For the last few years, famous guitar maker Taylor has been producing electric guitars as well. They are typically known for their acoustic guitars and they have three models for electric.
Ranging from hollow body to semi hollow body guitars, they currently have T3, T5, and T5z models available. In this article, I will go over each guitar briefly to provide you some information about them.
Taylor T5
Taylor T5 is a hollow body hybrid electric acoustic guitar that was first released in 2005. Since then, it was chosen by a lot of guitarists because it successfully produces acoustic and electric guitar sounds.
This guitar comes with a 5-way switch that controls three humbuckers for a variety of sounds. The tone of the guitar can accommodate anywhere from jazz to rock, which is a nice feature.
You can turn this guitar into a full on electric guitar with a switch, which is really nice. Or, if you prefer an acoustic sound, you can also use it as such. You can use T5 with both an acoustic amp or guitar amp.
T5 also has a built in EQ, so if you prefer more treble or less bass, you can do that. Or, if you want a lot of bass and least amount of treble, that is also very much possible.
What’s really impressive about T5 is that if you want to play full-on rock, it provides that sound for you. Or, if you want to do an acoustic gig, it also delivers that sound. If you don’t feel like carrying an electric and an acoustic to gigs, you can get both in this guitar, which is really nice.
Taylor T5z
Taylor T5is the smaller version of T5z. You can use both electric or acoustic amps on T5z, in order to get to the unique sound that you like. It is a very versatile guitar that serves well for a wide spectrum.
It was a warm sound that can be used with jazz chords, as well as milder styles. When paired with an electric guitar, it can create really nice sounds. With the bridge humbucker, you can also play styles like rockabilly, rock n roll and other styles that require the ‘twang’ and the ‘crunch’.
When used with a distortion, it made me think of the Black Keys’ sound, with a mix of electric rock and blues. T5z responds really nicely to a loud sound if that’s what you’re going for, as a rhythm guitar and also as a lead guitar.
This guitar also comes with four different model choices, ranging from mahogany, spruce, flamed koa or curly maple.
Taylor T3
Taylor T3 is a semi hollowbody guitar that creates a very versatile sound also. This one is a full on electric guitar as opposed to the hybrid features of T5 and T5z. Unlike these two, there are no acoustic sounds in T3, so it is focused more on electric sounds.
It’s a full sounding guitar when the humbuckers are on fully. T3 can be used for pop music, jazz, rock, rockabilly, and many other styles. I think the versatility of this guitar is a big plus for such a variety of styles.
The guitar includes a three-way switch where you can choose between neck/bridge, full neck or full bridge setups to get the sound you like. It also is hollowed out, so it is a light guitar which is nice if you play standing for long hours.
T3 has a nice, warm, clean tone that can be used as a way to kind of simulate acoustic sound too. If you prefer a distortion sound, you can get some nice tones into your rhythm or lead sound.
Taylor says that this guitar is for people who like the tone and versatility of T5, but who also want a full on electric guitar. T3 was specifically built based on feedback from T5 and T5z, so it delivers on a variety of fronts.
Final Words
So, these are the three main models of Taylor electric guitars. They also have a custom guitar section on their website where you can actually build your own electric guitars.
I highly suggest trying these guitars in person, when it is safe to do so again. I think, as a guitar player, it is very important to experience and play the guitar before making a purchase. It’s important that you feel comfortable with the guitar and that you enjoy the sound. Hope you enjoyed this article and it provided some information for you. Happy guitar playing!
Alper Tuzcu