Buying a new taylor..question owners..

[dpresti]

Well i've made the final decision to get my 1st talor. i went to my local store today and played the 310ce, which was beautiful! i feel in love with it. plus its in my price range.. 1st of all... any owners here of that guitar, could you give me your opinions..

then i saw the 312ce, also very very nice! what are the distinct differences between these 2 guitars and, well which one is better?

they gave me prices of 310ce, 1079

and 312ce, 1119

how are these prices?

[maks155]

i just got a taylor 110...its no 312, but i love it...after playing both, im ready to say conclusively that if you're not spending 3000, taylor > martin...good choice, and enjoy it.

[AcE25]

That price for the 312 sounds high. I would look at a 314, they blend the 312 and 310. The 312 will be hard to play around other musicians, the x12 series are real thin guitars, good for fingerpicking or when played through an amp. I had a 412ce and sold it because of that. I think the x14 series is own of the perfect guitars out there. You can get a 314 for around $1000 and a 314ce for around $1200.

[dpresti]

http://guitartrader.com/itempg.icl?orderidentifier=ID10987419613866F4B4365 4B6914&secid=1022&subsecid=1180&catid=1203&dirpage=dir3&itmid=50156&eflag=0&curitempos=7&numitems=29

does this price seem a little high? usually i use guitartrader to make my local shop match. its a california based company and their prices usually are much much lower than anywhere else.

[vilar112]

dpresti,

i don't know what you're price cap is, but i suggest in investing in a used taylor. i got my first taylor back in january '04 for $1200 (including pickup). it's the 710 but it was made back in 1996 and sounds amazing.

i'm a stickler for details, and this guitar has barely any blemishes...not bad for a second hand guitar

but best of luck in your search...

[dpresti]

where do you suggest i look to buy used guitar?

my price range is no more than 1200, thats why i was looking at the 310ce... a 710 would be amazing! :-) your lucky?

i do love the new electronics in the taylors though. and i feel like a '96 wouldnt sound good. i'm sure i'm wrong tho

[AdamCU81]

I have a 314ce and I think I bought it for around $1100 (tax included) around two years ago. Taylors now have the Expressions System, which I'm sure raised the price of their electronics. The best thing you can do is call a bunch of stores, compare prices, ask your local shop if they'll match prices. I recommend the x14 series. My guitar is my greatest posession.

[dpresti]

x14 over x10?

i went to my local shop who i buy from all the time... and they do match price.. i have found that the lowest prices are here guitartrader.com california company and my shop matches to them... however, some of their taylor prices seem a little weird.

this is what my local shop gave me today...
314ce - $1399
314ce (30th anv.) - $1449
312ce - $1129
310ce - $1079

[dpresti]

edit: taylor case .. 89.99

they said if i'm paying with cash, which i would, they can adjust price.. they can also match prices

[AdamCU81]

Taylors come with cases. Don't even think about letting a store charge you for a case if you're buying a high end guitar.

[tdowe99]

Exactly, even my Ovation came with a case.

[dpresti]

very good to know... what do u think of those taylor prices they gave me?

also, check out my other post about my sale.. http://antsmarching.org/forum/showthread.php?t=118050

[AcE25]

Yeah if someone is trying to sell you a case extra with a Taylor, they are totally trying to screw you.

Here is the deal with Taylor's right now (for those of you that dont know). Taylor tried to go public back in 95-96 they were advertised in Musicians Friend and a few other catalogs, it didnt work out. So they started selling through dealers. There has never been a "industry standard" price for Taylors; ie. Fender American Strat almost $799 where ever you go, Taylor prices are all over the place. In the past few months Taylor is trying it again, since they have gained so much popularity in the past few years. So now there is going to begin to be a "industry standard" price. A lot of the original dealers have set their own pricing in the past, and they are still allowed to do that...BUT they can not advertise for any less than the price Taylor has set.

Here is a tip if you are trying to buy a new Taylor: Taylors are marked up 50%. If list price for a 314ce is $2138 the dealers cost is $1069, and they have to advertise it at $1599. The dealer I work for we still sell them for $1299 & have no intentions of changing. So offer about 35% off when you go to buy them. Especially if it is a guitar that they have had for awhile. If it is a 314 and it is still made of Sapelle back/sides, it is at least 2 model years old. They use AfricanMahogany now. They started using that at the end of 2003, so if you see a 314 with Sapelle offer 40-45% off. They are trying to get rid of them if they still have them.

Just a few tips from a taylor dealer ;)

[luckycharmscat]

Thanks for all the info offered. I am looking to buy a new Taylor and I found a lot of good advice here. My question would be should I buy what I can afford now or hold out for what I really want? My price range right now is 1200.

[Jimendus]

Thanks for all the info offered. I am looking to buy a new Taylor and I found a lot of good advice here. My question would be should I buy what I can afford now or hold out for what I really want? My price range right now is 1200.

I was in your same position last year. I really wanted a 514ce, but this was out of my price range.
i decided to wait since this guitar was going to be a transition guitar for me. so what i did was i bought a used 314ce for $830, and it was in excellent condition, only a few tiny signs of wear that i have long forgotten about.
Buying used saves alot of money, that u can use to save for your next guitar. Thats what im doing now, I had about 1100 set aside for the guitar, so i got the 314ce for 830, so i set aside the rest to go for my future taylor.

Another thing to think about is, how long have you been playing for? and if you are going to continue?

goodluck, taylors are sick, they have an amazing sound :thumbsup

[AcE25]

Look on ebay...if you know you like a certain Taylor find it on ebay, Taylors are all made 98% exact. Unlike Martin where each guitar is a little different, Taylor's are all 98% the same. If you have the chance to go to their factory and take the tour do it, you will see what I mean. If they have pleanty of pics on ebay, thats where I would buy it. you can get 314's cheap on there, even 514. I just saw a 714 for $1050 I think buy it now was $1200.

[luckycharmscat]

I was in your same position last year. I really wanted a 514ce, but this was out of my price range.
i decided to wait since this guitar was going to be a transition guitar for me. so what i did was i bought a used 314ce for $830, and it was in excellent condition, only a few tiny signs of wear that i have long forgotten about.
Buying used saves alot of money, that u can use to save for your next guitar. Thats what im doing now, I had about 1100 set aside for the guitar, so i got the 314ce for 830, so i set aside the rest to go for my future taylor.

Another thing to think about is, how long have you been playing for? and if you are going to continue?

goodluck, taylors are sick, they have an amazing sound :thumbsup

I've been playing for a lil over 2 years now and I never plan on stopping. I started with a Big Baby Taylor and I love it (bought it on ebay). It's just time to move on to something better. Of course I want a 714ce and who wouldn't want a 914ce, they are just sick. Maybe i'll just try for a 314ce since everyone seems to recommend it. So how does the electric work anyway? Do I just need an amp? And what does everyone suggest for that?

[chris917]

what guitar store are you going to in buffalo? my friend talked down the guys at the guitar center near the blvd. mall to selling him a guitar real cheap. definetly try to talk down the price. i would low ball them, saying you could get it off the internet for real cheap, then let them come back at you with a slightly lower price then what they originally gave. think about it for a minute or two, then leave. come back the next day and say the guy you saw yesterday said he could sell it to you for lower than their second offer. just make sure the first guy isnt there.

thats what my friend did, and they sold him a guitar for about a 1/3 less than advertised, and they gave him a guitar stand and picks.

[dpresti]

i go to jackson music, its on grand island.. i wouldnt ever give guitar center my business unless the low balling worked

[bigeyedharper]

what guitar store are you going to in buffalo? my friend talked down the guys at the guitar center near the blvd. mall to selling him a guitar real cheap. definetly try to talk down the price. i would low ball them, saying you could get it off the internet for real cheap, then let them come back at you with a slightly lower price then what they originally gave. think about it for a minute or two, then leave. come back the next day and say the guy you saw yesterday said he could sell it to you for lower than their second offer. just make sure the first guy isnt there.

thats what my friend did, and they sold him a guitar for about a 1/3 less than advertised, and they gave him a guitar stand and picks.



as long as they threw in those picks.

[Pipsqueak]

a lot of good advice already given (especially about cases...DON'T pay for a Taylor case!!!....they come with the guitar!!!)

anyway...
didn't read, in detail, all of the responses...so I don't know if anybody answered your original question...

an x12 guitar is a Grand Concert body style
an x14 guitar is a Grand Auditorium body style
an x10 guitar is a dred.

x12's are good for fingerstyle....and tend to be too bright for strumming.
x14's are (as said before) a good mix between a dred and a Grand Concert.
x10's are a dred.....'nuff said.