Taylor Guitars 310

The Taylor 310 is an all Solid Wood guitar with Sitka Spruce top and Sapele (Mahogany) Back and Sides. The Neck is also Mahogany.
Made in San Diego, CA.
I bought a 2000 model recently in April 2001. I was looking to upgrade to an all solid wood acoustic.
The 310 seemed like the best choice for the price - no frills. No fancy inlays or binding. Just plain and simple. Really, the sound does the talking.
For the price, I get the main feature I want - all Solid Wood construction.

I play flatpick and fingerstyle. This guitar is very versatile.
Good balance, excellent highs... suprisingly good bass for a Mahogany backed guitar.
Fingerstyle is subtle, mellow, and smooth.
Lay into it with a pick - it really cuts.
Very dynamic.
More bright than boomy - very much a Taylor sound. If you want tons of bass, go with a Martin.
I can't wait for this baby to open up with age.

All Taylors have medium low action. 4/64" on the Treble Side, 6/64" on the Bass side. That matches the action on my electrics.
For an acoustic, that might be a little low if you really "lay into" it. Raise it 1/64", and that should do the trick.
This guitar is really built well. No structural flaws. I can't find one thing wrong about the way it was made. No excess glue, no gaps, no poor cuts. Everything seems to "fit" perfectly.
Well, actually, the second screw that screws in the little Truss Rod cover at the headstock is not cut short enough, so it doesn't screw down all the way flush (boo hoo).

I haven't had it long enough to really say how durable it is. I'm very careful with this guitar, almost too careful.
I mainly play at home, or with friends. In Southern California, you may have to worry about the dry days - a soundhole or case humidifier will suffice.

Absolutely excellent! I can't believe that Taylor's customer support is the best customer support I've ever dealt with for ANYTHING. Not only do they answer my questions, but they follow through with phone calls. This company really cares about support, which is tough to find these days.

I own a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a Fender SRV Strat. I play these through a Marshall JCM900 50W combo. I've been playing guitar for more than 15 years.
For acoustics, I've only owned a mid-80's Yamaha FG365sII (Solid Spruce Top with Laminate Rosewood back and sides). I recently departed with that guitar only to replace it with the Taylor. I'm really glad I did. For years, I thought the Yamaha was a good sounding guitar. Once I brought the Taylor home, it made the Yamaha sound like a cardboard box.
I really feel like for the money, I hit the jackpot. A great sounding, well built, all solid wood, US made acoustic guitar for less than $900 (with case).

New 2001 Taylor 310 made in the USA. 20 fret dreadnought style. THis thing is all wood. No laminate crap here. Spruce top with mahogany back and sides. Ebony fretboard and an indian rosewood headstock. Came with a hard case.

The sound i can get out of this thing amazes me. I can go from a sweet christian music tone to some mean bluesy licks. It tends to be a brighter sounding guitar than martins, guilds or gibsons, but it is far better to play and it is more versatile. if one is a real blues fanatic opne would be better off with a martin but those are harder to play and they cost a lot more for something comparable to the taylor 310. Any martin that you buy for 900 has laminate backs whereas the taylor is solid wood. It will last you longer and is a better investment.

Everything was set up perfectly. It is very easy to play. It has nice wood grains. THe satin top looks great

THe top seems to ding easily but those are just tiny marks that dont affect the sopund and can only be seen in the right light. Everything else seems really solid

I have been playing for 20 or so years. I have owned just about every major guitar brand that exists including a martin d-45 and a gibson hummingbird. the taylor is much easier to play than the others and sounds nearly as good for a fraction of the price. if it were stolen i would buy it again or i would look at a more expensive taylor.

My Taylor is a year old. It has the standard solid spruce top with unfinished mohogony back and sides. Ebony fret board and bridge with ebony bridge pins even! Super sweet neck and action. Over all sort of plain but still very nice.

Excellent sound. I like to play country, blues and do some finger picking and it sound great doing them all. I have had this guitar for over a year now and I love its sound more and more. Every time I let somebody else play it they always comment on the sound and how nice it is. I can't believe that it is Taylor's "entry level" guitar.

The guitar came set up great. The fit and finish were all top notch. Frets were all smooth and the neck, bridge and tuners all good. A year later and it is still great.

Well it is a year old now and still holding up great. This guitar feels a lot lighter than other guitars but it is not fragile. I have taken it camping and out and about to friends to play and it holds up great. Never broken anything on it. All in all and exceptionally well built giutar that sound excellent and about half the price of similar models by other makers.

Never had a problem. But I wrote them a letter and they wrote back to say thanks.

I have been playing for about 6 years now and I have owned only one other acoustic guitar(epiphone) If this guitar was lost I would be bummed. I notice that all acoustic guitars are a little different and I really like this one. I would definatly buy another Taylor with a few more cosmetic appointments. I compared this one to a Martin D1-R which I had my heart set on but once I played the Taylor it was no contest

Sitika Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides. The back and sides are unfinished, but look beautiful. Grover tuners. Super low action make this guitar practically play itself. It's a dreadnought, and it has no electronics. A strap fits it perfectly.

This model is touted as the 'no frills' Taylor. It has pearl dot inlays, and no fancy ornamentation, but don't let that fool you. This guitar is high-end in every other department.

I bought this guitar a little over a month ago, and I am beginning to realize just how great this thing really is. The sound is awesome -- very even, and LOUD. It will suit any style that you play. You can bang on it, or play it soft and the sound is equally impressive.

Play one and you'll see -- flawless.

I've only had it for a month, but everything seems rock-solid.

Sloid strap buttons, and the overall feel is very solid.

Taylors come with a good warranty. I haven't had to deal with them yet.

I came very close to buying a Guild D-55 (Guild's top of the line dread), because I love the ornamentation on the neck and headstock. I was ready to drop $1500 on the Guild, or a Taylor 810. I played the Guild and honestly wasn't that impressed with the playability. It did not compare with the Taylor 810 at all in my opinion.

After months of looking, I picked up a Taylor 310 - I bought one the next day. The sound, playablilty, and overall feel BLEW AWAY THE GUILD D-55 - and the Taylor was 1/2 the price.

This guitar will make you smile every time you pick it up. It is so easy to play. In my 13 years as a guitarrist, this 'no frills' Taylor is one of the best guitars I've ever played. If I had the money, I would have bought the 810, mainly because it's prettier, but I am so incredibly satisfied with the 310. You get a great feeling whenever you play this guitar.

If you are looking for a high-end acoustic, play this 310 before you do something stupid, like buying a Martin. You CAN'T beat this guitar for the money. The only thing you are not getting with this Taylor is decoration.

Play it and you'll understand why Taylor is THE American acoustic guitar!

Taylor 310 Dreadnought. Spruce top, Saepele (mahogany) back & sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard & bridge. Chrome Grover tuners. Gloss top, satin neck, back & sides. Black plastic binding. Custom SKB hardshell case included. "No frills" 300-series, but still a very nice looking guitar. The styling of the headstock, bridge & pickguard give this guitar a distinctive look.

I play mostly pop-folk-rock style (Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, etc.). This guitar sounds good, no matter what I am playing. It has a very balanced tone and good projection.
Both highs and lows are clear. This is a versatile guitar -- you can strum, flatpick or fingerpick and it sounds good in any style.

Classic Taylor action -- low and fast. The thin neck is very comfortable. It came with medium-gauge strings, which Taylor puts on all their dreadnoughts. Mediums on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd were too hard on my fingers, so I switched those to lights and left mediums on the bottom. This made the guitar much more comfortable to play and gave it a little more bass response. Excellent fit & finish.

A very well-built guitar. The chrome Grovers are very solid. I play at home for fun, but I wouldn't hesitate to take this guitar on the road.

Great website!!! I learned a lot about how to care for my Taylor from the technical datasheets that you can download. I only called customer service one time, but they were very helpful and answered my question.

I have been playing for 25+ years and own two other guitars (Citation 6-string and Takamine 12-string). I wanted to treat myself to a new 6-string and was looking at a Martin DM. However, I changed my mind after playing the Taylor. For less than $200 more, the Taylor 310 was a much better guitar, both in sound and construction.

If my 310 were lost or stolen, I would probably replace it with another one. It is a great guitar for the money. However, I also might look at Larrivees and Tacomas in the same price range.

Please see the others for description. It was born in June of 2000. Nothing to add. Paid $800 out the door with a hardshell case (SKB, but without the Taylor logo). Not bad I think.

The sound is shimmerly like all good Taylors, but I have noticed an obnoxious "hooting" noise that eminates at a certain pitch and note. Has anyone heard this noise? Forgive my lack of knowledge about strings, but I think it's the G-string (heh). Seriously, when I tune down 1/2 step, the thrird highest string (F sharp I guess) makes this noticeable projection that the other strings do not. I can get the same effect by fretting a lower sting higher on the neck. I've experienced this with many Taylors that I play. Maybe it's just the nature of the acoustic beast, but it's annoying. Maybe I'm just completely anal. Otherwise, it sounds very good. Still, I can perceive that open string "hooting" on certain chords. Suppose I could tune back up to concert pitch, but that is a band-aid fix for a annoyance that shouldn't be. And it still get's produced when any string hits that pitch and specific note. Weird.

Very nice fit a finish. Mine was set up great, and there were no dings on it. The top is deep in color. I've seen any number of top colorations, and tend to like the deeper, richer colors the best.

Seems very reliable. Stays in tune great. All that talk on the Taylor web-site about humidity makes me a bit nervous, so I monitor it closely. Taylor is very conscious about humidity, which I suppose is a good thing.

Taylor is excellent in getting back with people. They have always responded quickly to my inquiries (and there have been many)

Been playing for 2 years, and have a good ear. Don't have any idea what notes I'm playing, but can pick out lots of complex stuff. I would probably not get a Taylor again, simply because of that blasted "hooting" noise the 310's make. I haven't heard it in Guilds or Larrivee's, which seem very nice.

The Taylor 310 dreadnought is made in California. Mine was made in October of 2000. It has 20 frets, a solid sitka spruce top, solid sapele mahogony sides and back, a mahogony neck, Indian rosewood headstock and ebony fretboard & bridge. No electronics. Just an acoustic. I has a fairly thin neck (Taylor trademark) and grover tuners. It came with a fairly decent SKB molded case. It's the "no frills" series, so of course there is no abalone rosette or exotic binding. It's a plain acoustic. Nonetheless, it's a beauty. Excellent work and attention to detail.

I play blues, classical, classic rock, country, jazz, funk, pop, and latin-ish sort of stuff. I would say that with the exception of classical music, this guitar does it all. A real deep punch that's not too overbearing and nice even highs. It's a little bright. Brighter than other big names. But that's the Taylor sound. It's excellent for soloing but is still extremely versatile. Strum a chord and listen to every note. Or play SRV's Rude mood and hear it come alive with every phrase. It's unbelievable...

There is not another guitar brand that I have found to be as easy on the hands as Taylor. It's what they are known for. This 310 has extremely low action. The beauty is that you really have to bang on the lower E to hear the slightest buzz. The top doesn't exactly have the bookmatch that an 810 might have. But it's still a very close match. When I got the guitar, it came right out of the box...straight from the factory. No dings, no loose screws, no chips (even inside the soundhole), nothing...absolutely gorgeous...in a simple way.

I've yet to play this guitar live, so I won't know just how solid this instrument is until I try taking it out. But after looking at the bracing and just holding it, I can tell that this guitar is built to last. When I do get around to giggin' with it, I would definately do so w/o using a backup. It's lighter than Gibson or Guild. But if I wanted a tank, I would have bought a Gibson or a Guild and sacrificed some sound. I expect this guitar to last a while and improve with age...

I haven't needed to deal with Taylor at all. However, I did order their free video on their bolt on neck. I just assumed that I would receive it without any notification. But a few days after I ordered it, I got an e-mail saying that the video would be shipped within the week. Taylor knows how to treat their customers...

I play an 83 Fender Stratocaster and run through a blues driver and into a Laney amp. I also have a Sigma 12 string and a Fender FC-30 classical guitar (It's nicer than you think). And of course the Taylor 310. I've been playing for about 7 years and this is by far one of the better acoustics that I have played. If it were stolen, I'd cry...then within time by the exact same model. No sense in spending another $500 for inlay and a miniscule difference in sound. I love everything about this guitar. I couldn't say that there's anything that I don't like about the Taylor 310. I've played a friends Larrivee and though he claims it's the most beautiful sounding guitar, I just smile and nod so that I don't hurt his feelings. I've also played Martin, Ovation, Gibson, Guild, Breedlove and many others. The truth is that these are all very fine instruments and it comes down to a matter of taste. I like a guitar to have a fast neck, a full but even sound, and some personality. That's why I got the Taylor. If Martin or Larrivee is the sound you like...that's fine. Just remember...they use a dovetail joint. 20 years from now those guitars will have to be unglued at the neck. So know a really good luthier to take care of that or get a Taylor.

The 310 is a solid wood dreadnought with a sitka spruce top, sapele mahogany sides, back and neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. Chrome Grover tuners, pearl dot inlays, black plastic binding, tortoise shell pickguard, and an attractive saddle complete the package. Like all Taylor guitars, the 310 is fabricated and assembled in El Cajon, CA. This axe is the leader of top-quality no-frills guitars, and it produces an unbelievably sweet tone. No exotic woods or fancy inlays here (not necessarily a bad thing), else it would receive a 10.

It produces a very clean, slightly bright sound which is very balanced considering it is a dreadnought. By laying off the top end a little, you can get an extremely full, harmonious, slightly bassy tone. Lay on the top a little, and watch it shimmer. I am very impressed with this tone and feel it is the best in the business, at least for under $1000, if not more. If you want a dreadnought that allows you to distinguish each note out of a chord, this is it. If you are concerned with balance (say for recording), this is a great choice. This guitar is well deserving of a 10!

Here's something you haven't heard yet... Try raising the action from the factory setting. Taylors have extremely ergonomical necks and very low action, which I love, but I have a very heavy strum and I was getting a little too much fret buzz for my liking. So, I loosened up my truss rod considerably. Now I have the same playability, only the strings are a little higher and looser -- this makes them perfect for bending. The main plus, however, is the added sound and projection you get by raising the strings ever so slightly. It's absolutely amazing. In my opinion, these things are already so easy to play, that you can afford to raise the action a little without sacrificing playability at all. Craftmanship is perfect, literally. Perfectly bookmatched, perfect finish, no glue drips, perfect everything.

This guitar is slightly lighter than the average dreadnought. While I won't say its fragile, I just wouldn't want to find out if it is, or not. I will give it an 8 here, just because I have owned much sturdier guitars (like Gibsons), but who cares, really? It's the sound and playability which matter, and Taylor excells in both.

Never dealt with them, but their website is fantastic. Lots of information. Look under Products>Models>Details. There is a wealth of information specifically tailored for Taylor guitars there (Pardon the pun). Have also heard very positive things about their customer service tech support (telephone and email). No worries here!

I've been playing 10 years. I also currently own a Larrivee Parlor (much fun to play), Godin LGX (amazing neck), and an Alvarez Minstrel Banjo (wish I could play it). I am a student, so I am not big on funds, therefore, I am forced to sell my gear to buy new things. I have owned in the past: a Gibson CL-35, Larrivee D-03R, some piece of crap Ovation, and a surprisingly sweet little Epiphone. I sold the Larrivee D-03R and Ovation to get the Gibson, and sold the Gibson to get my Taylor 310 and the Larrivee Parlor. In this tangled web, I have learned that the most important quality in a guitar is the shape of its neck. You will not find a more well-designed instrument than a Taylor. The fact that it has killer tone and sustain makes me believe Tayor is the future of the guitar industry. Giants such as Gibson and Martin should beware. Gibsons sound great, but are a pain in the ass to play. Martin's are fine to play, and fine to listen to, but seriously, nothing special. Larrivee's are high quality and very inexpensive for what you get, but sound almost muffled to me (especially the low-end ones which I could afford). Taylor's are a little more expensive, but well worth it. And, I challenge you to find a Martin or Gibson for $700 which sounds better than my 310. They don't exist. Among Taylors, I would keep my 310 any day before I exchanged it for a 400 series. 500 series guitars are nice (the 514ce has got to be the prettiest axe on the market), but their tone is not that much better than the 300 series. 6-900 series are just plain too expensive for me, so I have never even tried them. Dang, they sound good when other people play them though. One more thing, don't go drilling holes in your guitar to install a pickup, and don't buy one with the big chunky plastic electronics already mounted in your sideboards. Go to Musicians Friend and spend the $150 bucks you would otherwise spend on electrics on a decent condenser mic instead (Shure or AT). You won't regret it.

1999 Taylor 310CE with Fisherman Prefix made in El Cajon, CA. Stika spruce top with a satin finish. Bridge and Fretboard are ebony. 20 frets. Dreadnought. Came with a SKB hardshell. Being female, I appreciate the relatively thin neck as it makes it easier for my hands to reach frets etc...

I usually play folk, finger picking style and she is a beauty. Even when she isn't plugged in, she creates an extrodinarily beautiful full sound. I like th Taylor sound as it has a nice balance between bass and treble. Too much bass and a guitar can sound muddy, too much treble and a guitar starts to sound twangy. This guitar has a really nice blend of the two. I also use the guitar to accompany my voice and it does so wonderfully. It doesn't overpower the human voice but it has enough grace to not get lost in the crowd.

The true test for any guitar. Playing this guitar is like playing butter. Your fingers fly over the neck. As a female player, I really appreciate the low action. I don't have to put as much pressure on the strings to get the sound that I want. This is a problem on a lot of other guitars. I barely had to readjust the set-up, just a few tweaks and and then off I went. I had purchased my guitar straight from its box as the floor sample had a few blemishes and dings. I was a little concerned about this but Guitar Center assured me that if I wasn't happy I could exchange her. Well, she sounded wonderful and she has only gotten sweeter.

I've played her live for about a year and she has taken some major journeys in the backseat of a car and she's still hanging in there. I've had a few moments where a couple of the tuning pegs seemed a little unresponsive at times and a bit loose. They become a problem in a few years. My strap buttons are my only really huge concern. They have become quite lose over the year. I change guitar several times a night to an electric and the constant changing has made them loose.

Have yet to deal with them cause I really haven't had a problem, but I've only heard good things.

I've been playing for 9 years and I love her. I'm so spoiled I hate playing on my friends guitar. I would cry if anything happened to her. I purchased renters insurance on my apartment just to protect her. If she were stolen or lost I'd cry then I'd either buy her again or upgrade to a more expensive taylor (but I would only buy taylor). I would upgrade for vanity reasons not for sound quality. I've played the 800 series and 700 series and the difference in sound and playability of the 800 and 300 series is marginal.

My Sapele Taylor 310 was made in June 1999, and it is a guitar that incorporates the new neck design, and of course, embodies the redesigned Dreadnought shape that Bob Taylor made in 97. A side note on that one, i have a friend who owns a 1993 Taylor 610, and i do see a difference on the bodies... But anyway, my goodness... the 310 is a pure 100% Taylor, no matter if it is the "no-frills" series. The 300 Series are the lowest in price range and in the available options that Taylor has, but even still, that doesn't bother me a bit. My guitar has Sapele back/sides (tonally similar to mahogany... for a comparison, try a 500 Series and play its 300 cousin), solid Sitka Spruce top, ebony fretboard/bridge, rosewood headstock, and a mahogany neck. No pickups installed (all natural!) on it, so it's a pure acoustic. For its hardware and other "accessories," my 310 has chrome Grover tuners, and comes sheltered in a moulded SKB case with "Taylor Guitars" embossed on it. The ONLY reason why i would give my guitar a "9" is because it doesn't have an abalone rosette, so that is a somewhat bummer, but oh well... that defeats the whole purpose of the 310 being a "no-frills" guitar! Just outside of that, EVERYTHING of my 310 rings with Taylor's awesome sound and quality~ can't beat it.

OH MY GOODNESS... i couldn't (and STILL can't) believe the sound projection on this beaut! Even though it has no electronic amplification, my 310 is so dang loud! At times, i rest my ear on the body as i play, and BOY, is it LOUD~ hehe. Tonally, again, it is quite similar to mahogany, so it is a combo of being REALLY warm, yet pronounced at the same time. Even it being a Dreadnought doesn't drown out the individual notes, so that surprised me. Bass is still awesome... can feel the sound ripple in my body! The strings i installed are medium-gauge Elixirs, and with my 310, they've kept in tune. Taylor Guitars has a tech-sheet on how to properly string your guitar, and it really works! I haven't tuned my strings for a while i think... really impressive!

Taylors are known to have an excellent low action, which is really easy to play with. I remember playing with other makes from different companies, and honestly, i can't do anything with them except basic chords. No barres, no other stuff... just plain chords. With my 310 however, barres are no longer my enemy! The whole guitar was obviously made with tender, loving care, and it reflects upon how structually sound it is. The only problems are the ones i've caused... dings... :-p

The whole point of buying an expensive guitar (hey, even this LOW-END guitar costs $1300 in retail!) is to have it for as long as you want to have it. If it was made to fall apart some point in time and you paid $1000+ for it, i think you'd be pretty upset. I am sure that my Taylor (and other Taylors, and OTHER high-end maker guitars) will last a lifetime, granted the owner isn't stupid to do anything wrong with it. I am doing my best to keep it clean and well-cared for. So far, i've had mine for four months and only thing that's changed it's its tone! And plus, i bought it used, so it is remarkable how wonderful it still sounds! I DEFINITELY will depend on my guitar and i take it to church, so that i could play, and so other church kids will play, and it's a popular baby! I hope that as i grow old, my Taylor will age respectively with me, and sound more richer than it is today!

Another truly remarkable aspect of Taylor Guitars is their customer support efforts. I have had nothing to deal with them about my guitar, but i emailed them many times for other things and they ALWAYS answered it quickly and efficiently. I've asked for them to send me ANY freebies (who doesn't love freebies!), and they've heeded to my every whim! Their attitude towards each customer is a delightful change in the marketplace today??very rare nowadays. They make me feel like i'm an important superstar that obviously will get more priority and attention. Real down-to-earth, friendly folks! I just know that whenever i have a problem with my guitar (hopefully not!), then, i know i can count on them to fix it!

I've been playing guitars for four years now, and with all the different models i've come across with, my Taylor clearly beats each one away. I've handled everything from Ovations (Koreans still REALLY love them), Alvarez, Martin, Larrivee... you name it. Yet, i go back to Taylors, and more importantly, i go back to my used 310. Before i made the initial transaction at eBay, i wasn't so sure about attempting to get a 310. I didn't ever get to play a 300 Series guitar before then, so the "no-frills" thingy made me wonder... but no longer! I know i made the right choice, and the fact that i bought it used just doesn't ring me at all. I still hold it and think, "This is not mine... i can't BELIEVE i own this thing!" Regularly today, i play with other higher Taylors (614c, 814c at church) and still, my 310 beats 'em all. In fact, whenever i go to Guitar Centre or Sam Ash, i always compare every guitar, and i've played every model possible (except the new Signature Series and limited-run makes). Even a Presentation Series (worth over $10k!) doesn't compare to my 310! Impressive, eh? If it were ever stolen, lost, damaged or whatever, i would DEFINITELY replace it with another 310... possibly from the same time it was made (June 1999). Yup, i am one satisfied Taylor 310 owner!