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Taylor's Expression System keeps all eight strings in check when plugged in

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While the mainstream steel-string acoustic market concerns itself with yet another version of a well-worn instrument, on the fringes there's plenty of evidence that makers are willing to experiment beyond just another dreadnought. An obvious area is multi-string instruments and, increasingly, longer scale instruments that cater for the numerous players that down-tune in standard or altered tunings.

Taylor has already experimented with the former – a nine-string GS was one of its 35th Anniversary models and featured octave-doubled D and G strings and a unison-doubled B string – but not the latter until earlier this year, when it introduced an eight- and six-string pair of baritones.

They use a 686mm (27-inches) scale length, not only extending the length of the neck (which still joins the body at the 14th fret), but pushing the bridge position deeper into that cavernous 413mm-wide lower bout of the GS body.

"The high strings are thick and chewy and those doubled octaves are rich and piano-like."

This extended scale is actually on the short side for the type – the majority of baritones typically run between 686- 762mm (27-30 inches). Why the longer scale? Well, these baritones are designed to be tuned down to B (B E A D F# B) so the extended scale and heavier strings (Elixir 0.016- 0.070-inch) are necessary to retain string tension and tone.

But that's not all: while the six-string baritone is fairly conventional, this eight-string version is grabbing the headlines and, according to Bob Taylor, outselling the lesser-stringed version by a ratio of five to one.

Many of the 35th Anniversary guitars were, says Bob Taylor: "About saying yes to numerous requests we've had over the years for guitars we thought would have limited sales – the 12-fret, parlour, nine-string et cetera. One request was for a baritone, but we'd need to tool up for the longer scale length. So, in the meantime we did the nine-string and learned what the double strings should be.

"A [six-string] baritone is cool," continues Bob, "But it takes you down – after a couple of songs you're worn out! So we thought we'd combine the nine-string with a baritone. But that was too much with the doubled B string, so we just went with the octave-doubled D and Gs – the extra octaves lift the timbre of the guitar – it takes all of two strums and you get it."

What you also get is Taylor's immaculate build. Yes, this is a high-line guitar, but its construction is faultless. The Sitka spruce top is finely flecked, the Indian rosewood back and sides perfectly matched with deep colouration and figure. The rosewood binding, inner purfling and gloss body finish are perfect.

Even with two extra tuners the standard-sized headstock remains elegantly functional, while at the bridge two extra pins are all that's needed to accommodate the additional strings. The bone saddle, however, has been carefully shaped for improved intonation and raises the additional octave strings to the same height as the thicker wound strings – a seemingly small detail that means those octaves don't get lost when you pick.