bigtim Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Well I have never had a good acoustic before. I have only had about 3 in the last 38 years. I guess the best one I ever had was a little Seagull or Art and Lutherie I think was the name brand. It was ok at best. Anyways, I have been interested in getting a decent acoustic for several years but did not know anything about them or even where to start. I know Martin has always been a good guitar but the ones I like had a 3500 starting point. Way too much. I played a friends Gibson jumbo J200 and I liked it too but again it was way out of my league. Anyways, last week I went into my local music shop and the guy was stringing up some kind of Epiphone Jumbo guitar that had a body shape similar to a J200. I did not know what model it was but it looked like it was all maple. He was not playing it hardly at all but the sound was big and sounded very good. I noticed a while back here on my local craigslist a fellow had a very nice 2006 Taylor GS6. I really liked how it looked. It was at about 1400.00 at that time. I went looking again recently and he had it up there again for like 900.00. So I gave him a call and talked about it. After the conversation he wound up selling it to me for 850.00. He owned it for 10 years and was only selling it because he purchased some kind of boutique acoustic recently. I was really happy with the price as I think it was a very good deal for this model. And to top it off he recently had the frets dressed and a new bone nut installed and the best part about it is, he babied it very well. It does not have a mark on it and I believe it is because he is a finger picker. It sounds so big and full and the action on it is very nice and low. It has just enough "bling" on it with the body binding and abalone inlay around the sound hole along with the gold hardware and the book matched maple back that it looks very elegant. It has a spruce top with maple back and sides and an ebony fretboard. Today I went to the acoustic room at guitar center to actually sit down and play a few to compare mine to the brand new Taylor guitars. Like I said I do not know much about the models but it seems like the ones I picked up to mess around with were in the 2000 to 3500 range. One was a slightly smaller body with the "V" brace system in it with some very fancy inlay work on the fretboard and another one was a large Symphony body like the one I have. I must say that the one I have actually sounded as good but played way better than the ones I tried out. Anyways, I am very happy with the one I have. Now I am not an acoustic player at all but this is inspiring me to go a different direction for a while and see what I come up with. Mine is the model without any electronics in it. I want to put a pick up system in it and have looked at a few options but have not landed on anything particular just yet. So I just wanted to share a few pics of it too here for you fellow gibsonites. Also if anyone has an acoustic pick up system that you put in yourself without a lot of altering to your acoustic, I would like to know any info anyone would like to share on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Very attractive guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Congratulations...Nice guitar. Enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 that's a beauty! I have the GS Hog/Cedar from the same year. These are fantastic guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Now I am not an acoustic player at all but this is inspiring me to go a different direction for a while and see what I come up with. M Sweet guitar... I love taking something traditionally electric and trying to do it justice on an acoustic, looking forward to samples of anything you come up with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 NOICE! rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Makes me feel tingly all over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 ...After the conversation he wound up selling it to me for 850.00.... I don't know much about Taylors, but that appears to be a heck of a deal on a real beauty of a guitar! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 yea, that's a very good buy. The cost new, w/case, (My GS didn't come with a pickup) was $2k. mine.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 Very attractive guitar! Thank you very much!! i stayed up after midnight playing it and trying to exercise my hands into shape for this puppy. I really am enjoying it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 Congratulations...Nice guitar. Enjoy it. Thank you I will!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 Sweet guitar... I love taking something traditionally electric and trying to do it justice on an acoustic, looking forward to samples of anything you come up with? Yes I already have something I came up with but I am going to have to figure out how to record it. As soon as I get it done I will make a post with a link to the song. I am excited to say that one of my friends I mess around with made Instrumentalist of the year at the American Western Awards. He is a violinist and loves to play traditional western stuff but he also enjoys the stuff I come up with. SO if you could imagine something like pink floyd would do on like comfortably numb, imagine a similar sounding song done with a violin added. It is some very interesting stuff. I have a few already we have done. If you send me your email address through the messenger here, I can send you a couple for you to check out. But obviously the ones I have already do not have my new acoustic guitar on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 yea, that's a very good buy. The cost new, w/case, (My GS didn't come with a pickup) was $2k. mine.. Thanks for sharing and showing yours as well. I was wondering what it cost new and now I see since you have posted this that I believe it would be in the same ball park. Mine as well does not have any pick ups in it. I am also amazed at how robust the heardcase is this thing has!! It is so tough and looks so nice I never knew a guitar case could be attractive!! It has gold hardware too!! I really love the big booming sound this one I have has. I am totally taken back at how easy it is to play too. What kind of strings do you use on yours and what gauge do you prefer? Do you flat pick or fingerpick? I do the hybrid picking thing, I use a pick and my middle finger. I normally use a 2 MM thick guitar pick on electric but I found out last night that I prefer a medium pick while playing this new GS6 of mine, It gave it more of a natural sound. The heavy pick I was used to made the attack too harsh. I learned something new about my own playing habits last night when I discovered the medium pick vs the heavy pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Beautiful tight flame in that maple. Really nice. Congrats. B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Lots of Taylors on my local acoustic circuit..... A good foil to all those pesky Gibsons….. Personal go-to's at the moment are Taylor 354 12 string Taylor T5 6 string V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Thanks for sharing and showing yours as well. I was wondering what it cost new and now I see since you have posted this that I believe it would be in the same ball park. Mine as well does not have any pick ups in it. I am also amazed at how robust the heardcase is this thing has!! It is so tough and looks so nice I never knew a guitar case could be attractive!! It has gold hardware too!! I really love the big booming sound this one I have has. I am totally taken back at how easy it is to play too. What kind of strings do you use on yours and what gauge do you prefer? Do you flat pick or fingerpick? I do the hybrid picking thing, I use a pick and my middle finger. I normally use a 2 MM thick guitar pick on electric but I found out last night that I prefer a medium pick while playing this new GS6 of mine, It gave it more of a natural sound. The heavy pick I was used to made the attack too harsh. I learned something new about my own playing habits last night when I discovered the medium pick vs the heavy pick. Hey Tim! The case these came with is excellent. When I bought it the sales guy said "Are you into cases? If you are, wait till you see this one" -- I do appreciate a good case. He brought it out and, yea wow.. one of the nicest cases I've ever seen. In fact, this guitar was my only ever impulse buy, the minute I played it, it just felt 100% right. Bought it on the spot, and wasn't even shopping.. True story! and I recall that they had a maple too, just like yours, but the cedar and hog was just singing my name, (great finger picking tone woods, and that's what I do mostly) So to your questions: I've tried a number of different strings, but I wind up back with Elixir Nano Web PBs I use 12 Gauge (light). You'll probably be be fine with a string like D'Addario EJ16 or PB or 80/20 Masterbuilts (Which are made by D'Addario, but they are not the same). those all work just fine, just don't get the life out of them that you can out of the Elixirs. I can get 4 to 6 months out of set. They will show wear in the places you play the most, but they hold their tone, and tuning stability quite well despite that I use these most of the time for picks: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dandrea-347-rounded-teardrop-delrex-delrin-guitar-picks--one-dozen?rNtt=D%27Andrea&index=11 let me know how you're getting on with that maple beauty. It really is gorgeous, and I can't believe the smokin deal you got. That is a keeper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 Lots of Taylors on my local acoustic circuit..... A good foil to all those pesky Gibsons….. Personal go-to's at the moment are Taylor 354 12 string Taylor T5 6 string V That is pretty cool. I never really ever paid attention to acoustics other than I knew the name brand. I am learning the lingo of the body size reference numbers to the Taylor line now. I understand it more. And all of this really started with listening to the old Emerson Lake and Palmer song called From the Beginning. I had not heard it in ages and thought it would be awesome to come up with my own similar sounding song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticsg Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 I want a Taylor! Congrats man, what a beauty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 That is pretty cool. I never really ever paid attention to acoustics other than I knew the name brand. I am learning the lingo of the body size reference numbers to the Taylor line now. I understand it more. And all of this really started with listening to the old Emerson Lake and Palmer song called From the Beginning. I had not heard it in ages and thought it would be awesome to come up with my own similar sounding song. Oh yes, I know that song well, it's been in my repertoire for a long time. Greg Lake was a bit of J200 Collector, on that tack from Trilogy, that's what he was probably using. RIP Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Forrest Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 That is one beautiful guitar, bigtim. Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 That is one beautiful guitar, bigtim. Congratulations! Thank you very much! I am getting used to it and able to play it better. So it is coming along very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Forrest Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Thank you very much! I am getting used to it and able to play it better. So it is coming along very nice! That's great to hear. I bet it sounds amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Congratulations, love to see another Gibsonite going to a Taylor on the acoustic side. I have been playing Taylors since 2003 - first one was a 614 CE so a Grand Auditorium size body, maple with spruce top and Taylors first ES system. That ES system was great on the lower 4 strings, lost a little tone on the B and high E, but still way better than any other acoustic pickup systems available at the time. Traded that for a GS8 in 2007, so the same model you have, but with a rosewood body and spruce top. No pickups in that one, so I installed a B-Band system which sounded better than Taylors ES at that time. Does no damage to your guitar, has an under saddle sensor and a body sensor that you attach inside on the upper bout. Small pre-amp (powered by a 9 volt) Velcro to the inside of guitar. Has a volume knob and a balance (between the under saddle (treble) and the body (bass) knob. They fit just inside the sound hole so convenient to adjust and don't damage the guitar in any way - you should look at B-Band they are about $300. Stick with the Elixir strings, that's what Taylor designs them to use and will sound best and last a really long time. Just recently traded the GS8 for a new 814CE DLX which is again rosewood with spruce top, smaller body than the GS, but with the new V-Class bracing it is just as loud and toneful. Came with new Taylor ES2 system which is an improvement over the first one. You got a GREAT deal on the price, and you have the benefit of the guitar having opened up all those years since it was new - ENJOY [thumbup] P.S. You also got the benefit of the cool alligator case, which they do not make now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtim Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 I played that same model 814 this past week at guitar center. It is a very nice one you have there. I do like the inlays on it and it looks very nice. Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 I played that same model 814 this past week at guitar center. It is a very nice one you have there. I do like the inlays on it and it looks very nice. Enjoy!! The 814 DLX is nice because the body is a little smaller so a little more comfortable to play. But even with the new X bracing it does not have that wonderful piano like tone of the Grand Symphony. You got a great guitar at a great price, certainly the deal of the decade!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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