Overall I am going with a 10. It is better in my opinion than my Martin. The Martin feels like balsa wood next to this one and the sound in not a full. It has some weight and that is what I wanted. Sound is crisp unplugged and rings when plugged. If this one was damaged or stolen I would definatly purchase another Taylor Guitar. This was my first Taylor Brand Guitar. I have a Gibson, Fender, Martin and Epiphone brand gutars. And to Add.. this is my 4th Guitar bought from ZZounds. It normally is risky buying from a internet as you can't try before you buy. So far I have not been disapointed. The customer service department is excellent, shipping fast and packaged so the instruments arrive safe. I will not be my last purchase. My only comment is I hope ZZounds iincreases their inventory adding different and more of each brand.

Sound
Right out of the box then out of the case I am impressed with this guitar. It was a perfect full step down in tune. Attached my Little planet wave tuner and did a standard E tune. I went through a few major chords to hear the sounds. Lows had a perfect rumble with no odd vibrations or fret buzz. The highs had a very nice ring combining to a very nice sound. I have a Martin OM1 right around the same price as this and I am more impressed with the tone and sustain from the Taylor. Plugged it into a Vox ACTV8 which I use in my living room to practice. There seems not to have a lot of power coming from the under bridge Pickup.… read more I had to turn the amp to 4 watts and turn the volume on the guitar all the way up and the amp set on 8 to get a room filling volume. Went back and checked the battery to ensure it was fully charged, and it was. So that is why the 9. I plugged it into my JCM2000 with a 412 1960A and still I had to turn up the volume on the amp to get a reasonable volume. Once there the sound was very pleasing though. Adjusting the tone controls on the Taylor had very little effect or change. So for Sound a 9 but I am still happy with the Taylor as the Marshall or the Vox amp was not designed for an acoustic guitar.

Features
Other than the Hardshell Case and some literature on humidfiers that was it. I would think it would have a wrench for neck adjustment, Owners Manual and the case would have a lock but, for a Guitar under $1000 I guess the cost went for the guitar and not accessories.

Ease of Use
It's an acoustic Guitar can't get any easier to use. The ES-T Pickup System is a Plug and Play. All you have to do is plug it in and adjust volume. The battery is located at the strap button just above the instrument cable plug, it is one complete unit. Easy to change the battery.

Quality
The finish is a Satin finish. The Description says Gloss, it is not. But..the guitar was perfect out of the case, not a mark on it. No flaws in any joint. Body binding is a really nice touch. Finish..is beautiful. Case is not of great quality and as stated before no lock. But it protected the guitar during shipment and is better than a soft case. The frets are a bit rough on the edges so dressing them is a must. The action is just a touch high for me but that is easy to fix.

Value
I wanted a Gibson Songmaker but they were discontinued, so this was my next choice. I am very happy with my choice. I think this guitar could be priced higher and still be a great value.

Manufacturer Support
Don't know? Never used. The Web Site is easy to navigate and it does have interactive descriptions for the ES-T Pickup System.

The Wow Factor
I wanted an Acoustic Electric this is my first and this was the choice I made. It's a guitar its good quality and it will perform as I need, the fact it also sounds great is a big plus!!!

Musical Background:
Active Musician

Musical Style:
Blues and Classic Rock read less