Taylor Guitars - History And Current Models

 

Bob Taylor - Kurt Listug 1985

Taylor Guitars were not even a glimmer in the eye of a teenaged boy named Bob Taylor when he was a student in the Eleventh Grade. He was 16 years old and enrolled in a high school woodworking class. Young Bob wanted a guitar at a local music store, an EKO Ranger 12 string, but he could not afford to buy it. 

1960's EKO Ranger 12

So for his woodworking project young Bob Taylor set out to build his own EKO Ranger. His teacher lent him a book called Classic Guitar Construction. The thing Bob liked most about the EKO guitar was its long, skinny, bolt-on neck, with it's low action. Usually this featured was reserved for only electric guitars. 

Very few builders had incorporated bolt on necks in their designs for acoustic guitars. But there were a few builders that embraced this technique.

Framus Texan Guitar

In Europe, some Framus acoustics used a bolt-on neck on some of it's guitars, including the Texan guitar.

1966 Fender Kingman

Luthier Roger Rosmeisl used the bolt-on neck on the series of Fender acoustic guitars that he was building in the late 1960’s, such as The Kingman, The Palomino, and others. 

LTD & Montego

Rossmeisl also used a bolt-on neck design on the Fender LTD and Montego Jazz guitars that he designed for Fender. However the rumor was bolt-on necks were a sign of poor quality, though over the years this fact has been disproven.

Bob Taylor's First Guitar

Bob built his first guitar that year. He decided that is what he wanted to do with his life. 

After graduating from high school, Bob started working at the American Dream Company. 

This was a local guitar-making collective in Lemon Grove, California, where he realized that he still had a lot to learn. This is where he met co-owner and luthier Sam Radding, a man who turned out to be a seminal influence in shaping Bob’s philosophy of guitar building. 

1970's Bob Taylor
American Dream Guitar

Sam Radding had opened his shop that he called American Dream Musical Instrument Manufacturing. The way this cooperative shop worked is that Radding provided a facility, benches, and some tools, although builders could bring their own hand tools. For instrument sales, the builder would get 60% of the sales, while the shop would keep 40%..

It was a bootstrap operation and became a starting point for some builders that went on to become a starting point for successful guitar manufacturers.

Taylor, Hoover, Bourgeois

Besides Bob Taylor, Larry Breedlove of Breedlove Guitars started there. So did James Goodall of Goodall Guitars, Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitars, Dana Bourgeois, as well as Greg Deering, who founded The Deering Banjo Company. 

It was at this shop that Bob Taylor met Kurt Listug, another fellow that was interested in building guitars. The two men struck up a friendship.

In the early 1970's when Radding’s business ran into some financial trouble. He offered to sell it to anyone for $2400. 

1974 Kurt Listug Westland Music Co

So in 1974 Taylor, Listug, and another fellow named Steve Schemmer pooled their resources to come up with the required cash, and the co-op became a bona fide guitar business.  

The trio renamed American Dream, "The Westland Music Company." 

However, they discovered they were going to need a shorter name to put on their guitar’s headstock. They chose Taylor. This was  because Bob was the better builder, and “Listug” and “Schemmer” did not sound like average American names. 

Within two years, in 1976, the fellows agreed it they were building some a great guitars and it was time to sell their guitars through retailers. 

Taylor Bolt-On Neck

Martin acoustic guitars had always been the industry standard, so the initial Taylor guitars were more affordable versions of Martin guitars, except the Taylor instrument had developed unique bolt-on necks in their design. 

Taylor offered these necks in various widths and were much easier to adjust and repair than Martin Guitar necks. 

During these early years of Taylor Guitars it was a "builder to customer" situation. The company would build a guitar and sell it directly to the customer based on the customer's specifications. This was why the removable neck Bob Taylor was so important. Bob could take the neck off, adjust the angle, or put on another with a different width until the customer was happy. 

Though this was probably not the best situation, it taught Bob to increase his set up skills on the fly and develop new knowledge of neck angles that his average customer appreciated culminating in the Taylor low profile neck design. 

Historical Martin Necks

Remember, in 1974 Martin was not even using an adjustable truss rod in their instruments. The fact that Taylor Guitars offered a quality instrument with an easily adjustable neck was a big improvement. 

Of course Taylor kept their prices below comparable Martin Guitars, which really helped the fledgling company get off the ground.

By 1981, facing financial difficulties, the company took out a bank loan to purchase equipment. Then in 1983 Steve Schemmer decided he wanted out and sold his stake in the company.

Prince with 12 String Guitar

At the 1985 NAMM convention, Taylor Guitars caught the eye of Prince. He commissioned a Taylor 655 Artist Series 12 string guitar to be built, but he did not want a brand name on the guitar.  Prince played this guitar at Live Aid in that same year.

Because of the obvious features of the build, other musicians soon figured it was a Taylor. Word of mouth gave way to reputation.

Dan Crary

Bluegrass flat picker, Dan Crary signed on in 1986. This became Taylor's first signature guitar.

Leo Kottke

In 1987 Leo Kottke made the switch to Taylor and had a 12 string model designed to his specifications

The earliest verified, surviving serial numbers from 1974 are 00109 and 10109. 

1984 Taylor 510

Initially Taylor Guitars produced dreadnought and jumbo-sized guitars with the Grand Concert body shape was introduced in 1984, followed by the popular 400 series in the early 1990s. 

In 1989 MTV launched it's "Unplugged" series of videos. This was a big boost for interest in acoustic guitars and helped Taylor Guitars grow the business. 

By 1989 Bob Taylor had purchased the company's first CNC (computer numerical control) mill. This gave a more accurate, and consistent way to build guitars, than hand building and eyeballing assembly. 

Taylor Factory El Cajon, CA

In 1992 Taylor Guitars relocated to a new factory in El Cajon, California, which as of today occupies eight buildings. 

In 1999 Taylor guitars debuted the "NT" neck design, which would become the company's standard. NT stood for New Technology. 

Taylor NT Neck Design

Though the neck design was bolt-on, it did feature a dove tail section. Bob designed the neck so the fretboard is not glued to the body, but floats above it. This is important because changes in humidity can cause the guitars body to swell. But with the neck slightly above the body, the neck remains unaffected. 

Taylor does cut a 'neck pocket' into the guitar's top and neck side. This pocket fits the neck block on the end of Taylor necks.  Taylor's NT designed neck can also have laser cut shims fitted to slightly raise it if necessary. 

Taylor Tecate, Mexico Factory

In the year 2000 Taylor Guitars opened up a factory in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico to facilitate construction of some of the less expensive Taylor Guitars; the 200 Series, the Baby Taylor, the GS Mini, and the 100 Series. 

This factory is only a 45 minute drive from the main factory in El Cajon, California. 

Around 2005, an up and coming 16 year old songwriter, Taylor Swift, purchased a Baby Taylor guitar that she kept in the back of her car to use for songwriting. 

Andy Powers

In 2011 Taylor Guitars hired  luthier Andy Powers. Due to his luthery skills, Powers was recruited as a successor to Bob Taylor. In 2019 he was named a one-third owner of the company. Since then Andy Powers has assumed his role as CEO and Chief Guitar Designer.

V Bracing Introduced 2018

Powers has worked on a number of innovations for the company including their proprietary V-Class Bracing system. Powers also is responsible for the Taylor Grand Pacific and Grand Theater guitar line as well as  the company’s ultra-premium Builder’s Edition collection. Powers currently created the Taylor Gold Label Collection.  

Taylor builds guitars for every size and budget. The following guitars are built at Taylor's Mexican facility. 

Baby Taylor

The 3/4 sized Baby Taylor Guitar retails starting at $449. with tops of solid Spruce, Mahogany or Hawaiian Koa wood.  

Taylor Big Baby

The full size Big Baby Taylor Guitar retails for $499, or $599 with electronics. It is similar to the Baby Taylor, available only with a solid Spruce top, and a layered Walnut back and sides. Neither the Baby or Big Baby have a neck heel/ Both come with a padded gig bag.

Taylor GS Mini

The Taylor 3/4 size GS Mini Guitar is a step up, starting at $499 and features spruce, mahogany and koa for top woods, along with layered rosewood, layered Mahogany, layered Sapele and layered Koa for the backs and sides. The price also includes a gig bag.

Taylor Academy Guitars

The Taylor Academy Series has a 24 7/8th scale and a solid spruce wood top. This guitar comes in a Dreadnaught style or Grand Concert style body. The back and sides are layered Sapele or Walnut wood. 

The base price is $799.00, which include an arm rest, built-in Taylor EB-1 electronics, and a gig bag. 

Taylor 100 Series

The Taylor 100 Series is a full sized guitar with a solid spruce top paired with either layered Walnut or layered Sapele back and sides. This instrument comes in a variety of styles, with or without a cutaway. The neck is made of Mahogany or Maple wood, and topped with a fretboard made of Ebony or Eucalyptus wood. The starting retail price is $799.00.

Bajo Quinto - Doce Doble 

Two of the 100 series instruments pay tribute to Mexican heritage, which include the 10 string Bajo Quinto with EMG ACS Pickup Electronics, and the 12 string Doce Doble, which has 6 pairs of string tuned in unison, and a Expression System® 2 Electronics, and a gig bag. 

Taylor 200 Series

The Taylor 200 series of guitars starts at a retail price of $999, and can cost up to $2200.00.  The basic model includes a torrefied Spruce Top, layered Walnut Back and Sides, a Neo-Tropical Mahogany Neck, a West African Crelicam Ebony Fretboard, plus the Expression System® 2 Electronics system. This guitar has a  Venetian cutaway. A padded gig bag in the price. 

Taylor 300 Series

The next group of Taylor Guitars are made at their California factory. These begin with the Taylor 300 Series, a group of 17 different instruments in the Grand Auditorium, or Grand Concert shape. The price increase for US made Taylor Guitars is significant. 

314 ce Studio SEB

For example the Taylor 314ce Studio SEB has a suggested retail price of $2099.00. For this price you are purchasing a very nice guitar with a torrefied Spruce top with a Venetian cutaway, Sapele wood back and sides , a |Mahogany Neck, with a West African Crelicam Ebony Fretboard . This guitar comes with the Taylor| Expression System® 2 Electronics. It has Taylor's V-shaped bracing. The price includes a padded gig bag. It is available with a natural or tobacco stain finish on the sound board.  

The average suggested retail price of Taylor 300 Series guitars is $2500.00.

Let me explain about Crelicam Ebony wood. This is specialized sustainable wood found in the Cameroon section of Africa. It has been processed at a saw mill owned by the Taylor Guitar company since 2011. Taylors goal is to provide fair wages, process locally, reforestation, and providing high-quality, often variegated ebony for fingerboards, bridges, and backs.

Taylor 400 Series

The Taylor 400 Series guitars feature a solid Sitka Spruce soundboard with Indian Rosewood back and side. In the past they were made of African Ovangkol wood. The necks are made of tropical Mahogany.

 The fretboard is made of West African Crelicam Ebony. These guitars feature a Venetian cutaway. For electronics most come with Taylor's  Expression System® 2 Electronics system, while some new models for 2026 are equipped with the Claria™ Pickup System Electronics. 

Most guitars in the series include a Taylor Deluxe Hardshell Brown Case. Guitars in this series retail from $2200 to $3000. 

Taylor 500 Series

Taylor's 500 series include Taylor Gold Label guitars, which are some of Taylor's best. The 500 series include Grand Auditorium, Grand Pacific, Grand Concert, and Super Auditorium sizes. They are priced from $2800 to $3500 and include a hardshell case. 

This line up comes with Taylor's Expression 2 electronics. The guitar's tops are Sitka Spruce, while the back and sides are made of Red Ironbark or Shamel Ash. Shown here are the new all Mahogany Taylor 520 and 522.

Builder's Edition
614ce

The Taylor 600 Series guitars were designed by CEO Andy Powers. They combine Torrefied Sitka Spruce tops with Big Leaf Maple back and sides, which is said to produce a warmer overall tone. Some of the guitars include a beveled Venetian cutaway. The Ebony fretboard includes special design mother-of-pearl position markers.  All come with a hardshell case and Expression 2 electronics. Suggested retail prices range from $3800 to $4200 USD.  

Taylor 724ce and 722ce Koa

The Taylor 700 Series of guitars ups the ante by including two models made entirely of Hawaiian Koa wood. Many of these instruments are part of the Gold Label series. 

Taylor Gold Label 717 Series

Most of this collection of 11 different guitars have a  Sitka Spruce top paired with Indian Rosewood back and sides, and a Mahogany wood neck. 

The Fretboard are made of West African Crelicam Ebony with dot position markers. The two Koa models have a deluxe single ring rosette done in Rosewood and Paua. All guitars include the Expression 2 electronics system and a  deluxe hardshell case. The suggested retail prices range from $3000 to $4000.  

Taylor 800 Series

The Taylor 800 Series combines solid Sitka Spruce tops with solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, all topped with a thin gloss finish. Some of the models include scaled-down armrests. The 800 Series features an Ebony fretboard and peghead veneer, ebony bridge and bridge pins, maple binding, maple fretboard, and peghead purfling, rosewood edge trim, and an abalone rosette. 

The Expression 2 or Claria  acoustic electronic under saddle pickup system is included, plus a deluxe hardshell guitar case. Suggested retail prices range from $4000 to $5500. 

855ce 12

The 800 Series features the Taylor Legacy 855e 12 string, which is a recreation of one of Bob Taylor's first guitar builds. 

Taylor 900 Series

Only three instruments make up the Taylor 900 Series. These guitars are built with Sitka Spruce or Sinker Redwood soundboards, and matched with Indian or Honduran Rosewood back and sides. The necks are made of Mahogany. 

Taylor 900 Series

The fretboards are made of West African Crelicam Ebony and have specialized mother-of-pearl position marker inlays. Deluxe paua shell inlays decorate the rosette and binding. 

Taylor 900 Series

These are 3 gorgeous instruments that command a higher price of $5,000 to $6,000. Expression 2 or LR Baggs Element VTC acoustic pickups are included in the price, as well as a deluxe hardshell case. 

The top of the line for Taylor is their Presentation Series. This includes five beautiful instruments that range in price from $10,000 to $12,200. 

PS54ce

All of these guitars are beautifully designed and made of Honduran rosewood and Sinker Redwood, with the exception of the 12 string  PS54ce which has an Adirondack Spruce top and the PS14ce, which has  Red Ironbark back and sides. All Presentation Series guitars have the West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard that is inlaid with a mother of pearl California Vine design that is crafted from Paua shells. 

Taylor Presentation Series

Paua is also used around the binding, bottom edge of the fretboard, and rosette. Position markers are made of abolone. The bridge pins are made of Ebony wood.  

These guitars are all equipped with Taylor's proprietary Expression System 2 is a behind-the-saddle acoustic pickup and come with a deluxe hardshell case.

©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only) 2026

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of Bob Taylor telling their history.