Taylor guitars have a very unique sound and feel all of their own. Founder Bob Taylor openly admits that when he started building guitars aged nineteen, he was blissfully unaware of traditional guitar building and had no pre-conceived ideas of how an acoustic should sound or feel. As a result, his early acoustics had a rich bright sound with very playable slim necks which proved popular with players. Since those early days, Bob Taylor has carried on taking a novel approach to guitar building, not settling with tradition for tradition’s sake and constantly innovating. They are also environmentally conscious and promote responsible, sustainable material sourcing.
Taylor Guitars celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2014 and now produces around 700 a day, employing a similar number of people worldwide.
Taylor cover a huge range of styles and budgets from their Built-to-Order (BTO) and Presentation Series to their Baby travel and Academy student series. All Taylor guitars feature solid wood tops with the 300 Series and upwards featuring all-solid tonewood construction.
Presentation Series – The top of the range series combines elegant class with exceptional playability. The latest models showcase West African stripped ebony milled at the Taylor facility in Cameroon. Other tonewoods include Sinker redwood which produces a bold and complex sound. Other features include a bevelled arm rest, Expression System 2 pickup and a deluxe hardshell case.
Koa Series – Koa is one of the most prized tonewoods in the acoustic guitar world. It has a very unique bright rich midrange chime and versatile as a top and/or back wood. It is also visually stunning with a highly figured golden honey colour.
900 Series – This most elegantly appointed model comes with a Sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides and is inlayed with paua/pearl on the fingerboard and headstock, whilst the body is bound with paua/koa. A bevelled armrest features as standard.
800 Series – One of the most popular tonewood combinations; Sitka spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides. Superb tone acoustically and plugged in through the Expression System 2 pickup.
700 Series – Features Lutz spruce or Sitka spruce with Indian rosewood back and sides. The subtler design allows the woods to do all the talking.
600 Series – Sitka spruce top and specially-voiced maple back and sides produces high end clarity and responsiveness.
500 Series – Tropical mahogany back and sides with a variety of tops; Sitka spruce, Lutz spruce, red cedar and tropical mahogany.
400 series – The 400 Series has always been about the combination of Sitka spruce top and ovangkol back and sides. However, a rosewood version was introduced as a limited run and, due to its popularity, has been part of the series ever since.
300 Series – The entry into the line-up of all-solid tonewood guitars features a Sitka spruce top with sapele back and sides or tropical mahogany top with Tasmanian blackwood back and sides.
200 Series – Grand Auditorium body shape in variety of woods and finishes. Solid tops with layered wood back and sides including a lightweight hardshell gigbag. Deluxe models feature an all-gloss finish and include a Taylor Deluxe case.
100 Series – The Taylor 100 series has a solid spruce top with layered walnut back and sides. Available in dreadnought and grand auditorium body sizes, this affordable series also comes in an extremely popular 12 string version; the Taylor 150e.
Academy Series – Affordable quality student guitars with some upgraded features including a bevelled armrest.
GS Mini – Introduced in 2006, the Taylor GS Mini is a modern-day parlour guitar with a huge voice! The GS Mini is equally comfortable around the camp fire, at home on the couch, and on the big stage. Several tonewood options are available including spruce/sapele, spruce/walnut, mahogany and koa. Electro models come equipped with the Taylor ES-B pickup featuring a built-in tuner. Includes a lightweight hardshell gigbag.
Baby Series – A seasoned veteran, the Baby Taylor has been in the product line up since the late nineties. Its compact form and portability makes it perfect for travelling, but it also a great student guitar for younger players. Available with a Sitka spruce or tropical mahogany top.
Nylon – Most series include a nylon stringed version.
Hybrid – The best of both worlds! Taylor’s T5 and smaller cousin, the T5z works as both a semi-hollow electric guitar and electro-acoustic. With bendable strings and an array of pickup options, the T5 is compatible with electric and acoustic guitar rigs alike.
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