MusicRadar

A modern semi that looks backwards for inspiration

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• Review

The tone control is a revelation, especially in its down position where, in mid-travel, it rounds the highs subtly but almost changes the character to an older Gretsch, Rickenbacker or even Tele-like style.

In the upper position you can easily evoke older-style jazz sounds and, to be honest, whenever we came back to the guitar and/or changed amps and tones we heard new things.

The fun continues with some crunch added. The pickups are pokey but far from high output and again the single-coil voices add edge and cut contrasted by the fuller, gutsier delivery of the full coils.

Things get very lively with more gain and some treble roll off helps to control the output but, if you like living on the edge with feedback on tap, and of course that Bigsby, the T3/B performs excellently for Neil Young/Jack White on-the-edge-of-collapse sound.

So what don't we like? Very little. Both T3s deliver exactly what you'd expect from a large semi. There's a slight deadness to the top E string on the T3/B that we didn't hear on the hard-tail T3, which although identical in spec aside from the Bigsby does have a marginally fuller, and thicker delivery – the Bigsby definitely adds a little more airiness to the sound.

There's little to criticise in terms of playability, but switching between various new and old guitars both T3s' necks do, as we've said, feel a little skinny in depth.

While a substantial part of the guitar manufacturing industry still produces instruments often very closely modelled on past glories, Taylor – both with its acoustics and growing electric line – strives to bring new designs and sounds to market.

Taylor's 'acoustic/ electric' T5 was quite a radical concept that not everyone understood. The SolidBody range is much more conventional and now the T3, which stylistically sits between the two, gives us another flavour: a hybrid of both prior designs yet clearly aimed to appeal to the sort of players who'd normally pick up a larger bodied semi, such as a Gretsch or Gibson perhaps.

Yet the T3 has its own character and with less top and back contouring – although still a sizeable beast – it feels less big than those of the classic genre. Sounds-wise too the guitar really impresses if your idea of a semi is those brighter, twangier, lower gain voices. Oh, and the T3/B's Bigsby set-up really works.

Above all it's another bold move for a brand that has its eye on the electric market and is a guitar we'd suggest you audition as soon as you can.