Taylor Nine-String

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/limiteds/35thAnniversary/9String/

Huh,

First thought: kinda cool.
Second thought, if I'm strumming triads or other pieces of chords or even playing individual notes, isn't it going to sound a little odd?
Third thought: I haven't heard any large outcry for nine-string guitars, did I miss an earth shattering cry?

Could be cool. I guess I could try it out by removing three strings from my 12-string. Seeing it, I was reminded of Martin's 7-string Roger McGuinn model (http://www.martinguitar.com/artists/display_artist.php?d=296) (octaved G string).

Yes, I know people often remove one treble E from 12-strings, so why not remove a few more?

I used to have one of these! Not a Taylor though... Alvarez made a model in the 80's. Great guitar, I miss it all the time. They are extremely rare, but still pop up once in a blue moon. I have a friend in Colorado who still owns one. Very cool for solo singer/songwriter types of performance and recording. Really fills things out.

The old blues guys often removed the 3 double strings on E B G (Lonnie Johnson)...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IWqfvyO_nw8/RyhDbu4T7XI/AAAAAAAAClk/JVymFBlpbXw/s400/Ljohnson.jpg

...or added strings to the lower E A D (Big Joe Williams)... this is not a new idea...

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1187062/a/Nine+String+Guitar+Blues.htm

http://tweedsblues.net/trader/ninestring.html

the guitar is meant for Nashville tuning - named after a recording technique used in Nashville recording studios ...Simply put, Nashville tuning is tuning a guitar to the "other half" of a 12-string, and when played together with a conventionally tuned 6-string guitar, the two together create a 12-string sound. This is done by tuning the lower four strings (G - Low E) an octave higher than usual, while leaving the first two strings (high E and B) unchanged. This requires different string gauges than usual.A Nashville tuned guitar can be used by a second guitarist in an ensemble without fear of treading on each other's sonic space, and creating a really full rhythm sound.While it is usually used together with a conventionally tuned guitar, it can also be used solo.

That's a more elegant solution than the Andy Tielman did in the 1960s:

http://indorock.pmouse.nl/jazzm6.jpg

I believe Vox had a teardrop-shaped nine string electric back in the late Sixties...not sure if it was the top three or bottom three that were paired.

Ah, here it is...http://voxshowroom.com/us/guitar/mk9.html