Why are Taylors so bright?

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by cotten

The assumption seems to be that "bright" is bad. I don't think so, any more than any other tonal variation might be. The important thing is how it's used. It's good to have a lot of different tonal "colors" available. Painting with nothing but green would be more limiting than if one could also use blues, reds, yellows, etc.

My 1995 Cotten 612c had matured nicely, but is still relatively bright. That means it's perfect for many situations! The bass response is, of course, rolled off a bit compared to some other acoustic guitars, but it's still there, and I don't hear it as thin. Rather, it's a bright, rich, articulate sound that fits will in a great many situations.

Bright is bad only if your current situation calls for something darker. It's good to have options!

cotten

There are a few different types of "bright". I think when a guitar sounds too bright to me, it's because it's out of balance, either in fundamentals and/or overtones. And when we consider brightness we have to consider the type of music we play and the other instruments or vocals we have to mix with, to either blend or cut through.

As far as the Taylor Series being "thin", I would have to disagree. With the right strings and picks they can be full and well balanced. Just today I was comparing 4 week old (Elixir) strings with fresh strings on my 614ce and was curious as to how the old ones held up in comparison. So I made a recording, first the old, then the new (on the new ones I stepped up the gauge to 13-56 from 12-56). Here's a quick down and dirty recording into Audacity. Thin? I think not.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Here's a quick down and dirty recording into Audacity. Thin? I think not.

It's kind of hard to tell because the second sample in each pair sounds like it was recorded slightly further away from the mic or at a slightly different angle. They both sound good, though, and in the grand scheme of things I'd call them both very Taylor-like. And definitely on the bright side.

[Shortfinger]

I first played Taylors this past May, playing only the lower end ones, and they sounded way bright to me.

Last time was at a GC, and I then played a $2500 one, going on and off it with a new D18. No brightness at all.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

They primarily got a reputation for being bright, thin, trebbely, and tinny because for several decades Taylor insisted on shipping them with those horrible sounding Elixir 80/20s.

As much as I'd like to agree and dislike Elixirs, I believe Taylor's reputation for brightness predates their use of those strings. I was aware of that reputation in 1995 when I bought my Taylor, which is when Elixirs were first created, and Taylor wasn't using them yet.

In any case I believe the Taylor == bright meme is mostly that--some "truth" people like to bandy about so they sound like they're in the know.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by Mr Fingers

I do find Taylors in general to bright, crisp, fast-attack guitars, but I don't think the word "to" applies because they're certainly not excessive..

The word "to" doesn't apply because of grammar

[RP]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

In any case I believe the Taylor == bright meme is mostly that--some "truth" people like to bandy about so they sound like they're in the know.

Makes sense to me....

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

The word "to" doesn't apply because of grammar

Not to mention spelling....

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

As much as I'd like to agree and dislike Elixirs, I believe Taylor's reputation for brightness predates their use of those strings. I was aware of that reputation in 1995 when I bought my Taylor, which is when Elixirs were first created, and Taylor wasn't using them yet.

In any case I believe the Taylor == bright meme is mostly that--some "truth" people like to bandy about so they sound like they're in the know.

Hear, hear. Lot of that going around in this era of others saying something ad infinitum, making it the safe choice to believe. Unfortunately for the reputation of many, there's guys like you who actually engage their own thought processes and realize when it just ain't so.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

The word "to" doesn't apply because of grammar

Well then would you accept that they were two bright?

[RP]

Originally Posted by Nama Ensou

Well then would you accept that they were two bright?

Or as the Romans would have said, "Et tu bright?"

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by RP

Or as the Romans would have said, "Et tu bright?"

Etiam, me quoque bright.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

As much as I'd like to agree and dislike Elixirs, I believe Taylor's reputation for brightness predates their use of those strings. I was aware of that reputation in 1995 when I bought my Taylor, which is when Elixirs were first created, and Taylor wasn't using them yet.

In any case I believe the Taylor == bright meme is mostly that--some "truth" people like to bandy about so they sound like they're in the know.

There is no question that they are voiced to be brighter than Martins, and the bracing changes that went with the NT neck change changed the tonal pallet as well (I prefer the pre NT neck).

Taylor started using 80/20 Elixirs in 98 or 99, I believe just after Jean Larrivee started using them. Larrivee switched to BP very shortly after that though, and Taylor used 80/20s until last year, and possibly still does on their 12s. So that's almost 20 years.

Rainsongs also ship with Elixir 80/20s and have a reputation as being "very bright". Both my Taylor and Rainsongs were immediately changed to PB as soon as I bought them though.

[cotten]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

...Thin? I think not.

Though you quoted my post, I don't think you were responding to what I wrote. I don't think my Cotten 612c is thin sounding, either. Seems to me that you were agreeing with what I said.

cotten

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

Taylor started using 80/20 Elixirs in 98 or 99, I believe just after Jean Larrivee started using them. Larrivee switched to PB very shortly after that though, and Taylor used 80/20s until last year, and possibly still does on their 12s. So that's almost 20 years.

Rainsongs also ship with Elixir 80/20s and have a reputation as being "very bright". Both my Taylor and Rainsongs were immediately changed to PB as soon as I bought them though.

I've been a phosphor bronze user right from the start; they are my go-to acoustic strings.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayer_PR

Because any Taylor model beginning with 6 has maple back and sides, which is brighter than rosewood or mahogany.

Yep, and that is part of why I didn't buy it, although I've also regretted it ever since.

[stillchillin]

I have a maple 614ce which is quite a bright guitar for sure . I recently bought a ltd edition Macassar ebony model and that has more bass to it , its hard to describe really but it has a much fuller sound like somewhere between my d35 and the maple Taylor..perfect really .