New Taylor - anybody know anything about the new GS body?

[Chiba]

Looks interesting, could be the guitar that gets me back in the Taylor camp. Geared more towards flatpickers - bigger body in both the waist (shifted towards the neck and widened slightly) and the lower bout.

Good wood choices too - cedar top available with either rosewood or mahogany bodies and spruce top with (blah blah blah I don't like spruce all that much so I didn't pay attention).

So - anybody seen these yet? I didn't go to the Taylor booth at NAMM, so I missed out completely. Tone reports or opinions??

--chiba

[A440]

def look cool. there's a vid up on harmony-central from NAMM

[jzucker]

I'm still disappointed they're splicing the headstock and the neck-heel on. They play good but I think those are serious issues...

[shadco]

Looks interesting, could be the guitar that gets me back in the Taylor camp. Geared more towards flatpickers - bigger body in both the waist (shifted towards the neck and widened slightly) and the lower bout.

Good wood choices too - cedar top available with either rosewood or mahogany bodies and spruce top with (blah blah blah I don't like spruce all that much so I didn't pay attention).

So - anybody seen these yet? I didn't go to the Taylor booth at NAMM, so I missed out completely. Tone reports or opinions??

--chiba

I just knew under that polished suave exterior there was a hillbilly just busting to get out. (flatpickin referance) :BEER

Rick @ GP is now into Taylor in a big way with a good selection. My plans have me dropping by there in a few days so I will check and see if he has any. There was a short scale dread there the other day that I think was the best Taylor he had in the shop.

[Chiba]

Jack, I'm with you - that jointing bugs me too. BUT (there's always a BUT!) I've had a couple of Taylors that just sound great - as long as I didn't strum too hard. Apparently I'm hamfisted :)

Shad - they're not 'out' until 1 April...

--chiba

[jzucker]

Jack, I'm with you - that jointing bugs me too. BUT (there's always a BUT!) I've had a couple of Taylors that just sound great - as long as I didn't strum too hard. Apparently I'm hamfisted :)

Shad - they're not 'out' until 1 April...

--chiba

Yeah, they play great and sound nice for fingerpicking but don't seem to have the dynamics of a single piece neck. I've gotten in lots of arguments with folks over this but I've yet to play a spliced neck guitar that really knocked me out. Taylors are great though but you have to realize that when you buy a Taylor, a huge portion of the money you are paying goes towards their advertising budget. That doesn't mean the guitars aren't good but it's a fact.

[JPERRYROCKS]

Here's a pic of Taylors new "R Taylor" higher end custom line. They're still fingerjointing the headstocks on these higher end guitars, too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/JPerryRocks/3.jpg

[Sanj]

Jack, I'm with you - that jointing bugs me too. BUT (there's always a BUT!) I've had a couple of Taylors that just sound great - as long as I didn't strum too hard. Apparently I'm hamfisted :)

Shad - they're not 'out' until 1 April...

--chiba
Now that you mention it ... that totally defines a problem I need to solve! .. Taylors do not take to hard playing .. I have a 414CE that fits the case .. having said that .. what is a guitar that loves to be played hard?

Thanks in advance for any input on the subject!!!!!

[Colt]

My K22ce loves everything I give to it :-) oooh, that sounded dirty, and I liked it.

[Bryan T]

Somewhat off topic, but the tuners on that R Taylor guitar are sexy. Nice color, luster, and shape.

Bryan

[jmadill]

The bodies and bracing on the Taylors are designed for specific styles of playing. The x12 are intended for finger picking only, whereas the x14 are intended for finger picking and light strumming. If you're heavy handed, then the x10 is the model you should check out.

That being said, the GS is somewhere between the x14 and the x10 models, but is voiced to give a richer, deeper sound.

My affiliation with Taylor is simply as a happy Taylor owner. Between my wife and I, we have a 712, a 514 and an 810. Granted, you can strum the 514 pretty hard, but it looses it's voice when you do. The 810 on the other hand loves to be played hard.

-jm

[Boogie92801]

Sold my 514 and eventually settled on a Gibson J-100 Extra, pretty much for that reason. The 514 sounded good but it wasn't very loud and did not like my Pete Townsend inpressions.

The Maple Gibby is a cannon by comparison. It holds up to bashing-windmils and yet still sounds bright and light for fingerpicking and the bass is rich and very full.

[Sanj]

The bodies and bracing on the Taylors are designed for specific styles of playing. The x12 are intended for finger picking only, whereas the x14 are intended for finger picking and light strumming. If you're heavy handed, then the x10 is the model you should check out.

That being said, the GS is somewhere between the x14 and the x10 models, but is voiced to give a richer, deeper sound.

My affiliation with Taylor is simply as a happy Taylor owner. Between my wife and I, we have a 712, a 514 and an 810. Granted, you can strum the 514 pretty hard, but it looses it's voice when you do. The 810 on the other hand loves to be played hard.

-jm

Thanks for this ... does this mean that a dreadnaught-ish shape is better for hard playing than the smaller body sizes? Or is this a Taylor specific description.

-sanj

[Chiba]

I understand Taylor's "the x10s are for hard strummers" and their other model "recommendations" - my problem is I've never been a fan of the straight dreadnought size, look, feel, shape, or - most importantly - tone. Kind of puts me in a tough spot :)

I had a 714ce (cedar top) for a long time that was a great guitar, but in the end I decided I needed something that could handle my style a bit better. I have an all-mahogany Larrivee and a smallish Martin slothead that both can handle me.

--chiba

[Rich T Fingers]

I hate that neck splicing...........

[billv]

Now that you mention it ... that totally defines a problem I need to solve! .. Taylors do not take to hard playing .. I have a 414CE that fits the case .. having said that .. what is a guitar that loves to be played hard?

Thanks in advance for any input on the subject!!!!!

A dreadnaught style guitar with a good spruce top will take to some hard playing. For example, I've got a Martin Custom 15 (similar to a HD28V) that has an amazing amount of headroom.

[Bearded]

I got a chance to play one of the GS prototypes (Cedar/RW) and boy was I impressed. In general Taylors are much too bright for my taste, but that guitar had huge bottom end. Nothing like any Taylor I've played anywhere on the gamut (I've played everything from 110's to Presentation's). It's a completely different sound. Almost like an older Guild.

Definitely check one out when they ship.

Joe