NGD: 2005 Taylor 415ce

[tenoratlarge]

"New" guitar day! She's a little rough around the edges and in definite need of some TLC, but she sounds pretty darned amazing all the same! Needs some fresh bridge pins, maybe a new bone saddle and nut, and tons of little drop fills for the dings, but the tone is outrageously good.

It also has the old AA battery system which rattles... any tips? Should I see if I can upgrade that? Any suggestions on the wear around the soundhole as well? I don't mind it looking worn, but I'd like to preserve it from further damage, so any suggestions are welcome!

[timfitz63]

... It also has the old AA battery system which rattles... any tips? Should I see if I can upgrade that...?

Not certain, but upgrading the battery to the 9v system probably means swapping out the entire ES for a later version.  If you end up sending it back to Taylor for a refurbish, that might make sense.

With regard to the rattle:  what exactly is rattling?  The battery inside the housing, or something else?  When I picked up my 2008 T5-S, my brother received the shipment and checked out the guitar for me.  He said that when he played it, there was an occasional 'buzzing;' I figured he meant one of the strings was buzzing.  When I played it, I could hear the buzzing, and reproduce it on demand, but couldn't localize it at first.  But it didn't sound like a string buzzing...  Turns out the 9v battery door was sympathetically vibrating when a 'C' note was played on the 'A' string.  Apparently this was a common problem on earlier T5 models, and Taylor began installing thicker foam rubber on the back of the door to keep it tight against the battery.

It was suggested to me to just put a folded piece of paper or a little bubble wrap between the battery door and the battery -- which is a functional, if not inelegant solution.  In my case, I was able to adapt some sheets of self-adhering foam backing I had for use in the battery carriers of some old Canon camera equipment that I have; so you might try a similar solution if it's the door or battery rattling.  If its the entire housing itself, you're probably looking at a bit more involved solution...

Oh, and nice Jumbo, but the way!

[Edward]

Awwww man, as one who used to own a jumbo, I totally miss that body style!  Yours looks great.  If you dig it now in its
"rough" state, you'll love it even more later, to be sure!

Battery rattle for the AA version was fairly common ...folks simply wrapped a post-it note around the batts; just cut to size as you want it snug, but don't get the batteries stuck! 

Alternative: replace that system with the ES version 3 (which is the 2010-current system that is not the ES2 on some current models).  You can either have Taylor do it (expensive as you'd have to ship it if you're not local), or any Taylor-auth tech can do it in a jiffy.  The latter requires that you buy the harness, preamp, and battery box, then the tech will do the R&R for whatever shop rate is in your area (yeah, it's cheaper than sending your guit to the mothership).  Well worth it IMHO ...FWIW I had done two, I liked it so much .
Congrats on a lovely guit!

Edward

[tenoratlarge]

What're the differences in the updated versions of the ES? I mean I bought the guitar to get into an Expression System... I figure the change out to a 9v battery compartment wouldn't require any major changes. The route in the bottom is identical, and 2 AAs at 4.5 volts each equals 9 volts... so it would operate identically in theory, right? Maybe I'm off base... I'm fairly new to this system.

I'm not afraid of a guitar with some character in it, but I am gonna have my luthier seal up the exposed wood to keep it from falling apart, heh...

[timfitz63]

What're the differences in the updated versions of the ES? I mean I bought the guitar to get into an Expression System... I figure the change out to a 9v battery compartment wouldn't require any major changes. The route in the bottom is identical, and 2 AAs at 4.5 volts each equals 9 volts... so it would operate identically in theory, right? Maybe I'm off base... I'm fairly new to this system...

I'm sure someone else can detail for you the differences in the systems.  But an AA battery is 1.5 (not 4.5) volts each; so right there is a difference in the power supply (3v vs. 9v DC).

[tenoratlarge]

Yeah... that is definitely a difference in voltage, lol. I don't know what I was thinking... I knew 4.5 seemed a little high, and re-googling it led me to 1.5. Regardless, I'd still love to know what the improvements are from year to year.

[Edward]

... I'd still love to know what the improvements are from year to year.

See if this helps ya a bit
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=5472.0

BTW, the 9v battery box differs from the AA battery box so yes, the tech has to do a little bit of routing in the tail block if doing this upgrade ...just as a small fyi point.

Edward

[tenoratlarge]

That article breaking down the differences in the ES1 systems is perfect! It sounds to me like if I pay to have the upgrade done, it'll be the ES 1.3 that I'd want... (I've played a bit with the new ES 2, and it actually sounds a bit flat and dark in my opinion).

This guitar needs a lot of work, for sure, but I'm more than willing to put the time and effort in for a Taylo Jumbo! I'm even considering a neck reset on it... saddle looks thoroughly filed down and is barely creating a break angle on the low E. From what I hear, a Taylor neck reset is the easiest as acoustics go, so is that worth considering while I'm doing an overhaul?

[Edward]

That article breaking down the differences in the ES1 systems is perfect! It sounds to me like if I pay to have the upgrade done, it'll be the ES 1.3 that I'd want... (I've played a bit with the new ES 2, and it actually sounds a bit flat and dark in my opinion).

This guitar needs a lot of work, for sure, but I'm more than willing to put the time and effort in for a Taylo Jumbo! I'm even considering a neck reset on it... saddle looks thoroughly filed down and is barely creating a break angle on the low E. From what I hear, a Taylor neck reset is the easiest as acoustics go, so is that worth considering while I'm doing an overhaul?

A neck reset on a Taylor NT is wholly uneventful for the tech, and can be accomplished in minutes regardless of whether you do any other work.  But to your point, I'd say heck yeah, do it.  As you sound "fully invested" in this guit (and I'd personally concur ), you may want to consider having the factory do it all as they can also address whatever finish issues you want fixed, and better than anyone else as it is their proprietary UV-cured finish.  Maybe even have them check some of the "cowboy chord" frets, and do full level/dress on it.  Others here have done the "Factory Refresh" and have nothing but praise for the results.  If you're doing a saddle, consider having Taylor also do a bone nut/saddle since they'll be doing a neck reset as a matter of course anywhoo.  Along with the ES1.3 upgrade, all told you'd be getting back a stellar guitar seasoned over the years, but in like-new condition.  What's there not to love about that!
BTW, if you do end up going full boat, we will, as a matter of course, require full pictures documenting your victory.  Rules are rules, you know...

Edward

[tenoratlarge]

Will do, Edward! I'm viewing it as a wonderful little project... I got it for a steal, and even if I dump $500 into an overhaul, I'll still be coming out ahead of the game. I view this as a lifetime guitar, so I might as well take care of it!