Guitar Shape Spotlight: The Grand Auditorium
July 7, 2017 - by Jim Kirlin - ArticlesThe Grand Auditorium is Taylor’s most popular body shape, thanks to a design that accommodates a full range of playing styles. As a medium-size shape, it’s physically comfortable to play, and it responds with a pleasing blend of volume, clarity…
Financing As A Guitar Buying Tool
May 22, 2017 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesJust like with other consumer goods, the holidays are a great time to score a sweet deal on an acoustic guitar, thanks to an array of financing programs. Here are a few tips to help you use financing to your…
8 Travel And Guitar Care Tips For Summer
May 19, 2017 - by Jim Kirlin - ArticlesTraveling with a guitar? Whether your summer plans include a vacation or staycation, the warmer weather can impact the condition of your guitar. Here’s how to keep your guitar healthy wherever you both end up. 1. If traveling by car,…
How Much Should I Spend For My First Acoustic Guitar?
February 9, 2017 - by Jay Parkin - ArticlesIt’s been said that the hardest part of any journey is the first step. Finding an appropriate acoustic guitar can seem like a complicated task for any first-time guitar buyer. There are many options, body styles, and price ranges to…
5 Tips For Traveling With Your Taylor
July 29, 2014 - by Jim Kirlin - Articles1. Know your airline policy. In the U.S., the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) permits you to bring your guitar as a carry-on or checked luggage. Here’s a link to the TSA website’s musical instrument page for more details. You…
FAQ: String Types And Gauges
February 28, 2014 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesQ: What strings does Taylor install on its guitars? Does the gauge matter, or should I use whatever feels best to me? A: Strings are very important — they can alter the playability and tone of your guitar. Since June 1,…
FAQ: Why Does My ES Go Hum?
July 23, 2013 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesA constant hum is usually a sign that there is a not a solid ground connection at the amplifier or audio device the guitar is plugged in to. If touching the metal end of the cable or the jack itself…
The Worst A Guitar Will Ever Sound
June 14, 2013 - by Bob Taylor - ArticlesQuestion: I’ve heard that the worst a guitar will ever sound is the day you take it home. This is due to the fact that, as a guitar ages, the wood hardens, giving it a better tonal quality over the…
Changing Strings
June 10, 2013 - by Bob Taylor - ArticlesQuestion: I have a Taylor 514ce using your recommended [Elixir] strings. To my unrefined ear, how do I know when it is time to change strings? -- Stanley J. Answer: Stanley, one of the best ways to know is to train…
Fast Neck
April 24, 2013 - by Bob Taylor - ArticlesQuestion: I own three Taylors: a 210e, a 414ce and a DN8e. The frequency of use is in that order. The back sides of the necks on the 210 and 414 behind the first and third frets feel a little…
Electrostatic “Charging”
April 1, 2013 - by Bob Taylor - ArticlesQuestion: I recently took the factory tour and enjoyed it. The electrostatic “charging” of the guitar to attract the [finish] intrigued me. Since wood is an insulator and not a conductor of electricity, how can you charge the guitar body?…
Fretboard Oil
March 29, 2013 - by Bob Taylor - ArticlesQuestion: On guitar chat forums people rave about the merits of using lemon oil to clean their guitar fretboards. Other people respond by saying that lemon oil is actually bad for the guitar. Can you shed some light on this? -- Claudio…
34 Easy Ways to Make Your Guitar Solos and Improvisations More Interesting by Shawn Persinger
July 10, 2012 - by Shawn Persinger - ArticlesOn first glance this list of “34 Easy Ways to Make Your Guitar Solos and Improvisations More Interesting: For All Levels, Styles and Situations” should seem obvious to many intermediate and advanced players. But a closer look will indicate that…
How to Learn New Chords and Create Your Own Chord Melodies by Shawn Persinger
June 1, 2012 - by Shawn Persinger - ArticlesWhen I was less experienced player and I wanted to add some new chords to my playing I would learn twelve new chords, find a use for one of them and forget the other eleven until the next time…
Using Dynamics In Your Strumming with Nate Savage
May 23, 2012 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesHave you ever been learning a new song or writing one of your own and thought to yourself “man… something is just missing from my playing”? Well, in this little article we are going to talk about dynamics and how…
Using Accents In Your Guitar Strumming with Nate Savage
May 7, 2012 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesThis lesson is going to take a look at adding accents to your strumming patterns. To do this we will take a look at a simple strumming pattern that will uses some basic accents. Throwing accents into your strumming patterns…
Developing Your Guitar Strumming Timing with Nate Savage
May 7, 2012 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesYou don’t have to be the world’s greatest strummer to make great sounding music. In fact, if you can play a simple strumming pattern solid and in time it will make you sound like a real pro. In this lesson…
Teaching Kids to Rock: Inside the Center for Creative Youth
April 10, 2012 - by Shawn Persinger - ArticlesSince 2009 I have had the privilege of teaching music at the prestigious Center for Creative Youth in Middletown, Connecticut. CCY is a five-week pre-college residential program on the campus of Wesleyan University, now in its 36th year, which emphasizes…
The Constant Strumming Technique with Nate Savage
April 4, 2012 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesAs guitar players strumming is our bread and butter. Having said that, there are a several simple things that we can do to make our strumming sound like a million bucks. In this series, I am going to show you…
What is the Most Common Chord Progression in the World? with Shawn Persinger
April 4, 2012 - by Shawn Persinger - ArticlesThe Ubiquitous I V vi IV Chord Progression. I am quite aware that this topic has been covered several times in other on-line music blogs and lessons; The Axis of Awesome has gone as far as to write…
Classical Guitar Update
March 26, 2012 - by Bob Taylor - ArticlesQuestion: I was fascinated by your article about building a classical guitar and wanted to know what progress has been made on that project. -- Robert Wheeler Answer: Robert, we’ve made some progress in the area of “thinking,” which is…
Latin Guitar Grooves with Wayne Johnson
March 23, 2012 - by wayne.johnson - ArticlesI’m excited to share one of my favorite guitar-playing techniques: a Latin rhythm fingerstyle pattern with percussive effects. I first learned the “coolness” of independent right hand thumb and finger playing from lessons with Mick Goodrick, a jazz guitarist and instructor at…
Rhythm Changes (Evolution)
March 22, 2012 - by Shawn Persinger - ArticlesHere's a lesson I wrote while teaching my Swing Guitar class at Guitar Intensives Camp last year. One wonders if George Gershwin ever imagined the countless variations, permutation and straight-up imitations his song “I’ve Got Rhythm” was to spawn when…
Slowly But Surely
February 15, 2012 - by Shawn Persinger - ArticlesBecoming a great guitar player requires serious dedication, but with busy lives, most of us don’t have enough time. Don’t be discouraged. Even minimal practice will lead to steady progress. When I meet new people in a social setting, inevitably I’m…
Working on an 810 from 1976
February 9, 2012 - by Taylor Guitars - ArticlesToday in the Customer Service Center, we’re working on a Taylor 810 from 1976, which was one of the guitars Bob and Kurt built during the year the company made the switch from being the Westland Music Company to Taylor…