Taylor’sNew Generation
WegrillTaylor’sAndyPowersoverthegenesis ofthenew800Seriesguitars
Sowhatwasthestartpoint? “Bobsaid,‘The800wasthefirstguitar IdesignedasamodelforTaylor,andhas becomethequintessentialmodern acousticguitar:it’sbeenmybabyforthe past40years.Iwantyoutomakeit your guitar,andmakethembetterthanthey’ve everbeen.’Thatwastheimpetus.” Isthereafundamentalchangetothe design,oraraftofsmallimprovements? “Ilookatitasafundamentaldeparture— we’vejustwalkedthroughadoorintoanew generationofinstruments.Italsomarksthe departurefromasortof‘onesizefitsall’ mindset,becauseIdon’tlookat instrumentsthatway:Iliketolookateach oneasanindividual,andoptimiseit.Tome, agrandconcert(GC)guitarisnotthesame asadreadnought(D)guitar.Theycanboth bewonderful,butthey’renotthesame.I wantthesamequalitiesoutofbothofthem, butit’sgoingtocomeoutinadifferentway. Likedifferentmembersofafamily. “Ievaluatedeveryoneindividually,starting withthegrandauditorium(GA).Iwanted moresustain,amoreboldresponse,more volume,biggercarryingpower:more projection,andamorebalancedresponse overitswholeregister.Insomecases,itwas aboutrefinements,inothers,adistinct, majorchange,likethebackbracingonthe GAandGC.They’renowslanted,it’snota straightladderbracinganymore.” What’sthereasonforthis? “Becauseitchangedthewaytheback movesinrelationtothetop.Ichangedthe topbracingandoptimisedthatforeach modelindividually,thenIlookedattheback bracingandthenthethicknessofthewood: thetopandtheback.” AreyoumovingTaylorbackwardsalittle tocomeforwards? “Insomeways…Havingtheexperiencethat Ihave,Iliketolookattheentirehistoryof instrumentsandtakeoutwhatIfeelare valuableinsightsandvaluablepractices fromeveryera.OneofBob’sgreatgiftsto theguitarworldistheNTneck:that’sa neckthatcanbeconsistentlymadetoplay well.Usingthatasastartingplatform,Ican sayIwantto,forexample,reintroducethe worldofhideorproteingluebecauseIcan makeabetter-soundingguitarusingthat. That’stechnologythatwentoutoffashiona 100yearsago,butstillthechemistryand technologyissound,anditworksverywell. Oneofthemostchallengingthingswasthe newfinish…” It’s a thinner version of what was already apretty thin finish… “Itwas6mils[sixthousandthsofaninch]– aboutthesamethicknessasmostaverage finishes.Attheendoftheday,thethinnest wecouldpossiblygowithit,onaverage, was3.5mils.But,great,wegotthefinish justabouthalfasthickasitusedtobe. Butnow,whatIendupwithisanother ingredientintherecipeforabetterguitar. Allofthesethingscombineintomakinga moremusicalinstrument.”
“Bobsaid,‘The800hasbeenmybabyforthe past40years.Iwantyoutomakeityourguitar, andmakethembetterthanthey’veeverbeen’”