Taran guitars

WafflesOnHorseback

If anyone's got a spare 20-30k lying around, you can now order one...

"We are delighted to announce that, after 2-years, we will be re-opening our Order Book this April for a limited number of 2026 build slots."

barnstorm

I hope they keep doing well – cool company. Was especially taken with this very custom little guitar from a few years back:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUwi9-Y6SPg

kmajor

Great looking and sounding guitars but at £20k - £30k.........
Obviously they have customers that value them but won't ever be me.

Hootsmon

Will go nice with my Jane model guitar

digitalkettle

Holy crap...you don't need to buy a guitar stand for it!

SlopeSoarer

Oh my goodness, what have they done (not in a good way)!

Soupman

I thought I'd put my varifocals on skew wiff.....
 
 

Kilgore

digitalkettle said:

Holy crap...you don't need to buy a guitar stand for it!

Just a case to hide it in.

kmajor

All that money and you only get 5 strings, wonder how much you have to pay for an extra string .

drofluf

Anyone any idea what the things on the top 5 frets for the bass strings are? Is it to insert a moveable nut so that it can be in other drop tunings?

MartinB

drofluf said:

Anyone any idea what the things on the top 5 frets for the bass strings are? Is it to insert a moveable nut so that it can be in other drop tunings?

It looks similar to what some of Nordic mandola/cittern makers do - I think Christer Ådin originated the idea. On Ådin's instruments there are threaded inserts in the fingerboard, and little "pinpoint capos" that can be placed to fret the extended strings at the desired root note. 

https://christeradin.wixsite.com/christeradin/pin-point-capo

drofluf

MartinB said:

drofluf said:

Anyone any idea what the things on the top 5 frets for the bass strings are? Is it to insert a moveable nut so that it can be in other drop tunings?

It looks similar to what some of Nordic mandola/cittern makers do - I think Christer Ådin originated the idea. On Ådin's instruments there are threaded inserts in the fingerboard, and little "pinpoint capos" that can be placed to fret the extended strings at the desired root note. 

https://christeradin.wixsite.com/christeradin/pin-point-capo

Thanks, a screw in insert will achieve the same result but in a better way than a secondary nut. 

steveh

WafflesOnHorseback said:

If anyone's got a spare 20-30k lying around, you can now order one...

You'll be lucky - the Tirga Mhor offered at The Six-String Collective is listed at £34,495 - spruce over African blackwood.

I've owned a couple of Rory's guitars and my own Taran Tirga Mhor (spruce over Malaysian blackwood) effectively killed off my steel-string GAS, which had been an affliction for years. It's an unbelievable guitar but did I pay "20-30K" for it? No. 

It's not that long ago that Rory would build you a guitar for a fraction of that: I have pricelists here from 2011 and 2014 and at those prices he (and most other luthiers) were criminally underpaid for the hours neccesary to craft a beautiful instrument.

However, it's now hard to argue that the pendulum hasn't swung a bit too far the other way.

IMHO The North American Guitar underpinned that - they snapped up UK luthiers, promoted them very effectively, and prices doubled, trebled almost overnight (helped by VAT) - Tom Sands and Turnstone are other examples. TNAG are now history but it's difficult to retreat on pricing. I've commissioned plenty of instruments over the years but can't consider doing so at anywhere near current pricing. That's a pity for me as I'd have loved another Taran etc., but happily there are plenty of great luthiers whose work is more attainable: Oliver Marchant at Marchwood guitars builds a fabulous guitar that is far more affordable for those wanting something a bit special, as opposed to an off-the-shelf instrument.

Ultimately, we all have our own personal thresholds for pricing, but I will say that Rory and his team build guitars that are at the very top of the steel-string tree. And a Traugott or Somogyi will cost you even more 

WafflesOnHorseback

"Taran Mhor (spruce over Malaysian blackwood)" - wow. I really need to see as many pictures of that as possible! And videos as I would love to hear the tone. Were you on the waiting list? Fascinated to hear more.

steveh

WafflesOnHorseback said:

"Taran Mhor (spruce over Malaysian blackwood)" - wow. I really need to see as many pictures of that as possible! And videos as I would love to hear the tone. Were you on the waiting list? Fascinated to hear more.

Sure - full story here:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=629780&highlight=taran

Not many photos I'm afraid (due to the pandemic), but a couple of videos. However, as per usual YouTube fare, they give you little idea of how the guitar actually sounds in the hand. Also, I don't spend too much time messing around to get a great sound - just a USB mic into an iPad.

Suffice to say that I sold all of my other steel strings soon after getting it. I've had a lot of really great guitars pass through my hands over the years (Sobells, Kostals, Traugott, Sands, Claxton, Bown, Fylde - GAS is a terrible disease), and it's important to realise that there are few "Holy Grails" out there. Rather we are living in times where any number of luthiers can make you a great guitar; you just need to find the right one and settle on him/her. I did get a Marchwood off a pal a little while back and it doesn't really suffer in comparison to the Taran. That's where I'd go now that the Taran would be unaffordable for me. I played an Indian Rosewood/Spruce Marchwood last week that was as good as anything I've ever played.

It's always vital to speak to the luthier directly. You'd be surprised what "deals" can be done, especially when the pricing appears excoriating. e.g. I spoke to a high-profile USA luthier a few years back who happily offered to build me a guitar for 50% of his "list" price, and get it to me in 18 months, as a "favour": I'd never met him 

WafflesOnHorseback

I read the thread and watched the video. Great stuff! Very interesting Steve. You've got a beauty there. 

GAS is indeed a terrible disease but always worth going the extra mile to get your Holy Grail guitar!