Taylor-Talk.com

Product: Taylor Guitars W-65
Price Paid: US $3000

Features : 10
I don’t know the year of manufacture, I bought it in 2004 from a collector selling it on eBay. I won’t go into a description as this has already been done, except to agree that this instrument is a high end work of art. I bought it on the strength of my experience with previous Taylors, and the appearance. The contrast between the abalone binding and the claro walnut is gorgeous. Mine is a cutaway with Fishman pickup installed, no mixer built it. The finish may be a bit shiny for some tastes, but I think it makes the walnut look as rich as possible. It does not have a cheap looking hard gloss, but it is very reflective.

Sound : 8
I play a lot of original stuff that is similar to America, CSN, etc. I am not a hard beater, and I especially play my 12 strings with finesse. The comment about this guitar not having a lot of natural volume is right on, I noticed that first thing. BUT…look out when you plug it in! The sound is full, bright, and even. It is a perfect contrast to my Guild JF-65 jumbo blonde when I want a lighter sound. And of course, volume when plugged in isn’t a problem. My rating of 8 is based on amplified sound.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
Flawless. The guitar was advertised to me as “mint.” It was, not even a thumb print was on it. Action is typical Taylor: hard to improve on.

Reliability/Durability : 9
Taylor, what more needs to be said? I have no doubts about the long-term durability of this guitar. The finish seems very durable and less brittle than other high quality brands. Although I don’t plan on proving this, the lacquer gives an impression of being less prone to surface checking. My only observation is that the lacquer gets a little cloudy where my right forearm lays on the body, although polish cleans 98% of this off. The dark wood probably shows this more than lighter woods do. Because of the fabulous appearance of this guitar, it doesn’t leave my studio. But I wouldn’t hesitate to play live with it from a trust perspective.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
I’ve been playing for 30 years, more or less, but have begun to play more again as my kids have grown. I am doing some writing again and some home recording. This Taylor is sort of a long-awaited self-reward for years of hard work. I would not want it to be my only guitar, but it is a fabulous addition to my small group. It was a real head-rush to buy it. The only thing that keeps me from issuing a “10″ is the less-than-full acoustic volume.