Taylor T5 Comes Out May 1st

NiceAlex · May 1st, 2005, 01:09 PM

As a huge Taylor fan I've been following the T5 Thinline Fiveway with much interest. I was wondering if anyone had some thoughts on it. Taylor site (www.taylorguitars.com) says it will be priced at $2598.00 (Spruce top) and $3,598.00 (Maple top)... but the site prices seem to always be higher than what they actually go for.

Wouldn't say i'm GASing for one but I was just wondering if anyone else was curious?

Joe-Bob · May 2nd, 2005, 12:44 AM

I saw and heard the Taylor rep playing one at CG about a month ago. He seemed to think they would sell for about $2300. The one he had was burgundy burst with a flame maple top. It looked and sounded great.

asatbender · May 2nd, 2005, 09:13 AM

does a review of one in the most current cd-rom they send with the mag. electric sounds were very good but to me the acoustic sounds were not that great. Just from what I heard on the cd-rom

reverbbb · May 2nd, 2005, 10:51 AM

The Taylor site used to have some great sound clips. But, they replaced them with video clips from the NAMM show. I liked the studio sound clips better than the live video clips.

I agree, the acoustic sounded fairly bright like a piezo would generate. Perhaps partly caused by the thin body. But man, the overdrive of the electric made me think Les Paul when I heard it. To think that you could get a decent approximation of an acoustic then jump into a driven guitar sound sounds like a wonderful concept to me. At least these are true pickup sounds and not a modeling chip. Hopefully, just as touch and amp sensative as we would expect from analog pups.

I am very eager to test drive one. I think that we are going to see a lot of these in the hands of pros & semi-pros first. Once the big names are using them a bunch, then I think they will catch on.

There are only a few innovations for the guitar that come along from time to time. Parker, Ovation, piezo, modeling and so forth. Some of these innovations are not widely accepted as a main-stream technology. The guitar world needs more innovations to keep it moving forward for this century. All the while, we still have the legacies of Leo, Rickenbacker, Bigsby and McCarty at our finger tips forever more.

I love the look of the T5. It is clear, that there was some passion that went into the development of this guitar technology. I sure hope that it lives up to the expectations and that it catches on as a main stream technology.

Joe-Bob · May 2nd, 2005, 10:55 AM

When I heard it, I thought the acoustic sounds were totally acceptable.

reverbbb · May 2nd, 2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe-Bob

When I heard it, I thought the acoustic sounds were totally acceptable.

You mentioned that you saw it at CG - did you mean GC? Either way, I'm bummed that I missed out on that demo.

reverbbb · May 26th, 2005, 12:00 AM

Well, I tried to like it. I found the blue one that has me all in tangles. Gorgeous guitar. The neck felt awesome. Like a Les Paul, it was a bit hard to hold while sitting. There was a slight string/fret buzz on the E & A strings in the blue one that I played. There was a distinctive peizo quality (I know, they have that new pickup system and they like to avoid calling it a peizo).

The sound was hard to figure out. Some positions sounded really good as an acoustic. But the "bridge" (treble) sounding switch location was dead centered. It was difficult to go from acoustic smoothness to electric drive. The idea is to have an A/B switch and route to two different amps. But in the middle of a song, you would have to kick the switch and flip the selector switch. The selector switch is located on the top side of the body, so this would not be a clean sweeping motion like you get on most electrics.

As I already mentioned, the finish was outstanding. Definately an "art" guitar. But the strings are strung near the body like most acoustics. Therefore, I can easily see nail scratches on the finish since there are no pickguards. The volume and tone knobs are in a nice location. Again, there is nothing to protect the finish of the guitar after years of knob adjustments (tiny decorative knobs).

I really wanted to love this guitar. If I bought based on looks alone (which I was real tempted), then this guitar would be sitting in my studio as I type this review. But my impression was that the price was too high for the sound utility IMO. It sounded good, but not great. It took to various amps very differently. On a Mesa LoneStar, it was predictable and shapable. On a Blues Jr, it was a bit bright and a little over the edge, but not by much. On a '59 Bassman RI, it sounded really bad - ice picky bright.

There is a lot of potential in this guitar. But it is not as plug and play as many time tested electrics. There were times when I felt like I was playing an import guitar with peizos (think Takamine). If this guitar had a street price of $800, it would wind up in many hands. At $1200, it would be bought as a novalty - but for the same money, the Line6 Variax 700 would be a first choice for me. At the price that they wanted for this luthier masterpiece ($2395), they are going to sell a lot based on the "if it costs a lot, it has to be good" perception. There are those who can afford novalties like this and never blink an eye. But for me, I would have felt bad in the morning after waking up and realizing that I spent so much money on a complex guitar that may or may not catch on to the masses.

I also played the beautiful Koa Wood version earlier this week. I thought my impressions were skewed because I was in a hurry. But tonight's test drive supported my impressions.

FWIW, IMO, YMMV, my $0.02 worth.

Colo Springs E · May 26th, 2005, 12:18 AM

....waited months for his, with great anticipation.

Once it arrived, he spent a couple of days with it. Couldn't find a useable tone within it.

Took it back to Elderly, got his money back. He was VERY disappointed.

Your mileage may vary...

-Eric

May 1st, 2005, 01:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
NiceAlex TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 60	Taylor T5 Comes Out May 1st As a huge Taylor fan I've been following the T5 Thinline Fiveway with much interest. I was wondering if anyone had some thoughts on it. Taylor site (www.taylorguitars.com) says it will be priced at $2598.00 (Spruce top) and $3,598.00 (Maple top)... but the site prices seem to always be higher than what they actually go for. Wouldn't say i'm GASing for one but I was just wondering if anyone else was curious? __________________ Oh Natasha, all I can do is write a song for you.

May 2nd, 2005, 12:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 3,893	I saw and heard the Taylor rep playing one at CG about a month ago. He seemed to think they would sell for about $2300. The one he had was burgundy burst with a flame maple top. It looked and sounded great. __________________ Music is the language of God.

May 2nd, 2005, 09:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
asatbender Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: ga Posts: 261	quitar one magazine does a review of one in the most current cd-rom they send with the mag. electric sounds were very good but to me the acoustic sounds were not that great. Just from what I heard on the cd-rom

May 2nd, 2005, 10:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
reverbbb Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Just Plano, Texas Age: 50 Posts: 3,709 34 Photos	The Taylor site used to have some great sound clips. But, they replaced them with video clips from the NAMM show. I liked the studio sound clips better than the live video clips. I agree, the acoustic sounded fairly bright like a piezo would generate. Perhaps partly caused by the thin body. But man, the overdrive of the electric made me think Les Paul when I heard it. To think that you could get a decent approximation of an acoustic then jump into a driven guitar sound sounds like a wonderful concept to me. At least these are true pickup sounds and not a modeling chip. Hopefully, just as touch and amp sensative as we would expect from analog pups. I am very eager to test drive one. I think that we are going to see a lot of these in the hands of pros & semi-pros first. Once the big names are using them a bunch, then I think they will catch on. There are only a few innovations for the guitar that come along from time to time. Parker, Ovation, piezo, modeling and so forth. Some of these innovations are not widely accepted as a main-stream technology. The guitar world needs more innovations to keep it moving forward for this century. All the while, we still have the legacies of Leo, Rickenbacker, Bigsby and McCarty at our finger tips forever more. I love the look of the T5. It is clear, that there was some passion that went into the development of this guitar technology. I sure hope that it lives up to the expectations and that it catches on as a main stream technology. __________________ "I come here to reflect a little."™ Myspace Guitarist P&W Forum

May 2nd, 2005, 10:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 3,893	When I heard it, I thought the acoustic sounds were totally acceptable. __________________ Music is the language of God.

May 26th, 2005, 12:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
reverbbb Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Just Plano, Texas Age: 50 Posts: 3,709 34 Photos	Well, I tried to like it. I found the blue one that has me all in tangles. Gorgeous guitar. The neck felt awesome. Like a Les Paul, it was a bit hard to hold while sitting. There was a slight string/fret buzz on the E & A strings in the blue one that I played. There was a distinctive peizo quality (I know, they have that new pickup system and they like to avoid calling it a peizo). The sound was hard to figure out. Some positions sounded really good as an acoustic. But the "bridge" (treble) sounding switch location was dead centered. It was difficult to go from acoustic smoothness to electric drive. The idea is to have an A/B switch and route to two different amps. But in the middle of a song, you would have to kick the switch and flip the selector switch. The selector switch is located on the top side of the body, so this would not be a clean sweeping motion like you get on most electrics. As I already mentioned, the finish was outstanding. Definately an "art" guitar. But the strings are strung near the body like most acoustics. Therefore, I can easily see nail scratches on the finish since there are no pickguards. The volume and tone knobs are in a nice location. Again, there is nothing to protect the finish of the guitar after years of knob adjustments (tiny decorative knobs). I really wanted to love this guitar. If I bought based on looks alone (which I was real tempted), then this guitar would be sitting in my studio as I type this review. But my impression was that the price was too high for the sound utility IMO. It sounded good, but not great. It took to various amps very differently. On a Mesa LoneStar, it was predictable and shapable. On a Blues Jr, it was a bit bright and a little over the edge, but not by much. On a '59 Bassman RI, it sounded really bad - ice picky bright. There is a lot of potential in this guitar. But it is not as plug and play as many time tested electrics. There were times when I felt like I was playing an import guitar with peizos (think Takamine). If this guitar had a street price of $800, it would wind up in many hands. At $1200, it would be bought as a novalty - but for the same money, the Line6 Variax 700 would be a first choice for me. At the price that they wanted for this luthier masterpiece ($2395), they are going to sell a lot based on the "if it costs a lot, it has to be good" perception. There are those who can afford novalties like this and never blink an eye. But for me, I would have felt bad in the morning after waking up and realizing that I spent so much money on a complex guitar that may or may not catch on to the masses. I also played the beautiful Koa Wood version earlier this week. I thought my impressions were skewed because I was in a hurry. But tonight's test drive supported my impressions. FWIW, IMO, YMMV, my $0.02 worth. __________________ "I come here to reflect a little."™ Myspace Guitarist P&W Forum

May 26th, 2005, 12:18 AM	#8 (permalink)
Colo Springs E Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 5,204 5 Photos	EmmittO over at the G&L enthusiast site.... ....waited months for his, with great anticipation. Once it arrived, he spent a couple of days with it. Couldn't find a useable tone within it. Took it back to Elderly, got his money back. He was VERY disappointed. Your mileage may vary... -Eric __________________ Think I'll pack it in and Buy a pickup Take it down to LA...