Taylor Guitars GC3-E

This 2007 GC3 model has the optional Taylor onboard electronics. It's a small-body acoustic with a big sound when plugged in (spend a few bucks and buy a balanced cable...you won't regret it). It also sounds nice unplugged, but lacks a bit of bottom end due to its size. It's solid wood, saeple sides and spruce top with ebony on the bridge and fretboard. The neck is comfortable and not too thick or narrow. Tuners are Taylor and work well. For a little over $1,000, this guitar has all the appointments one would expect, including binding on the neck. The electronics work well and the three buttons (volume, bass and treble) and well integrated into the body so that there is no large invasive hole cut into the side. A 9-volt battery is required. Strap buttons are solid. About the only thing the guitar lacks is a built-in tuner, but that's a fairly minor omission, and a pickguard.

The sound is bright like most Taylors. It's a little thinner sounding than a dreadnaught, but for a small body, it projects well. I play a variety of music with it and it sounds fine for almost everything, particularly plugged in where you can adjust the tone.

This is what convinced me to buy the guitar. All Taylors are not created equally. This one is fairly flawless though, particularly in comparison to the 210 that I owned. The frets are finished perfectly, the nut is cut to prefection, the action is low but not too low or buzzy. The wood has no imperfections. All the electronics work, although the input jack is a tad tight. The neck binding feels like butter. The intonation is dead on. There isn't a thing I would improve upon in terms of action, fit and finish. I don't know if all CG3s are this well done, but the one I bought is built with all the attention of a guitar triple in price.

I haven't own the guitar for long, but I don't expect any problems with it lasting a long time. I will take good care of it, but not baby it. If it's as well made as I think it is, I expect it to be trouble free for a very long time. It comes with a great case. The finish seems durable, although there is no pickguard. I've had a Martin for 13 years that hasn't had a problem. Never been refretted or anything. I expect the same sort of performance from Taylor. I would probably have a backup if I gigged, but not because I fear the guitar exploding. It's just a good idea to have another nearby in case a string breaks or you want to do some songs with alternate tuning. I think I would have liked a pickguard to protect the body, so I am deducting a point.

Haven't dealt with Taylor.

Been playing a few decades, mostly in classic rock bands. I only own one other acoustic, a Martin DM. My acoustic amp is a small one, a Marshall 50-watter, but it works. I probably will plug this guitar directly into the PA (with a balance TRS cable) when the full band is playing. I also own three electric guitars of varying quality and a few Fender tube amps. I like this guitar mainly for the feeling of quality and playability, along with the compact size. The woods are gorgeous and the ebony is a classy touch. I like the deeper Martin sound, but this Taylor just feels and looks better than anything Martin has in this price range, not that anything over a grand is cheap by my standards. If none of the dreaded humidity issues arise, I expect this guitar to be a keeper. I am not sure if Taylor over-warns people about humidity problems, but if a guitar doesn't hold up well with just some commonsense care, I have to question how it is made. I am fairly new to Taylor, so I'll see what happens with the changing seasons over time. I've also heard that Taylor frets wear down faster than some other high-end guitars, but that might just be isolated cases. Overall, this is a sharp-looking, easy playing axe, with just enough features to cover all the important bases and not of the over-the-top frills like fancy inlays that I just don't need or want to pay for. The small size is fantastic for small spaces. I am also told that this model is great for fingerpicking, which I don't do much of, but it's also a decent strummer. Hopefully, some other folks will give there impressions of the GC3 (e).