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The Trad versus The Rad
By admin | December 12, 2007
Guitar makers and enthusiasts are full of tradition. Its no mystery, really - some of the greatest guitars available on the market today are being made in the same facilities using the same techniques, even some of the same people for the last 30-40 years! And when we pick up those instruments, something about the way they feel or the tone or the comfort of the neck… it just feels right. I had that experience in a guitar shop not too long ago when I picked up a Martin D-35: the ebony fretboard played like butter, the spruce and East Indian Rosewood sang to me. I could have played that guitar for hours. Unfortunately, however, the particular model I was playing I don’t think I would ever actually BUY, simply because I wouldn’t really use it as much as that guitar deserves to be used! I play live at least once a week, and I need something that not only has built-in electronics and/or a preamp, but I also need something that on a practical level is going to hold up well against the rigors of transporting my instruments. That D-35 sounded incredible, and I enjoyed picking it up, but I don’t think I would have walked to the register with it.
There are few guitar makers that can rival that classic Martin acoustic tone, especially unplugged. I’ve heard it said many a time that a true test for an acoustic is what it sounds like with no bells and whistles, and certainly Martin would rank quite high in that argument. They continue to produce high quality acoustic guitars, and much like the Stratocaster, the types and methods remain largely unchanged. The trick is, I think, to produce something that maintains your tradition while still ensuring that people are buying your product.
Without further ado, I give you Taylor guitars. Certainly, Taylor and Martin have been in competition for years now, and there are those “brand purists” out there who would sell their firstborn before they would even consider buying a guitar brand different then what they have bought their entire life. But as far as me personally, I am much more likely to actually walk to the register with a Taylor than a Martin. Now, certainly there are other options as well when you are looking at the high end acoustic-electric market, such as Breedlove, Larrivee, Avalon, even Guild and Gibson have some models that can rival these high end acoustic manufacturers. But at the end of the day, its about buying what meets my needs. With guitar technology in an ever-increasing incline (ESPECIALLY in the acoustic market), I want something that is what I want tonally but is still at the forefront of new technology.
I give you the Taylor T5. What an impressive little machine this guitar is! From acoustic to jazz, blues to hard rock, country to folk, this guitar can perform. Now, I’ve NEVER been a fan of the hybrid guitar, until I actually heard what this thing was capable of from a tone standpoint. Not only was it unique and different, but the tonal range went from thick and rich (Les Paul-ish) to glassy and smooth (Strat/Telly-ish) to sounding like a GIANT body jazz guitar, and back full circle to sounding like a fine Taylor acoustic. Truly this is a pioneering instrument with a whole different mentality then the Taylors before it. Taylor’s website even has what they call a T5 Soundcheck, where you can here the Taylor through several different amps, change the pickup settings, even change the model of T5, and get a good feel for what it is going to sound like.
Out in January of ‘08 are the first round of real live Taylor solid body electrics, complete with new pickup configurations, new awesome colors, and new attitudes to go along with it. I fully expect these guitars to be of the same caliber and quality as all the Taylors preceding them, and while I’m sure they won’t be the cheapest electrics on the market, I think they could have an instant impact. The electric market is huge, and filled with even more tradition then the acoustic market I think, but Taylor has enough of a following to where people are going to want to get these guitars in their hands and ultimately take them home.
Certainly Martin is no less of a guitar then Taylor, but clearly Taylor has the more pioneering spirit, which I think will lead to more success for them. The fact is that the modern guitar is changing, and personally I’m looking forward to it.
But I will always love a great sounding Strat. 