Taylor Factories

Taylor Guitars, founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, quickly became one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium acoustic guitars. While their instruments are celebrated worldwide, the heart of Taylor’s success lies in its factories, where innovation meets craftsmanship. Here, we journey through the various facilities that make Taylor the brand it is today.

Taylor USA Factory: El Cajon, California

The El Cajon facility, nestled in Southern California not far from San Diego, stands as the flagship factory for Taylor Guitars. Established in the mid-1970s, this facility has grown alongside the company, witnessing and facilitating Taylor’s evolution into one of the premier acoustic guitar brands globally. Here’s a closer look at the significance and workings of the El Cajon factory.

Birthplace of Innovation

El Cajon is more than just a production facility. It’s the birthplace of many of Taylor’s groundbreaking innovations. From pioneering manufacturing techniques to the development of Taylor’s patented NT neck design and V-Class bracing system, El Cajon has been the epicenter of Taylor’s engineering feats.

Craftsmanship Meets Technology

The facility is an amalgamation of traditional craftsmanship and modern machinery. While CNC machines and laser cutters ensure precision, many stages of the guitar-making process at El Cajon are still done by hand. This blend ensures each guitar achieves a high standard of quality while retaining its unique character.

High-End and Custom Models

El Cajon is responsible for crafting Taylor’s high-end, limited edition, and custom guitars. It’s here that the finest tonewoods are transformed into some of the most sought-after instruments in the guitar world.

Sustainable Practices

Under the roof of the El Cajon facility, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a way of life. Taylor’s commitment to ecological responsibility is evident in its wood sourcing, waste management, and energy consumption practices.

Education and Community Engagement

The El Cajon facility regularly opens its doors to the public through guided factory tours. These tours offer enthusiasts a behind-the-scenes look at the intricate process of guitar crafting. It’s not just an opportunity to witness the birth of a Taylor guitar but also a chance to understand the brand’s ethos, commitment to quality, and environmental responsibility.

Expansion and Upgrades

Over the years, as the demand for Taylor guitars surged, the El Cajon facility has seen multiple expansions and upgrades. This not only increased production capacity but also brought in newer technologies, ensuring Taylor remained at the forefront of guitar manufacturing innovation.

Taylor Mexico Factory, Tecate

Located just south of the California-Mexico border in Tecate, Baja California, the Tecate factory of Taylor Guitars has played an instrumental role in making the company’s world-renowned quality accessible to a broader range of guitar enthusiasts. Here’s an in-depth look at the Tecate facility and its significance in Taylor’s production lineage.

Innovation Centers

The name “Taylor Guitars” is synonymous not only with impeccable craftsmanship and quality but also with innovation. Over the years, Taylor’s commitment to elevating the art of guitar-making has led to the establishment and fostering of various innovation centers. These centers, both a physical manifestation and a conceptual framework, represent the brand’s ongoing journey of discovery and improvement in the realm of luthiery.

El Cajon Facility as the Hub of Innovation

The El Cajon facility, Taylor’s primary factory, is more than just a manufacturing site. It’s here that most of the company’s groundbreaking advancements are conceived, prototyped, and tested. A dedicated R&D (Research & Development) team, led by the company’s founders and chief designers, continually pushes the envelope, ensuring that Taylor remains at the forefront of guitar innovation.

V-Class Bracing System

One of the most notable innovations to come out of Taylor’s commitment to research and development is the V-Class bracing system. This internal guitar architecture, designed by Andy Powers, Taylor’s master guitar designer, fundamentally changed the way the top of the guitar vibrates. The result is improved volume, sustain, and intonation, representing a significant advancement in acoustic guitar design.

Taylor’s Neck Design

Another hallmark innovation, Taylor’s patented neck design allows for precise neck angle adjustments. This not only ensures the longevity and playability of the guitar but also simplifies the process of neck angle maintenance.

Eco-Friendly Finish

In their quest to minimize environmental impact, Taylor introduced an eco-friendly finish that offers the resilience of a traditional finish while drastically reducing the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This innovation showcases Taylor’s commitment to combining ecological responsibility with top-tier guitar craftsmanship.

Urban Ash Initiative

Emerging from their broader sustainability endeavors, Taylor’s work with “urban woods” (woods sourced from city trees that would otherwise go to waste) has led to the discovery and promotion of alternative tonewoods, like the “urban ash.” Such initiatives, while environmentally responsible, also push the boundaries of tonal possibilities in guitar-making.

Collaboration Spaces

Taylor’s innovation centers aren’t just about machinery and prototypes. They also serve as collaborative spaces where ideas are exchanged, and creativity flourishes. Regularly hosting luthiers, musicians, and experts from various fields, these spaces become melting pots of inspiration and innovation.

Sustainability & Wood Sourcing

Taylor Guitars, since its inception, has not only been recognized for its craftsmanship and sound quality but also its unwavering commitment to sustainability, particularly in the domain of wood sourcing. Recognizing the intrinsic connection between the health of global forests and the future of wooden musical instruments, Taylor has emerged as an industry leader in sustainable and ethical practices.

Ebony Project in Cameroon

One of Taylor’s most significant initiatives in sustainable wood sourcing is its involvement in the Ebony Project in Cameroon. Recognizing that ebony – a vital tonewood – was being sourced unsustainably, Taylor Guitars, in collaboration with Madinter, an international tonewood supplier, acquired an ebony mill in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This move was not just to secure a consistent supply of ebony, but to ensure that the wood was being harvested sustainably. Moreover, the project supports local communities, offers education, and plants more trees than it harvests.

Replanting Initiatives

Taylor Guitars has consistently been involved in tree-planting initiatives. They’ve partnered with various organizations to restore vital ecosystems, understanding that replanting today secures the future of guitar-making. This commitment is seen in their work in both Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest, replanting koa and maple trees, respectively.

Urban Wood Initiative

Recognizing that valuable tonewoods often go to waste in urban settings when trees fall or are cut down, Taylor has been at the forefront of the urban wood movement. This initiative seeks to repurpose wood from city trees, turning potential waste into beautiful instruments and reducing the demand on forests.

Sustainable Tonewood Sourcing

Beyond ebony, Taylor is committed to sourcing all its tonewoods sustainably. This means either using certified woods, ensuring that the wood comes from responsibly managed forests, or seeking alternative, sustainable materials that can deliver the desired tonal qualities.

Innovation in Materials

Understanding the pressures on certain wood species, Taylor has been innovative in seeking alternative materials. Examples include the use of layered wood (or laminate) for less critical parts of the guitar or the exploration of woods not traditionally used in guitar-making that are abundant and can be sourced sustainably.