Taylor Factory Tour Part 2 of 4 - Neck Construction

Exclusive multi-part tour of the Taylor Guitar Factory with Bob Taylor.

[@talister106]

Taylors are noted for their necks and how nice they play. Bob, designed many new ways to assemble guitars and also using CNC machines for exact tolerences. He is a innovator and have made Taylor guitars very respected, well done.

[@romeovelasco4151]

This is why I love the innovative way rather than the traditional way of making guitars. Nice job Bob...

[@DataTypeX]

I took note on watching the Martin factory how much WOOD they use to make the neck (about twice the amount they do here) JUST to make it a 1 piece item. Taylor has refined their process to make necks using MUCH LESS wood waste, conserving our rare woods. It looks they have the manufacturing process down to a "T". While many of you are dogging on them thinking this is just mass production assembly line factory crap, you obviously know little about manufacturing. This is a quality operation.

[@stephen3073]

Bob Taylor is a GREAT man. He has a world-class mind.

[@Jerry6750]

You are wrong. The craftsmanship is in the computer technology and the incredible accuracy of the machines. No human could make a guitar that fits together better than a Taylor. I have a 314ce that Guitar Center ordered for me because they didn't have one in stock. When I got it home, I went over it with a fine tooth comb. The fit and finish were PERFECT. No gaps, no flaws, no rough edges. Impeccable.

[@bryanh1944FBH]

The counter rotating shaper bit at 16.21 is incredible! So clever! If you are a woodworker, you understand what problem that solves.

[@stopchokingnow]

It is incredible that Bob shares his manufacturing secrets with the rest of the world. Good on him.

[@maptrking]

I've got a custom GA, and the workmanship is ABSOLUTELY amazing .... and the sound is ABSOLUTELY impeccable .... Great job, Bob!! and TAYLOR!!

[@sabcheli]

Very impress with all proccesses devoloped by Taylor, high Q instruments, highly recomended. Thanks for the excellent tour of building a guitar...

[@paratustechnologies5341]

Bob Taylor you are F#$king amazing the in depth knowledge!! I cannot keep up! Just purchased my 214ceDLX GA Koa. I know it's Mexico but watched all your vids and dam. I am looking forward to years of just jamming!! Again Bob, Thanks!!!

[@joq702]

Impressive and made in America. Very proud of Bob Taylor's engineering and precision in these guitars.

[@virgin104]

LOVE this series of Vids. I am so glad to see these and how your instruments are crafted. That you seem to be very forthcoming about the techniques is wonderful. It satisfies my curious and technical nature. I grew up just about 10 miles from C.F. Martin and have toured their factory several times. I like Martins but find it hard to find one that fits my hands and sounds like I would want it to. I should be ashamed to be in love with my Taylor, but it is truly the best of both worlds. .

[@hellopsp180]

YOU ARE AWESOME !!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !!!

[@garyshirey5957]

I agree with your thoughts about "outside experts". The real creative insight comes from people who know what the are trying to achieve as results, instead of someone trying to impose a method. I see changes in your processes since my visit to your shop back in 2006. Keep going with small, incremental changes. It all adds up in the end.

[@shanerafferty998]

The day I own one of your guitars I will be a happy man! Awesome work I will have one some day!

[@mikeguywest]

It isn't ALL machine made. If you take a tour of the factory you'll see a lot of human craftsmanship going on there. Also, the automation helps with consistency in the construction. If every process was by hand they would never be able to keep up with demand.

[@guiterman6263]

Nice work guys am a Watson and I builds Watson Guitars all them tools are so nice but I do it all by hand and sell everyone I build . I been building for 40 years now and I love it

[@tommyd688]

Smart man... Have to be impressed with his thought process. I have never wanted to own a Taylor but after seeing this video I will at least give them a look.

[@hagnaanaun9157]

very impressive, my father use to make guitar here in philippines since he was 14 and now he will turning 62 still doing it in manual way from cutting to final touch. hope we can tour your great factory. thx for this video very educational..

[@rubbersole79]

If Taylor guitars are half as good as Bob Taylor is at narrating a tour, then I want one.

[@bonkersblock]

i love taylor guitars! great american company..

[@Dagrond]

Love his comments on clever engineering, "... unless they live in the guitar factory, it's not enough."

[@retainium]

My 310ce has something important in common with my Fender Telecaster. Both were designed by innovators who weren't afraid of using technology to make great instruments affordable to many people. I think Leo would have really dug CNC.

[@RetireMe100]

Being an old manufacturing geek I love this stuff

[@ARTrca]

14:22... "When it's invisible, you can't even see it." yeah.... no kidding haha. :)

[@WarmothGuitarist]

Actually... A lot of guitar manufacturers are starting build multi-piece necks for the same reason Taylor does. Wood conservation. With the ever increasing world population, comes more demand for wood resources for building housing, furniture, and all those little knick knacks we all love...including guitars. And, not only are the glue joints done in a stylish manner, but they're stronger than the wood itself. The neck will break elsewhere before it breaks at the glue joint.

[@barrychristiansen4579]

Enjoyed your tour. pretty well documented , i wonder how often some of those machines need some form of matenance. I am very gratefull and totally enjoy my twelvesting too

[@tacratt6091]

Taylor has the best setup for the guitar neck, most all guitars need a neck reset eventually. Taylor makes setting neck angle a simple thing without hurting tone, taking a neck off a Martin or Gibson is a brutal operation. Taylor makes a great guitar!

[@jhnfalls]

Yea you can change my neck you want,but don’t forget the shims!lol

[@DragnBarZ]

they are incredibly consistent too!

[@t.gfalls2319]

I understand how some people have a soft spot for human craftsmanship. Being a woodworker myself in custom-kitchen cabinetry, the cnc machines they use are so much more accurate than what any human can do part after part. The engineering, machining accuracy, quality control is what makes Taylor guitars a cut above. Sorry Martin, Gibson and etc

[@baergal]

.. wait really? I'm watching this and noticing how much is done by HAND compared to other places. Its like ... the perfect combination of digital precision and by hand care. Every single neck is perfectly intonated and feels amazing to play because they're machine cut to specs designed by people. And the bodies are pretty much completely done by hand.

[@ipathbomb92]

Much Appreciated.

[@Lichtenveldt]

It's a guitar factory, it doesn't speak to me as the Martin factory tour, a lot more real craftmanship..

[@redbed1604]

I like the finger joint. That's what my 2000 410ma has.

[@mtweiss01]

Love my 514CE - very prone to neck cupping but partly my fault because out of the 20 or so guitars I own, I like to display this Cedar Topped beauty the most and the humidity changes get to her. Very easily adjusted however!

[@charlesdarwincruz2919]

Sir. what is the tittle of the background music guitar piece thank u

[@DizzerZD1]

I was thinking the same thing, but they do sound great.

[@jggfgfeshhgg6470]

watched this because I was going to buy a Taylor this week, but after seeing how they are made, I will never buy a Taylor. What happened to the days when people cared about what they made.

[@arthurogle7581]

I wonder what degree of angle Taylor uses on their peg heads? I read that Gibson had more than a small problem using a 17 degree angle breaking on one of their electric guitar models.

[@mikeguywest]

I'm wondering if the serial numbers on the necks are the same as the guitar itself (what's on the label)?

[@attybong]

do you also use the same machines in your mexican factories which build 100s 200s and other low end models?

[@xcorehendis11]

Im so proud to own a Taylor.

[@DJ.1001]

He hit the nail on the head at 11:15. I don't really like the taylor sound or style but I have yet to pick up a taylor guitar that didn't have a fantastic neck.

[@chrismoseler]

It comes down to economics...they are charging the amount that people are willing to pay. If people are willing to pay a higher amount, then there must be a reason for that. And that reason is due to the quality, craftsmanship, and tone.

[@craigmcdonagh1]

do you have a website or anything?

[@t.gfalls2319]

Love my 314ce Vclass!

[@lethalchaos19]

wheres this factory?

[@joeygonzo]

mill the neck in one day ? They don't warp after that ?

[@lowplainstu]

I need that glue applier for the fretboard!!

[@relentlessmadman]

What no breaks?

[@BarakBM]

i would gladly give one of my left toes to learn and work in this factory

[@OddTimeMan]

I understand your point about the price, and I agree. But technically, ALL guitars are hand-made. Assembling IS building. But if we're talking about hand-CARVED, then that's a different story. Even Gibsons (maybe not the necks but definitely the bodies) are cut, carved, routed & drilled by automated machines...yet they are considered hand-made.

[@tomsix123]

i don't really care whether its the machine or a human being creating the instrument, as long as it sounds as lovely as a taylor does..

[@capoman1]

This guy is like Howard Rourke, my hero man, rock on.

[@alext9067]

capoman1 Fountainhead?

[@capoman1]

alex tworkowski Yeppers.

[@nicklk1795]

valid point.

[@joeygonzo]

7:40, those are not high speed routers. They are CNC spindles .

[@avielkharrat5788]

17:59: awesome ! Same goes in software!!!!

[@WarmothGuitarist]

Also... Quite few high end acoustic guitar manufacturers use bolt on necks. Taylor, Collings, Breedlove, Seagull, Huss and Dalton, Bourgeois, etc... In fact... The list of manufacturers that DON'T use bolt on necks would be shorter than a list of the ones that do. The reason? Because it's more economical and easier to reset, repair, or replace a bolt on neck. Many acoustic luthiers say that bolt-on or glue doesn't affect tone, as long as it is routed into the body and is a secure joint.

[@Chickenjuggle]

To those of you griping about how Taylor doesn't make "handcrafted" guitars, keep in mind that theirs have some of highest demand in the world. How else are going to meet their demand if they don't use their factory's machines? Plus they sound awesome and play incredibly well, so it's not like they aren't good guitars because machines were used to mass produce them.

[@OddTimeMan]

Well a lot of the work is still done by hand. The assembly & set-up process is done by hand. With CNC machines the wood cutting & carving is way more precise, the tolerances are very tight, and all the guitars are consistent. When I was a kid, a lot of guitars, especially inexpensive ones, were poorly made. Necks were put on crooked, action was horrible, parts didn't line-up. But now thanks to CNC machines, even inexpensive guitars are fairly well made.

[@Turboy65]

I build guitars myself. Damned good ones. Nothing wrong with multi piece necks. Hell, John D'Angelico made some of his archtops with multi-piece necks, so your argument is invalid. There's nothing wrong with a multi-piece neck if the glue joints are done right. (Tight.) Bolt on necks transfer sound just fine, too, although I personally prefer glued in necks.

[@DanQuanXom]

i want this one =((

[@32hothead]

Nothing plays like a Taylor. I have a 114e, I tried dozens of guitars under $1000, and kept going back and picking up the 114e. I have looked at other more expensive acoustics over the last few years, Martin Guitars sound great, love the D16 and D28, but they don't play like my Taylor and it sounds fantastic, a little brighter than a Martin and less bass Most important thing about a guitar for me is the play ability and the sound, I could care less what its made of, how its made, or where...

[@bottomfeeder73]

Troy Hall- I totally agree. I have an expensive Lacroix luthier guitar and a Taylor GS flame maple. I recently bought a Martin D16RGT. It sounded great. My Lacroix sounds great. Sold my Martin, now thinking about selling my Lacroix. Point? Nothing plays like a Taylor! And it sounds great!

[@spitfirekid1]

A lot of Taylor‘s success can be attributable to one of the first employees, Matt Guzzetta. Matt didn’t play guitar but he was instrumental in designing, developing, and building a lot of Taylor’s tooling. Great guy too! www.namm.org/library/oral-history/matt-guzzetta

[@jfan4reva]

"Sure there's clever people out there. But unless they live in the guitar factory, they're not clever enough." Words to keep in mind when outsiders try to tell you how to build a guitar, or how to live your life.

[@carpo719]

It makes the handmade guitars of the past seem hard to compete. Still more love tho

[@mikeguywest]

Their tone tells you they are obviously doing something much better than Epiphones. Plus, Epiphones are made mostly in Korea and some in Japan where there is cheaper labor.

[@yrulooknatme]

that's Doyle playin I'd know that guitar anywhere

[@nestortsai6742]

why do they has to use ebony for fingerboard? why has to be ebony or rosewood?

[@jacksprat3009]

It's a choice, but I like ebony because it's solid color and hard wood. Sands perfectly smooth.

[@finikeramusic1769]

one question to what angle is the scarf joint?

[@stephen3073]

+Jose Pimentel Fourteen degrees for a solid headstock; Nine degrees for slotted headstock...?

[@finikeramusic1769]

+Stephen Sheriff thank you very much!

[@arthurogle7581]

I'm told a 15 degree angle is more longevity friendly!!!

[@MrMusicM67]

even custom shop guitars mostly use machines.

[@Turboy65]

That headstock shaper is frightening as hell. I'm really surprised Taylor uses that and hasn't changed over to a CNC headstock shaping system. That shaper would distribute your hand evenly around the room if you were to make one tiny mistake.

[@JackTheRabbitMusic]

I’ve been playing the guitar my whole life. The cost of a Taylor is extremely off-putting. I am not a fan of the sound, either. One thing I can agree with is that they are good at making “playable” guitars, he’s right about that. The action is always nice on a Taylor, I just can’t vibe with them at all. 🐰🎸🎶✌️

[@anthonym612]

We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two

[@DataTypeX]

California

[@OddTimeMan]

Yeah, there's definitely a discrepancy with the definition of "hand-made". How do so many companies get away with saying their products are hand-made when they are not? And I never understood why many automated car washes advertise that they hand-wash when they don't. Maybe a certain percentage needs to be done by hand for it to be legit.

[@jalal1392]

machines over machines over machines. why the fuck are those guitars so expensive ?!

[@maisonmallninja]

"When it's visible it's beautiful, but when it's invisible you can't even see it."

[@sexycheeseburgernameisfort8320]

Sean Foulkes twisting the meaning of what he said >:(

[@Rehdman6444]

The craft is in the concept and design not the tools used to realize the result.

[@ipathbomb92]

Okay.

[@lethalchaos19]

This is mass production taylor should put down their prices so a lot of people can afford to buy it. What happened to our country why coz its made in u.s.a or mexico... The price is jack up.,...

[@rasvial]

Eh- watch the PRS factor tour.. machine doesn't mean low quality- infact the precision of most of those machines is higher than humans can consistently achieve. It'd be nice if they were handmade, I agree, but it's impractical at their scale and a decent price point And they don't sound half bad either IMO ;)

[@Pcgonzal]

Wow all that machining, not sure why they're so expensive? They're surely not hand made?

[@stevecarver4906]

MASS PRODUCTION OF SOMETHING SO PERSONAL PUTS ME OFF

[@johncspine2787]

Don’t watch vids of the Martin factory, then..

[@device9]

ALL guitars are machine made and hand finished. Quality depends upon who finishes the work. If you want real hand made with only hand tools get ready to shell out 5 figures. Are powered saws ok or are stone age tools required for a proper hand build?

[@ConVivo]

A handcrafted guitar can cost anything up to $25,000. I will take three months to make a classical guitar. There's no comparison with a factory made instrument.

[@russellscott1151]

I think they are great guitars and the tech in me loves these videos and how clever the production process is. I just kinda think it’s a shame the shear quantity of guitars/wood they make/use and the fact it’s all machines and taking away the hand skills. I prefer the small luthier/hand built instruments. Guess that’s progress for you.

[@merwild]

please search Huss and dalton factory tour on youtube and you'll see how a 3500 dollars guitar should be built.

[@mikecostello9671]

Great guitars, too bright and tinny for me. I think they sound best plugged in. Acoustically doesn't have that bottom end in my opinion. I guess the necks are on point!

[@edgarzemite883]

Its all about the choices,however when the mass production is involved your guitars are mediocre despite of how good looking they are or how fine materials you have to use. More guitars...more money...more this and that...and so on. They are just a pieces of wood without soul. I believe that only a luthier can give you a handmade artwork crafted with greatest care and love. That's why good musicians mostly don't use mass production instruments.

[@victordelanietze4998]

Edgar Zemite I agree complety

[@manifestgtr]

What are you talking about? Plenty of world class musicians use mass-produced guitars. What do you think pre-cbs fenders were? Leo was using picks to shim his necks for godsake. Many, many name players play mass-produced martins and taylors. Same thing with prs and ibanez. Sure, every guy has a technician who sets it up incredibly and there are ghost builders who make high end, durable versions of any given manufacturer’s product. But at the end of the day any player worth his salt will tell you that his instrument is a tool. It’s the most important tool he owns but it’s still just that. All the custom shop, small batch, limited edition attention to detail in the world doesn’t take the place of a player’s feel. Everything else is superfluous in the face of your playing...

[@dareisnogod5711]

WOW, I just learned that I wouldn't want to buy a Taylor.

[@David_Bellows]

Dareis Nogod is it because you suck at playing 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@najtrows]

well that is what taylor do. its boring since they have to make all guitars "ok" and that they can't really make a guitar the best it can be for just those pieces of wood.. but yeah, thats what makes ut luthiers still have a job :)

[@ipathbomb92]

I find it a little troubling how little craftsmanship goes into Taylor guitars, all machine made. :(

[@joq702]

It's there. It all started with real hand tools, ingenuity and hand wood-working craftsmanship. It's still there, you just do not have the variations of precision you would with individual hand effort as opposed to setting the great original craftsmanship and engineering into a machine that does not have good and bad days.

[@tokyotravelnet4243]

”Scarf joint" and "bolt-on" neck mean cutting costs. A one-piece neck is harder to source wood for, and more difficult to make, and bolt-on necks are designed to save time and labor. If I want a guitar made by a cost-cutting company, I'll choose a Yamaha, which costs far less. But wait, all of the Yamahas I have played use one-piece, set necks... As soon as I saw the headstocks being glued to the necks, I decided never to buy a Taylor guitar. I would guess that Taylor has very few skilled workmen, because none of the workers I have seen are trusted to do anything but push buttons on the machines. But unskilled labor is cheap labor. Unfortunately, Taylors are not cheap guitars.

[@ontoseno3269]

one pieces wood neck will be better..! building neck from some part of wood it's not gonna be better..!

[@startreker8591]

The sound generally is thin.Taylor he had better mid tone speaking voice

[@spartacus1988]

the word luthier not even know what ... they do all the robots

[@Turboy65]

Necks do need to be consistent. A hand-made neck that's wrong is not as good as a machine-made neck that's right.

[@philipfarias3448]

Yes I know but tell me why do they charge top dollar when they are taking so many short cuts . They charge you hand made , solid wood prices but thats not what you get . Taylors are made the way Epiphones have been made for decades nothing new .