Bob Taylor blows my mind...

[chazmo]

Here's this guy running the most amazing and profitable guitar company on earth. The man never bulls**ts. Even in his own publication, Wood&Steel, I was completely blown away by two things he said in the summer and fall editions. You expect spin from the leader of this empire, but no.

In summer, someone asked him what guitars he likes, both Taylor and non-... He brought up Collings, Lakewood, PRS, and mentioned a (Martin) HD-28, etc. Unbelievable (to me) that they printed this.

Recently, he wrote a whole article about how guitars get better with age... This from a guy whose company depends on customers wanting innovative changes... He basically admits that he buys into the 10-15 year old sweet spot and encourages people to stop (or at least limit) their guitar swapping and get to enjoy the transformation of a guitar over time. I was completely blown away.

Anyway, kudos to a guy who can share his opinions freely like that despite leading a corporate juggernaut.

If you're interested, http://www.taylorguitars.com/woodandsteel/ has the summer and fall W&S. In the summer one, go to page 11 for the letter he answered. In the fall one, go to page 5 (BobSpeak) and read the whole "Age-Old Discussion"

 

[southernGuild]

Well said Chaz. Though not a Taylor guitar fan at all, I too enjoy the Wood and steel magazine. I pick it up from my local music store whenever I can and always enjoy the read.
Good, informative and insightful stuff in there, well beyond Taylor guitars. Nice artist profiles and helpful tech stuff. Not at all bad for a free magazine. Sometimes I get more info out of that one than my regular AG monthly mag.
I have allot of respect for Bob as well and agree, He sure comes across as a real guitar lover, hard worker, clever businessman, and a straight shooter.
Probably some of the major reasons that he is such a success. :wink:
Yep, Kudos to him.

 

[dapmdave]

Someday, Bob Taylor will no longer own Taylor Guitars. From that point forward, I predict that people will prize guitars from the "Pre-whoever takes over the company" era. You can like or dislike Taylors, but they are generally well-built instruments with a great consistency.

Dave

 

[tjmangum]

His recent book is a great story about his personal and business growth. I like his guitars and I like his philosophy. I believe he's the real deal.
Terry

 

[West R Lee]

I thought someone here a while back said that Bob Taylor had recently toured the Guild plant.............now THAT is what blew me away. :shock: :lol: Here you guys were talking about not being able to take pictures on your tour, like it was a nuclear missle site or something, and Guild was letting the king of the guitar hill, an enormous competitor, walk around for a look :shock: .

When I mentioned my surprise in that thread, someone here said something to the effect of, "Oh, they do that all of the time." Obviously you could reverse engineer any guitar in the world if you got your hands on it.....and wanted to. Sometimes I wonder if Bob Taylor hasn't made his 10's of $millions and isn't seeing a bigger picture? I wonder if he isn't so secure that he wants others to succeed.

West

 

[cjd-player]

I thought someone here a while back said that Bob Taylor had recently toured the Guild plant.............now THAT is what blew me away. :shock: :lol: Here you guys were talking about not being able to take pictures on your tour, like it was a nuclear missle site or something, and Guild was letting the king of the guitar hill, an enormous competitor, walk around for a look :shock: .

When I mentioned my surprise in that thread, someone here said something to the effect of, "Oh, they do that all of the time." Obviously you could reverse engineer any guitar in the world if you got your hands on it.....and wanted to. Sometimes I wonder if Bob Taylor hasn't made his 10's of $millions and isn't seeing a bigger picture? I wonder if he isn't so secure that he wants others to succeed.

West

If they were smart, they asked for his help and input. Several years ago he went to the Martin factory to help them set up their new CNC machines. He did the same for Jim Olson. He has said more than once that Taylor could never ever meet the domestic demand for guitars, so he respects his competition. He also knows that each manufacturer has their own voice, and customers' tastes vary.

If you watch the Taylor factory videos and tour the Guild shop, they are very, very similar, although Taylor's tooling is more sophisticated and svelt.

If you look at the many guitar build threads by numerous luthiers on the AGF and various factory videos on Youtube, you quickly realize that they are all made pretty much the same. Quality of construction and excellent fit and finish are pretty much guaranteed by anyone who truly wants to compete in today's market. The only significant differences are body geometry, bracing, kerfing, and wood thickness, and these are the factors that give each manufacturer it's voice.

Traditionalists will argue that more hand work equates to a better guitar, but hand work can never be as precise as machine work. Look at build threads from Jim Olson's shop and you see it is full of CNC machines and every router jig imaginable. Hand work? - not much.

Bolt-on necks are becoming the standard on many high-end guitars,such as Collings and Bourgeois, because of the precision available and tightness of the joint. Bob Taylor has forever changed guitar building through his constant innovations to solve traditional problems, and his ceaseless desire to build better instruments.

 

[southernGuild]

True stuff cjd. +1 to all that :wink:

 

[West R Lee]

For a minute there I thought cjd-player liked Bob Taylor? Nah Carl, I agree the man's product is prolific, and if they are, it's for good reason.

West

 

[doc]

I am not really a Taylor guitar fan, just not my taste in their sound. However, there is more then enough business to go around. He probably would like to keep as much of it American as possible. Pretty much, some of guys that work building guitars move around and work for different companies and bring the techniques with them. Despite the precision of the machine work, the very best guitars are still hand made IMHO. The more people play guitars the more it brings in other people to guitar playing and their need for an instrument. I am sure enjoying all the different guitars as choice is king.

 

[Mr. P ~]

I will say this, my company (Boeing) does a lot of talk and training about ethics, but I don't feel you can train an adult in ethics. If YO Mama didn't teach you ethics, you probably won't have any.

To me Bob Taylor is a Shinning example of good ethics. He is also a good example of Good productivity vs. being Green. 8)

 

[Ridgemont]

What I like about Bob Taylor is the same that I like about Chris Martin. While they are successful businessmen, they are also strong advocates in education of the field. This article, while it could hurt business, is a lesson on how to get the most out of your guitar. I have seen educational videos by Taylor on humidity and guitar care, and I have seen videos from Martin on sustainability and "green" practices of wood harvesting. There are lots of great guitar builders out there, but one thing that draws me to businesses like these is the sense that they actually care about something other than the bottom line.

 

[jwsamuel]

Many of the productions innovations that Bob Taylor has developed have been freely shared with other guitar makers around the world. He is very free with information and has helped other companies solve problems and improve their production quality.

Jim

 

[Dr Izza Plumber]

Some folks are destined to BS, others are just straight shooters.
I prefer to believe those who are up front and honest, concerning their life's parade. :wink:

 

[chazmo]

Amen, doc!

Hey, you guys wanna have some fun... read "Shatner Rules"