Taylor Guitars DN3

Pretty basic dread based upon the 310 model. Nothing fancy. All solid wood; Spruce top, Sapele mahogany sides and back, bound body and neck, ebony fretboard and bridge, rosewood headstock, pearl dot fretmarkers, Tusq saddle and nut, Taylor enclosed tuners, Nut is 1 3/4 wide for easier fingering and picking. Gloss top w/ satin back and sides.

This is where the guitar shines. I got mine used so I'm not sure how old the strings are but they seem pretty good still as they are Elixers which is standard quality for this guitar. It has a nice full tone fingerpicked with breath and sustain. I've tried a lot of high end guitars and they don't sound as good as this. Taylor's higher end guitars have this tone and feel but you will spend at least double. Though I can heard the difference, for me it isn't worth the extra $ and a lot of that is for the bling. It's not as bright as other Taylors but that may be due to the strings being older. Harmonics ring out and sustain nicely. Strumming is even and loud as a good dread should be. Since it is all solid wood, it should age well.

The neck feels great and I don't even feel the extra width playing it but make fewer mistakes when flatpicking individual notes. The gloss top looks great and helps protect it better than the satin finish on other models. I tune down a half step to remove tension on the bridge and neck on all my guitars. Very slight buzz on the low E string if I really strum hard w/ the mediums which is better than expected. Tuned up to pitch and no buzz at all and you can really dig into the strings.

All solid woods guitar need extra care due to humidity. I tend to baby my guitars so they will last and hope this one stays as good as new. The tuners are decent though the D and G string seem to need more turns than what I'm used to to get the pitch right. May be the strings.

I don't play out as I am just a hobbiest and play to connect my soul and improve my singing. I'm sure it would hold up fine in a gig, though I'm sure if you did that you would get one w/ a pickup.

I went on their tour once because I live close to San Diego and it is free. If you ever are in the area, it's great to see how they are made. They are all players and they have shop guitars hanging around just so they can play on their breaks. Pretty cool. Since I got mine used I probably can't get a warranty through Taylor. It's a solid guitar though and with care should hold up fine.

I started playing when I was 13 and I'm self taught so I'm not as good as I'd like to be. But, I know tone and this guitar has it. I looked into buying this model from all the favorable reviews on this site I have read on the 310 and DN3. I'm a wine taste but beer budget kind of guy. I've been looking for an affordable guitar that takes my breath away. I've played this and other Taylors, as well as Gibsons and Martins and really bonded w/ the Taylors. Though I couldn't afford the price (about $1K new), I've always kept an eye out for them used. I got a 110 on a trade and really love that guitar as it has the Taylor sound I like and it got me hooked on finding an all solid wood model. I found the DN3 yesterday and though we are still on our honeymoon, I'm starting to really enjoy playing it more and more. I'll give it a 9 since I wouldn't call it a fantastic value new but it is an awesome guitar and if you can find one used for a lot less, then grab it as it would then be a "10".

Bought this new in early 2009. It's a basic, no frills, dreadnought. No pickguard, no electronics, solid spruce top, solid sapele (African mahogany) back and sides. Ebony fretboard w/mop (plastic) dot inlays. Ebony bridge. Tusq (whatever the hell that is) nut and sadle. Satin finish. Plastic/Ivoroid binding on the neck. The only real "luxury" appointment on the whole instrument is the headstock overlay, but that is kind of the idea with this guitar. It's a player, not a looker. That being said, it looks just fine.

In my opinion, this is where the DN3 really shines. The sound was what really differentiated this guy from the rest of the pack to me. When I was shopping for an acoustic, I settled in on Taylors pretty quickly, mostly because they fit my hands better then Martin, Takamine, and Laravee...the decent Gibson's were about just a bit out of my price range this time around, but I like the way those feel in my hand as well.

After playing most of the Taylor 200 series, 300 series, and the DN4, I liked the sound of the DN3 the most so that's what I went home with. Couldn't be happier....that being said it does sound like a Taylor. If you think Taylors sound too bright, you will probably think that the DN3 sounds to bright. I respectfully disagree.

When strumming full bore with a pick, this is a *loud* guitar. I can only imagine what this thing with sound like after it's aged a few years. It's going to be a cannon. To my ears, the balance is there. Might be a little too mid-rangy (or maybe just not enough low end?) for some, but I like the sound.

Picking sounds incredible. I can sit at home and just slowly pick through a Dm chord and listen to each note ring out for like 20 minutes before I actually get around to playing a tune.. It's mesmerizing.

As for finger style, I don't really have the chops to put this through it's paces as far as finger-picking goes, but it's suits me just fine.

Compared to the universe of all guitars, the DN3 rates about a 9/10 for sound. Compared to all other guitars under $1500, I give it a 26/10. Yeah, that was twenty six.

Set up just the way I like it from the shop. Mid range action, no buzz, perfect intonation. Every bit of the finish was flawless. The edges between the binding and the body/neck are perfect.

Personally, I think the action/neck carve is what makes a Taylor a Taylor....and this is definitely a Taylor. It's not for everybody, but if you like the way a high end Taylor feels in your hand, you'll like the way this feels.

I honestly don't think a guitar could feel better to me. The only acoustic I've played that rivals the way this one feels is an old 60s Gibson Hummingbird. Obviously, this is a very subjective thing and one mans 10 could be another man's 1 (for example...I've never played a Martin I'd give more then a 4 for action...not that there's anything wrong with Martins, they just don't fit my hands).

Solid so far. Taylor has a great rep for reliability and durability. Since there are no electronics on this guitar and it's made of solid wood. If I take care of it, it should last indefinately. That being said, I've only had it for 4 months, so I can't really rate this.

Havn't dealt with them yet. Don't think I'm going to have too.

I've been playing on and off for 16 years. Have gigged and recorded in the passed, now I'm mostly an at home player, with occasional jam sessions with old friends/band mates. Over the years I've owned a bunch of guitars but, I currently play a 1998 Heritage H-170CM and a 1987 Heritage H-160 (think of it as a mahogany bodied, set neck, stratocaster with some crazy wiring...this is an usual guitar...only a couple pictures of these out there on the 'net) for my electrics. For amps I've got 1969 Fender Twin Reverb (silverface), a modded Epiphone valve Jr. and a Blackheart Little Giant. The Taylor is the only acoustic I'm playing right now.

Just the basics. It's all been said here.

This is the number one reason I purchased this guitar. This guitar has clean, crisp highs and solid mids, with nice full bass, unlike most taylors, which tend to sound a little lean on the bottom end. There's a much richer, full, sound, comparable to a D-28, but with a much crisper middle and high end. I love it.

This guitar was perfect when I purchased it. Action was just right, best I have ever seen out of the box. Flawless finish... again, nothing flashy, gloss solid sitka spruce top and satin solid sapele sides and back, but put together as well as the Gibson J45 or Martin D-28 I played.

I've pounded on this thing and it just keeps on ticking. Kinda wish it had a pickguard, but I guess I could add that if I wanted it. Stays in tune better than any guitar I own.

Never had a problem... don't know.

I turned 50 this year. Been playing over 30 years. In my twenties, I gigged for the money... now it's just for me and friends. I own a Traynor YCV40W tube amp (got rid of my twin.. too heavy), 1975 Les Paul Custom, 1988 Fender HM Strat, 1995 Fender American Standard Strat, 1998 Takamine EG523SC, 2006 Fender MIM Fat Strat, and this DN3, which I've had for less than a year. It is by far the best acoustic guitar I have owned. I love it. I would immediately go out and get another one if it were lost or stolen..

Finish - satin with gloss top

Body style - 6-string dreadnought

Tuners - chrome-plated Taylor tuning machines

Neck - tropical American mahogany with Indian rosewood overlay on the headstock, adjustable truss rod

Scale - 25-1/2" long, 1-3/4" wide, 15" top radius, ebony with cream binding and small pearl dot inlays

Included accessories - Taylor hardshell case, warranty

Year made - September 2008

Country of origin - USA

Number of frets - 20

Type of top - Sitka Spruce

Built-in electronics - Available option, but none in this one

Body & side wood - Sapele

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I rate this a 10 because of the solid construction, spectacular finish, superb design, tight fit of all the components and excellent hardshell case are all top-of-the-line.

I looked for many hours on the Web before going to the local big box guitar store, thinking that I would play with every acoustic they had and ultimately take home a $600 rig. Upon getting to the showroom, I spent many more hours there narrowing my choice down from my final list of eight to just the DN3, which was more guitar than I had originally planned on getting.

Truly an example of American design and engineering to be proud of - way to go Taylor!

The sound - wow! It has to be experienced. Of all the dozens of guitars I looked at, played with and listened to, I kept coming back to the DN3 - specifically because of it's beautiful tone and amazing sustain. Lots of bright, with a rich bass - the sound of a much more costly instrument.

I like to play folk, unplugged rock, classical and blues and feel the DN3 will be the perfect companion for me.

No dislikes so far. No fret buzz, no matter how hard I attack. The DN3 keeps up with me effortlessly - no matter how hard I push it.

I was very impressed by the factory set-up. The action was perfect; no fret buzz on any note - no matter how hard I played; the strings were only slightly out of tune when removed from the sealed box - four months after being built at the factory; much better than any other guitar I've purchased.

All the components were tightly fitted; no slop or flaws anywhere; the top & bottom were properly bookmatched; the strings were properly strung and slid through the bridge and nut without any hitches.

No flaws anywhere that I could detect, and I went over it with a fine tooth comb.

Seems completely bullet-proof and built with quality gear.

Lifetime warranty - what's to argue with that?

Also own a couple Fender Strats, a Schecter and a Yamaha. I think the Taylor bests all of them by far in terms of quality build, sound and tone.

If the DN3 was stolen or otherwise destroyed, I'd immediately replace it.

Finish Natural, dreadnought, chrome plated Taylor tuners, ebony fretboard, 20 frets, hard case, made in 2007, sitka spruce top.

Bright sound, but if you play fingerstyle, excess of brightness is softened. Very rich sound, full of bass, strings well balanced.

The set-up factory was A-1. A good idea from Taylor to put Elixir strings on it for the customer's trial. I'll try some other brands of strings later to compare and possibly get a mellower sound.
It comes with tusq for the nut and saddle.
I planned to replace it with bone.

The workmanship is trustful. Well made, i'm sure i can depend on it.

Never had to deal with Taylor.

Been playing 40 years. Been setting up guitars for 10 years. I played many of them (Gibson, Martin, Boucher, Guild etc.) I bought it after 1 hour of testing against 30 others in the store between 1000$ and 4800$. For the sound and the money, if it was stolen, i would buy it again.