#1
|
|||
|
|||
Question for 2014 814ce with new bracing owners
Could you please do a test for me and tell me the results? The test is done unplugged and on the A string only, in standard tuning (or at least tuning the 5th string to A). Play the 3rd fret and let then note ring until gone. Pay attention too how long the note rings. Repeat this on the 4th through to the 11th fret, always letting that one note ring out until gone. Do you find any notes that don't ring out as long as others??
The reason for this is that every Taylor I have played (314 to 814) lacks sustain around frets 5 to 9 on the A string. Doing the test on 3 to 11 should make it more obvious if 5 to 9 is weak. On some guitars it's okay, on the odd one a particular note will die out immediately. I have noticed that many guitar builders have some minor trouble in this area, while others do not. I really like Taylor's for playability and intonation, but this issue has bothered me. You see, if D through F# are weak on the A string, it translates to the D & Low E strings (on the guitars that I have tried). Some had almost none of this showing up on the D & E while others had more. All of them had weakness in the D to F# range on the A string. I am hoping that the new bracing has solved this issue. THANK YOU!! |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I know all you new owners must be VERY busy playing your awesome new guitars but... could someone please try this for me??? ( see initial post)
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Sustain
Quote:
Either way, I played on. There was one particular new K26 at my local shop that had one of those spots (note F on the A string), but I kept coming back to that one week after week for a month, because the tone that I wanted was there. Strangely, each time that I played it, it would become more open and sustain like the other notes until now they are all fairly even. My point is that it got better once the guitar learned how to be a guitar instead of a tree. Taylor's can be fairly "stiff" when new and can use a good amount of encouragement to open up. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
For about the price of an 814ce I can get an truly handmade guitar by a local luthier, Peter Sawchyn who has made Bob Evans signature model. Bob won the U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2003 and has shared the stage with the likes of Tommy several times. The whole thing got me thinking. A truly 1 man, hand made for the same price as a production run guitar. Yet the Sawchyn comes with Waterfall Bubinga back and sides, Macassar Ebony binding, a 5 piece neck and a Hand polished lacquer finish (and K&K Pure Mini pickup system). It's a conundrum |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#7
|
|||
|
|||
If sustain is important to you, Taylor is not the brand you want. They have some good features for sure, but sustain has never been one of them.
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I like my Taylor 12-string okay but I truly like and trust my Martin -- it just makes exactly the right noises at the right time. That being said, I realize the Taylor construction allows you to really dial in the guitar's setup without touching the saddle. I truly believe Bob Taylor's brilliance was in getting guitars into the hands of ordinary people that simply played beautifully, even if some of the models are bit plinky and "worshippy" (if that's a word) in their tone. I've never played a Taylor that was poorly set up but boy have a played a lot of Gibsons, Guilds and Martins that were!! |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Quote:
I can appreciate what you say about Taylor's setup. I too have never played one that wasn't spot on or very close. I don't want to trade that for sustain though. Surely I can have both!?!? Good point about the neck. Maybe that neck that I love is part of the problem for me. Sounds like I need to go out and play A LOT more guitars |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
As to your question, what you are experiencing is a sympathetic note, every guitar has one somewhere. It's more noticeable on some guitars than others but it is not restricted to any one brand. In fact the first time I noticed this was ten years ago on my Martin D-45V. |