I intend to play as many guitars as I can myself. YouTube is ok, but once the sound comes out of my laptop speakers - it's kinda hard to tell the difference. My ear isn't as trained as some.I noticed on a post you said you are going to listen to as many guitars as possible in the next 3 or 4 months. Did you intend to play these guitars or just listen like on line YouTube etc. That would make a big difference on the advice you might receive. If you could clarify that it would help getting better advice. Gary
Buying a guitar.....?
goldleaf wrote:
goldleaf wrote:
You should refer back to my opening post on this topic. My playing abilities really dont match up to these guitars, much as I love looking at them.
Just wondered, you said you were in a guitar shop but didn't play any. You got some great self control. If I get a chance to go to a guitar shop, something is going to get played. Gary
You should refer back to my opening post on this topic. My playing abilities really dont match up to these guitars, much as I love looking at them.
michaelaaron wrote:
Taylor are definitely on my short list - although to be honest my short list is getting longer. The shop I was in today also had a 414ce in stock and it looked stunning. Must get round to playing one of these things sooner or later!I just bought a Taylor, and I LOOOOOVE it. I have been wanting one for a long time, and did all the research I could, and went to try out as many as I could. Being left-handed, that was frustrating, since you can only do so much when playing backwards, as no one usually stocks the guitars for us poor southpaws. But, generally, and only generally speaking, like with most things in life, you do get what you pay for. If you buy a $100 guitar, it's a piece of plywood and not much else. If you buy a $500 guitar, you have an ok, not bad, respectable mid-priced guitar. If you buy a $1000 guitar, you are moving into quality. If you buy a $2000+ guitar, you have a seriously sweet sounding and beautiful instrument. If you are like most, you want the top of the line, but can't swing the money, so you find the best your money will buy. Obviously, there are Martins and Takamines out there for the same money I spent on the Taylor ($999), but for me, and this is only a preference, I don't like the playability, or the neck of a Martin, and having been a mid-range model Takamine user for 20 years, I found the size and the feel of the neck to be a little painful. The Taylor, while not the model I wanted from them, was what I could afford, and it is a vast improvement over what I had. The neck feels so good under your fingers, it almost glides, and it is a little smaller in width than standard. It just feels great and sounds so rich and warm. The result? I am playing more than I had before, and I WANT to play more than I was. That's what a new, quality instrument can do - give you a push to improve and to enjoy playing more. So don't feel your playing ability must dictate what you "deserve." Get a good one and it will last for a good long time and grow with you!
Oh, the model I got was a Taylor 210ce (dreadnought, cutaway, acoustic-electric). Lefty, of course!
reiver wrote:
Your level of play will advance quickly at TG, and your skill level in these early stages do not prevent you from collecting data about guitars.
When I shopped for my first guitar, I could only play notes one at a time to evaluate the sound. I had no skills, and no clue about what other criteria to use. Five months later, I was taken very much by surprise when someone approached me at Guitar Center and complimented my playing. He asked me to play a guitar he was interested in, but couldn't play it as well. Those five months, were my first five months at TG.
Play 'em all, my friend. Make them render any sound you can get out of them. Collect all the information you can. You will know when you're ready to buy because you will know what you want, and the only way to know that is with many, many, many hands-on experiences.
wrench
reiver,goldleaf wrote:Just wondered, you said you were in a guitar shop but didn't play any. You got some great self control. If I get a chance to go to a guitar shop, something is going to get played. Gary
You should refer back to my opening post on this topic. My playing abilities really dont match up to these guitars, much as I love looking at them.
Your level of play will advance quickly at TG, and your skill level in these early stages do not prevent you from collecting data about guitars.
When I shopped for my first guitar, I could only play notes one at a time to evaluate the sound. I had no skills, and no clue about what other criteria to use. Five months later, I was taken very much by surprise when someone approached me at Guitar Center and complimented my playing. He asked me to play a guitar he was interested in, but couldn't play it as well. Those five months, were my first five months at TG.
Play 'em all, my friend. Make them render any sound you can get out of them. Collect all the information you can. You will know when you're ready to buy because you will know what you want, and the only way to know that is with many, many, many hands-on experiences.
wrench
Man those are some good prices for Taylor's from my point of view. A 714ce in Australia retail's for around $5500AUD (a tick over $4700US) although of course with retailer discounts you can do much better. You folks in the US are getting great deals which I guess is a result of the comparatively huge market and the fierce competition. Looks like I need to plan a work trip the the USA!
Reiver glad to see you checking out the Taylors, great guitars IMHO. Of course Chas has thrown in the Cole Clark plug also! (According to those in the know Chas works for them) :laugh:
Reiver glad to see you checking out the Taylors, great guitars IMHO. Of course Chas has thrown in the Cole Clark plug also! (According to those in the know Chas works for them) :laugh:
haoli25 wrote:
I've considered e-Bay. Not sure about paying all that money for a guitar that I haven't played. And what about authenticity - are there any fakes out there? There are in every other category from watches to sports equipment.REIVER, you may want to checkout eBay. I was just looking at some Taylor guitars that were just about to close and the prices were very good.
514ce - 1,649.00
615 - 2,000.00
714ce - 1,750.00
815ce - 1,650.00
Bill
reiver wrote:
I bought my Taylor 314ce off eBay a few years ago for $650 with case. It was brand new with tags still on it!! It retails for around $1,600 at Guitar Center.
Don't be afraid of eBay. Just do your homework so you understand what the current pricing is. I waited and lost a few auctions as I learned what they were typically selling for and how much activity each guitar brought.
Many guitars are sold on eBay by actual guitar shops as mine was. You may not get this year's model but who cares unless they improve the electronics or something important. They aren't going to cheat very many people because it will hurt their on-line and retail business. You may not get quite as good a deal but at least you'll knows the guitar isn't fake or "hot" and has been well cared for. And always use PayPal or some escrow service.
Cheers! :cheer:
I've considered e-Bay. Not sure about paying all that money for a guitar that I haven't played. And what about authenticity - are there any fakes out there? There are in every other category from watches to sports equipment.
I bought my Taylor 314ce off eBay a few years ago for $650 with case. It was brand new with tags still on it!! It retails for around $1,600 at Guitar Center.
Don't be afraid of eBay. Just do your homework so you understand what the current pricing is. I waited and lost a few auctions as I learned what they were typically selling for and how much activity each guitar brought.
Many guitars are sold on eBay by actual guitar shops as mine was. You may not get this year's model but who cares unless they improve the electronics or something important. They aren't going to cheat very many people because it will hurt their on-line and retail business. You may not get quite as good a deal but at least you'll knows the guitar isn't fake or "hot" and has been well cared for. And always use PayPal or some escrow service.
Cheers! :cheer: