In the early '90s, Taylor Guitars was still honing their craft. Later on, they would dive into alternative body shapes, cutaways, new bracing designs, and intricate inlay patterns, but in the '90s their approach was more traditional. Nevertheless, Bob Taylor's guitar designs have always been cutting-edge, so even these more straightforward guitars are impressive in their own right. This Taylor 410e was made in 1993 in El Cajon, California. Its spec sheet is straightforward: a 14-fret dreadnought with a Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides. But relative to dreadnought's from other builders, its body seems bigger and more exaggerated with big square shoulders. The lower bout is 16" across, and the waist is 11-3/8" while the upper bout measures 12-1/4" across. As expected, the tone it produces is big, too. This 410e has strong, throaty output that more closely aligns with the traditional dreadnought EQ and sound than many modern Taylors. Unlike guitars from other builders, this 410e has a slim, fast neck profile that makes moving up the neck smooth and easy. Notes ring clear and true all the way up the fingerboard, and its nut measures 1-11/16". When this 1993 410e came to us, the bridge had lifted badly, so we took it to Dave Farmer at Turtle Lake Instruments. Dave re-glued the bridge properly, and he built a new saddle for it. He also dressed and polished the frets to optimize playability. Thanks to his expertise, this guitar plays like a dream, and the tone is 100% to its full potential. Cosmetically, there is a 1"-long scratch on the treble side and a noticeable ding on the side by the endpin jack. The corner of the peghead is a little crunched, and the outer edges of the pickguard are just starting to lift. There is also some general wear and tear where it sits on your knee and on the bass edge, where your arm goes across the top. Original hardshell case included, and the original Fishman pickup sounds like it should!
