GROWING TOGETHER
My name is Jeff Timms and I am the original owner of a beautiful 915c that I special-ordered through the Ithaca Guitar Works (Ithaca, New York) back in the fall of 1982. By coincidence, it is the last guitar listed in your 1982 series with serial number 1951 [see Details/"Dating Your Guitar"].

At the time, I was a very serious player (still am, but I also need to eat and pay my mortgage), and I had decided that after playing and owning numerous electric and acoustic guitars, I was going to purchase my last acoustic guitar. I looked at [several brands], myriad other custom makes and models, and then Chris at Ithaca suggested that I try one of these new guitars called Taylor.

I played an 810 and fell in love. I played a 510 and loved it. I played all four Taylors (which I now realize after reading your "History" must have been a great sale for you guys at the time) that they had in stock and loved every one of them, and they all played great - something I could not seem to achieve with any two consecutive [other brand] that I played.

As a result, I decided to take a chance on this little unknown company called Taylor, which, to the dismay of my other guitar-playing friends, seemed to be a risky proposition at the time (as a music store clerk recently said, "before they were even cool"). I took the last $1,000 of my college student loan and $700 from my fiancée, and ordered a tiger-maple 915c with a cutaway, no pickguard, flawless German spruce top, and rosewood bindings on the body.

When it arrived, on Christmas Eve of 1982, I was delighted. It was, and still is, a beautiful piece of work that only sounds better as we both get older. To me, and I think to others as well, it is the most beautiful Taylor I have ever seen. I'm not so sure as to the status of my then fiancée.

Since that fateful day, I have watched with pride as this little unknown company grew into what I believe to be the top guitar manufacturer of the day, and I feel that through this purchase and my constant promoting of the guitar (onstage and off), it's as though I have been a part of that growth in some small way.

Over time, I moved to Atlanta, got responsible, and now have two children. My daughter, age 10, has a most wonderful Baby Taylor that gets quite a workout from dad from time to time.

I'm not one to write letters like this, but I just wanted to say, "Thanks, Bob." Someday, I would like to meet you face to face, for your craftsmanship has been a major part of my life for many years.