I had an acoustic guitar once. Then in 2002, after watching this video, the guitar she was playing caught my eye.

I’ve not really seen anyone else playing Taylor guitars at that time. Martins and Ovations were the obvious North American acoustics that I’d recognise immediately in gig vids and the like. I can’t remember why the Taylor piqued my interest, but after checking out the actual gear in Newcastle and avidly reading the now-battered 2003 catalogue, I was hooked. And had wanted one since. Much to the dismay of the neon, who’d only swear by one of the other American make mentioned above (dude, if Clapton played a Tanglewood, you’d be singing a different tune, won’t ya? Hehe).

I wanted an electro-acoustic with a cutaway. If i wanted a proper acoustic, I’d yield. I’d get a martin. But then I don’t want to be asked by Trabye this question, “Boleh main arpeggio tak?”.

Fast forward four years later, I went down to the DHL depot near Attercliffe to pick my very own Taylor up. I bought her from a chap in Arkansas (another great eBay success story for me!). It’s a 314CE made in 2001. It has a lovely sitka spruce top with its sides and backs made of African mahogany. The neck is American mahogany and the machine heads are by Grover, like my Gibbo Les Paul. It has micro dings here and there, but I don’t really mind. It looks like I have had it since day one. A solid-sounding guitar, which has the meat of a dreadnought tone yet bright enough for when you pick the individual strings. The earlier Taylor like this one utilises the Fishman preamp. The current expression is felt to be pretty limau apparently. Whilst I don’t own an acoustic amp or a DI to plug this baby in, I’d do my usual kiasu thing and get the better option. Besides, this Taylor is now 5 years old – the older they are, the better they sound.

Playing an acoustic requires so much refinement, unlike playing an electric, as the tone’s really naked and I so have to work on it. Now, where is that Eric Clapton unplugged tablature book…

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No one got it right, although i have to praise Lita for being pretty close.