Book Review: Bob Taylor's 'Guitar Lessons'

posted by Jason Verlinde

It no secret that, at least half the time when someone calls the Fretboard Journal, I’m the guy who answers the phone. I realize that, as the publisher, this task should technically be below me—good luck reaching Mr. Hefner when you’re trying to change the address on your Playboy subscription. But I do it every day. And I do it because a) we’re a small business in growth mode and b) I want our customers to be happy. Beyond the usual tasks a typical publisher does, I do things like stuff envelopes, count inventory, take out the garbage and more ... because, simply put, someone needs to do it. And I’ve been doing it for five years and counting.

I mention this not for anyone’s sympathy, but because, as a small business owner, reading Bob Taylor’s new book, Guitar Lessons, is a breath of fresh air. Unlike seemingly every other business book being made today, Taylor is not out to preach a four-hour workweek or ask you to mull about what Google might do in a certain situation—there is no get rich quick scheme here. Instead, he simply shares stories—both positive and negative—that took place behind-the-scenes at Taylor Guitars since its founding in the early ‘70s. It’s fascinating and enlightening and, more than anything, it’s real. By anyone's measure, Taylor’s success came only after an incredibly long slog.

The tough stuff that marketing guru Seth Godin likes to call “the Dip” happened time and time again to Taylor and his partner Kurt Lustig. There were years of no pay (before a newlywed Taylor in the mid-‘70s decided that he had to pay himself something ... and started himself at $15 a week), there were layoffs, there were suppliers that couldn’t be paid on time and inventory that couldn’t be sold.

Faced with these challenges, many less dedicated business owners would have given up, sold their company or scaled back their production. Many probably did (let’s not forget, Taylor wasn’t the only ambitious guy trying to launch a guitar company in the ‘70s and ‘80s). But with each tale in this book, there’s a takeaway. In guitars and life, Taylor is an inveterate tinkerer, and each roadblock he faced taught him a lesson. Over the years, management, designs and sales practices evolved and—eventually—the company showed a profit. None of this happened overnight, mind you. For over a decade, Taylor Guitars were built out of a small 1,500 square foot building, a far cry from the massive industrial park where they operate today.

Non-guitarists may not care about why the Taylor neck joint came about or understand the headaches of a NAMM show booth, but that’s besides the point ... no matter what industry you’re in, you’ll draw parallels to Taylor’s stories. This book will definitely teach you a ton about Taylor Guitars’ early history (you could also read the Taylor history book by this magazine’s co-founder Michael John Simmons for an even more in-depth history) but—more than anything—you’ll hear some real world lessons of endurance and learning from your mistakes. It’s honest food for thought to remember when, as business owners, we’re making the tough decisions we do every day.

Ultimately, whether or not you like their instruments, it’s impossible to deny that Taylor Guitars is an American success story. Bob Taylor didn’t inherit or acquire an existing guitar brand, he didn’t start out rich or with angel investors ... he was just a kid who loved woodworking and wanted to build acoustic guitars. From that, Taylor and Lustig created a company with over 500 employees, a brand that will flourish and outlive its founders. All told, it’s an inspiring, educational story and I’m glad Bob Taylor took the time to write it.