Br1ck
Senior Member
I'll buy that (figuratively speaking). I guess I like examples of them all, with maybe one exception. Though I have friends who love them, and a good one that was once a member here, I've never cared for Taylor guitars. It's something about the sound that I get when I play one. I've heard others that make them sound great, just not me. There's just kind of a twang sound I hear in Taylor guitars, or at least in most of them. And I hope not to step on any Taylor owner's toes, they're just not for me.
And Brick, on the $200 thing, well you'd have just had to have been there. We were driving home after I'd spent a bit more than an hour with that Custom D28, I couldn't get it out of my mind as we were heading north for the 300 or so mile drive home. I told my wife I'd been considering it and she said to go for it. I hung an east and drove the 45 minutes or so back to Wimberly after having transferred cash over the phone. I told my wife that $2000 was my limit on that guitar. We arrived at Hill Country Guitars and were invited in by Dwain, the owner and I told him I wanted to sit down with the Martin. It had one small ding on the top, but it really sounded incredible and played like butter. We were ready to get back on the road as I told Dwain my max was $2000. Dwain went back, got on his computer and told me $2200 was the very best he could do. I thanked him for his time and his openness with his shop and we hit the road.
Looking back, it was a mistake, but 10 years ago guitars didn't cost what they cost now. So it was a self discipline thing. If I set a price limit, there is no budging me, with just about anything. On the way home, we stopped by a home and garden center and Mrs. West bought a large flower pot made in the shape of a pig, and she named him "Martin" in honor of that guitar, I still see ol' Martin each and every day, as he sits outside my study, and I am reminded of that guitar. But again, just like our decisions to buy a particular guitar, we only have to justify those decisions to ourselves.
West
My biggest regret was playing a 39 J 35 thinking it was a much later J 45. It was so busted up (expertly put back together) I'd never seen anything close. A third of the top was replaced with period correct reclaimed top, had three breaks in the neck and too many cracks to count. It remains the best guitar I have ever played. At $7500 it was double my budget, but I had money. Just could not pull the trigger. It was a $12,000 guitar in even fair condition. I should have, should have, should have bought it.