Taylor Guitars

[firewire2001]

Hey,

I will soon be purchasing a Taylor Guitar. Guitars are characterized by type of wood and then by the body of the guitar. I have decided on the wood of the guitar (specifically the 7 series which has a Rosewood back and sides), but I have a few questions I am trying to resolve.

First, beyond aesthetics and the comfort of the player, what are the differences in the sound produced by the different types of guitar bodies (dreadnaught, jumbo, etc.)?

Second, I was considering purchasing a Taylor acoustic guitar ("non-electric") with Expression System (ES) pickups, which cost extra. Is there a notable difference in the quality of the sound, either amplified or not, between an acoustic guitar with expression system and an acoustic/electric guitar that comes with the expression system stock? Will an acoustic guitar with the expression system sound better than its acoustic/electric counterpart because it does not have a cutaway?

Thanks!

 

[pianoman181]

Why Taylor? Do you particularly like these more than other brands for some reason.

I find Taylors to be extremely bright and sparkly. Martins, on the other hand, to my ear tend to be darker, and richer, but not muddy. Yamaha's are somewhere in between, closer to Taylor. All the other brands are all over the place, too. So I guess I'm curious as to why you want a Taylor. I'm personally not a fan, I love the sound of Martins, personally.

As far as the sonic differences between say a dreadnaught and cutaway, I would recommend simply getting what you find more comfortable. Sonically, it will not make a tremendous difference, especially if you are talking about guitars that are otherwise rather similar in tonewood.

 

[firewire2001]

Why Taylor? Do you particularly like these more than other brands for some reason.

I find Taylors to be extremely bright and sparkly. Martins, on the other hand, to my ear tend to be darker, and richer, but not muddy. Yamaha's are somewhere in between, closer to Taylor. All the other brands are all over the place, too. So I guess I'm curious as to why you want a Taylor. I'm personally not a fan, I love the sound of Martins, personally.

As far as the sonic differences between say a dreadnaught and cutaway, I would recommend simply getting what you find more comfortable. Sonically, it will not make a tremendous difference, especially if you are talking about guitars that are otherwise rather similar in tonewood.

Having carefully tried more than a dozen guitars, I decided that I most enjoy the Taylor sound.

Also: While Martins are indeed known for having darker tones, certain Taylor guitars are comprable such as the 500 series which makes use of Mahogany wood, especially if equipped with certain brands of strings (e.g. Martin strings).

Moreover, Taylor has a sophisticated pickup system head and shoulders above most other acoustic pickups that leads many artists to choose Taylors.

 

[mperkins37]

I own a 655ce with expression, & I love it. the jumbo body is full sounding & lush. I went with the maple back & sides for definition & brightness as it's a 12 string.

 

[JHacker]

I have a Taylor 314ce and I love it. Just a great sound coming from it. It has the Expression System in it and it sounds fantastic when I'm playing through a PA with my band. Sound guys love when they hear I'm using the ES. At my last show I said to the guy "so you know how to make it sound good then right?" and he responded "all you have to do is plug it in and it sounds good."

As far as your question about the cutaway, I'm not sure if I know what you mean. If you meant cutaway vs noncutaway and amplified, you're really not going to notice much of a difference in sound. I prefer a cutaway because I like having access to the higher frets, but just do whatever you prefer because it's going to sound great anyway.
EDIT: re-read your question and if you get an acoustic with the expression system then added to it, it's the same as just buying it with it in the first place. Same system, no difference in sound. I would definitely buy an acoustic/electric aka CE from the start.

My next Taylor is going to be a Rosewood GS with a cutaway.

 

[Xenious]

I'd guess that having a larger body would make a deeper sound and the density of the wood will darken or lighten the tone. The cutaway vs non wouldn't likely affect it much except for accessibilty of the upper frets.

I can't comment on the expression system, but you've got me interested and I'm going to go check it out.