Taylor T5 Custom (Koa Top) Reviews

4.6/5.0 based on 7 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Robert Williams

This series of guitars is really puts the "Electric" in the electric/acoustic guitar arena. Great fit and finish makes for great eye appeal on top of a very comfortable neck and well balanced body. The controls are easy to get to and provide usable tonal options.
Here's a hybrid that really works for a variety of players.

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Customer Reviews

Rocky Guarriello
from Rutherfordton, NC
April 4, 2013Music Background:
Musician, and studio owner.

Beautiful Instrument

Well made, sounds great, and plays great. Great neck, and the acoustic when used with the stereo plug running through the PA sounds very real, and warm. Good EQ and just a great all around guitar.

Jim G,
from Charlottesville, Virginia
September 29, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

The Taylor T5... a really amazing instrument !

Long before purchasing the T5, I spent most of my time on a Martin D28. Then I installed a piezo pickup on the Martin and ran it through a Roland AC-60 acoustic amp. My interest then lead me to purchase a Taylor 8 str. Baritone which I also ran through the Roland. I was having great fun with this setup, but the whole electric side of guitar life was passing me by. And so began my love affair with the T5. This is one beautiful guitar. The craftsmanship and innovation that goes into this instrument is stunning. Really. Plays like a dream. Plugged into an ABY switch, then through a Roland XL 80 and the AC-60, the creative options are wide open. Toss in a looping station and you're a one man band. I am having WAY too much fun !!!

Leonard Clay Cook
from Texas
April 8, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

Found the Guitar for me.

After trying a different guitar from Sweetwater I returned it and ordered the Taylor T5 Thinline Fiveway Natural. It is a great guitar hands down! The workmanship from Taylor is top drawer. The T5 fills the bill between an Electric and Acoustic guitar very well. Mike Soper from Sweetwater did a super job helping me end up with the guitar I was looking for. Thanks Mike, the T5 is great!

Skipper
from Jackson Mississippi
November 20, 2006Music Background:
Weekend Musician

Oh Holy Moley !!!!

I am loving this guitar!!!... changed to acoustic strings.... Tight and well finished...so many sound combinations straight from the pickups... Sharp well made good looking case...Swings from rich acoustic to tasty electric....easy to play...Comfortable neck !!!

Steve Hotra
from Vancouver, WA. USA
October 13, 2006Music Background:
Guitar playing pastor of worship arts

Taylor T 5 is worth the money!!

Taylor's T 5 guitar lives up to its claims! I own a Fender Telcaster B bender and a Gibson ES 335... and I am able to cover a variety of guitar tones. However, Taylor's T 5 does introduce new guitar sounds, due to its inovative active pick-up system. Visit their website and listen for yourself. I own a Koa T5 love the grain of the wood. I needed to find a guitar where I could play acoustic and electric tones off the same guitar. The T5 thinline does that and more. The acoustic position #1, sound like a concert size acoustic, mix in some bass and it sounds fuller. This guitar has the ability to shred as well... I play mine thru a Vox Tonelab SE, and it represents all of the amp/cabs offerred. Taylor offers excellent customer support and their website is very informative. Pick-ups positions 2 thru 5 are good: the middle humbucker can sound like a tele, but add bass and you will get the Gibson humbucker sound. It won't replace your existing guitar, but I can't imagine not owning one. I lead worship at my church and needed a guitar that would allow me to cover a wide variety of music: blues, rock, country and R & B.. this guitar does it all and more!

Guinn
from
August 18, 2011Music Background:
Recording (Steinburg) Musician Vocalist

T5 purchase

Unlike my Taylor acoustic this guitar MUST be plugged in to appreciate...so if your a purist you might want to try it first before purchasing. Good action and fun to play.
I am happy with the T5...It is absolutely well made and beautiful. The acoustic setting are great and the sound is a lot like my Taylor Acoustic plugged in..but then put it into electric gear with the variety of humbukers and I like the chunky sounds. Attach it to module and it plays anything and any sound. The five settings give it a variety of changes crank it up and it covers all styles of music. I play on a worship team and also in a band and do mostly pop, country rock, folk, rock so my style is not heavy but I get to add some real neat electric nuances to my music without changing guitars and having to re-tune during a set. By the way Sweetwater was great, fast service, phone call and email to see if I was satisfied...impressive!!

Chris Neil
from Kingston, WA
March 13, 2013Music Background:
Semi-Pro Musician/Hobbyist

Not What I Expected

The guitar itself if pretty good. The setup on the guitar is a little wonky with the 2 high strings actually having string buzz. I adjusted the truss rod slightly and got rid of most of it without raising the string height too much although I'll probably take it to the shop and have it worked over. Plugged in, the guitar sounds great and is very flexible although not much more flexible than my VOX SDC55. Playing it unplugged is not something I would do for long periods of time as it doesn't really carry very well. Even the cheapest of acoustic guitars would do better as far as sound volume. The koa top is beautiful and really the best feature of the guitar. Honestly I would expect more from a $2900 guitar. Would I buy it again, up to now I would say no but we will see long term if she gets much stage time.