Advice for Bob Taylor

[$ongWriter]

I've owned 6 Taylor guitars over the past 6 years. I currently own two. After playing my Cole Clark guitar and being blown away by it's plugged in sound it makes me wonder why Taylor doesn't put a blend switch in the new ES system instead of those on off switches. I think a blend switch would "fix" the ES system. Anyone else on here feel the same way?

[joe white]

yep.................

[michaelw]

the cole clark has a bridge brace SBT & piezo UST -
i have not had the opportunity to play one & the
only experience i have with a SBT/UST combo
would be the LR Baggs iMix onboard (which i like)

if there was a switchable circuit to "warm up" the occasional
"magnetic" character of the neck pick up, i think that would
go a long way in allowing more control in shaping the tone

i'm wondering if Taylor were able to offer options
(sort of like their SB loaded pickguards) but, rather,
having all the pickups in place (neck, body sensors
& ES-T UST) with a blend control/sweepable mid
to where one could select neck, neck & one or both
body sensors (which can be done with the 9V system),
neck & UST, body sensors & UST, body sensors only,
or UST only (sort of like M1, iBeam, Element "all or one")

collars around the ES knobs could control the frequency
sweep/boost or cut for the mids & the blend control -
i imagine it might be more subtle, aesthetically, than this

[Joe F]

Originally Posted by michaelw

i imagine it might be more subtle, aesthetically, than this

LOL!

That's funny Michael! I agree. That is hideous looking!

I have heard nothing but praise for the Cole Clark plugged in sound however. I really wish I could find an Angel to try as I think as described by many, it could be the perfect gigging guitar.

[$ongWriter]

It is the perfect gigging guitar...imho...I love mine. Also, the Angel is the only guitar Cole Clark makes that sounds good acoustically. And when plugged in it's amazing. A musician friend of mine came to the house Saturday. I plugged in both of my Taylors and he played them first. Then when I plugged in the Cole Clark he wouldn't let it go. He just kept strumming it and saying, "Man!"...then he'd strum again and he'd say, "Man!"..
Thought he'd never give it up. He was impressed.

[coldshot]

While i agree Col Clark guitars sound great plugged in and i've played them all.

Almost every store in Sydney has a reasonable inventory to choose from.

My favourite for tone was an Angel with a cedar top and aussie blackwood back and sides.

I find their acoustic tone thin sounding, lacking bass and with overtones that don't compare with the Taylor tone.

Most of the guys i gig with play Col Clark guitars and when they play my Taylor they all say hmm sweet overtones and balance that theirs don't have.

Being an aussie i'd prefer to be playing an aussie made guitar and they are a 1/3 of the price of a Taylor over here but unfortinetly they just dont do it for me acoustically.

Plugged in is a different story and it would be great if every guitar maker used a pick up that represented true acoustic tone, but plugging in is a compromise in tone.

[Donfransisco]

chunk of plastic!!

[jaskofall]

Hey Guys,

The cole clarks use a Palathetic Piezo system, same as Maton and higher end Takamines. They also have a piezo SBT mounted on a modified brace on the soundboard. It is then blended with a Xover.

I don't think a "Blend" function could save the ES

IMO Taylor should replace the ES, or at least try and come up with something better that they can offer as an alternative. Then again, I spose you can buy a Taylor without electronics and then add you own (what Ill be doing from now on.

For example, I saw Jason Mraz live 2 months ago, he was using his taylor with ES. I have seen heaps of stuff on the net of him playing acoustic (mic'd) and was really looking forward to it. Well, was I dissapointed, his guitar sounded like CRAP. I nearly walked out.

The Cole Clarks sound Good plugged in, But I'm with coldshot, they sound Very lacking acoustically, and are not anywhere near as enjoyable and easy to play as a taylor. When I Play live, I have to enjoy it or I don't want to do it.

My taylors,. with the systems that they have in them now are better than CC's live, Espcially my LKSM6 with K&K trinity and M1 combo.

I had a guy want to sit in a play a few songs with me 2 weeks ago, and he had a CC. When he plugged it in, my LKSM ate it for breakfast, sounds extremely natural (more so than the CC) and it is a dream to play, I let him play one song with it and he didnt want to give it back.

Im not sure where Taylor a coming from with the ES, to me it is completely unnatural.

Each to their own I suppose

BTW, I agree that the CC sidemount preamp is the most ridiculous thin I have EVER seen

Jask

[LP26]

Somehow I don't think Taylor is looking for advice from an online forum given that the company's business model seems to be working quite well.

[usb_chord]

Originally Posted by LP26

Somehow I don't think Taylor is looking for advice from an online forum given that the company's business model seems to be working quite well.

You'd be surprised. .

[jaskofall]

Hi,

You're right, why would they be interested in feedback from people who are actually playing their guitars everyday

Once again, is it a bad thing for people to have an opinion. Its funny that people try and shoot others down for thinking something other than what they do

Jask

[Joe F]

Actually I think they rely more on their sales figures than the opinions of people on an internet forum they pulled out of their relationship with awhile back due to all of the ES bashing that was going on here. Bob Taylor himself used to be a posting member on the AGF before all of that happened.

The sales figures tell them that since its introduction six years ago, ES equipped guitars continue to sell like hotcakes year after year. Why mess with success when selling guitars is their primary goal?

[D. Churchland]

Originally Posted by Joe F

The sales figures tell them that since its introduction six years ago, ES equipped guitars continue to sell like hotcakes year after year. Why mess with success when selling guitars is their primary goal?

If it aint broke, don't fix it

Although I think the reason we tend to see more ES bashing than praising is the fact that people are far more prone to attack something than praise it. If someone doesn't like something they're going to tell people about it, if they do like it, they won't. It's weird how people work

[Joe F]

Originally Posted by Will Kirk

If it aint broke, don't fix it

Although I think the reason we tend to see more ES bashing than praising is the fact that people are far more prone to attack something than praise it. If someone doesn't like something they're going to tell people about it, if they do like it, they won't. It's weird how people work

Yeah, with products the real opinion is made with the wallet. The company I work for continuously comes out with two kinds of products, the ones that don't sell, and the ones that do sell.

The ones that don't sell, we change or scrap entirely.

The ones that do sell, we just keep on making, even if there are some people who say that product sucks.

[M.D.Smith]

So far, I'm enjoying my ES system.
The knobs are inconspicous and they work well to boost or cut tone.