James Taylor

In a YouTube interview titled "James Taylor - Me & My Guitars," James Taylor discusses using the Gibson J-50 Jumbo on his first two albums. He mentions purchasing it at a music store in Durham, NC.

James Taylor's signature guitar is made by American luthier James Olson. He is regularly seen playing it live. But this guitar was not his first during a guitar collection interview James said In September 1989 before his show at the Orpheum Theatre In Minneapolis James Olson A Local St. Paul Backyard Guitar Maker Left A James Olson SJ (Cutway) in his hotel room as a total surprise kicking off the guitar brand James would stick with for life today he now has 4 custom made Olson models.

James Taylor performs onstage during SiriusXM Presents James Taylor Live at The Apollo Theater on June 16, 2015 in New York City. Seafoam green Fender Telecaster *** This is 2015! ***

Here are relatively contemporary examples of James performing on a Sunburst Fender Tele:: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/420594052672530359/

https://www.berkshirelinks.com/james-taylor-tanglewood-august-21-2006/

In this Youtube video James Taylor can be seeing playing a custom version of luthier James A. Olson's parlor guitar. He can be seen using it in other performances at home over the pandemic and is certainly an Olson Parlor as evidenced by the headstock and unique appointments matching his Olson signature guitar, plus it's small body size and the fact that Olson only makes one 12 fret model.

In this Youtube Video at around 3:50, James Taylor starts talking about how he came to have a guitar from famed 1970s luthier Mark Whitebook and how he used it for a period of time after his first two albums.

In a YouTube interview titled "James Taylor - Me & My Guitars," James Taylor discusses how he chose a Takamine F-340S, a Japanese-made guitar, for his 1980s tour. He needed a reliable instrument with a pickup for stage amplification after his Mark Whitebook guitar became unavailable.

In a YouTube interview titled "James Taylor - Me & My Guitars," James Taylor discusses playing the Yamaha FG800M. This was the first Yamaha guitar he played, inspiring Yamaha executives to create a special JT variation with his name on the back.

In the YouTube interview titled "James Taylor - Me & My Guitars," James Taylor discusses his use of the Fender Duo-Sonic Electric Guitar during his time with The Fabulous Corsayers and The Flying Machine, referring to it as "my former guitar."

If you go to the Martin museum you are able to see a Martin D-18 used by Taylor which surprised me because I’ve never seen photos of him with it. His 1937 is actually the inspiration for the Martin D-18 Authentic 1937 VTS! From the article I linked scroll to Case D: “1937 is an extremely good year as far as vintage Martin guitars go. In addition to guitar collectors wanting a 1937 as part of their collections, musicians know how great Martin guitars from this year sound. This 1937 D-18 was used by James Taylor for two years as his touring guitar. It has all of the great attributes a 1937 D-18 is known for, which include being loud with a dry bass response and clear treble.“

In an Instagram post by Brian Calhoun (@rockbridgeguitar) on December 1, 2025, it was revealed that a custom Rockbridge Guitars SmeckJ was crafted for James Taylor. This guitar was made from Mahogany and Red Spruce, featuring a unique design with one fret removed and the soundhole moved forward, as per Taylor's request.

James Taylor is confirmed to use the Yamaha FG-2000 acoustic guitar, as evidenced in the TC楽器's "YAMAHA LEGEND HISTORY." His distinctive sound with this instrument can be heard on his 1974 album "Walking Man."