Taylor T5 - opinions?

richardhomer

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

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

Size - the outline of the T5 is the same size as the '14' series acoustic - the T5z is the smaller (possibly the same as the '12' series?). The idea is it's more appealing to electric players.

Strat_a_tat_tat

richardhomer said:

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

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

Size - the outline of the T5 is the same size as the '14' series acoustic - the T5z is the smaller (possibly the same as the '12' series?). The idea is it's more appealing to electric players.

Thanks @richardhomer. Do you know if the different sizes have any bearing on sound / tone etc?

richardhomer

Strat_a_tat_tat said:
Thanks @richardhomer. Do you know if the different sizes have any bearing on sound / tone etc?

I've no personal experience of the T5z - I doubt there's much tonal difference - but I'm guessing, if I'm honest....

peachguitarsdotcom

I really like them. While it'll never replace you're favourite Martin or Les Paul, it does offer some pretty sweet hybrid tones, if you run the signal through the right amp. Check the video out below for some of our favourite settings and tones 

richardhomer

peachguitarsdotcom said:

I really like them. While it'll never replace you're favourite Martin or Les Paul, it does offer some pretty sweet hybrid tones, if you run the signal through the right amp. Check the video out below for some of our favourite settings and tones 

Really good demo - thanks for posting.

I might want one again....

Cabicular

I like mine
i put 12 gauge wound thirds acoustic type strings on it
i once grabbed the wrong gig back and ended up with it at a rock band rehearsal but it acquired itself really well actually. Nice throaty open distortion

ICBM

Cabicular said:

i put 12 gauge wound thirds acoustic type strings on it
i once grabbed the wrong gig back and ended up with it at a rock band rehearsal

That must have been amusing if you were doing bendy widdly stuff on your electric normally .

Listened to the Peach demo - still don't like the electric sounds at all. The acoustic sound is good and the jazzy neck humbucker sound aren't bad though.

guitars4you

ICBM said:.

Listened to the Peach demo - still don't like the electric sounds at all. The acoustic sound is good and the jazzy neck humbucker sound aren't bad though.

I've owned and played a PRS Hollowbody with piezo for around 15 years - The T5 probably does the acoustic side better but the PRS does the electric side far better - so in many ways depends which camp you lean towards - I always think the T5 is to acoustic-y for me

ICBM

guitars4you said:

I've owned and played a PRS Hollowbody with piezo for around 15 years - The T5 probably does the acoustic side better but the PRS does the electric side far better - so in many ways depends which camp you lean towards - I always think the T5 is to acoustic-y for me

The thing is, I'm trying to split the difference! I almost want an amplified/overdriven acoustic sound in some ways. What I dislike about the T5 electric sounds is that they sound grainy and artificial, almost like a piezo sound (which I know they can't be, since it doesn't use piezo pickups) but may just be due to the active EQ. I'm not a fan of the Taylor Expression System even for acoustics though.

The PRS was slightly too electric-y for me, although I didn't have one with a piezo - but it sounded more like a standard semi-acoustic (somewhere between a 335 and an archtop) than an acoustic. Oddly enough my Rickenbacker 381 sounds more acoustic, and it's actually more semi-solid in construction terms.

I'm beginning to think that a Gibson J-160E is what I really want .

guitars4you

ICBM said:

guitars4you said:

I've owned and played a PRS Hollowbody with piezo for around 15 years - The T5 probably does the acoustic side better but the PRS does the electric side far better - so in many ways depends which camp you lean towards - I always think the T5 is to acoustic-y for me

The thing is, I'm trying to split the difference! I almost want an amplified/overdriven acoustic sound in some ways. What I dislike about the T5 electric sounds is that they sound grainy and artificial, almost like a piezo sound (which I know they can't be, since it doesn't use piezo pickups) but may just be due to the active EQ. I'm not a fan of the Taylor Expression System even for acoustics though.

agree with you on the Taylor Expression system - I preferred the older Fishman package - The Taylor Expression is to pure and not 'organic' if that is the right phrase

ICBM

guitars4you said:

agree with you on the Taylor Expression system - I preferred the older Fishman package - The Taylor Expression is to pure and not 'organic' if that is the right phrase

Yes. I also thought it had an oddly too-electric sound when you played the plain strings around the 10th fret, where the hidden magnetic neck pickup is then halfway along the string. They are also unreliable due to the stupid idea of putting all the transducers in series, among other problems.

The Taylor I had was a 312CE with the Fishman electrics, which I added a Rare Earth soundhole pickup to. It sounded much better, to me.

I've also looked at the Crafter copies of the T5, but the piezo bridge pickup just sounds nasty and the onboard electrics are too cheap-electro-acoustic, and not easy to replace.

Bah!

olafgarten

I much prefer the T3 to the T5, it is more electric like. 

Cabicular

ICBM said:

Cabicular said:

i put 12 gauge wound thirds acoustic type strings on it
i once grabbed the wrong gig back and ended up with it at a rock band rehearsal

That must have been amusing if you were doing bendy widdly stuff on your electric normally .

no worse than doing it on the white falcon!
i was really surprised at how useable it was
looked odd though

Whitecat

Bump to alert you to a freakin' bargain -

http://www.coda-music.com/taylor-classic-secondhand-p-25095.html

Bridgehouse

Whitecat said:

Bump to alert you to a freakin' bargain -

http://www.coda-music.com/taylor-classic-secondhand-p-25095.html

Wow they take a hammering price wise when used don't they?

Whitecat

Yup!!! 

guitars4you

Whitecat said:

Bump to alert you to a freakin' bargain -

http://www.coda-music.com/taylor-classic-secondhand-p-25095.html

I'm not a T5 fan, yet somehow that classical version has more of an appeal especially with that Gibson-esq top nut width - I know I could never play a proper classical guitar well, so a pseudo electro version appeals for some latino/bossa/jazz styles or Private Investigations work

crunchman

Cabicular said:

no worse than doing it on the white falcon!

This is why I tune my Falcon to Eb.  I tried 10s and it didn't sound right so back to 11s and tune to Eb.

ICBM

guitars4you said:

Whitecat said:

http://www.coda-music.com/taylor-classic-secondhand-p-25095.html

I'm not a T5 fan, yet somehow that classical version has more of an appeal especially with that Gibson-esq top nut width - I know I could never play a proper classical guitar well, so a pseudo electro version appeals for some latino/bossa/jazz styles or Private Investigations work

It's a "Classic" (model name) not a classical . Or if it is a classical, someone's put the wrong strings and a magnetic pickup on it .

guitars4you

ICBM said:

guitars4you said:

Whitecat said:

http://www.coda-music.com/taylor-classic-secondhand-p-25095.html

I'm not a T5 fan, yet somehow that classical version has more of an appeal especially with that Gibson-esq top nut width - I know I could never play a proper classical guitar well, so a pseudo electro version appeals for some latino/bossa/jazz styles or Private Investigations work

It's a "Classic" (model name) not a classical . Or if it is a classical, someone's put the wrong strings and a magnetic pickup on it .

you are right - miss understood at my end