Guitar Lessons

The inside story of the founding and growth of Taylor Guitars, one of the world's most successful guitar manufacturers

Bob Taylor mixes the details of his experience as a tradesman and cofounder of Taylor Guitars, a world-famous acoustic and electric guitar manufacturer, with philosophical life lessons that have practical application for building a business.
From the “a-ha” moment in junior high school that inspired his very first guitar, Taylor has been living the American dream, crafting quality products with his own hands and building a successful, sustainable business. In Guitar Lessons, he shares the values that he lives by and that have provided the foundation for the company’s success.
Be inspired by a story of guts and gumption, an unwavering commitment to quality, and the hard lessons that made Taylor Guitars the company it is today.

Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction: Rust Never Sleeps xv

Chapter 1: Life’s Little Lessons 1

Chapter 2: My Very First Guitar 9

Chapter 3: Inspiration 23

Chapter 4: The American Dream 31

Chapter 5: On Our Own 43

Chapter 6: Early Successes and Early Failures 53

Chapter 7: Sweat Equity 65

Chapter 8: Figuring It Out, One Guitar at a Time 81

Chapter 9: Finding Our Place 101

Chapter 10: Gaining Traction 115

Chapter 11: On the Move 125

Chapter 12: Making Our Case 133

Chapter 13: We’re All in This Together 141

Chapter 14: Embracing Technology 159

Chapter 15: Building Our Brand 169

Chapter 16: Innovation 183

Chapter 17: Artists and Celebrities 195

Chapter 18: In 10 Years We’ll Be Glad We Did 207

Chapter 19: The Third Owner 215

EPILOGUE 227

"... a great success story." (Business Destination, May 2011)

"Be enthused by a story of guts and gumption ... steadfast commitment to quality and the hard lesson along the road to success." (The Market, May 2011)

"An enjoyable autobiography full of homespun wisdom and telling anecdotes." (Guitarist, April 2011)

"... the entrepreneur's tale, elegantly told ... thoroughly enjoyable story of business success." (Director, March 2011)

BOB TAYLOR is the cofounder and President of Taylor Guitars, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of acoustic and electric guitars. Considered a visionary among guitar builders, Taylor has pioneered advancements in both guitar design and process, and developed many of the innovations used across the industry in acoustic and electric guitar production today. Based in California, the company employs over 500 people and builds nearly 500 guitars each day.

It was the summer of ’72 when seemingly disparate interests harmonized into a single clarion call for a teenage Bob Taylor. Longing to own a 12-string guitar but unable to afford one, Taylor built his first guitar in shop class during his junior year of high school. As his desire to make music and his talent for building things converged, Taylor experienced an epiphany that revealed his vocational path. He had discovered that making guitars would be his life’s work, even though he had no real blueprint to guide him.

In Guitar Lessons, Taylor shares stories of how a lifelong passion led to a pioneering business. From his humble beginnings at a guitar shop near San Diego, aptly named The American Dream, through the early struggles of founding and sustaining Taylor Guitars with his business partner, Kurt Listug (who’s still CEO today), Taylor recounts the valuable lessons that enabled two driven “kids” to overcome formidable obstacles and grow their small guitar shop into a world-renowned guitar brand.

Today, Taylors are the guitars of choice for serious musicians. Players as diverse in style as Dave Matthews, Prince, Zac Brown, Jason Mraz, Neil Young, Taylor Swift, and many more of today’s biggest names proudly strum their Taylors both onstage and in the studio. Along with these stars, thousands and thousands of other musicians—pro and amateur—choose Taylor. This wasn’t always so. Guitar Lessons takes you back to when the company was just a handful of devoted craftsmen working with little more than pluck and perseverance to breathe life into their fledgling enterprise, learning hard lessons about business and life along the way that would pay off years later.

Through anecdotes that blend self-deprecating wit with grassroots wisdom, Bob Taylor reflects on the key experiences and personal revelations that nurtured the company’s growth. Guitar Lessons will give you a fresh perspective on how the fundamental values of hard work and determination can be applied to overcome challenges in business and life, leading to success and personal fulfillment. Amid today’s mass-production culture, Taylor’s philosophy as a modern-day craftsman and respected leader serves as a compass for “crafting” a meaningful life.

Many people try to take their passion and turn it into a business. Many fail. Some sell out along the way. Bob Taylor found his love as a teenager, worked hard at it, and created a profitable, growing enterprise, which he still happily stewards alongside Listug. If you’ve ever wondered how truly unique companies come to be, you’ll be inspired by Bob’s Guitar Lessons.