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| The only hint that guitars are built in this business park |
It would be very easy for someone to drive by the Taylor factory without even realizing it, as the factory is located in a business park along with many other manufacturing businesses. Only a few miles from the San Diego Air & Space Museum to the east, and Miramar Air Station to the north-west, it would be very easy to spend the entire day in this little corner of California and still not see all the town has to offer.
Taylor recently completed a new visitor center near the lobby, which provides those waiting for the tour a convenient place to bask in all things Taylor: T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, coffee mugs, books, guitar stands, picks... and oh yes-- guitars too.
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| Visitor Center |
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| Our tour guide, Scott |
The tour group meets at the counter, signs in and receives a radio receiver with headphones, a pair of safety glasses, and a visitor badge-- I thought this was a little much, that is until the tour began. Guests are taken on a guided tour through every step of the guitar production process from wood selection all the way through final assembly. Our guide for the day was Scott, a 10-year employee who maintains the factories machinery.
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| Scrap wood awaiting to be repurposed |
As mentioned, the tour started in the wood storage facility, and moved through the wood shop where Scott explained each step of the process. For instance, he showed us three large bins that contained wood scraps outside the woodshop. Rather than simply disposing of the remnants, Taylor re-purposes the scrap. Some of it becomes bracing for the guitars, some becomes drink coasters emblazoned with the Taylor logo and given away to guests, while other pieces become kindling for fireplaces and BBQ grills. Every effort is made to eliminate waste throughout the entire building process.
Scott explained how the wood is selected based on the model of guitar being built, and how the various other parts are chosen, such as neck & fingerboard woods, inlay material, and finishes. Along the way we met several people responsible for each process.
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| Pressing frets into a fingerboard |
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| Final setup & inspection on a T-5 electric/acoustic |
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| Cutting & inlaying abalone |
However, these guitars don't leave the factory without a considerable amount of human influence as well. The contrast between high-tech & traditional methods in the same work areas is intriguing Cutting and setting the delicate inlays, is still done by hand, as is the sanding, shaping, and binding of these beautiful guitars.
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| Final setup & inspection |
Our tour lasted nearly two hours, though it felt much shorter-- time does indeed fly when having fun. The radio receivers & head phones not only allowed us to hear Scott describe all the steps required to make a Taylor guitar, but also as a means to block out some of the noisy machinery. The safety glasses were actually necessary as the tour takes you right alongside some of the workers sanding & cutting the woods that would ultimately become some lucky persons guitar. Getting tohave such an close up, behind the scenes tour of the birth of a Taylor guitar was one of the highlights of my year. There was a real sense of passion among the workers here, and everyone we talked to was excited to explain all the details of their work.
Again, anyone who owns a Taylor, plays any kind of guitar, or just plane dig guitars should check out one of the daily free tours of the Taylor factory.
Stay tuned & in-tune~
