Posted by Sandy Goss
on 9/18/2009, 4:14 pm, in reply to "Taylor 9-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar--A Winner?"
I am the original owner of a 1980 Taylor 855. This was a replacement for my 1978 Taylor 855 that was stolen. I really love Taylor 855s and also wonder why they stopped making the straight acoustic jumbo 12. I'm told it is still available through the BTO program. I have owned many 12s over the years including a Gibson, 2 Martins, 2 Guilds, a Takamine, a Yamaha, a Taylor 655 and the 2 Taylor 855s. My favorite is the 855 I still own, the worst was a late 60's Martin D12-20 that was a major dissapointment.
Years ago I modified the Takamine with essentially the same string configuration as the new Taylor 9 string. I really liked this setup because of the clean base strings and the single high E but didn't care much for the guitar itself. Also, the string spacing was weird.
I intend to go to great lengths to find one of these new Taylor 9 strings to test drive. My interest is not to replace my 855 but rather to have a different tool. Yesterday I had the chance to play a Martin D7 7 string and I was surprised how much added sparkle that just a single octave G provides.
I am not a professional musician. I play largely for fun either at home or local jams, around the campfire etc. My playing style has evolved over the years to something unconventional because I have an injury based disability with the forefinger on my right hand that prevents me from using a flat pick for more than a minute or two. I also own a 2007 Taylor 810e dread.
I happen to like Taylor guitars but not at the expense of other brands. I was ready to buy a Martin HD28V but I found this mint 2007 Taylor 810e for $1400 and couldn't pass that up. The two do not sound exactly the same but to my taste neither is either superior or inferior to the other, just different.
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