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Posts: 795
Location: Texas | Taylors:
OVERPRICED, NO SOUL, NO CHARACTER, VANILLA, TOO PERFECT, NO INSPIRATION, TOO DULL, HATE THE NECKS, HATE THE ELECTRONICS, THE NEW PREAMP WITH THE EXPRESSION SYSTEM SUCKS, (THIS EVEN ACCORDING TO THE TAYLOR USERS GROUP ON WHICH THERE WAS SUCH A HEATED DISCUSSION ON THEIR BOARD THAT THEY HAD TO SHUT IT DOWN!), GUITARS FOR SISSYS, OVERPRICED, TOO GAUDY, OVERPRICED, A GLASS OF 1% MILK, A VANILLA SHAKE WITH VANILLA POWDER, ETC.THEY ARE NICE BUT NONE HAS EVER TOUCH MY SOUL AND HAS MADE ME HAVE THE URGE TO GET ONE IS ANOTHER GENERAL OPINION.
SERGE
www.sergiolara.com :cool: |
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Location: SoCal | I think that sums it up pretty well. |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | they do some nice detail work...haven't seen one except on film but the "Liberty Tree" work on the fretboard and top was nice.
there's a couple of Koa John Denver Taylors on eBay...again, appears nice example of inlaid work.
for me, if I was spending that amount on a wood box, would get a Martin D-45 Koa...but I won't.
got three very nice wood boxes now...probably two too many. |
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Posts: 651
Location: Australia | I don't see why it's a requirement to trash Taylor's in order to be an Ovation true believer. |
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Posts: 2487
| What's a Taylor? |
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Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Someone who runs a tape measure up your leg, nudges it over and sends you a bill. |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | I have read the posts - IMHO, this forum has been straight forward with their opinions, pro and con - unlike other forums.
Personally, if I was buying that expensive of a wood box, there are others that I would buy. I have a couple of Ovations & Adamas that I won't ever sell - as I won't sell my Martin. Unlike what I have seen on other forums, a number of members of the OFC have other guitars also. Ask Dave (standingovation) about his new acquisition.
Comments on this site are similar to several Taylor owners that I know who bought new and later sold.
If anyone said something that is wrong, let's discuss. What's been said? Workmanship is high, quality of material is high, price is high - if someone likes a Taylor, fine.
Personally, I haven't found one that gets me excited enough to pay the price. |
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Posts: 795
Location: Texas | I am just the messenger.
Serge
www.sergiolara.com :rolleyes: :cool: :eek: |
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Posts: 2487
| Tony well said!
I had a luthier friend some years ago who was a bit of a Martin collector/dealer ( Russ Gleaves) I think he lives in Nashville now? He had a real nice 1950's Martin (several) It did sound real nice but maybe I am tone deaf or something? He sold this thing 15 years ago for somewhere around $5,000 count-em dollars. Now I guess if these old Acoustic guitars are worth that then it may be worth buying one, if you know you can sell it for a good return a few years down the road?
It really was nice but the sound was sure not worth 5 grand ! or $10,000.00 or $20,000.00! It was the name and the collectors market place that drives the prices on these guitars and not the sound!
I feel the same as some of you about the Taylors and most of the traditional acoustic guitars they are nice but If I have the choice I will buy an affordable wood body guitar there are plenty of quality guitars out there that do not fetch these kinds of prices. And the sound difference between some of these is nil! Granted there are junkers lurking that look nice and sound like complete crap, but I tried a Carvin that had a cedar top priced at $395.00 it sounded real good to me?
Unless they were all lined up and strummed by someone else while I stood in front of them It would be hard for me to tell the difference between MOST of the acoustic's I have tried before this Adamas Ovation! I could pick this guitar out the first time someone strummed it!
Just my 2 pence.
Randy |
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April 2004
Posts: 795
Location: Texas | And now another message from a great guitarist friend of mine, a former Taylor owner:
....I will add: they are cookie-cutter guitars.
Pick a model and they are all identical
No character, no uniqueness.....
Serge
www.sergiolara.com ;) |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Some time back like 2 to 3 years ago I was looking to upgrade and get myself another guitar or two. I played alot. I came across the maple back Taylors. they played and sounded OK and i almost considered getting one until i saw the Price!! I closed my eyes and played them again. Came back aweek later and played them yet again and it struck me that I could not justify paying that for the guitar. I then tried some guilds and liked the jumbos but once again I just could not seem to get the cashflow going. Then I Saw The Light. I played some Ovations and remembered how much I had loved my GC 12 that I had played for 6 years. I decided to go ahed and take the plunge and I'm really happy I did. There are some Great all wood guitars out there, But Taylors are just really overpriced. and in my opinion do lack some real Soul that other guitars have. Especially Ovations. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | they didn't make guitars in the past because wood was the perfect sound material for the entire guitar. they did it because there wasn't the array of modern materials to choose from ant the equipment to analyze the sound.
most old guitars were rather straight forward and not the furniture quality pieces made from exotic woods like today. if a 50's martin fetched 5k its because there werent that many produced and you could buy a new car for a grand in the 50s. i have never even seen a 50's martin. they were special becaust the 50's is when the guitar "happened". now it's "my quilted bubinga is quiltier than yours". considering the number of guitars being sold and the comparitive number of musicians out there i suspect the future (if we get there) will be full of closet guitars made from wood. the people who make the music will continue to look for a more perfect sound. i think the future will see the working musician continue to look for a durable guitar that sounds and looks good. |
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June 2004
Posts: 365
Location: NC | Taylor..............who? I personally don't care for them. I have to say after trying several brands the Ovation kicks butt! The electronics are wonderful and price is reasonable. I see an Adamas in my future! No one tell the wife.....shhhhhhhhh. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Due to these discussions and because I had some time to kill, I spent about half an hour with the most expensive Taylor on the wall. A Taylor 30th slothead all dressed up in abalone. Tagged at $5395.
The action was horrible but that is fixable. The neck is a little wide but that is a personal thing. I sounded very bright (jump). Sometimes it sounded like there are more than six strings. It did not have much bass (thump). Fit and finish looked fantasic. The top, back and sides felt alive.
They also have an Ovation 30th. It is tagged at $2495. Just as much abalone, same grade of fit and finish, plus...some thump to go with the jump. Plus better electronics, plus durability, plus, plus, plus.
Without getting into Martins and Gibsons, I will stick with what I said before. If there was no such thing as Ovation, I would probably have a Taylor. I'm just happy that there is an Ovation. |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | This is a big jump, but ... IF Ovation, Taylor and Martin all cost the SAME, what would you think about them? Ovation is the best guitar for the money in my opinion. But imagine for example a Legend and D-35 were the same price? What would you think then? |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I would take any of the multi-hole guitars! |
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Location: SoCal | re: But imagine for example a Legend and D-35 were the same price?
D-35 for resale value |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Tony
I already have a perfect Martin D-41 copy in my Jap Yamaki that is 30 years old, and plays better than any Martin I've seen. I would certainly choose the Ovation cause I can't take my Yamaki out and risk losing it. If I had a beautiful Ovation for a reasonable price I would have great plugged in sound, a nice guitar for jamming at home, an a battleship piece of resistance to destruction. I also would have the piece of mind that comes with knowing that if it were stolen or destroyed I could e-mail Al, the Ovation consigliare (I'd call him the Godfather, but God might punish me), and replace it with an equally good or better guitar for something less than my home mortgage, as they are still being made and improved every year.
Bailey |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Bailey...I agree. The D-35 would have to stay in a case or on the wall, kept as an investment, not an instrument.
I have a D-25K2 but it doesn't go out of the house. As to Martin copy, I have a great Martin copy of the 12-string D-18 - a 1981 Takamine, plays better than the D-18 I had. Now a sweet Larrivee. Worried that anytime I play one of them, a single ding or scratch could cost me money. They don't get much play...haven't seen many wood boxes used for performances in decent shape. Some call it character, I call it damage. |
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Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | you have a yamaki bailey? i bought one on ebay (12 string in need of repair) but the seller stiffed me and i never got it and they never would reply to my emails. go figure--- it was only like a $66 deal. i have heard they were great guitars. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Russ
My Yamaki and my Ovation Viper are kind of linked together. Bill, ex Marine and survivor of the Korean bug out on the Army side (eastern Korea), ended up with the inventory of a failed music store partnership in Escondido, CA in the late 70's. In that inventory was some Ovation solid bodies, my Viper was one also some Breadwinners and Balladeers, ALSO, 4 or 5 Yamakis, one of which is mine and one I bought for my son, which he still plays and it sounds great. Bill gave one to his wandering son, a great guitar player who played in our band, but who was not well grounded. He and a friend, also a great guitar player, decided to try their luck on the road with the new Yamaki and some great talent. two or three months later they reappearred in Poway, sans guitars, which they had sold for food, ready to play bluegrass and eat mama's groceries. Yamaki had to cease business about that time because Yamaha said their name was too much like Yamaha, and Martin said they were too damn good a copy. Mine still sounds great and my son's also. All rare wood and great quality.
Bailey |
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Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | bailey, the one i paid for had a cracked headstock and i was going to make a slide 12 out of it stringing it like nashville tuning. all pairs of the high octave strings. sounds cool. |
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June 2004
Posts: 365
Location: NC | I'll keep my "O". I love the look, feel, and finish. The multi-hole guitars are the sexiest thing around IMHO! I have a Walden acoustic and it is fine but does not compare to my "O". Matter of opinion. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | If someone wants a machine produced wood guitar that's cheap and still manages to have some soul, get a Seagull. |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Interesting thread. Bill beat me to the punch with his Seagull suggestion. Inexpensive and a great sound. And soul. I've got a buddy who bought one as a beginning guitar. But it's a great beginning, intermediate, and advanced guitar. And it's a third the cost of an entry Taylor.
And Dave, regarding your question, if all guitars cost the same.. it's not a cut and dried answer. It comes back to purpose of the guitar. If it's just to play around the house, I might go with a Santa Cruz, or a Larivee, or some other all wood box. But if it's to play out and about, the answer would probably be different. Buying a guitar almost never is a result of just one factor. It's many factors and they are a result of need and desire. For example, I've never liked Martin necks. But Ovation gloss necks appeal to me greatly. Just one factor. |
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Taylor veredict
