 LAST JUNE, I HAD THE HONOR OF SPENDING TWO
days at Taylor Guitars in San Diego, California,
as one of a small contingent of music journalists
from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany,
Norway, and Spain, invited to participate in
Taylor’s Build to Order program. This is a very
unique aspect of Taylor Guitars, in which you
can design your own guitar by choosing among
40 different categories of options—enough to
allow for virtually unlimited combinations of
body styles, woods, inlays, electronics, and
hardware.
We spent the first day touring the factory
with Bob Taylor, who showed us the entire
process of how Taylor guitars are made. Bob
explained in great detail how different woods
affect sound, and how they can be combined
with certain body styles to get exactly the
response you’re looking for as a player. We got
a thorough grounding in Taylor’s Expression
System from David Hosler (vice president of
quality assurance and customer service and
repair), and learned tons about the sonic qualities
of the different models and wood combinations
from Brian Swerdfeger—Taylor’s vice
president of marketing and sales.
 On day two, we got to choose the options
for the guitars that each of us were to order. It
was fun picking though sets of fine tone woods,
and once we’d all decided what kinds of woods to use for the backs, sides, and tops, we turned
our attention to selecting the best grain patterns,
and choosing the inlays, bindings, cutaway
styles, back stripes and end wedges, and
other elements. The guitar I designed is based
on a Grand Symphony style—Taylor’s first new
body style in over a decade—and features Madagascar
rosewood back and sides (a $2,000
upgrade), a sinker redwood top cut from a log
that been submerged for 150 years in Northern
California’s Petaluma river ($500 extra), a
24 7/8”-scale V carve neck, Adirondack CV
bracing, and figured koa binding, rosette, and
back wedge.
My Custom GS arrived recently, and what
a beauty it is. The woods look incredible,
the finish is flawless, and all of the cosmetic
attributes, including the lovely shell inlays
and rich koa bindings, are perfectly rendered.
The GS’s playability and sound match its
stunning looks. The V-carve neck feels awesome,
and the low action, polished frets, and
slightly shorter scale make for super easy
playability. The intonation is excellent too.
Chords sound in-tune wherever you finger
them, and the net result is a well balanced
and articulate sound with piano-like lows,
complex mids, and clear, sweet highs. The
dynamic response is outstanding. The Grand
Symphony body delivers impressive volume
when you need it, yet also responds to a light
touch with subtlety and nuance. This particular
combination of woods works very
well with the GS body style. The rosewood
back and sides provide tightness and punch,
and the redwood top sweetens the treble frequencies
without losing any clarity or sparkle.
 I’m extremely impressed by Taylor’s Build
to Order process, which, by offering an extensive
menu of items to choose from, makes it
easy to create a truly one-of-a-kind guitar. I
couldn’t be more pleased with how the Custom
GS turned out. It’s an ideal fingerstyle
guitar, and it would be great for singer-songwriters,
studio players, and anyone else who
has an appreciation for high-end acoustic tone
and the beauty of fine woods. The best part—
though not exactly for me—is that is we’re
going to be giving away this amazing guitar.
So if you want to take a shot at winning our
$7,760 Taylor Custom Grand Symphony, see
the details.
WIN THIS
GUITAR!
Taylor Guitar has been kind
enough to give GP readers a
chance to win this Art
Thompson-designed Custom
Grand Symphony. This
stunning guitar features
Madagascar rosewood back
and sides, a sinker redwood top,
Adirondack CV bracing, and
figured koa binding, rosette,
and back wedge.
To enter, send an e-mail
with your full name and
mailing address to
guitplyr@musicplayer.com.
Be sure to include the words
“Taylor Custom Giveaway” in
the subject line. Good Luck!
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