Taylor Guitars

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The Taylor logo.

Taylor Guitars is an El Cajon California‐based luthier.

1 History
2 R Taylor
3 Product Range
4 Acoustic/Electric models
5 Acoustic models
6 Electric models
7 Presentation Series
8 100/200 Series
9 Baby Taylors
10 Construction
11 External links

[edit] History

In 1973, at age 18, Bob Taylor began working at American Dream, a small guitar-making shop owned by Sam Radding where Kurt Listug was already an employee. In 1974 Sam Radding decided to sell the business. Taylor and Listug became partners along with Steve Schemmer and bought American Dream which they renamed Westland Music Company hoping to conjure the image of a larger company in the minds of the public. Needing a more compact logo suitable for the guitars' headstock, the founders decided to change the name to Taylor as it sounded more American than Listug and because as Kurt Listug put it, "Bob was the real guitar-maker." Listug became the businessman of the partnership for which he was to prove well suited while Bob Taylor concentrated on design and production. Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug expanded their small shop into a major guitar manufacturing company while maintaining creative control and ownership. As of 2006 Taylor Guitars has more than 450 employees. The factory is located in El Cajon, California with worldwide distribution. A second plant has been opened 40 miles away in Mexico where the smallest guitars of the Taylor line, the Baby and Big Baby are made along with the Taylor guitar cases. All other Taylor guitars are made in El Cajon, California.

[edit] R Taylor

In 2005, Bob Taylor set up a separate company which is dedicated to making a small number of high quality guitars available via a few select dealers within the US. The R Taylor workshop is located within the main Taylor factory at El Cajon which has enabled Bob to draw upon an extensive supply of top grade wood as well as a highly skilled workforce.

[edit] Product Range

In 2007 Taylor restructured its range into six categories:

Acoustic/Electric models (with cutaway)
Acoustic models
Electric models
Presentation Series
100/200 Series
Baby Taylors

[edit] Acoustic/Electric models

Dreadnought (x10)
Grand Concert (x12)
Grand Auditorium (x14) - Also available in 12-string (x54)
Jumbo (x15) - Also available in 12-string (x55)

Each model includes a cutaway and is equipped with the Taylor Expression (pickup) System.

Naming Conventions
The numbers for the body style above combine with the series number to create the product number. For example, a 314ce is a 6-string 300-series guitar with a Grand Auditorium body style, cutaway and electronics (Expression System).

Guitar Series	Strings	Body Styles	Finish	Wood (Top)	Wood (Back/Sides)	Soundhole Rosette	Inlays
300-series	6 and 12	All	Gloss top only	Sitka spruce	Sapele	Plastic	Large pearl dots
400-series	6 and 12	10, 12, 14	Gloss top only	Sitka spruce	Ovangkol	Plastic	Large pearl dots
500-series	6 only	10, 12, 14	Full gloss	Western red cedar/ Sitka or Engelmann spruce	American mahogany	Abalone	Small pearl dots
600-series	6 and 12	All	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	Big leaf maple	Abalone	Pearl 'leaf' pattern
700-series	6 only	10, 12, 14	Full gloss	Western red cedar/ Engelmann spruce	Indian rosewood	Abalone	Small pearl dots
800-series	6 and 12	All	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	Indian rosewood	Abalone	Pearl 800 series pattern
900-series	6 only	10, 12, 14	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	Indian rosewood	Abalone	Pearl 900 series pattern
Nylon series	6 only	12, 14	Varies	Varies	Varies	Mexican cypress	None

[edit] Acoustic models

Dreadnought (DN)
Grand Concert (GC)
Grand Auditorium (GA) - Also available in 12-string (GAx-12)
Grand Symphony (GS)

Acoustic models do not include a cutaway although the Taylor Expression (pickup) System is an optional extra.

Naming Conventions
The letters for the body style above combine with the series number to create the product number. For example, a GA3 is a 6-string 3-series guitar with a Grand Auditorium body style.

Guitar Series	Strings	Body Styles	Finish	Wood (Top)	Wood (Back/Sides)	Soundhole rosette	Inlays
3-series	6 and 12	DN, GC, GA	Gloss top only	Sitka spruce	Sapele	Plastic	Large pearl dots
4-series	6 and 12	DN, GC, GA	Gloss top only	Sitka spruce	Ovangkol	Plastic	Large pearl dots
5-series	6 only	All	Full gloss	Western red cedar/ Sitka spruce	American mahogany	Abalone	Small pearl dots
6-series	6 and 12	GC, GA, GS	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	Big leaf maple	Abalone	Pearl 'leaf' pattern
7-series	6 only	GC, GA, GS	Full gloss	Western red cedar	Indian rosewood	Abalone	Small pearl dots
8-series	6 and 12	All	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	Indian rosewood	Abalone	Pearl 800 series pattern
810/910	6 only	DN	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	Indian rosewood	Abalone	Pearl 800/'Cindy' inlay
LKSM (Leo Kottke)	12 only	Jumbo	Full gloss	Sitka spruce	American mahogany	Wood fibre	None

[edit] Electric models

Taylor introduced their first electric guitar in 2005; the T5 (Thinline Fiveway). 'Fiveway' refers to the different tones available via a five-way switch which range from jangling acoustic to raw electric. It is available in five different configurations:

Model	Strings	Pickups	Wood (Top)	Wood (Back/Sides)	Inlays
T5-S Standard	6 or 12	1 or 2	Sitka spruce	Sapele	Micro dots
T5-S1 Standard	6 or 12	1 or 2	Maple	Sapele	Micro dots
T5-C Custom	6 or 12	1 or 2	Sitka spruce	Sapele	T5 'artist' inlay
T5-C1 Custom	6 or 12	1 or 2	Maple	Sapele	T5 'artist' inlay
T5-C2 Custom	6 or 12	1 or 2	Hawaiian koa	Sapele	T5 'artist' inlay

[edit] Presentation Series

The pinnacle of the Taylor line, the Presentation Series guitar is built using Taylor's oldest and finest master-grade wood including the rare and increasingly expensive Brazilian rosewood, considered by many to be the ultimate tonewood. Available in all body styles and as a 6 or 12-string, each guitar can be tailored (no pun intended!) to an individual's requirements.

[edit] 100/200 Series

Dreadnought (x10)
Grand Auditorium (x14)

Taylor's entry-level guitars

Naming Conventions
The numbers for the body style above combine with the series number to create the product number. For example, a 214e is a 200-series guitar with a Grand Auditorium body style and electronics.

Guitar Series	Strings	Finish	Wood (Top)	Wood (Back/Sides)	Soundhole rosette	Inlays
100-series	6 only	Varnish	Sitka spruce	Sapele laminate	Wood fibre	Pearloid dots
200-series	6 only	Varnish	Sitka spruce	Indian rosewood laminate	Plastic	Pearloid dots

[edit] Baby Taylors

Considered to be travel guitars, the Baby Taylor is 3/4 size of a conventional dreadnought guitar with the Big Baby being 15/16 size of a dreadnought.

Model	Strings	Finish	Wood (Top)	Wood (Back/Sides)	Soundhole rosette	Inlays
Baby	6 only	Varnish	Sitka spruce or American mahogany	Sapele laminate	Laser-etched	Pearloid dots
Big Baby	6 only	Varnish	Sitka spruce	Sapele laminate	Laser-etched	Pearloid dots

[edit] Construction

Taylor guitars are made with a patented bolt-on neck; the NT neck (new technology). It differs from other necks, whether bolt-on or glued, by supporting the fretboard all the way to the 19th fret with a continuous piece of wood. The standard practice is to support the fretboard up to the fourteenth fret with the unsupported portion being glued to the constantly moving soundboard. The neck fits into a pocket on the top of the guitar body with the desired angle being achieved by small, accurately milled neck spacers (shims). After time, some guitars require the neck angle to be realigned (referred to as a neck reset). This process is greatly simplified by allowing the replacement of different sized neck spacers to return the neck to the required angle.

Taylor's proprietary pickup system, the Expression System consists of a patented humbucking induction pickup mounted in the neck and a pair of dynamic soundboard transducers wired to an on board preamplifier designed by Rupert Neve. The first generation system was powered by a pair of AA batteries. Starting in 2007 the electronics use a 9-volt battery.