On October 15, 1974, a couple of eager, guitar-loving dreamers from San Diego showed up for work at the small guitar shop they’d just bought and began a journey that would change the way guitars — and music — were made. Over the next five decades, co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug would overcome countless obstacles, gradually growing their shop into a world-class guitar manufacturer. Some of the keys to their success? Passion, resilience and a relentlessly innovative mindset.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the many dealers, players, employees and other partners who’ve been part of this amazing journey with us. To celebrate Taylor’s 50th anniversary, we’re highlighting some of our history and innovations from the past half century.
In the early 1970s, the acoustic guitar was riding a wave of widespread popularity. From the “Great Folk Scare” of the early ’60s to the folk-rock fusion that followed to the hippie-spirited singer-songwriter scene that wafted out of LA’s Laurel Canyon to the pastoral Celtic/blues-folk of Led Zeppelin, the acoustic guitar had become an essential musical tool for both songwriting and performance. Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor, John Denver, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Gordon Lightfoot, America, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens, John Prine, Leo Kottke and many other artists had helped create demand for acoustic guitars.
Larger established guitar companies like Martin, Gibson and Guild were straining to keep up. Smaller instrument makers started to emerge alongside them, offering more customization by working directly with clients. This luthier’s revival gave rise to independent guitar makers across North America like Jean Larrivée, Richard Hoover and Bruce Ross (Santa Cruz), Stuart Mossman, Michael Gurian and Thomas and Augustino LoPrinzi.
And at a small shop in San Diego, Sam Radding....
Brothers Sam and Gene Radding establish the American Dream Musical Instrument Company in San Diego. Sam, a self-taught luthier, builds guitars, and Gene sells them. The shop has a retail area in the front and workshop space in the back to build and repair guitars. The shop’s early success prompts them to relocate to a larger 1,500-square-foot building in nearby Lemon Grove. It has a casual, hippie/co-op vibe, where other builders had an assigned workbench and supplied their own hand tools but had access to the shop’s table saw, band saw, sanders and other tools.
Brothers Sam and Gene Radding establish the American Dream Musical Instrument Company in San Diego. Sam, a self-taught luthier, builds guitars, and Gene sells them. The shop has a retail area in the front and workshop space in the back to build and repair guitars. The shop’s early success prompts them to relocate to a larger 1,500-square-foot building in nearby Lemon Grove. It has a casual, hippie/co-op vibe, where other builders had an assigned workbench and supplied their own hand tools but had access to the shop’s table saw, band saw, sanders and other tools.
Left: Bob Taylor with the first guitar he ever built;
Right: Kurt Listug , circa 1973
Sam Radding hires Kurt Listug to work at the American Dream. A week or so later, he offers a workbench to an 18-year-old high school graduate named Bob Taylor who’d made his first guitar in eleventh grade and two more guitars during his senior year.
Left: Bob Taylor with the first guitar he ever built;
Right: Kurt Listug , circa 1973
Sam Radding hires Kurt Listug to work at the American Dream. A week or so later, he offers a workbench to an 18-year-old high school graduate named Bob Taylor who’d made his first guitar in eleventh grade and two more guitars during his senior year.
The Early Years
A soggy first day in business.
After Radding announces he plans to sell the American Dream, Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug and Steve Schemmer, a childhood friend of Kurt’s who also worked at the Dream, partner up and borrow money to purchase the shop. Since the purchase doesn’t include the rights to the American Dream name, they decide to call the new business Westland Music Company, because that sounds “big and important” and they aspire to expand the business beyond just guitar-building to include making and selling guitar parts and doing guitar repairs. Their first day in business is October 15. It’s an inauspicious start — they arrive at the shop that morning only to discover it had flooded from a storm drain next door that had overflowed. They spend the day mopping up.
A soggy first day in business.
After Radding announces he plans to sell the American Dream, Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug and Steve Schemmer, a childhood friend of Kurt’s who also worked at the Dream, partner up and borrow money to purchase the shop. Since the purchase doesn’t include the rights to the American Dream name, they decide to call the new business Westland Music Company, because that sounds “big and important” and they aspire to expand the business beyond just guitar-building to include making and selling guitar parts and doing guitar repairs. Their first day in business is October 15. It’s an inauspicious start — they arrive at the shop that morning only to discover it had flooded from a storm drain next door that had overflowed. They spend the day mopping up.
Westland Music Company changes its name to Taylor Guitars. Kurt hits the road to sell directly to dealers. Taylor’s proximity to Los Angeles, coupled with supportive and influential dealers there, including Westwood Music and McCabe’s Guitar Shop, gets Taylors in the hands of some notable artists. Fred Walecki, the owner of Westwood Music, sells Taylors to David Crosby, JD Souther and others.
Westland Music Company changes its name to Taylor Guitars. Kurt hits the road to sell directly to dealers. Taylor’s proximity to Los Angeles, coupled with supportive and influential dealers there, including Westwood Music and McCabe’s Guitar Shop, gets Taylors in the hands of some notable artists. Fred Walecki, the owner of Westwood Music, sells Taylors to David Crosby, JD Souther and others.
Rust Never Sleeps, the concert film capturing the 1978 tour of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, is released. The film prominently features Young playing a Taylor 12-string 855, putting Taylor in the spotlight.
Rust Never Sleeps, the concert film capturing the 1978 tour of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, is released. The film prominently features Young playing a Taylor 12-string 855, putting Taylor in the spotlight.
Taylor’s early struggles to turn guitar-making into a successful enterprise were compounded by the shifting music trends of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Acoustic guitars diminished in appeal as pop music transitioned from the era of the singer-songwriter to the Bee Gees, disco, punk and new wave, with synthesizers and electric guitars prominently featured in pop and rock music, and visually showcased in music videos with the debut of MTV in 1981.
Larger acoustic companies like Martin, Gibson and Guild took the biggest hit. As Bob Taylor reflects in his book, Guitar Lessons: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion into Business, “In the eight years from 1974 to 1982, Martin went from total production of more than 20,000 guitars to about 3,000 guitars. In many ways, the fact that they survived is more remarkable than the fact that we survived.” Gibson struggled mightily as well, as did Guild. And smaller companies weren’t immune either. “Even my good friend Jean Larrivée quit making acoustic guitars during these years and made only solid body electric guitars just to survive,” Bob writes.
Fortunately, Bob’s guitars and Kurt’s outreach to dealers helped the company get a foothold, as Bob recalls. “The dealers...are guitar enthusiasts at heart, and they loved the shape and feel of our guitar necks, the brilliant and balanced tone, and our craftsmanship. They bought guitars because they wanted to, and thankfully, they kept acoustic guitar playing alive during those years, no matter how unpopular it had become.”
Bob and Kurt buy out partner Steve Schemmer, incorporate as Taylor-Listug, Inc., and purchase new equipment they’d designed to handle the most laborious aspects of tooling and processing raw materials. It is a turning point in the company’s evolution.
Bob and Kurt buy out partner Steve Schemmer, incorporate as Taylor-Listug, Inc., and purchase new equipment they’d designed to handle the most laborious aspects of tooling and processing raw materials. It is a turning point in the company’s evolution.
A Purple Guitar for Prince
After a request from McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica for something unique, Taylor’s Larry Breedlove, who has been experimenting with color applications on wood, makes a bold, color-stained maple/spruce guitar that allows the wood grain to still show through. McCabe’s likes it. This leads to production of a purple-stained 12-string Jumbo for Prince — though it required being made without the Taylor name on the headstock because Prince refused to perform with instruments that had the maker’s name on them. Soon, calls come in from other artists interested in stage-friendly colored acoustics and custom inlay work.
A Purple Guitar for Prince
After a request from McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica for something unique, Taylor’s Larry Breedlove, who has been experimenting with color applications on wood, makes a bold, color-stained maple/spruce guitar that allows the wood grain to still show through. McCabe’s likes it. This leads to production of a purple-stained 12-string Jumbo for Prince — though it required being made without the Taylor name on the headstock because Prince refused to perform with instruments that had the maker’s name on them. Soon, calls come in from other artists interested in stage-friendly colored acoustics and custom inlay work.
Dan Crary Signature Model
Taylor’s first-ever signature model is designed as a custom guitar for progressive bluegrass flatpicker Dan Crary, who craved a Dreadnought for flatpicking lead lines with a louder, more responsive treble, a more musical bass, and nice balance between the two. Bob Taylor essentially revoices a rosewood/spruce 810 by shifting from scalloped bracing to taller, more blade-shaped braces and thinning the top. The guitar also features a soft cutaway to give Crary access to the upper register for his blazing solo runs. It’s loud, with a tone that’s sweet rather than strident. Dan and Bob like it so much that it becomes an official production model for a number of years.
Dan Crary Signature Model
Taylor’s first-ever signature model is designed as a custom guitar for progressive bluegrass flatpicker Dan Crary, who craved a Dreadnought for flatpicking lead lines with a louder, more responsive treble, a more musical bass, and nice balance between the two. Bob Taylor essentially revoices a rosewood/spruce 810 by shifting from scalloped bracing to taller, more blade-shaped braces and thinning the top. The guitar also features a soft cutaway to give Crary access to the upper register for his blazing solo runs. It’s loud, with a tone that’s sweet rather than strident. Dan and Bob like it so much that it becomes an official production model for a number of years.
Leo Kottke Signature Model
In the mid-’80s, a store-bought Taylor mahogany 12-string 555 lures fingerstyle virtuoso Leo Kottke back to playing guitar after a hiatus due to hand ailments. As the story goes, Kottke uses a pocket knife to carve down some of the braces inside the guitar to modify it. Bob Taylor later connects with Kottke, and after a series of conversations, they decide to work together on the design of what Kottke feels will make the ultimate 12-string. The resulting LKSM retains the mahogany/Sitka spruce wood pairing and Jumbo shape, with a flatter-style cutaway. Kottke feels that a 12-string’s strength is a rumbling low-end and shouldn’t be tuned to pitch, so the guitar is designed to feature heavy-gauge strings and be tuned to C-sharp. A 6-string version is later made.
Leo Kottke Signature Model
In the mid-’80s, a store-bought Taylor mahogany 12-string 555 lures fingerstyle virtuoso Leo Kottke back to playing guitar after a hiatus due to hand ailments. As the story goes, Kottke uses a pocket knife to carve down some of the braces inside the guitar to modify it. Bob Taylor later connects with Kottke, and after a series of conversations, they decide to work together on the design of what Kottke feels will make the ultimate 12-string. The resulting LKSM retains the mahogany/Sitka spruce wood pairing and Jumbo shape, with a flatter-style cutaway. Kottke feels that a 12-string’s strength is a rumbling low-end and shouldn’t be tuned to pitch, so the guitar is designed to feature heavy-gauge strings and be tuned to C-sharp. A 6-string version is later made.
In November, the first episode of MTV Unplugged airs and a Taylor is featured (Chris Difford with the band Squeeze). The series becomes a catalyst for a period of renewed popularity for acoustic guitars and robust growth for Taylor.
In November, the first episode of MTV Unplugged airs and a Taylor is featured (Chris Difford with the band Squeeze). The series becomes a catalyst for a period of renewed popularity for acoustic guitars and robust growth for Taylor.
The 1990s would prove to be a decade of significant growth and transformation for Taylor. For starters, after the lean years of the 1980s, acoustic guitars began to experience a resurgence in the music industry, thanks in part to the popularity of MTV Unplugged along with emerging artists like Dave Matthews who sparked a renewed interest in acoustic guitars.
Meanwhile, Bob Taylor started using a CNC (computer-numerical control) mill in January of 1990, ushering in a prolific period of innovation as Taylor embraced technology (such as lasers and UV-curable finishes) and developed proprietary tooling and manufacturing processes to refine the guitar-making process. As a result, Taylor was able to make guitars with greater precision and consistency and simultaneously ramp up its production capability. Bob also introduced his Grand Auditorium body style mid-decade, which would become enormously popular — and ultimately Taylor’s flagship body shape.
Taylor’s first CNC mill
Computer (CNC) Mills
Taylor is the first acoustic guitar company to use computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) mills for guitar production. (But Bob Taylor always credits Tom Anderson as a CNC pioneer who used a CNC milling machine first to make his electric guitars.) The game-changing machines offer exacting precision for cutting, pocketing and shaping complex guitar components and bring unprecedented consistency to the guitar-making process. CNC mills eventually are used to fabricate proprietary fixtures and other tools that help improve Taylor’s guitar-making methods. They become a key catalyst for other innovations and help spur Taylor’s growth during the ’90s into an industry-leading manufacturer.
Taylor’s first CNC mill
Computer (CNC) Mills
Taylor is the first acoustic guitar company to use computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) mills for guitar production. (But Bob Taylor always credits Tom Anderson as a CNC pioneer who used a CNC milling machine first to make his electric guitars.) The game-changing machines offer exacting precision for cutting, pocketing and shaping complex guitar components and bring unprecedented consistency to the guitar-making process. CNC mills eventually are used to fabricate proprietary fixtures and other tools that help improve Taylor’s guitar-making methods. They become a key catalyst for other innovations and help spur Taylor’s growth during the ’90s into an industry-leading manufacturer.
Taylor introduces its mahogany/spruce, satin-finish 410 model. With a list price of $998, it’s the first American-made, all-solid-wood steel-string guitar in the industry to be priced under $1,000 — and includes a Taylor-produced hardshell case. The attractive pricing was the product of both efficiencies created by CNC milling and minimal cosmetic ornamentation.
Taylor introduces its mahogany/spruce, satin-finish 410 model. With a list price of $998, it’s the first American-made, all-solid-wood steel-string guitar in the industry to be priced under $1,000 — and includes a Taylor-produced hardshell case. The attractive pricing was the product of both efficiencies created by CNC milling and minimal cosmetic ornamentation.
Taylor Ad Campaigns
In the early 1990s, as the acoustic guitar begins to experience a resurgence in popularity and Taylor is increasing its production capacity, CEO Kurt Listug looks to develop a brand identity and ad campaign that set Taylor apart from other guitar companies. Many guitar ads within the industry have a homogenized feel, featuring either a slick photo of a guitar, a famous guitar player with an endorsement, or a bombshell model selling sex appeal. Inspired by the advertising of other brands he admires, such as Harley-Davidson, Kurt keys in on the aspirational nature of their ad campaigns and works with designers John Vitro and John Robertson from a local ad agency. The result is a series of ad campaigns that are radically different than those of other guitar brands, from the off-beat, nature-themed Trees series to the Discovery campaign, which incorporates excerpts of letters from actual customers about how they discovered their Taylors. The campaigns prove to be very effective, and the creative approach reinforces Taylor’s innovative thinking as a company.
Taylor Ad Campaigns
In the early 1990s, as the acoustic guitar begins to experience a resurgence in popularity and Taylor is increasing its production capacity, CEO Kurt Listug looks to develop a brand identity and ad campaign that set Taylor apart from other guitar companies. Many guitar ads within the industry have a homogenized feel, featuring either a slick photo of a guitar, a famous guitar player with an endorsement, or a bombshell model selling sex appeal. Inspired by the advertising of other brands he admires, such as Harley-Davidson, Kurt keys in on the aspirational nature of their ad campaigns and works with designers John Vitro and John Robertson from a local ad agency. The result is a series of ad campaigns that are radically different than those of other guitar brands, from the off-beat, nature-themed Trees series to the Discovery campaign, which incorporates excerpts of letters from actual customers about how they discovered their Taylors. The campaigns prove to be very effective, and the creative approach reinforces Taylor’s innovative thinking as a company.
The first issue of Taylor’s magazine, Wood&Steel, is published in the summer. Produced in-house and printed and direct-mailed for free to registered owners of Taylor guitars and Taylor’s dealer network, it establishes a direct line of communication between the company and Taylor enthusiasts and becomes an important vehicle for growing the Taylor community around the world.
The first issue of Taylor’s magazine, Wood&Steel, is published in the summer. Produced in-house and printed and direct-mailed for free to registered owners of Taylor guitars and Taylor’s dealer network, it establishes a direct line of communication between the company and Taylor enthusiasts and becomes an important vehicle for growing the Taylor community around the world.
Taylor expands its guitar line from 38 models to 61. The Koa Series and Walnut Series are introduced, African ovangkol is adopted for the back and sides of the 400 Series, and the 300 Series makes its debut, sporting sapele back and sides. Windham Hill Records introduces Sounds of Wood&Steel, a compilation of acoustic recordings featuring artists exclusively playing Taylor guitars. The Taylor website is launched.
Taylor expands its guitar line from 38 models to 61. The Koa Series and Walnut Series are introduced, African ovangkol is adopted for the back and sides of the 400 Series, and the 300 Series makes its debut, sporting sapele back and sides. Windham Hill Records introduces Sounds of Wood&Steel, a compilation of acoustic recordings featuring artists exclusively playing Taylor guitars. The Taylor website is launched.
Heading into the aughts, the increasing sophistication of Taylor’s manufacturing processes led to other breakthrough innovations. One of Bob’s most important developments was a revolutionary neck joint design that proved to be the most stable, micro-adjustable neck in the industry, enhancing playability and performance consistency.
This decade also saw the opening of a second factory in nearby Baja California, Mexico (45 minutes from Taylor’s U.S. headquarters), which enabled the growth and diversification of the guitar line. Other new products introduced included the Nylon Series, the proprietary Expression System pickup and preamp, the hybrid electric/acoustic T5, and the Grand Symphony body style. Laser and CNC technology also enabled Taylor to execute more elaborate inlay work and saw the release of many unique artist signature guitars.
Tecate Factory
What begins as the relocation of Taylor’s in-house case production from its factory complex in El Cajon, California, to a new facility in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, over time has gradually evolved and expanded into an integral extension of our guitar manufacturing operation. Located just an hour from our complex in El Cajon, Taylor’s Tecate facility currently not only produces cases, but also crafts the Baby, GS Mini, Academy, 100 and 200 Series, and performs other essential wood processing functions for our production line. Tecate’s close proximity to our U.S. headquarters has enabled us to maintain Taylor’s high quality standards, as production supervisors and machine and tooling specialists travel back and forth to the factory every day.
Tecate Factory
What begins as the relocation of Taylor’s in-house case production from its factory complex in El Cajon, California, to a new facility in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, over time has gradually evolved and expanded into an integral extension of our guitar manufacturing operation. Located just an hour from our complex in El Cajon, Taylor’s Tecate facility currently not only produces cases, but also crafts the Baby, GS Mini, Academy, 100 and 200 Series, and performs other essential wood processing functions for our production line. Tecate’s close proximity to our U.S. headquarters has enabled us to maintain Taylor’s high quality standards, as production supervisors and machine and tooling specialists travel back and forth to the factory every day.
Robotic Buffing
Designed both to alleviate the physical demands of the manual buffing process and improve production consistency through automation, our robotic buffing technology makes it easier to give a guitar’s finish an even luster, which can be a challenge given the mix of complex geometry and different body styles. The 6-axis robots are programmed to interact with buffing wheels that move to maintain an optimized pressure level throughout the process.
Robotic Buffing
Designed both to alleviate the physical demands of the manual buffing process and improve production consistency through automation, our robotic buffing technology makes it easier to give a guitar’s finish an even luster, which can be a challenge given the mix of complex geometry and different body styles. The 6-axis robots are programmed to interact with buffing wheels that move to maintain an optimized pressure level throughout the process.
Expression System®
After years of installing after-market pickups from outside manufacturers, Taylor’s product development invests in scientific research to better understand the resonating properties of a soundboard. This leads to the design of a proprietary pickup system capable of capturing a guitar’s rich acoustic nuances and translating them into a more natural-sounding amplified tone. The original Expression System incorporates a network of magnetic neck and body sensors and a preamp designed with input with revered pro audio designer Rupert Neve. A later iteration, the Expression System 2 (2014), features a breakthrough redesign and repositioning of a piezo-style pickup.
Expression System®
After years of installing after-market pickups from outside manufacturers, Taylor’s product development invests in scientific research to better understand the resonating properties of a soundboard. This leads to the design of a proprietary pickup system capable of capturing a guitar’s rich acoustic nuances and translating them into a more natural-sounding amplified tone. The original Expression System incorporates a network of magnetic neck and body sensors and a preamp designed with input with revered pro audio designer Rupert Neve. A later iteration, the Expression System 2 (2014), features a breakthrough redesign and repositioning of a piezo-style pickup.
Automated Sidebenders
Our side and cutaway benders are designed and fabricated in-house and incorporate a Programmable Logic Controller to maintain a consistent temperature, tension and rate of speed. This virtually eliminates breakage and other problematic issues associated with the manual wood-bending process and enables us to make a more accurate set of sides.
Automated Sidebenders
Our side and cutaway benders are designed and fabricated in-house and incorporate a Programmable Logic Controller to maintain a consistent temperature, tension and rate of speed. This virtually eliminates breakage and other problematic issues associated with the manual wood-bending process and enables us to make a more accurate set of sides.
Bob Taylor wanted to ensure that guitar design would remain a central focus at Taylor in the decades ahead, so in 2011, he hired Andy Powers as his design successor. Andy’s arrival would kick off a prolific period of tone-enhancing guitar innovation at Taylor. Over the course of the decade, Andy revoiced the entire Taylor guitar line to create a more diverse range of musical personalities. He introduced new body styles, groundbreaking new guitar voicing architectures like his patented V-Class bracing, and an ultra-premium class of guitars called Builder’s Edition, matching tonal improvements with ergonomic playing features to offer the ultimate playing experience in both sound and feel.
With Andy taking the design reins, Bob Taylor was free to devote more time and energy to invest in environmental stewardship initiatives to safeguard the future of the natural resources we rely on. These included the Ebony Project in Cameroon, which grew into a scalable ebony planting and agroforestry program; native forest restoration in Hawaii, including koa research and replanting; and a socially responsible urban wood partnership with one of California’s largest arborists to make guitars from formerly discarded end-of-life urban trees.
GS Mini
Taylor’s next-generation version of a scaled-down guitar after the Baby Taylor is designed to create a bigger, richer guitar sound that still retains the compact feel of a travel-friendly guitar. The guitar borrows from Taylor’s shapely Grand Symphony body style and incorporates many of Taylor’s latest design ideas, including the patented Taylor neck. Right out of the gate, the guitar is smash success, yielding a full-size voice in a comfortably intimate package that suits both an active lifestyle and relaxed couch strumming. In 2024, we will produce our 500,000th GS Mini.
GS Mini
Taylor’s next-generation version of a scaled-down guitar after the Baby Taylor is designed to create a bigger, richer guitar sound that still retains the compact feel of a travel-friendly guitar. The guitar borrows from Taylor’s shapely Grand Symphony body style and incorporates many of Taylor’s latest design ideas, including the patented Taylor neck. Right out of the gate, the guitar is smash success, yielding a full-size voice in a comfortably intimate package that suits both an active lifestyle and relaxed couch strumming. In 2024, we will produce our 500,000th GS Mini.
Andy Powers Joins the Company
Bob Taylor hires Andy Powers to be his eventual guitar design successor. It’s important for Bob to ensure that the next generation of the company has a great guitar maker as the central wellspring of ideas in order to preserve Taylor’s culture of guitar innovation for the future. An immensely talented luthier and pro-level player also based in the San Diego area (where Taylor is based), Andy’s diverse instrument-making repertoire includes flattop, archtop and electric guitars, along with ukuleles. Before finding Andy, Bob famously writes a wish list with all the attributes he wants in a successor, including this seemingly impossible requirement: “It would be good if they had 20 years of experience and great if they were less than 30 years old.” It turns out that Andy checks all the boxes, including that one.
Andy Powers Joins the Company
Bob Taylor hires Andy Powers to be his eventual guitar design successor. It’s important for Bob to ensure that the next generation of the company has a great guitar maker as the central wellspring of ideas in order to preserve Taylor’s culture of guitar innovation for the future. An immensely talented luthier and pro-level player also based in the San Diego area (where Taylor is based), Andy’s diverse instrument-making repertoire includes flattop, archtop and electric guitars, along with ukuleles. Before finding Andy, Bob famously writes a wish list with all the attributes he wants in a successor, including this seemingly impossible requirement: “It would be good if they had 20 years of experience and great if they were less than 30 years old.” It turns out that Andy checks all the boxes, including that one.
Grand Orchestra
The first full-fledged guitar design from Taylor master luthier Andy Powers replaces the Taylor Jumbo with a re-envisioned big-bodied shape that blends depth, boldness and complexity with remarkable balance and responsiveness, which is a unique tonal package for a big guitar.
Grand Orchestra
The first full-fledged guitar design from Taylor master luthier Andy Powers replaces the Taylor Jumbo with a re-envisioned big-bodied shape that blends depth, boldness and complexity with remarkable balance and responsiveness, which is a unique tonal package for a big guitar.
Award for Corporate Excellence
Taylor Guitars is honored by the U.S. State Department with the prestigious Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) for its transformative work in the ebony trade and in the lives of employees at the Crelicam ebony mill. The award recognizes U.S. companies that uphold high standards as responsible members of their communities and represent American values in the way they do business in their overseas operations.
Award for Corporate Excellence
Taylor Guitars is honored by the U.S. State Department with the prestigious Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) for its transformative work in the ebony trade and in the lives of employees at the Crelicam ebony mill. The award recognizes U.S. companies that uphold high standards as responsible members of their communities and represent American values in the way they do business in their overseas operations.
Hawaiian Koa Forest Restoration: Siglo Tonewoods
Taylor Guitars and longtime supply partner Pacific Rim Tonewoods form a joint venture in Hawaii called Paniolo Tonewoods (later renamed Siglo Tonewoods). The mission is to combine the selective harvesting of koa trees with a collaborative forest restoration program, and to grow Hawaiian wood for the future (100 years and beyond) to create an enduring supply of wood for musical instruments.
Hawaiian Koa Forest Restoration: Siglo Tonewoods
Taylor Guitars and longtime supply partner Pacific Rim Tonewoods form a joint venture in Hawaii called Paniolo Tonewoods (later renamed Siglo Tonewoods). The mission is to combine the selective harvesting of koa trees with a collaborative forest restoration program, and to grow Hawaiian wood for the future (100 years and beyond) to create an enduring supply of wood for musical instruments.
The Academy Series
Taylor introduces several impactful new guitar offerings, including the Academy Series, geared toward developing players, which earns critical raves and industry awards; and the groundbreaking GS Mini Bass.
The Academy Series
Taylor introduces several impactful new guitar offerings, including the Academy Series, geared toward developing players, which earns critical raves and industry awards; and the groundbreaking GS Mini Bass.
V-Class Bracing
Taylor debuts Andy Powers’ revolutionary V-Class® bracing, a patented design that marks a major evolution beyond X-bracing, which had been an industry standard for more than century. The game-changing internal sonic architecture brings major improvements to the sound capabilities of an acoustic guitar and introduces an exciting new platform for future guitar Taylor designs. The bracing is rolled out with Grand Auditorium models across the line throughout the year, and the V-Class design is showered with awards.
V-Class Bracing
Taylor debuts Andy Powers’ revolutionary V-Class® bracing, a patented design that marks a major evolution beyond X-bracing, which had been an industry standard for more than century. The game-changing internal sonic architecture brings major improvements to the sound capabilities of an acoustic guitar and introduces an exciting new platform for future guitar Taylor designs. The bracing is rolled out with Grand Auditorium models across the line throughout the year, and the V-Class design is showered with awards.
As the COVID-19 pandemic upended people’s lives, Taylor was able to modify its factory configuration during a brief shutdown in order to resume guitar production safely. Adapting to the new realities, Taylor launched a new American Dream series to supply dealers with an affordable range of solid-wood guitars in response to the surge in interest in guitars among consumers during this time.
Taylor also made the transition to 100-percent employee ownership as a means to preserve the company’s innovative culture and give employees a direct stake in its future success.
COVID-19 and the American Dream Series
The COVID pandemic forces the temporary closure of both Taylor factories. After reopening, Taylor responds by launching the American Dream Series, named after the guitar shop where Bob and Kurt began their careers because operating during the pandemic channels the same scrappy, resilient spirit of Taylor’s early years. Because the pandemic has disrupted the wood supply chain, Taylor takes a “cooking with what’s in the pantry” approach, working with its existing wood inventory to design guitars that are highly distilled to offer its most accessibly priced all-solid-wood guitars. With people spending more time at home, consumer interest in playing guitar spikes, and the series not only helps meet the demand, but supports Taylor dealers by supplying guitars for them to sell to keep their businesses alive.
COVID-19 and the American Dream Series
The COVID pandemic forces the temporary closure of both Taylor factories. After reopening, Taylor responds by launching the American Dream Series, named after the guitar shop where Bob and Kurt began their careers because operating during the pandemic channels the same scrappy, resilient spirit of Taylor’s early years. Because the pandemic has disrupted the wood supply chain, Taylor takes a “cooking with what’s in the pantry” approach, working with its existing wood inventory to design guitars that are highly distilled to offer its most accessibly priced all-solid-wood guitars. With people spending more time at home, consumer interest in playing guitar spikes, and the series not only helps meet the demand, but supports Taylor dealers by supplying guitars for them to sell to keep their businesses alive.
Transition to Employee Ownership
Taylor announces the transition to 100% employee ownership, including employees in Tecate and the EU. Bob and Kurt have wanted to enact a succession plan that would preserve the company’s culture of creativity and guitar innovation for the long-term future and decide that employee ownership is the best solution — one that will give employees a greater stake in the company’s future success. Andy Powers (who had become a third ownership partner the previous year) continues in his role as Chief Guitar Designer.
Transition to Employee Ownership
Taylor announces the transition to 100% employee ownership, including employees in Tecate and the EU. Bob and Kurt have wanted to enact a succession plan that would preserve the company’s culture of creativity and guitar innovation for the long-term future and decide that employee ownership is the best solution — one that will give employees a greater stake in the company’s future success. Andy Powers (who had become a third ownership partner the previous year) continues in his role as Chief Guitar Designer.
Andy Powers Becomes President & CEO
In May, Andy Powers is named President and CEO (also retaining his title of Chief Guitar Designer), while Bob and Kurt formally become senior advisors and co-chairmen of the Taylor Guitars board (which was established with the ESOP).
Andy Powers Becomes President & CEO
In May, Andy Powers is named President and CEO (also retaining his title of Chief Guitar Designer), while Bob and Kurt formally become senior advisors and co-chairmen of the Taylor Guitars board (which was established with the ESOP).
Explore the limited-edition models being released throughout 2024 to celebrate five decades of Taylor guitar making.