The Bob Taylor Interview: on starting Taylor Guitars, and advise for aspiring luthiers. 

Bob Taylor here. For the benefit of all the watchers who really want to make a guitar, I’d like to change something I said in this interview. Especially since Chris and Matt love helping people learn to build, and I feel the same as them. What did I say that I want to change? (Upon further thought) “You’re not a guitar builder if you don’t move on from kits.” How could I say that? Essentially Taylor and Martin make guitars from “kits” all day long. We just also happen to be the kit-maker. Right? Give Chris or me a StewMac Kit and we’ll make a great guitar from it. Give Wayne Henderson a StewMac kit and he’ll make a world class guitar from it that people would fight over. Hey, if you want to make guitars and have a workbench at your disposal but don’t have the ability or inclination to built a shop to make “the kit”, buy the kit. There is no shame in that. It’s how that kit is coaxed and cajoled and crafted and loved into an instrument that matters. If someone else gathered the materials and did some of the industrial work at scale, you can still become a good guitar maker. The important thing is to do it and repeat it, getting better at the important parts. Even at Taylor we tell people that, yes, we make parts at scale but the handwork is important and is what makes the difference. Hopefully this interview sparks some people into trying their hand at making a guitar. That would please me no end.

Bob helped me out in 1975 when I built a neck through electric guitar for my senior year woodshop project. The guitar turned out so nice it needed a sprayed nitro finish that I didn't have the tools for. So I went to "American Dream" guitars in Lemon Grove, CA, met Bob and asked if he could finish my guitar, but I was broke and couldn't afford much. Bob made a deal with me that if I did all the prep and sanding between coats, a clear natural nitro finish, so all his guys had to do was hang it and spray it, he'd charge me only $15. What a great guy! The guitar turned out great!

There is more valuable small business information in this video than in 90% of the rest of RU-vid. Bob Taylor knows his stuff.

I would encourage everyone to read Bob Taylor’s book, “Guitar Lessons”. It should be required reading in every business school. It is really a great guide as to how to build a business. It applies to so much more than just guitars. Great interview!

Thank You Bob and Chris. Just two regular Guys sitting down for a conversation. It was really nice to see. Thanks for the Guitars that you two build for us to play.

Great questions Chris, and thank you and Bob for graciously giving all of us this interview. I read “Guitar Lessons” last year and couldn’t put it down. That’s really saying something because I’m very picky about what I take time to read 😂

Wow. I had no idea what a legend Bob Taylor is! He legitimately loves helping people in the making community. I'm blown away!

In Sunday school we learned the song "this little light of mine I'm going to let it shine." Bob lives it.

Some videos, you don't need to ask people to 'like' them, I genuinely liked this interview.

How can anyone not love Bob, the man is a true legend of the industry and yet his whole attitude is so down to earth. Like his guitars or not, Bob is an inspiration and a very honest human

Great job on this interview Chris. I have watched countless interviews with Bob Taylor and you were able to draw him out with a great foundation of good questions. I feel Bob was intrigued and enjoyed it as much as you. That Saturday Rosewood story was phenomenal. Bravo!!!

Love this interview. My wife has never really understood my “obsession “ with building guitars. The endorphin analogy was spot on. She is an exercise nut, that analogy will hopefully resonate with her. I truly do get a buzz when I finish one and immediately start thinking about the next build. Plus I go to sleep every night thinking about my current build.

Regarding your question re the passion of building: “When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of creation is completed inside us, and the doors of our souls fly open, and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.” Michael Bridge

BobTaylor is a very wise man. He shares his knowledge in a humble way that others of his status are unable to. Read about the early days at Taylor when Bob was making guitars and the other guy was out selling them. They came very close to staving and going belly up . These guys really worked to achieve their dreams. Watch all of the Taylor shop videos. They are completely mind blowing. Chris those were some great questions thanks for this interview.

Bob is even a better& smarter man then i knew he was.Chris you really looked impressed, great job.

My dream guitar is the Taylor 814 CE. Taylor’s fretboard fits my hand so much better than the Martin GPC4 I have now. God willing that once my kids grow up I’ll be able to swing the money. Bob seems like a great man and makes me want a Taylor that much more.

A: Chris' hair needs its' own Channel. B: The contrast between these two is interesting. C: Chris disguised his questions about what he needed to know as if others needed to know from Bob.

Absolutely loved the interview. Bod seemed genuinely interested in providing advice to better the next people who take on the baton. So sweet of him to be the one to ask first about the interview, and thanks Chris for hosting the interview with interesting questions for people in many different levels of interest in guitar building. Plus, all the generic life lessons surely were a nice bonus too.

I'm a photographer and can totally relate to the photography analogies. I don't build guitars but it feels like I have a lot of interests in common with Bob

Really great interview. I've heard of Bob Taylor for years but this is the first time I've ever been introduced to hime, even if it is video. I love his interest in constantly refining his processes. That is something i do constantly, and I couldn't turn that off if I wanted to.

Great, GREAT interview and conversation! Even greater respect for you both now. Thanks for this. I'm a builder, maker, tinkerer, fixer, and PHOTOGRAPHER. The whole thing really spoke to me. Both of your abilities acknowledge another to be acknowledge are exceptional.

This video was so great! You got to pick Bob Taylors brain!!! Your videos have done the same for me with all your how to videos. I'm in the process of building my first guitar. The beginner kit from stewmac with the body built already. I'm a carpenter of 38 yrs now and want something to build in my shop when I retire in the coming yrs. Learning how to play as well. Thank you for all the info you share. Looking fwd to next video of 3000 yr old guitar

Bob was about to say Lean Manufacturing. I had to read the book The Toyota Way for my field of work, which is all about lean which is a great book to reiterate common sense in manufacturing and making improvements on the assembly line. Years ago I went to namm and i spoke with someone at the D'Addario booth and asked him why they implemented lean manufacturing into string making and he lit up and it was a great conversation.

Working for Taylor for te last 3 years has been an absolute honor!

Having been to the Taylor factory , I can tell you they really know how to build exceptional quality on a large scale. You can argue tone , bracing etc. all day long , but they are experts at team building and performance.

What a great guy Bob is! He’s so genuine and generous. Loved the interview! So proud for Chris and Matt to be out there learning and sharing.

In 2019 I took a factory tour of the Kanalea ukulele factory in Hawaii. Joe Sousa, the co-owner, talked about all the help he had received from Bob Taylor in setting up and running his factory. Joe gave me a valuable tip (UV finish) that had been passed to him from Bob. The finish process I use in my basement is thus directly inherited from Bob’s willingness to share with the instrument building community. Many thanks to Bob (and Chris) for generously sharing your knowledge and insights.

His advice about building guitars is dope. It's like when writers give advice. Don't be a writer unless you have to be. Fantastic stuff.

I would love to work for bob and his team. Guys a genius. They all are.

Just watched the entire interview in one sitting because....Bob Taylor....and the first spontaneous word out of my mouth was simply, "Wow." What a kind, intelligent, interesting, and giving person he is, and he makes a pretty good guitar as well.

What an absolutely stellar gentleman. I love how humble he is and how he is just such a regular person. Loved this interview ❤

😮😜 Jerry Garcia lives!! Great video!

Hi Bob, If I'm correct the very first store to represent Taylor on the east coast was Music Guild in Danbury, Connecticut. Just two 710s and I got one of them. Retailed for $600. That was about 1979. I'm 61 now, I still have it and it is an amazing guitar. Thank you!

2 of my favorite guitar people in the world!

Great Job Chris! Thanks for asking Bob Taylor questions that matter to makers. What an opportunity. Excellent interview!

Met bob when i was a kid. I was surprised he agreed to stop working in the middle of the day to say hi to one of his fans. I own 3 taylors now

This two great guys makes the interview looks like two people just making a happy conversation about their experience and enjoy sharing their story that what they been through...learn a lot from these guys that never give up and continue what you love to do....

I am so impressed with the level of humility and encouragement displayed by Bob Taylor. Thank you and God bless

Freaking amazing interview. Thank you Bob and Chris!

Great interview.👌 Bob Taylor is a refined master of building good quality guitars on a large production scale while maintaining a certain precise expectation. Chris, I consider you an artisan builder because you are not satisfied with being "Good Enough", even though you may joke about it from time to time. I have played several Taylors, Gibsons, a few Martins, Fenders, Yamahas, Alvarez Yari, Washburn, Ibanez, Timberline, and even a few Olsons. Watching you craft several instruments and enjoying your most recent sculpture lends me to believe that you are probably between a Martin/Taylor and an Olson leaning more towards the Olson direction because you take the extra time to refine the structure and details. Of course I have never played one of your guitars, but certain things speak for themselves. Even Bob was giving you a very subtle compliment that he was trying to be careful about he said it. As a builder I understand the work required to bring premium results and you certainly put in the effort.😉 As a musician I know the particular feel I prefer when playing, especially after playing for more than 50 years. Congratulations, I have seen many interviews with Bob and you gleaned the primary keys to his success in a 30 minute interview, nicely done.🤙

Great interview! Thank you, brought back memories. I built my first guitar in 1974. I would regularly visit a local guitar shop in Lemon Grove, California called American Dream. I must have driven those guys crazy with questions on guitar building. They were all very helpful. Sam, the owner, later sold the shop to Bob, Kurt, and Steve and it became Taylor Guitars.

That was a wonderful inspiring interview from both sides (perspective). The passion for doing something they believe in no matter what happens at what level. How learning from failures is more beneficial in many ways, and can/will take your further in the long run. I don't own a Taylor or a boutique yet, but being on the bucket list makes the it so much better when the time comes. For most people they buy what is available not necessarily what they want. Price is always an issue, however, manufactures can sell a lot more (of anything) if they can get their product out to those small less populated places and offer some kind of financing deal. That being said, cheap crap will never cut it in the long run. Quality will always prevail.

Great interview, Chris. Bob Taylor was the reason behind my buying my first Taylor. I read some interview of his and thought, I want a guitar built by THAT guy! I feel the same about you, Chris. Everything I've seen on this channel has been remarkable. I hope you and Bob stay in touch. Just because!! 🤩

Look up the word "mentor" in the dictionary and there should be a picture of Bob Taylor. What a great gentleman. Him, reaching out to Chris because he sees what a craftsman Chris is, and inviting him to see how the same thing (sort of) is done on a grander scale. And taking the time to sit down and have what appears to be an unhurried chat. Absolute class act. And an absolute great job on the interview by Chris. Thanks gentlemen!

Chris you’ve become quite a good interviewer and of course Bob is such an excellent interviewee!

I have a 1978 jumbo built by Bob. It’s by far the best acoustic I have ever touched. The bracing is very interesting. No scalloping. Thank you Bob!

This is the best interview ever, Thanks Bob and Chris I keep running into imposter syndrome moments. Good seeing a couple of guitar makers talking about guitars hearing mistakes and failures was great so much value in this video cheers back to building!

Bob , thank you. Chris, thank you.

Bob seems to be the "guitar" version of Adam Savage. A maker that also happens to like story telling. I would LOVE to listen to hours more of his stories.,

What an inspirational chat!

This is a great interview guys. Bob is such a great guy. There is so much wisdom in his advice.

I own an older Taylor that was hand made which I think they all are and received it in a custom acoustic guitar case..I tend it all the time along with my other guitars as far as humidity...but owning a Taylor The sound is so excellent..trying to save up for a 12-string they are also top of the line.

Terrific interview. I have a 1977 Taylor 855 12 string that was made in the Lemon Grove factory with Bob's handwritten signature on the label. It is a wonderful instrument.

Bob Taylor is the best!!

Dude you're a pretty good interviewer. It's not easy! This was great. Thanks.

Just a wonderful interview! Thank you for taking the time to capture this and share it with the guitar making community.

33 years ago I walked into a guitar shop and there was around 8 or 9 Taylor guitars on the wall, they were the first Taylors I had seen or even heard of. I played most of them and they were all good but the 700 series cutaway really stood out; I fell in love and badly dinted my finances (which were virtually none existent) to buy it. It was a great guitar straight out of the box, I still own it and that is what Taylor do best ie. brand new guitars that sound, play and look fantastic. Since then I have found that on a wall full of Taylors there will be one that sounds outstanding and a couple that are good, the rest ... meh! They will all play and be set up beautifully and be well made. The looks? Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A good Taylor is as good as any hand built luthier crafted guitar, yes there will be differences in overall build methods but as a guitarist of 48 years standing I find the benefits that these higher standards bring to the table somewhat negligible. It would indeed be very interesting to compare a wall full of Taylors to a wall full of handmade guitars by a respected luthier (as unlikely a scenario as that would be) and see the proportion of 'meh' guitars between the two. My original 1989 Taylor has needed 1 set up, 1 saddle and three new frets. In all that time it has proved an extremely reliable but more importantly, a fabulous companion that I still look forward to playing, sounds and plays very well and still gig with.

Every one of your videos I have loved watching - especially the 3000 year of guitar series - because I love guitars and watching how you put them together with such skill is a pleasure for me. This video is totally amazing. Bob Taylor! Wow! What an absorbing, fascinating interview. Thank you so much for making this.

Outstanding. God bless you guys...

Thanks for putting this out Chris and to Bob thanks for the wisdom

What a load of genuine inspiration. I have a half done telecaster sitting in my garage that I gave up on when I realized I used the wrong mill type for the neck and discovered a wicked twist after putting days into it. I'm going to go dust off my work area and organize it and get back on that wagon.

What a wonderful circle of life is demonstrated in this video! Thank you all for what you do!

Bob Taylor's autobiography impressed me to no end, and this interview only solidified his status in my eyes (not to mention his comments in this thread). Humble, generous, helpful, knowledgable...truly a fantastic human who wants to help those around him. Thanks for sharing this interview with us.

What a wonderful interview! Absolutely brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing! 👏👏

This was a great interview! I have a couple of Taylor guitars and absolutely love them and I have also become a fan of Chris and Matt. The first video I watched was when Chris was building a guitar from stage wood from Woodstock. After that series I was hooked!

This was an excellent interview. Very insightful. Thank you Bob Taylor and Driftwood Guitars.

Great interview! Been watching a few with Bob recently and he’s a great communicator & a wealth of knowledge. You should do more interviews btw - total natural at it 👏🏻

That was incredible. Thank you guys for making this video. It’s always good to hear and learn from Bob. It’s saddening that the great guitar makers and luthiers of our time are getting older and are precious resources that may be gone at any moment whether it be through retirement or natural causes. I love to see these teachings and lessons,..wisdom, being passed down to the next up and coming stars. Thank you for your time Bob.

So much great information from Bob, I'm going to have to watch this many times to digest it all. Thank you for this inspiration.

I am so happy for you and Matt !!!

Nice interview.

Amazing! Do more interviews! You have a knack for it.

I randomly decided to build my first electric years ago. I chose expensive woods which wasn't wise, but luckily it all worked out and now it is my favorite electric to play! Walnut body with a Olivewood top and a Wenge neck with Ziricote fretboard.

Fantastic interview, Chris. You and Bob are both very fine fellows.

Great interview

Excellent interview, thanks for making and sharing it. I'm just gathering the tools for building my own electric guitar designs, and these no-nonsense pieces of advice are much appreciated. Just build. Will do.

Just a great interview, thank you

Great questions! Incredible answers! This is the best life coaching video. Amazing how much information is available to us. Thank you Chris and Bob I won’t waist your efforts (Bob took the time to think through his interview, and clarify a position. This video is absolutely gold)with much appreciation thank you!!

Bob you’re the most down to earth person I have heard since the guy I worked for said “you can run your own business.” So I did. He was right. I learned from him how to go guidance internal. That is the same thing I hear from you here. That and kudos on the 214ce plus. Don’t know what you did there but whatever it was you did it right. Mine just rings like a bell and it’s glorious. Some guitars make you want to be a better player. That guitar makes me want to be a better person. I think that says something about Taylor guitars.

Advice taken. Stewmac kit has just arrived. 👍🏼

Wow great job on the interview!!! That was so easy to watch and listen to. On a sidenote, are you going for the Jerry Garcia look? lol

Thank you for this great video. Bob Taylor is inspiring and so are you. Again thank you.

This is fascinating, he is a natural optimiser of technique and process.

Great interview, really well done. I’m step two with the pickups now. Thank y’all

Ive watched this video 10 times and I cant stop

Great interview!❤

Amazing. Thank you both

Gosh this was so fantastic! Thank you so much.

Fantastic interview, thanks for it!

Great presentation! Thanks for sharing and of course, kudos to Bob Taylor for all his good works, especially for his work in keeping precious, and dare I say sacred trees renown for phenomenal sound and looks in those great instruments keep on a comin'. He's truly thinking about future generations! Good luck in your futures for the great instruments Driftwood is working on and are forthcoming!

Fantastic interview! Thank you

Great interview!

Love this video, would love more like it

Awesome interview. Lots of great questions and answers!

Martin might be the father of guitars, but Bob Taylor is the saint of guitars.

Fantastic interview. Bob is so down to earth.

Great interview. Lots of "no bulshit" talk. Love it.

Awesome video, inspirational, motivational and makes me want to take the jump!!! You guys rock!!

There is some insanely beneficial business insights in this interview. Thanks to both of you.

Chris, to your question about why making something resonates so deeply within some people, get Matthew Crawford’s book The World Beyond Your Head.