Bob Taylor is known as one of the finest guitar craftsmen in the world. He is so good, that he actually said he would never sponsor professional musicians. Then he met and heard Doyle Dykes. Bob Taylor told Doyle to keep the guitar, and the partnership between the two exists today. Doyle is known as one of, if not the best fingerstyle guitarist in the world. Through collaberation with Taylor, a signature series guitar was released. It was at first introduced as a limited edition run, but now is a part of the Taylor line.

I had the priveledge of playing one of these guitars recently. The model that I played had both the Taylor Expression System and the L.R. Bagg's pickup in it. Running through Stereo, there is no better sound from a guitar. The model below is the Doyle Dykes Anniversary Edition, and the specs are directly from the Taylor website. You can also find more information on Doyle's website (www.DoyleDykes.com).

Model Specifications:

DDAE

Type/Shape: 6-String Grand Auditorium
Back & Sides: Big Leaf Maple
Top: Sitka Spruce
Soundhole Rosette: Abalone
Neck: Hard Rock Maple
Fretboard: Ebony
Fretboard Inlay: Offset Pearl Markers
Headstock Overlay: Ebony
Binding: White Plastic
Bridge: Ebony
Nut & Saddle: Tusq
Tuning Machines: Gold-plated Taylor Tuners
Strings: Elixir® Light Gauge Strings-NANOWEB® Coating
Scale Length: 24 7/8 Inches
Truss Rod: Adjustable
Neck Width at Nut: 1 3/4 Inches
Number of Frets: 20
Bracing Scalloped, X-Brace
Finish Gloss
Cutaway Venetian
Ele

cOne of the most popular high end Taylor's is the 710. This guitar can be found in several different versions: A standard Dreadnought, and a dreadnought cut-away. Both of these versions are available with or without Taylor's highly acclaimed Expression System Pickup. I am going to mainly focus on the regular 710. This guitar is perfect for the gigging musician or for the guitarist who just enjoys playing at home. It comes with the high-end rosewood and spruce top of Taylor's top models, but it much more affordable. While I am not personally a fan of TUSQ, it serves as a good alternative to the hardness of bone needed for the nut and saddle. A huge plus of this guitar is the addition of an Ebony fretboard, as opposed to rosewood or Micarta. Ebony produces a harder feel than rosewood but a softer feel than Micarta, making it easier on the hand and fingers. While this guitar does not come with the ornamentation of the 800 or 900 series, its sound is full and rich. Sitting next to an 800 or 900 series guitar, it would be hard to tell which is which without looking at them. Overall, this is a great guitar for a great price.ronics Taylor

Type/Shape: 6-String Dreadnought
Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood
Top: Engelmann Spruce
Soundhole Rosette: Hawaiian Koa
Neck: Tropical American Mahogany
Fretboard: Ebony
Fretboard Inlay: Small Pearl Dots
Headstock Overlay: Indian Rosewood
Binding: Indian Rosewood
Bridge: Ebony
Nut & Saddle: Tusq
Tuning Machines: Gold-plated Taylor Tuners
Strings: Elixir® Medium with NANOWEB® Coating
Scale Length: 25 1/2 Inches
Truss Rod: Adjustable
Neck Width at Nut: 1 3/4 Inches
Number of Frets: 20
Bracing: Scalloped, X-Brace
Finish: Gloss
Cutaway: None
Electronics: None
Body Width: 16 Inches
Body Depth: 4 5/8 Inches
Body Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 41 Inches