Hey Rick
My physical issues aside, which are important, my main concern is that the guitar has a great (well very good) acoustic sound. I play acoustics without a pick and I do not care at all about the electric sound aspect of any of the guitars I mentioned (4, I think).
When I look at physical attributes only, like thickness of the body. The radius and scale length, the Taylor T5z is the best in that respect by far.
Whenever I see a video of the T5z, they tout the Electric sound more than any other.
I would ask you this. With respect to normal acoustics, the wood is a huge part of the sound. I wonder how the sound differs between the lower end T5z's (like the mahogany as compared to the spruce. Looks are irrelevant to me in this instance.
A couple of things to add here...
The T5z doesn't use a piezo pickup. It uses a "magnetic body sensor" (ie- microphone) to pick up top vibrations, a stacked humbucker under the fretboard at the neck, and the visible stacked humbucker that looks sort of like a lipstick pickup. It doesn't have that tinny piezo sound that under bridge or bridge saddle pickups have. That said, neither does it sound like my HD-28. Because it uses electric strings (the 11-49 Elixir set is standard), you don't hear the bright, piano like ring of a traditional acoustic. The standard T5 can use regular acoustic strings with a wound 3rd, and can go more that direction. I would say the T5z has a more steel string edge in the sound, but not that "sching" sound that I don't like in piezos.
One of the bands I am playing in has a female singer, so I was working up a fingerstyle version of "Someone Like You" by Adele last night, basically using a Travis style pattern to replace what's on the record. My wife walked into the music room to tell me she loved the sound of it... which does not happen often. I was running it through the Axe Fx III with a chorus on it and it had a 12 string feel to it. I love the sound, but that's a really personal thing. You might, but you might not.
One word of caution, in case you check one out. Don't use the settings you have for another guitar. Think of the humbuckers more like early 60s Strat pickups with that low output, but more lows, and no noise, and you'll be on the right track. Kind of like the Silver Sky pickups, with clear high end, but low end as well. I just modified an acoustic preset someone had on here for the acoustic side, and I swap patches and pickups at the same time, as needed. I'd be glad to PM you the presets if you end up needing a starting place.
I have a Radial PZ-Pre, and it does awesome things for acoustic guitars, but I haven't even plugged it in. The Axe FX is doing everything I need with just the EQ block. I'm playing through the Presonus 328Ai speakers in my music room, or the Scepter S8 monitors. Both sound great.
I don't want to overhype it. It's a guitar, and like the rest some love them and some don't. If you decide to venture in that direction, contact Sweetwater and talk with a rep there. They have the try it, like it, or return it policy that will keep you safe it it doesn't tickle your fancy. My guy there made a killer deal on the T5z Standard.
Lastly, on the top woods. Yes, they can make a difference. The other guitarist has the mahogany one, and it sounds nice. My regular T5 is a ovangkol top, and I love that one too. Like I said, they are not true acoustics and don't sound like a Martin playing acoustically. I haven't heard any thinlines that do. But they do sound very nice, and play great. I can't say "this is what you need!" but can say I really enjoy mine, and keep the ovangkol one on a stand next to the living room couch to play on. Nice oak stand, pretty top... the wife tolerates me.
Not trying to sell you. Just saying I'd get one in my hands to try during your search. If it's not your thing, well, you tried it!
