Members Bluesfrog Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Ok, I've had it. I am going to file a law suit against Bob Taylor and his company if this ever happens again. Ok... so I walk into the guitar shop this morning. I say hi to the owner and run to the acoustic room, as usual. And I always have this feeling like I'm in a library (hahaha) when I go to a guitar shop... so I look around and try out the Alvarez OM style guitar I had gas for and a couple Alvarez 12 strings.... sounds great. I try a Gibson Advanced Jumbo and a J-45... a 1967 hummingbird, a sonoma, a J-185, a Super 200.... sounds good, but none really click... I pick up a Martin OM-18V... and think "whoa... this guitar is the lightest guitar I've ever picked up" stum a C and a Csus... ick... ::runs back to the string swing to put it up:: I pick up a D-28... sounds dead... I pick up a HD-35.... now that's what I'm talking about!!! but still... not a bang for the buck... ok ok.... what haven't I tried... ahh yes ::runs to back room:: Let me try the John Mayer OM-28.... nope.... ::picks up Graham Nash signature:: nice!!! clickity click click click!!! AAAAAH!!! ::puts it up:: price is overkill!!! Taylor JDCM... same here.... then I try a Martin LXM... now that thing is just plain ol' icky. Then I pick up a baby Taylor... a bit of a step up and less icky because of the solid top... but still... $239.00 for this thing?!?!? So I go an pick up a Taylor NS72ce (I think that was the model) with Brazillian Rosewood and play some Estaban.... (heh heh... not in my life)... I played some bluegrass on a nylon string and tried to sound like I knew what I was doing since I have no clue to play flemenco... so I made something up with an A minor chord and E which ended up turning into Gravedigger by Dave Matthews... I played LB's song Lurlene on a Rainsong... but I couldn't get used to looking at the ugly thing. So... ::walks over to the wall of Taylors:: I pick up a random Taylor for kicks and giggles... Me? Play a Taylor? Not in my life, buddy!!! You can't have the blues if you're playing a Taylor... That's why I play Gibsons and Martins... No... but I can be a Doyle Dykes/Chet Atkins/Mark Hansen/Leo Kottke/Tommy Emmanuel/Adrian Legg wanna be... I'm going to get to the point now. Ok, so I pick it up and strum a Gsus4 and I just notice it's in DADGAD.... that was the first time I ever played a guitar in DADGAD as I don't experiment beyond dropped D and D modal. So, the guitar was a Taylor 310ce L-3 30th Anniversary edition.... and man... I played Wheels and this thing literally stopped my heart and I found it hard to breathe... I think I spent 30 minutes playing Wheels over and over in DADGAD tuning and about 10 minutes just doing harmonics at the 12th fret.... I closed my eyes and played it and that guitar almost put me to sleep... I just felt such a warm feeling in my heart and I kept seeing people stare at me and I hugged the guitar.... I kept thinking "I can't leave the shop without this... do I want it or do I need it?!?? I NEED IT!!!" and I end up leaving at about 1:30 pm... I got there at 11 and spent an hour/hour and a half playing that one guitar... I have fallen in love. So... now we're headed for the big divorce... california style.... from hank to hendrix, I walked these streets with you, here I am with this old guitar... doin' what I do... can we get it together... ok, ok, I'm done. I need that Taylor 310ce L-3... I think it was $1349.00... Man, I've never had a guitar do that to me... ever before. And I never expected a Taylor to do that. That is the most well rounded guitar I had ever played in my life. I tried about 2 or 3 different Taylors and even another 310ce didn't sound anything like it... I did fall in love with a 355ce 12 string once and there was another 355ce and the one I liked sold before I could get it. I guess this L-3 is something special.... The high end Taylors feel to plasticy for me since I'm used to old beat up stuff. And no... I didn't take the guitar home. :( This gas is going to kill me one day... Cheers, Bluesfrog
Members FingerBone Bill Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Relax BluesFrog - it's the DADGAD, not the Taylor you've fallen for. DADGAD can almost make an Ovation sound good! (Almost)
Members Bluesfrog Posted July 16, 2004 Author Members Posted July 16, 2004 Originally posted by FingerBone Bill Relax BluesFrog - it's the DADGAD, not the Taylor you've fallen for. DADGAD can almost make an Ovation sound good! (Almost) I know, but I tuned the other 310ce to dadgad, a $200 chinese Alvarez, and a Martin D-28 and the L-3 still stands out...
Members Bluesfrog Posted July 16, 2004 Author Members Posted July 16, 2004 And if I had to play an Ovation, I might as well not play guitar at all. I can't stand bowl backs either...
Members FingerBone Bill Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Originally posted by Bluesfrog And if I had to play an Ovation, I might as well not play guitar at all. I can't stand bowl backs either... Careful, I only have room in my flame retardant tent for me!
Members Bluesfrog Posted July 16, 2004 Author Members Posted July 16, 2004 I hear the north face is having a sale.
Members Cams Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Could be good material for a blues song: Woke up this morning Feelin' kinda lame went into the guitar store to try and ease my pain Picked up a Martin Didn't sound so good Tried out a Gibson Wasn't in the mood What about a Taylor? But thinkin' 'I dunno I've heard those things are lame' perhaps I oughta go But I try one all the same to see how bad it sounds and WHOA, this thing's got tone it's almost out of bounds So off I go back home Feeling pangs of shame What was that? A TAYLOR???? It didn't seem so lame So now I like a Taylor and I'm feelin' REALLY down How'm I gonna tell my pals? They'll all think I'm a clown Perhaps it was the DADGAD Or because I was so low Should I tell my forum pals? Oh heck, I just don't know. Or something like that Cams
Members WilsonMak Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 My taylor is giving me arthritis... the neck is too thin
Members buddyboy Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Don't crole, Bluesfrog. She was just a saltine. There is yet another...
Members KennyBo Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Welcome to the club. I can't really claim to have fallen quite as much 'head over heels' as you did when you played the Taylor, but I still remember my first impression. I too had to have one. Well I saved my money and 1-2 years later did make my purchase for which I am very satisfied.
Members Bluesfrog Posted July 16, 2004 Author Members Posted July 16, 2004 I'm kind of scared because this isn't like the other ones... I'm scared to let it sit... I was thinking about handing them about $400 as a deposit. I'm too scared to buy a Taylor because they look too nice. I've always liked playing an old beat up acoustic and watching people's eyes pop out of their sockets when they hear my Martin roar.... and it doesn't purr like a Taylor... it roars. I tuned my Martin to DADGAD and it sounds good... but it's still not going to make it the perfect fingerstyle guitar. Sounds more like a 12 string since it has 3 day old 80/20s
Members 69lespaul Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 I got a kick out of your signature the first time I saw it .......so I remembered this old email I had gotten and thought I'd share it in case some of you haven't seen it......BTW If you love it....Buy IT ! Enjoy. How to Sing the Blues: 1. Most Blues begin, "Woke up this morning..."2."I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, 'less you stick something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the meanest face in town."3.The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes...sort of: "Got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and she weigh 500 pound."4.The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch - ain't no way out.5.Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport-Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft an' state-sponsored motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.6.Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.7.Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place that don't get rain.8.A man with male pattern baldness ain't the blues. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg 'cause you skiing is not the blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chomping on it is.9.You can't have no Blues in a office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.10.Good places for the Blues: a.highway b.jailhouse c.empty bed d.bottom of a whiskey glass Bad places: a.Dillard's b.gallery openings c.Ivy League institutions d.golf courses 11.No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'less you found it and slept in it.12.Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if: a.you older than dirt b.you blind c.you shot a man in Memphis d.you can't be satisfied No, if: a.you have all your teeth b.you were once blind but now can see c.the man in Memphis lived d.you have a 401K or trust fund 13.Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the blues.14.If you ask for water and your darlin' give you gasoline, it's the Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are: a.cheap wine b.whiskey or bourbon c.muddy water d.nasty black coffee The following are NOT Blues beverages: a.Perrier b.Chardonnay c.Snapple d.Slim Fast 15.If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse, and dying lonely on a broken down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or getting liposuction.16.Some Blues names for women: a.Sadie b.Big Mama c.Bessie d.Fat River Dumpling 17.Some Blues names for men: a.Joe b.Willie c.Little Willie d.Big Willie 18.Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Debbie, and Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.19.Make your own Blues name Starter Kit: a.name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.) b.first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon,Lime,Kiwi,etc.) c.last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.) For example, Blind Lime Jefferson, Jakeleg Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi")20.I don't care how tragic your life: if you own a computer, you can not sing the blues.
Members SilleeSpyder Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 Wow. Didnt realize DADGAD was so beloved by all of you. I love it myself. Most of my songs are written in DADGAD and in 3/4 timing. Some twin friends of mine just picked up a couple of Taylors (the $450-$500 ones) after having some horrible experiences with -you heard it- Estebans. They feel sooooooo good and sound great. It was funny playing the 'bans and the Taylors side by side and right after each other. I dont even know how to describe the difference -I suppose no explanation is needed.
Members hempomatic Posted July 16, 2004 Members Posted July 16, 2004 If it made that kind of impression buy it. It's only money. I felt pretty much the same way when I played my 314CE. My wife was a little pissed, but now that she's seen how I've thrown myself into this, she gets it. I've had 4 close friends play mine, all love it, and one just put a big chunk o' change down on a 615CE. ken
Members kwakatak Posted July 17, 2004 Members Posted July 17, 2004 Bluesfrog: What are you playing right now? I had a similar experience with a 414CE last year but I didn't want to risk getting slapped with a divorce!
Members JModius Posted July 17, 2004 Members Posted July 17, 2004 hey 69LP....thanks for the tutorial on blues singin'. Although, after reading it, I've realized I'm nowhere close!
Members Bluesfrog Posted July 17, 2004 Author Members Posted July 17, 2004 Originally posted by kwakatak Bluesfrog: What are you playing right now? I had a similar experience with a 414CE last year but I didn't want to risk getting slapped with a divorce! '73 Martin D-35 that has almost been Willie Nelsoned... not really, but it's halfway there, an old Gibson kalamazoo senior that is smashed/cracked(it was owned my great-grandfather), and an ovation that has fallen to pieces which I can use to paddle a boat... so I can't really say that I play it, per se... so the only thing I play is the Martin. Despite her looks, she packs a punch that can render the average person who can't stand the fire power of a martin that was played almost every day and outdoors at bluegrass festivals for 30 years, unconsious. The thing is, I do a lot of Neil Young songs and you know it really takes a Martin to do Neil Young, unless of course you're using a 12 string. Other than that, I need something for fingerstyle that can also kick out good leads and a little blues here and there. I hardly play in standard EADGBE except on my electrics... I just discovered DADGAD but I mostly keep my Martin in DADGBD... "Neil Young Modal" or D Modal.
Members Bluesfrog Posted July 17, 2004 Author Members Posted July 17, 2004 I can always keep the taylor in DADGAD or Standard... aaaah... I need a bunch of guitars for all these tunings and genres.
Members Blackwatch Posted July 17, 2004 Members Posted July 17, 2004 Comming back from a trip from France 4 years ago, someone on Air France figured they needed my cheap Yamaha FG 150 more than I did. I'd had the thing for 30 years, and I was heartbroken. So I decided to aquire a fine instrument. I picked up a Taylor 712 and fell in love. It was ridiculously expensive. I know some don't like them much, but this guitar has changed my life. I couldn't put the thing down and now I gig just about every weekend. There are nights when I play the thing softly and I can feel the vibrations go through me....And then I bought a resonator..........but that's another story........
Members Unk Posted July 17, 2004 Members Posted July 17, 2004 Bluesfrog man, if it ain't gonna put you in the poor-house, buy it. Go back and play it some more, then go back again. If lightning strikes each time you shouldn't pass it up. I agree that very often a single guitar among others of the same model can have that special sound. You'll be posting someday on the future Bluesfrog Guitar Forum about a guitar you wish you had gotten wayyyyy back when, and could very well be this Taylor 310.
Members guitarcapo Posted July 18, 2004 Members Posted July 18, 2004 I'd be kind of nervous about any guitar that sounds THAT good brand new. The top might be a little weak and when it ages it might change (usually to sort of bassy and muddy in a few years) I had a Taylor 710 CE that did that.
Members KennyBo Posted July 18, 2004 Members Posted July 18, 2004 Sorry for transitioning from the initial topic subject, but the DADGAD tuning has been mentioned in this thread. Yes, I have heard about this tuning before but never tried it. So after reading of it in this thread, I finally did try it. Unfortunately I failed to see what the benefits are? Can anybody make suggestions of where to learn more about this tuning?
Members FingerBone Bill Posted July 18, 2004 Members Posted July 18, 2004 Originally posted by KennyBo Sorry for transitioning from the initial topic subject, but the DADGAD tuning has been mentioned in this thread. Yes, I have heard about this tuning before but never tried it. So after reading of it in this thread, I finally did try it. Unfortunately I failed to see what the benefits are? Can anybody make suggestions of where to learn more about this tuning? It's a great tuning for fingerpickers. No good for strummers though. Playing in DADGAD has the advantage of giving the player open strings that can be left ringing to give a harp-like effect. Unlike normal "open" tunings it is neither major nor minor allowing the player to be able to move between either. Don't make the mistake of trying to play standard-tuning sounds with this tuning. Just have a play with some really simple (1 or 2 finger) chord shapes. You'll be amazed how rich it sounds.
Members kwakatak Posted July 19, 2004 Members Posted July 19, 2004 The thing I don't get is that nobody recommended a Martin 000-15 or a Larriv
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted July 19, 2004 Members Posted July 19, 2004 Originally posted by Bluesfrog I'm kind of scared because this isn't like the other ones... I'm scared to let it sit... I was thinking about handing them about $400 as a deposit. I'm too scared to buy a Taylor because they look too nice. I've always liked playing an old beat up acoustic and watching people's eyes pop out of their sockets when they hear my Martin roar.... and it doesn't purr like a Taylor... it roars. I tuned my Martin to DADGAD and it sounds good... but it's still not going to make it the perfect fingerstyle guitar. Sounds more like a 12 string since it has 3 day old 80/20s I can relate very well........... I too discovered a (used) Taylor 410 that stood apart from the others. This dread had quite a few dings..........but boy, does she "sing"! I've never had any regrets, + I can't see ever parting with her........... After all the guitars that you played, including the fact that you are used to a Martin D-35 (one of my favorite dreads).........and still feel the Taylor stood out...............BUY IT !!! :D
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