The Big Three

[West R Lee]

I was at a local Taylor event two weeks ago and heard Bob Taylor speak. He noted that according to music industry reports, Taylor has sold more acoustic guitars than Martin in each of the past 18 months. So Martin is no longer No.1 in "the big three".

With regard to celebrity endorsements, Taylor does not give guitars to celebs for exposure. Bob noted that 99 percent of the music that is played is played by folks like you (pointing to the audience). He said that you will never see a Taylor ad with a celeb holding a Taylor guitar. He said that (again pointing the audience) you are our main customer. Seeing a Taylor guitar up on a television stage is nice, but that is not a part of our business model.

Regardless of whether you like Taylor guitars, you have to admire their rise from 12 initial years of poverty and daily threats of going out of business to the No.1 sales position in just about 25 years.

NEVER! You're right though, she's not actually "holding" it.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/li ... ylorSwift/

And Doyle's not holding one here....

http://taylorguitars.com/artists/clinicians/dykes.asp

Just out of curiosity, what difference does it make if they're actually holding it? Seems to the untrained eye that these could be construed as advertisement.

West

 

[capnjuan]

... NEVER! You're right though, she's not actually "holding" it.

:lol: Good point ... she's only pictured next to it ... her agent probably signed it for her ... as part of the deal, Taylor probably requires her to haul it in the luggage compartment of her road bus .. .. and don't forget the Taylor Leo Kottke siggie model

 

[West R Lee]

And Lord forbid she'd ever stop by Taylor's studio to do a song, or that they'd ever use it for advertisement. My gosh what a beautiful young talent.....I'd use her to sell my guitars too....in a heartbeat! Bob Taylor is a freaking genious....sorry Carl, I just don't buy into the whole...."We're innocent, we wouldn't have an artist hold a guitar concept." Sort of like a contention that "We don't have to market them, they market themselves." Taylor spends an enormous amount of money on marketing......and it works. I think they do it better than anyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDgcVv0Gads

West

 

[capnjuan]

I was trying to remember all the Martin siggie models ... McGuinn ... Crosby ... on and on ... and then there's the Richie Havens ... no offense intended ... it's just that it's such a short list.

 

[adorshki]

I was trying to remember all the Martin siggie models ... McGuinn ... Crosby ... on and on ... and then there's the Richie Havens ... no offense intended ... it's just that it's such a short list.

Don't forget the Duane Eddie.
I have one of his albums.

 

[West R Lee]

I was trying to remember all the Martin siggie models ... McGuinn ... Crosby ... on and on ... and then there's the Richie Havens ... no offense intended ... it's just that it's such a short list.

Oh I think they've got a "Willy Porter" signature guitar Cappy. The list with Martin goes on forever.......I'd like to try a Stephen Stills.

I do like Willie Porter.....don't know if they still make his signature guitar....probably not.

http://www.guildguitars.com/artists/index.php?id=68

And Westerly made a "Hank Williams Jr."

West

 

[cjd-player]

They obviously do promote their signature models with the person in whose honor the model was made, but in every case, that person was playing a regular Taylor long before the signature model came to be. i.e Leo Kottke, Clint Black, Doyle Dykes, Dave Matthews, Taylor Swift, Steven Curtis Chapman. etc. etc. etc.

Bob's point was that Taylor does not promote their guitars through celebrities. If a celebrity is a long-time Taylor player, they may do a signature model in their honor. Obviously that has some marketing clout too. They're not stupid.

 

[West R Lee]

I don't doubt that at all Carl, but I think it's still pretty obvious that Taylor capitalizes on the artists. On the other side of the coin, I think Doyle Dykes has capitalized on Taylor also. No question Doyle is a phenomenal talent and would be renouned without Taylor, but I've always thought his association with Taylor through clinics and signature models have very much helped put Doyle over the top. The relationship has been mutually beneficial.

West

 

[dreadnut]

The Martin I'd like is the Jim Croce D-21 Brazilian.

 

[Brad Little]

Guild signature guitars: Going back a bit, there was the Johnny Smith that morphed into the Artist Award, George Barnes Acoustilectric (or something like that) and his guitar in F. I know he played them, but wasn't there a George Strait model for a while?
Brad

 

[capnjuan]

I was trying to remember all the Martin siggie models ... McGuinn ... Crosby ... on and on ... and then there's the Richie Havens ... no offense intended ... it's just that it's such a short list.

Don't forget the Duane Eddie. I have one of his albums.

I did forget the DE ... and the Johnny Smith ... what are we up to now ... 3? Let's keep it rolling

 

[cjd-player]

I don't doubt that at all Carl, but I think it's still pretty obvious that Taylor capitalizes on the artists. On the other side of the coin, I think Doyle Dykes has capitalized on Taylor also. No question Doyle is a phenomenal talent and would be renouned without Taylor, but I've always thought his association with Taylor through clinics and signature models have very much helped put Doyle over the top. The relationship has been mutually beneficial.

West

No question about Doyle, Jim. Bob even commented that Doyle has probably caused more Taylor sales than any other artist. And on the flip side, his workshops for Taylor have definitely helped his public exposure.

 

[fronobulax]

NEVER! You're right though, she's not actually "holding" it.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/li ... ylorSwift/

Was that an autograph? :wink: