Taylor Guitars 310

2001 Taylor 310
solid sitka spruce/sapele
grover tuning machines
ebony fretboard and bridge
gloss top
satin back and sides
NT neck with headstock finger joint
nothing fancy
quality everywhere

Sound is mellow, robust, crisp and clear. Plenty of bass as well as treble. Midrange is magical, piano like. Everything is balanced making it sound just amazing. The 310 is becoming a legend. Its a sleeper guitar. Its that guitar you might pass by if you are looking for inlays or rare woods. Its the cup indiana jones drinks out of, the carpenters cup. If you dont believe me check out NEIL YOUNG playing one at live 8 in Canada (youtube). That says it all my friends. It is rediculous for Neil Young to be playing a 310, which is exactly why he is the man, and the 310 is a great guitar.

Its a Taylor

Again, its a Taylor

Taylor

If Neil Young with his precious Martins can play one. Couldnt believe my eyes when I saw it but I believe my ears, and his for sure. Great guitar.

2001 Taylor 310 with a solid sitka spruce top, solid sapele back and sides and ebony fretboard and bridge(ebony is far superior INHO). Top is gloss, sides are matte. Grover tuners are built like tanks, neck is thin and fast. Nothing fancy, just quality.

Sound is incredible. Rich and full. It grouls. Each note is pronounced and the sustain is awesome. It roars when you play it hard. Strum it medium/light and it has a sweetspot that is like butter. The sound is somewhat mellow due to the sapele. Sapele is a cool wood in its self and Im glad to have it. Mine has a couple small swirly knots in it and is beutiful. The top speaks for its self and is of high quality. This guitar has been played and it has opened up a lot. Sound is everything on this guitar. Taylor sets its self apart by making a rediculous gutiar for the price with the 310. A very smart move in my opinion.

Action is the best in the business. Taylors necks are fast and smooth. Being a 2001 it has the NT neck which is a far superior neck(check out the web site).

Customer service is great, durability is great. These guitars are build as solid as can be. Combined with the NT neck these guitars are super reliable.

Customer support is excellent

This is a great guitar, one that seems like it should cost more money. I would run in to a burning house for this guitar. IM not kidding. Im looking for a rosewood/spruce martin like a d35 or a d28 or a d16r which I think will compliment this guitar nicely. I read somewhere that Bob Taylor said 95% of a taylor 900 series which is top of the line is in a 310 and he is telling the truth. Taylor is top quality.

2001 Dreadnought, all solid wood. Sitka spruce top, mahogany sides and back, ebony fret board and bridge, grover tuners. I had a Fishman Matrix I installed, captures the sound brilliantly. This guitar is simple. Nothing fancy, just a straight up quality solid wood guitar. Its simplicity is its greatest feature. Cant rate it a ten thought because it doesnt have tons of features.

The greatest thing about this guitar is the sound. Its a 2001 so it has had some years to open up. This category is the reason I decided to write this review. The 310 is simple, its cheaper than other taylors however, I have played many new taylors/martins in the store (sam ash, guitar center) and whats amazing is that 2000 dollar and up rosewood/cedar beutiful guitars dont sound as good as my 310. Granted they are new and mine has loosened up, also I'm comparing rosewood to mohagany (different sounding woods all together) still, the 310 is a 2 or 3 thousand dollar guitar, it just doesnt cost that much. I look at this guitar as a base model Ferrari(if there is such a thing). Now you get what I'm saying!

Taylor guitars have great necks. Quality is everywhere on this guitar.

Built like a rock.

Never tried, heard they are great to deal with.

Previously I owned a Martin D1. Sounded amazing, quality built, it smelled incredible! :) However, it had laminate mahogany sides and that kept me up at night. There is much controversy regarding solid vs. laminate but in my own experience with both solid is the way to go. The martin sounded great but solid wood gets better with age. The 310 is an affordable all solid wood guitar. Taylor is a cutting edge quality guitar builder. Combine the two and you have one amazing guitar.

gloss top
ebony fretboard (much love for that)
hard case included
paid additional $100 for fishman piezo electric installation

For an acoustic, what more does a man need?

Love the sound. Emphasis on the mids and highs with a solid bottom end (a really nice full sound). It really cuts through the mix of the band and is noticable without being loud.
I play through an ibanez acoustic amp, through a zoom gfx5 pedal (love the versatility of this pedal).
I can get any sound I want out of this guitar.
I use it for church worship mainly, but it is respected in bluegrass, and country circles as well. This guitar is a great compliment for any rhythm player or serious acoustic guitarist.

This category is why I bought this guitar!!!

Guitar was set up very well, I did buy it from a Luthier shop (much respect to them).
Only flaw I have found in the 2 years I have owned this is a slight blemish in the satin finish, about 1/2 the size of a pencils eraser.

I have used this guitar weekly for two years (worhsip on sunday, practice on wednesday, and many other obligations). It has NEVER, let me repeat NEVER let me down. I often use it without any backup whatsoever.
The finish is still holding up very well.
The only noticable wear is a few of the frets are starting to show MINIMAL signs of wear (it has been two years!).

Never used it, hope I never have to!

I have played for 14 years, had this guitar for 2. If anything happened to this guitar I would buy it again, maybe even go to the 310CE.
I sold a Martin to help pay for this guitar, and played many Martins before buying this Taylor. For me, I like Martins I just think the Taylor sound cuts through the mix so much better when playing with a band.

This is a no frills Taylor, if that makes any kind of sense. The only slaient differences between the 310 and the 210 are the gloss finish on the top, the mahogany back and sides and the kerfed timber used for the interior edge joints. All timbers in this guitar are solid. If you want more features, like more adornment, then this isn't for you: everything is geared toward making the best guitar for the money. It also comes with an excellent hard case which fits it like a second skin.

I'm a finger picker and flat picker and I've been playing for around 28 years. The sound of this guitar is the thing which blows me away. It's rich, full, bright and fresh. It has so much harmonic depth that occasionally it feels like I'm playing three guitars instead of one. It responds beautifully to any subtle variations in how the string is fretted struck/plucked, making emphases and intonations exceptionally easy.

I can't believe how good the finish is on this instrument. The jions are invisible. All you see is a change in the colour of the wood. There are no lumps or gaps in the perfling, no edges to butt joined timbers like the deck or the back. It almost looks like cast fake timber! The only exception is under the neck flute where there is a very small gap left from the shimming when the neck was fitted to the body. If I understand this correctly, there would be little point in filling this.

Fabulous doesn't describe it. It's astounding.

This instrument is so well built I have little doubt as to its durability. The Grover tuning machines are beautifully smooth and built to last.

I have not needed to access Customer Support. The warranty is for the period of ownership by the original purchaser and covers defects not wear and tear. This applies only to Taylor guitars purchased in the US.

I've been playing since 1978 and own two other guitars, six and twelve string Yamahas. They are good beginner and intermediate guitars but don't compare to the Taylor. Neither they should: the Taylor costs three times as much or more. The Taylor 310 has so much spirit I reckon it's stealing the beer out of my fridge in the middle of the night. If it was stolen I'd replace it with the same thing.

1997 Taylor 310....features is kinda tough on this,...there's no mother of pearl or inlays or on board electronics,...it's perfectly simple. Every dollar goes into the sound. So if sound is a feature,...then 10. I added a Martin Gold thinline pickup along the way,....that has been a nice addition.

Sound is stunning and the select few people who I've allowed to play it agree. I recommended the 310 to a friend who bought a 2004 model year 310. Didn't feel the same,..obviously I'm biased with mine and it's had almost 10 years to mellow and improve,...but the new 310's didn't rock my world.

Very well made

I've taken good care of it,..and it's taken good care of me. No problems in 10 years of playing it.

I would run into a burning building to save this guitar.

My taylor is a 310-L30 with mrytlewood leave inlays and maple 30th anniversery inlay on headstock. back and sides are african mahogany. Nice 1 and 3/4 nut for what I think is easier playing then the D 28 I had. No electronics. Only one year made, 2004

I fingerpick more than strum and is the reason I bought this guitar, has a nice high range , but still a nice base sound, much better than the D 28 I had on the high side, the base was a little lower on the D 28

Action is a little hair high but some day I will lower it, but is not that bad so am in no hurry.

Everything looks solid, nice finish, with no flaws with sloppy glue joints.

I only called the company to find out how many of the 310-L30 where made, which was only 116 of them, talked about this guitar and others, very freidly.

Been playing about 30 years, if stolen, I would replace but probly couldn,t find another 310-L30. I drove 700 miles round trip to get this one. The sound and looks sold me on this model

Made in 2000. You've read a description of one by now. I needed an A/E, but I'm not a big fan of the Taylor expression system. So, I installed an L.R. Baggs active element. Great pickup.

Read this part carefully. My 310 is now 5 years old. It is now one of the best sounding acoustics I've ever played. The new ones sound good, but they get better. It sounds great unplugged, and through everything I've played it through.
I mostly use it to play praise and worship/contemporary Christian music at my Church.

Excellent. I'm impressed with the detail they give to even their basic models.

It has already stood up to a LOT of live playing. I believe that, with care, it will last for generations. I do depend on it, and I don't expect it will ever let me down.

Never needed any.

Been playing since'92. Own (or owned), Takamine FP360SC, Alvarez Yairi WY-1, Martin D-1, various Strat's, Tele's, Ibanez's, P.A.'s, Amps, etc....
I would absolutely buy another one. It is basic, well made, a great value, it feels/plays great, and most importantly, it has THE TONE. I have played every guitar I could get my hands on for years, and this one impresses me. No concessions made to price, or manufacturer.

Made in California in 2005, All solid African Mahogany & Sitka dreadnaught -w- ebony fretboard and bridge, scalloped braces and 14 frets clear. If I cared for abundant inlay and pearl and abalone, etc., which I do not, I'd have to give this guitar about a 2 in this category. I give it a 10 simply because I cannot think of one single thing I'd add to this guitar to make it better than it is. Aesthetically, it is very simply but nevertheless well and beautifully appointed. Price included a fantastic hardshell case and a humidifier.

My musical meanderings are pretty eclectic but I play primarily blues and rock. The tone on this thing is just beautiful, perfectly balanced and very, very responsive - so much so that I could swear the guitar is reading my mind through my fingers: I THINK of a tone and out it comes. It came strung with Elixir mediums, which did absolutely no justice to its voice. Replaced these with D'Addario custom lights (Taylor advises against using lights, but they're not the ones playing this guitar) and the difference is astonishing. It just sounds magnificent and it's truly difficult to put it down.

Factory setup was perfect for me. Action initially seemed a little high but when I chucked the Elixir mediums in favor of D'Addario custom lights, problem solved. Action now feels absolutely perfect and I've never experienced more comfortable playability in my life. I cannot overstate how fantastically comfortable Taylor's neck profile is. Perspective on what constitutes a comfortable neck will be different for every player, but for me, I couldn't begin to imagine a more comfortable or more easily playable neck than this. The finish and details are absolutely 100% flawless. Not a single microscopic speck of imperfection that I can detect (admittedly I have not used a microscope). The bookmatching on the top is seamlessly perfect.

Only time will tell on this one. Everything seems very solid and well constructed, and I'd be very surprised to encounter any problems with normal use.

Have only contacted customer support for inquiries and purchases related to accessories, but they are great - exceptionally helpful and polite. This guitar carries a lifetime limited warranty for the original owner.

If this guitar were lost or stolen, I'd find myself a good therapist to help get over the loss and with whatever money I had left after therapy I'd go out and buy the exact same model. It's a beautifully constructed, all solid, scalloped-braced, made-in-the-USA guitar for less than a grand. There is just no way I could ask for more than that. It sounds fantastic today and will sound better in five years, better still in 10 years. Best investment I've made in years.

bought my taylor 310 from guitar center new march 2005. mahogany back,sides,and neck. sitka spruce top,rosewood bridge,fretboard and head piece,tusq nut and saddle, gloss finish on top and satin finish on back,sides,and neck. comes with a very nice case.

guitar has a very bright sound with punchy bottom end. the thing about this guitar that sold me on it was that when a chord is played each string has such clean destintion. no mudd up at all. you can hear each individual note. the bass is somewhat brassy with punch. guitar has very good volume also. action was a little high but intonation was perfect, also it stays intune well.

again ,action was a little high but played great, fit and finish was like every taylor ive looked at , perfect. the guy really does build a nice guitar.

like any acoustic guitar , it needs to be cared for . heat and humidity will ruin any of them . this one will be cared for prperly and im shure when im dead and gone someone else will still be beating and banging on it for years to come

emailed them 2 times. responed both times with in 1 day

ive been playing for 36 years and own 1 other flatop guitar a 1979 martin d35. i went to a loan company back in 1979 to borrow the money to buy it. the martin d35 is diff a warmer sounding guitar and your wallet will also be a lot emptyer to but,the taylor 310 actually sounds better for a wide range of music styles. in all the 310 is a great playing, great sounding no frills guitar. martin doesnt make a guitar to compare with it for 850.00. gotta add another 1000.00. oh and like all my guitars , if some assshole stole it and i found him i would bust his brains out with a hammer

Plain Jane 310 dreadnought. Satin finish solid American mahogany back and sides. Glossy solid sitka spruce top. Mahogany neck with ebony fretboard, and bridge. No electronics. 2003 model bought brand new in January '04. I hated this guitar the day I brought it home. I wanted the 510, but couldn't justify the extra 700 bucks. I compromised, and bought a Gibson Smartwood along with the 310. Ten months later I can't give enough praise to the people at Taylor Guitars. My God! What an incredible guitar. For the price it really is an investment. This thing just keeps on sounding better, and better. Rock solid.

I use DR med/lite 11-50 strings on mine. It came with Elixers, but they kinda suck. My old Stupidvisor recomended DR's, and I hate to admit it. He was right. Fresh strings always equal better sound. Those GD DR's always last way more longer then anything else. The sound of the Taylor is 'aggresive?'. Not sure how to describe it. If I hit strings hard, they respond. If I brush strings soft, they respond. Very responsive. How's that?

Bought mine from an independent dealer. Mom & Pop shop. Had three 310's to choose from. Played 'em all. Looked at 'em all. Bought the one I thought was best. I was still kinda wishing I could get the 510. Anyone with a Taylor 310 has nothing to be ashamed of. Fantastic guitar.

I am a guy, so I guess I'm kinda rough on stuff. I can't imagine doing anything 'normal' to this guitar that would require factory service. I've done wonders with pipe cleaners, and dental floss in years past though. Maybe I am a 'luthier' at heart. Well, the 310 will not ever fulfill that dream. That's a good thing. Solid, heavy feel guitar. Pick up a $400 Yamaha, and you'll know what I mean.

Obviously this is not a guitar with major problems. Or minor problems. Or any problems. I'm pretty sure you could buy a B-stock 310, and be happy. I have not ever had to bitch at Taylor about anything. GREAT product!!!!!

Been playing around ten+ years now. Still not that great, but I have a network of friends who are way more gooder then me. Some of 'em even have way more expensive stuff that sounds crappier than the 310. Some of 'em have stuff that sounds way more better then the 310. Stupid maple Guild 12-strings! For the money though, you just can not go wrong. It will out class a lot of Martins. Hands down. Just don't put it up against a classic maple Guild. Dear Lord, gimme an old school Guild!! I'm beggin' ya!!

My 310 Taylor is a 2001 Model. I'm sure you have read all the features of it through the other reviews. It simple and to the point no thrills here. It gets the job done.

When I first got this guitar I fell in love with it. I compared it to Martins and Gibsons but for the price and quality Taylor is where it's at. The more I play this guitar the better it sounds. I notice a huge diffrence in sound when I first got it to how it sounds now. This guitar has really opened up.

Set up just fine. Low action for fast strumming and quick scales. The neck handles like a Ferrari and is very fast.

The only thing you have to worry about with this guitar is the solid wood. You have to keep it in the case when not useing it and make sure it is not to humid. Its a small price to pay for a lovely guitar.

Overall this is a guitar I'm going to have the rest of my life. It sounds better everyday I play it and is worth the investment I put into. Screw Martins Taylors RULE!

Made in 2002. You know all the features, it's a basic guitar with no frills. It is made of solid wood, Mahagany sides and back, Spruce top.
I think the laquer on top is way too thick. HSS configuration. Just kidding. Pretty hard to assign a numerical value to an intrinsic attribute which does not neccessarily coincide with the stated objectives.

I play Jazz, rock, country, blues, pop, rap, disco, grunge, death metal, gospel, new-age/fusion/seattle-based punk/hip hop, and classical/flamenco. It gets way too much hum with gain past 10. Jk!
Bright beautiful sound for all my styles. The guitar makes a loud knocking noise when I have a hissy-fit and punch it.

Neck was crooked and it buzzzzzed badly, but I fxied it myself with a pair of plyers and a screwdriver. I'm not kidding about this. The bridge was not routed for humbuckers, bummer.

I can kick it, step on it, and drop it, and some how it never breaks.

I fix evrerything myself, as I have for the last 40 years, although I've never actually improved the sound of anything, just fix junk as it falls apart.

Been playing 45 years. I have owned every model of every major company from Fender, Marshall, Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, Mesa, Bogner, you name it. I hate Martin beacuse their stuff is crap and overpriced and made of plywood and sounds blah blah blah, flat, dull and cheap. I Hate Martin with all my heart. Taylor, Alvarez, and even Yamaha all sound better than Martin.

My Taylor was made in 2002 in El Cajon, California.
I have intsalled FISHMAN Acoustic Matric Natural-1, under saddle pickup. Like Standard 310 is has Sitka Spruce top n' Sapele sides which are really very BooTiFull. The Pickguard is also Carved very beautiful. Came with a gigbag as i wanted to waive off few $$ on case.

My music style is contemporary Indian Classical, Fusion kinds, blues, fingerpicking. I use it with Boss Chorus which is pretty nice and add flavors to d' sound, i also use L.R Baggs D.I which makes the piezo character minimized.
The guitar has a Bright Sound but Volume is low too. It sounds beautiful to ears when no other Guitar is in the Scene. Once u start doing Flatpicking it's hard to keep it Down but anyways.
As far as what i feel, this Guitar is only for Country kinda stuff or fingerpicking or just Soft Light Strumming. No Blues, No Bluegrass, No Folk nothing else.
I compared it to Martin D-35 and Believe it was no where
d' Sound of Martin. Martin is simply a Class apart with such a Crunchy tone. this Taylor has a tone which is like Compressed tone and doesn't sparkle n' comes out like Martin.
Moreover, Taylor has a very thin sound comparable to Heavy n' Thick sound of Martin. It just can't take the sustain ,vibrato kinda stuff like Martin D-35. The element os Acoustic Guitar is not in it.

Action is really nice and good good kinds.
FISHMAN is good too.
the finish on the Guitar is absolutely flawless,
oh my Lord it's Wonderful (Every)nite.
U will love the Guitar for the Finish it has like me.

It can with stand live playing easily n' hardware is made to built till last. But i'm really Apprehensive bout the Bolt in Neck it has, which tend to make d' action n' sound of higher frets waivery any time it is abused with tempertaure.
also, this guitar need lots of care, it's not for road Blues. Extra amout of heat will make cracks on the top. This is bad bout d' guitar.

No Comments, Never Done that.

In the end i would like to suggest one thing, Please consider the music style u gonna play on the guitar. Don't go for Brand name only. It is good but it has limitation as it cannot handle all kinda music.
My prefernce will be Martin D-28 or D-35, rock solid guitars and Classic Tone which can do anything.
That's it, Happy Shopping !

Beautiful sitka spruce gloss top and mohagany satin finshed back and sides.Made in Septemeber of 2003 and purchased in December 2003.Case is absolutely one of the finest in the business.Guitar has ivory fingerboard and bridge,a very well made guitar to say the least.Tuners are new Taylor Gotah type tuners and have large buttons,this is exceptional in this price range.I seldom stray from Martindom in acoustic guitars and was honestly seduced by this bright and articulate tone producing beauty.I believe the nut and saddle are tusque,again high marks for the quality materials in this price point.

The tone, sustain, articulation are beyond my greatest expectations.I play rock,folk,blues and bluegrass,this is defintely adaptible to various styles.Honestly would have expected this kind of sound quality to come from a much more wxpensive guitar.It is beautiful to flat pick and just as luscious tone wise finger picking.This guitar has a very focused jangle and is quite distinctive and a pleasure to both hear and to play.

The factory set up was dead on and have had only one adjustment for the neck due to change in the weather.The wood is very high quality,all internal sanding is neat and smooth,can find no flaws.The action is unbelieveable.Although I still prefer the Martin tone overall,this is the most exciting guitar I have purchased in many years.There is a nice bear claw pattern through the top wood,it is very distinctive.

This guitar is a no-brainer for live playing,sturdy,purdy,dependable and sounds wonderful.(Sound being the most important).As for back up,this acoustic has the sterner stuff and then some.I am old school,46 yrs old and seldom get caught up in sales hype and will say that Taylor's claim of the 310 being the full Taylor experience does mean something to me.I suspect it is only a matter of time until I play a higher end model and add another Taylor to my Martin heavy collection.The strap buttons are tight and well made,finish is very durable on both the gloss top and satin sides and back.

I have been well pleased with the Taylor help and info by phone,a set up at the dealer and sleep with no worries knowing the 310 has a lifetime warranty.

Have been playing for over 33 years ansd own some Martins,Larrivee and a vintage 12 string and a few old timers.There is nothing overlooked on this acoustic,amazed it was under a thousand dollars.If it were lost or stolen I would defintely get another.The best feature of this guitar to me is the free wheeling action and the bright jangly tone,it is defintely not a Martin tone which I prefer,it is s distinctive breath of musical life that adds much to the music.

Basic all wood Taylor. Quality of fit and finish is excellent.

It can be sweet and it can be LOUD. But whatever I play, bass, mids and treble come through clearly and distinctly. I just love it. I play mostly old acoustic rock and new country and it's perfect for finger picking or wailing away.

Like I said, fit and finish is excellent.

Been playing around for a couple of decades now, but just fooling around. My last guitar was a cheap Yamaha acoustic that was good enough for my level of interest. Something tweaked my interest again and now that I have the resources for a quality instrument, I went out and got one.

I went to my upscale music store and tried a bunch of Martins and Larrivee's that were great guitars and then I saw the Taylor. Like they say, I tried it and it sang to me . . .

This guitar is a beauty - nothing I don't like about it - and the sound is awesome. I'd replace it with the same model in a heartbeat.

2001. Very simple and clean design. Quality case included in price. To me quality is most important feature so its a 10.

Excellent intonation and action. Very responsive to playing style. Sounds great whether using fingers or pick. It can sound like 2 or more different guitars depending on how you do it. Sounded great new, but over several years it has improved dramatically. Louder, and fantastic sustain that almost reverbrates and swells. Makes me smile sometimee just to play an E chord 1st fret and listen to it ring. Med strings sound best to me

Virtually perfect. Haven't noticed a single flaw. Don't use any polish on the satin finish. As easy to play action wise as many electrics.

3yrs old. No problems.

Helpful when I called with a question

38 yr playing. Other guitar is 73 strat thru 66 super reverb or 66 princeton reverb. Tone very important to me, and this guitar has it. I played virtually every guitar in Mar's store (at least 25 or so) and this was the best for the money by far. You can feel the vibrations in the neck when you hit a chord, and that seems to correlate with a good sound in a guitar. I did take the time to play 4 or 5 different 310's and each did have it's own sound. REcommend doing this if you can. I love this guitar!

My 310 was built in September 2003 in El Cajon. I like the Taylor 310 because of the simple quality features. The wood is beautiful, and the hardware is solid. Sometimes less is more.

The sound is bright and crisp. Interestingly, almost all the guitars I tried out had a great disctinctive sound-even identical models. I chose the 310 simply because I preferred the clear high end and overall tone. I agree with Taylor that the medium strings work. While I had always played Martin Marquis I find that I like the Elixirs.

The action and playability are like butter. The intonation is perfect, and the neck is straight and true. I can easliy play a bar-chord C or D up hight and still maintain feelings in my fingers and no buzz. The only flaw is a small discoloration in the rosewood fretboard at the 12th fret. I understand this to be "character."

Since this is a brand new guitar, I am hopeful durability will not be an issue.

No experience.

I have been playing for 30 years. I had sold all my guitars, including a Guild G-37 years ago and I simply wanted to buy a guitar to once again become acclimated to the instrument. I really enjoyed the shopping experience. The short list came down to a Martin D-16GT, a Gibson Working Man 45, a Guild D-25 and a couple of Taylors. What a pleasant suprise to discover the Taylor guitars. While I found all the aforementioned guitars to be very nice, I settled on the Taylor 310 simply because of playability and tone, as this guitar just worked for my preferences.

a 2003 model 310. It has a gloss top of solid sitka spruce, and satin finish sapele( a sort of striped mahoganey) solid back and sides.
I think the striped sapele is much prettier then american mahoganey.
Believe it or not at this price it has an ebony fretboard an ebony bridge, and bridge pins.It also sports grover tuners.
Mine came with a very nice hardshell case with arched top.
A totally unbelivable guitar for around $1000. new

The sound is what sold me on this guitar. I mean I,m a martin fan all the way. I applied for and got a guitar center charge card. It had a $1000. limit. I went and looked around and found a martin D16 GT for $899.plus tax. I bought it, took it home , put on new strings. Very disapointed. I took it back and decided to wait till they got something else in. I saw the taylor 310 looked pretty good. Until then I never really liked taylors. Played it blew me away. bought it.

This guitar plays better then any guitar I've ever played.
Great action. It was close to being in tune right out of the box.The top back and sides look great . real premium woods used thru out.
I must say I never seen one set up any better. The only thing I did'nt like was the elixer strings it comes fitted with I replaced them with martin sp medium phospher bronze. I give a 9 here because of
the elixer strings.

This guitar will last a lifetime. solid as a rock. My wife and I sing
at our church and this guitar works great. You can hear even when it is being backed up by a baby grand piano and electric base.
It's great for home or travel anywhere.

Has a lifetime warranty. As of yet I hav'nt used it.
One thing I really liked about registering my guitar warranty, was that Taylor lets you do it online. No card to fill out and mail in.
Plus they sent you a free subscription of their magazine wood and steel. Somebody said you get it for life. (cool)

I haved been playing for 38 years. I also own a Gibson J60 and a martin shenedoah model like the D28. The taylor has the best range of sound. I wish that maybe the body of my Taylor was a litte thicker and had back center stripe.

I purchased my 310 (yr. 2002) from a corporate chain (I highly regret it, should of bought it from a privately owned store) in San Francisco. For the past 2 years I searched long and wide. I had the budget for $4-5.5K, and being extremely anal with sound, I chose the 310. We must remember these guitars were once living rooted to the ground. They are forever changing due to the elements within the store their in as well as their chemical compositon. Bad strings can kill any sale of any guitar.
The dreadnought design was the best for my ears and application because of it's ablility to have an overall balanced sound from the low to high MHZ's. The 310 has the depth and driving boxy loudness, yet has the suprising moderate crisp sound. Strings can make a difference. To note I use Elixir 13's for the best tone As comparing to a majority of the other series, I was impressed the most by this simple guitar. Sure the koa backed, multi-wood Presentation Series looks nice, but looking good and finding your sound is 2 different things. Guitars are like wine... BE SELECTIVE!
As for the 310 series, the are naturally produced with an higher action. If your going to be using thicker gauge strings, you might want to lower the action so that you can play easier. MAKE SURE YOUR ACTION IS SET UP BY A PRO!
I play live and use a Fishman sound hole pickup, as well as a condensed mic for external. Foe best results electrically, special order a 310 from the factory with a custom "Expression series" magnetized pickup sensor system. If your playing live, this will make your job a little easier
The action

The sound is deep rooted and punchy. With sustainable playing, you can make this guitar roar. This is by far the loudest acoustic I have played, yet having the ability to be crisp enough to distinguish a soft finger picking style with clarity.

The factory set up is pretty high. I use 13's, and it was hard to play because the tension was thicker, until I had Gary Bauer in S.F. "professionally" set my action as well as tension lower. He is the best! Please... Please, only let a pro do this. You don't want some yahoo touching your baby. As for flaws... ha ha ha. Take a tour through their factory. These guitars go through rigoruos testing, and are approved by many departments before they even leave. i had a chance to peek in the warranty department, and saw less than 30 guitars. that is pretty good for a company that sells over $30 mil a year in guitars

Wood like I said was once living. Solid wood tops, backs, and sides only get better with the more sound that penetrates. Taylors only sound better over time. I play mine on average 10-12 hours per week. There isn't one other 310 that sounds the same guranteed. I use this guitar live all the time. Relaibility is an A+

Taylor Guitars and Customer Support... ha ha ha ha ha ha. Imagine your most favorite hobby and pastime your career. Imagine waking up every morning with a smile on your face because your excited about the next 8 hours. Seriously, take the factory tour. You will see the happiest employees in the world.

I have been playing for 15 years. The only thing I wish was different is that I had the expression system pre-installed, for the 310 comes without electronics.

If your thinking about purchasing a Taylor guitar in any of the series please call me at 415-543-3557 (home office). I can help you find what your looking for, give you full detail on design/ construction, and can fit you for your application. -Jeff Yates-

I bought mine used off ebay. It is a 2002 model so it was fairly new. Had no defects, came in a mint condition.

Awesome, humble and sturdy features. Basically the same deal as all the other reviews below me(or above me) list... Solid Sitka Spruce Top, Saeple sides...yada yada.. a basic 310.

When it comes to sound, I am the most anal person in the world. It has to be perfect. While waiting for my guitar to be shipped, I visited a local Sam Ash to check out what my 310 would be like. After a couple of minutes of course, I had managed to forget my mission objectives and wandered my way to the 810 and the 910. They even had a Koa Concert that I managed to play. After hours of fiddling around with top of the line Taylors, I remembered why I originally came to Sam Ash. I sat down with a 310 and did the same testing routine. To my surprise, the tone and volume and the overall quality wasn't that far off from the 810 and the 910 I played. The sound was crisp, loud and had that trademark Taylor tone. The couple of things it lacked from its big brothers were the boomier bass and a more clear and a unified sound along with many fancy-shmancy inlays and glossing. I was pretty impressed that a model almost a thousand less sounded this great.

I received my own personal Taylor 310 via UPS a couple of days later. The sound was great, similar to the 310 I played with at Sam Ash. The only problem my anal ear had was when I lowered the action (My anal fingers had a problem with the action.), the sound sort of deteriorated. The bass wasn't as sound and I experienced slight buzzing. But I was able to find an equilibrium to fit the action and sound and now it sounds great.

Minus one point though, for not satisfying my lust for a breathtaking bass.

Remember now I bought mine used. When I received the guitar I found that the action was pretty high compared to other Taylors. I lowered the action and it seemed reasonable, though I'm considering having the saddle lowered as well after getting some consultations.

Absolutely no flaws in the construction... except there was a small miniscule speck of saw dust that was lodged inside one of the bracing rods that I managed to pick out with a needle. I like my guitars owning the title of perfection.

The finish was great. I personally like having just the top glossed and the sides and back with satin finish. I love how the satin back slides across my chest when Im playing it without a shirt on. Its hot up here in NY this month.

Minus one point for the action problem.

I think this guitar looks very durable. It is very solid and well constructed that I feel like I can render a man unconscious if were to smack his face with the saeple back. Especially with that barkskin of a case that Taylor gives you. Its like Iron-Man armor for my guitar, it is very well made and it weights a ton. I know if I smacked a man with the guitar in the case I can be looking at manslaughter charges. I really love the case of the guitar. Its the one with the golden Taylor logo badge on the side, not that cheap SKB case with "Taylor Guitars" engraved on the top. Reliability and durability is a 10.

I called their toll free number to ask about the action problem. The guy was so friendly it seemed like he didn't want me to hang up. Seemed like he enjoyed helping people and conversing about Taylor guitars all day. I ended up asking him questions about humidity and the truss rod and all sorts of stuff. Awesome Customer support... or should I say Customer Companionship. :o)

I own a Fender Strat, a handmaid classical guitar from somewhere and an Epiphone acoustic guitar. Compared to my Epiphone, the Taylor blows it away in construction, sound, appearance and value. I am planning to cultivate the value of this guitar and resell it. Then I shall hopefully be able to afford an 810/814 or maybe even a Koa once I graduate college and find a job. For the price I paid for it, it is an awesome value.

For those of you who might not be familiar with acoustic guitars or just guitars in general, you might say: $1000 dollars for pieces of wood that makes sound?! These guitar makers are robbing us!

I used to think that too but then I saw how they were made. So much procedures, man hours, care and technology are put into making these Taylor guitars, I now wonder: Man, how is Bob Taylor feeding his family? Taylor guitars are great and you should go buy one now.

I give it a 10. I am willing to look past the 9s I gave in the previous categories. This site doesn't offer a 9.5 and I can't dare give it an overall score of 9! So a 10 it is. I hope this review will be helpful to anyone shopping for a guitar. Goodbye.

Basic 310 dred specs, great silk on spruce top. came with medium elixers, which i had thought were too heavy but now like a lot. 2000 guitar, so it's played in. Asked reliable Phil at Phil's Guitars in South San Francisco (great store) to play best acoustic in store from 800-1000 and this one beat Guilds, Martins, Takamines hands down. Incredible sound.

incredible. First thing that jumps out is that the neck, intonation, trueness of notes and pitch run right up the neck. basic guitar, incredible sound. was worried that the bolt on, etc. would dampen bass but the playability of the neck actually enhances your ability to modulate volume and overall sound. very clear and crisp with fingers or pick, obviously strong treble and mids, but will growl and can be very very loud with sharper attack. a very very percussive guitar. simply, have owned lots of acoustics but never had one with this expressive/emotive range.

Phil's Guitars setup was excellent.

3 years old, a nick but holding up well.Neck is true, frets wearing well.

no opportunity to try

Been playing and writing for 30 years. This guitar has got me writing, playing better, with greater range and sensitivity. Simply, a true instrument - I've played others, the 510 is slicker, and yields quicker results, but the 'work' you put in to mastering the 310 - especially with the medium strings, will pay off. simply, wouldn't swap it for a martin or gibson of twice the price.

2002 Solid Sitka Spruce top, solid Sapele back and sides. No laminates on this puppy. This guitar has a gloss finish on the top, satin finish on the back and sides. Grover tuners, black fiber binding, dreadnought body, no electronics. Basic guitar with basic features, but one still gets the full Taylor experience. This is not a cheap guitar by any means. Comes with a hardshell case that will probably last longer than I will.

Play electric mostly (have eight of 'em) but had been jonesing lately for a good, clean-sounding acoustic with steel strings. Didn't care whether it had electronics or not, just wanted good tone.I know its a dred and you're supposed to get a concert or grand auditorium if you do mostly finger picking (which I do) but you know what? This thing sounds fantastic! The notes ring clear and separate and, having noticed some comments about the lack of bass in Taylor dreadnaughts I have to say one of the things that drew me to my instrument was the full rich bass response. I don't plan to do much rhythm or strumming with it which is what dreadnaughts are supposed to be best for so the bass response (or perceived lack of it) in that regard doesn't matter. Have been playing for 41 years, my hands are strong and I spent several years playing classical so I know what separate lines are supposed to sound like and I can say this dreadnaught has a better tonal balance than many might think.

When I bought my 310 I was looking at guitars in the $300-$400 price range and they were okay. During the hunt I did try all different price ranges and types of guitars just to see the differences in tone. One fact I came up with is that in a steel string acoustic just because a guitar is expensive doesn't mean it has great tone. You can find lower end models that sound nearly as good, you just gotta look. When I bought mine it was Father's day and had my wife with me. I was trying the less expensive guitars and she took a $1000 off the wall and said "try this". It was nice, a Takamine if I remember but it didn't ring my bell. I said to her "if you'll let me spend that kind of money I've gotta try a Taylor". Had them take the 310 down and in fifteen minutes I knew what I had to do, more expensive or not this was the guitar I had to have.

Since I've gotten it I've tried all kinds of songs out of it from Led Zep to Beatles to Windham Hill, to jazz chord-melody, etc. What REALLY blows me away is the way that some of the Renaissance and Baroque classical pieces I play sound on it. Just something about the steel string sound as compared to nylon strings.

I played some of the mondo expensive Taylors, Martins and Gibson, etc. As far as sheer beauty of tone there was NOTHING that really sounded any better than my 310.

Taylors are famous for their playability and mine is no different. It was one of the key factors in my decision to purchase this guitar. Intonation is spot-on and the bridge, saddle, nut, tuners are all the way they should be. The satin finish on the sapele (to me) looks a bit cheesy but the tone on this puppy is so great I can overlook just about anything. Besides, its a way to keep the cost down.

Its an all-solid wood dreadnought with a bolt-on neck. With reasonable care I should be able to pass it on down to my kids.

Taylor is the king of customer support. They send their publication, "Wood and Steel" to purchasers of their guitars and they are constantly educating their customers about humidity or lack thereof and how it affects guitars.

What I love about this guitar is its TONE. It is loud, well-balanced, clear and beautiful. My overiding consideration when looking for an acoustic was how it sounds first and playability second. This 310 fills the bill. I would put it up against far more expensive guitars anytime in the tone department. As a matter of fact I did when shopping, tried dozens of different guitars and NOT ONE, regardless of price, sounded any better than this Taylor. Coupled with its fantastic playability and it is a winner.

Made the very day Taylor's staff returned from their Christmas break of 2002-03, in El Cajon, CA. Standard Dreadnaught size and scale. Like all Taylor's (310 and up), the 310 has solid wood's throughout. No laminates here! Sapele back and sides, with sitka spruce as the soundboard. The neck is mahogany, and the bridge, pegs, and fretboard are all ebony. Gloss top, with satin back and sides. Chrome Grover tuners with Elixir strings round out the package...of course, comes with a beautiful hardshell case.

I tend to lean toward late sixty, early seventy's acoustic rock and the tone I might say is mind-blowing. If there's a (10) to be given in any category, it would have to be the tone!!! Clear resonant sound. Just simply beautiful to listen to.

The gentleman at the store where I purchased it, asked me to allow him to check the set-up. So, I browsed the store and he returned within what seemed like 2-3 minutes to inform me that it needed no additional set-up. He said it was perfect. I know that's not what we're supposed to put in this review, but..............Well, he said it was perfect, not me. The finish did have a couple of tiny finish bubbles. Which, I might add...can barely be seen or felt.

This guitar can take a beating, but so could Heather Locklear! Does'nt mean I'm going to beat her now does it? Seriously, I know this guitar was built last a lifetime.

I've owned (2) Taylors now and I can say that the company is a joy to deal with.

It truly is hard for me to rate anything a (10) and I won't in this category, but it's close my friends. It's real close! If you are looking for a beautifully constructed acoustic guitar, stop wasting your time with Korean's, Taiwanese, or Chinese made pieces of junk!!!
Buy a 310. And no, I don't work for Taylor. Humm, that's not a bad idea now is it?

THIS 310 WAS MADE IN 2002 IN EL CAJON, CA. IT HAS 20 FRETS AND HAS A SOLID SITKA SPRUCE TOP. THERE ARE NO CONTROLS SINCE IT IS A NON-ELECTRONIC MODEL. IT HAS SAPELE BACK AND SIDES AND A TROPICAL AMERICAN MAHOGANY NECK. THE NECK, BACK AND SIDES HAVE A SATIN FINISH, AND THE TOP HAS A GLOSS FINISH. IT HAS A DREADNOUGHT-STYLE BODY. TUSQ BRIDGE AND NUT. GREAT CHROME GROVER TUNERS. IT HAS AN EBONY FRETBOARD WITH A FAST TAYLOR-ACTION NECK. A BEAUTIFUL HARDSHELL CASE WAS INCLUDED(BROWN WITH GOLD HARDWARE). CAME STANDARD WITH ELIXIR MEDIUM STRINGS.

THE SOUND SUITS MY MUSIC STYLES JUST FINE(EVERYTHING FROM BLUEGRASS AND COUNTRY TO ROCK AND POP). I THINK THAT IT IS SYNONYMOUS THAT ALL TAYLORS HAVE A RICH/FULL SOUND. THE 310 IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE. IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THIS GUITAR, IT WOULD BE FOR IT TO COME STANDARD WITH ELIXIR LIGHT STRINGS INSTEAD OF THE MEDIUMS. ANOTHER THING WOULD BE TO HAVE AN OPTION OF TAYLOR DELUXE GIG BAG OR HARDSHELL CASE. ONCE I GOT THE GIG BAG FROM THE TAYLOR WEBSITE, I DIDN'T USE THE HARDSHELL ANYMORE. ONE TIME IT FELL OVER IN THE GIG BAG, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE AN EMPTY SUITCASE HAD TOPPLED OVER. NO DAMAGE, GREAT BAG---$84.00 FROM TAYLOR.

MOST TAYLORS COME WITH A PERFECT SET-UP FROM THE FACTORY. THIS 310 WAS NO EXCEPTION. THE TOP WAS, OF COURSE, PROPERLY BOOKMATCHED, AND THERE WERE NO FLAWS THAT I HAVE FOUND IN THE FINISH OR CONSTRUCTION OF THE GUITAR. THE CASE IS BEING REPLACED FOR FAULTY FASTENERS...ONE FALLS LOOSE AFTER FASTENED. OTHERWISE, GREAT.

I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS GUITAR WILL WITHSTAND LIVE PLAYING FOR DECADES TO COME. EVEN THOUGH TAYLOR ONLY HAS 29 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE ACOUSTIC INDUSTRY, HIS TRACK RECORD IS PRETTY GOOD SO FAR. I BELIEVE THAT THE FINISH WILL LAST FOR AS LONG AS I TAKE CARE OF IT. THE STRAP BUTTONS ON MINE ARE VERY SOLID. I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I CAN DEPEND ON IT FOR ANY PLAYING SITUATION I MAY ENCOUNTER, AND IF I WERE TO GIG WITH IT, I WOULD HAVE ANOTHER 310 AS A BACKUP(ONLY FOR STRING BREAKS!).

I HAVE DEALT WITH TAYLOR MANY TIMES NOW, SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ORDERING MISCELLANEOUS STUFF(LIKE THE GIG BAG, ROADIE T-SHIRT, ETC.)FROM THEM. THEY ARE AS FRIENDLY AS THEY CAN BE WITH THE VOLUME OF CALLS THEY GET. I ADMIRE THAT IN A GUITAR COMPANY. WITH THE CASE PROBLEM, THEY SENT ME A NEW ONE RIGHT AWAY AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR SHIPPING THE DEFECTIVE UNIT BACK TO THEM WITHOUT PROOF OF AMOUNT. THEY SAID THAT A TAYLOR PLAYER'S WORD IS GOOD ENOUGH.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 16 YEARS. THE ONLY OTHER GEAR I OWN RIGHT NOW IS A YAMAHA KEYBOARD AND A SHURE SM-58 MIC. I USE THE MIC AND KEYBOARD THROUGH A PEAVEY KB5 PA AMP. THERE WAS NOTHING I WISH I HAD ASKED BEFORE BUYING THIS GUITAR. IF IT WERE LOST OR STOLEN, I WOULD DEFINITELY BUY 2 MORE TO REPLACE THIS ONE. THAT WAY, THE NEXT TIME, I WILL HAVE AN IMMEDIATE BACKUP! I BASICALLY LOVE THE SOUND AND THE.....WELL, IT'S A TAYLOR...FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF....IT'S GREAT OVERALL. MY FAVORITE FEATURE, THOUGH, IS THE EBONY FRETBOARD. I ONLY COMPARED THIS MODEL TO HIGH-END TAYLORS, BUT I DECIDED THE FINISH ON THEM WOULD REQUIRE TOO MUCH MAINTENANCE FOR AN "AROUND THE HOUSE" GUITAR. ONE SIMPLE THING TO REMEMBER: IF YOU BUY A TAYLOR, NO MATTER WHAT MODEL, IT WILL ALWAYS BE A "QUALITY TAYLOR GUITAR."