Taylor Guitars 420 Maple

THIS GUITAR CAME OFF THE TAYLOR LINE 8/12/96(IT'S IN THE SERIAL NUMBER).SOLID SITKA SPRUCE BEARCLAW TOP,QUILTED MAPLE BACK & SIDES,MAHOGANY NECK WITH EBONY FINGERBOARD & BRIDGE.SATIN FINISH(THE ONLY THING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT).ALSO THE STRINGS LOAD THROUGH THE BRIDGE, WHICH IS A NICE FEATURE(NO BRIDGE PINS TO SCREW WITH.

THE SOUND IS BRIGHT AND VERY LOUD. A VERY RESONANT GUITAR.WHEN YOU PICK THE HARMONIC AT THE 12TH FRET ON THE D&G STRINGS IT RINGS ON FOREVER.

I GOT IT USED BUT THE ACTION WAS PERFECT.ONE MINOR PROBLEM WAS THE FRETS ON THE EDGE OF THE FINGERBOARD WERE KIND OF SHARP, BUT I HAD THEM DRESSED.I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE SATIN FINISH BECAUSE THE QUILTED MAPLE IS SO BEAUTIFUL, BUT THAT'S HOW THEY KEEP THE PRICE DOWN.

IF PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF THIS GUITAR COULD LAST HUNDREDS OF YEARS!

I CALLED THE TAYLOR 1-800 NUMBER AND GOT THE LOWDOWN. THEY WERE VERY KNOWLEDGABLE AND TOLD HOW TO GET THE DATE OUT OF THE SERIAL# AND THAT IT SOLD NEW FOR $1147. I ASKED IF I COULD HAVE IT REFINISHED IN GLOSS AY THE FACTORY BUT THE ANSWER WAS NO. MAYBE I'LL HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY BUFFED OUT.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR 35 YEARS AND THIS THE BEST ACOUSTIC I HAVE EVER OWNED. I GLADLY TRADED A MARTIN D-15 AND TWO ELECTRICS FOR IT.

This 420 dreadnought was build in 1994. It is all solid woods (sitka spruce top, big leaf maple back and sides).
I had a Fishman Natural I pickup build in.
Satin finish, chrome Grover tuners. Original Taylor case.
Nice features given it's price. Would be muuuuch nicer having high gloss finish.

Sounds real good: bright and loud. I use it with a Marshall AS100D amp.

Very well set-up. Low action, very easy to play both soft and loud. Nice woods.

Always nice and friendly. Willing to give any info needed.

I have this guitar for about 6 months. I also have a Taylor 610, 710, 810 and 450 PF12string and a Fender Strat. I would replace it if it was stolen, but only thing is it is not for sale anymore! Nice but more expensive alternative is the 610 which is also great.
Only thing I don't like is the satin finish but he, can't expect that from a Taylor in the 400 series looking at its price

made in 1996, El cajon, California, it's a dreadnought all solid wood, sitka spruce top, big leaf maple back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and bridge plate, satin finish, grover chrome tuners, taylor case included

the sound is perfectly balanced string to string, great for strumming.I use it with a fishman ag125 and boss ad5 preamp

the set-up is perfect, all the fretboard is buzzfree, the tuners doing the work and the quality of woods is excellent.

I hardly use it on stage(from 2 years) and the finish still perfect. from 1 week I also use a Taylor 415(fantastic!!)

I also have a Taylor 415(see my review in these pages).I love the balanced sound and compared with other guitars this 420 it's amazingly loud!

1996 Limited Edition Dreadnaught. Flamed Maple body with a really beautiful golden color. Spruce top toned to match the golden maple. Satin finish guitar, which I heavily prefer. Mahogany neck and Grover tuners which havent been out of tune since i boutht. Its such a simple and beautiful look. No pearl insets, no bells and whistles, just a white band rosette and trim around black binding. Very pretty guitar. Occasionally, I use a Fishman soundhole Active Matrix pickup. Sounds great. By the way, Taylor manufactures their own cases. I have their top of the line case... crushed purple velvet inside... cushioned perfectly. I have to set the guitar into its place and then slightly push it down into its snug little home. I cant imagine a better guitar case being produced... This case alone is worth upwards of $300 to me.

The maple is a acquired taste, and not all maple bodies are alike. This guitar is on the bright side, but the bass and mids come through really nice for a great balenced sound. It is so loud... who needs an amp??? I know that Maple is not your tradional tonewood, not a rosewood or mahogany, but I think all the traditionalists out there should pick up a maple and just play it. The sound is so clean and clear, sustain is incredible and its so balenced. Plus, the overall appearance of maple wood is just gorgeous.

Action is a 10. I had it set up once in 4 years for a slight buzz on my G string (insert your joke here.) Had nothing to do with the guitar, just a maintence issue... get your real wood guitars set up once a year people!! Its a small price to pay for the sound that comes out of a guitar not built with plywood and laminates. The top has such a nice graining to it... very attractive, but when you flip this guitar over, you see the beauty that is Maple wood. Bookmatched wonderfully, flamed maple almost creates this irridescent appearance. Its hard to describe until you see, but what an amazing beauty.

The guitar is great live. The power of the maple cuts through so well. The satin finish i believe is an attribute to live playing. Forget what you read or think, satin finish is the same amount of protection as a gloss. The same exact process is used to create this look, but the satin doesnt get all marred up by pickmarks or sweat or anything else that clouds up a gloss. I had a strap button installed on the base of the neck and i have no worries about dropping this guitar. Its not a Guild and built like a tank, but this guitar is my baby... NOTHING BAD will happen to this guitar for the rest of my life.

Havent had to deal with the company yet. Had it set up locally by a pro... but I've heard their great.

I havent been playing long... a couple of years. But i set out a while back to find the best guitar I could. I really wanted a Martin, but was told by many to play every guitar I could get my hands on. I took the advice, thinking I would end up with a Martin anyway. Nope. This guitar blew everything I played out of the water. Martins, Breedloves, Santa Cruz, Goodall, Froggy Bottom, Larivee... I played a lot. Every guitar is different, even within the same line, by the same company, made on the same day. But, for my money, this Taylor played better than anything 2, 3, or even 4x the price. The point is, its not about the more money you spend, its about finding the right guitar. This happens to be a middle of the range Taylor... it is a limited edition guitar, but its not their $4000 model. Buy a guitar because you love the sound... not because you love the look, or the name.