Taylor T5z Standard Review

Wimpy

I've been playing this guitar long enough to have it refretted and it's o.k, doesn't have enough frets for a real lead guitar, doesn't like any other tuning other than standard and doesn't adapt well to different string gauges. It hates staying in tune if you really play with emotion and intensity. Perfect for limp wristed beginners.

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Lovely, excellent-playing hybrid guitar that does exactly what you need a hybrid to do

I've had my T5z Standard Honey Sunburst for roughly a month now, so I might update this later after I've had time to live with it for a while. However, here are my impressions so far. I bought this guitar to serve in situations where I need to get between really good acoustic guitar tones and *respectable* electric guitar tones quickly, without switching guitars. This happens… read more to me a lot in worship-team situations; you're coming out of an acoustic-guitar song and in like ten seconds you have to intro more of a rocker. Part of the reason I bought the spruce-topped version is that I thought that might "bias" this guitar's tone a little more toward the acoustic end, which is what I wanted. Because of the Covid situation I haven't had as much playing-out opportunity with this guitar as I'd like, but so far I can say that this guitar fits the above-described bill extremely well. The acoustic tones in switch position 1 are excellent--if one closes one's eyes you would entirely believe I'm playing a Taylor dreadnought, and you can get a very Martin-like tone out of it also with a bit of tone shaping. Switch position 2 gives an entirely respectable solid-body neck pickup type of tone. It definitely doesn't sound EXACTLY like, say, a Strat neck pickup, but it gives you enough of the *character* of a Strat neck pickup that it works just fine in the situation I described above, and you can get to it with a flip of a switch and without throwing guitars all over the stage. With some additional tone shaping it does a nice jazz-box tone. Switch position 3 gives excellent rock-and-roll or country twang, Tele-like--again, not a perfect replacement for a Tele but a good enough emulation for many situations, and again you can get to it in about a second with one switch and two knobs. Switch positions 4 and 5 are only slightly different from each other, but they do have differences that you can accentuate with the tone shaping and I think they'll both end up coming in handy. I hear no audible pop or anything like that when flipping the selector switch. I did try swapping the T5z for my Strat during a recent recording session, and I was amazed at how good it sounded. It was a smidge brighter than the Strat, but really warm and fat and it fit really well into the mix overall. One consideration with the T5z is that you do need to remember what to do with the tone-shaping knobs to get to the various sounds you might want. If you don't like fiddling with knobs then this guitar might frustrate you. For me, that means I have to practice the transitions between tones and program into my head where those knobs are supposed to be for each song. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of. The playability has been absolutely superb, and the fit-and-finish are outstanding. This guitar feels very good in my hands. It's very lightweight, too--I think mine is just a smidge over 5 lbs. It does need retuning more often than some of my other guitars, but it's not to the point of being a problem, and like I said I haven't had it very long yet so it's still "settling in". For me personally, the one downside has been that this guitar is REALLY small. If you are coming to it from solid-body electrics, then this is a fantastic choice, but my main axe is an Epiphone Joe Pass and the T5z feels *tiny* compared with the JP, to the point at which it does take some getting used to. (The T5z has a bigger brother, the T5. I picked the T5z over the T5 because the z model has a smaller fingerboard radius, which I prefer.) To sum up: if what you are looking for is a single hybrid guitar that nails the acoustic tones and very respectably and usefully emulates a wide variety of electric tones, with top-notch craftsmanship and playability, then the T5z Standard is definitely a candidate for you and I'd highly recommend it. Last but definitely not least: I did a ton of research when trying to decide whether this guitar was right for me, and Robby Resnick was a fantastic resource every step of the way. Robby and Sweetwater definitely get customer service right, and that's a big part of why i keep coming back.

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A real winner, the T5 for electric players!

The T5 came out over a decade ago, and it was an absolute grand slam of a hit for Taylor. I've had three of them, and still have one, an 09 LTD. Recent band cancellations lead me to form a smaller vocal group to play the events still available. A more acoustic venture than other bands, I needed a versatile electric-acoustic, and the T5 filled in well. But the original was more an… read more electric for acoustic players, feeling more acoustic in the neck, frets, and general size than I'd like. I learned of the T5z, freed up some funds and called Sweetwater. My rep, Chris Leonard, dud a great job on the price, and it was done. The guitar arrived in Texas the same week! No sense in hiding the outcome... it was everything I'd hoped it would be. The 12" radius neck felt much more comfortable, while bending and lateral movement was enhanced by lower and wider frets. The body is notably smaller, but has lost none of the tone of the full size T5 when plugged in. And the Taylor hard case is, as always, plush and sturdy. I highly recommend this guitar to electric players tired of the tinny, brittle "acoustic" sounds of piezo under saddle pickups or bridges. The sound is smooth and rings, devoid of the harsh piezo overtones. I love it.

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Nigels new Taylor

The T5z is not meant to be played without an amplifier as it is a low projection instrument. But plug it in and WOW, this Guitar is amazing. Very Tele/Strat Acoustic sounding. 5 position switch gives you everything you need to satisfy any taste in music. Highly recommend this instrument. I feel like I'm playing my low action JS24p.

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T5z

Amazing fit and finish. As a Cabinet maker, I can truly appreciate the fine Craftsmanship that went into this instrument. Sweetwater contributed to the experience by setting up this instrument with the knowledgeable technicians who worked on bringing this baby to life.i wouldn't buy a guitar anywhere else but Sweetwater. Thank you.

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Taylor T5Z spruce top

More great service from Sweetwater, got a spruce topped T5Z, beautiful honeyburst. Taylor build/fit/finish is outstanding, in the same league as my Collings and PRSes. I can get great acoustic sounds from this even plugged into my electric amp head, not yet tried it with a PA or acoustic amp but expect great results as well. Even more playable than my electrics. It gets a 4.5… read more instead of a 5.0 for one small preference of mine, the thickness of the neck. I'm into the PRS wide/fat neck and this is more of a C shape, like my Collings, than the D shape of my PRSes. The guitar would probably be neck heavy if it had a beefier neck. I wanted to try this before I started down the rabbit holes of trying to electrify my acoustics. I've stayed away from Taylors in the past because of their long scale and flat fretboards, glad they are starting to deviate from that.

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I like the hybrid

I received this from Sweetwater on NYE. I've performed with it in various settings since then and I'm very happy with this guitar. I wasn't even shopping for a guitar. I do solo guitar/vocal performances. My main guitar was getting new fret wire after nearly 10 years of heavy use so I was using my Strat as a back up. I was told it would be a couple of weeks for my main to be… read more ready because of the holiday season. I play through a Fishman SA220 which is another great piece of gear. Although the Strat sounded surprisingly nice directly through it, it lacked the percussive nature of my Martin. I was at a local guitar shop with my son and I tried out a used T5Z Classic. I liked it right away because it plays and feels like an electric but can do a pretty nice job of sounding acoustic. It doesn't match my Martin for acoustic depth nor would it outshine a Gibson ES or Strat. It isn't meant to do any of those things. But, it does very well at covering several different tones that remind me of other types of Acoustic guitars and Electric Hollow bodies. I realized quickly that for a solo performer like me this is great. Largely because I use a looper in live situations, I play a lot of lead over rhythms that I record live on the fly. Often times in long performances or on days with more than one performance my forearm and my fret hand get very fatigued playing the way I do on an acoustic. Along with the great tones I can get out of this guitar, the easy play-ability is NICE for a working musician. Being a hollow body the T5Z has a more percussive nature for solo performing than my Strat obviously, but less than my Martin. I'm very happy with the in-between vibe it provides. I chose to get the Standard model because I wanted a spruce top for more acoustic tone. The Classic is Mahogany and the Pro is Maple. Other than the type of wood for the top and finishes with binding, I believe all of the T5Z series are basically the same. Spruce was important to me and I like the tobacco sunburst finish. It has a vintage look to it. Overall, this guitar seems to be very well built and plays beautifully. It has a great range of tones available too. It has an acoustic setting and also two humbuckers on board for electric use. I use it directly into my Fishman SA220 and the sound is GREAT! I've also played it through my sons Fender Deluxe Reverb RI and it sounds nice there too! I consider it a flexible workhorse and I hope it proves me right with reliability in the long run. As always, Marcos and the Sweetwater team provide excellent customer service. As a result I highly recommend Sweetwater to other musicians.

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A Very Nice Guitar

I received My T5z on 10-09-15. They shipped it across the United Sates and it was very well packaged to say the least. When I finally got the boxes opened, I saw a piece of art work. "Beautiful Guitar" I immediately plugged it in and started playing. The neck; fret board and body are very well designed. I felt like I've had this guitar for years. What was amazing, was the different… read more tones this guitar produces. The five position switch, gives me all the sounds I love with out any effect pedals attached. Really, It's pretty amazing what this Guitar can do. I live in California so, I went into a local music store and Played the one they had on display. I was convinced after an hour of just plain screwing with it how nice Taylor put these T5z models together. This Taylor is much lighter in weight then my "Coronado" (Still One of My Favorite Guitars) and Taylors Neck, plays as easy as My Fender Strats.Neck. ( My Old Friend Forever) That's the first thing I noticed when I picked it up and played. I'm sure that anyone who plays this Tz5 will say the same thing. This is an excellent guitar for any type of music and very comfortable to play.. It kind of just fits your body. JJr. O.C. Ca.

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Quickly Becoming My Favorite!

This guitar is incredible! Between the voicing possibilities, and the feel, and of course the sleek beautiful look this Taylor is sure to amaze! This is the 4th stringed instrument I've bought from Sweetwater as well as a couple amps. I have total confidence when I order from these guys. The service and experience are impeccable.

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