IRON & WINE’S SAM BEAM FALL LIMITED EDITIONS Walnut & Torrefied Spruce Koa 12-Fret Grand Auditorium Cocobolo 914ce 8-String Baritone New Models: 12-String 352ce & 362ce Bob Taylor’s World Forestry Tour 2 www.taylorguitars.com VOLUME 89 | FALL 2017 social Letters be beneficial with a little humidification. The Toneshifting T5z > CONTENTS < Would this 114ce sound as good as I got [the T5z Custom Pro] a couple Drop us a line. the Taylor 114e from the wall hanger? years ago and only recently did I learn circles Email us: [email protected] Better! Sold! about its amazing capabilities. As an After many comments of how beau- avid Taylor owner of an 812[ce] 12-Fret tiful it looks, it now sits in a respected DLX, 562ce, and a 2014 Fall LTD GS Join the Taylor community place in our living room for all to see. I Mini Koa, this is the one Taylor I had not Features Columns Facebook: can only say thank you, Taylor, for a really explored enough. While acous- @taylorguitars I was skeptical because of that imma- beautiful instrument from builders that tics are pretty straightforward with Instagram: @taylorguitars 6 The Art of Acoustic Interplay 4 Kurt’s Corner ture aversion that I had to the name on gave it TLC. I cannot know who built their voices, this beast has the ability Twitter: @taylorguitars Learning to blend different guitar voices and playing styles in a Taylor Guitars might not exist without the headstock. Nevertheless, I walked the guitar I hold, and yet I wish them to be omnipresent in many contexts. Youtube: taylorguitars complementary way will make your jam sessions more rewarding. the nurturing guidance and support of over and decided to play it. I could not all the credit and appreciation they It took a number of YouTube videos Kurt and Bob’s parents. believe it. It was everything I wanted in deserve. Also, thanks to Bob Taylor and to finally understand how to dial it in. Google+: taylorguitars a guitar — sound, feel and look. I walked Kurt Listug for having kept their dream After getting more acquainted with its Music Aficionado: taylorguitars out with that guitar that day and have alive. I know other owners will feel the capabilities and how to select pickups 8 Model Spotlight: not doubted my decision since purchas- same way. better, I went to my band practice last 5 BobSpeak The New 352ce/362ce Lessons learned from Bob and Kurt’s ing it. In all my years of playing, I have Gary Hart night with this one guitar, versus taking Two new Grand Concert 12-string voices join our 300 Series. dads, and props for Taylor tooling guru not played a guitar as amazing as this Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada my Tele, Strat or Les Paul. With this Choose from sapele and spruce or blackwood and mahogany. Taylor. I am proud to be an owner of a new knowledge, my bandmates, for the Wayne Brinkley. Taylor guitar, and I am especially happy first time EVER, heaped praise on my to inform you that a new “Gold Stan- Doc Approved playing (which is normally average). I dard” has been set for acoustic guitars. I love guitars that project sound think the T5z Custom Pro had a lot to 16 Fall Limited Editions 33 The Craft This year’s fall collection is loaded with appetizing musical Thank you for what you do. because I’m a fingerstyle player, so I do with it — sounding like an acoustic An appreciation for Bill Collings and the Hunter McGuary like the maple 600 Series and the satin- Taylor, a thinner Strat-like tone, or even flavors: walnut paired with torrefied spruce, koa Grand art of fresh interpretation. Good as Gold wood body of my Jewel signature model. a thicker Les Paul sound. A big virtual Auditorium 12-frets, the return of cocobolo, a bold 8-string I recently purchased a new Taylor [The Jewel model] is the best-sounding high-five on this design! baritone, plus a tricolor twist on our T5z Classic Deluxe. guitar. Throughout the many years I Walnut Winner guitar I’ve ever played in 51 years, and JP (Pierre) Moatti have been playing, I have had some I don’t often send a letter of thanks I’ve owned or played many. I bought the unwarranted aversion to Taylor Guitars. to manufacturers, but when credit for first one in 2000 when they were first There was no reason for it — just imma- going above and beyond is warranted, introduced and have owned three. I was El Cajon Connection On the Cover ture speculation. it gives me pleasure to pass on my at a bluegrass event in Maine and met In 1975 I was 19 and had been Departments My grandfather has a dreadnought experience of delight. This is the case Doc Watson, who signed it and played playing guitar for 10 years. I had a 12 The Wood&Steel Interview: Sam Beam that he purchased back in the ’60s for my having become the happy owner it for a half an hour behind the stage cheap acoustic guitar and was ready Envelope-pushing acoustic auteur Sam Beam of Iron & Wine 10 Ask Bob or ’70s, and whenever we would pick of a 2017 Taylor 114ce walnut acoustic that day and said, “That’s a fine box you to make the leap up to a quality instru- reveals how his ever-evolving creative process shaped his Braceless backs, the future of spruce, guitar. have, son.” Thank you for making my ment. While visiting a friend in San together, he would let me play that latest release, Beast Epic. acoustic curves, and factory-made vs. guitar. He still has that guitar, and I In all honesty Taylor was not on my acoustic guitar world what it is today. Diego, I thumbed through the Yellow handmade. have always considered it to be the radar. Just prior to biting the bullet on Bryan Provost Pages and discovered a music store COVER PHOTO (JOSH WOOL): SAM BEAM WITH HIS 714CE “Gold Standard” that all acoustic gui- a less expensive competitor’s guitar, a Skowhegan, ME in a strip mall in El Cajon that sold tars should be. non-cutaway Taylor 114e caught my acoustic guitars. On a chilly December 30 eye. Grabbing it from a hanger on the day I walked in and found a nice Guild Soundings Several months ago, I had my own Remembering folk troubadour Jimmy LaFave, acoustic stolen from me. It wasn’t wall I began to play it. I have problems D-50 in almost new condition. My par- Taylor Pedigree a portrait of Pat Simmons, the Vancouver nearly as nice as my grandfather’s with my fret hand, and my immediate I have owned my Taylor 410 for ents wired me $500, and I bought it International Guitar Festival, notes from dreadnought or my new acoustic guitar, response was that it fit like a glove. The about 18 years now. It is without a the next day. Over the past 41 years I Summer NAMM, and more. but it was sentimental to me because it neck reminded me of my electric. The doubt the best acoustic guitar I have played every kind of music on that gui- was passed down to me from a family second thing I noticed was the sound. I ever owned. It’s beat up and worn, tar, from bluegrass to rock to reggae. member. Until recently, I had never wasn’t on the hunt for what some call it’s been through bars and churches, The wear-and-tear on it was consider- purchased an acoustic guitar; I have Taylor’s tone; however, in no time I was it’s seen me through some great and able, though, so I recently decided to 32 Calendar always received them as family heir- a convert. Was I about to turn my back difficult times, and it has never let me trade it in for something new. At Sam Fall Road Show listings. looms. I am a regularly gigging, profes- on the funky electronics with a tuner down. It’s been there to put to music Ash in New York City I found a great, 16 sional musician, so another acoustic that the competitor offered? Sure! I did the thoughts and feelings I have no reasonably priced, brand-new Taylor was a necessity. I searched for months, not like the build of stick-on pickups and words for. 12-string that captured my heart… 24 34 Seasonal Tips playing countless guitars, but never flimsy thumb wheel preamps or preamps When my wife and I were expecting and ear. I swapped the Guild for the 22 Backstage Pass: Daria Musk A humidification refresher, plus two new found anything that truly spoke to me, that get in the way of a truss rod adjust- our first child back in August of 2000, Taylor and have been quite happy with The social media-savvy singer-songwriter and “artistpreneur” products that help humidify the entire guitar. and it didn’t help that I was comparing ment. Taylor presented me with quality, we were looking at names. “Katherine” it. A few weeks later I decided to buy a is redefining how artists engage with audiences online. each to the “Gold Standard.” It was simplified electronics, and they managed was in the running for quite some time. second Taylor, and picked up a beau- almost unfair to the other guitars. to design the look with class. Both Then one night while playing my Taylor in tiful new 814ce at Rudy’s in New York 35 One day, I went into a store to buy the plugged and unplugged musicality our living room I said, “What about ‘Tay- City, which I am delighted with.