Best way to buy a Taylor?

jayswett
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:02 am

Just need a piece of advice. I've been wanting to buy a new Taylor guitar for years, and have finally decided to make it happen. What is the best way to go about it? The options, I would think, are these:

1) Fly to San Diego, visit the factory, and get it there. This seems unneccesary and excessive.
2) Get one at a local shop. Selection not optimal as only a few models are for sale.
3) Buy online from Taylor. Not even sure this is an option, and would obviously like to play what I intend to buy before I actually buy it.

Any thoughts?
Jay


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daryl
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:38 am

Another option might be to do a day trip and visit a number of guitar stores outside your "local area" that carry Taylors so you can sample more before you decide.....


dennisg
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:48 am

Numbers 1 and 3 are not options, since Taylor doesn't sell new guitars directly to customers. Those are sold only through their dealer network. The only guitars Taylor does sell directly are ones that were used at road shows or trade shows, and those are sold at Taylor's visitor center in El Cajon, California.

I sympathize, Jay. It's often difficult to try guitars out at local dealers because they find it financially impossible to carry everything in Taylor's line. So you can do the research on your own, go to the Taylor forum and ask a hundred questions, read reviews on HarmonyCentral.com, identify the type of woods and body size that appeal to you, then order it from your local dealer or from an online dealer like LAguitarsales.com or guitarrodeo.com. Both are huge Taylor dealers that offer great pricing and a really large selection.

Yeah, you'd be buying a guitar completely on faith, but two factors should make that less nerve-wracking: 1) even many of the most expensive guitars are purchased that way (MarkM and I both had custom Taylors made, sight-unseen), and reputable dealers will take good care of you; and 2) Taylor guitars are consistently excellent. It's very rare to find a clunker.

When I started on TG, I'd never even heard of Taylor. But over the months I started getting a sense that there was something pretty special happening with that company, so I started hanging out on a Taylor forum and reading posts from guys and gals with lots of experience with all brands of guitars. And now I know Taylor's offerings pretty well, so if there's anything specific I can help you with, either about the guitars or the purchase process, PM me.


Catman
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:00 am

Dennis, don't you ever sleep?

Jay, I ended up going with option 2 because the model I wanted was imported to the backwater country I inhabit, and I wasn't picky about colour. If it hadn't been, I would have gone with either one of the dealers Dennis mentioned.

-David


suziko
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:16 am

I'm a big believer in supporting local music stores, so I'd encourage you to hunt around your area and see what shops sell Taylor guitars. Like Dennis said, they won't carry every guitar in the Taylor line, but hopefully they'll have a few different types to try out. I know my guitar shop can also order guitars from Taylor, but of course you'd be buying it without playing it first. I might end up doing that with the GS Mini Mahogany, in fact, if they don't get one in soon. I've played the regular GS Mini and loved the size of it, and I love the sound of Mahogany, so I'm pretty certain I'll like it. I have also built up enough of a relationship with the guys at my guitar shop that if, for some reason, I HATED the guitar, I'm pretty sure they'd do their best to try to help me out.

Suzi


AcousticAl
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:19 am

My local shop lets you order a guitar in with a deposit-- but then you can return it within 30 days no questions asked.
I guess they think if you're serious enough to put some $$ down- then you want to buy something.

Why did I think you already had a Taylor, Jay?
Might be confusing you with MJ.


willem
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:01 am

There you go Jay.. :laugh: :laugh: B) Local it is...


dburns99
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:05 am

I frequent the #1 independent Taylor dealership in Canada so naturally when the time came for me to buy a higher end guitar I kept an open mind and tried several different Taylor models....5 to be exact. I played them....passed them to the sales dude to play so I could hear them.....and played them some more. I tried a Larivee.....same thing....had the sales guy play it as well so I could hear it.

Long story short. I have a Martin :)

Don't get me wrong.....some of the Taylors sounded nice....but to me they didn't feel or sound or smell even....anything like a Martin in the same price range. To each his own I guess.

What I'm trying to say is if you're going to lay down the mucho bucks for a Taylor at least make sure you play it first.....and not just the model you want....but the actual guitar. Two guitars of the same model might play and sound totally different


sbutler
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:19 am

I was fortunate enough to have gotten yet another Taylor this year. A Brand new 814ce. I actually had my mind made up to really give a Martin HD28v a go. But there was no place in Alaska that I could compare the two in the same room. Not that there aren't places that sell each, they just didn't have them when I wanted. So, on a trip to KC to see family, I snuck over to a huge musical instrument store in Overland Park Ks, that we don't have here. I did get to play the Martin I wanted, and for grins, played several others at the same time in one of their quite rooms. What I did next, made ALL the difference. I placed the Martin and the Taylor 814 against the wall with both sound holes facing me. I had someone else strum across the open strings of both guitars, with MY eyes closed. I picked the Taylor every time. Picking a guitar is an individual thing, and I had an open enough mind to let my ears help make the decision as well as my hands fingers and eyes. I didn't buy the guitar I went for.

If I had to do it over again, I think (considering the money these things cost) I wouldn't be embarrassed about asking for a fresh set of strings on each of the guitars that I was really interested in, because the demos get played an awful lot. I think It would be a more fair comparison

Scott


tombo1230
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Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:59 pm

I went to a local shop, tried about twenty or so guitars, Martins, Taylors and all kinds, and even got to play the very same Taylor 814C I eventually bought in Tobacco Sunburst. I saved up a little, phoned them up, they took a deposit. I had my brand new guitar about seven days later. I played the guitar and payed the outstanding ballance. Happy as Larry! Definately try to play one first, then you will have to buy one. :)

Tom N.


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