Going Acoustic

I bought a new Taylor guitar about a week ago. Although it is an acoustic, the low action makes it nearly as easy to play as an electric. I'm absolutely in love with this guitar, so much so that it has become my main guitar, even for jazz.

I started out with the intention of playing acoustic guitar. David Wilcox is the musician who inspired me to begin playing guitar in the first place, and I also loved (and still love) folk music, particularly the folk music of the British Isles. In my first year of playing, I found Bob Shaw, an excellent guitar teacher  whose main focus was jazz. I gradually turned into a jazz player and began playing electric guitars. My first electric was an Epiphone Sheraton II. Then I bought a beautiful Heritage 575, and for the past few years, my main guitar has been a Godin XTSA.

Although I've been playing electric guitars, many of my favorite players play acoustic, including Earl Klugh and Tommy Emmanuel. A new favorite of mine is Vinny Raniolo. Vinny, who tours often with my favorite guitarist, Frank Vignola, plays an acoustic guitar…not an archtop, just a really sweet sounding acoustic that would be a folk guitar in someone else's hands. Inspired by Vinny, and with a natural preference for acoustic sounds, I bought the Taylor 314CE, and I'm glad I did.

I will still bring out the electric guitar from time to time, but I feel that I'm able to express myself more authentically with the Taylor. I can hear each string more clearly, and I hear more "wood" in the sound. My rhythm playing has a nice "chunk" to it, and my solo guitar arrangements have more life. I'm looking forward to taking the Taylor out for its first gig tomorrow!

New Baby

Although I've played mainly electric guitars, I've been more and more attracted to acoustic sounds over the past several months. The Godfrey and Guy duo has been mixing in some folky songs with our jazz standards, and I've been thinking about how nice they would sound on acoustic. I've also been interested lately in reviving an old love of mine…Celtic music. I absolutely love the folk songs of Ireland, Scotland, and England, and, just like the folk songs in the Godfrey and Guy repertoire, these sound marvelous on acoustic guitar. Even in my jazz playing, I'm loving the "woodier" acoustic sound and the chunkier comping.

For me, the main issue with moving from mainly electric to mainly acoustic has been my wimpy electric guitar hands. Acoustic guitars are generally harder to play than electric guitars. The strings are usually heavier, and the action is a little higher. An evening of solo guitar can be rough on the hands even on an electric, but it would wreak havoc on my hands if I tried to do the same thing on the acoustics I've played.

Taylor 314CE

Enter the Taylor 314CE, my new baby. A couple years ago, I played a friend's 314CE at a New Year's Eve party and was struck by how easy it was to play. I've been thinking about that guitar ever since. I've been saving my pennies. A few weeks ago, I knew I was getting close to being able to afford a 314CE, so I went to Sam Ash to try one. I just wanted to see if my friend's guitar was an anomaly, or if they were all so easy to play. Sure enough, this guitar felt just as good in my hands as my friend's. Two weeks later, I had enough in my account to pay for a guitar and have money left for pesky things like rent, bills, food, and gas, so I went back to the store, tried it one more time, and bought it.

Sometimes I experience buyer's remorse, even if it's a piece of equipment that I need for my work, but not this time. It played and sounded great in the store, and it sounded even better at home. It's ridiculously easy to play. It feels like this guitar was made for me. I couldn't put it down all evening.

As she handed me the receipt, the salesperson said "This is a forever guitar." I think she's right.