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#1
02-20-2001, 11:36 AM
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Buying a Taylor
Since the beginning of last summer I've been looking at buying a new guitar. I'm almost 19 now and the guitar I've been playing for the last 5 years is a black Ovation Applause that my mom and I picked out when I thought playing the guitar might be "cool". For a beginner it wasn't a bad purchase-it was cheap, reliable, never went out of tune, and came with a hardshell case.
As my playing has progressed and I've felt the need for a better guitar my different choices have changed. Being a college student, as of last summer a graduated high school senior, I knew money would be tight. I orignally had my sights set on a nice Takamine, reliable guitars and it cost about $500, just right for me. Soon after I moved away a guitar store opened in my home town. I went to visit while I was home and stood in awe in their, as I call it, "nice guitar" room. Nothing but Taylors and Martins, way more than I planned on spending. So I see a nice Martin I like, its got what I want (dreadnought, cutaway, electronics) and it was about $800-900. I figured I could work a little, use my tax return, and maybe get my parents to help out and I'd be set. Well, Christmas came around and I felt it better to buy gifts for my family than buy myself a guitar. My plans now were to get it over spring break. When you are spending that much on a guitar its easy to say, "Oh, $200-300 more isn't too much." And after doing some reading and thinking lately I'm about 100% sure I'm gonna get a Taylor 310ce as my big purchase. 
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#2
02-20-2001, 12:40 PM
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One thing you must consider is this as being in the same situation at one time. Going to school is expensive as you well already know. The 310ce is a great guitar and I am a big Taylor fan and this is the Taylor board, BUT! If you spend all your cash on the 310ce you will probobly end up having to sell it. I would recomend the Takamine EG-334C for about 400-500 dollars. It is an excellant guitar with good electronics and is cutaway like you want. It is a great sounding guitar for the money and is tough. Taylor doesnt offer anything compatable in this price range. You can play this for several years until you get out of school then move into a Taylor when finances arnt so tough. To buy a guitar and then only have to sell it is a real heartbreaker. Ive done it so
I know how it feels. To me the Takamine sounds better than the 310ce( just my honest opinion)and I like the 310 better. Dont put yourself in the hole over a name(even taylor) as its better to have a Takamine in hand than a Taylor in pawn. Taylors dont do anything but get better and when your ready to buy one there will be one there for you. If you can do it buy what you want but just make sure you can keep it. Theres nothing worse than a guitarist with no guitar(a situation ive found myself in several times).Just giving some advice I wish someone had given me. Keep loving those Taylors they are something else. JW
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#3
02-20-2001, 12:46 PM
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I realize it is more expensive but I plan on doing 6 month financing with the guitar so as long as its payed off in 6 months I pay no interest. I've already got a summer job lined up that will pay plenty allowing me to save and pay for the guitar. In addition, my birthday is the beginning of the summer and since I'm still a teenager I can get my parents to help pay for it.
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#5
02-20-2001, 12:58 PM
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Get the best guitar you can afford. The better the guitar, the more you will want to play it, the easier it will be to play, the more enjoyment it will give you in quality of sound, and the more fun you will have with it. A 310ce sounds like a perfect choice and when you think about it, that works out to only about a dollar a day for the next 3 years or so. And if you ever need to sell it, you will be able to get most or possibly all of your money back out of it if you keep it in real nice condition (list prices on these go up every year).
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#7
02-20-2001, 01:16 PM
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I actually found a 310Kce on Ebay for about $900 but since I don't have a credit card so I couldn't open an account and bid on it. I almost cried, like touching a dream and having it snatched from you.
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#8
02-20-2001, 01:27 PM
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There's no substitute for owning a fine guitar. Your music really deserves that kind of investment, in my opinion.
However, if you have to go into debt to get it, don't do it!, Especially if you're in college. Chances are you've got enough on your hands with student loans, etc. The last thing you want to be is yet another student "slave", in debt to credit card companies, banks, and other creditors. Be smart and stay out of debt. Play the old applause, or spring for a $200 Seagull (nice sounding solid-top guitar), but wait to buy the Taylor until you've graduated, have a good job, and you're making decent money and have expendable income. You'll be much more comfortable, that way. Just my humble $.02 J.R.
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#9
02-20-2001, 01:34 PM
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Oh, I don't have any loans or such, just a few good scholarships. The place I'll be working this summer will be like $10/hour with tip shares so I can pull $300 a week easy, plus the $385 the IRS is sending me, another $500 working at Publix before I ship out this summer, and a couple hundred from the parents, thats almost the whole price right there.
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#11
02-20-2001, 03:01 PM
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JR makes a great point as all of us that have attended a school of higher learning(couldnt tell it by my spelling) is that credit card comp. will hand out cards like they are dealing poker hands. Beware of this they want your first ten years salary after graduation. I recomended the Takamine for the features you wanted but the seagull for the money is a good choice. JW
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#12
02-20-2001, 03:12 PM
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Heh, I actually have the Takamine 334-EG...and after playing Taylor guitars for about....4 months, I almost never play it (though I have to this week, because my Taylor is being baby-sat at church, while I went down to SoCal =( and I have to play on wensday)... See look at this, Taylor ruined me! I dread playing other guitar brands now! =P
But I guess seriously, the Takamine 334-EG is an okay guitar. The sides and back are nato, though laminated, and the top is spruce, thou laminated. When I bought this guitar, I didn't know much about guitars. =P My friend had a 96 334-EG, so I thought it was a good guitar. It works it's purposes ok. Sounds ok, but kind of soft unplugged. Plugged in, it sounds good, but I still like the Fishman OBB for the mic, hehe. My say in the matter, if you can afford the Taylor 310ce, go for it! It'll treat ya good. If you can squeeze even more in for the guitar you really want, try it. =) Good luck with your purchase! Randall
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#13
02-20-2001, 07:48 PM
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I've stayed away from credit cards for the moment. I will have my parents help me look for one since they both are very responsible with them. That responsibility has been transferred to me and I understand the importance of moderation and having enough money to pay the bills. As to Ebay, when I tried to bid it wouldn't let the bid go through unless I registered, maybe I did it wrong. Thanks for all the advice though.
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