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Some first(for me) sound "impressions" of the new version on this - http://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2018-taylor-flips-the-v-at-x-bracing-with-innovative-new-acoustic-design
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70WoVtd8RkU
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=81&v=_lrNq5Qktmk
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNpwOq_AT30
(nice jam at the end)
I might be just tempted to try this for my next.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Found another one, but a lot of effects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ0JBjSeK_c&app=desktop

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Something I came across before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w00ty90qZcI

As a curiosity I suppose it's conceivable to want to try it, but what I see from your links are very little actual quality playing and a lot of (probably paid compensation) spectacular blather.
I have listened (with "grate" pain) to the bits of "fingerstyle" playing (open tuning?) with probably lots of sound editing and EQ adjustment, and a bunch of strumming which I consider two foundations of Taylor buyers, good for them. I have listened to this with a set of Altec Lansings and 10" bass speaker.
I don't hear much, myself. Sounds thin and quite "sterile" as far I can hear. Yes, a lot different than the usual Martin X, but I can get better than that and FAT out of ladder bracing. The Larson laminated bracing sounds better to me also and both are clear too.
To each their own, I guess, but I just don't get it...

You shouldn't harsh on their mellow. This is the greatest thing since Kasha revolutionized guitar building.
Transitioning from a few good hand built guitars to full production is the proof of the pudding.

Well hearing about the note definition from a few places other than Taylor and hearing the same thing from Pepe Romero who has been building an inverted fan pattern for a few years I am curious. I had the crazy idea of making a test fixture or maybe a top with some sides and a removable back, build up a X-brace with hide glue, do a few tests, remove it and stick on the new and improved. Try to get the same bridge rotation in each, compare some measurements or even throw a neck on it.


Sorry I was dreaming that I was retired. And I thought, I don't have back and side set I want to trash, and then I thought I just ordered some wood and they had some maple seconds on for $20. I knew I should have bought one just for ideas like this one.

Somehow, I don't see a good hand builder being able to even relate to production. Hand building requires thought and consideration, not "full metal stamping".
Harsh on their mellow? I must be getting old...

I listened to the video's. It sounded like a guitar...

I used to work with a company that did aircraft parts. We had two types of engineers, design and production. The design seemed to have the glory, the production guys needed to really know the materials. Punching out a part with a different batch of metal and getting rippling on a side, what did we have to do when we had that problem 12 years ago?

I used to run some packaging machinery on a production line and the plant would run about 92% efficiency (as compared to the maximum amount of product in the given time). They let my partner and I go for holidays in the same week. When we came back we found out the line slowed down to 55% without us. They never let us to go during the same week ever again. It was just a case of knowing your equipment and the materials going into it and taking the care and trouble to get everything just right. I ran another machine years earlier, filling bottles. Had about six parameters that affected how they were filled. For the first five minutes of operating everything is rejects until the operator gets a handle on the process and settles it down. I had a knack of getting it settled better than others. Again it is attention to detail and knowing how to get the best out of your tools.

When I left that life behind and started another doing maintenance in factories I knew to talk to the operator/person in the area and ask what is happening and what they think is different. Sometimes the person there knows the equipment and what it should be doing and what changed. 'It used to make this sound when it ran good'. They try to engineer out operator function, load the CNC machine and the machine will take care of the rest. Maybe in a perfect world. My rant for the day.

Fred, I think that builders that have years of experience building guitars, mandolins, violins, etc, know that what I am saying is that a hand builder develops a feel for the wood in trying to achieve a higher tonal quality. That is something that is not possible with full metal stamping. Those builders are not concerned with whether the "line" slowed down to 55%.
Instrument manufacturers are not concerned with tonal qualities so long as any instrument falls within a range of tonal quality. A hand builder is concerned with EACH instrument being as high quality tonally as his/her experience can be put into it.

I understand, I am trying to learn the craft myself. Just commenting that even with a production line the people on it can have an influence on the quality of what comes off it. Been there done that and quite often the thought is you can just swap out one person for another and get the same result. Management tries to engineer out the effect of people but they still have an influence on the quality of what pops out the line.

Oh yeah. Personnel have impact no doubt.

I've always wondered how big shops handle the sound board bracing. Is it just Stamped Out and done? I assume smaller shops like Collings and Santa Cruz have somebody there flexing them a bit and what not before they go on the rim. I saw a H & D video where they had the unbraced plate on some sort of compliance measuring device.

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Pat

Me Thinks there is a bit-o-KaKa in the wind on this .

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Just finished reading the articles on this in the Taylor magazine that a client gave me.

I must say it is good spin and actually very interesting reading.

I am anxious to play one before passing judgement.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Tell you guys what.........

My shop will be getting them soon, we had dibs on some of the first ones. I'll play them, listen to them, and tell you what I think. If you'd like I'll try to take pictures of things like top deflection and arch, neck blocks and such.

If you want something measured (and if I can measure it) ask me here and I can try to oblige you if you're the curious type.

I'll say this on the bracing. It reminds me of a cello/violin (a bit), mixed with ladder bracing. I don't read marketing wank, I just want to hear them.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.