Taylor Guitars Are Over Rated...

This is a true story.

February 2004, I walked into Grandma's Music in Albuquerque, NM . I had always wanted a Taylor . I liked the way they looked and thought they sounded amazing. My wife talked me into buying a 714CE with the new ES (this was the first year of Taylor 's "Expression System"). After I took it home and started to "get to know" this new guitar, I soon became quite disappointed with the "sound" of the ES. I thought it sounded "Nasally", like it was having phasing issues depending on where you were at on the fretboard. The sound was also very harsh and brittle sounding. (The guitar sounded amazing unplugged).

I also became aware of certain static pops when using the ES. I figured it was me or my set up, or perhaps the dry New Mexico weather? I lived with it. I called Taylor Customer Service and they recommended the TRS (tip ring sleeve) cable. That didn't help. I narrowed the "popping" down to my particular percussive playing style. When the guitar string came in contact with the 20th fret (the fret just above the string sensor) a static pop could be heard in the amplifier. This static pop could be produced again in about 20 seconds. Apparently a charge was being build up between the string sensor and the 20th fret. Once again I called Taylor Customer Service and reported my findings. They suggested several solutions, none of which worked. I figured I bought a lemon until I went back to Grandma's music store and tried all the other Taylor's that had the ES. They ALL POPPED!! I went across town to the other Taylor store and experimented on their Taylor guitars with the ES. They to all popped!! I started scaring customers away. They asked me to leave! I got on the internet and asked other Taylor ES owners to experiment with this phenomenon…many reported back with the exact same findings. I wrote Bob Taylor a letter and explained to him my situation and my experimentation procedures. He wrote back and asked me to please keep this under my hat, and that their engineers were aware of this and were on top of it. I replied that I wanted my money back. He offered me a custom built guitar instead. I said OK J. So I ordered a 714 (without the cutaway) with the older Fishman Blender.

About 2 months later my new Taylor 714 shows up !! Awesome!! Sounds great plugged in and unplugged! Finally!!! But wait…there is a problem. I couldn't adjust my action with the truss rod to correct the fret buzz. Hhmm ?? I take the guitar in to Grandma's Music and they look at it and point out that the neck is twisted. I call Taylor Customer Service and report to them what Grandma's said….they said send the guitar back….so I did. About 6 weeks later the guitar shows up on my doorstep with a new neck. YEAH !!! Finally !! I play this guitar for about a month or so and "lo and behold" if THIS NECK doesn't twist also !!!! EERRGG!!! This is getting old!!!!!! During this timeframe I was doing a gig when all of a sudden the guitar made this loud bang and I lost my tuning…just out of the blue???? I retuned and finished the gig. I called Taylor Customer Service once again (I'm on a first name basis with these guys now) and tell them about this neck being twisted also. They said send it back…so I did.

A few days after the guitar arrives back at the Taylor factory, I get a call saying that "the neck is indeed twisted and that one of the bracings is broke??" (I remembered back to that night when the guitar lost it's tuning). They're asking me, "What are you doing with this guitar ??? I'm like, "NOTHING?!?!" So they fix the guitar and put on the third neck.

After about a full year, I finally have a Taylor that I can play. This current neck is not perfect mind you. I can point out a small twist…but to be honest with you, I'm sick and tired of dealing with it…and with Taylor in general. I'm pretty sure they're tired of me also. I'll eventually sell this guitar on EBAY.

I'm sure that now the bugs in that first Expression System's design have been fixed. I have experimented with some of the newer guitars and have not seen this problem lately. If you have a Taylor with the Expression System and you want to give it a try to see if your guitar exhibits this problem, plug it in and set the amp/PA to a normal listening volume and simply push one of your guitar strings down until it touches the 20th fret and listen…you'll know right then and there…

Personally I think Taylor's are over rated. I have a 1995 Martin 000 and have never even had to make a neck adjustment. What a contrast.