Taylor Guitars TaylorSense Guitar Health Monitoring System review
Like a Fitbit for your beloved acoustic guitar, this clever device from Taylor checks in on on its vital signs to alert you to temperature, humidity and physical impact incidents
The TaylorSense system is a great way of keeping a watchful eye over your acoustic and ensuring it's in the best possible shape at all times.
Pros
+
Tracks battery, humidity and temperature panics.
+
It even does physical impacts.
+
Particularly useful for touring guitarists.
+
Directs you to maintenance tutorials.
Cons
-
Nothing.
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Remember when all you had to do to protect and store your favorite Taylor acoustic guitar was insert a soundhole humidifier or humidity-maintenance system in the case and think, “That’ll do, right?” Oh, [Chuckle] that’s so 2019.
Sure, you’ll still have to do those things, but Taylor Guitars – no stranger to modernity – has taken the process of activity tracking and hygrometer monitoring for your Taylor acoustic a level up with the introduction of the TaylorSense Guitar Health Monitoring System.
“What kind of sorcery is this!?” you hiss. No wizardry involved here (well, maybe some), but if you own a Taylor acoustic with an Expression System 1 or 2, ES-T or ES-N onboard pickups with a 9V battery, you can swap out that existing battery box for TaylorSense’s smart(er) battery box equipped with advanced sensing technology that monitors your Taylor acoustic’s current humidity and temperature, remaining battery life and, more astonishingly – physical impact incidents (no need to write another “United Breaks Guitars” song ever, Dave Carroll).
(Image credit: Future / Olly Curtis)
And combined with the free companion TaylorSense app (available for iOS and Android mobile devices), you’ll be able to track your acoustic’s vital signs and receive push notification alerts if your beloved Taylor starts to flatline from any form of hostile humidity level or temperature changes, battery drain or aggravated bonks.
Installation of the TaylorSense battery box is fairly simple but takes a little maneuvering (you’ll have to stick your hand in the soundhole to bend a clip), but outside of that, it’s an easy replacement. From there, you’ll need to register your Taylor from the app and pair your guitar via Bluetooth.
Once completed, the TaylorSense Guitar Health Monitoring System uses low-energy Bluetooth to send your guitar’s data to the TaylorSense app so you can keep track of and address any number of humidity and temperature issues that can ruin your acoustic.
You can see those figures in hourly, daily and monthly stats, and if you encounter any problems, a “Fix” button directs you toward a wealth of informative tutorials, guitar care solutions and helpful how-to videos to rectify a host of setbacks or answer concerns with your instrument.
The alert screen is essential (if you travel with your Taylor) for letting you know the time, date and measurement (in grams) of a potential drop or hit that occurred. Overall, the TaylorSense system is just a great monitoring tool to make you feel more at ease and connected to your acoustic.
For me, it’s fun to see how my Taylor is faring at all times. And if you’re a tech geek or numbers guy, you can’t beat the thrill of checking up on your Taylor or having the app alert you when it needs help.
Paul Riario has been the tech/gear editor and online video presence for Guitar World for over 25 years. Paul is one of the few gear editors who has actually played and owned nearly all the original gear that most guitarists wax poetically about, and has survived this long by knowing every useless musical tidbit of classic rock, new wave, hair metal, grunge, and alternative genres. When Paul is not riding his road bike at any given moment, he remains a working musician, playing in two bands called SuperTrans Am and Radio Nashville.
