The History of Taylor Guitars

When Bob Taylor was 17, he wanted a guitar but couldn’t afford one.  So he decided to make one instead.  He made three guitars in the back of the gas station where he worked, in between wiping windshields and pumping gas.   At the age of 18, he took his guitars to Sam Radding, the owner of guitar manufacturer American Dream, who hired him.

There, he met Kurt Lustig, who was two years older.  Lustig had pestered Radding to give him a job for years—even though he had no experience making guitars. When Radding decided to sell the company in 1974, Lustig and Taylor, still barely older than teenagers, bought him out.

Taylor and Lustig renamed the business Westland Music Company. They thought the name sounded impressive and established.The reality, however, was far from impressive. The factory leaked, and their first day in business was spent cleaning puddles off the floor.

The name didn’t last, however. It was too long—the company needed a name that would fit on their stationery. They chose Taylor as the brand because it was short and more pronounceable than Lustig.

Times were lean for Taylor Guitars for years. Dealers liked the guitars—the bolt-on neck made repairs easy; they were an affordable alternative to the standard Martins; and they offered several options for neck width, which gave them an advantage over other brands.  However, electric guitars were rapidly becoming more popular than acoustic, and there was fierce competition among acoustic manufacturers for a limited market share.

Taylor got its big break with the infamous “Prince guitar.” They accepted a challenge to make a 12-string guitar for Prince’s next recording session.  Prince refused to play any guitar with a visible brand name, so Taylor constructed one specially—a purple one—with no logo in sight.  Prince used it in his Purple Rain and Live Aid videos, and suddenly famous musicians from all over the world found out about Taylor Guitars.

Today, Taylor produces guitars for high-profile and unknown musicians alike, and they’re one of the most successful companies in the industry. They’ve come a long way from their humble beginnings, but the ride has been worth it.