Guitar players ... help with Taylor purchase !!

[Finbar]

As with all decisions in my life I need advice from others to help me come to a conclusion.
I have always drooled over Taylor guitars, but never even had anywhere close to enough money to consider buying one. Now the opportunity has presented itself for me to purchase a guitar, and after 9 years of pondering I think I am going to do it.
The problem: I am having a hard ( and guilty) time justifying spending that kind of $ on an instrument.
Any players out there who would like to talk Taylor and help me get through this?

I had convinced myself of a 514-ce. Buy at local shop for $2143
Then found same guitar online for $1700.
The found many and all used Taylor up to 900 series for same price as new 514. So what would you do?

-String less in Seattle

p.s. maybe I should buy a new keyboard for the pc that has a working "n" key.

[Skittles]

1. someone answer Finbar or I will kick your ass

I know nothing about guitars :(

[Finbar]

11. Thanks Skittles

[CrownPrinceBandar]

2. Don't do it........

Save yerself a few hundred bucks and buy yourself a Martin D-15. Mahogany top and sides, every bit as warm as a 514.

http://www.mguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=m&m=D-15

I'm also really disappointed in the construction of the Taylors I have seen/played. They feel very clunky and poorly-made to me. The Martins I've played, however, have all felt very solid and sturdy.

Anyway, just my $.02.

[Finbar]

6. well.. I've played a Sigma for 12 years. It was cheap around

$250 at the time and been very happy with it. I just fell i love with the Taylor the 1st time I played it. Had never heard of it before, I played 2 in a shop in Raleigh. The guy there said " your pretty good.. what do you think about the guitars?" He said one was a little cheaper than the other, the more expensive one was $3400! (Carefully put guitar back on rack).
Don't even give me other options or it will take me another few years to decide.

The used ones are from sellers on ebay. All the ones I looked at were offering return options to the seller. They seemed to be straight forward, private sellers.

By the way, I'm in NC.

[asthmaticeog]

3. Please do not buy an instrument online.

Unless it's returnable for free, with a generous window of opportunity for return, certainly no less than 30 days. If you've gone to the shop and played the 514 enough that you're satisfied it's the instrument for you, buy *the one* you played at the shop. I have friends who've been bitten pretty hard on the ass by mail-ordering or online-buying instruments they've never handled, and even a superb company like Taylor can overlook one of the zillions of little construction details that can emerge as problematic after you've sat down to play for a bit, and there can even be a big difference in the feel of the neck from one guitar to the next. No luthier is lemon-proof.

And BTW, don't feel guilty spending good money on a fine instrument. I used to be a big proponent of cheap beater electric guitars, but once I figured out all the money I was spending on dozens of beaters over the years could have gotten me two excellent instruments, I plunked down the cash and never looked back. $2,000 is a good threshold, too - there's a diminishing returns thing that happens above the $3,000 price-point -- unless you're talking about a hand-carved craft archtop or something, but you could buy a car or two for that kind of cash.

edit: I cnat' spel

[Aiptasia]

15. Ditto on this

I wouldn't ever buy an instrument online, especially a guitar, without a rock solid return policy. There's a lot of variation in guitars, even on the same production run. Taylors are expensive, hand made instruments, and I guarantee you that some of them will play and feel fantastic and some will play like a brick with strings on it.

You'll also need to look out for the fret job, electronics (if that model has any), nicks and scratches and possibly a warped neck or two if you're going to deal with a used model online. Even a used guitar, i'd want to at least put my hands on it and play it before buying it.

If you're going to fork out that much money for any instrument, you might as well pay a little extra from a local retailer for the peace of mind of getting a guitar that both plays and feels good.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. Actually another DU'er I know just bought this guitar online, sight unseen

and it is better than any I have seen in stores, with collectors or with private parties. Probably the nicest sweetest acoustic I've ever played:




and it wasn't cheap

[musette_sf]

21. if it's the right year

you can't go wrong with a J-200.

[Crabby Appleton]

16. I'll never buy online guitar again

I've bought several guitars (spent $5000 in the last 18 months) online but never will again, had more trouble with the shipping company (FedEx) than the retailer. The online retailers like Music123 really don't pack them very well and FedEx will beat the crap out of it, the last one I got was dropped from the top shelf of the delivery truck to the floor. You can get damage to glued joints that takes awhile to discover. It is very aggravating to try to resolve.

[Finbar]

19. won't shipping insurance cover things like this?

[Swamp Rat]

4. Buy a used instrument if possible

If the guitar is in good shape (no warped neck or table, loose ribs or frets, no seriously worn frets, etc.), and sounds good to you, buy a used one. If it has been taken care of properly and been played often, it will often sound better than a new, green instrument. My best sounding guitar is the oldest and most used - a 1975 Ramirez.

Martin and Taylors are over-priced, but very good factory instruments. I'd buy either one as a used instrument, for less, or look for a luthier in your area (there are many near you along the West Coast). A guitar made by a local luthier has many benefits: it supports small artisans, it supports innovation and the art of guitar making itself, and you will be very happy to have a unique instrument made by someone whom you've met in person. If you have it, it is worth the extra investment.

[bbernardini]

5. Get the Taylor. Mike Keneally (former Zappa sideman) endorses them!

I'm not a particularly good guitarist, but the Taylors I've played have been the best feeling guitars I've ever worked with, and every one I've heard sounds spectacular (especially in the hands of Mr. Keneally). From what I understand, Taylor puts a lot of care and hard work into their instruments.

[Floogeldy]

7. From a financial standpoint, I would have to know more about the situation

From a musician's standpoint, you will probably get an unmeasurable amount of joy from the instrument.

It is your call. ;)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. I own a Taylor 614-ce

Are you sure it is the exact same guitar? The electronics have changes over the years. Mine was made with a Fishman transducer originally as it was a prototype for what later became their Doyle Dykes custom model. The main thing I would do with a Taylor is buy it from an authorized dealer; one that can do maintenance on the guitar for you if you are purchasing a guitar with electronics.

The newer models of the acoustic electric are made with a form of electronics known as the Taylor Expression System which is really a breakthrough in acoustic electronics...so you may be buying the same model online but the YEAR makes a difference.

The main thing you should know is that shops have a lot of wiggle room on the price. If you can get it online and it's the same model for 1700., then the shop (or another Taylor dealer) can sell it to you for the same price.

Hope that helps.

BTW, I have owned Martins but prefer the neck of my 614 much more. The ebony fretboard is nice a soft and creates a wonderful tone both plugged and unplugged. The 514 has a mahogany neck which is a bit harder.

It really depends on what you're playing...if you're mostly into chords, then the Martins are nice, but if you play fingerstyle, chord melodies or lead, then I think the Taylor is a much more versatile guitar with a prettier tone.

BTW, I have a friend who is one of the larger Taylor dealers here in OC (aside from Guitar Center) so he gets good prices..he used to do a lot of the custom work for Bob Taylor before they were mass produced. I'd be happy to contact him and see what the bottom line price is for that guitar with the newer electronics and with a hard case. He does ship anywhere.

[Finbar]

10. No they are older years.

But I can't forsee myself playing plugged in enough to matter what electronics are in there. It is not the expression system, but the fishman pickup. I didn't know about the fretboard difference.
I like some of the older Taylors. Some older 514s have a pearl inlay around they sound hole that looks awesome.
Give your buddy a call and see what the price is shipping to NC.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. I don't think it's pearl, it's usually abalone

I'll be glad to check. I think even though the list price is something ridiculous on Taylor's site, you can get a brand new one for slightly more

[Robeson]

9. Check out Pawn shops. They're a great source. Saw a band last week...

...and the basist was playing a Hofner bass. Best sounding bass I've heard in person. He said he got it down the street at a pawn shop for $25.00. That's right, $25.00.

[leftofthedial]

13. IMHO, one needs to physically play an acoustic guitar before buying

and buy based on how it "feels" and sounds to you while you are playing it.

Even with factory guitars, there is enough variation from one to the next, even with the same model, that they can play and sound very different.

Unless you are dead certain that you will like a guitar you've never seen, I'd suggest you choose from the guitars you can try out.

[B3Nut]

14. I second that.

You need to find the one that gels with you. Also, I'd pay a little more to buy from a good local shop that gives them a good setup before putting them out. I bought my 314ce at Elderly up in Lansing, MI. It was an expensive guitar, but I don't regret it a bit, the tone and feel are superb. I played a bunch of guitars and this particular one just sang, I knew it was "the one."

A 514ce is a good choice, I especially like some of the older 514's that had cedar tops. You can get a universe of tonal colors out of a cedar top playing fingerstyle.

But go and play a bunch...you'll be glad you did when you find "the one."

Todd in Beerbratistan

[Metta]

17. I'd approach the guys in town with the on line info and give them a chance

to make a comparable offer and pick it up from there.

[LaCrosseDem]

20. never ever buy a gee-tar without playing it first

[musette_sf]

22. go to the local shop

and find out what they will take for cash up front payment.

cash talks in music shops.

[Finbar]

23. I am a bad haggler n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

24. I checked with my friend re the guitar in the shop

He doesn't have any used ones but said the price is steep because the old ones aren't in demand due to the obsolete electronics. He said you should attempt to get the online deal from the dealer (music shop) or at least close to it.

As far as buying guitars online, you can check the record of the seller. If they've got a high rating, odds are the guitar is good.