Taylor Guitars

I have several guitars, but my absolute favorite is my Taylor 510. There are a handful of guitar brands that are widely known such as Martin, Gibson, and a few others. Most of these companies have been around for a long time. Martin was founded in 1833 and is still run by the Martin family. Gibson got its start in 1902.

But Taylor is relatively new on the scene. Founded in 1974 by 19-year-old Bob Taylor, the Taylor guitar company now rivals its venerable competetors. Taylor guitars, instantly recognizable by their distinctively-shaped pick guards, are played by notable musicians in all genres. The factory, in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, offers tours that show every step of the guitar construction process. The people at Taylor seem especially happy to show their production facility and encourage photography.

Our tour guide (ironically named Martin) was terrific. He had a great sense of humor, explained the nuances of guitar-making very well, and obviously knew music and the music business. He had a bunch of guitar afficianados following him around the factory.

The process starts off with the woods used in the guitars. We saw stacks of Sitka spruce, used for guitar tops, Brazilian rosewood, for the sides and backs, and mahogany for the necks.

Here a guitar side is being bent by a machine invented by a Taylor employee. The wood is seen wrapped in protective paper. The wood is bent dry and is held for a time in a clamp to maintain its shape.

Martin is describing here the ribbing used to reinforce the undersides of guitar tops. He explained that when guitar makers started using steel strings instead of ones made of cat gut, they found that the increased tension would splinter the tops. Thus the cross ribbing seen here.



These fellows are making guitar necks. Much of the guitar building process is done by hand by experts in various areas. However, machines, such as the side-bender, also play a significant role. The cutting of the wood is performed by a precision, computer-operated process. And every Taylor guitar receives its polyester finish from a robotic sprayer. No guitars were being sprayed when we went through, but Martin assured us that it's an amazing sight to see.

Guitar bodies are glued together and allowed to dry overnight. There are numerous steps to making a guitar, and I won't go into them all here. You can click the heading to this post to go to the Taylor website if you wish.



This young woman was introduced to us as one of Taylors top post-production inspectors. Each guitar is personally examined and played extensively before it is shipped.




Here are a few more shots that may appeal to other guitar players: