff
and teachers. Upon entering the
store, one encounters a mall-style
set-up, featuring a series of distinc-
tive storefronts such as Toms
Guitar Hangar, the Drummers Den,
and the Audio Garage with each
representing a different music depart-
ment. Corner Books, where one can
browse an extensive selection of print
music, looks more like a Barnes &
Noble.
The retail complex also houses a
caf operated by a neighboring cake
company that offers everything from
breakfast sandwiches, cakes and
pastries to lattes, cappuccinos and
a varied lunch menu. Its a welcome
addition for parents of the 1,700 or
so music students who pass through
Cosmos music school every week.
The stairs to the second oor pass
under a grand piano suspended from
the ceiling before reaching the Piano
Loft, and beyond that is the Cosmo-
politan Music Hall. A full-time event
coordinator keeps the hall booked
for various events, both music-related
and otherwise.
The halls comfortable seating ca-
pacity of 250 people came in handy
for the Road Show. Brian and Bob
walked guests through the Taylor
line, with additional color commen-
tary from Bob, and the presentation
gave the group a great taste of what
makes a Taylor a Taylor. The Road
Shows trademark petting zoo inter-
lude enabled attendees to play some
stunning custom guitars that were on
hand, including Fall LTDs and Build to
Order models.
The following night, Doyle took
over, playing a blistering two-hour set
to a packed house. Doyles daugh-
ter Haley joined him on stage with
her mandolin and lovely voice. The
audience couldnt get enough, and
many remained after the show to talk
to Doyle, Haley and the Taylor factory
folks. By all accounts, it was a mega-
good time.
Road Show Review: Cosmo Music
Richmond Hill / Ontario, Canada / August 26-27, 2008
6 www.taylorguitars.com
Dealer Forum
Calendar
For the latest event listings,
including Road Shows,
Doyle Dykes workshops
and festivals, visit the Taylor
online calendar at taylorgui-
tars.com/calendar.
TAYLOR ROAD
SHOWS
At our press deadline, we
were beginning to book
Road Shows for February
of 2009. Well be scheduling
200 shows throughout the
year, so be sure to check
taylorguitars.com/roadshow
for the latest dates. If we
havent scheduled a Road
Show for your area, you can
demand a Road Show for
your town and encourage
your friends and fellow Taylor
owners to do the same at
eventful.com/taylorguitars.
FESTIVALS / TRADE
SHOWS
Winter NAMM
Anaheim, California
January 15-18, 2009
namm.org/thenammshow

Salon Profesional
Comsica 2009
Madrid, Spain
February 4-7, 2009
comusica.com/2009/present-
acion-comusica.html

Musikmesse
Frankfurt, Germany
April 1-4, 2009
musikmesse.com

London International
Music Show
London, England
June 11-14, 2009
londoninternationalmusic-
show.com

Tokyo Guitar Show
Tokyo, Japan
June 27-28, 2009

Summer NAMM
Nashville, Tennessee
July 17-19, 2009
namm.org
Clockwise from left:
Doyle Dykes performs at
Cosmo Music; Cosmos
storefront-style layout;
(L-R) Brian Swerdfeger and
Bob Taylor talk guitars at
the Road Show.
Photos by Steve Parr
that any traveling musician can
appreciate.
His tonal assessments were
equally complimentary: If youre
looking for enhanced clarity in a
single coil guitar youve come to
the right place, he writes. Besides
being dead quiet (even when used
individually) the single-coils sound
wonderfully crisp and detailedwhat
impressed us all was the spectrum
of sounds it so effortlessly delivered
when played through our super clean
Dr. Z EZG head/4x10 rig or our very
grindy VOX Custom Classic combo.
You could do just about anything
with this exible guitar. The clucky
dual-pickup settings nail the Sultans
of Swing sound, the neck pickup
has the ballsy response you want for
SRV-style blues, the middle pickup
is warm, open (great for channeling
Robin Trower when paired with a
new Fulltone MDV-2 Deja Vibe), and
the powerful bridge unit unleashes
a killer overdrive tone. Dial in the
Tone knob to elicit some notched-
wah color, and you can even feel like
youre playing a squawky P-90 axe.

7
Mixed Media
whole for Manufacturer of the Year.
The nominations were announced in
late 2008 by the trade publications
editor, Brian Berk, and the winners
were scheduled to be announced at
the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim,
California in mid-January, during
an awards event hosted by the
magazine. The winners are chosen by
votes from the music industry retail
community, including dealers and
manufacturers.
And in Music Inc. magazine, the
Taylor Guitars Road Show received
a 2008 Supplier Excellence Award in
the Events category. In turn, wed like
to thank all of the passionate Taylor
folks whove come out to the Road
Shows and helped make them fun.

Around here, we love our guitars,
but it never gets old hearing others
say it. Or, in the case of Acoustic
Guitars Doug Young, write it. Young
sounded like an enamored suitor at
rst strum in his review of our maple/
Sitka GS6-12.
Strummed or ngerpicked, the
guitar creates a stunning wall of
sound, he observes. I found myself
returning to it over and over as it
sparked new ideas and revealed new
colors in existing material.
Young loved both ends of the
guitars dynamic range and the
versatility it gave him: Played lightly,
the GS6-12 brought a delicate harp-
like avor.... With a heavier attack,
a driving funky tune Ive had under
wraps for a long time suddenly had
the power it had been missing, he
writes.
After testing it in a recording stu-
dio, he noted the clean and clear
tone he was able to get: I was able
to capture an accurate, full-spectrum
tone very quickly, yielding a sound
that was full and huge, without over-
whelming the mics.
He wraps up with a declaration
of devotion to the GS6-12: With
an elegant body shape, understated
but classy appointments, unbeat-

Were jazzed to report that Taylor
racked up eight 2008 Players
Choice Awards as voted on by the
guitar-playing readers of Acoustic
Guitar magazine. The results were
ofcially announced to the public in
AGs February 2009 issue, which
shipped on December 15.
The awards are determined not
by a panel of editors or appointed
judges but by a broad range of
acoustic guitar-playing consumers.
The results highlight the strength of
the Taylor brand and the high level of
customer satisfaction with our prod-
ucts out in the world. Awards were
given to the companies with the most
votes in each category, with the top
three from each earning Gold, Silver
and Bronze awards, respectively. The
awards tend to go to product lines,
and not to individual guitar models.
As the award tally shows, our acous-
tics resonate with players across the
musical spectrum, from steel-string
to nylon, from beginners on up, from
small bodies to dreadnoughts, and
from 12-strings to the Baby Taylor.
A pair of music industry trade
publications also honored Taylors
efforts in 2008. We were nominated
for three Music & Sound Awards by
Music & Sound Retailer magazine.
Our 816ce was a contender for Best
Acoustic Guitar, the SolidBody for
Best Electric, and the company as a
able playability and a tone that is
clear, punchy and full of richness and
warmth, the GS6-12 is an impres-
sive addition to Taylors 12-string
line. Over the course of this review,
I played at least a dozen other 12-
strings, and while many were excel-
lent in their own right, the GS6-12s
smooth feel, big clean sound and
good looks set it apart.

The Taylor SolidBody pulled in
another accolade to cap off an im-
pressive rst year in the guitar world,
earning a Premier Gear Award from
Premier Guitar magazine. The award
was announced in the publications
December 2008 issue, and acknowl-
edges both the guitar and the Road
Show events that helped introduce
the SolidBody to the public.
Taylor pulled out all the stops for
the release, taking the guitars on an
extensive road trip around the coun-
try, and keeping their visibility high,
the magazine explained. Luckily,
the guitars delivered. With specially
designed -sized pickups (in the
Custom and Classic models), stun-
ning tonewoods, comfortable weight
and feel, redesigned hardware and
a tone that brought out the best in
our reviewers ampliers, Taylor put
100 percent into these releases, and
it showed.

Guitar Player Senior Editor Art
Thompson found a lot to like about
the SolidBody Classic SC with
noiseless single coil pickups he
reviewed, from the bridge (a curvy
little piece of performance arta
technical masterpiece) to the feel of
the neck: The lightly polished frets
are a pleasure to bend on, the intona-
tion sounds sweet and tuneful in all
regions of the neck...the single-bolt
neck joint design allows the user to
quickly and easily reset the tilt angle
for optimum playability something
GOLD AWARD
Acoustic-Electrics
12-Strings
Beginners
Steel-Strings

SILVER AWARD
Dreadnoughts
Mid-Size Flattops
Small Bodies
Nylon-Strings
BRONZE AWARD
Travel Guitars
Above: Our 12-strings earned a Gold
award in the Acoustic Guitar Players
Choice Awards; Below: the SolidBody
Classic SC single coil delivered a
spectrum of sounds in the hands
of Guitar Players Art Thompson
Eight Choices
Acoustic Guitar
February 2009
Double-course Devotion
Acoustic Guitar
January 2009
A Spectrum of Sounds
Guitar Player
December 2008
Premier Gear Here
Premier Guitar
December 2008
More Awards
8 www.taylorguitars.com
9
Also gone is the acoustic-style
bridge of the T5. The T3 incorporates
a metal, roller-style bridge, and on
one of the two versions being offered,
a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. A second
model with a stop tailpiece is also
available for players who dont want a
vibrato bar.
The T3 pickups are the same Style
2 humbuckers used on the SolidBody
Standard, although theyre positioned
slightly differently. A three-way switch
covers three standard congurations:
full neck, neck/bridge and full bridge.
A twist was added, though, using
old-school coil splitting. The control
knobs (located in the more traditional
electric position of the lower bout,
below the bridge) function as push-
pull pots; pulling up on the volume
knob activates a coil splitter, which
in effect turns the humbuckers into
single coils.
The minute we got there, we
went, This is a hardcore, real-deal
guitar, says Taylors David Hosler,
who led the product development
efforts. When you do something that
looks cool, its one thing, but when
cool sounds start coming out, you
go, Man, thats just it. We knew this
guitar was too good to hold back.
Hosler likens the T3 to having a
guitar with two humbuckers and a
three-way switch and another guitar
with two single coils and a three-way
all in one guitar.
Pulling the tone knob up is a
whole other experience, too.
Its actually just engaging a
second capacitor, explains Hosler.
In the down position is the capacitor
that we use on our SolidBody, which
brings the mids up. Then when you
pull the knob up, it adds another
capacitor on top of it, and uncorks
another great sound: a warm, fat, mel-
low old-school jazz tone. And theres
a lot of cool stuff in-between.
Hosler says the tone control works
in both modes better than a traditional
pickup because most pickups are
so muddy to start with that by the
time you roll the tone off they just get
muddier.
Ours mellows it, but it doesnt
squash it. And players will pick up
on it.
Taylor artist and three-time
Grammy-winning jazz guitarist Wayne
Johnson sure did. He had a chance to
sample an advanced T3 prototype at
the factory and is convinced that its
vintage tone will be a hit.
The warmth and fatness wowed
me to no end, Wayne says. This
T3
The T5 spawns a semi-hollow
electric thats big on style,
substance and fresh tone
When I rst saw the T5, I knew it would be great with a Bigsby
tailpiece, offers Taylor clinician Doyle Dykes. When Doyle found
out our product development group had actually made an offshoot
prototype with a Bigsby vibrato, he borrowed it to use on his new
album, Bridging the Gap. He played it on two songs, dishing out a
heap of slick-pickin rockabilly twang.
The guys in Nashville went nuts over it, he says. It felt great and
sounded unlike anything else in my arsenal. I had fun with it. This is
going to be a hit!
Were thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our Taylor
electric roster, the semi-hollowbody T3. Where the T5 straddles the
electric and acoustic worlds, the T3 brings a full-on electric to the
party and unleashes some fresh tones that neither the T5 nor the
SolidBody has. Its also one seriously eye-catching guitar that melds
the T5s sensuous lines with a chrome-plated splash of vintage cool.
In terms of physical construction, the sapele T3 body is hollowed
out like the T5, except for a solid block of wood that runs down the
length of the center. Unlike the T5, the T3 has no acoustic bracing
inside it. The quilted maple top, like the Taylor SolidBody, is laid
directly on top of the internal block.
guitar can actually sound like a big
jazz boat. And Im sure its going to
rock the other genres as well.
Rock-n-rolls colorful history cer-
tainly wouldnt be the same without
the semi-hollowbody electric sound,
from Chuck Berry to Cream to Alvin
Lee, through jazz fusion, and in the
work of studio ace Larry Carlton.
Hard rockers like the Foo Fighters
and a fresh wave of young bands
have rediscovered the sonic char-
acter of a semi-hollowbody played
through an overdriven tube amp,
giving it a fresh vitality.
ler says, so when the idea of adding
the Bigsby was endorsed internally,
nding a bridge that would work well
with it became critical.
Most people buy a Bigsby be-
cause it looks cool, Hosler says, but
you usually have to do a lot of work
to them to get them to really function
well. The key to me was nding this
particular roller-style bridge. Most
Bigsbys are not attached to roller-
style bridges; theyre attached to
xed bridge pieces, so as they work,
the notched strings drag across a
hard point. Finding a roller bridge that
works with a Bigsby really solved that
problem. Also, the angles were work-
ing with are a bit different than you
might nd on a Gretsch, and it just
works for this guitar. The single coil
sounds so inspiring with it. Ive never
had a guitar that had those kinds of
sounds in it.
Another departure from the T5 is
the T3s use of beeer electric-style
frets, which will feel more familiar
to electric players. Hosler says that
such design touches, along with the
more traditional knob and switch
placement and the electric bridge,
offer a physical compatibility to a seg-
ment of electric players who had a
hard time transitioning to the T5.
Weve seen guys who play
the T5 and think its cool, but who
will say, Im an electric player it
doesnt quite go there. says Hosler.
Well, it just went there. And it went
there with style, class and complete
functionality. And then when you plug
it in, thats when you go, Ohhh.
I really think that this guitar
rounds out the whole Taylor line,
says Wayne Johnson, who plays a
Taylor nylon-string NS74ce, steel-
string GC5, koa T5C2, and white
SolidBody Classic. Now, there really
is an instrument for every genr.
Two T3 models are being offered:
The T3/B has the Bigsby vibrato tail-
piece, while the version with the stop
tailpiece is simply called the T3. Both
feature sapele bodies with high-gloss
quilt maple tops, available in natural
and traditional burst colors of Honey,
Tobacco, Red, Blue and Translucent
Black.
The T3 is scheduled for a mid-
February release in North America
and early spring internationally. To
see a full video demonstration of the
guitar, along with more photos, visit
taylorguitars.com.
Whats great about the T3,
Hosler says, is the way it takes the
semi-hollowbodys essential sound
and soups it up into a hotrod guitar
capable of a wider range of tones as
a result of our pickups, humbucker
coil-splitting, and the tone control. All
on top of signature Taylor traits like
great intonation and playability.
Seriously, this is one rockin
guitar, says Hosler.
The Taylor development team had
been thinking about installing a metal
bridge on the T5 for some time, Hos-
Tails of the T3
The T3 is offered with a Bigsby
vibrato tailpiece or with a stop
tailpiece (pictured above). Either
way, coil-splitting controls give
you a full range of humbucker
and single coil tones in one guitar.
Big on the Bigsby
10 www.taylorguitars.com
A guitar teacher
helps his student
out of a rut and
rekindles his own
love of playing
By Shawn Persinger
Guitar
Therapy
Whats the payoff?
Surprised by this great players
cynical attitude, I simply asked, Does
the guitar make you happy? And in
that split second I realized, That is
the answer! Its so simple the guitar
makes me happy! Ive changed this
guys life and mine!
Then he responded.
It used to. But now its frustrating.
Crestfallen, I realized there would
be no easy answer. I had to agree
that the guitar was a great source
of my daily dissatisfaction. But I also
couldnt deny that there was inspiring
hope. The challenge was part of what
made me keep going, wanting to
get better, helping me realize there
was so much more to learn, play and
teach others. Embracing the frustra-
tions as well as the satisfactions of
guitar playing wasnt easy, but it was
rewarding. Then it dawned on me:
The guitar wasnt the means to an
end; the guitar was the end. The pot
at the end of the rainbow wasnt fame
and fortune. It was the guitar itself, a
love affair that could go on forever.
This realization reminded me of a line
Joe Pass once said to Leo Kottke:
The virtuoso is his own reward.
The next hour with this student
turned out to be one of the most
unusual lessons Id ever given. We
didnt even play. He talked about his
feelings regarding the guitar, from
regret to felicity, physical pain to
intellectual delight, and I could easily
empathize and guide him through the
range of conicting emotions. It was,
plainly and simply, a therapy session,
and I felt that he couldnt have come
to a better analyst since I had been
there myself.
Over the next several months, we
continued our sessions and talked
about music, expectations, desires,
etc. We both realized that our child-
hood dreams of fame and fortune had
long ago stopped being the impetus
for our continued devotion to the
guitar and that somewhere along the
line we had become real musicians
committed to making music for the
sake of music. Music we knew and
loved. Music we had never heard
anyone else play and wanted to make
for ourselves.
If the guitar wasnt currently giving
us enough, perhaps it was our turn
to give a little more back. Slowly we
began playing during our lessons
and exploring new musical ideas with
the understanding that it would take
some hard work to move forward.
Sure enough, his playing got better,
but more importantly, his attitude got
better. Now his enthusiasm for the
guitar is greater than it was when
he was fourteen, and so is mine. Im
practicing more now than when I was
in music school. It appears the more I
learn the more I want to know!
Im not promising that this guitar
talk therapy is perfect for everyone.
This student and others just hap-
pened to nd me at the right time in
their frustration. I was able to com-
miserate and offer insight because
we had similar backgrounds and
experiences. And while the specic
details for each student are unique, I
felt that simply beginning a dialogue
was a big step in the right direc-
tion. Asking yourself, Why do I play
guitar? isnt a bad idea. You might
be surprised by your answer.
Before we move onto some spe-
cic ways to reinvigorate your playing,
I feel the need to say I realize all this
sounds a little corny, perhaps a bit
touchy-feely, but thats okay by me. I
love my guitar, and isnt being touchy-
feely, literally, what its all about?
Here are two simple, rut-breaking
pieces of advice: 1) Stop thinking
Many of my older students tend to be players who
have toyed with their guitars over the years but now have decided to get
serious about it. They are nding a new love in their lives as they discover
the unadulterated joy a G chord can bring or better yet, a G major 7. But
lately, Ive encountered a rash of thirty-something students caught in the
throes of a guitar mid-life crisis. I can relate, as I found myself in a similar
situation a few years ago.
Guitarists of my generation (Im 37) came of age during a beautiful
time for guitar. We were the rst MTV kids, a couple of years post-Yngwie
Malmsteen and pre-grunge, and, musically, the future was wide open. You
could be good on your instrument without the pressure to prove yourself
to be technically great. The potential for fame, fortune and scantily clad
women in videos seemed endless. The guitar was our vehicle to stardom.
Then years passed, and little or nothing came of it, certainly not what
we had hoped for. We had spent hours no, decades learning our craft,
dening and rening our styles, only to nd that fame and fortune were
always just out of reach. And now, in our late 30s, we found ourselves
wondering what it all was for. The guitar, the one thing we could rely on,
had let us down.
I found myself in an unusual position and, frankly, an ungrateful one.
I had managed to secure a certain amount of notoriety: good reviews in
national magazines, modest CD sales, hometown hero status. I was eking
out a living performing, writing and teaching guitar (something I now know
as being satisfaction enough), but this was not the teenage promise of
sold-out stadiums, stretch limos to the gigs and fat bank accounts.
Nevertheless, I still found myself waking up in the morning and practic-
ing, learning new music, trying to get better on my instrument, and coming
up with interesting lesson plans for my students. One day, a new student
with chops to spare arrived, although not with musical questions but
instead with echoes of my own petty complaints: Whats wrong with my
playing? Why hasnt it made me more famous? Have I wasted my life?
guitar; 2) Stop thinking genres. A
common issue Ive found in accom-
plished but frustrated players is their
tendency to work within a limited musi-
cal spectrum. We guitarists tend to
listen to and emulate other guitarists,
obviously. But there is a vast canon
of musical virtuosos who are all too
often overlooked by guitar players.
And even when we do navigate away
from our instrument, we often tend to
stay inside the comfort zone of our
preferred genre.
A jazz guitarist, for example, might
nd ways to voice Thelonious Monks
piano chords (Ex. 1), but he might not
think to arrange a Bach harpsichord
piece (Ex. 2). A devotee of Yngwie
Malmsteens violin guru, Paganini
(Ex. 3), often knows nothing of cornet
master Jean-Baptiste Arban, whose
Variations on the Carnival of Venice
(Ex. 4) still stands as a showpiece
for solo brass. My feeling has always
been that if it is an archetype for musi-
cal brilliance, its something I should
investigate.
Im not only talking about extreme
technical ability here. Take the subtle
coaxing Miles Davis used to paint
notes with (Ex. 5) or the angelic har-
monics of bassist Victor Wooten (Ex.
6). All I care about is if its musical.
Many of these examples often work
best on their original instrument, and
lets face it: Its impossible to voice
more than six notes at once on the
guitaror is it? But searching for an
alternative way to play these notes
is half the fun. And when it comes
to exploring styles, you dont have to
jump into the deep end right away. If
youve been playing blues for many
years, I dont necessarily recommend
going out and buying an avant-garde
saxophone CD. You might try a Char-
lie Christian record; that way youll get
Charlies guitar and Benny Good-
mans swinging clarinet. Alternatively, if
youve been steeped in metal, why not
go back to Led Zeppelin, but this time
try learning John Paul Jones keyboard
parts? The mellotron on Stairway to
Heaven or the clavinet on Trampled
Underfoot should keep you busy for a
while.
Shawn Persinger, a.k.a. Prester
John, is a self-proclaimed Modern/
Primitive guitarist who owns a 410.
Some might call him quirky and
unpredictable.
www.PersingerMusic.com
11

Alternative Music
A good way to escape a guitar rut is to seek out fresh sources of musical inspiration in unlikely
places. Try exploring music by non-guitarists and in genres outside your normal preferences.
Ex. 2 - Med.
Ex. 1 - Med.
Ex. 4 - Very Fast
Ex. 5 - Slowly Ex. 6 - Freely
Ex. 3 - Fast
seems, the warmer and sweeter the
tone gets as his notes and chords
ring out.
Fans whove yearned to hear
Doyle rock out a bit more will love
his double-shot of rockabilly twang,
One RiotOne Guitar and Ten-
nessee Stomp, both played on his
Bigsby-endowed, rst-generation T3
prototype. Recorded in a full band
setting with Dave Pomeroys bass
and a backbeat anchoring a rock-
n-roll groove, Doyle lets loose with
aplomb, and especially on the latter,
a country-rock shufe, the guitar
tones pungent sting would presum-
ably make his pal Duane Eddy proud.
Speaking of notable guitar
friends, Eric Johnson and Phil
Keaggy separately lend their guitar
tone to the record. Johnsons un-
mistakable fusion-rock sound lights
up the Trail of Tears-inspired Red
Clay, while Keaggys soaring electric
chops on the neoclassical On the
Great North Road mesh well with
Doyles acoustic 12-string work.
A nylon-string DDSM adds a
dramatic air to Doyles Spanish-
avored opus La Guitarra del
Vaquero, which stirs in classical and
amenco tones and incorporates
tremolo picking and rhythmic strum-
ming to brilliant effect. The closer,
The Old Missionary Goes Home
is a beautiful comedown that sends
us gently on our way with a sweet,
minor-key melody hanging in the air.
No matter what type of music
you might gravitate toward, the 60
minutes of masterful guitar-plucking
on this record reminds us why Doyle
is one of the most eloquent and
inspiring musicians around.
Jim Kirlin
12 www.taylorguitars.com
On Review
To describe Doyle Dykes merely as
a great guitarist would be to short-
change him. Anyone whos heard him
knows he owns one of the best right
hands in the biz deeply uent in the
ways of ngerstyle ligree and able to
assimilate different playing techniques
with uid ease. Yet, for all his virtuosic
skills, its the rich musicality of Doyles
playing that moves listeners: the way
his sophisticated arrangements, lilting
melodicism, rhythmic swing, soulful
depth and dramatic air converge to
powerfully evoke a mood. Behind the
intricate playing, Doyle understands
the fundamental appeal of a great
melody, and he builds out from there.
Doyles rst release in four years,
Bridging the Gap, is a fresh and
welcome case in point, as he lifts the
curtain on a colorful showcase of
his musical alchemy, spreading his
signature ngerstyle sound across a
sweeping range of styles and moods.
He swings, rocks and reects. He
takes us from square dances to
cathedrals. He celebrates the conu-
ence of country, jazz, folk, gospel,
classical and rock-n-roll traditions.
And he employs a wide variety of
guitar tones along the way.
After whetting our appetites and
warming up that rhythmic picking
thumb with the Travis-style, aptly
named Thumpy on a nylon-string,
Doyle upshifts to the perky, jazzy
steel-string swing of All Be Done
Dink a title cutely culled from his
young grandsons wobbly words.
On another swinger, Drews Texas
Swing, Doyle goes for a vintage
sound, churning out slick, buttery-mel-
low runs on a Gibson L-5 CES with
his brother Aubrey guesting on piano.
Doyles son Caleb sits in on the
title track, and wears his genes well
as the two lock in for a seamless give-
and-take steel-string jam on DDSMs.
Caleb doubles lines, trades licks,
harmonizes, throws down a tasty solo,
and is right there at every turn. (Side
note: You can watch them perform the
tune on YouTube.)
On the stately Blue Cathedral,
Doyle draws deep harpsichord-like
tones from his 12-string 654ce,
adding a courtly air to the melody.
In Appalachia takes us to a country
hoedown where Doyles ngers do
the dancing. On softer tunes like
Swangleys Farm and Knebworth,
Doyle demonstrates his skill for ar-
ranging wistful, sometimes hymnlike
melodies and embroidering them with
signature ourishes like gently chim-
ing harmonics. The slower he plays, it
Its no wonder that the Refugees,
a folk supergroup formed by Wendy
Waldman, Deborah Holland and Cin-
dy Bullens, has been likened to a fe-
male version of Crosby, Stills & Nash.
On Unbound, the groups debut CD,
stirring lead vocals and impeccable
harmonies rule the roost. All three
women have stellar track records
Waldman is a hit songwriter and an
accomplished producer; Holland has
released several solo albums and
scored songs for lms and television;
Bullens got her start as a backing
vocalist for Elton John and has won
Grammys for her recording work.
Each Refugee is a strong song-
writer with a distinct personality, and
their collaboration yields a natural,
eclectic-yet-accessible blend of
music. The women play guitar, ac-
cordion, Dobro, mandolin, harmonica,
dulcimer, bass and percussion, and,
although they are an acoustic group,
they can rock. They also bring a
welcome sense of humor to the mix.
Visit their website and check out the
live performance video.
When it comes to vocals, the
Refugees are a collective power-
house. Together, they lay down sweet
harmony beds that bring to mind the
Eagles (listen to Jellico Highway),
yet each one is also a commanding
and expressive lead singer. Some-
times they share the lead vocal spot,
masterfully weaving a multi-textured
vocal tapestry.
One of my favorite vocal moments
lives in the title cut. Whoever nails
that note to the sky at the end of
the chorus absolutely slays me. That
harmony line is a hook I will always
eagerly anticipate.
Stickin With my Babys Love is
a fun, upbeat tune. Its sexy, ripe and
ready for some mainstream country
artist to cover and send shooting up
the charts. With chops like theirs, you
dont need electric guitars and drums
to rock a solid groove.
There are some familiar songs on
Unbound, such as Waldmans sultry
and rollicking classic, Fishin in the
Dark, which was originally covered
by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The
inclusion of what is probably Wald-
mans best-known song, Save the
Best for Last, was a surprise for me.
The stunning three-part a cappella
introduction drew me in, and I found
myself appreciating the intimate
quality of the lyrics more than I ever
did on hearing Vanessa Williams
hit version.
Deborah Hollands (Theres a)
Spy in the House of Love, has an in-
triguing lyric, and a soaring, compel-
ling melody. And The Violin Song,
sung from the viewpoint of a child
being forced to take violin lessons, is
hilarious. Cindy Bullens harmonica
adds appropriate wails and hiccups
of desperation, while Hollands char-
acter pleads and tries to bargain with
her mom.
All My Angels is simply beauti-
ful. Bullens lead vocal is husky and
emotive, and when you add the killer
harmonies of her bandmates, its a
knockout combination.
What Im about to say is a clich,
but it cant be helped: I am already
looking forward to the next CD from
the Refugees. Their debut is that good.
Andy Robinson
Still nds resilient roots-rockers
the BoDeans not so much break-
ing new ground as much as further
honing their brand of Americana.
By abandoning major labels in favor
of expanding the self-labeled trend
of complete artistic control, theyve
remained true to their sound instead
of being forced into new and not
necessarily better directions. Joining
them for the ride this time around
was producer and Americana guru
T Bone Burnett, on the heels of his
huge success with the Alison Krauss
and Robert Plant project Rais-
ing Sand (he also is has been the
bandleader on their tour). Burnett is
from and of the American musical
experience and both inspires and
inuences all he touches.
His presence is clearly felt on
Still, perhaps most evidently in the
Doyle Dykes
Bridging the Gap
Howling Wood Records
Taylors played: DDSM, 654ce,
DDSM nylon, T3 prototype
Doyledykes.com
The Refugees
Unbound
Wabuho Records
Taylors used: 814ce, 910
Therefugeesmusic.com
The BoDeans
Still
Independent
Taylors Used: 610, 914c
Bodeans.com

Country musics great shame is its
yesterdays news mentality less
youthful icons cast out to make room
for whomever Music City has deemed
the Next Big Thing. Not that new
blood isnt a good thing, but when
it comes at the expense of giants
like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard,
and Dolly Parton, theres something
backwards about the system.
The good news is that Country
Radios loss has been Americanas
gain, as Haggard and Parton, along
with renegades like Rodney Crowell
and Emmylou Harris, have scaled
down, signed with smaller labels, and
put out outstanding records, invari-
ably using their roots to map the next
step in their artistic evolution with few
if any concessions to Music Rows
business-as-usual mindset.
We can thank Nashvilles short-
sightedness for some of Cashs most
compelling records, Partons blue-
grass trilogy, and now Kathy Matteas
stripped-down, mostly acoustic Coal.
Mattea racked up a slew of country
hits including a string of ten Top 10
singles in a span from 1987 to 1990.
For fans whove wondered where
shes been lately, this worth-the-wait
CD is the answer, and it will likely
introduce her to younger audiences
that have come to country music via
Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek.
Not surprisingly, the CD was
produced by Marty Stuart (respon-
sible for last years just-in-time Porter
Wagoner comeback), who provides
stellar string support, along with
new traditionalists like Tim OBrien,
Stuart Duncan and Byron House. The
coal mining song cycle culls mate-
rial from Jean Ritchie, Si Kahn, and
Utah Phillips. In the case of Darrell
Scotts Youll Never Leave Harlan
Alive, the bar has already been
set mighty high with versions by
Patty Loveless, Brad Paisley and its
composer. Its testament to Matteas
condence and self-awareness that
shed place herself in that company,
but her version holds up, with a
plaintive integrity of its own. And at
this point, it would be hard to imagine
a coal-themed album without what
is the modern equivalent of Merle
Travis classic Dark as a Dungeon
(also here, not surprisingly, as its
been part of Stuarts live repertoire
for some time and, again, can you
imagine a coal mining concept album
without it?).
Mattea has always had her own
voice, which is strong and command-
ing without having to oversell or
resort to histrionics. Here, though
thanks to the songwriting, the subject
matter, the mature musicianship
she seems both more relaxed and
more focused. Realistically, this isnt
about hits; artistically, its about soul.
Freed up, as it were, Mattea delivers
perhaps her most heartfelt album,
likely her most meaningful maybe
even her best ever.
Dan Forte
13
haunting, whining guitar of Pretty
Ghost and Willin. A-list drummer
Kenny Aronoffs aggressive yet earthy
rhythms are well suited for rockers
like Lucille, a minor-keyed, soulful
1-4-5 romp with vivid lyrics and lots
of pentatonic guitar reworks. Two
differently styled songs, First Time
and Everyday, each are reminiscent
of the BoDeans early material and
suggest a musical kinship with Ryan
Adams, who also shaped a distinc-
tive Americana sound from strains
of country, rock, pop and blues.
First Time is a tender, lucid ballad
brilliantly written about making the
rst big mistake in a relationship. Ev-
eryday is more upbeat and catchy.
The trademark Neumann/Llanas
vocal harmonies on these tracks are
nothing less than stellar. A tasteful
touch of organ in First Time does
not go unnoticed. Breathe, a haunt-
ing tale of a near-death experience,
showcases the core duos versatility
as writers, singers and masters of the
studio.
For longtime BoDeans fans, Still
will keep them hangin their hats. For
newcomers, this will sink the hook
deep into their souls.
Chuck Welsh
Recording a folk album is about
the furthest a musician can get from
being mainstream these days, and
you probably wont see duos like
David Beldock and Peggy Watson
headlining arenas anytime soon. If
your favorite music listening venue
is the neighborhood coffee house,
however, where the music is unpre-
tentious and the acts are uncon-
cerned with the latest trends, you
might enjoy Beldock and Watsons
Just Like You & Me CD.
Its a good old-fashioned folk
album, and ttingly, doesnt stray
too far from the basics, with lyrical
content ranging from love (romantic)
to love (platonic) to love (humanistic)
and back again. The music is mellow
and straightforward, with plenty of
variety, and a certain gentle humor
that hints at John Prines inuence
bubbles up in several songs, with
Beldocks Clone, an ode to narcis-
sism gone badly awry, adding a drop
of downright silliness to the proceed-
ings.
Beldock and Watson share a
comfortable chemistry and vocal
blend on the CD, alternating between
singing lead and backup from song
to song. Beldock stands out as an
able instrumentalist, equally at home
pealing off uid solos on his 514ce,
comping away on a Wurlitzer electric
piano, or plucking a banjitar (a
cross between a banjo and guitar.)
Whatever hes playing, licks that
might otherwise sound clichd take
on a freshness borne of self-expres-
sion, whether they cradle a vocal with
gentle lls or hold ones attention
throughout a beautifully phrased solo.
As a songwriter, Beldock leans
towards the philosophical. My
favorite of his songs, and perhaps my
favorite on the album, is Down from
the Snow, about choosing love over
hatred in our lives.
Watsons songs tend to have
a sweet or nostalgic bent, such as
Toms Song, a tune presumably trig-
gered by receiving a postcard from
an old friend. Her stream-of-memory
lyrics are completely believable as
she fondly recounts past exploits in
her natural and unaffected singing
style. Watson sings the only cover
tune on the album, the jazzy My
Baby Just Cares for Me, but I think
her singing is at its best when she is
at her most relaxed, as on Beldocks
Jesus on the Radio or her own The
One I Love.
Hats off to Jeff Berkley (one half
of the excellent Berkley Hart musical
duo), who recorded and mixed the
CD, co-producing with Beldock
and Watson. Berkley also contrib-
utes percussion, such as a nice little
djembe part that sings along
with the guitar solo in Watsons
Running Away.
Andy Robinson
Beldock & Watson
Just Like You & Me
Independent
Taylors used: 514ce, 410
Beldockandwatson.com
Kathy Mattea
Coal
Captain Potato/Thirty Tigers
Taylors used: Custom 612ce
Mattea.com
Kathy Mattea - Photo by James Minchin
14 www.taylorguitars.com
Backstage Pass
An early November sun has slipped behind the foothills
surrounding El Cajon, and the air is already taking on a crisp desert coolness
when the buses roll into the parking lot outside the Taylor performance venue.
As the passengers disembark, they are ushered into a huge hospitality tent that
has been erected next to the building, where a catered dinner awaits them.
Fifty feet away, inside the venue, a separate tableau is coming together as a
lighting crew, cameramen and sound engineers calibrate their gear, and other
production staff shufe around the stage, past rows of empty chairs, applying
nal touches to a cozy performance setting. In a little while, those chairs will be
occupied, cameras will be rolling, and 110 fans of country music darling Taylor
Swift will be front and center for an exclusive taste of the charm and talent that
has made the 18-year-old a triple-platinum-selling country-pop sensation.
Countrys Teen
Queen Holds Court
at the Taylor Factory
Taylor Swift
By Jim Kirlin
The occasion is an album pre-
miere party for Swifts sophomore
album, Fearless. Swift and her
label, Big Machine Records, chose
the Taylor venue in part due to the
warm relationship Taylor Guitars has
had with Swift for about six years
now, tracing back to when she was
barely a teenager, yet already a
precocious songwriting talent with
a store-bought 615ce. Underwritten
by Verizon, the evenings program
will include a recorded interview
between Swift and nationally syndi-
cated country radio personality Blair
Garner (aftermidnite.com), which will
later be broadcast on over 500 radio
stations across the country. Swift
and her band will also perform a ve-
song acoustic set tonight, featuring
several songs from Fearless, which
will be videotaped for a special
Verizon V CAST program and made
available to Verizon subscribers.
The fans are winners of a radio-
promoted contest in 50 different
markets across the country. Their
airfare and hotel accommodations
were covered, and theyre being
given V.I.P. treatment, including a
personal meet-and-greet session
and a photo-op with Swift. Theyre
noticeably excited to be here.
After warming up the crowd,
Garner welcomes Swift to the stage
for a live, sit-down interview in which
she shares the inspiration behind
her songs on Fearless, and answers
questions submitted by fans. In
person, Swift is tall and beautiful in a
way thats glamorous yet still girlish,
her Abercrombie-and-Fitch-approved
face framed by her luxuriantly cas-
cading blonde locks. Watching Swift
on stage and listening to her speak,
its easy to be impressed not only by
her natural charm and buoyant per-
sonality, but also by the clarity and
maturity with which she dissects her
craft which, endearingly, is deliv-
ered with the excitable, spontaneous
inections of a teenager.
Swift seems born for this, which
is probably true since she started
singing when she was 2.
Music has always been it for me,
she tells Garner on stage. Im so
lucky to have found it so early.
Asked how she has stayed so
focused at such a young age, Swift
emphasizes that although her parents
made her feel like she could do what-
ever she wanted, they never pushed
her. What they did do was relocate
from their home in the Northeast
Philly neighborhood of Wissinom-
ing to Nashville several years ago
to allow their daughter to pursue
her songwriting dreams, which have
already come true in spectacular
fashion.
At age 15, Swift landed a
publishing deal with Sony/ATV Tree
Music Publishing, followed by an
agreement with edgling record
label Big Machine Records, and it
wasnt long before an industry buzz
had made her the centerpiece of the
label. Her self-titled debut in 2006
took up permanent residence on the
Billboard charts, she was honored
with numerous awards, and her use
of MySpace to cultivate her fanbase
in a grassroots way was formidable
she recently passed the 90 million
mark for music streams on the site,
where she is consistently ranked as
countrys number-one artist.
While such media exposure
and success at such a young age
might prompt cynical forecasts of
a celebrity trainwreck-in-training, in
reality, Swift comes across in person
as remarkably grounded, smart and
approachable, genuinely friendly and
funny, and well-equipped to control
15
Taylor Swift
When I write a song, I hear it
completely produced in my head.
her destiny. Although shes undeni-
ably a star, she doesnt seem like she
was deprived of the experience of
growing up.
In fact, that sense of normalcy
has fed her music. Her diary-confes-
sional lyrics, usually about boys and
relationships, tap the universal range
of emotions of her fans in a way
that they can relate to. During her
interview at the venue, Swift indirectly
describes the power of her own
songs in talking about what she likes
about other peoples.
A song becomes my favorite
song when [an artist] can say how
Im feeling better than I could, she
reects.
Shes been described as a song-
writing savant, and has acknowl-
edged having written several hundred
tunes, mining the fertile emotional turf
of teenage relationship issues.
Relationships are the best to
write about, she says, because
there are 500 different angles to one
breakup, and every single day is dif-
ferent, the way that you feel. One day
you can be like, I miss him, the next
day youre like, Im so over it, the
next day your friends are like, Seri-
ously, you need to stop talking about
him, so you write that song. The next
day youre like, Hes got a new girl-
friend?! So you write that song.
Swift says that her prolic song-
writing output was strengthened by
playing shows and being forced to
improvise on the spot.
I could walk into a coffeehouse
and play for three hours, and when
I ran out of songs Id written, Id just
make some up, she says. That sort
of ad-libbing really grew my songwrit-
ing. When youre forced to do it on
the spot, its crazy how quickly you
come up with things.
Swifts songs are groomed
with impeccable structure, strong
melodies and great instrumental
arrangements, all of which might
sound like standard fare coming from
a Nashville artist. Whats impres-
sive, though, is the degree of artistic
ownership she exerts, and how fully
formed her songs are before she ever
gets to the studio.
When I write a song, I hear it
completely produced in my head,
she says. So, going into the studio
is always about accurately portraying
how I hear it in my head.
Swift wrote eight of the 13 tunes
on Fearless herself, and co-wrote
the rest. She also co-produced the
record.
Co-producing this was really one
of my favorite things, she beams.
If Fearless has more pop arrange-
ments and less of a country sound
than her debut, Swift says shes just
being true to what she hears in her
head, and is proud that both pop
radio stations and country stations
will play her tunes.
When I write a song and dont
hear a ddle on it, I just think that
it would be a little contrived to put
a ddle on it, she recently said on
CMTs Crossroads program, which
paired her up with her rock music
idols Def Leppard.
At the Taylor venue, following the
interview with Garner, Bob Taylor
joins Swift on stage and welcomes
her back to the Taylor factory. He has
an avuncular air of affection about
him, and is visibly happy for her.
Weve been fans of yours since
your dad called us six years ago and
said, You just have to hear my daugh-
ter sing, Bob tells her in front of the
crowd. Everything that has hap-
pened to you should have happened
because youre so talented. A lot of
people go into music, but not very
many people write great songs.
Swift and her band nish the night
with a ve-song acoustic set, leading
off with three new tracks. White
Horse, which debuted on this years
season premiere of Greys Anatomy,
touches the crowd with emotionally
raw lyrics about a not-so-fairy-tale
ending to a relationship. Love Story
recasts the tragic romance of Romeo
and Juliet, only this time with a hap-
pier outcome. On the title track from
Fearless, she accompanies herself
on her sparkle-topped GS. She also
treats fans to Change, which was
released earlier this year and used as
a soundtrack during coverage of the
Summer Olympics. Swift plays her
custom all-koa Grand Auditorium to
close the set with Teardrops On My
Guitar, her rst number-one hit.
It certainly wont be her last. As of
our press deadline, Fearless was one
of the top albums on iTunes and the
Billboard charts.
You can see additional photos and
video highlights from Taylor Swifts
CD release party at taylorguitars.com.
Taylors Guitars
Taylor Swifts two main performance Taylors are her custom,
all-koa PSGA (AA koa top, Florentine cutaway, Taylor fretboard
inlay, passive ES) and a GS8 encrusted with Swarovski crystals
that was originally decorated for a video shoot. Her other models
include a 615ce, maple PS-LTD with a tobacco sunburst and
Florentine cutaway, a pink T5-S (with ake-top nish), a pair of
K65ces, a custom maple Dreadnought with the Living Jewels
koi sh inlay, a PSGA and a black SolidBody Classic.
Ask Bob
16 www.taylorguitars.com
16
I am the proud, happy owner of
a 2003 Fall LTD 310ce-L2 (maple).
I hope to someday be able to
purchase a Taylor 12-string. I
pretty much have my heart set on
an 855ce. My question: How do
Taylor 12-strings differ in compari-
son to their six-string brethren?
Are there differences in neck
construction, bracing, top and
side thickness, etc.? How do
you keep a 12-string sounding
clear and not overwhelmed when
strummed hard?
One other question: Are there
American woods that do not exist
in production quantities that would
nevertheless make a very fine
instrument? What about cherry,
locust, sassafras, elm, pear or
others? Would Taylor build to
order a guitar from wood provided
by the customer?
Thanks for your time, Bob.
I not only love your guitars, I love
the way you and Kurt run your
company and treat your people.
Edward Lewandowski
Edward, thanks for your comments.
Yes, the 12-bangers are built differ-
ently than their six-string brothers.
The tops are thicker, there are three
fan braces on the top rather than
two, and of course the neck is larger,
although that is more for space than
for strength. In the end, a 12-string
must be stout enough to hold up to
the sound input of all those strings.
If they are too light, they dont sound
as good. Sort of like how a speaker
has to be matched to an amplifier, or
it will be overdriven and distort.
As to other American woods
for guitars, yes, there are many.
However, the market is not really
ready for them. As an example,
we use a lot of walnut, more than
anyone else making nice guitars.
Walnut is accepted as a guitar
wood, yet with all our efforts is still
a small fraction of our total output.
Elm, pear, sassafras, etc. would all
make nice guitars, but we know that
people wouldnt buy them in num-
bers greater than a dozen a year or
so. One such wood that grows here
and makes great guitars is mesquite,
also known to some of our cowboy
friends as Texas rosewood. Its a
small tree, but there are still some
that are large enough for guitars.
It is the most stable of all wood
species. But most people would
think we made their guitar out of
charcoal wood. See what I mean?
And finally, alas, we dont offer
a program to make guitars from
customers wood at this time.
I currently own a 1993 412 and a
2006 814ce and am always on the
lookout for another great Taylor
to add to my collection. About
a year ago, I moved into a new
house with beautiful Brazilian
cherry floors. I often wonder what
a guitar made out of it would
sound like. I do know that some
companies, like Art and Lutherie,
sometimes do make guitars out of
cherry. But, as far as I know, Taylor
never has. Is it just sonically infe-
rior to the other beautiful species
out there? Or could a Brazilian
cherry GA be in my future?
Jeff Ledbetter
Jeff, Brazilian cherry is a popular
flooring wood right now, and would
probably make a fine guitar. This
isnt the same wood as American
cherry, but that wood makes good
guitars, as well. In fact, a hundred
years ago, there were lots of guitars
and mandolins made with cherry. A
wood species has to be commer-
cially viable for us to use in guitars.
This includes not only the marketing
potential, but also the supply poten-
tial. Its a very complicated equation,
and some wood species just arent
ready for guitars yet. Others have
already passed their prime, having
only small trees in the forest that
arent useful for guitars on any scale.
When the new SolidBody came out,
I went from northern Minnesota to
a Chicago suburb to go to a Road
Show to see it. Wow! What a great
time. The Taylor people were a lot
of fun and very informative. They
did say Taylor had been building
a new bass when they came up
with the T5 and would be making
a new bass soon. Is there any-
thing you can tell me about a new
bass? Im not much of a guitar
player, although Ive had three
Taylors. But I want a Taylor bass.
Can you help me?
Don Waddle
Golly, Don, now youre making me
feel guilty. Thats because every time
we start something like a bass, it
eventually turns into a guitar. Were
guitar guys. We want to make that
bass for you, we really do. Were
not working on it right now because
it seems our guitars need our help.
Theres a bunch of bass people who
just think Im a liar, and theyre prob-
ably right, because theyve heard
were going to take care of them
more than once. Im going to go
shoot myself now.
Recently I picked up a K20ce.
I was stunned at the beauty of
the two-piece koa back. Having
worked in the Hawaiian lumber
industry, I have seen a lot of koa,
but this guitar was above and
beyond. Can you tell me how you
pick out the raw koa that you will
eventually use for instruments?
Do you buy whole logs, and if so,
how can you tell what quality you
are getting? Or do you buy pre-
cut boards that you can re-saw to
your specs?
Phil Winter
Pendleton, Oregon
Phil, weve taken to buying entire
logs lately. We work with a person
who is good at sourcing the good
logs, and then we go check out what
he has and buy the best ones. You
can peel off bark, make a little cut,
and do some other incantations in
order to know enough about the
I purchased one of the sinker redwood
instruments specially made for Willcutt Guitars
of Lexington, Kentucky last year: the GC
short-scale without a pickup [Indian rosewood
back/sides with a sinker redwood top]. My
other Taylor (so far) is a 96 514c. The article in
Wood&Steel discussing the general tonal qualities
of your various woods has piqued my curiosity.
I expect it will take about 10 years to play this
lovely little instrument in, but what do you
expect its sonic footprint to eventually be?
Neil Lucy
Toronto, Ontario
Neil, what a cool guitar. Youre fortunate to have
gotten one of those Willcutt beauties. Bottom line,
I expect that guitar to age into an ultra-clear,
dry-sounding voice, with plenty of bass and treble.
Its gonna be good, so hold on to it. By the way,
I have a 20th anniversary model and was playing
it last night. Its 15 years old now, and I can tell
you that it sounds unbelievably better than when
it was new. I couldnt put it down. I played Jason
Mrazs Im Yours about, oh, 20 times in a row.
Age really has an effect, and a guitars sound just
gets better. Im so glad, cuz what if, instead, it got
worse? Were lucky.
Charcoal guitars, koa prospecting and bass bluffing
17
quality to talk price. We can tell if the
price is in the ball park, but we dont
know to what extent, or if its full
of flaws that will cause the yield to
plummet. I must say that the super-
duper logs are easy to spot because
the beauty leaks right out the edges.
The middle-grade stuff is the most
risky to qualify. After we pick a few
logs, we write a check for upwards
of half a million dollars and then ship
it back to the mainland to begin the
sawing process. Were nervous all
the way home. If we cut into it and
did our job well, then we say bingo
and brag, and if we fall short, we try
not to say anything or tell anyone.
By the way, having worked in the
industry, you can believe me when I
tell you that the wood that ends up
on a high-grade koa Taylor is a frac-
tion of one percent of the wood that
is available. It is the best of the best,
thus the high price that both you and
I pay to own a piece.
Im fortunate enough to own more
all-solid-wood acoustic guitars
than I can play on a regular basis.
What is your advice on string ten-
sion for a guitar stored in its hard-
shell case for six months or more
without being played, assuming
correct temperature and humidity?
Larry Martz
Hamilton, New Jersey
Larry, string em up and tune them to
standard pitch. Leave them like that
all the time. Guitars really dont know
that theyre not being played, so
leave the tension on.
Ive got a 410ce with an under-
saddle pickup. According to your
Care and Feeding Part 1 video
[on the Taylor website], I should
remove the strings slowly to
keep the saddle pressure even
across the pickup. What is slow-
ly? One string every 60 seconds?
One string every 10 minutes?
By the way, my guitar doesnt
have bridge pins the strings go
straight through the bridge.
I love my guitar, and youve got
a great company. The videos and
tech sheets are very helpful. Keep
up the great work!
Malcolm Gately
Indianapolis, Indiana
Malcolm, youve got an original there!
We havent made the pinless bridge
for years. Okay, take one string off
every month. Just kidding! What we
mean by slowly is to unwind the
strings with a winder, one at a time
and evenly across the strings. Or,
you could even replace one string
at a time, tuning the new string up
and then moving on to the next.
Some people will take a pair of wire
snippers and just cut them all off,
rapid fire, like, bang! This can upset
the evenness of the pickup and the
saddle, and might cause the output
to be uneven. But for the most part,
dont worry about it; its really more
of a tip from the pros, not a rule.
Two questions: It has taken more
than innovation, creativity, great
ideas and an incredible product
to build Taylor Guitars into the
premier company it has become.
It has also taken determined busi-
ness savvy. Ive read a fair amount
about how youve built guitars, but
have you and Mr. Listug thought
about writing a book sharing your
business philosophy and the road
youve taken to building a great
company?
With the wild success of
the SolidBody, can we expect a
Sounds of Wood&Steel thrash CD?
Joe Ghormley
Joe, surely you jest! Okay, really, I
believe you, and some others would
be interested in our story if it were
focused on the business aspect of
Taylor. I have to say, though, that
wed be hard pressed to figure out
more than a chapters worth. If some-
one told me I would have to write
a book, maybe I would never have
become a guitar maker. I do appreci-
ate the affirmation, though; I can see
you really mean it, and I take it as a
true compliment. It gives me inspira-
tion to go glue some wood together
and sell it!
Who knows about the CD?
Thats always possible. I just need
some more thrashers buying them.
I grew up playing acoustic guitars.
I recently purchased a beautiful
koa T5. Before, I never needed
an amp to play through; I have
always plugged in direct. Is there
a specific amp that I should play
through to get the sound of an
acoustic, then jump over to that
electric sound?
Jeremy DeLoach
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Jeremy, thanks for the comments
and for buying a T5, which is one
of the most awesome and versatile
guitars ever. The amp makers should
love us because you really need two
amps: one for the acoustic sound
and one for the electric. You see, an
amp that sounds good for acoustic
has a clear, hi-fi sound, whereas an
electric amp is not full-range in that
regard. You dont need big amps to
do this. Buy a nice little electric amp,
just let your dealer guide you, and
then buy something they recommend
for acoustic sound. In general, the
more you spend, the better it sounds.
Also, if you play out, like at church or
places using a PA system, that will
work as the acoustic half. Just run
one side of your A/B switch to the
PA and the other side to your elec-
tric amp. Thats a great way to get
started if this works for you.
Im the happy owner of a 412k
[koa LTD], a 414kce and a 612c.
I was so impressed with the sound
of the GS it makes me want to
expand my collection. But medium
strings? I understand theyre
required to drive it hard enough for
maximum sound, but I dont think
I could do a two- or three-hour
gig with it. Any chance of going to
a short-scale neck to help out? I
certainly dont know guitar physics
like you do, and dont know how
this would affect the sound, but it
sure would help with the physical-
ity of performing with it.
David Redmond
David, I think you do need a fourth
guitar. Shall I call your wife and start
working on her? Actually, just put
lights on your GS. It will sound good,
a little looser, and have nice sustain.
I think its an easier approach than
using a short-scale. You know these
recommendations, like proper string
gauges, arent hard-and-fast rules.
Go to your dealer, tell him youre
interested, and see if theyll put a set
of lights on one for you to play. It will
sound good, and I think youll dig it.
You have made available informa-
tion about the changes of seasons
and how humidity affects guitars,
but I have a question that is slight-
ly different. I have 15-plus guitars
in my collection, and in the fall I
notice that whenever I pick one up
that I havent played in a while, all
the strings have gone (at least) a
half-step sharp or more. Will this
adversely affect my guitars (elec-
trics and acoustics, six-strings
and basses), or do I need to go
through my entire collection and
re-tune each guitar?
Steve Kroczynski
Buffalo, New York
Steve, thats weird. I really havent
run across that. Your guitars would
have to be growing in order to make
the string go a half-step sharp. Im
scratching my head. But your guitars
wont be harmed being a little sharp,
even if it is more tension on them.
If they were mine, Id probably not
worry about it nor re-tune them. Id
feel guilty, though.
I watched with interest your video
on humidifying acoustic guitars.
Ive never heard anyone address
whether or not you should do the
same for a SolidBody guitar. If so,
how do you go about it?
Mark Pittman
Mark, an electric guitar can certainly
benefit from proper humidity. But
youd need to humidify the space
around it, like the interior of the case.
You could use a couple of Dampit
humidifiers and simply lay them in the
case and allow the guitar to absorb
the humidity. Be sure theyre not
dripping wet, please. The cycle will
take longer. A good indicator of a dry
electric guitar (or any guitar) is sharp
fret ends. Thats because the finger-
board is shrinking. With proper
humidity, the fingerboard will remain
its original size, and the frets wont
poke out the ends of the slots.
Why would a major guitar company
like Taylor Guitars want to join
forces with a radical, anti-capital-
ist, extremist environmental group
like Greenpeace? Past behavior
shows that Greenpeaces main
objective is to spread their radical,
anti-capitalist, environmental views
even if that involves breaking U.S.
or international laws. I see this as
a very disturbing relationship that
brings to question the business
policies of Taylor Guitars. I hope it
works out, but from what I can tell,
advancing their agenda will remain
Greenpeaces major objective in
this relationship.
Tom Salz
Olathe, Kansas
Sorry, Tom, I have to laugh. I love your
letter. What makes me laugh is that
there are Greenpeace folks who want
to know why they would hook up
with corporate America businesses
like us who are their sworn enemy.
Why, we must only want their seal of
environmental approval to increase
our profits while we secretly rape the
land when theyre not looking!
The fact is, the world moves
on, and there are new people with
new ideas across the board. Our
involvement with Greenpeace is
project-specific and is designed to
help cast some vision for our Native
American friends in Alaska to FSC-
certify their logging operations. There
are so many articles written about
this that you can research it yourself.
You probably already have, in which
case youve heard the explanation
as to our good partnership. I will
say that I really like my contacts at
Greenpeace. They have been super
helpful to our industry. Its all good,
even if you hate them.
Got a question for Bob Taylor?
We cant guarantee that hell get to every one, but hell try.
Shoot him an e-mail: askbob@taylorguitars.com
Soundings
The tone really sticks out among
everything else I play. The high gain
pickups denitely help with that. They
have an output level that can cut
through anything else in the PA and in
my rig. I love them. They sound great.
The HG pickups are likely to ap-
peal to other rock acts looking for a
darker, edgier sound with more front-
end drive. Zach also recently picked
up a SolidBody Classic with the HG
pickups and another Classic, an SC
with single coil pickups, and said he
was looking forward to exploring their
tonal avors, as well.
Devour, the rst single from
Shinedowns chart-riding new record,
The Sound of Madness, was the of-
cial theme song for the pro wres-
tlings WWE Night of Champions
for 2008, and the song Second
Chance has been used in the promo
for TVs Terminator: The Sarah Con-
nor Chronicles. In late September,
the band was on the tail end of a
tour with Buckcherry and Avenged
Sevenfold, before heading to Europe
in October for a string of shows with
Disturbed.
Fellow Americans Gerry Beckley
and Dewey Bunnell were in sharp
form when the band came to San
Diego for a show in October. Taylors
sales rep Steve Parr, who moonlights
as a photographer, attended the show
and snapped some nice shots of the
band while there. A longtime fan, Parr
said he and the rest of the packed
house had a blast.
They rocked harder than they
do on any of their albums, Parr said
afterward. And the band, as you
would expect, was really tight. They
sounded the way a group thats been
together for better than 30 years
should sound; everything was second
nature to them. I dont even think they
used a set list. The crowd knew every
song they played, especially Sand-
man and their encore, A Horse with
No Name.
Both Gerry and Dewey are long-
time Taylor players, and each owns
an assortment of models, several
of which they used for much of the
show. Gerry played one of his four
custom maple Grand Auditoriums,
with a trans black nish and star in-
lays, and a custom amber 655, while
Dewey played his black 614.
to the American Revolutionary period,
and whose wood Taylor preserved in
several limited edition models of com-
memorative Liberty Tree Guitars after
the tree was felled.
The New York sapling had been
planted earlier in the month as part
of an ongoing program administered
by the conservation group American
Forests (amfor.org) to plant a Liberty
Tree sapling in each of the original 13
states. So far, American Forests has
planted all but one of the saplings,
with Connecticut scheduled next.
Saplings were recently planted in
New Jersey and New Hampshire,
but their dedication ceremonies will
be held next year. In September,
Georgia had a special Liberty Week
celebration that honored the lineage
of the Liberty Tree sapling that was
planted there two years ago.
At the Newburgh event, Seeger
took time to admire a Liberty Tree
Guitar owned by American Forests
that was on-hand for the event.
Seeger and his grandson, musician
Tao-Rodriguez Seeger, also per-
formed together.
Former New York Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton issued a statement
in honor of the Liberty Tree dedication.
I applaud the work of American
Forests, Washingtons Headquarters
and the many others who made this
planting and dedication possible.
Today, we celebrate the addition
of this enduring symbol of freedom
and democracy to one of the oldest
historic sites in the nation...
It is tting that the New York
Liberty Trees new home will be the
Washingtons Headquarters State
Historic Site, which already holds
several historical treasures from the
Revolutionary period. Visitors from
across the country can come to
these grounds and imagine what life
was like during that seminal time in
our nations history. They can walk
the grounds of General and Mrs.
Washingtons farmhouse, examine
military artifacts and artwork, and
now, stand under the Liberty Tree and
imagine the Sons of Liberty gathering
to protest the Stamp Act.
Washingtons Headquarters,
opened in 1850, is the rst publicly
preserved historic site in the nation.
The site includes the original 1750
farmhouse where General George
Washington and his wife Martha lived,
a museum, and the Tower of Victory,
which was erected to commemorate
the centennial of the ending of the
American Revolution.
Former Eagles guitarist Don
Felder checked in with Taylor artist
relations rep Bob Borbonus after a
summer book-signing tour to promote
Heaven and Hell, his best-selling,
tell-all account of his tumultuous ten-
ure with the band from 1974 to 2001,
when he was abruptly dismissed.
Its an engaging read for Eagles fans
interested in an insiders perspective
on the dynamics and dysfunctionality
within the band.
Felder whose nickname in the
band was Fingers because of his
guitar prowess told Borbonus the
Taylor walnut Jumbo W15 that he
bought back in 1999 is his favorite
acoustic guitar of all time. Not bad,
coming from the guy who wrote
Hotel California and whose personal
guitar collection includes some of the
holiest of guitar grails, among them a
59 Les Paul.
Platinum-selling hard rockers
Shinedown cranked up the riffs at
their House of Blues show in San Di-
ego in September. One of the bands
two guitarists, Zach Myers, has been
touring with a SolidBody Standard
equipped with our new HG (high
gain) pickups, which he says he loves.
Zach played the SolidBody on several
tunes during the HOB show, and the
pickups sounded ferociously tasty,
adding to the bands arena-ready,
distortion-fueled tunes.
The guitar works great, Zach said
from the road before a recent show.
18 www.taylorguitars.com

For a young, gigging singer-
songwriter angling for exposure, a
strength-in-numbers approach to
touring can be just the ticket. Joining
other like-minded artists and touring
as a collective affords a chance to
draw bigger crowds, share a house
band, trim expenses, and bond
together along the way. One such
enterprise that has fared well is the
Hotel Caf Tour, an organic outgrowth
of the intimate Los Angeles venue
the Hotel Caf, once a tiny coffee
shop and now one of the countrys
choice listening rooms for artists on
the rise and established songwriters
alike. The venues position in a major
entertainment market, together with
its reputation for nurturing a collabora-
tive vibe among performers, has been
developed into a successful music
brand that has been leveraged further
as the Hotel Caf Tour. The tours
theme says it thusly: One bus, one
band, and a bunch of friends on the
road.
The tour concept was co-founded
by singer-songwriter Cary Brothers
(814ce), whose relationship with Tay-
lor eventually led us to get involved as
a sponsoring partner. Now in its fourth
year, the tour has gained traction as a
platform that has helped expose tal-
ents such as Ingrid Michaelson and
Sara Bareilles, and with such artists
taking turns headlining shows sup-
ported by a rotating lineup of others,
the tours have built up momentum as
reliable showcases of strong talent.
Taylor hopped onboard as the
ofcial guitar sponsor of this past
falls tour, which featured an all-female
roster led by anchor artists Michael-
son and Rachael Yamagata, plus
16 other on-the-cusp performers,
including Meiko, Thao Nguyen, Kate
Havnevik, Erin McCarley, Jaymay
and others. The tour presented about
six artists per night, backed by a
house band that was led by musical
director Jason Kanakis and guitarist
Brad Gordon on Taylor SolidBody
models and acoustics. A Taylor video
crew captured performance foot-
age in San Diego in October as well
as at the tour nale in Hollywood at
the Music Box (located at the Henry
Fonda Theater). Kanakis jammed on
a black SolidBody Classic with Style
1 pickups on many of the nights
tunes, while Gordon played a white
Classic Single Coil most of the night.
Among the shows highlights was
Rachael Yamagatas soulful set, which
included several tunes strummed on
her sunburst 714ce.
To see video footage from the
shows, visit taylorguitars.com.
Country music giant George Strait
set a new record for the most awards
in CMA history with the two he added
to his collection on November 12
at the 42nd annual CMA Awards in
Nashville, bringing his career tally to
22. Strait won Single of the Year (I
Saw God Today) and Album of the
Year (Troubadour). He also performed
the winning tune with his band and
played his cocobolo 910. Another
Taylor Dreadnought player and a mul-
tiple award nominee, Alan Jackson,
also performed with his band at the
show, strumming his custom 610 on
his rollicking title track Good Time, a
Song of the Year nominee.
Taylor Swift was nominated for
Female Vocalist of the Year, and sang
Love Story from her new record,
Fearless. Swift pulled out all the stops
in her performance of the Romeo and
Juliet-inspired tale, staging a lavish
fairytale production on stage.
The following night in Houston,
the 9th annual Latin Grammys took
place, and Julieta Venegas (615ce)
took home a pair of awards: Best
Alternative Music Album, and Best
Long Form Music Video for her MTV
Unplugged release.
Legendary folk singer Pete
Seeger was among the special
guests who attended a special
Liberty Tree dedication ceremony at
Washingtons Headquarters State
Historic Site in Newburgh, New
York on Friday, November 14. The
New York Liberty Tree was one of
14 saplings grown from seeds taken
from the last surviving Liberty Tree, the
historic tulip poplar that dates back
Take a Bow
Not Such a Lovely Place
SolidBody Shine
Coming to America
The Hotel Caf Hits the Road
Planting Sons of Liberty
A Liberty Tree sapling being planted
at Washingtons Headquarters
State Historic Site in New York
in November
19
Clockwise from bottom left:
Singer-songwriters Jaymay (814ce) and
Erin McCarley (614ce) perform as part of
the Hotel Caf Tour; Don Felder with his
W15; Shinedown guitarist Zach Myers
unloads some heavy riffs on a SolidBody
Standard; (L-R) Dewey Bunnell and
Gerry Beckley on stage in San Diego.
20 www.taylorguitars.com
Taylor Notes
In mid-November, Taylor was rec-
ognized by the California Integrated
Waste Management Board as part of
its Waste Reduction Awards Program
(WRAP). Taylor earned an award in
the category of Manufacturer
Musical. The WRAP awards ac-
knowledge California businesses
that show considerable commitment
and reduction in the amount of waste
produced annually. They also recog-
nize innovative uses for previously
discarded materials, employee
education and recycled product
procurement.
The award took into account
Taylors waste reduction stats
compiled over the course of 2007.
Among our notable achievements:
35 tons of cardboard were
recycled. Another seven tons were
reused in various ways throughout
the factory.
Over 20,000 pounds of paper were
recycled. Other recycled and
reused materials included plastic
wrap, used printer toners, electronic
equipment and grass trimmings.
All oil and coolant products used
in the factory and in manufacturing
were recycled.
Scrap wood and sawdust were
converted into particleboard and
mulch, leading to their 100 percent
reuse.
Select pieces of scrap wood were
donated to a local woodworking
association to be transformed into
toys for orphans in Tijuana, Mexico.

Were pleased to announce
the creation of an Inside Sales &
Customer Relations position here
at Taylor. The position was formed
to handle sales-related customer
inquiries, which will give Taylor cus-
tomers access to a helpful personal
consultant as they gather information
about our guitars. Wed previously
been handling questions through
our Customer Service department,
but the new position was designed
in response to questions customers
had not about a Taylor they owned,
but one they were looking to buy.
The goal is to help customers get all
the information they need to make a
condent purchase.
Stepping into that role is fourteen-
year Taylor veteran Ben Benavente,
a former supervisor in the Body
department, who brings his extensive
knowledge of the guitar-building
process and the Taylor product line
to the role. Ben has also worked as
a gigging musician in several popular
San Diego-area bands (his current
band, the Stateside Islander Crew,
plays eclectic Island music), so he
has plenty of real-world experience
relating to live applications.
Ben transitioned into the position
in early September and has been
helping customers with questions
about woods, specs and pricing; rec-
ommending models to match certain
playing styles; and helping custom-
ers locate dealers who carry specic
guitar models. Anyone who knows
Ben would agree that his experience
and personable way with people
makes him a great t for the gig.
I like helping people nd the
guitar of their dreams, Ben says. Its
really satisfying to help someone nd
a match among our current models
and then direct them to an autho-
rized dealer. Its a great feeling when
a customer calls back to tell me
they got the guitar and theyre really
happy with it.
Like Matt Chittum of Hilliard,
Ohio. Matt had his limited edition,
all-mahogany 2005 514ce-L10
Helping You Find Your
Dream Guitar
Taylor Honored with
California Waste
Reduction Award
Above: Inside Sales & Customer Service representative Ben Benavente; Below: Scrap wood is loaded
into a wood chipper to be recycled; Right: Production Manager Pat Wilson. Photos by Tim Whitehouse
stolen after, of all things, a church
performance. Matt called Taylor to
report the guitar as stolen and spoke
to Ben. He asked about replac-
ing the guitar with the exact same
model since he liked it so much.
Ben explained that as a 2005 LTD,
those guitars had most likely all been
sold by now, but he checked our
database and discovered that one of
those exact LTDs was still available
at Bridge of Harmony, a Taylor dealer
in Brainerd, Minnesota. Ben put Matt
in touch with the dealer, the guitar
found a home, and Ben received a
follow-up thank-you call from both
the owner and the dealer.
If youre thinking about buying a
Taylor and have questions, feel free
to call us at 1-888-2TAYLOR and
Ben will be happy to help.
By the way, check out Ben with
his son Mason in a photo for the
100/200 Series in our Guitar Guide
(p.34). Dont miss the custom Island
palm tree rosette on his guitar.
21
A Day in the Life of a
Production Manager
When Taylor Production Manager
Pat Wilson got a phone call from
his boss, VP of Production Chris
Wellons, and was asked to meet a
reporter from the Voice of San Diego,
a local independent non-prot online
newspaper, he wasnt sure what to
think.
I thought Chris was just asking
me to show them around, Pat says.
Then, when I heard the story was
going to be about me, I got a little
nervous.
Pat had no reason to worry. Hes
been with Taylor for nearly 14 years
and is the go-to-guy for questions
relating to necks and bodies. I usu-
ally cant walk from one side of the
factory to the other without getting
four or ve questions along the way,
he says.
And thats just what reporter Kelly
Bennett experienced as she spent a
day shadowing Pat.
Those [questions] come fre-
quently, Bennett writes. Throughout
the day, Wilson does random inspec-
tions, peers over shoulders, encour-
ages his team in daily meetings to
stop and check before moving on if
they think theres a problem with a
guitar, these precisely constructed
instruments made not just to look
good, but to sound good.
Its a fascinating day in the life
portrait thats richly laden with the
small details that shape Pats job
from dealing with the effects of dry
Santa Ana winds on guitar wood to
quality control troubleshooting and
gives readers an enlightening per-
spective on the personal interaction
involved in the guitar-building process
at Taylor.
Right now, were making the best
guitars weve ever made, Pat reects
at one point, afrming the attention to
detail the Taylor production crew in-
vests in their work each day. Theres
nothing more satisfying than hearing
a guitar played that youve had a
hand in making.
You can read the full prole of Pat
online by visiting voiceofsandiego.
org and typing Patrick Wilson in the
search eld. The piece also includes
a photo slide show.
Refresh Package
Stabilization of the guitar at
the proper humidity level
Tuner tightening and
adjustment
Fretboard cleaning and
conditioning
Installation of new
Elixir strings
Installation of new battery
Truss rod adjustment
Cleaning and polishing
$95
Revive Package
The Refresh package plus:
Neck angle adjustment
(reset)
Fret dress
Tusq nut and saddle
adjustment or replacement
as needed
$200 - Acoustic models /
SolidBody models (bone nut
and bridge adjustment)
$300 - T5 models (bone nut
and saddle)
Renew Package
Geared toward the gigging
player, Taylors repair techs will
return your guitar to perfect
performance condition.
Includes the Revive
package plus:
Partial refret* (up to 10 frets)
Full check of the electronics
system
$325 - Acoustic models /
SolidBody models (bone nut
and bridge adjustment)
$425 - T5 models (bone nut
and saddle)
*Full refret add $100

Rejuvenate Package
The ultimate hydrating solution
for a dry guitar. Your guitar and
case are returned to optimum
humidity levels with our rehydrat-
ing process. Once the guitar is
stabilized, we repair any cracks in
the fretboard or bridge, le sharp
fret ends smooth, level any un-
even frets, and nish with all the
services in the Refresh package.
(Guitars with additional wood
cracks will incur further charges.)
$200
Expression System Upgrade
Includes Refresh package.
Upgrade your AA battery-pow-
ered Expression System to our
latest version, powered by a 9v
battery. Benets include:
Double the battery life (about
40-plus hours)
Our patented fused string
ground safely protects
you from electric shock and
helps quiet grounding
problems when plugging into
an improperly grounded
system
An LED battery indicator light
on the preamp lets you know
your battery is good
Separate on/off switches on
the preamp for each dynamic
top sensor give you more
tonal control and variety
$300
Expression System Install
Includes Refresh package.
Our electronics experts will
perform a precision installation of
the 9v ES pickup in your guitar
and follow up with the Refresh
package.
$500
Bone Upgrade
Add a bone nut and wave-com-
pensated bone saddle upgrade
to any acoustic service package
for $100.
Easy Shipping for Service Packages
The response to our guitar factory service packages has been great, reports Taylor Customer Service Man-
ager Glen Wolff. Some owners have expressed some initial concern about shipping their guitars, and we fully
understand. When you call us for a return authorization number, our factory service representatives can answer
any questions or concerns you have, and e-mail step-by-step instructions that explain how to safely pack and
ship your guitar. Please have your serial number handy, and call (800) 943-6782 to obtain a return authorization
number BEFORE you ship your guitar.
To ship your guitar, youll need to obtain a shipping box to pack and ship your guitar in its hard case or gig
bag. We use and recommend UPS Ground service. The most cost-effective method of shipping is to take your
packed-up guitar directly to the customer service counter at your local UPS depot and ship it fully insured. Once
we receive the guitar, well call you to go over all of your service options.
Heres our menu of available service packages:
Why do we play guitar? We each have our own answer, but it comes down to
some sense of well-being we get from vibrating strings and wood. Maybe its to relax
and relieve tension. To connect with others. To nd out who we are. To earn a living. The
question may be philosophical, but its not a bad place to start as we ponder which type
of guitar to play.
If theres a simple piece of advice we can give you, its this: Buy the best guitar you
can afford. By best we mean a guitar thats easy to play, has proper intonation, and
sounds great. Weve got you covered there. Beyond that, look for one thats compatible
with the kind of sound youre looking for. In our previous features on shapes and woods,
we shared some basic guidelines to help you understand what factors give each Taylor
model a unique personality. (See our newly re-designed shapes and woods features at
taylorguitars.com.) If you remember that shapes have sounds, that woods have unique
tonal avors, and that you have your own personal way of playing and hearing those
shapes and woods, youll be primed to nd the right guitar one that will be your
faithful muse.
As part of our Guitar Guide, we include some test-driving tips to help you properly
audition a guitar, plus the complete specications for all models. And if you ever have
any questions along the way, feel free to call our newly established Inside Sales and
Customer Relations representative, Ben Benavente (1-888-2TAYLOR). Think of him as
your Taylor guitar concierge. Hell answer all your guitar questions and help you locate
a particular model at a dealership if youre on the hunt. Now promise not to slack on
that New Years resolution to play more guitar this year.
From acoustics to electrics, we have a Taylor
for every type of player. Our 2009 Guitar Guide
leads you on a scenic tour of our product line.
Chefs like to eat; guitar makers like to play. We rounded up Bob Taylor and a few of his
boys from the product development team for a photo shoot at Bobs house to celebrate
the pleasures of jamming with friends. Everyone was invited to bring one of their favorite
Taylors. From left: VP of Marketing Brian Swerdfeger with a GC8 prototype that currently
lives in his ofce; VP of Quality Assurance, Customer Service & Repair David Hosler
with a T5C2; Bobs longtime design partner Larry Breedlove with a GA5; and the man
himself, picking on an 810ce. Get these guys together and it usually doesnt take long
to coax a smile and a song out of them. Photo by Bil Zelman
Back/Sides: Choice of master-grade
Madagascar Rosewood, Cocobolo,
Walnut, Maple, Macassar Ebony,
Hawaiian Koa or Brazilian Rosewood
(limited availability)
Top: Choice of premium Sitka Spruce,
Western Red Cedar, Engelmann
Spruce, Sinker Redwood (limited
availability), Adirondack Spruce,
Walnut, Hawaiian Koa
Fretboard Inlay: Green Heart Abalone
Byzantine (other options available)
Binding: Ivoroid with
Green Heart Abalone
Rosette: Green Heart Abalone
Additional Premium
Appointments: Bone nut/saddle,
abalone peghead and bridge inlays
Optional Venetian/Florentine cutaway
and ES pickup
Models:
PSDN, PSGA, PSGC,
PSGS, PSJM, PSGA-12,
PSGS-12, PSJM-12

With each tonewood we use, the best of the best represents a slim fraction of
what exists in the world. One set in a thousand might be too much to promise.
But this master-grade wood always nds its way into the Presentation Series.
We hand off these rare natural materials to our very nest guitar makers, who
pour their hearts into each guitar, using their advanced skills sometimes to
infuse a guitar with exquisite appointments, and other times to abide by the
simple idea that less is more. It all depends on how you want yours made.
Either way, the Presentation Series is your guitar dream brought to life.
THE PRESENTATI ON SERI ES
Back/Sides: Hawaiian Koa
Top: Abalone-trimmed Sitka Spruce
or Hawaiian Koa
Fretboard Inlay:
Abalone Koa Series
Binding: Curly Maple
Rosette: Abalone
Additional Premium
Appointments: Maple-bound rosette
His name is Russ Lewark, but his online friends know him as
Koaguitarman. Russs rst koa love was an all-koa K20c. He found
the woods tone to be the ideal acoustic voice for him. I play a lot
of ragtime, jug band, folk-rock a little bit of a lot of different
genres, he says. Koa will take the softer folk ngerstyle and
the strong ngerpicking of ragtime and jug band. It also comes
through when softly atpicked or even with bluegrass-style picking.
Its my tonewood of choice. Russ currently owns 14 koa Taylors.
Photo by Bil Zelman
Models:
K10ce, K12ce, K14ce,
K16ce, K20ce, K22ce,
K24ce, K26ce, K54ce,
K56ce, K64ce, K65ce,
K66ce
Ask any Hawaiian koa lover the tropical hardwood speaks in a special
way that no other wood can. We treat it with reverence ourselves. Visually,
its harmony of color, grain and gure immediately invites us in. Tonally, it
rewards the player over time, as its initially bright voice opens up to reveal
a mellowing sweetness in the midrange. Despite the cost and limited
availability of this cherished Hawaiian native, we remain deeply committed
to koa. We buy the best logs we can and build guitars that we hope will
inspire a lifetime of playing because the more you play one, the deeper
youll fall in love.
THE KOA SERI ES
Indian rosewood is an enduring classic thats loved
by traditional atpickers and modern ngerstyle players alike.
For Bob Taylor, the personal connection hearkens back to the
rst guitar he ever made. Its appeal is as broad as its sonic
range, which yields deep lows, sparkling highs and controlled
midrange overtones, all of which together give players impressive
articulation. Rosewoods variety of visual colors including
mocha browns, rich purples and ery reds have inspired us
to give it a distinctive personality in each of three series.
Our 900 Series showcases our most beautiful grade, featuring
tight, straight grain, a range of colors, and premium appointments
that together embody vintage elegance for the modern world.
Our maple-bound 800 Series has progressed from its no-frills
Dreadnought roots into a more contemporary look thats stylish
but not too pretty to be played hard. Our 700 Series goes
for an earthier, dressed-down feel, featuring thicker ribbons
of rosewood grain and simple inlay work. Paired with either
an Engelmann spruce or cedar top, it responds with vintage
warmth. The best thing about rosewood might be that it offers
something for everyone.
Back/Sides:
Indian Rosewood
Top: Sitka Spruce
Fretboard Inlay: Pearl
Binding: Ivoroid
Rosette: Abalone
Sunburst Options:
Tobacco (top only)
Additional Premium
Appointments:
Gotoh tuners, bone
nut/saddle, peghead
and bridge inlays
Models:
910ce, 912ce,
914ce, 916ce
THE 900 SERI ES
Back/Sides:
Indian Rosewood
Top: Sitka Spruce
Fretboard Inlay: Pearl
Binding: Curly Maple
Rosette: Abalone
Sunburst Options:
Tobacco (top only)
Models:
810ce, 812ce, 814ce,
815ce, 816ce, 854ce,
855ce, 856ce
THE 800 SERI ES
Back/Sides:
Indian Rosewood
Top: Engelmann Spruce
(710ce, 712ce),
Western Red Cedar
(714ce, 716ce)
Fretboard Inlay:
Pearl Dots
Binding:
Indian Rosewood
Rosette: Abalone
Sunburst Options:
Tobacco (top only)
Models:
710ce, 712ce,
714ce, 716ce
THE 700 SERI ES
The Expression
System

Pickup
Traditional under-saddle,
piezo-style acoustic pickups that
had been used for years never
really managed to capture the
natural, full tone of an acoustic
guitar, let alone the nuances of
the player. Instead, the ampli-
ed tone was often thin, brittle
and distorted, or quacky. The
condenser mics that were often
mounted inside the soundhole
and used to round out the sound
were highly prone to feedback.
Beyond that, the EQ controls of
an onboard preamp essentially
provided little more than articial
coloring of a fundamentally
awed pickup tone.
The Taylor Expression System
was developed at Taylor with
input from pro audio icon Mr.
Rupert Neve. It combines three
magnetic sensors two body
sensors afxed to the underside
of the top and one neck pickup
imbedded beneath the fretboard
extension with a studio-quality
preamp. The ES uses the guitars
soundboard to create a network
of magnetic, surface-sensing mi-
crophones. The preamp cleanly
boosts the signal and eliminates
noise. When the controls are set
at, the pure tone of the guitar is
not colored in any way. The end
result is that the natural tone of
the guitar and the nuances of the
player are captured in a trans-
parent way, and the pickup is
highly feedback-resistant. Three
soft-touch roller controls on the
upper shoulder offer plenty of
real frequency control without
physically intruding on the visual
beauty of the guitar.
TAYLOR I NNOVATI ON
Our wood experts are always on
the hunt for gured maple, and they
never fail to come through. And as if
a set of quilted or tiger-stripe maple
wasnt already transxing enough,
maples blonde complexion plays host
to a esta of vibrant color nishes that
create a hypnotic, 3-D effect. We ex-
periment with colors until we get them
right, and offer a range of options,
including sunburst and edgeburst
treatments, with crisp white binding
to detail each body shape. Looks
aside, maples bright, focused tone is
a loyal friend of recording engineers
and front-of-house sound mixers alike.
Whether you want a small or a big
voice, on its own or with a band, our
600 Series guitars ensure that your
Taylor will be seen and heard clearly.
THE 600 SERI ES
Back/Sides: Big Leaf Maple
Top: Sitka Spruce
Fretboard Inlay:
Pearl Leaf Pattern
Binding: White
Rosette: Abalone
Colors/Bursts: Aged Toner, Amber,
Black, Blue, Blue Burst, Cherry Black
Sunburst, Cherry Sunburst (or optional
top only), Green, Honey Sunburst,
Natural, Orange, Purple, Ruby Red,
Ruby Red Burst, Tobacco Sunburst
(or optional top only), Transparent
Black
Models:
610ce, 612ce, 614ce, 615ce,
616ce, 654ce, 655ce, 656ce
Our mahogany guitars
really let your ngers sing.
And it doesnt get much
sweeter than a mahogany/
cedar combination. Our
514ce remains one of our
most popular models, and
the newer, bolder-voiced
516ce is a six-string
revelation for its blend
of power and clarity.
Roots-rockers, blues
players, singer-songwriters,
ngerstylists, DADGAD
lovers, simple strummers
you name it respond
viscerally to the organic
tonal quality of mahogany.
With their meaty midrange
overtones, our 500 Series
guitars are loaded with
songwriting inspiration.
Tangy licks, melodic, ringing
chords, great dynamic
range theyre all there.
Back/Sides:
Tropical Mahogany
Top: Engelmann Spruce
(510ce, 512ce),
Western Red Cedar
(514ce, 516ce)
Fretboard Inlay:
Pearl Dots
Binding:
Indian Rosewood
Rosette: Abalone
Models:
510ce, 512ce,
514ce, 516ce
THE 500 SERI ES
Playing for Keeps:
How to Find the Right Guitar
A systematic approach to sampling different guitars will make
your search easier. We recommend that you be consistent in
the way you play each guitar you test-drive this will allow the
tonal nuances created by different shapes, woods and other
construction variables to come through more clearly. Your
checklist can include as many considerations as you want, but
here are a few essentials to consider: ergonomics, playability,
intonation and tonal compatibility with what youre trying to do.
Know what kind of tone you want. Factor in your playing
technique, which includes how light or aggressive your attack is.
Do you plan to strum, atpick, ngerpick or some combination
of them all? If youre a beginner and arent sure, consider a guitar
that offers a lot of tonal versatility, like a GA. Will you be playing
solo or with a group? Do you like a guitar with a lot of acoustic
bloom or do you want to keep the overtones under control?
Will this be an all-purpose axe or serve a specialized role?
Find your comfort zone. Consider how the size and shape of
the guitar physically feel against your body how the neck ts in
your hands and how your strumming arm feels draped over the
lower bout. If youll be playing it while standing up, try it that way.
Andaction! Is the action low enough that you can form clean-
sounding chords without having to clamp down hard? Also, try
playing a moveable chord shape up the neck toward the body to
see how the action feels there, and to check the intonation.
Play a progression of simple chords. For each guitar you sample,
play the same series of chords in the same order, with the same
pick, and with the same attack.
Try different dynamic levels. Play harder and softer on each
guitar to assess the scope of the guitars dynamic range.
Try at least three different types of picks (medium, heavy,
plastic, tortex etc.). A certain type of guitar might match up better
with a thicker or thinner pick.
Bring a guitar buddy with you. Have him or her play while you
listen to gain a sonic perspective from the other side of the guitar.
But dont rely on your buddys opinion. He or she will sound
different from you. Use your own hands and ears.
Consider bringing a handheld recorder to capture and evaluate
the tonal distinctions.
Sample a variety of shapes and woods. You never know you
might naturally be drawn to the aesthetic appeal of a certain guitar
shape or wood, but actually sound better playing a different model.
Taylor web developer and accomplished singer-songwriter
Cindy Santini with a 514ce at Lestats Coffee House in
San Diego, a popular local venue, where shes performed.
We dont think your guitar should compromise your music. That said, we fully understand
that you may be budget-minded. Our ovangkol 400 Series and sapele 300 Series serve up high-end,
performance-ready guitars at our best price for an all-solid-wood guitar. Our 400/300 Series
models are the choice of plenty of gigging performers, worship musicians, beginners and
discerning others who crave the simple pleasures of a killer guitar: playability, balanced tone
Back/Sides: Ovangkol
Top: Sitka Spruce
Finish: Satin with Gloss Top
Fretboard Inlay: Large Pearl Dots
Binding: White
Rosette: 3-Ring
Models:
410ce, 412ce, 414ce,
454ce, 455ce
THE 400 SERI ES
and a quality pickup that conveys the nuances of your playing. Maybe this is your rst foray into a
solid-wood Taylor experience, and you want to bolster your chops before you step up. Or maybe
you just love the way ovangkol or sapele responds to your hands. As woods they might not be
household names, but pick up one of these guitars and youll be impressed by how good it makes
you sound.
Back/Sides: Sapele
Top: Sitka Spruce
Finish: Satin with Gloss Top
Fretboard Inlay: Large Pearl Dots
Binding: Black
Rosette: 3-Ring
Models:
310ce, 312ce, 314ce,
315ce, 354ce, 355ce
THE 300 SERI ES
Just because we make
high-end guitars doesnt
mean we dont believe in
affordable ones. And we
dont think you have to
sacrice great tone and
playability when youre
looking for extra value.
Our rosewood laminate
200 Series and sapele
laminate 100 Series guitars
are the real deal, crafted
to deliver the complete
Taylor experience, and,
with laminate back and
sides, are extra resilient.
Both series offer optional
cutaways and stage-ready
electronics in the form of
our great-sounding ES-T

transducer pickup. You can
feel good in knowing that
when you buy a Taylor at
any level, you get precision
craftsmanship, great tone,
and our same high standard
of customer service.
For some young adults, getting a drivers license is a rite of
passage. For others, getting their rst Taylor is. The 100 and 200
Series are perfect for young players who are ready to take things
to the next level. With the easiest playability and best intonation
in the industry, family porch jams never sounded so good. Here,
14-year Taylor veteran Ben Benavente (left), currently our Inside
Sales & Customer Relations rep, looks on as his son Mason nds
a groove. Watch out, Dad youre about to get upstaged.
Photo by Bil Zelman
Back/Sides:
Rosewood Laminate
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Fretboard Inlay:
Pearloid Dots
Binding: White
Rosette: 3-Ring
Models:
210, 210e, 210ce,
214, 214e, 214ce
Back/Sides:
Sapele Laminate
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Fretboard Inlay:
Pearloid Dots
Binding: Black
Rosette: 3-Ring
Models:
110, 110e, 110ce,
114, 114e, 114ce
THE 100 SERI ES
THE 200 SERI ES
The same hallmarks of quality that dene Taylor acoustic/electric
steel-strings were applied to our Nylon Series to give players a smooth
passage to a nylon-strings tonal avors without having to adjust to a
wide-neck classical guitar. Comfort and playability, clear, balanced tone, a
cutaway for access to the upper register, and electronics for easy gigging
make for an inviting and unique nylon experience that feels familiar to our
steel-string customers. A choice of two body shapes and three different
wood pairings offers a rich variety of tonal nuances to suit every type of
player. If youre looking for some fresh inspiration, take one for a spin.
NS32ce/ NS34ce
Back & Sides/Top:
Sapele/Sitka Spruce
Binding: Black
Peghead Veneer:
Indian Rosewood
THE NYLON SERI ES
NS72ce/NS74ce
Back & Sides/Top:
Indian Rosewood/Cedar
Binding: Indian Rosewood
Peghead Veneer: Indian Rosewood
NS62ce/NS64ce
Back & Sides/Top:
Big Leaf Maple/Engelmann Spruce
Binding: Indian Rosewood
Peghead Veneer/Bridge: Cocobolo
After years of concerts with inconsistent and problematic live
acoustic nylon-string sound, my Taylor NS74ce has solved all
my problems. With its onboard electronics dialed in, I rarely
have to touch anything, knowing that it will be consistent from
venue to venue. Its now stress-free, plug-n-play, every time.
Sound engineers love it, as well!
Wayne Johnson, three-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist
Neck Width: 1 7/8 Inches
Rosette: Mexican Cypress
Strings: DAddario Pro-Art

Extra
Hard Tension
Electronics: Fishman Prex Pro

(NS32ce/34ce), Fishman Prex
Pro

Blend (NS72ce/NS74ce,
NS62ce/NS64ce)
Tuners: Ping Classical Gold with
Ivoroid Buttons
Part of an acoustic guitars appeal is its portability. Wherever you might
be headed, the compact Baby Taylor makes the perfect musical companion.
Its debut over a decade ago set a new benchmark for players on the go,
giving them a legitimate musical instrument thats resilient and can truly
carry a tune, all the way up the neck. Its also perfectly kid-friendly. If you
want a bigger sound thats still super-portable and affordable, the Big Baby
is simply a killer guitar. Its the kind of guitar you can leave around the house
or the ofce, or have on-hand on those days when youre supposed to be at
the ofce. Dont be surprised if it secretly becomes your go-to guitar.
Wood&Steel editor Jim Kirlin, clearly hard at work with
a Baby Taylor on Coronado Beach in San Diego, as the
iconic Hotel del Coronado reects another inspiring
sunset. Its a tough job, but he does it all for you.
THE BABY TAYLOR
Baby
Size/Shape: 3/4-scale Dreadnought
(22 3/4-inch scale length)
Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce or Mahogany
Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots
Rosette: Laser-etched
Big Baby
Size/Shape: 15/16-scale
Dreadnought
Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots
Rosette: Laser-etched
Because each Taylor
body shape yields a
distinctive sound, we
designed a line of pure
acoustic Taylors around
our shapes, allowing us
to use different wood
pairings to distill down to
the pure essence of tone.
Initially inspired by the bold
voice of our newest shape,
the Grand Symphony (GS),
we now offer more than
30 Acoustic models in four
shapes: the GS, the versa-
tile Grand Auditorium (GA),
the traditional Dreadnought
(DN), and our small-body
Grand Concert (GC). All
of our Acoustic models are
unied by the same clean,
understated appointments
that keep the emphasis on
shapes and woods. All are
designed as non-cutaways
and come without pick-
guards (available as an
option). For live perfor-
mance, the optional Taylor
Expression System

captures that essential
acoustic sound youve
been hearing unplugged,
and shares it with the
world. And its stealthy
design aesthetic will never
compromise the true
acoustic look you crave.
THE
ACOUSTI C LI NE
Standard Appointments
Fretboard Inlay:
Abalone Dots (5 Series & up)
Pearl Dots (3 & 4 Series)
Binding:
Ivoroid (5 Series & up)
Cream (3 & 4 Series)
Rosette:
Abalone (5 Series & up)
3-ring (3 & 4 Series)
Tone Prole: The body contours help control overtones, yet both the
volume and bass response are impressive. Together, the shorter scale
length and slotted peghead (on gloss models) yield a warm, slightly
woodier sound. Great for ngerstylists and other players who prefer the
comfort of a small-body guitar.
Models:
GC-K, GC8, GC7, GC6, GC5, GC4, GC3
(GC8 shown)
Tone Prole: Deeper, thicker and louder across the tonal spectrum,
without sacricing clarity or responsiveness. The most robust tone of the
Taylor shapes, and ideal for hearty strumming or atpicking. Full, round
bass, meaty midrange, and strong trebles.
Models:
GS-K, GS8, GS8-12, GS7,
GS6, GS6-12, GS5, GS5-12
(GS6 shown)
GRAND SYMPHONY
GRAND CONCERT
Tone Prole: Our most traditional body style blends a potent, vintage
acoustic sound with Taylors trademark tonal consistency. Great for
strummers and atpickers who like to really drive the top.
Models:
DN-K, 910 Legacy,* 810 Legacy,** DN8, DN5, DN4, DN3
(DN5 shown)
*Features Cindy fretboard inlay and abalone-edged top
**Features 800 Series fretboard inlay and white binding
Tone Prole: Taylors original signature body shape denes tonal balance,
clarity, and overall versatility that modern, multifaceted players appreciate.
Perfect for players who enjoy a mix of strumming, picking and ngerstyle.
Offers a great blend of character and articulation that t into a mix.
Models:
GA-K, GA-K-12, GA8, GA8-12, GA7, GA6,
GA6-12, GA5, GA4, GA4-12, GA3, GA3-12
(GA4-12 shown)
GRAND AUDITORI UM
DREADNOUGHT
Body: Sapele Hollowbody
Top: Sitka Spruce, Maple, Koa,
Macassar Ebony, Cocobolo, Walnut
Color Options: Natural, Red, Blue,
Black (translucent black optional)
with Edgeburst
Sunburst Options:
Tobacco, Honey, Cherry
Scale Length: 24 7/8 Inches
Fretboard Inlay: T5 Artist (Custom),
Micro Dots (Standard)
Binding: Multi-layer White with
Black Pinstripes
Nut/saddle: Bone
Models:
T5-C5, T5C5-12, T5-C4,
T5C4-12, T5-C3, T5C3-12,
T5-C2, T5C2-12, T5-C1,
T5C1-12, T5-C, T5C-12,
T5-S, T5S-12, T5-S1, T5S1-12
Three years since its breakthrough launch, our award-winning
electric/acoustic T5 has clearly come into its own. A full-range performance
guitar, the hollowbody hybrid boasts proprietary humbuckers and an
Expression System

-inspired body sensor, allowing players to switch

between amplied acoustic and electric tones or blend them together
with an A/B/Both box in a way that no other guitar can. Its unmatched
versatility has spawned its own category in the guitar world and inspired
artists of virtually every genre by giving them a multifaceted tool that
enhances what they can do in the studio or on stage.
T5
40
The newest addition to our electric line, the T3 embodies our passion for expanding the range of tones
available to the electric player. Inspired by both the T5 and the SolidBody, weve taken the classic semi-hollow-
body sound and applied our signature Taylor design touches, blending our high-delity Style 2 pickup with a
unique coil-splitting application to give players killer humbucker and single coil sounds in one guitar. Our push-
pull tone knob brings two modes of tone control that include a fresh voice: a warm, fat, mellow vintage tone.
Weve also paired a Bigsby tailpiece with a metal roller bridge, giving players a high-performance vibrato bar
without the pitch issues. And if vibrato bars arent your thing, go with the stop tailpiece. Either way, we love the
look and sound of this guitar, and think you will, too.
T3
Body: Sapele Semi-hollowbody
Top: Quilted Maple
Scale Length: 24 7/8 Inches
Fretboard Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl Dots
Binding: Multi-layer White with
Black Pinstripes
Tailpiece: Bigsby Vibrato or
Stoptail with Roller Bridge
Models:
T3, T3/B
We celebrate the Taylor
SolidBodys rst birthday proudly,
having made a potent impact on
the electric guitar world in 2008.
Loaded with all-original design
ideas, the SolidBody re-imagined
what a great electric guitar could
be, in a completely fresh way.
Proprietary humbuckers fused
power with a vintage, high-delity
sound. An innovative aluminum
bridge design marked an advance
in lock-down intonation. Sleek
ergonomic touches added a new
level of comfort to the electric
playing experience. A noiseless
single coil solved an age-old prob-
lem. And our new modular pickups
gave players not only the exibility
to choose between High-Gain and
High-Denition electric avors, but
to switch out the pickups with in-
credible ease. Were in the electric
world for the long haul and hope
you join us.
THE SOLI DBODY
Pickups
Style 1 Humbuckers
(Classic, Custom)
Style 2 Humbuckers
(Standard)
Style 3 Noiseless Single Coil
(Classic SC)
Also available as after-market
HD (High Denition) and HG
(High Gain) pickups through
TaylorWare
Classic
Body: Swamp Ash
Neck: Maple
Scale Length: 24 7/8 Inches
Fretboard Inlay: Pearl Dots
Colors: Translucent White,
Translucent Red, Black, Natural
Standard
Body: Sapele
Top: Tamo Ash
Neck: Sapele
Scale Length: 24 7/8 Inches
Fretboard Inlay: Pearl Dots
Colors: Aged Cherry Sunburst or
Natural with Shaded Edge
Custom
Body: Sapele or Mahogany
Top: Walnut or Hawaiian Koa
Neck: Sapele or Mahogany
Scale Length: 24 7/8 Inches
Fretboard Inlay: Progressive Diamonds
(Walnut top) or Koa Series
Colors: Shaded Edge
Models:
Classic, Classic SC,
Standard, Custom Koa,
Custom Walnut
Opposite page: Classic
Single Coil in Trans White
Above (L-R): Standard in
Natural, Standard in Aged
Cherry, Custom Walnut,
Custom Koa
What denes true signature artists is that they do the dening.
Our Signature Series evolved out of the personal relationships
that Bob Taylor developed with two of the worlds most expressive
guitarists Doyle Dykes and Leo Kottke both of whom discovered
renewed musical inspiration in Taylor guitars. As stylistic trailblazers
with a clear musical vision, each had his own ideas about the type
of Taylor that would help them articulate their signature tone. If only
it were that easy for the rest of us.
THE SI GNATURE SERI ES DDSM
Doyle Dykes Signature Model
The DDSM is the perfect guitar for me as a
performing ngerstyle guitarist. The distance
between the strings at the bridge is slightly
wider; each string has its own voice because of
the hexaphonic pickups; the shallower 16-inch
body is comfortable to hold and really adds to
feedback control. The short-scale neck makes
playing much easier and even adds sweetness
to the tone. But the number one reason I love
the DDSM is that I can walk out on stage with
an orchestra or a band or even just by myself
and not have to think about anything else but
playing the guitar.
Doyle Dykes
Back/Sides: Big Leaf Maple
Top: Sitka Spruce
Colors: Black, Translucent Black,
Natural, Orange, Brown Sugar
Fretboard Inlay: Offset Pearl
Chet-style Markers
Peghead Inlay:
Pearl / Abalone Rose
Binding: Ivoroid with
Abalone-edged Top
Rosette: Abalone
Electronics: Expression System
or L.R. Baggs DDSM Hex
Scale length: 24 7/8 Inches
Does a cutaway
diminish the tonal
output of a guitar?
Conventional wisdom
would suggest that it
would, since a cutaway
does remove real estate
from the soundboard and
slightly diminish the overall
air volume in the cavity of
the guitar. But in reality,
the tonal difference is
negligible, because the
soundboard area in the
upper bout where a cutaway
would be located doesnt
move much anyway. In
fact, the relief rout that we
cut on the underside of
our guitar tops to enhance
movement doesnt extend
into that region. Tonal
output is affected more by
the degree of tapering in
the waist of a guitar body
than by the cutaway.
Does a slotted
headstock affect
tone?
Yes, the reduced mass
does slightly affect the
tone, but the biggest
difference is the increased
string angle over the nut.
The tighter tension on the
nut makes the notes more
staccato they pop out a
bit brighter and decay a
bit more quickly, making
the individual notes sound
more distinct.
TAYLOR FAQs
In the late 80s, a Taylor mahogany 555 would lure Leo Kottke back to the 12-string after years of hand problems.
Of course, in classic Leo fashion, he christened it by using a pocket knife to whittle down the braces. When Bob Taylor
later got wind of Leos tinkering, he gave him a call, and the two hit it off.
One of the things that sold me on the idea of working with Bob and trying this 12-string was that Bob is the rst
person Id run into who can talk as long as I can about guitars, Leo would later say. I wanted less wood than is common
for a 12-string. I also wanted it built to be tuned down, instead of up to pitch I think the real virtue of the 12-string is that
it can just explode out of the bottom. So thats what we aimed for.
LKSM
Leo Kottke Signature Model
LKSM, LKSM-6
Back/Sides:
Tropical Mahogany
Top: Sitka Spruce
Binding: Indian Rosewood
Rosette: 3-Ring
Tuning Pitch: C-sharp
The NT Neck
Straight, stable necks are
the goal of every guitar builder,
but maintaining stability when a
guitar is exposed to changes in
humidity has long been a chal-
lenge. With traditional neck as-
sembly methods, a substantial
change in humidity could cause
a guitar top to swell or shrink,
leading to a hump at the 14th
fret, where the neck comes to-
gether with the body. Intonation
problems would often follow.
With Taylors patented NT
neck design, the neck is milled
so that it extends past the 14th
fret (where the heel butts up
against the body), supporting
the fretboard to the last fret.
A computer mill is used to
rout precision pockets in the
guitar body to house the neck
extension. As a result, the neck
ts cleanly into the body, inde-
pendent of the soundboard. To
ensure dead-on accuracy with
the setting of the neck angle,
precisely milled spacers are
placed into the body pockets to
micro-adjust the neck angles
accuracy to .001 inch. Such
consistent accuracy delivers
exceptional playability and spot-
on intonation all the way up the
neck. No other guitar neck is as
stable as a Taylor.
TAYLOR I NNOVATI ON
DDSM
Black
LKSM
DDSM
Brown Sugar
DDSM
Orange
DDSM
Natural
46
Models and specications are subject to change without notice.
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sGA GS GC DN JM BABY BIG BABY T3 T5 SB
GA GS GC DN JM BABY BIG BABY T3 T5 SB

41 41 40 1/2 41 42 33 3/4 40 1/4 41 3/16 40 3/4 38
41 41 43 40 3/4
20 20 19 1/2 20 21 15 3/4 19 1/2 20 20 17 2/5
16 16 1/4 15 16 17 12 1/2 15 16 16 13 13/20
4 5/8* 4 5/8 4 3/8 4 5/8 4 5/8 3 3/8 4 2 1/3 2 2/5 1 3/4

25 1/2 25 1/2 25 1/2 25 1/2 25 1/2 22 3/4 25 1/2
24 7/8 24 7/8 24 7/8 24 7/8 24 7/8 24 7/8 24 7/8 24 7/8
20 20 20 20 20 19 20 21 21 22

1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 11/16 1 11/16 1 11/16 1 11/16 1 11/16
1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 11/16
Acoustic
GC, GA, Baby, Big Baby, & All 12-string Models: Elixir

NANOWEB

Light Gauge (.012-.053)

GS, DN & JM: Elixir

NANOWEB

Medium Gauge (.013-.056)

Nylon Series: DAddario Pro-Art

Extra Hard Tension

Overall Length
6-String
12-String
Body Length
Body Width
Body Depth
Scale Length
Standard
Short
Frets
Neck Width
6-String
12-string
Strings / Gauge Electric
T3, SolidBody: Elixir

NANOWEB

Electric Light Gauge (.010-.046)

T5: Elixir

NANOWEB

Electric Medium Gauge (.011-.049)

T5 12-string: Elixir

NANOWEB

Electric Light Gauge

*DDSM body
depth is 4 1/8
PSGA
PSGA-12
K14ce
K24ce
K54ce
K64ce
914ce
814ce
854ce
714ce
614ce
654ce
514ce
414ce
454ce
314ce
354ce
214
214e
214ce
114
114e
114ce
GA-K
GA-K-12
GA8
GA8-12
GA7
GA6
GA6-12
GA5
GA4
GA4-12
GA3
GA3-12
NS74ce
NS64ce
NS34ce
DDSM
PSJM
PSJM-12
K65ce
LKSM
LKSM-6
815ce
855ce
615ce
655ce
455ce
315ce
355ce
BT1
BT2
BBT T3
T3/B
T5-S
T5S-12
T5-S1
T5S1-12
T5-C
T5C-12
T5-C1
T5C1-12
T5-C2
T5C2-12
T5-C3
T5C3-12
T5-C4
T5C4-12
T5-C5
T5C5-12
SB Classic
SB Classic SC
SB Standard
SB Custom Koa
SB Custom Walnut
PSGC
K12ce
K22ce
912ce
812ce
712ce
612ce
512ce
412ce
312ce
GC-K
GC8
GC7
GC6
GC5
GC4
GC3
NS72ce
NS62ce
NS32ce
PSDN
K10ce
K20ce
910ce
810ce
710ce
610ce
510ce
410ce
310ce
210
210e
210ce
110
110e
110ce
DN-K
910 Legacy
DN8
810 Legacy
DN5
DN4
DN3
PSGS
PSGS-12
K16ce
K26ce
K56ce
K66ce
916ce
816ce
856ce
716ce
616ce
656ce
516ce
GS-K
GS8
GS8-12
GS7
GS6
GS5
GS5-12
Models and specications are subject to change without notice.
Dimensions by Shape
Models by Shape
47
Back / Sides
Top
Neck
Soundhole
Rosette
Fretboard
Fretboard
Inlay
Top Inlay
Headstock
Overlay
Binding
Bridge
Bridge Pins
Nut / Saddle
Tuning
Machines /
Buttons
Truss Rod
Cover
Back / Side
Finish
Top Finish
Neck Finish
Electronics
Pickguard
Case
Models
Presentation
Choice of:
Brazilian Rosewood,
Madagascar Rosewood,
Hawaiian Koa, Cocobolo
and other master-grade
woods
Choose from a variety
of premium woods
Tropical
Mahogany
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Green Heart Abalone
Byzantine/other options
Green Heart Abalone
w/neck extension
Ebony
Ivoroid w/Green Heart
Abalone
Ebony
w/Abalone inlay
Ebony w/Green Heart
Abalone Dots
Bone
Gotoh
Ebony
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Optional
Expression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
PSDN, PSGA,
PSGC, PSGS,
PSJM, PSGA-12,
PSGS-12, PSJM-12
Koa Series
Hawaiian Koa
Sitka Spruce or
Hawaiian Koa
Tropical
Mahogany
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Abalone
Koa Series
Abalone
Ebony
Curly Maple
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Ebony
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Expression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
K10ce, K12ce,
K14ce, K16ce,
K20ce, K22ce,
K24ce, K26ce,
K54ce, K64ce,
K65ce, K56ce,
K66ce
Acoustic Koa
Hawaiian Koa
Sitka Spruce or
Hawaiian Koa
Tropical
Mahogany
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Abalone
Dots
Abalone
Ebony
Ivoroid
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Ebony
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Expression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
GA-K, GA-K-12
GC-K, GS-K
DN-K
900 Series
Indian Rosewood
Sitka
Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Pearl
900 Series
Abalone
Ebony
w/ Pearl Inlay
Ivoroid
Ebony
w/ Pearl Inlay
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Bone
Gotoh
Ebony
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
ExpExpression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
910ce,
910 Legacy
912ce,
914ce,
916ce
800 Series
Indian Rosewood
Sitka
Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Pearl
800 Series
None
Indian
Rosewood
Curly Maple
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Indian
Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Expression
System

Tortoise
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
810ce, 812ce,
814ce, 815ce,
816ce, 854ce,
855ce, 856ce
700 Series
Indian Rosewood
Engelmann Spruce /
Western Red Cedar
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Pearl
Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Indian Rosewood
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Indian
Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Expression
System

Tortoise
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
710ce, 712ce,
714ce, 716ce
600 Series
Big Leaf Maple
Sitka
Spruce
Hard Rock
Maple
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Pearl 600
Series Leaf
None
Ebony
White
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Ebony
Gloss
Gloss
Gloss
Expression
System

Tortoise (Amber)
None (colors/bursts)
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
610ce, 612ce,
614ce, 615ce,
616ce, 654ce,
655ce, 656ce
Acoustic 8
Indian Rosewood
Sitka
Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Abalone
Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Ivoroid
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
or Taylor Slot
Head (GC)
Indian
Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Optional
Expression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
GA8, GC8, GS8,
DN8, 810 Legacy
GA8-12, GS8-12
Acoustic 7
Indian Rosewood
Western
Red Cedar
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Abalone
Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Ivoroid
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
or Taylor Slot
Head (GC)
Indian
Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Optional
Expression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
GA7, GC7, GS7
Acoustic 6
Big Leaf Maple
Sitka
Spruce
Hard Rock
Maple
3-Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Abalone Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Ivoroid
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
or Taylor Slot
Head (GC)
Indian
Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Gloss
Optional
Expression
System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
GA6, GC6,
GS6, GA6-12
GA GS GC DN JM BABY BIG BABY T3 T5 SB
Standard Features
48
Back / Sides
Top
Neck
Soundhole
Rosette
Fretboard
Fretboard
Inlay
Top Inlay
Headstock
Overlay
Binding
Bridge
Bridge Pins
Nut / Saddle
Tuning
Machines /
Buttons
Truss Rod
Cover
Back / Side
Finish
Top Finish
Neck Finish
Electronics
Pickguard
Case
Models
DDSM
Big Leaf Maple
Sitka Spruce
Hard Rock Maple
Single Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Pearl DDSM
Abalone
Ebony w/ Pearl /
Abalone Rose Inlay
Ivoroid
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Ebony
Gloss
Gloss
Gloss
Expression System
or Baggs / DDSM
None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
DDSM colors:
Natural
Black (opaque)
Black (translucent)
Orange
Brown Sugar
LKSM
Tropical Mahogany
Sitka Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Ebony
None
None
Indian
Rosewood
Indian Rosewood
Ebony
Ebony
Tusq
Taylor Gold
Indian Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
None
None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
LKSM
LKSM-6
Nylon Series
Indian Rosewood
(NS72ce, NS74ce)
Big Leaf Maple
(NS62ce, NS64ce)
Sapele (NS32ce, NS34ce)
Western Red Cedar (70s)
Engelmann Spruce (60s)
Sitka Spruce (30s)
Tropical
Mahogany
Mexican Cyprus & Myrtle
Geometric Pattern
Ebony
None
None
Indian Rosewood (30s, 70s)
Cocobolo (60s)
Indian Rosewood (60s, 70s)
Black (30s)
Ebony (30s, 70s)
Cocobolo (60s)
None
Tusq
Ping Classical Gold w/
Ivoroid Buttons
None (32, 62, 72)
Indian Rosewood (34, 74)
Cocobolo (64)
Gloss (60s, 70s)
Satin (30s)
Gloss
Satin
Fishman Prex Pro (30s)
Prex ProBlend (60s, 70s)
None
Taylor Hardshell Black (30s)
Deluxe Brown (60s, 70s)
NS32ce, NS34ce
NS62ce, NS64ce
NS72ce, NS74ce
Acoustic 5
Tropical Mahogany
Sitka Spruce (DN) /
Western Red Cedar
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Abalone Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Ivoroid
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Gold or
Taylor Slot Head (GC)
Indian Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Optional
Expression System

None
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
GA5, GC5,
GS5, DN5, GS5-12
Acoustic 4
Ovangkol
Sitka Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Ebony
Pearl Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Cream
Ebony
Ebony
Tusq
Taylor Chrome
Indian Rosewood
Satin
Gloss
Satin
Optional
Expression System

None
Taylor Hardshell
(Black)
GA4, GC4,
DN4, GA4-12
Acoustic 3
Sapele
Sitka Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Ebony
Pearl Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Cream
Ebony
Ebony
Tusq
Taylor Chrome
Indian Rosewood
Satin
Gloss
Satin
Optional
Expression System
None
Taylor Hardshell
(Black)
GA3, GC3,
DN3, GA3-12
500 Series
Tropical Mahogany
Engelmann Spruce /
Western Red Cedar
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Abalone
Ebony
Pearl Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Indian Rosewood
Ebony
Ebony w/
Abalone Dots
Tusq
Taylor Chrome
Taylor Gold (514ce,
516ce)
Indian Rosewood
Gloss
Gloss
Satin
Expression System

Tortoise
Taylor Deluxe
Hardshell (Brown)
510ce, 512ce,
514ce, 516ce
400 Series
Ovangkol
Sitka Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Ebony
Large Pearl Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
White
Ebony
Ebony
Tusq
Taylor Chrome
Indian Rosewood
Satin
Gloss
Satin
Expression System

Tortoise
Taylor Hardshell
(Black)
410ce, 412ce,
414ce, 454ce,
455ce
300 Series
Sapele
Sitka Spruce
Tropical
Mahogany
3-Ring
Ebony
Large Pearl Dots
None
Indian
Rosewood
Black
Ebony
Ebony
Tusq
Taylor Chrome
Indian Rosewood
Satin
Gloss
Satin
Expression System
Tortoise
Taylor Hardshell
(Black)
310ce, 312ce,
314ce, 315ce,
354ce, 355ce
Standard Features
49
200 / 100 Series
200 Series:
Rosewood Laminate
100 Series:
Sapele Laminate
Solid Sitka Spruce
Sapele
3-Ring
Ebony
Pearloid Dots
None
Indian Rosewood
White (200s)
Black (100s)
Ebony
Black
Tusq
Chrome
Rosewood
Varnish (100s)
Satin (200s)
Varnish (100s)
Satin (200s)
Varnish (100s)
Satin (200s)
Taylor ES-T

(E and CE models)
Tortoise
Gig Bag (100 Series)
Black (200 Series)
110, 110e, 110ce
114, 114e, 114ce
210, 210e, 210ce,
214, 214e, 214ce
Baby Taylor
Sapele Laminate
BT1, BBT: Sitka Spruce
BT2: Tropical Mahogany
Sapele
Laser Etched
Ebony
Pearloid Dots
None
Lexan
None
Ebony
Black
Tusq
Chrome
None
Varnish
Varnish
Varnish
None
Tortoise (BBT)
Gig Bag
BT1 (Sitka)
BT2 (Tropical
Mahogany)
BBT (Big Baby)
Body
Top
Neck
Fretboard
Fretboard
Inlay
Headstock
Overlay
Fretboard
Binding
Bridge
Nut
Tuning
Machines /
Buttons
Back /
Side Finish
Top Finish
Neck Finish
Electronics
Pickguard
Case
Color / Burst
Options
Models
SolidBody
Swamp Ash (Classic)
Sapele (Standard, Custom Walnut)
Tropical Mahogany (Custom Koa)
Tamo Ash (Standard)
Walnut (Custom Walnut)
Koa (Custom Koa)
Sapele (Standard, Custom Walnut)
Tropical Mahogany (Custom Koa)
Maple (Classic)
Ebony (Standard, Custom)
Indian Rosewood (Classic)
Pearl Dots
(Classic, Standard)
Pearl Progressive Diamonds
(Custom Walnut)
Koa Series (Custom Koa)
Ebony
None (Classic)
Black (Standard, Custom)
Taylor Hardtail Aluminum, fully adjustable
Bone
Taylor Chrome
Satin (Classic Natural, Standard Natural)
Gloss (All other models)
Satin (Classic Natural, Standard Natural)
Gloss (All other models)
Satin (All Classics, Standard Natural)
Gloss (All other models)
Taylor Style 1 (3/4 size) Humbuckers
(Classic, Custom); Taylor Style 2 (full)
Humbuckers (Standard); Taylor Style 3
Single Coils (Classic SC)
White Pearloid (Classic Trans White/Red)
Black Pearloid (Classic Black)
Tortoise Shell (Classic Natural)
None (Standard / Custom)
Deluxe Hardshell
Classic: Translucent White, Translucent
Red, Black, Natural; Standard: Aged
Cherry Sunburst, Natural w/ Shaded
Edge; Custom: Shaded Edge
Classic, Standard, Custom Walnut,
Custom Koa
T5
Sapele
Sitka Spruce (T5-S, T5-C); Figured Maple
(T5-S1, T5-C1); Koa (T5-C2);
Cocobolo (T5-C3); Walnut (T5-C4);
Macassar Ebony (T5-C5)
Tropical Mahogany
Ebony
Pearl Dots (T5-S, T5-S1)
Pearl T5 Artist (T5-C, T5-C1,
T5-C2, T5-C3, T5-C4, T5-C5)
Ebony
White
Ebony
Bone
Taylor Chrome (T5-S, T5-S1 and blue bursts)
Taylor Gold (T5-C, T5-C1, T5-C2, T5-C3,
T5-C4, T5-C5)
Gloss
Gloss
Gloss
T5 Electronics w/ Five-Way Switch
None
Taylor T5 Hardshell (Black)
Natural, Red, Blue, Black (Translucent Black
Optional) w/ Edgeburst; Sunburst Options:
Tobacco, Honey, Cherry
T5-S, T5S-12, T5-S1, T5S1-12, T5-C,
T5C-12, T5-C1, T5C1-12, T5-C2, T5C2-12
T5-C3, T5C3-12, T5-C4, T5C4-12,
T5-C5, T5C5-12
T3
Sapele
Quilted Maple
Sapele
Ebony
Pearl Dots
Ebony
White
Chrome Roller-style w/Stop Tail
(T3) or Bigsby Vibrato (T3/B)
Tusq with Teon
Taylor Chrome
Gloss
Gloss
Gloss
T3 Electronics w/Coil-splitting
Capability
None
Taylor T3 Hardshell
Natural or Red w/ Edgeburst;
Sunburst Options: Tobacco, Honey
T3, T3/B
Back / Sides
Top
Neck
Soundhole
Rosette
Fretboard
Fretboard
Inlay
Top Inlay
Headstock
Overlay
Binding
Bridge
Bridge Pins
Nut / Saddle
Tuning
Machines /
Buttons
Truss Rod
Cover
Back / Side
Finish
Top Finish
Neck Finish
Electronics
Pickguard
Case
Models
Standard Features The Electric Line / Standard Features
50 www.taylorguitars.com
Events
The preceding week of heavy rain, including one day that dumped 10
inches on Winfield, Kansas, threatened to wash out the 37th annual Walnut
Valley Festival, yet festival organizers and volunteers rose to the occasion to
save this years event. Though the skies had cleared several days before the
popular bluegrass-flavored pickfest, the Walnut River, which winds around
the festivals site at the Cowley County Fairgrounds in Winfield, had risen to
34 feet, about 16 feet above flood stage, turning the grounds into a mucky
swamp that required the evacuation of about 900 campers whod arrived
early to set up. (Tractors had to tow some of the RVs out.) Several stages
that had been assembled had to be struck and later rebuilt in the compressed
timeframe of one day to keep things on schedule.
Walnut Valley Festival
September 17-21, 2008 Wineld, Kansas
Salon de la Musique
et du Son
September 12-15 Paris, France
Held every two years, the Salon de la Musique et du Son trade show dif-
fers from the trade-only NAMM shows held in the States, as the first three
days of the show are open to the public and only the fourth day is designated
as trade-only. Taylors international trade show team VP of Marketing Brian
Swerdfeger, Director of International Sales Diane Magagna, Director of Brand
Marketing Jonathan Forstot, and Trade Show Manager David Kaye traveled
to the City of Lights for the event.
With Taylor as a first-time exhibitor here, the group wasnt sure what the
level of awareness would be, but it soon became clear that visitors were hun-
gry for all things Taylor. Once the doors opened, the Taylor booth was pande-
monium. At certain points the booth was so full it was a challenge to navigate
from one end to the other. Four guitar walls showcased more than 40 beauti-
ful guitars, and a demo area, equipped with both an electric and an acoustic
amp, was constantly occupied.
The guitars included a healthy selection from the Taylor line as well as
some Build to Order beauties, exotic SolidBody models and special T5s. A
rare matched pair a koa T5 and koa SolidBody with tropical vine fretboard
inlays seemed to be photographed by almost everyone who had a camera.
A cocobolo Presentation Series Jumbo with a Florentine cutaway never rested
on its hook very long, and an NS74ce was another crowd favorite. Two left-
handed models, a 710ce and an 815ce, were also shown. Judging by the
attention both guitars received, it would be easy to conclude that France has
a higher percentage of lefties than the U.S.
Many of the visitors were already Taylor owners and were delighted to
meet people from the factory. Others expressed that they had wanted to
purchase a Taylor but that finding a local dealer who stocked a reasonable
assortment of guitars has been difficult. Many of them were excited to learn
that Fender will now be distributing Taylor in France. With an extensive dealer
network and a commitment to customer service, locating and purchasing that
special Taylor will no longer be a pipe dream for French players.
Special thanks go out to our friends Patrick Jacquart, Lionel Girardon,
Sylvain Lemaitre, Frederic Mardell, Jean-Marc Deweulf and Patrice Bec at
Fender France for their hard work, for helping to translate when needed, and
for being gracious hosts.
Clockwise from bottom left:
L-R: Taylors Brian Swerdfeger and Jonathan Forstot
in Paris; the Eiffel Tower; Taylor electrics on display at
the Paris show; the main stage at the Walnut Valley
Festival; the Great Wall of Taylor in Shanghai.
Photos by David Kaye
51
With the popular Pecan Grove
camping areas that surround the
festival site closed, campers were
forced to relocate to sites several
miles away. This dampened some of
the fun of camping less than a songs
walk from the official stages, where
friends and fresh acquaintances typi-
cally jam together into the wee hours.
Nonetheless, folks made the best of
it, and if there was any consolation,
the weather during the festival was
beautiful.
As an event, Winfield is sup-
ported by a warm sense of tradition
and community that attracts families
there year after year. The experi-
ence underscores the way traditional
music is enmeshed in peoples lives
and shared by young and old. And
lets not forget the fair-style food:
fried pickles, deep fried catfish, tater
twists, corn dogs, and funnel cakes.
Among the Taylor players who
entertained were cowboy performers
Bill Barwick, Dave Stamey, and the
Diamond W Wranglers (formerly the
Prairie Rose Wranglers), with guitar-
ist Jim Farrell playing his tobacco
sunburst 915ce. Flatpicking fave
Beppe Gambetta also played a
superb set.
At the core of the festival are the
eight national instrumental contests
(covering flatpicking and fingerstyle
guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, auto-
harp, and hammer and mountain
dulcimer), which attract some of the
fleetest fingers one will see or hear.
In the fingerstyle competition, about
a third of the guitars played were
Taylors. Kyle Reeder took second
place on what looked like a 914ce,
while the winner was Tim Thompson
(who recorded his last record with
his T5).
For the flatpicking contest, Taylor
had donated an ES-equipped GC8
as a prize, which was claimed by
Brandon Davis, who took third place.
While a Grand Concert might not
seem like a flatpickers choice, we
thought wed offer something dif-
ferent this year. Brandon sampled it
briefly after winning it and said it had
a cool, jazzy feel. We followed up
a few weeks later to see if hed had
any more quality time with it.
Funny timing, he replied. I have
the guitar in my lap right this minute.
Im sitting in front of my PC watch-
ing a YouTube clip of Bireli Lagrene
and trying (and I emphasize trying) to
play along. The guitar is really cool.
Its not the type of guitar that Im
used to, but its sweet. Im getting
different tones that are inspiring fresh
ideas. The guitar is set up very com-
fortably and has a really cool tone.
I also plugged it into my AER amp
the other night and the electronics
responded amazingly.
The Walnut Valley Festivals 2009
dates are September 16-20.
As I head to the Expo Centre for
the first day of the Music China trade
show, I peer out the taxi window into
the Shanghai sunshine that tries to
break through the ever-present smog
of this city of 16 million people. A
brand new BMW screeches past
us on the right, barely missing an
elderly woman in a faded jumpsuit
who is busy sweeping the side of
the street. Her broom is in fact a
cluster of sticks tied together with
a torn, ragged strip of cloth. She
doesnt even look up. Leaning back
into my seat, I reflect on the symbol-
ism of that moment: fast, sleek new
technologies nearly colliding with old
traditions and yet both continuing on
their path. This is China, 2008.
The previous year had been
Taylors first time exhibiting at the
Music China show. Our trade
show team for 2008 was lean:
Diane Magagna, our Director of
International Sales, and me. In just
a year, the show has expanded by
leaps and bounds. The exhibits this
year are larger, more colorful and
better thought-out. The show now
encompasses six gigantic, newly-
built halls. Just across from these
newly constructed halls are five other
enormous halls that were the new
halls only a couple of years ago. The
construction in Shanghai never stops
and is borne out by the dozens and
dozens of construction cranes that
protrude through the citys skyline.
Our distributor in China, Ivan
Music, does a terrific job. In the year
and a half they have represented
Taylor, our business in China has
increased substantially. At the show,
the Taylor booth was located on one
side of the aisle, and the Ivan booth
was directly on the other side. The
word booth doesnt do the Ivan
Music area justice. When Diane and
I visited the Expo Centre before the
show started, we were astonished by
how Ivan Music had decorated the
outside walls of their area.
From halfway across the hall
we could see it: the Great Wall of
Taylor an incredible 30-feet-wide
by 20-feet-tall mural of our popular
T5 Powerline print ad. Around the
corner we came upon another Great
Wall, this time a 20-feet by 20-feet
mural of the T5 Bridge ad facing
directly into the Taylor booth. These
are the same ads that ran in several
guitar magazines when we first intro-
duced the T5 to the public. Once the
show began, no matter the direction
from which people entered the hall,
they would encounter one of the two
Great Walls. Even if someone had
never heard of Taylor Guitars before,
the sheer size of the graphics must
have made a major impression.
Our brand-new booth consisted
of maple slat walls adorned with
large, illuminated photos of well-
known Taylor artists. We displayed
12 gorgeous guitars, including a
914ce that was a show favorite.
Across the aisle in the Ivan Music
area were 20 more Taylors for show-
goers to audition. Both areas were
constantly crowded, and the guitars
were always in peoples hands. The
Taylor brand continues to grow in
China, and several people thanked
us profusely for paying attention to
the Chinese market and for making
the 12-hour flight from California to
Shanghai to participate in the show.
Diane and I would like to thank
everyone at Ivan Music, especially
Andrew Pak and Crystal Hu, for all
of their help and hospitality. Taylor
Guitars will be attending the 2009
Music China show, October 13-16.
Music China
October 9 -12, 2008 Shanghai, China musikmesse.com
The Great Wall of Taylor
By David Kaye
4
New
52
C L O T H I N G / G E A R / P A R T S / G I F T S
TaylorWare

Suede Taylor Guitar Straps
(Black Suede #62001, Honey Suede #62000, Chocolate Suede
#62003, $35.00)
Guitar Shack T. Our fun, down-home take on a rustic pickin parlor
features Bobs Guitar Shack and the phrase, I build em. You play em.
The generous cut, pre-shrunk, 100% pigment-dyed cotton is super
soft and comfy, and will get better with every wash. Fortified with a
seamless double-needle collar, bottom hem and stitched sleeves, plus
taped neck and shoulders, for lasting wear.
(Short Sleeve; Blue #1487, Gold #1488, S-XL, $20.00; XXL, $22.00)
Our Mens 35th Anniversary T celebrates Taylors heritage with a
distressed peghead archway design in cream-bordered red on the front
and our round logo on the sleeve. The combed, ring-spun cotton gives you
the perfect blend of comfort and durability.
(Black #2093, S-XL $25.00; XXL, $27.00)
New
New
New
Peter, a design engineer from our product development group,
shows off his solid modeling skills with our 35th Anniversary T.
SolidBody Pickups
Our HG (high-gain) humbucker gives SolidBody players a simple-to-
install pickup option. Slightly darker-sounding than our original HD
(high-definition) humbucker, the HG unleashes more front-end
drive for a crunchier tone with extra rawness. The modular design
allows anyone to swap them out at home with ease. The pickups are
connected with a Molex (pin-and-socket) connector, so all youll need
are a Phillips head screwdriver and a few minutes for a simple plug
and play experience. Available as Style 1 (Classic, Custom) and Style
2 (Standard), and offered in two versions, neck and bridge, with each
voiced and output-balanced for their respective string positions.
Available exclusively through TaylorWare. (Chrome, $79.00)
Special introductory price: $59 (for a limited time)
#83708 Style 2 HD Neck
#83709 Style 2 HD Bridge
#83728 Style 2 HG Neck
#83729 Style 2 HG Bridge
#83706 Style 1 HD Neck
#83707 Style 1 HD Bridge
#83726 Style 1 HG Neck
#83727 Style 1 HG Bridge

Our Taylor Bar Stool fully supports you and your music. The classic
design features a comfy, padded swivel seat in a black matte, vinyl finish
with a gray Taylor logo. A foot ring adds to your playing comfort. 30
high. Easy assembly. Youll be ready for a house concert, even if its just
an audience of one. (#70200, $99.00)
Taylor Belt Buckles. Buckle up those favorite jeans in style with a
choice of two metal-framed wood designs: our round logo etched into
black-stained wood, or our popular Western logo etched into white-
stained wood with a weathered treatment for an extra vintage look.
Your waistline never looked so good. Made in the USA.
(Black #71020, White #71021, $20.00)
Collage Thermal. Our popular collage design is back for a new sea-
son, this time on a long-sleeve olive thermal. A 100% cotton micro-waf-
fle weave fabric with a rib-bound collar and sleeves will keep the chill
out while you chill. (Long Sleeve; #2501, S-XL, $26.00)
Our Ladies Tree T, in vintage black, features a colorful curlicue tree
design that plants a playful splash of Taylor on you. Regular fit, super
soft satin-washed 100% cotton. Ribbed collar, taped shoulder to
shoulder. Side-seamed for a contoured fit.
(Short Sleeve; # 4479, S-XL, $22.00)
The Taylor Denim Jacket offers a classic look: an embroidered
guitar on the back framed by extra-wide vertical seams and our logo
stitched on the front. This enduring favorite of Taylor employees can
be spotted throughout the factory.
Sizes: SXXL. (#3954, $100.00; XXL Size, $110.00)
Our Lineup Zip Front Hoodie lists the entire Taylor guitar line in a
blue 3-D font on eco gray heather, with the Taylor logo above the left
cuff. The super-soft polyester/cotton blend features cuffed sleeves and
front pockets, plus rib binding at the bottom and armholes for extra
durability. A natural color zipper tape adds a vintage touch. Unisex.
(#2897, S-XL, $39.00; XXL, $42.00)
Suede/Web Straps
(Top left to right: Olive #65020, Black #65000, Brown #65010,
Camouflage #65030, $24.00)
Western T
Our Old West treatment of the Taylor logo adds a vintage touch to this
soft and comfy 100% combed cotton short-sleeve T. Wherever you go,
youll be recognized as a guitar slinger with style.
(Short Sleeve; Army #1477, S-XL $20.00; XXL-XXXL $22.00)
Camp Shirt. The ultimate in high-end Taylor style and class, our black
premium camp shirt is a machine washable silk/cotton sandwashed
blend. Featuring an open collar and bottom hem, with subtle waffle
weave and coconut shell buttons, a single front pocket and side vents.
The back features an embroidered Taylor guitar logo, while the front
keeps things subtle with a black-on-black Quality Guitars logo on the
bottom right. (#3094, M-XL, $72.00; XXL, $74.00)
Order online: taylorguitars.com/taylorware | Order by phone: 800.494.9600
The Black Flex Fit Cap features a red Quality Guitars logo on
comfortable six-panel brushed twill with a matching red guitar
embroidered on the back. One size fits all. (#00370, $20.00)
Our Navy Garment Washed
Flex Fit Cap features the Taylor
logo in silver. One size fits all.
(#00380, $24.00)
53
Our Weathered Peghead T has a lived-in look and feel that youll
love. Distressed treatment of the iconic Taylor peghead and lettering
applies a vintage touch to the soft, pigment dyed, ringspun cotton.
100% preshrunk, generously cut for comfort, with double needle
stitching for extra durability. (Mocha #1440, M-XL $20; XXL, $22.00)
New
The Taylor Carry All Bag was designed to hold your gear plus your lap-
top. Measuring 16 high x 18 wide x 12 deep, the Carry All features a
padded, removable nylon laptop sleeve, 6 external pockets, rear access
to an interior compartment, adjustable/removable section dividers, and
3 easy-access interior pockets for storage of a cell phone, iPod, tuner
or other small devices. Includes a padded, adjustable shoulder strap.
(#61180, $89.00)
Taylors Antique Logo T-shirt
Pre-washed, super-soft 100% cotton, featuring our distressed logo and
cut as a Slim Fit. Sizes S-XXL. (Short Sleeve; Black #1427, Red #1428,
Smoke #1429, S-XL $20.00; XXL $22.00)
Our K4 Preamp and Equalizer lets you control the tone of your
Taylor acoustic/electric guitar whenever youre recording or plugged
into a PA system. Designed for the specific frequencies of the acoustic
guitar, the K4 EQ uses pure analog tone shaping for isolating and
adjusting individual notes and tones. It features transformer-coupled
input and output, and can even run on two C batteries, in case you
forget your power supply. (#80845, $498.00)
Guitar Parts. Choose from an assortment of replacement parts like
chrome or gold tuners, nuts and saddles, guitar cables, pickguards
and bridge pins with or without abalone dots.
Visit taylorguitars.com/taylorware to see the full line.
Taylor T-Shirts
Sizes: S-XXXL. (Short Sleeve; White #1420, Gray #1423, S-XL $13.00;
XXL & XXXL $15.00)
Road Crew T. Showcased front
and center across the chest, this
Taylor logo treatment is the same
style youll find on your guitar.
(Short Sleeve; Black #1443,
S-XL, $20.00; XXL $22.00)
Order online: taylorguitars.com/taylorware | Order by phone: 800.494.9600
54
Our Universal A/B/Both Box lets you run your Taylor T5,

Taylor acoustic, or any brand of electric guitar, acoustic guitar,
or bass to two separate outputs. Its perfect for running a T5 into
an electric amp and an acoustic amp. And, the A or B indicator
stays lit when BOTH is activated, which means youll always know
where your signal is. Want to connect a tuner between you and
the PA and maintain your Expression Systems

balanced signal?
Plug into the Balanced Breakout, connect your tuner, and youll
stay balanced into the rig. Thanks to its high-quality transformer,
your signal always stays pure. (Universal A/B/Both Box, #80820,
$89.00; ES Balanced Breakout, #80821, $89.00)
Peghead Beanie (#00121, $15.00)
Visit our website for more information
about the Taylor Gift Card.
Ladies Western Thermal. Our popular Old West Taylor logo stands
out on this lightweight waffle weave 100% cotton thermal fabric that
looks great on its own or is perfect for layering. Slightly longer sleeves.
Featuring a rib collar and banded cuffs, with cover stitching throughout.
(Powder Blue/Navy #4510, Brown/Blue #4511, S-XL, $26.00)
Our SolidBody Trucker Cap
sports the Taylor SolidBody logo
patch on orange, featuring side
and back panels of tan trucker
mesh to keep your head well
vented, with Taylor Guitars 74
screen printed on the left side.
White taping inside the brim and
an adjustable polysnap closure
ensure a comfortable fit.
(#00160, $20.00)
Taylor Guitar Picks. Available
in assorted colors and gauges.
Custom made for Taylor Guitars.
Individual colors packaged in sets
of 10, $4.00.
Guitar Stand. Beautifully
crafted in Sapele/Mahogany,
this stand features a laser-
etched Taylor logo, a rich satin
finish, and rubber pads to protect
your guitars finish. (Sapele/
Mahogany #70100, $70.00;
assembly required)
Polishing Cloth
Our ultra-soft microfiber cloth
will help you put a sweet shine
on your Taylor. Tan, measuring
11-1/2 x 11-1/2, the polishing
cloth features the Taylor logo
emblazoned near the corner.
(#80905, $6.00)
Back Ablaze
The colorfully cascading striations
of grain on this flatsawn cocobolo
back suggest a volcano engulfed
by molten lava or perhaps an
otherworldly alluvial fan viewed
from above. A thin mini-wedge
bisects the bookmatched heart-
wood, which belongs to a Build to
Order Jumbo 12-string made for
our exhibition room at the Winter
NAMM trade show in January.
The paper we used is certied by the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC is a
non-prot organization that supports environmentally friendly, socially responsible
and economically viable management of the worlds forests.
To print Wood&Steel, Taylor Guitars employed an environmentally sustainable
printer that produces all of its own electricity and has a zero landll, 100 percent
recycling policy for all hazardous and non-hazardous waste by-products. A certied
totally enclosed facility, it produces virtually no volatile organic compound emissions.
A Publication of Taylor Guitars
Volume 58 / Winter 2009
A Taste of T3
Introducing the newest addition to the Taylor electric line, the
semi-hollowbody T3. A cool-as-chrome Bigsby vibrato tailpiece
is paired with a roller-style bridge create the perfect blend of vintage
form and smooth function. A coil-splitting pickup control delivers a
full range of both humbucker and single coil tones. And this honey
sunburst quilt maple top gives you permission to stare as long as
you want. More inside.
Presorted
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