New USA Hollowbody Co. Powers Electric

[Litterick]

Trying to run a business in California is expensive. Taxes, housing costs, commercial rents etc. all add up. If you are a small shop making guitars, I think 3-4K per guitar is a minimum price to make it work.

It is a free market (at least to some extent). If you don't like this cat's guitars (or for the same money, you prefer something else), vote with your wallet. The marketplace will decide if these guitars are worth it or not.

This is not a small shop. This is a Taylor guitar branded as a boutique product. Andy Powers is the CEO, chief designer and president of Taylor Guitars. He is not running his own business on the side of this normal duties. He has created a brand within Taylor but distinct from it.

Taylor has made good electric guitars, but they have not made much of an impression. Now they are trying again, with added myth. Like Gibson with its Murphy Labs, they are branding the guitars with their creator, to compete with the real boutique manufacturers. They are offering the individuality of a luthier with the dependability of a large manufacturer. Their boss is posing as a Paul Reed Smith or a Dennis Fano.

Taylor electrics were built in the shadow of the acoustics. They never had a character of their own. Dressing up the electrics with Californian iconography, branding the boss as the maker, and having him talk about his deep feeling for the State where he was raised creates instant mystique. This guitar is not tainted with the odour of an acoustic designed for musty folk singers and Sunday school teachers. It is like a surfboard, or a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It is an immersive experience, as the CME men said about their day being immersed in its marketing.

[DawgBone]

This is not a small shop. This is a Taylor guitar branded as a boutique product. Andy Powers is the CEO, chief designer and president of Taylor Guitars. He is not running his own business on the side of this normal duties. He has created a brand within Taylor but distinct from it.

Taylor has made good electric guitars, but they have not made much of an impression. Now they are trying again, with added myth. Like Gibson with its Murphy Labs, they are branding the guitars with their creator, to compete with the real boutique manufacturers. They are offering the individuality of a luthier with the dependability of a large manufacturer. Their boss is posing as a Paul Reed Smith or a Dennis Fano.

Taylor electrics were built in the shadow of the acoustics. They never had a character of their own. Dressing up the electrics with Californian iconography, branding the boss as the maker, and having him talk about his deep feeling for the State where he was raised creates instant mystique. This guitar is not tainted with the odour of an acoustic designed for musty folk singers and Sunday school teachers. It is like a surfboard, or a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It is an immersive experience, as the CME men said about their day being immersed in its marketing.

Good post.

I just think the acoustics were such a smashing success that it would overshadow any foray into the electric world without going all in and taking some serious financial risk. For a long time it was mostly Gibson/Martin for flattops with the seeming exception of the Ovation craze in the 70's for a hot minute. Taylor actually put a dent in their acoustic sales would be my guess. The Taylor name is tied closely to acoustics and has that branding. Everyone knows about Taylor acoustics. A lot of name artists turned up playing them and gave them high regard. My old man even has one. Doesn't seem to be the case with their electrics. How many name players did he try to sponsor with those? I don't really know but it doesn't seem they ventured out on a limb with the marketing campaign.

As for myself I wasn't impressed enough with the acoustics to give the somewhat odd looking electrics they were making a try. They are good acoustics, but I'd rather have a Gibson tbh. Again, this guitar kind of falls into the odd looking electric off brand electric category. It's not branded Taylor. I'd say maybe that's a mistake. Odd looking not in a distinct flying v sort of way. Different, but still pretty bland and average. I'd rather Taylor take a more PRS without the insane ego approach and build some fairly standard looking ES guitars with a better attention to detail. Then they might have my attention until I see that California price tag also associated with many of their acoustics. Those guitars are just above a musicians pay grade mostly. My guess is this will also be a failure without better, more aggressive marketing. And I still think it will flop.

[Stringswinger]

This is not a small shop. This is a Taylor guitar branded as a boutique product. Andy Powers is the CEO, chief designer and president of Taylor Guitars. He is not running his own business on the side of this normal duties. He has created a brand within Taylor but distinct from it.

Taylor has made good electric guitars, but they have not made much of an impression. Now they are trying again, with added myth. Like Gibson with its Murphy Labs, they are branding the guitars with their creator, to compete with the real boutique manufacturers. They are offering the individuality of a luthier with the dependability of a large manufacturer. Their boss is posing as a Paul Reed Smith or a Dennis Fano.

Taylor electrics were built in the shadow of the acoustics. They never had a character of their own. Dressing up the electrics with Californian iconography, branding the boss as the maker, and having him talk about his deep feeling for the State where he was raised creates instant mystique. This guitar is not tainted with the odour of an acoustic designed for musty folk singers and Sunday school teachers. It is like a surfboard, or a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It is an immersive experience, as the CME men said about their day being immersed in its marketing.

OK, it sounds like Taylor has set up a small "custom shop" operation to make these guitars, much like Fender has done. The price point may still be what is necessary for it to be a profitable venture. I wish them the best, but it is nothing I would want in any case. Yesterday, I played a solo gig with a partscaster Strat that I built for about $850. I just don't need or want a 4K "boutique" solid body guitar. Others might. Different strokes and all that....

[Litterick]

They are Veblen goods. The high price makes them desirable as a status symbol. I know a dealer who sells nothing but this sort of guitar, and equivalent amps. He knows his market.