A New Acoustic Guitar from the Masters at Taylor

Taylor's T5 was certainly one of the guitar sensations of 2005, and has almost instantly become the in-demand instrument for thousands of players. So what can Taylor do to top it? Bob Taylor knew his company owed it to customers to let them know that the company's head was still very much in the acoustic game. The brand new GS (Grand Symphony) Series proves that point and then some!

Taylor GS Series Acoustic Guitar at a Glance:

• A refined shape, designed for maximum projection
  
• Deep, piano-like bass and full midrange
  
• Shape refinements and Taylor X-bracing
  
• A simple design with "back to basics" appeal
  
• A unique new series with four tonewood combinations

A refined shape, designed for maximum projection
Taylor had a sound in mind, and a shape that he thought would yield that sound. The new GS centers on the concept of the Grand Auditorium, with the waist moved up toward the neck, and the lower bout a little more "pregnant." Make the guitar a little bit bigger, and in reality, it's a lot bigger. The new GS body shape does bear some similarities in shape to the Grand Auditorium, but it's a whole new guitar. In addition to pushing the waist up, Taylor widened it, lessening the "pinching" effect that can diminish the tonal output of the guitar. Coupled with the bigger, rounder lower bout, the new body geometry was now capable of producing a more powerful sound.

Deep, piano-like bass and full midrange
Taylor's goal was to design a guitar that has a deeper, piano-like bass, much more volume, and a good low-end sustain, without ruining the clarity of the mids and the highs. The idea was to start with the concept of the GA and make it more boisterous. The GS has a great midrange. If you want, you can get a little bit of that "low-fi" midrange chunk that people like to hear in recording, but you also can play it more clearly. And if you just want to strum or play fingerstyle, the GS is loud and really bright.

Shape refinements and Taylor X-bracing
The new shape was officially christened the Grand Symphony, or GS. In addition to the body's modified dimensions, other shape refinements, such as a more sloped shoulder, were incorporated to give the GS unique aesthetic appeal. Inside the guitar, the GS bracing is a standard Taylor bracing scheme, which includes the forward-shifted X-bracing and the relief rout around the outer edge of the soundboard. A few other very subtle structural changes were made in top, back, and side thickness, but the distinctive tonal properties remain predominantly shape-driven.

A simple design with "back to basics" appeal
Taylor assumed a back-to-basics design approach with the GS, focusing purely on tone. In returning to an acoustic roots concept, the decision was made not to make a cutaway version of the GS, at least initially. An option for electronics is available, but all standard models will be made without them.

A unique new series with four tonewood combinations
Another major distinction of the GS body shape is that, rather than simply being inserted into each Taylor series up the line, it's being grouped as its own separate series, consisting of four different tonewood combinations - mahogany/cedar, maple/Sitka spruce, rosewood/cedar, and rosewood/Sitka spruce.
Because the emphasis is on tone, all four models feature the same simple, understated appointments, including ivoroid binding, an abalone rosette, and abalone microdot fretboard inlays. It's really about getting back to basics, yet it's a guitar that needs to be played, because it's a sweet-sounding guitar.


Taylor GS Series GSRC Acoustic Guitar Features:

• Top wood: Western Red Cedar
  
• Back and sides wood: Indian Rosewood
  
• Body type: 6-string gs
  
• Body width: 16 1/4"
  
• Depth: 4 5/8"
  
• Length: 20"
  
• Width at waist: 10"
  
• Overall length: 41"
  
• Neck width: 1-3/4"
  
• Heel length: 3 1/2"
  
• Scale length: 25 1/2"
  
• No. of frets: 20
  
• Binding material: ivoroid (body, fretboard, heel cap)
  
• Purfling material: plastic
  
• Rosette size: 3-ring, material: abalone
  
• Inlays peghead logo: mother-of-pearl, fretboard: 4 mm abalone dots
  
• Finish back/sides: gloss
  
• Top: gloss
  
• Neck: satin
  
• Tuners: Taylor gold
  
• Buttons: gold
  
• Nut/saddle: tusq
  
• Bridge pins: ebony w/abalone dot

The Taylor GS Series offers a whole new tonal spectrum for acoustic guitars!

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