Headquartered in El Cajon, California, Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug. The two first met while working at a hippie guitar shop in San Diego called the American Dream and partnered to buy the business when owner Sam Radding announced he was selling the shop. Though young when they started (Bob was 19, Kurt was 21), their shared passion for guitar making, along with their gritty resolve to make a living doing what they loved, nurtured the company’s gradual transformation from a struggling shop into the leading global manufacturer of premium acoustic guitars.

Today, Taylor employs over 1,200 people and produces hundreds of guitars per day exclusively in two factory complexes in the U.S. and Mexico: El Cajon, California, and Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. (Taylor does not manufacture any guitars in Asia.) The company maintains an active dealer network, with Taylor guitars sold through hundreds of North American retail locations and international distribution to 60 countries, including a distribution warehouse and factory service center in the Netherlands.