This is the latest guitar acquisition for me... a 2006 Taylor Doyle Dykes Signature Model guitar!
The DDSM was designed in conjunction with Doyle Dykes, one of my favorite guitarists of all time. It has solid Big Leaf Maple back and sides and a solid Sitka Spruce top and a florentine cutaway. Electronics is the incredible LR Baggs Hex Pickups with a custom acoustic equalizer preamp. A shallower body than most Taylors makes the guitar easier to handle. And the new short-scale neck makes it so much easier to play. The playing action is absolutely the fastest I've ever played on an acoustic guitar!
This guitar was built for live performances. The sound is bright, full bodied and articulate. It has the most distinct sound I've ever heard from an acoustic-electric guitar.
The guitar is adorned with abalone inlays including a beautiful White Rose on the headstock. Doyle tells the story that many years ago when his daughter Heidi was very young, she asked him if God would bring her a rose. Not knowing what to say, he just told her that they should pray about it. The next day when a rose did not appear, she asked her dad why she didn't get a rose. So Doyle just told her that perhaps she needed to tell God what color rose she wanted. "Do you think God needs to know that," she asked? So again, they prayed and this time she asked God for a White Rose.
Doyle didn't quite know what to do. He had thought about all the "plan B's" he could do... perhaps he could call a florist... But after his concert, a mentally-challenged woman in her mid-thirties came up to him and handed him something wrapped in foil. She told him that God told her to bring him something from her garden. Figuring it was some vegetable that she had picked from her garden, he said, "Well, I'll be very happy to eat this later." Hearing that, she said, "Well you better not eat that!" So he unwrapped the foil and there was a single White Rose!" Totally amazed, he said, "This is not my rose." The woman looked at him and said, "Well, God TOLD me to give this to you!" So he told her the story of how Heidi had asked God for a white rose to which she simply replied, "Oh, that's nice." And then she just walked away. Doyle just stood there "slack-jawed" in amazement. Of all the people God could have picked to deliver this, he picked a simple woman to do His work.
Later that evening he went home and Heidi ran up to him and said, "God brung me my rose, didn't he?!" As Doyle handed the rose to her, she just said, "I just KNEW God would bring me my rose!"
So to this day, as Doyle performs all over the world, he tells this story of Heidi's White Rose and then plays the composition he recorded called, "White Rose For Heidi." It's a powerful story and a testament to the power of prayer and belief in God.
As you know, I attend every Doyle event here in the Chicago area when he comes to play. Over the years, I've gotten to know Doyle personally and I'm very excited to have one of these special guitars of his.
To see a custom slideshow I photographed of Doyle in March 2006, click here. Use the member name RussLowe (no space between my name.)
10 comments:
Great Looking Taylor Russ....Congrats
Jarvis
Singapore
Thanks!
By the way, it's really cool that someone halfway around the world took the time to check out my blog and give a comment! Thank you!
Yeah , this taylor is beauty. I really can't decide what to go for..new ddsm guild which is amazing of course and with price is 1500$-2000$ up or this beauty which is great guitar I am shure?
This version of Doyle's signature model is no longer manufactured since Doyle no longer represents Taylor. You might consider the latest version from Guild if you want to buy a new guitar.
Essentially, the Guild version is the latest refinement to this design. Doyle, who is a personal friend of mine, took the basic concepts of what he has always liked in his signature guitar and refined it. It also has the updated electronics too. So essentially, it's the updated version of this guitar!
You can't go wrong with either one if this is what you are looking for in a performance guitar.
For me, I've since sold my DDSM and have gone through a LOT of guitars. As of Feb 2014, I'm currently playing a McPherson 3.5 and also a Taylor GS7 with Sitka and Rosewood.
I have a 2000 Taylor DDSM but it has the expression system pickup. I am just wondering what the difference in sound would be since I've never played one with the LR Baggs pickup.
I've had guitars with the Expression system on there and I've had guitars with the LR Baggs systems too. And, I've had the K&K pickups on acoustics too. They all sound different. But the main thing to me is feedback rejection. The K&K was the worst in doing rejection, but the undersaddle pickups were the best.
If you can't play an acoustic loud without feedback, you can't use the guitar as a stage guitar in a large auditorium setting. Because of this, I went back to guitars with undersaddle pickup systems.
The DDSM has individual pickups per string. I have a similar system on my Godin Multiac nylon string guitar. It offers better definition. And, they don't have much problems with feedback too.
All pickups sound different and hard to really describe because they sound different on each guitar. But the DDSM's pickups are really good.
I eventually sold this guitar off because I wanted a better sounding "acoustic" guitar as well as a stage guitar. The DDSM is a great sounding stage guitar, but lacks a bit on the acoustic playing since it's a thinner body guitar.
Today (I am writing on 1-22-17) I play a McPherson 3.5.
Hi Russ
Just found your very interesting blog while browsing for articles about the Taylor DDSM, having just acquired one of these fabulous instruments after years of wanting and saving! Mine is the self-same model as yours in natural spruce/quilted maple with the beautiful desert rose emblem, but dated 2004. Thank you so much for recounting Doyle's story.
The playability is the sweetest I have ever found and I love the lightweight and silky feel. I'm not sure what strings are fitted but am guessing Elixir Light phosphor bronze, 12-53, if not would you think this is a good choice?
Best regards,
Colin, Stevenage, England
Colin:
Yes, the Elixir Light Phospher Bronze strings would be a good choice. If you want a brighter sound, the 80/20 Lights from Elixir would also be a good set to try. Phospher Bronze tends to be a bit warmer, but many players like that.
Enjoy your guitar!
Russ
By the way, Colin, several weeks ago, Doyle and I were texting and he sent to me several photos of Heidi and the woman who many years ago had given him the white rose! Doyle ran into her again after all these years and so the three of them took some photos together! It was the first time Heidi got to meet the woman who brought her the white rose!
I would share the photos here, but seeing that Doyle had sent them to me privately, without his permission, I think it best to leave them private for their family.
Cheers!
Russ
Hi Russ
Ah, that's lovely that Doyle made contact with the rose lady, what a fitting sequel to the story! Heidi must have been thrilled. Yes of course, quite right about the photos, maybe he'll post them some day. Thanks, I love the DDSM, just opening the case sets the heart beating. I'm enjoying having a go at Doyle's on-line lessons and have nearly got the little run-down in lesson 4! Also love his Gretsch work, especially his "Yes Ma'am" on Jerry Reed's guitar, so simple but effective like a lot of Chet's work. Er, well, simple for some!
Thanks for the advice on the strings - good, I'll re-string with the phosphor bronze ones I think as the DDSM is fairly bright anyway as you know.
Very best regards,
Colin
Post a Comment