Bob Taylor Redesigns Doyle Dykes Signature Model
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(Click for a close-up) |
July 23, 2004
Bob Taylor has put a fresh spin on the Doyle Dykes Signature Model (DDSM). Taylor's decision to redesign the DDSM as a short-scale guitar came as the result of a conversation with Dykes, the fingerstyle master, recording artist, and long-time Taylor clinician.
Dykes played electric guitar almost exclusively until the mid-'90s, when he switched to playing Taylor acoustics because the necks felt better to him than those on his favorite electric guitars. Over the years, Dykes became an in-demand and influential Taylor clinician and a frequent Grand Ole Opry guest. The first DDSM was built to his specifications and released as a 2000 Limited Edition.
Public reaction to the thin-bodied Grand Concert with the stunning "White Rose" peghead inlay and "Chet-style" fret markers was so strong that the guitar was integrated into the Taylor line in 2001. The DDSM has served Doyle well through years of near-constant touring, concert performances, TV appearances, several albums, and innumerable Taylor workshops.
Some time ago, Doyle's hands "went dead" in the middle of a tour, and he became understandably concerned about the wear and tear that his strenuous guitar-playing acrobatics were having on his hands. He remembered an earlier conversation with an old friend, Billy Grammer, a long-time member of the Grand Ole Opry, who told him that Chet Atkins credited the use of short-scale guitars with the apparent ease with which he negotiated his famous "Chet Atkins' style".
On a "short-scale" guitar, the spacing between frets is narrower, making it easier to span three or four frets in the lower registers, especially for people with smaller or fatigued hands. Taylor's standard scale length is 25-1/2 inches.
Doyle asked Bob Taylor to create a short-scale DDSM for him, and Taylor, being more than willing to help prolong his friend's playing career, set about redesigning the unique guitar. Taylor's satisfaction with the redesign was the impetus for creating his 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Grand Concerts, the first short-scale guitars of his career.
The new DDSM retains most of its signature features, but has new bracing and a new scale length of 24-7/8 inches, resulting in more volume and a robust and sparkling tone. The DDSM is now available with Taylor Expression System or L.R. Baggs electronics, in a choice of finishes that includes natural, black, "Tennessee Orange", or a new "Transparent Black". For more information, visit their web site at www.taylorguitars.com. | 
