September 8, 2022
Stick around Haggerty's a while and you're sure to run into our Taylor Guitars Rep, Eric Sakimoto. Very few manufacturers care as much as Eric. He's basically all-knowing when it comes to their guitars and he does a great job of ensuring we are also well-versed on their models, have all the latest gear, and are taken good care of. We wanted to know more - who is this mysterious man behind the guitar - so we talked him into doing a Q&A-style interview. Here's what we learned.
Q. Why Taylor Guitars?
A. When I worked in retail, I was selling all the major brands and would contact them for help. One thing that stood out with Taylor Guitars was their eagerness to help customers with their guitars. It seemed like they dealt with each issue on a case-by-case mentality. I’m sure they had policies in place but they really wanted the customer to be happy and in the end, the customer liked working with me because I got things done for them. That was a sign that this company treats their employees the same as they treat their customers. I also was appreciative of the Taylor Neck. This is the use of wood shims and a bolt on neck to ensure ease of play and maintenance. Neck resets on acoustic guitars can be expensive, in the hundreds of dollars, and can be necessary when you love playing your guitar. If you buy a Taylor Guitar new, neck resets are covered under warranty, so your instrument always plays great. This is on every Taylor Guitars since 2000 and ensures you'll have your guitar for a lifetime.
I also love the fact that we are run by guitar builders, Bob Taylor and Andy Powers. They are in it to build great guitars. Andy always says that his next guitar will be better than the one before it. It was this motivation that created V-Class Bracing which allowed our body shapes to increase in volume and sustain. They also play more in tune as the top moves in an orderly fashion. I tell people these days that we are motivated by making and improving guitars that are available for us to play. There aren’t many big guitar companies out there that are pushing guitar development and improvements. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about it. The future of Taylor Guitars is bright. Now that Andy Powers is the Master Guitar Designer, it has allowed Bob Taylor to focus on the longevity of acoustic guitars. He has started a company over a decade ago to improve the supply chain of Ebony that comes from Africa. This goes down to sustainability of ebony, but also changing the way business is done in Cameroon. The two factories have been upgraded at every level and we are a part of their lives and culture. He has also started a company called Panioli on the big island of Hawai’i and is managing a forest with Koa trees in it. He wants to make sure good wood is available down the road for many generations to come. I have a MS in Wood Products/Environmental Science with an emphasis in wood manufacturing and everything that Taylor Guitars does, as a company, fits in with a company I would want to be a part of.
Q. How long have you been there and why have you stayed?
A: I have been at Taylor Guitars since 2006, so it has been 16 years. The company takes care of my family with benefits and time during the holidays when the whole factory shuts down. We close for a week in the summer time and for two weeks in the winter. This allows everyone to stop working, decompress, and spend time with the family without interruptions. I am also a guitar player and it enjoy playing guitar and testing out all the new guitars that Andy comes up with. It is an honor to be a part of Taylor Guitars. Lastly, I enjoy traveling and getting to explore 11 states that I manage. I also like talking with all the employees and customers along the way. I am an expert on Taylor Guitars and that comes with responsibility to help people understand our company and our guitars. I am here to help them find the right guitar and if they need help with a guitar that they own, I can steer them in the right direction.
Taylor Guitars is now an ESOP and we all are co-owners working together. We are successful if we continue to work hard and as a team. If issues arise, we accept the challenge and work through it. This also will maintain a certain culture of hard work, dedication to our customers, and build great guitars.
A: Builder’s Edition 816ce – this guitar introduced the secondary sound port on a partial cutaway. Secondary sound port has normally been found on the side of the guitar so that the player can hear the guitar. The concept on the Builder’s Edition 816ce is for acoustic performance purposes and will allow the sound disperse through the entire room that the guitar is being played. The soundboard (top) of the guitar is similar to a speaker and will project the right out in front. Adding the secondary sound port will let everyone on to hear the true sound of the guitar. It is a great innovation and as a primary acoustic player, I love this concept, indeed.
GS Mini – the ultimate travel guitar. Compact and small, but has full size sound and tone. People are always amazed at the sound that comes out of a GS Mini.Everyone needs a GS Mini of any model.
Builder’s Edition K14ce – the first V-class guitar. It has been in existence for 4 years and boasted that V-Class bracing will give you more volume and sustain. The guitar will play more in tune. The wood combination (Hawaiian Koa/Torrefied Sitka) will allow the guitar to be a laser beam, cutting through the music to project to the audience. My best friend who I learned guitar with, was gifted a BE k14ce, from his wife, when the guitar came out. I played it four years later and my mind was blown away. Everything Andy Powers talked about and said would happen, happened. It is all true and I am 100% a believer now.
Q. Do you own a Taylor yourself?
A: Yes, like 12.
Q. Would you recommend a Taylor for a beginner player?
A: Yes, without a doubt. The guitar as an instrument is awkward in shape and size. People always pick up the guitar and have no real idea on how to hold it or how to sit with it. I believe the size of the guitar has to fit the person’s body and not be too big, especially. We offer ¾ size body and five additional sizes up to a Jumbo so size is never an issue with finding the right shape for a beginner of any age. Bob Taylor has always been focusing on playability as you can measure string height. When the Taylor neck was introduced in 2000, it changed the game on playability and, I believed, forced the guitar market to demand better-playing guitars. This is the main reason for beginners to start with a Taylor acoustic. It is guaranteed to play great or we will make sure it does.
I would recommend the Academy Series to anyone who is learning to play. The Academy guitar has an armrest to make it easy for your arm to go over the body, but also a short scale to lessen the tensions of the strings. This will make it easier to press the strings down. It also sounds amazing as well and you’ll end up keeping it down the line. If you are younger, then the GS Mini or Grand Theater.
Q. We hear there's a guitar pick named after your daughter?
A: We have been doing Taylor Roadshows for over a decade now. This is an in-store event that covers body shapes and tonewoods. It is an educational event that helps people understand the basics of acoustic guitar tone. People love the show and this is a great way to educate our customers. If they have the knowledge, they will be more confident in buying a guitar. We noticed that there wasn’t a lot of information on guitar picks. Pick and guitar strings affect the sound of your acoustic guitar and so we decided to come up with unique picks that will change the sound of your guitar. Our most popular pick, Thermex Ultra’s come in different colors. One was the blue swirl and we loved the look of it. We tried to make a red version but it came out with a lighter red color. So, it was decided to name it Ruby Swirl after my daughter Ruby. She will tell me that it is her picks. She was four years old when that happened. If you want a great sounding pick, go with the Ruby Swirl.
Q. What does Haggerty's do right when it comes to Taylors?
A: Haggerty’s Music offers a great customer experience with full inventory of their favorite lines and a knowledgeable staff. You have access to all the instruments to demo and if you can’t make it in the store, all the inventory is online with photography of the specific instrument you are viewing. Not everyone has a huge inventory and they want to make sure they have what you are looking for. The store is also community driven and wants to make sure when they have events, its informative and entertaining. If you get there early, they usually are bbq’ing. The store is family owned and local support is always appreciative. They will have whatever you need so if they stock a brand that you are interested in, they will have it and be priced the same or less as online vendors. In the past 40 years it has been about globalization but in recent years we are learning that local sustainability is what’s best for the community and the people that live there.
Q. Taylor leads the pack on sustainability. How important is that in guitar-making?
A: I would say it is important to any industry at this point. We live in a world of finite supply and we need to learn to use what the world is providing and make sure to replenish what you use. We build guitars out of wood that takes about 80 years plus to grow large enough to make a guitar from it. So it is important to anyone looking to get an acoustic guitar over the next few generations. Wood is wood and there is no real substitute to the sound and physical properties that make it great for an acoustic. You can’t take other materials and make it sound like a wood guitar. There are examples out there and they sound great, but won’t replace a rosewood/Sitka guitar. It is just an alternative. Other manufacturers are already getting on board as it’s the right thing to do, but also because they experience the same wood shortage issue and expenses that we do. We just started using Urban wood from Southern California in the past four years. There are many trees that grow in urban areas that make great guitars. We are using a few right now in our models and it is exciting to use these new tonewoods, but also lessen the burden on traditional tonewoods like East Indian Rosewood and Tropical Mahogany.
Q. Anything else?
A: Taylor Guitars has been around for almost 50 years and we want to make sure we around for many generations. To do that, we need to be able to service our customers for the lifetime of the guitar and also make sure we are still building great playing guitars for everyone to enjoy. We also want to make sure we are guitar driven, meaning we want to make guitars that people will use and perform with. If we improve the guitar, it is so that it will help the musician write music, become part of the music and share with everyone. I have a colleague I would go on the road with and he would always say, “we are company of innovation and accommodation.” We want to build great guitars and improve the guitar, but we also want to service the musician and as music evolves, we can evolve with it.
I will end with a second quote from Scott Paul our Director of Natural Resource Sustainability:
“It’s a quality instrument, made with quality materials, source ethically and responsibly from around the world. An instrument that can be played for generations and from a company that plans on being around for generations.”
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