New New Taylor Taylor Shape Sound THE GRAND PACIFIC How V-Class bracing inspired { a stunning new dreadnought } The 2019 V-Class Guitar Grand Guide Concerts 2 www.taylorguitars.com Letters social Email us circles taylorguitars.com/contact of experts he has gathered together to been performing these past four-plus move the project from an embryonic years), but every time I take it out of thought to reality. I truly admire all those its hardshell case, it is almost dead-on Join the Taylor community who have had the perseverance to see in tune and its tone sounds superb. Facebook: @taylorguitars this project through so far. That’s with maybe three to four months method I use for the students of any Looking at my 15-year-old Taylor (or more) between playing sessions. Instagram: @taylorguitars age. Electric, acoustic or resonator, he 414ce, though it predates the Ebony So that speaks well to two things @taylorespanol nailed it. Great job, Shawn! Project, I’m sure the seeds of this you discussed in the latest W&S: the Twitter: @taylorguitars Jerry Zubal project, and indeed the whole concept quality of the X-bracing in older guitars YouTube: taylorguitars Lake Orion, MI of ethical trading and sustainability, and the natural aging and seasoning Google+: taylorguitars were present in Bob’s thinking even of the wood while it’s biding its time Music Aficionado: taylorguitars then. The fingerboard on the 414ce in its case. It’s a gem of a guitar. It’s Taylor Runs in the Family looks as good as new, making it a joy actually Taylor’s fault that I don’t play it Thanksgiving always makes me to play — and it looks no older than my as often anymore. In 2014 at a Road reflect on what I am thankful for. I want- 456ce, which is only three years old. Show event, I played a mahogany-top ed to share a couple of those things Synthetics have yet to be proven via- 2013 GS Mini — and bought it. After with you — specifically, my Taylor 214, ble replacements in guitars (reference 40 years of only owning and playing GS Mini, and the Taylor Road Show on “Ask Bob,” Winter 2016). It just makes spruce-top acoustics, this mahoga- October 26 at Parkway Music. sense to use natural resources that are ny-top opened up a new world of tone I have always wanted to learn to both renewable and sustainable above for me. It, too, is a gem of a guitar. play guitar but had never made the using synthetics, which eventually con- Paul Graham Marty’s Magic time to do so. There had always been tribute to pollution. Worthington, OH As always, I enjoyed reading the something “more important” to do, and The Ebony Project raised the living latest Wood&Steel and was surprised I was not raised in a musical family. As standards of the workforce and their and pleased to see the article on I grew up, military life, then professional families in a developing country (which A Lucky Find Marty Schwartz. I discovered Marty on life, always got in the way. Now, as an must be applauded), and I hope the Back in 2012, I was eagerly looking YouTube a while back and have used alleged adult at 49 years old with five effects ripple out and challenge other for a quality acoustic guitar. The one some of his videos to add a number kids, I am finally learning. It is a struggle companies to be inspired by what I had been playing for years was OK, of tricks and methods to my everyday for sure, but I enjoy it. More importantly, Taylor has achieved. Thank you, Bob, but I had reached a professional level play. I wish Marty had been around our kids are taking an interest. Our sec- and your team, for having the original and needed a professional-level guitar. I when I was a beginner. It would have ond oldest grabs my 214 all the time. vision and tenacity to see the project had played a few Taylors at the NAMM made the experience more immediately He has a gift! We got the GS Mini through so far — not to forget the booth in Anaheim and was impressed rewarding and fun. He is so calm and for our 11-year-olds (we have three team in Cameroon for sticking with not only with their sound and feel, but explains and demonstrates the lessons of them) because they’ve showed an it, embracing new challenges and with the fact that all the models were and songs so completely. You don’t interest in learning to play, but the 214 developing new skills. And thanks to available left-handed. I went to a few have to be a beginner to find value in was too big for them. It’s really neat to all at Taylor for crafting such wonderful different dealers and decided to look his videos. see them get the opportunities I never guitars and always working to improve on Ebay. Luckily, there was a brand- Thanks to Marty, and thanks to had, and amazing to see their talent them. With V-Class now established, new left-handed cedar-top 714ce Taylor, for making Wood&Steel so grow far faster than mine ever could. one wonders, what’s next? available for a really good price! I made informative, for your ecological efforts The Road Show turned out to be Frederick a connection with the seller and found to preserve tonewoods, and, of course, even better than I imagined. I was Weymouth, UK out why he was selling it so cheaply. your excellent guitars. Since 1997, I’ve really impressed with the presenter, the About a month after he bought the been lucky enough to have owned a artist, and the whole structure of the guitar, Hurricane Sandy had ravaged number of small-body and solid-wood presentation. I learned a ton and really Sonic Evolution the New York and New Jersey shores, guitars of every model and body shape, enjoyed the time! I fell in love with the This is the first time I’ve written in and this poor guy had lost everything. except the Grand Orchestra (maybe T5z and the K24ce they played. I won’t the 23 years I’ve been a Taylor owner. As much as he hated to get rid of it, someday). I still enjoy all five of my cur- ever be able to afford them, but maybe I probably enjoy the “Ask Bob” feature he really needed the money to get his rent Taylor acoustic guitars. one of the five kids will. Your people as much, if not more, than anything in life back in order. I assured him that his David Smith put on a really enjoyable presentation each issue of W&S. I always read it guitar was going to a good home. As Reno, NV and made me even more of a Taylor first. I read the latest with interest, and the guitarist in Queen Nation, a musical fan. I told several people about it. So, while I won’t profess any expertise in tribute to Queen, I play over a hundred thank you! Your company is influencing understanding the technology involved shows a year across the U.S., Canada, Slide Guitar, Demystified the lives of several in our family, and I in bracing, your response regarding and Mexico. I told him, “Your guitar is I’m the proud owner of a 410ce-R appreciate it. X-bracing versus V-Class was very going to make a lot of people happy.” In 25th Anniversary guitar, which I bought Brian Ferdinand clear to me. I think your comments the six years I’ve owned “Sandy,” we’ve years ago at Limelight Music in Roch- Mechanicville, NY regarding concerns about X-braced made people smile, cheer, and even ester, Michigan. I just wanted to give guitars becoming “worth less or worth- shed a tear or two during “Love of My a thumbs-up to Shawn Persinger’s less” were spot-on. Case in point: I Life” and “Is This the World That We slide guitar article. It is well-written and Endeavors in Ebony bought my first Taylor, a 412, in 1995. Created.” spot-on. I have played guitar for 60 It has been truly inspiring to fol- I loved it then as much as I do now. Somewhere around the globe years and picked up a slide in the early low the Ebony Project on the Taylor Taylor has certainly made changes to tonight, Sandy and I are onstage ’70s. I have taught guitar for decades, website. What would seem an insur- the 412 over the years; for example, together and will continue making peo- and Shawn’s explanation of how to mountable mountain to climb has been mine has the old bridge style. I don’t ple happy for many years to come. get started on slide is pretty much the achieved by Bob Taylor and the team play this guitar as much now (I haven’t Mike McManus Contents WOOD&STEEL | VOLUME 93 | WINTER 2019 Features Columns 8 V-Class Grand Concerts 4 Kurt’s Corner Andy Powers has tailored our new bracing architecture for Kurt reflects on everyone who contributed our most compact body style, unleashing a more powerful, to a successful year, and in true Taylor flavorful sound. fashion, looks ahead. 5 BobSpeak 16 Builder’s Edition 517 & 717 Bob checks in from Cameroon, shares Our Grand Pacific makes quite an entrance in the form of why the Grand Pacific makes him feel these mahogany and rosewood Builder’s Edition siblings.