Taylor T5 - opinions?

Strat_a_tat_tat

Any T5 users here? Any comments on what's good... and what's bad? Any particular models to go for... or avoid?

I'm more interested in their ability to sound like an acoustic (through a PA or acoustic amp)... rather than sound like an electric guitar (although that aspect could be a bit useful too).

Do they hold their value second hand?

Many thanks for your help (he said... rather presumptuously!)

guitars4you

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Do they hold their value second hand?

If you buy used then it should hold all/most of its value - buy new and I expect close to 50% devaluation on a T5 - very small market and whilst nothing fundamentally wrong with the guitar, they do appear to struggle with who/what their market place is - as against a more regular electro acoustic model - I refer to them as a Holiday Inn cocktail jazz guitar and that is not meant to be a negative statement but it reflects a small market place - It will do what you asked and that is produce a good tone through a PA rig/electro combo - good hunting

Strat_a_tat_tat

Thanks @guitars4you... can always depend on you for well-informed advice. Cheers.

SteveRobinson

I have a customer selling a T5 if you'd like an introduction?

Sassafras

Is that the one that guy Doyle Dykes plays?
If so, he makes it sound pretty damn good.

Strat_a_tat_tat

SteveRobinson said:

I have a customer selling a T5 if you'd like an introduction?

Thanks for the offer. Gotta do a bit of research first... so not quite ready to buy yet.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Sassafras said:

Is that the one that guy Doyle Dykes plays?
If so, he makes it sound pretty damn good.

Hmmm... DD can make anything sound good.

I... on the other hand... can make everything sound bad.

Whitecat

Peach has a beautiful BTO with a Munn Ebony top in second hand at the moment but it's still pretty serious money.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Whitecat said:

Peach has a beautiful BTO with a Munn Ebony top in second hand at the moment but it's still pretty serious money.

Yep... think that's out of my league! LOL.

BTW... what does BTO stand for?

ICBM

Heather Nova uses hers basically as an electro-acoustic.



Obviously there's another electric guitar there too, but you can hear the T5 quite clearly. I always thought that black one was one of the best-looking guitars ever and sounded great when she played it, but sadly when I tried one I didn't like it at all - I didn't like the sound either through an acoustic amp or an electric one, and both the neck and the body were uncomfortably wide and thin, for me.

Danny1969

 I borrowed one in the summer to play a festival as we were booked to play the acoustic stage and I wasn't allowed to play electric.  As I'm not a very good acoustic player the T5 was ideal.  Like all Taylors the action was low and it was perfectly set up.  It really does do a great impression of a solid electric but not quite so good as  an acoustic in my humble opinion 

Whitecat

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Whitecat said:

Peach has a beautiful BTO with a Munn Ebony top in second hand at the moment but it's still pretty serious money.

Yep... think that's out of my league! LOL.

BTW... what does BTO stand for?

Bachman-Turner Overdrive, obviously! 

But with Taylor Guitars it stands for Build-To-Order. It's actually been renamed Taylor Custom recently, and it's basically that - the Taylor Custom Shop. You can spec out whatever you like and like PRS' Private Stock program you can even handpick woods if you can make it to the factory in California. 

Strat_a_tat_tat

@Whitecat. Yeah... I'm old enough to have thought 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' - when I saw the letters BTO.

Thanks for the info.

richardhomer

IIRC @Dindude owned the smaller-bodied version briefly (T5z?) but moved it on quite quickly.

The only one I've played had a really thin neck - which felt wrong given the acoustic side of them.

The idea really appeals to me - I just didn't like it as much as I hoped I would, when I actually got to play one.

dindude

richardhomer said:

IIRC @Dindude owned the smaller-bodied version briefly (T5z?) but moved it on quite quickly.

The only one I've played had a really thin neck - which felt wrong given the acoustic side of them.

The idea really appeals to me - I just didn't like it as much as I hoped I would, when I actually got to play one.

Yes indeedy, I had the T5z Classic (the plain one), it was certainly an interesting instrument but in the end I didn't get any one fantastic tone out of it, just many interesting tones. IMO (certainly for the smaller bodied z), the acoustic sounds were the weakest point, but then I hate the zingy fake acoustic sounds of most amplified acoustics anyhow. 

I liked it more for mild gain and even heavy gain sounds.

I did this short eewtood video of it's sounds ranging from acoustic-ish to very gainy, but this was all through an electric amp.

And, yes I took a bath on resell.

olafgarten

Shakira and Taylor Swift play them. 

ICBM

olafgarten said:

Shakira and Taylor Swift play them. 

Maybe I should give one another try...

Richardj

I had one of the early S1s, it was beautifully made and lovely to play, but I think Taylor missed a trick not giving it stereo output so you could split the electric and acoustic signals if you wanted.  Running it in mono into an A/B box to split it was a faff.

I did think it sounded good though, the embedded pickups and body sensor made it much more acoustic sounding when amplified.  It had it's own electric sound, not really like any other guitar. You will need the foam inserts to block the little sound holes though if you are going to use it at any volume, being fully hollow it feedbacks like a bast*rd.

I bought mine second hand and pretty much got my money back when I sold it.

SimpleSimon

olafgarten said:

Shakira and Taylor Swift play them. 

That's me sold on them Will be rushing to my local Taylor dealer straight away!

kjdowd

I had a t5z and eventually moved it on. Not the most inspirational instrument but I do miss it as a gigging workhorse guitar. It's been replaced by three other guitars (an acoustic, a semi and a resonator) and while I love to take all 3 of those to a gig,  there are many times it would be easier just to take the t5z 

Strat_a_tat_tat

What are the differences... and benefits... between a T5z and a regular T5?