3pc back on 814CE

[DasBoot]

My new 814CE has a 3pc rosewd bk.
In the new catalog, 814s are shown w/2pc bk.
Is the 3pc a VERY recent development, a mistake or what?
Maybe the 3pc is only on the CE models?

[jayhawk]

I looked at a 614ce with a 3 piece back, this was the best sounding maple guitar I have ever played. I normally don't like maple, but this was something special. I was told that Taylor will use 2 and 3 piece backs interchangably on the same model. The 3 piece backs are much less common. Don't know if it is true, but that is what I was told.

[david_m]

Not a mistake and not a recent development. Quality tone woods in large batches are getting harder to find. Three piece backs are going to become mroe common in mass producton guitars. It's just a fact of life.

David

[ED C]

Same reason Martin did it way back when with the D-35 then, I guess. But Martin made a new model number so it wouldn't be a surpirse. I don't dislike 3 piece backs, but I wouldn't want to be suprised if I thought I'd ordered a 2 piece.

[webcat]

Originally Posted by ED C

Same reason Martin did it way back when with the D-35 then, I guess. But Martin made a new model number so it wouldn't be a surpirse. I don't dislike 3 piece backs, but I wouldn't want to be suprised if I thought I'd ordered a 2 piece.

The D-35 is also braced differently for a punchier bass response. 2-piece and 3-piece Taylors are still braced identically, so it is just a cosmetic change.

I don't care for a 3-piece maple or Koa back but I like my 3-piece rosewood. I think you can still request a 2-piece back at no extra charge, I didn't think to bother when I ordered mine.

'Cat

[Chicago Sandy]

My 814ce Ltd. has a 3-pc cocobolo back, and my M-36 a 3-pc. Indian rosewood back. Love 'em both.

[mdunn]

Last fall I had the first right of refusal on the Fall Ltd 814ce. The dealer had ordered two and I played both of them. There was a sound difference between the two and I preferred the two piece over the three piece. I do not know if the back and the bracing that is glued to the back has anything to do with the sound or not.

I am purchasing an 810 that is a three piece cocobolo back. I have not heard the guitar at this point.

I would imagine that as good tonewoods get more scarce you will see more 3 piece backs.

Just my non scientific $.02 on the subject.

[mjz]

Originally Posted by webcat

The D-35 is also braced differently for a punchier bass response. 2-piece and 3-piece Taylors are still braced identically, so it is just a cosmetic change.

I don't care for a 3-piece maple or Koa back but I like my 3-piece rosewood. I think you can still request a 2-piece back at no extra charge, I didn't think to bother when I ordered mine.

'Cat

My understanding of the D35 bracing is that it's a bit thinner -- 1/4 vs 5/16-- as to accentuate the highs.

A 3 piece back will add to the bass boominess, so on the D35 Martin played with the bracing to balance it out. They moved to the 3 piece back as Brazilian became scarce.


The Taylor Dreds I've played seemed overly bright,IMO, so I ordered a 3 piece back on my 810 to deliver more warm, bass tones. It definitely does have more bass response than a typical Taylor Dred.

So that 3 piece back is more than pure cosmestic.

[Stixx]

Originally Posted by mjz

My understanding of the D35 bracing is that it's a bit thinner -- 1/4 vs 5/16-- as to accentuate the highs.

A 3 piece back will add to the bass boominess, so on the D35 Martin played with the bracing to balance it out. They moved to the 3 piece back as Brazilian became scarce.


The Taylor Dreds I've played seemed overly bright,IMO, so I ordered a 3 piece back on my 810 to deliver more warm, bass tones. It definitely does have more bass response than a typical Taylor Dred.

So that 3 piece back is more than pure cosmestic.

Sounds good to me. I ordered my third Maple dread in less than a year in 2003 because they couldn't seem to make me one that had a clear spruce top on it and so each time I'd go through the exericise of selling the one I didn't like and ordering a new one. (I'd explain but lets gloss over that part for the sake of the thread)

So after the third one came in as usuall all natural and the nicest sitka top ever . then I flip it over and there it is the 3 pc back. I was livid. UP to this point they had all been perfect flamed out the well youknow Maple.

Well I kept this one didn't sell till later when gas hit on another Martian.

So my point is , I started a thread on 3 pc backs and finally decided it makes little or no difference in the overal scheme of things but the bottom line is as someone stated expect more of this from taylor . the only thing you can do is specify two pc and simply not accept the one you ordered.

That brings us to the question. Should I or not. Well every guitar I have accepted that was not what I ordered ended up in one kind of disaster
or anther so for my money the answer is a resounding , hell no. I will not accept any custom order that is not exactly what I ordered because life is 'too short they all turned out to be dissappointing in some way or other and especially that last Goodall I ordered custom waited forever on it and
it came in with cutaway and upgraded redwood to mastergrade, whats not
to like you say, well it sucked . NO one I know could play it to any kind of
reasonable expectation and the thing was over kill and a really bad sounding trainwreck of a Goodall. Heck the base models were more usable. This was a
custom. I accepted it like an idiot though it was nowhere near what I ordered.
The rationale was , " how can you refuse 1200 dollars worth of free options. "" Well it sucked , no mater what you pay for something it is what it is and not ever pretty piece of wood is going to produce what you think it is .

So Im'totally done with custom anything , that was just the straw that broke the camels back for me . I have been driving over 200 miles to trade with a dealer who handles Martin Goodall Collins and huss and daltons and has what we all lust after sooner or later, will take your old Taylor , Gibson , or whatever in trade and ships em to me later with no sales tax. Can't tell you when I ve been dissapointed with that arrangement and I play the son of a gun before I pay a dime.

Every time I hear of a dissapointment like this I think about my own experience and wish to goodness, I'd had someone tell, me, "" forgetaboudid"
just pass on it , the world is full of almost gutiars and at todays prices , Im so sick of paying the bucks and getting some inferior pice of crap that was
hip and so called cool. . You should hear the rationale on 3 pc backs , well it does this or that, Get real. All it does is save the builder money. Well that was fun any other questions.

[SCTaylorPlayer]

Stixx,I'll be making a mental note of your comments concerning "not ordering another custome anything."

Respectfully submitted,

Turtle

[whiskeyjack]

Originally Posted by Stixx

Sounds good to me. I ordered my third Maple dread in less than a year in 2003 because they couldn't seem to make me one that had a clear spruce top on it and so each time I'd go through the exericise of selling the one I didn't like and ordering a new one. (I'd explain but lets gloss over that part for the sake of the thread)

So after the third one came in as usuall all natural and the nicest sitka top ever . then I flip it over and there it is the 3 pc back. I was livid. UP to this point they had all been perfect flamed out the well youknow Maple.

Well I kept this one didn't sell till later when gas hit on another Martian.

So my point is , I started a thread on 3 pc backs and finally decided it makes little or no difference in the overal scheme of things but the bottom line is as someone stated expect more of this from taylor . the only thing you can do is specify two pc and simply not accept the one you ordered.

That brings us to the question. Should I or not. Well every guitar I have accepted that was not what I ordered ended up in one kind of disaster
or anther so for my money the answer is a resounding , hell no. I will not accept any custom order that is not exactly what I ordered because life is 'too short they all turned out to be dissappointing in some way or other and especially that last Goodall I ordered custom waited forever on it and
it came in with cutaway and upgraded redwood to mastergrade, whats not
to like you say, well it sucked . NO one I know could play it to any kind of
reasonable expectation and the thing was over kill and a really bad sounding trainwreck of a Goodall. Heck the base models were more usable. This was a
custom. I accepted it like an idiot though it was nowhere near what I ordered.
The rationale was , " how can you refuse 1200 dollars worth of free options. "" Well it sucked , no mater what you pay for something it is what it is and not ever pretty piece of wood is going to produce what you think it is .

So Im'totally done with custom anything , that was just the straw that broke the camels back for me . I have been driving over 200 miles to trade with a dealer who handles Martin Goodall Collins and huss and daltons and has what we all lust after sooner or later, will take your old Taylor , Gibson , or whatever in trade and ships em to me later with no sales tax. Can't tell you when I ve been dissapointed with that arrangement and I play the son of a gun before I pay a dime.

Every time I hear of a dissapointment like this I think about my own experience and wish to goodness, I'd had someone tell, me, "" forgetaboudid"
just pass on it , the world is full of almost gutiars and at todays prices , Im so sick of paying the bucks and getting some inferior pice of crap that was
hip and so called cool. . You should hear the rationale on 3 pc backs , well it does this or that, Get real. All it does is save the builder money. Well that was fun any other questions.

Is this how you REALLY feel about custom guitars?? Or, are you holdin' out on me???

[Stixx]

Well now that the Gin is gone, I will say I do have one more on order , but
this time I do not have any obligation to buy it if I do not wish to.

Oh yeah, and Turtle , Im changing your name to Dumbo out of respect for
your tenacity in the memory department. Folks never tell Geoff anything you
dont want repeated back to you someday when you least expect it. The man
has a memory like an elephant, must be the peanut butter.

[ED C]

Stixx...Sorry for all your bad luck. Just one thing I'm a bit confused about. Are you saying that the upgrade on wood and the addition of a cutaway turned that Goodall into something unplayable or was the change in top wood a change in wood type also. Or you just didn't like it and wouldn't have even if it came to your specs and you just excepted it because of the free options and really shouldn't have.. I guessing you meant that last option.

Good luck with your new one.

Ed

[Randal_S]

Originally Posted by mjz

My understanding of the D35 bracing is that it's a bit thinner -- 1/4 vs 5/16-- as to accentuate the highs.

A 3 piece back will add to the bass boominess, so on the D35 Martin played with the bracing to balance it out. They moved to the 3 piece back as Brazilian became scarce.


The Taylor Dreds I've played seemed overly bright,IMO, so I ordered a 3 piece back on my 810 to deliver more warm, bass tones. It definitely does have more bass response than a typical Taylor Dred.

So that 3 piece back is more than pure cosmestic.

See, I always thought it was the exact opposite, that thinner bracing on the top would accentuate lows due to more top vibration. Also, I'm under the impression that a 3-piece back would have just a tad tighter and punchier bass due to the extra brace/backstrip and the added glue reducing vibration just a touch.

Every D-35 I've ever played has been a bit more open/hollow sounding that a similar D-28.

Whatever the case, I think the 3-piece back is at least 95% cosmetic and any tonal difference is slight to the point of being pretty-much null. Certainy not any more significant than the difference a fresh set of strings would make, anyway.

[masmith]

Stixx, you are just hilarious! It's nice to see someone else who actuall says what they mean!