Taylor Guitars

Infobox Company
company_name = Taylor Guitars
company_
thumb|The_Taylor_logo.]
company_type = Private
genre = Guitars
foundation = 1973
founder = Bob Taylor
location_city = El Cajon, California
location_country = USA
location =
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num_employees = over 550
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homepage = [http://www.taylorguitars.com www.taylorguitars.com]
dissolved =
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Taylor Guitars is an El Cajon California‐based luthier, widely known for their quality acoustic guitars.

History

In 1973, at age 18, Bob Taylor began working at American Dream, a small guitar-making shop owned by Sam Radding, where Kurt Listug was already an employee. In 1974 Sam Radding decided to sell the business. Taylor and Listug became partners along with Steve Schemmer and bought American Dream which they renamed Westland Music Company hoping to conjure the image of a larger company in the minds of the public. Needing a more compact logo suitable for the guitars' headstock, the founders decided to change the name to Taylor as it sounded more American than Listug and because as Kurt Listug put it, "Bob was the real guitar-maker." Listug became the businessman of the partnership for which he was to prove well suited while Taylor concentrated on design and production. Taylor and Listug expanded their small shop into a major guitar manufacturing company while maintaining creative control and ownership. As of 2008 Taylor Guitars has more than 550 employees. The factory is located in El Cajon, California with worldwide distribution. A second plant has been opened 40 miles away in Tecate, Mexico where the smallest guitars of the Taylor line, the Baby and Big Baby, are made along with the Taylor guitar cases. All other Taylor guitars are made in El Cajon, California. Taylor's corporate office is located in El Cajon, California.

R Taylor

In 2005, Bob Taylor set up a separate company which is dedicated to making a small number of ultra-premium acoustic guitars available via a few select dealers within the US. The R Taylor workshop is located in a separate facility next to the main Taylor factory in El Cajon, which has enabled R. Taylor to draw upon an extensive supply of top grade wood as well as a highly skilled workforce. R. Taylor otherwise remains an entirely independent operation.

Product range

In 2007 Taylor restructured its range into six categories:
* Acoustic/Electric models (with cutaway)
* Acoustic models
* Electric models
* Presentation Series
* 100/200 Series
* Baby TaylorsLeft-handed versions are available on all models at no extra charge.

Acoustic/Electric models

* Dreadnought (x10)
* Grand Concert (x12)
* Grand Auditorium (x14) - Also available in 12-string (x54)
* Jumbo (x15) - Also available in 12-string (x55)

Each model includes a cutaway and is equipped with the Taylor Expression (pickup) System.

Naming Conventions
The numbers for the body style above combine with the series number to create the product number. For example, a 314ce is a 6-string 300-series guitar with a Grand Auditorium body style, cutaway and electronics (Expression System).

Presentation Series

The pinnacle of the Taylor line, the Presentation Series guitar is built using Taylor's oldest and finest master-grade wood including the rare and increasingly expensive Brazilian rosewood, considered by many to be the ultimate tonewood. Available in all body styles and as a 6 or 12-string, each guitar can be tailored to an individual's requirements.

100/200 Series

* Dreadnought (x10)
* Grand Auditorium (x14)

Taylor's entry-level guitars

Naming Conventions
The numbers for the body style above combine with the series number to create the product number. For example, a 214e is a 200-series guitar with a Grand Auditorium body style and electronics.

Baby Taylors

Considered to be travel guitars, the Baby Taylor is 3/4 size of a conventional dreadnought guitar with the Big Baby being 15/16 size of a dreadnought.

Construction

Taylor guitars are made with a patented bolt-on neck; the NT neck (new technology). It differs from other necks, whether bolt-on or glued, by supporting the fretboard all the way to the 19th fret with a continuous piece of wood. The standard practice is to support the fretboard up to the fourteenth fret with the unsupported portion being glued to the constantly moving soundboard. The NT neck fits into a pocket on the top of the guitar body with the desired angle being achieved by small, accurately milled neck spacers (shims). After time, some guitars require the neck angle to be realigned (referred to as a neck reset). This process is greatly simplified by allowing the replacement of different sized neck spacers to return the neck to the required angle.

Taylor's proprietary pickup system, the Expression System consists of a patented humbucking induction pickup mounted in the neck and a pair of dynamic soundboard transducers wired to an on board preamplifier designed by Rupert Neve. The first generation system was powered by a pair of AA batteries. Starting in 2007 the electronics use a 9-volt battery.

References

External links

* [http://www.taylorguitars.com/ Taylor Guitars]
* [http://www.mydustycorner.co.uk/TaylorGuitars_Specs_2007.pdf Taylor Guitars 2007 Specifications] Full details of all Taylor models
* [http://www.mydustycorner.co.uk/TaylorGuitars_Models_Numbering.pdf Model Numbering Guide to 2006 Taylor Guitars]