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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 95
Location: Fort worth Texas | I am curious as I am considering a Taylor I played one again recently and it just sounded outstanding.
Didnt play as well as my Ovation though but it had not been set up yet either.
What are you guys thoughts and information to support your thoughts. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | I have played a few Taylor guitars, and they all sounded great. Taylor guitars are very well made, and they use top woods in their construction. And they are everywhere, just turn on the TV and it won't be long until you see an artist using one. They must have a great artist relation department. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I don't have a huge collection, and I don't even sell gear for a living so this is just based on my experience. When I loiter at the music shop I like to play all types of guitars just to try and learn things. I have played some expensive Taylors that realy sounded great. I don't memorize model numbers so I can't be more specific than that.
Sound aside, I find the Taylor necks not as comfortable to play. Furthermore....
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alright cut!.Your rambleing!...let's try that again..
I'm trying to come up with "information to support my thoughts", but it comes down to just being my opinion and what fits nice in my hands.
I can name 6 solid reasons why I have an Ovation. Without those reasons, I would probably have a Taylor. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | I've owned two Taylors, a 410 and a Baby. The 410 is a dreadnaught and sounded great. I sold them both mainly because Taylors are more fragile than Ovations and I got frustrated trying to keep them in mint condition, free of dings, nicks, etc. Also, keep in mind that Taylor uses a 25 1/2" scale as opposed to Ovation's 25 1/4". 1/4" doesn't sound like much but it does make a difference in the tension of the strings. Taylor just came out with some short scale-25"-models, so I guess they have realized that the 25 1/2" scale makes Taylor guitars feel somewhat "stiff." In any event, if pure great acoustic woody sound is what you're after, it's hard to beat any of the 400 series Taylors. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Taylors are nice guitars. I just think that they are too much money for what you get. And I've yet to play one that has "soul". Hard to describe. I don't have a problem with Taylors, but they don't have that "I can't put it down" feeling to me. If you want a Taylor then get one. Nobody can tell you what's right or wrong for you.
Great advertising tho'. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Played a couple but no opinion, no interest unless a special deal or a special issue (thought the one the did with the "Liberty Tree" was interesting.)
Yet, since the factory is only a couple of miles from here, would be an advantage. Personally, I pick up an Adamas or Ovation over the wood boxes I have.
Don't think less of a Taylor player. However, do feel sorry for them. ;) :p ;) |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 795
Location: Texas | IMHO:
Overpriced.
Adamas textured top all the way.
Serge
www.sergiolara.com ;) |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i've only played a few and i couldnt be too critical without sounding biased toward ovation. they are good looking and sound good. i attended a stephen king picking workshop, where he represents taylor guitars. i saw allot of beautiful but expensive guitars, and learned some interesting picking styles. even won a set of elixers for identifying a sond he was picking.
i know what has stood up to the abuse of lots of gigs and a tough coastal climate, and i seem to play my ovations the most. they probably dont throw stuff at you billy like they do me. and if it really gets tough, you can put your left arm through the strings, grab a pool cue and three muskateer your way to the door without worrying what you'll play for thr next gig. lol.
a really good friend just bought a quilted maple taylor, and it was as good as bookmatching of wood can get. but he wanted to know what kind of belt buckle i had on before he handed it to me. i actually was flattered as he didnt realize how hard i would have had to press it into my masa reserve to get it to my belt buckle. i think you can slalom ski on an ovation. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I guess I'm on the side of Moody PI. Side by side in a band situation, to me, the ovation and adamas sound has more complexity and personality, which some people like and others don't. I'm not saying taylors are bad, they are good easy playing guitars. The only way to test this is to find a band where they play both and check them out. If you live in the Tampa/ Sarasota area I can recommend:
http://radiofreecarmela.com/
They have a song on the website, and you can hear the ovation doing lead, and in the background on rhtym, the taylor. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | If you want a lot of guitar for the money, get an Ovation or a Tacoma.
If you want to in that oh so important elite circle of Taylor-ites, be prepared to spend much more. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | In general I think they sound great. I've played a few different models and really liked them, BUT they are pretty expensive. The necks are pretty nice and comfortable. My son has the Taylor Big Baby and for $400. it probably blows away anything under a grand. Ovation is definately the best bang for the buck. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | I recently tried a couple Taylor's at a local music shop. The first one was a high priced cutaway. It didn't do anything for me; i was not impressed with the sound. I tried another model, it wasn't as fancy looking but still listed for about $2500. I was very impressed with the sound but for that much cash I can get a hand made Paragon or a couple of fine Ovations. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Taylor have a fantastic product. The guitars look great, play well & they are built with incredible precision. They have their marketing just perfect. But, and it's a huge "but"......... I have yet to play a Taylor that "spoke" to me, and I've played a lot of them. That's not to say they are bad-sounding guitars, they are not generally, it's just that their sound does not inspire me in the slightest. If I was in the market for an all-wood, high-end American-made guitar it wouldn't be a Taylor. The short-list would include Goodall, Collings, Bougouis and maybe Santa Cruz or Huss & Dalton, among a few others.
A couple of months ago I was demonstrating for a Capo manufacturer at a regional guitar show. The stand opposite us was the UK distributor of a Chinese-made range of Taylor look-alikes, marketed in the UK as "Turner". They happened to have an all Koa Taylor on the stand priced at just under £4K GBP. I tried it and then tried a similar Turner with a UK retail of around £500. It didn't look, play or feel as nice, but in terms of tone, volume & projection it destroyed the Taylor. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | My experience with Taylor has been in the recording studio. One of my artists uses primarily a Taylor. He plays what he calls adult contemporary blues so it's very acoustic oriented and one he told me he liked Ovation, but it didn't really fit the act to which my response was "and Taylor does??? why not Martin or Gibson???" Well as it turns out, he's got a good sence for marketing. The Taylor is just vanilla enough in looks and sound to not distract from the presentation. The price is ok, the sound is good, the look is predictible etc etc etc... I find I can get a nice overall tone with some good microphones.... in other words... It doesn't suck.
He's mostly a solo act, so even on large festival stages volume and feedback is not an issue for him. He has some high-end pickup and preamp system installed for live use.
I think Ovations are fuller and translate the artists feeling into sound. They are more expressive.
One final comment... if you are playing between the 1st and 5th frets mostly, Taylor (or anything else is fine). Above the 5th fret, there is only one choice, and that's Ovation. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 396
| I bought a Big Baby for my son. It is good quality for a good price. From the Taylors I've played in stores, I'd say they make good guitars but it always appears that they are just overpriced for what you get. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Since we are talking about Taylors - any idea what an excellent condition, hard shell case, for the 615-CE, jumbo, maple w/spruce top, dark sunburst. Probably 200-2002 as it doesn't have the Expression System, appears to have fishman.
Rudy Montes called me - a friend of his daughter is trying to sell. Told Rudy that Paul M. says it has no soul...told him to put on eBay at min $1,200 with about $1,600 BIN...not sure if that was good advice or not, just a guess. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Two cents chipped in from a self-proclaimed hack. I've never owned one, but the store where my son takes his bass lessons always has 10-15 so I've played a whole lot of them for short periods of time. The various models all have different tonal characteristics ... some I really liked, some quite as much. They are beautifully and very well made, and are exceptional players, from the top to the bottom of the line. But the impression I always came away with was that they were ... well, too perfect. They seem to me to be the Stepford Guitars. Beautiful to look at, remarkably compliant for whatever you need to get out of them, but somehow lacking something that I just can't describe.
To relate a story ... about two years ago I hosted an event at my home. At one point, I passed through a conversation about guitars, and a lovely lady who played in a P&W group was talking about her Taylor 12 string, and how she had searched for the perfect guitar for years and had finally found it. Later, when the crowd thinned some guitars came out, including my 6759 CL12. I flatpicked some opening chordings, and she came bolting across the property. I put it in her hands to play while I attended to my hosting duties ... an hour later she was still playing, with the most angelic look on her face ... eyes closed and clearly one with the instrument. She opened her eyes and gave me a smile of pure satisfaction. Later, as she was leaving, she told me she had never expected any guitar to play and sound like my CL, especially not an Ovation. She said this guitar "did it" for her and she was going out to trade her Taylor for an Ovation like mine the next day. I have not seen her since, but I sure wish I knew how it all turned out. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | if you are talking about recording, most unbiased sound techs i know like the ovation sound from a easy to handle signal standpoint. i guess they mean it is easy to record.
if you are rotating a guitar to look at it's physical apperance it's an "otra cosa" (another thing). ovation always put the working musician first. ( at least before the new look alike imports). what you visually present to the public is beautiful and the rest has to do with what it's all about. SOUND! DURABILITY! ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT. i can't say more about how trouble free my ovations have been. hate to say wash and wear, but strings and 9v batteries are my only maintenence. that is super important to me.
if you want to show off your furniture to non musicians-----------------
if you want a guitar you can count on gig after gig without carrying pampers------OVATION has set the example. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Funny you say that Russ ... I'm just reading the new update catalog from Sweetwater and here's a great desription they have for the Legend:
"Choice of pros
Maximum sound with minimum playing effort -- when you make a living with a guitar in your hands, you need an instrument that delivers both, night after night. With top shelf materials, New England craftsmanship and superior electronics, Ovation Legend models like the LX-TPB have been the choice of working pros since their introduction. Their impressive dynamics are the product of the select, solid Sitka spruce top, braced to maximize vibration, and the clear projection of the Lyrachord body. Warm, woody, and rich, the LX-TPB delivers a silky smooth playability that seems almost effortless, from soundcheck right on through to the last set."
Couldn't have said it better myself. And in an apparent nod to those purists among us here at the OFC, not one word about electronics or plugging in! |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | I seem to be agreeing a lot with Russ since he joined us again. That might mean he needs to examine his soul.
I haven't played a Taylor in years. but I was a visitor to his "shop" in the 70's and had a pre WWII Washburn mandolin repaired there fully satisfactorily. It had hung on a wall as a decoration until the neck warped, he, Mr. Taylor pulled off the fretboard and shaved the neck to restore it to proper condition, and gave me a piece of rosewood to replace some that was missing. He was swamped with work at that time and couldn't spend any more time on my mandolin to replace the rosewood, so he explained to me what to do, charged me a very reasonable price and went on to become big time.
Where I agree with Russ is that playing expensive acoustics in a band situation is not where you want a Taylor, Martin (I just saw a D-45 in MF for $6299) etc., where one drunken sailor could wipe out your life's savings. Ovations not only sound great, are designed for professional use, and even the most expensive won't cause you to mortgage your home. When you get $10,000 a gig, you can play just about anything regardless of cost. Most of us are trying to make a little money in tough venues, and our guitar has to be like a Peterbilt truck, delivering the goods over and over with toughness and reliability.
Ovation, Ovation, Ovation.
Bailey |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I have weighed in on this before, so apologize for any observed redundancy.
IMHO, Taylors are nice guitars -- per se -- but are not values for what they cost. I have owned several of them from 400 series to 700 series, and didn't like any of them for live performance as much as I like my Ovations. They are pretty, but the electronics were no better, if as good, and I personally much prefer Ovation necks.
Best of all, I can buy at least two Ovations to suit my taste for the cost of one Taylor.
I sometimes wonder if their artist endorsement program isn't a part of what makes the ones the rest of us buy cost so much more.... As Paul T. mentioned, there are better boutique acoustics for the same money. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Paul T said it, they're nice guitars but they have no soul.
As I've said before, They are a glass of warm 1% milk. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i guess that makes us all sOul brothers. que no? |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 95
Location: Fort worth Texas | I want to say I appreciate all the great input even though a lot was opinion. There was also a lot of technical aspects I had not considered.
I will most carefully take a closer look at the models I was interested in.
You guys really gave a lot of valuable information.
I have to agree the price is freakin high, but I really really enjoyed the sound from the model I played,..w/expression system.
I know I would probably have the same opinion about a better Ovation than the one I have but,...well as some of you guys mentioned I am a working musician.
I have noticed when you are playing with 2 round surfaces its like trying to control a race car with a lot of slop in the steering.
The 2 surfaces being the back of my Ovation and my fat ass stomach...lol (over 30)
I did notice the tightness mentioned before in the playing of the Taylor, I assumed it was the strings being of a higher gage than my lights on the O.
I love the way my O plays, thats what sold me it plays like an electric.
I guess what it boils down to is I may have to keep the O, and buy the Taylor and wince every time I bring it onstage. I take great care of my guitars and I know accidents do happen so I also have all my music equipment insured.
I think I might actually like a larger bowl sound but its just way uncomfortable for mw to play as the fretboard is miles away from my body...lol.
So I suppose I will be a shallow bowl Ovation player til some kind of diet works on beer molecules retained in the body.
Thanks again for all the help once again the Ovation Fan Club comes through with years of wisdom and personal experiences to help me with my decision.
Thanks again guys. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I tried to like taylors but just can't seem to warm up to them. Eveyone i pick up seems to have the same generic sound and feel. I think they are well built and structurally sound but like vanilla and chocolate, I have to have chocolate.
I have problems with their preamp system also. I played a gig a while back with an ovation. the leader had a taylor with a mic and piezo setup. He fought the feedback for over a half hour. with my ovation I just plugged it in and turned up the volumne and waited for him.... |
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What do you guys think about Talyor guitars and why?
