Taylor T5

[Oskar]

Has anyone played one of these, or even better, does anyone own one? They sure do look great. Am planning to try one before buying, but curious as to what the negatives are, if any.
Thanks.

[ROADMAN]

I'm with you on wanting to try one...they are sweet looking guits. No doubt
the quality is right up there. I own a Taylor acoustic and love it. I'd check
Craigslist or Ebay before buying new , they come up regularly and you'll save a bundle.

[Oskar]

I've been scouring ebay & craig, but was wondering if anyone has one or has played one. I really don't want to have to buy it "blind."

[telel6s]

Originally Posted by ROADMAN

I'm with you on wanting to try one...they are sweet looking guits. No doubt
the quality is right up there. I own a Taylor acoustic and love it. I'd check
Craigslist or Ebay before buying new , they come up regularly and you'll save a bundle.

I've played a couple in stores and they are made very well. Sounded good for the five minutes of noodling I did.

I would think that used is the way to go on these as they are likely bought more as a tool for particular project or band than as a life-long investment. People often buy their true acoustics with the idea they will keep them for years and years, whereas I think the T5 is more of a performance tool.

[buddywayne]

I hope someone tries one and posts about it. Or maybe not. I have too much
gas as it is.

[BellyBoy]

My buddy bought one, it's beautiful guitar... BUT it doesn't sound like an acoustic , it sounds like an electric trying to sound like an acoustic... we worked with that guitar for a couple of weeks trying to get it to sound like an acoustic. Marcus took it back to Taylor and they took it back and he got a Doyle Dykes... Taylor said that it was an electric guitar not an acoustic...
But boy it sure looked pretty.... but it didn't sound as good as it looked
I thought it sounded like an Ovation, Plastic sounding.....just my opinion

[vjf1968]

I am an owner of a T5. I bought it over a year ago and still have it. It's a pretty versatile instrument considering you go from an acoustic sound to electric at the flick of a switch. The volume and EQ knobs are very handy in dialing in a good sound. I have the basic model in black.

The thing really shines when going through a PA or an acoustic amp but sounds good (not great) through a regular guitar amp. With some tweaking the acoustic sounds way better the a peizeo pickup. Mine came with 11 gauge Elixer electric guitar strings but I may go heavier because it has a Gibson-like neck length so the strings ten to feel spongy but you can use any kind of strings you want.

I tend to play it through my POD and then into a PA with no EQ and it sounds amazing.

Definitely check them out and give yourself some time with it.

Some things you must know:
It is an active pick up system so you do need a 9 volt.
Taylor was marketing this as an "electric" guitar.
The thin body may turn off some people.
Don't get suckered in to buying the more expensive model. It's the same thing as the base model electronically, it just has nicer wood and fancy inlay on the fretboard.
Comes with a very nice faux-alligator case.

[hotraman]

I have owned my Taylor T5 for a few years now. I own a American made Tele and a 1983 Gibson 335 ES dot. Taylor's T5 is able to create unique tones unto itself. I switched to ELixir Phos Bronze ( with a wound G string) This has helped the acoustic setting sound more pure. However, the acoustic setting sounds more like a small concert size acoustic guitar, not like a jumbo or dreadnought.
I have played mine thru POD's X3L and a Vox Tonelab SE. This guitar can rock!
I bought the Koa, because of the wood. I agree with the previous post, if you can live with out the Koa or maple, just get the lower end model. T5's are starting to appear on E Bay. Overall, its become my main guitar, because of the versatility of sounds. Plus... the neck feels great.
It won't replace your favorite acoustic or electric, but it will be a welcome addition to your collection.

[franchelB]

I've "half-way" considered trading an electric and an acoustic guitar for a Taylor "Thinline 5-way" aka: T-5 because it's "able" to sound like either or both acoustic and electric guitars...kinda' like "2 for the price of 1"! It's easier (even safer?) to tote a T-5 to your shows as opposed to hauling 2 or more guitars to a gig.
IMHO, while it can "do the job", it can only do it "half-way". The T-5 will not sound like your favorite electric guitar, nor will it sound like your favorite acoustic guitar.

But do yourself a favor, and do a "Search" on the T-5 in Acoustic Guitar Forum:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/index.php

[Oskar]

Many thanks for the reviews, quite helpful. I do realize that it will not sound like a true acoustic. I have yet to hear an acoustic/electric with a piezo sound like the real thing. The only way to go there is a mike on a good acoustic. That being said, I like the concept of versatility in the T-5, so you can go from a decent acoustic sound to something heavier and more "electric". Will definitely look into one and consider the base model. Thanks again.

[harlycarly]

I've played several and I would say the owners that posted covered it pretty well. They are beautiful, versatile, guitars that play great. Lots of sounds and tones in one guitar. Only "negative" might be that they don't have the particular tone that you are looking for. Definitely play one first. I've noticed that they are starting to appear used as well. Chris Guitars has had a couple.

I'm sure that there are places near Northampton you can locate one to try, but if you're up for a scenic road trip, Northern Lights Music in Littleton, NH usually has a great selection on hand at all times. No sales tax either. Just a straight shot up 91 to St. Johnsbury, VT then about 15 miles on 93 into downtown Littleton. Largest Taylor dealer in northern New england. No affiliation, but a pretty decent guy to deal with and a large selection of Taylors.

Keep us posted.

Carl

[eryque]

I've played one a few times at the local GC. My first impression of the sound when I plugged it into the acoustic amp they had sitting there was that it had the most natural plugged in sound of any acoustic guitar I've tried. I couldn't tell exactly what pickup combination I was using, but I think it was the magnetic pickup mounted to the body. I didn't tweak it a lot, but even when strumming hard it sounded very natural. Piezos always sound thin and brittle to me, especially when strumming hard.

I'm sure that with some experimentation and a decent acoustic amp it's capable of some great sounds.

[CactusCat]

I will DEFINITELY be purchasing a T5 in the near future and have done a TON of research, both playing the real thing at the stores and scouring the internet for more information. The guitar plays amazingly easy, very low action from factory, beautiful to look at and very light in weight. In trying to convey how it sounds, the best bet is to look at this youtube video where a couple of factory Taylor guys put it through its paces. Check it out for yourself:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MgRzOWNOG08

This video is well worth the few minutes it takes to watch it, especially if you're even remotely interested in the T5. Enjoy!!!

[Frank_Kimball]

The new edition of "Wood and Steel", the beautiful 4-color (free) quarterly publication that all we priviledged Taylor owners receive (that's not smugness, that's complete and delirious owner satisfaction), includes a letter from a T5-12 string owner who replaced the Elixir electric strings, that come standard, with a set of Cleartone acoustic strings. He described the change as "like coming home". He noted some downside - the T5 is, of course, set up for lighter gauge strings so he had to tweak the truss rod, tighten the tuners, but he's now happy with both the acoustic and electric sounds (he notes he didn't buy the 12-string to play metal).

Taylor replies that they're happy that he's happy, the guitar is designed to be versatile and the first prototypes were strung with acoustic strings as well. They switched to electrics because the magnetic pickups "simply work better with electric strings...but that's just us".

The T5s are beautiful guitars and I could probably sell every piece of gear I have, buy a T5-12, a Nocaster and a Carr Vincent and be free of GAS for the rest of my life. I'm even warming to the Taylor solidbodies (the standard in red * looks intriguingly Brian May-esque). Both the T5 and the solidbody are completely new species on Earth, not just refinements of existing designs. Who else does that? To anyone who will listen, I often compare Bob Taylor to Leo Fender in that they are both innovators, mad scientists and crazy good marketers.

Belly Boy, that Doyle Dykes guitar is absolutely at the top of my "bucket list" - what a beautiful instrument. I could never be worthy of it.

*my tasteful Buffalo Brothers plug - they're the largest independent Taylor dealer in the country, and have a great selection (ESPECIALLY acoustics) including used and even some one-off prototype pieces ...plus their upgrade policy guarantees you never take a hit on your purchase price. Good luck!