Entry level taylor, not an heirloom but nearly as good. (Taylor 110GB)

Member Name: Jonny_L

Product:	Taylor 110GB
Date:	30/03/09 (25 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Solid top, nice action, ebony fretboard

Disadvantages: At this price it'd be nice if the back and sides weren't laminated, but it still does the job

Taylor has always been a huge name in acoustic guitars, having been seen regularly in the hands of all manner of musicians, from Bob Dylan to Slash, and as such they demand a hefty price tag. Well usually they do, the 110 is Taylor's attempt at a "guitar for the masses" so to speak.

OK you wouldn't call it cheap, at around £600 even with a bit of haggling it's still not an entry level guitar by any means. The thing to remember though is that many Taylors cost well in excess of £1500-£2000.

Does it show then? Well that's a tricky one. You get a nice natural solid spruce top, one of those tops that improves with age. the back and sides of the body are laminated, but this isn't cheap tacky laminate, you have to look very hard to tell that it's not the natural finish. The neck isn't laminated though, it's made from tropical American mahogany and has a really nice light feel to it. Throw in an ebony fretboard and bridge and you end up with a really nice natural look. You can get them in a polished finish, but I prefer the natural ones which aren't so glossy, just a personal preference.

The tone of the guitar is fantastic. That Sitka spruce top really gives the guitar a nice deep sound, while keeping the high end crisp. It's very loud, but obviously that depends how hard you strum it!

When playing this guitar you don't instantly get that special feeling that you would with a gibson or a high end taylor, it's hard to describe but it's that feeling when you take a freshly strung les paul from it's case and plug it in, you instantly know you're onto something good. The 110 doesn't really give you that feeling straight away. It's a nice guitar to hold, lightweight, comfortable and well balanced, and everything feels as it should. As you start to play you realise that it's got the action of a taylor, and it does sound reminiscent of one of it's bigger brothers, so you really aren't just paying for a name.

The nice thing about this guitar though is that is isn't so special. I've never felt that I needed to pamper it, it just does a job and does it very well indeed, leaving me to carry on with just playing the thing. It's a no frills guitar and that's what I love about it.

I always go for 12's when choosing strings, I tried 13's once and the sound was absolutely fantastic but unless you've got fingers of steel, I wouldn't try it! The 12's give you almost as good a sound and you can play for longer for it.

You get a nice gig bag with the guitar, but not much else, bear in mind that this is a Taylor on a budget. For what it is, I'd say it's worth every penny.

Summary: No frills great sounding acoustic guitar, great for all occasions.