Taylor T5z Review (2019)

Acoustic guitars that have electric capabilities aren’t uncommon. What IS less common is an acoustic guitar design that takes many of the best features that an electric guitar can offer and puts them all together into one impressive model. Taylor has done just that with the T5z – an incredible acoustic/electric guitar that may be unlike anything you have ever seen before.

Body & Neck

It goes without saying that electric guitars typically have thinner bodies that acoustics do, and the T5z takes a nod in that direction. It’s thin enough to resemble some hollow body electrics from other manufacturers, but the mahogany top clearly says ‘I’m an acoustic – and a pretty awesome one!’

Taylor put a lot of thought into the neck of the T5z, as it comes with a 12” fretboard radius along with jumbo frets to make string bends a piece of cake. It’s capped with an ebony fretboard for warm tone along with small diamond inlays for visual appeal.

Hardware

Features that are normally found on an electric guitar are what really set the T5z apart from the competition. The pickup configuration is an ingenious blend of traditional acoustic and electric technologies, with an acoustic sensor that senses the vibrations from the mahogany top, along with two humbuckers. That’s right – humbuckers on an acoustic guitar! There is one that is hidden by the neck, and another one that looks similar to the ‘lipstick’ style, which is mounted close to the bridge.

A five-way selector switch lets you craft your tones unlike you have ever been able to before, and it comes standard with the traditional Taylor ‘volume-low EQ-high EQ” knob setup. Since the body is so much thinner than other Taylors, the knobs are mounted right on the top near the upper bout. There’s no onboard tuner, but that’s a very minor concern when you take into account all of the tonal possibilities that the T5z offers.

The chrome Taylor tuners are smooth and precise, and it also comes with an included Taylor T5z gig bag.

Sound

There certainly can be nothing sweeter-sounding than a great acoustic guitar with a high-quality pickup system. That being said, there can be some limitations – you are pretty much stuck with some EQ settings on a basic sound.

Experimenting with the different pickup combinations on the T5z is sure to inspire your playing and let you explore sonic landscapes that you never thought you could get from an acoustic. While you can easily get that warm and rich acoustic sound we all love, getting some electric tones aren’t too far away either. You can go from traditional acoustic to smooth and jazzy with the flick of a switch!

Conclusion

The Taylor T5z is an acoustic/electric hybrid guitar that is sure to satisfy players from all genres. With a level of tonal flexibility that is relatively unmatched, the T5z is a great way to fuse the best features of an electric guitar with legendary Taylor acoustic quality.

For more info about the Taylor T5z, click here.

For more acoustic guitars under $1,000 you might like, click here.

Article Summary:

The Taylor T5z is an impressive acoustic/electric hybrid guitar that certainly lives up to the Taylor reputation for outstanding instruments. The body and neck designs are well thought out, allowing both acoustic and electric players to play with ease.

The T5z is far more than your typical acoustic guitar that happens to have some sort of pickup in it. It has a unique multi-technology system which allows for a wide range of tones that will satisfy just about any discerning player.

All of this flexibility may make the Taylor T5z a perfect solution for all of your playing and tonal needs. You can find out more by taking a look at another popular guitar from Taylor to see more of why you can't go wrong with their guitars.

Chart Summary: Taylor brings you the best of both the acoustic and electric worlds

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