Throughout 2024, Taylor Guitars has been commemorating a golden milestone—50 years of ongoing innovation since the company’s inception in 1974. Five (and counting) successful decades are certainly worth celebrating, and Taylor is one of a few leading brands in the guitar space that seems young compared to the prevalence of their name and ubiquity in the hands of players everywhere. In what can be viewed as a relatively short period, Taylor has cemented itself as a world-class guitar manufacturer poised for continued prosperity.

Guitar Center was proud to host a celebratory event for Taylor’s 50th anniversary, in which we were joined by company cofounder Bob Taylor and CEO/Master Guitar Designer Andy Powers, alongside artists Ben Harper, Elise Trouw, Lisa Loeb, Steve Poltz and Molly Miller at our flagship Hollywood store.

Guests reveled in the afternoon’s conversation and performances, enjoying a deep dive into Taylor’s beginnings, design philosophies and more, as well as hearing these instruments come to life in the hands of talented songwriters.

The Early Days of Taylor Guitars

Bob Taylor spoke directly to his transition from a guitar player to a guitar builder, citing a specific instance going back to when he was still in high school.

“Well, I was 16 years old when I wanted to go buy a 12-string guitar that I saw at a local shop, and I’m like, ‘I don’t have $175 to do that, so I think I’ll make one.’ I’ll admit—even then, I was freakishly good at making stuff, so it didn’t scare me. And I signed up for woodshop in 11th grade—high school—and I started on making a guitar.

“Part way through that first guitar, I got afflicted by the virus (laughs), and I just thought, ‘I have to do this. This is what I wanna do—forever.’ That’s a scary thought, but I did it, you know?

“And then we started Taylor when I was 19—Kurt [Listug, cofounder] was 21. We got together and (sighs, reminiscently) learned on the job.”

Pictured: Ben Harper Admiring the "First" Taylor Guitar On-stage at Guitar Center Hollywood

The rest, as they say—and to quote the old cliché—is history. Speaking of which, Taylor also showed off the “first real Taylor model” he ever built 50 years ago. Becoming an experimental tester of sorts, “All pickup development happened during the life of this [Taylor 810] … I got holes in it where things used to be, and there’s still a microphone in here. And it’s the guitar that I’ve played forever.

“A lot of times people say, ‘What’s your favorite guitar?’ And I’d always refuse to answer, but on my 50th year … it’s the 810.”

He then welcomed attendees to an up-close look at the legendary acoustic that started it all.

Andy Powers on Becoming a Luthier

Taylor Guitars CEO and Master Guitar Designer Andy Powers began developing his skillset at an incredibly early age. His seemingly natural luthiery ability did, of course, take years to perfect, but Powers’ desire to build and maintain guitars appears almost innate.

“My dad was a carpenter—is a carpenter. So, I got into woodworking … When I was seven or eight, I tried to build my first guitar. Mine didn’t work (points to Taylor)—his did. Mine exploded into a pile of splinters, because I was more of a kid than [Taylor] was.

“By the time I was 12, 13, 14, all in that age, I was doing all the repairs for the local music shops, building instruments for—it started as friends, my parents, professional musicians, friend of a friend. A collector wants me to work on their guitars, and then this museum—(jokingly) I think I’m in over my head. I can’t get out of this. So, yeah, I started pretty young.

Pictured: Lisa Loeb, Andy Powers and Bob Taylor in Conversation On-stage at GC Hollywood

“My whole teenage, growing up, kinda formative years [were] always about building guitars, restoring guitars, playing music. By the time I realized that a bunch of my friends were starting to get jobs, I went, ‘Wait a minute. I’ve been in business for more than 10 years. All my bills are paid. I couldn’t quit doing this even if I wanted to. I guess I’ll just do this instead of a job. I’ll just pretend that it’s like a job.’

“[Building guitars] is what I’ve always done and always loved. To this day, I’ve never filled out a job application.”

Bob humorously interjected that he’s also “worked harder than anybody [he knows] to prevent getting a job.” It’s safe to say things have panned out for both Taylor and Powers.

How Taylor Produces Consistently High-Quality Instruments

One of the most admirable aspects of Taylor guitars is their off-the-shelf consistency and playability across series and price points. Powers talked about his philosophy regarding what constitutes a successful guitar model, while Taylor spoke on his industriousness and innovative spirit.

Powers: “There’s two parts to a successful design—the design itself and your ability to make it. If either one of those is missing, you’ve got a problem. You’re not gonna get a good thing.

“So, if I was gonna look at it from the design side, I go, ‘Well, what kind of musically useful attributes could you build into that thing?’ … There’s practical stuff—it’s gotta play good. The notes have to be accurate. You want it to be serviceable, adjustable, consistent. Those are all great things. You want it to have dynamic range, good volume. You need some level of balance between tones—you need a pleasing sound, pleasing sonority. A lot of that stuff is fairly objective … the things that matter are fairly universal.

“The other half of that is, ‘How do you make it?’ And that’s one of the strengths that Bob has always brought in creating a factory.”

Pictured: Molly Miller's Taylor 614ce Builder's Edition

Taylor: “The factory’s my jam, and (jokingly) I’m a tweaker—and not what you’re thinking. I like to tweak the process. Every single day, in the early days, I would work eight hours making a guitar. Then, I’d work another eight hours … [to have] one little tool that made it a little bit easier.

“Some time in the early ’80s, I was in Germany for a trade show. I went and saw the Mercedes-Benz factory, and I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a factory.’ They left no stone unturned. They make Mercedes-Benzes here, and there’s not one person I saw in this factory who can ‘make a car.’ They built a factory to ‘make a car.’ Not a cheap car—an expensive car. And I thought, ‘I can do that.’

“The way I speak about it with Andy is, he’ll design something, and I’m like, ‘Okay, now we have to industrialize that.’ We have to figure out how an average person can make that part, and it can go together. It’s my thing—I love it.”

Unsurprisingly, serious design prowess and technical savviness are key ingredients in producing high-quality acoustic guitars on a major scale.

Environmental Sustainability and the Future of Acoustic Guitar Materials

For Taylor Guitars to extend its longevity by another 50 years and beyond, sustainability has to be at the forefront of everything they do. Bob Taylor shared an anecdote from the company’s ebony mill in Cameroon, where wood was being thrown out simply because it wasn’t solid black.

“I hope you like ebony with some brown streaking in it, because that’s what you’re getting. I decided that. Uncle Bob decided that for everybody. And then people go, ‘Well, if we ever knew that that was even an option, maybe we wouldn’t have been brainwashed into pure black.’ And then that just led from one thing to another, to another, and now Andy gets to build guitars with urban woods that were cut right outside this store.

Pictured: Andy Powers and Bob Taylor On-stage at Guitar Center Hollywood with Bob Taylor's Pallet Guitar

“We simply can’t just go hammer the tropics for that last piece of ‘unobtainium.’

“As of this year, we’ve planted 45,000 ebony trees in Cameroon, and more are going in every single year. We’re doing it on a village level. We don’t own the trees—we pay the people to plant them … and then we’ve taught them how to grow all of the fruits they like eating … We’ve put in, I think, 30,000 fruit trees, too, so we’re addressing food security.

“And then in Hawaii, we’ve planted tens of thousands of koa trees … We’re gonna be making guitars out of that koa in about 25 or 30 years. The ebony we’ve gotta wait about a hundred, I think.” 

Bob Taylor's Top Three "Don'ts" of Acoustic Guitar Care

If you’ve ever wondered how to take care of your acoustic guitar, Bob Taylor offered very specific guidance.

Pictured: Andy Powers and Bob Taylor On-stage at Guitar Center Hollywood

“Don’t leave it in the car. Don’t leave it in the car. And then don’t leave it in the car. Almost everything else I’m cool with. Unless you have a Tesla like mine, and you can put it in ‘dog mode,’ you know? And leave the air conditioner on the whole time. Don’t leave it where anybody can see it in the car.

“I just like to say, ‘Use it. Don’t abuse it.’ It becomes more precious the more you put into it—the more you’ve taken that guitar to someplace and done something with it.”

At the end of the day, Bob appreciates a road-worn instrument: “The hundredth scratch is patina. The first one is, you know, some type of damage.”

For additional tips from us, check out Five Easy Steps to Care for Your Acoustic Guitar.

What Artists Love About Their Taylor Guitars

A few of the event’s performers spoke directly to how their Taylor guitars work for them. Whether it’s having the versatility of a thin-body acoustic-electric, being inspired by the bold sounds that leap from a dreadnought or being able to scale the fretboard with the playability of a cutaway, the Taylor lineup offers something for everyone.

Pictured: Steve Poltz Playing His Taylor Guitar "Smoky Joe" On-stage at Guitar Center Hollywood

Ben Harper: “This is my guitar choice, because I’ve long felt that the least a guitar could do was make the tree that gave its life for the instrument proud. I have never picked up a Taylor guitar that didn’t do that, and this [Builder’s Edition 517 does it] in spades.”

Molly Miller: “This is a 614ce Builder’s Edition, and not only that—it’s an advanced prototype. I got this from the factory the first time I met Andy.

Elise Trouw: “The T5 is the guitar I have in the corner of my room. It’s my songwriting guitar … My favorite thing about it … there’s enough volume to get that kind of acoustic songwriting feel. Once the part is developed, just plug it in, straight in—just start recording. The versatility and hybrid mentality of it really suits my looping setup for my live shows … I like the thinness of it—I can take it on, take it off. Normally, in my full set, I’m hopping between instruments … So, that ease is what I love about [the Taylor T5], too.”

Pictured: Elise Trouw with her Taylor T5 speaking with Andy Powers and Bob Taylor

“With the support of an amazing instrument, it makes [playing technical parts] feel not challenging. Andy and Bob make these beautiful guitars that are just easy to play. You can play anywhere [on the fretboard], and there’s so much sustain, and they’re so reactive and responsive. I feel like the guitar makes it easier.”

Cheers to 50 Years of Taylor Guitars

With the golden anniversary out of the way, Taylor looks forward to continued leadership in the realm of acoustic guitars for decades to come. Between their unique sustainability practices, innovative designs and expressive playability, owning a Taylor guitar is the pride of countless musicians the world over.

Left to Right: Ben Harper, Elise Trouw, Lisa Loeb, Steve Poltz, Andy Powers, Molly Miller, Bob Taylor

We’d like to thank Bob Taylor, Andy Powers, Ben Harper, Elise Trouw, Lisa Loeb, Steve Poltz, Molly Miller, everyone who joined us in Hollywood and everyone who watched the livestream. Taylor’s 50th anniversary was truly a special event—if you haven’t already, tune in to the recording to relive a magical afternoon.

For a deep dive into Taylor's current offerings, be sure to check out A Guide to Taylor Guitars.