Acoustic Guitar With Built-In Armrest
Taylor introduces another 35th anniversary innovation 30-Sep-09
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Designed to embody a blend of beauty, refined craftsmanship and playing comfort, Taylor Guitars is introducing a special 35th Anniversary edition guitar series that showcases a sculpted armrest, marking the first time such a feature has been included on a Taylor guitar. The XXXV-GS, simply known as the "Armrest Series", incorporates Taylor's popular body style, the Grand Symphony (GS), and features the magnificence of select exotic tonewoods as the perfect match to an elegant, yet practical handcrafted armrest.
The armrest, located on the bass side of the guitar's lower bout, replaces the hard edge where a guitar's top meets the sides with a softer contour for one's picking arm to comfortably rest upon while playing. Beyond the ergonomic appeal, an armrest applies a premium aesthetic touch that complements the GS body shape's sensuous curves. It also demands the highest level of guitar craftsmanship.
"With the armrest, the woodworking is complicated, but as part of our anniversary, we wanted to offer players a guitar with the coolest, most complex binding treatment you can get on an acoustic," explains Taylor president and co-founder Bob Taylor.
To complement the armrest, Taylor's development team scoured the company's substantial wood reserves to find the most striking premium grades of wood, which normally would be saved for the company's custom Build to Order program. The exotic selections include a back, sides and decorative backstrap choice of fiery cocobolo (XXXV-GS-C), AA-grade Macassar ebony (XXXV-GS-M), golden quilt maple (XXXV-GS-MP), or feathered walnut (XXXV-GS-W). All four models feature tops of Sitka spruce, voiced with Taylor's proprietary, tone-enhancing CV bracing, and the Expression System® pickup to deliver superb amplified tone.
Additional premium appointments for the XXXV-GS models include a 900 Series abalone rosette, a bone nut and saddle, gold Gotoh tuners and an all-gloss finish. The XXXV-GS-C, -M and -W feature a Florentine cutaway and ebony armrest, binding, headstock overlay and truss rod cover, while the XXXV-MP features a Venetian cutaway and Indian rosewood armrest, binding, headstock overlay and truss rod cover. On the fretboard, a single inlay of "35" between the 11th and 12th frets pays homage to the company's anniversary.
The XXXV-GS models will be offered at a suggested retail price of $7,498 and, as with all 35th Anniversary models, will come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Taylor co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug. To date, the company has announced 35th Anniversary models in the T3 (XXXV-T3-K, XXXV-T3-C), the T3/B (XXXV-T3/B-K, XXXV-T3/B-C), the SolidBody (XXXV-SB-MP, XXXV-SB-K), and has introduced a 9-string (XXXV-9) model.
Pricing and Availability:
The 35th Anniversary guitars are expected to be available in North America in early fall and internationally in late winter.
$7,498 More information:
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