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My Playing Situation

View Full Size Image Cedar top and subtle soundhole decorations on the Taylor GS5

Though I had been vaguely looking for an acoustic guitar for a few years, I only started to look around seriously late last year. I played in a band when I was in high-school/college, but haven’t performed anywhere but my living room for years. While I still play my electric occasionally, the size and volume of my amp and the added complexity and space required by pedals, cables, etc. was keeping me from picking it up every day.

I knew if I had a nice acoustic guitar right there in my living room, I would actually pick it up an play a lot more often. As I’d only be playing around the house, I wasn’t concerned about pickups. I wanted something that was high-enough quality that I would want to play it. With cheaper guitars, it often feels as though you can make them sound good despite the guitar, while I wanted something that would sound good despite my abilities.

For my budget, I was hoping to pay somewhere between $600 - $800, but would have gone a bit higher if I really found something I liked. I don’t mind spending a bit more on an instrument as it will hold it’s value and last longer than I will.

The Hunt

I started at my local music store, where they have a reasonable selection of Martin, Taylor, Takamine, Gibson, and Fender acoustics. Not being an expert, I really just had to rely on what felt and sounded best to me (which is what most experts seem to tell you to do anyhow).

View Full Size Image Mahogany back and sides on the Taylor GS5

To my surprise, of all of the guitars I tried, I got to really like a small synthetic-body acoustic-electric from Martin, the Martin XC1T Ellipse. The Martin didn’t have a huge sound due to it’s small body, but it felt great to play.

A few weeks later, was traveling and got to a music store with a bit more selection. Here I tried a few “low-end” Taylor acoustics - the 100 and 200 series. I was really impressed with the huge, bright sound. I actually though it was a bit too bright (whatever that means). These guitars were around the $1,000 CDN mark, which was slightly over my budget, but felt and sounded good enough for me to pay a bit extra.

The Find

After having tried the 100/200 series Taylors, I looked a bit further into their product line on their website. Here I found the Taylor GS series, named for the Grand Symphony body shape. The GS shape is tight around the “waist” and has a wider “bottom” (I think Sir Mix-a-Lot would like these…). Having played a GS-body months earlier, I loved the shape and sound, but it was well out of my budget ($3,000+).

View Full Size Image Close-Up of the Taylor GS5

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that what really ended up selling me on the GS was a series of videos on the Taylor website. The videos show Bob Taylor discussing and playing the GS with a guitar dealer, and with Matt Scannell of the band Vertical Horizon. I should be clear here that I am not a fan of the hilariously named Vertical Horizon (juxtaposition, get it?), this guy made this guitar sound amazing.

I’m always cautious about judging a guitar based on how it sounds when someone else plays it. I remember reading a letter to a guitar magazine years ago where the sender asked a columnist what settings and equipment he should use to get a sound like Stevie Ray Vaughn. The columnist explained some of the basic equipment that SRV used, but closed with a nugget of wisdom that stuck with me (I’m paraphrasing here): “You can get closer to SRV’s sound with the right equipment, but remember, if SRV picked up your shitty guitar, he would still sound like SRV.”

Guitar tech parables aside, I was impressed with what I saw in the video, and I was struck by comments that some guitars can inspire you to want to play, and this is one of them (or so the manufacturer-produced video says).

Finding MY Guitar

The GS is available in four simple configurations. All models come with an ebony fingerboard, simple tasteful dot inlays, gold-plated tuners, an an ebony fingerboard. The only difference between the four configurations is the choice of wood for the back, sides, and soundboard (see the table below for details).

Taylor GS Series Woods

Model	Back & Sides	Top
GS5	Mahogany	Cedar
GS6	Maple	Spruce
GS7	Rosewood	Cedar
GS8	Rosewood	Spruce

While it’s nice that the GS series is straightforward (wood choices and an optional pickup/electronics system are the only options), the wood choices can be a bit daunting. The Taylor site and some reviews discuss the various attributes of the woods, but with terms like “bright” and “warm” are difficult to imagine. Several reviews mentioned that the cedar-top GS5 was well suited to finger-style playing, which doesn’t describe my general strummings and noodlings. However, having found the lower-end 100/200 series Maple models a bit too bright (lots of high-end), I was inclined towards the Mahogany/Cedar model (GS5).

I ended up going with with the Mahogany/Cedar GS5 model, and have been please with my decision. However, not having had exposure to all of the models, I can say for sure how I would have found the other variations.

With a list price above $2,600 and a selling price close to $2,000 (USD), this model was almost twice what I had originally budgeted. If I were paying full price, I don’t think I would have been able to justify the cost for my casual use. Fortunately, I found a new GS5 on eBay for only $1,400. This was close enough to my ever swelling budget that I was able to take the leap. I was a bit worried about ordering such a valuable item from eBay (especially given the low price), but the guitar was indeed brand-new and in perfect shape when it arrived.

Playing the GS5

The GS5 arrived in a solid and attractive leather-covered hard-shell case. The custom case holds the guitar body nicely and gave me some peace of mind knowing it was secure during shipment. Opening it up, the guitar was setup beautifully and was practically in tune.

With little experience with other acoustic guitars, my ability to compare and contrast is limited. The GS5 feels light and the body shape is comfortable for extended playing. The action was at a comfortable level - no buzz, but quite playable.

View Full Size Image Full view of the Taylor GS5

The GS5 is elegant and simple - it is not heavily adorned with fancy inlays or designs. The overall aesthetic is discreet and distinguished. The cedar, mahogany, and ebony wood components are nicely accented with gold-plated hardware (tuners and strap hooks).

While there was a $400 (list price) option for the Taylor acoustic/electric pickup system, I just couldn’t see having holes cut in this beautiful body for knobs. For a guitar that I hope to enjoy in my living room for years and hopefully pass on to another generation, the non-electric option just seemed more timeless and appropriate.

Did I Buy The Right Guitar?

The sound of the GS5 is full, warm, bright and generally delightful. As the promo videos suggested, this guitar encourages playing and makes you feel like a better musician. I get a nice feeling each time a come home and see the guitar on its stand in my living room. The beautiful appearance and sound encourage me to pick up the guitar and play much more often, as I had hoped. I’m completely happy with the GS5 and would recommend the guitar to anyone with a similar budget and playing situation. After too many years of casually searching, I bought the right guitar.