For the first three decades of his professional career, Doyle Dykes was an electric guitarist who backed a number of country artists, including Hee Haw star Grandpa Jones. But in 1995, after a visit to the Taylor factory, Doyle began playing acoustic guitar, and soon became a Taylor clinician. Today, he is one of the most talked-about guitarists in the country, and a featured performer at the Grand Ole Opry. Doyle's breathtaking speed, virtuosic technique, dazzling original compositions and dynamic arrangements of standard and sacred repertoire (much of it rarely attempted on solo guitar), transform the acoustic guitar into an emotionally powerful tool for musical communication.

Doyle has become a guitar legend in the making, considered by many critics to be among the very best guitarists in the world. His stylistic versatility ranges from country to classical, and might be described as a combination of Merle Travis, Andres Segovia, Chet Atkins, and Vince Gill. Although influenced by a wide variety of musical styles, Doyle has developed a distinct, recognizable sound. His writing and playing boast a level of sophistication that floors the best guitarists, yet Doyle's music comes across with a natural, free-flowing directness and a simple grace that make it accessible to anyone with ears and an open heart.

Truly, nothing one might say or hear about Doyle can prepare the listener for the actual experience of hearing him play an acoustic guitar. He is blessed with a natural affinity for the instrument, which he has developed into virtuosic technique through many years of hard work and dedication.

Doyle has performed on the Grand Ole Opry on numerous occasions, and many of those performances were televised nationally. When Chet Atkins passed away in 2000, the Opry contacted Doyle and asked him to close a special tribute show in honor of the late guitar legend. That program was also aired nationally and rebroadcast numerous times.

In addition to Chet Atkins, Doyle has shared the stage with Les Paul, Duane Eddy, Peter Frampton, John Fogerty, Vince Gill, and many others. He has performed in venues ranging from theatres, festivals, churches, and major conventions. His music has been heard on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Disney's California Adventure, United Airlines, and even the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Doyle is highly regarded in the UK as well, having performed and been interviewed on the BBC, as well as receiving a coveted brick in the Wall of Fame at the fabled Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Doyle became a Taylor clinician in 1995 and has done hundreds of Taylor workshops at music dealerships across the US, Canada, and abroad. In 2000, Taylor introduced the Doyle Dykes Signature Model guitar, which Doyle helped to design himself. Taylor Guitars is proud to help take Doyle's gorgeous melodic flair, phenomenal phrasing, whimsical embellishments, blazing speed, and piano-like arrangements to a broader audience worldwide.