Over Thanksgiving weekend, I was up in Colorado, visiting my dad. (I recorded my first album, Earthbound, at his home in Estes Park.) Upon landing in Denver, our group, consisting of me, my dad, my brother, and my sister-in-law, visited a brewery, a distillery, and were headed to another brewery. My brother pointed out a guitar store next to the last brewery, so I stopped in there to check it out while they went on to try another round of craft beers.
The store owner asked me what I usually play, and I proudly described my Taylor 214ce to him. He stepped over to the wall, and took down a guitar that bore a striking resemblance to my beloved Taylor. Handing it to me, he said, “Give this a try.”
I started to play the intro to my piece “Events of the Morning,” and was struck by the tone. Very similar to my Taylor, but louder. I ran it through the paces, fingerpicked passages, loud strumming, percussive techniques (somewhat restrained, because sometimes store owners don’t take very kind to you beating on their inventory.) I almost instantly fell in love with the way she spoke to me. (That’s a metaphor. Because writing.) She was also beautiful to look at, which doesn’t hurt. The owner, Slick of Canyon Acoustics, had done a fantastic setup job, which he says he does on every guitar that comes in. The neck is a bit thicker than on my 214ce, but still very comfortable to play.
The sound of this instrument took hold of me and wouldn’t let go. I decided to take a risk and look at the price tag. $549. I’m pretty sure they left off a 1 in front of that number. I was floored. This is a USA-made guitar, built in Idaho, not terribly far from the store I was at. I handed it back to the owner, and about then, my dad, brother, and sister-in-law entered the guitar shop. I guess I never made it in there to have a beer, so they came looking for me.
It was about time to head home, so we left the store, and as we walked back to the car, I was raving about this guitar. My brother stopped me and said, “How are you walking away from it, if it’s that good?” So we turned around and and ended up buying it.
That night, I played though my repertoire, and all of us were astounded at how great this beauty sounded. As I’ve looked at it more during the intervening weeks, I have found a few less-than-perfect joints. But the sound is still glorious. And ultimately, that’s what counts. If you see a Teton at a store near you, give her a shot. These are some of the best values for your money that I have ever seen. Highly recommended.