Taylor Guitars 310

Everything is pretty straightforward (except the fact that it's a left handed model). Well made--feels like a million bucks in the hands. As a lefty, this is the most playable guitar I have ever laid hands on. The finish is beautiful (I love the glossy top and the satin back and sides). The grover tuners do a great job of keeping the strings in tune.

In my search for a new guitar, I played a lot of left handed models, and this is the first one I have found that sounds as good as the right handed ones do. I used to play a Yamaha (granted it was a cheap one), and the sound of this guitar puts that to shame. I also played a few lefties that cost way more than this guitar and it sounded better than any of them. Each note in a chord is even and clear. The thing that really blew me away was how loud the guitar is. It's got a booming sound without being too bassy or tinny.

Extremely playable. As stated above, it feels great in the hands. The thing that really blew me away was the neck. I don't have very big hands, so I was a bit worried about it being wider than my old guitar. But somehow everything clicks just right. The spacing is perfect and it doesn't buzz like some other guitars I played while shopping.

Can't really say yet since I haven't had the guitar very long. All indications are that it will be a great instrument that will last me a very long time.

So far so good. They reply to all of my emails and have been extremely helpful. Would rate higher if I had dealt with them more.

I've only been playing for about 6 years, but I have tons of musician friends and have heard a ton of different guitars over the years I've been hanging with musicians. This one sounds as good as (if not better than) many guitars I've heard that cost way more. If it were stolen or lost, I would be pissed and would seek to beat whoever took it. This is the perfect guitar for everything I do.

I reviewed my 310 a couple of months after I got it, and that review is still here, and still largely true.
The only thing that's changed is.. it sounds better!
Purchased around april of 2000 and not a single problem that wasn't directly my own fault.
I'm giving it a ten for features, again and I think that's fair.
If features were only cosmetic foppery, then I'd have to give it what.. a 2? After all, it has no real cosmetic features that are of the fancy type.
The features that count here are the design, the wood and the construction. When you hear solid wood from taylor think this: it gets better. When you hear bolt neck from Taylor, think this: plays like no other. When you hear about their assembly know that guitars don't play this well or sound this well unless someone who gives a damn did the work.

I've stated my playing styles etc.. briefly, this guitar handles everything I throw at it, and I throw everything at it.
The bass has gotten deeper, yet is still clear and defined. The trebles on Taylors are strong already, but not overly so to me at all.
It intonates wonderfully. It tunes easily.
When I first got it I thought the upper fretboard was a tad weak. That's gone.. it's very evenly balanced up the neck.
It sounds better than any acoustic I have owned. I wish so very much that I'd had a guitar like this as a young man. I seriously recommend to anyone reading this review that Taylors sound and playability will IMPROVE your playing. Don't wait.

I shimmed the bridge saddle when I first got it. I thought I was getting a bit of rattle, and it stayed that way until about two months ago, when, on a whim, I took the shim out. Surprise, it must have been me, because the action is now lower and there's no rattle at all.
Fit and finish perfect throughout as previously stated. I think Taylors quality control is top notch.

Some have remarked that the finish dents easily. Yet, I have actually pulled it out of the case and had the case latch peg jab into the top.
It marred the finish a bit, but didn't bite into the wood. That's a tough finish.. I'm telling you I was scared by the weight of that case hitting the top.
Otherwise, it's just like new.
I'd use it gigging with no back up, anytime, anywhere.

I know Bob Taylor likes to keep a mellow profile, and I realize a guy with a personality like mine, even if he were famous, would never become an official endorser.. so, though I appreciate Bob and wish him all the best, I want to say here that his customer support is as close to perfect as they can get short of driving over to your house and kisssing you on the butt.

I've played many years.. and I know that none of my other acoustics have aged like this 310. I really find it amazing that in just a short time the guitar has matured in the most wonderful way.
The frets are showing a little wear, but then, I play it a lot so whose fault is that?
If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another Taylor. I'm not going to say I would buy another 310 because it hardly matters. I know I'd go with the 300 series because the price is waaaaay too good to pass up when you have a guitar this well done.
I wouldn't mind having a 312 especially for fingerpicking, and I woulnd't mind having the jumbo 315 (?) just for the big boom!
But I have to say.. this one is not just a happy medium, it does the job--period.
There's got to be a reason I've saved everything I got.. hang tags, sale sheet, video, manual, catalogs, even every copy of wood and steel Taylor sends me.
When I die, everything Taylor I ever owned will be in as close to pristine condition as I can keep it right with the guitar.. so the next owner, God bless him/her, will know that this guitar makes love.
Sure, you can find the perfectionist out there who will have lots to say about higher priced models, and competing brands.. name one area where that doesn't happen.. BUT.. you don't need to look around if you don't want to.
Buy a 310.
I have owned many electric and acoustic guitars in my life. This 310 ranks right alongside my favorite basses or electrics, and buries my fave acoustics. (save for a guild 12 string I had which was just as good.)
please read my earlier review for more detail on the Taylor 310. I really believe this is a wonderful guitar, and recommend it unhesitatingly to everyone.

This is a Taylor 310 made in Feb. 2001.It has a beautiful sitka spruce gloss top with satin sapele for the back and sides.This is an all solid wood guitar nothing laminated here.Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with laminated it's just this one isn't.Chrome tuners,large pearl dots and black binding sets it off.It has 20 frets,1 and 3/4 nut width and elixir medium strings.

Ok when i bought my 310 it sounded alot better to me then certain martins in the same price range.This guitar has awesome bass and yet you can pick every note and hear it.I do alot of flat picking and it's great for that.i'm fairly new to finger picking but it seems to be ok for that too.This guitar is almost a year old and it sounds better to me then it did the first time i played.I try to play atleast 4 hours aday and it seems to be breaking in very nicely.

This guitar plays like an electric.My action on my 310 is medium to low height and you can pick this thing with a hubcap from a truck as hard as you want and still get no buzz.I have good size hands and the 1 3/4 nut width feels perfect for me.When i bought it the thing had 0 flaws but now the binding in the back is getting dinged up a little from moving around while playing(damn chairs).The gloss top is level and smooth and the wood looks beautiful.The sides are in satin and the back has ribboned grain look to it.Special note: Don't use just any polish on satin finish or you'll F!@# it up.I looked on the taylor website and they say what works good is Smith Pro Formula Polish for the finish.My local music stores don't have this so i got it through Musician's Friend.Let me tell you first hand it works great and you can use it on the satin and gloss.

I think this guitar will withstand the test of time if it's properly taken care of.I bought a used Taylor 612(1993)and it was in awesome shape and the neck was as straight as an arrow.I kick myself in the ass for selling it.I think any guitar will last if you take care of it.I'm not good enough yet to go out and play for ppl i don't know but when i am i'm sure this guitar will be fine for gigs and be a good back up guitar if needed.

Never had to deal with the company so i can't say anything about this.But i heard that there great to deal with through my local music shops.so i'll give just a 7 here cause it's all hear say.

I havn't been playing guitar very long but i know a good thing when i feel and hear it.In just 11 months the thing sounds better now then when it was new and new it sounded great.They say you get what you pay for but in the case of the Taylor 310 you get a little more.If this guitar was stolen i would hunt the person down and floss there teeth with a rusted guitar string till they told me where the hell it was.I have almost a year of sweat and skin invested in this guitar and that's not replacable.But if i HAD to i would replace with the same model.Other then the 310 i have a Ovation 1861,Sheraton 2,american fender strat.These are all good guitars but the taylor is the one that gets played the most.Honestly i think i lean more towards the acoustics now i just like the idea of take them anywhere and play them.I'm taking my Taylor 310 to the box with me..lol

I purchased my Dreadnought 310 in 1998. It has Sapele back/sides, Sitka Spruce top, Mahogany neck, Ebony fingerboard, satin finish, pick guard, and came with a hardshell case. It's a no-frills, solidly built guitar,THE SECOND TIME AROUND - see below.

The G, B, and high E strings are particularly striking and produce notes with tremendous clarity and incredible sustain. However, my bass strings are uneventful and border on just plain dull. For a guitar its size, I would expect a boomier bass with much better resonance, and this is a continual source of disappointment for me when I play, especially when I am fingerpicking bluegrass and ragtime.

Four months after purchasing my guitar I noticed that the seam on the back was cracking and, when holding my guitar up to the light, the light would stream right through the length of the seam. There was also a small crack developing on the top of the guitar where the fingerboard meets the body. Despite dilligent humidifying, the crack persisted and never went away. My guitar sounded lifeless and dull as a result.

Taylor finally agreed to replace the entire body, and when it was returned to me, everything looked great. My major problem now is the action. Despite several adjustments, I cannot get the action low enough for comfortable, effortless playing, and barring my first fret is a chore.

Time will tell how my newly refurbished guitar will hold up. It's been 5 months since it was returned to me and so far, everything is just fine.

It took me several phone calls with several indignant and pompous cutomer support/tech support folks and THREE years before my concerns were finally addressed by a very sympathetic and reasonable fellow at Tayor, who, after I shipped my guitar to them (they paid for the shipping), concluded that the crack in the back was the result of a faulty glue joint. They agreed to replace the entire body and returned the refurbished guitar to me, free of charge, within 6 weeks.
Although my problems were eventually addressed, I'm afraid that I would not purchase another Taylor based upon the length of time it took to get the problems resolved.

One more thing - despite my protracted customer service experience with Taylor, I must admit that they have one of the most informative web sites in the business. They provide an array of tech and playing advice, and I'm a big fan of their tech sheets on stringing and humidifying.

I made a past review about my guitar and it has been over a year since i've had my guitar. It's two years old, and she's still a very wonderful guitar. Basic rundown: Dreadnought body, Sapele back/sides, Sitka Spruce top, Ebony fretboard/bridge, Rosewood headstock, Mahogany neck, chrome Grover tuners, satin/UV-cured finish, SKB moulded case and an after-market Fishman Natural I pickup installed. Durable. For its amount, it is pretty well-equipped, and so i give it a score of 10!

My guitar has been played in very well, and is played continually on a regular basis. The sound is richer than a year before and since it is made with real, solid wood... time will only tell how great it will sound! It's a good strummer (of course), but it does a great job when picked too.

Taylor is very consistent in maintaining standards on everything from build, detail and feel of the guitar. Since the last owner took good care of my guitar, the action is still super and i haven't yet had a problem with the neck bowing or anything with humidity. All of the woods on my 310 seem to be in great quality. Nice tight-grained Sitka Spruce with a goulden hue. Nearly black, unstained Ebony. The Sapele blows me away. I've seen the "Quilted" Sapele on the 25th Anniversary models, and my Sapele is just a bit under that. Good eye-candy. Haven't seen that good of a Sapele on Taylors made after mine. Feeling really lucky... :)

I depend on my 310 every week for church and she goes through constant abuse: other players, getting dinged up, being left in cars and in sunshine (sometimes)... you name it. She's still holding up real well and i haven't yet had the guitar fall apart on me. As long as you don't bash someone with your guitar, there shouldn't be any problems... provided you'd take care of it. So far... i can't see myself replacing my 310 with anything else.

Lots of people praise the Taylor customer support. I'd concur! I haven't dealt with them in a while, but whenever i sent them an email about something... they always gave back a reply. Quick service. They have also done a great job in trying to educate guitar owners on how to take care of your guitar. I really don't hope to use the repair shop! hehe

I've had this guitar over a year now, and there's no complaints about it. I still like playing with Taylor guitars and i have no qualms about any of them. If i can somehow get myself $6000, i'd like to buy the Doyle Dykes Signature Model... really awesome guitar!! Until then, my faithful 310 will weather out my guitar urges.

I've owned a Taylor 310 for about 2 years now, I have very few complaints. It's the kind of guitar you would expect from Taylor.

The guitar has a real "full" sound... Although to be honest I wish I would have gone with a guitar that was a little more trebly. It gets lost in the mix real easy. If $800 is all you can afford I would go with one of these puppies..but don't be afraid to wait to save up more money for something better. I love this guitar but I regret not having waited to get like a 714 or something.

Taylor quality.

The guitars finish seems to chip really easy, I'm pretty gentle with my guitars but after just 2 years I've got chips all over the guitar. I think it's just the style of finish, but its not cool.

If you like the sound buy it...if you don't then don't buy it..simple as that.

Born on date is july 2000. This is Taylor's no frills dreadnought guitar. Bolt on necks are usually found on $3k+ guitars, you get one here new for $850. Gloss top is a beautifully polished high tech UV cured coating, better for the environment. Ebony where it counts: the finger board and bridge. Price is nice too as well as the grover tuners. Since I installed a LRBaggs dual source myself, I really liked the bolt on endpin setup with the hole that is endpin jack ready, no drilling or cutting. Also found a nice punch mark drill guide under the saddle for pickup install. Nice touches for the DIY guitar techs like myself. The stock ELIXER strings rule if you like consistant new string tone for 6 + months. Mahogany Neck like everybody else.

The sound is incredible. It's very detailed, complex and inspiring. It's brightness suits my fingerstyle quite well because I keep my nails very short and out of the way. Personally, the tone of finger tips is what steel string acoustic guitar is all about. It's loud and balanced from the bass to treble. The Sapele tone wood used on the back and sides and traditionally used by spanish guitar makers gives this guitar a unique flamico sound on certain frets of the A & D strings.

Beautiful UV cured polished gloss top, satin everywhere else. Nothing fits and feels like the Taylor.

I monitor and control the humidity in an anal way. The tolerances are exactly the same to this day as the day I bought it from my humidity controlled dealer. I plan to travel and gig extensivly with this guitar without backup. I can walk into any humidity controlled dealer in any town a get another one with the same feel, quality, and sound, any day of the week and not be too sad if mine got stolen.

Lifetime warranty! Enough said.

I've been playing music for 20 years. I'm a singer songwriter with a home studio and I play drums, synths and basses too. I love all music. I was shopping for a Martin D-35 but I bought the 310 for the top of the line Taylor quality at an entry level price. I would buy another because it's the perfect road guitar for an aspiring pro musician like myself who demands quality, yet can't afford or justify fancy instruments.

New 2001. Playing it for 5 months now. All solid woods. Sitka spruce top. Sapele (mahogany family)back and sides. New technology neck(ask for video). Ebony bridge and fretboard with brown streaking in it, very pretty. Pearl dot inlays. Rosewood headstock. Chrome grover tuners. Black plastic binding. Tortoise pickguard. Two strap buttons. Gloss finish top, everything else in satin. Medium elixir strings. Great playability. No dead spots. Skb Taylor hardshell case. Top latch improperly installed, but still works fine.

Awesome sound. Shimmering. Crisp and clear. This guitar sounds oh so sweet. Loud and brilliant, with good bass. Either played loud or soft.

Action is very good. Very well setup. Everything fits and looks perfect. Except the pickguard is coming up on the edge. No big deal. The top is perfectly bookmatched and the finish everywhere is very nice. If you rub your fingertips on the back side of the guitar you can feel a couple of tiny,tiny knot holes?

I really baby this guitar. Not because I have to but because I want to play it for a long time.

The first time I called just to ask questions about fret care and restringing. They were very nice and helpful. The 2nd time I called and told them my pickguard was slightly coming up on the edge and within a few days I had a new one at my door. Not going to install it now.

I am a hobbyist who loves to play, on and off for 20 years now.I am 37 now. Use my heavy pick for flatpicking which is 95% of the time. Love chords. Srum heavily 3 quarters of the time. I really enjoy playing this guitar especially in the early morning with my coffee and in the evening. It is a joy to play. I can`t get enough of the great sound this guitar puts out. I tried almost all the guitars at Sam Ash and Guitar Center within this price range. Overall this was it, the solid woods, playability, tone, neck design,and price. I am finally satisfied.

no frills - basic but all you need !

crisp would be the best way to describe it - harmonic, full yet retaining crisp definition

I wanted this guitar - I went back to the store 3 times - the last time just to buy it. However after reading news about F# problems with acoustics, I checked the Taylor at the 9th fret on the A string. It revealed a honk, a dead spot. I couldn't buy it after that. I love the neck, and the playability like most electric players would, but it just wasn't right. An 814 didn't have the problem, neither did a Guild D25. I guess I'll just have to save some more for the 810!

I've 8 other guitars, Strats, Gibsons and Music Man guitars. I was really disappointed because the 310 was just what I wanted for an upgrade from other acoustics.

Solid wood ... solid sound and feel

I like to play everything ... from pop to hard rock to jazz to classical. Just sounds great.

Tested Martins which were a bit less in price, but a lot less in sound and feel. For a couple of hundred dollars this is a good investment.

Just purchased ... pickuped the demo over the "in the box". I'm sure
once it ages it will sound even sweeter.

Have not had reason to call ...

Played Les Paul Custom electric .. great guitar, Yamaha acoustic..
OK for price, Ovation... overrated.