Specifications

Manufacturer:
Taylor Guitars, taylorguitars.com

List Price:
$678.00

The GS Mini may look small, but it’s really a big guitar in a compact package that refuses to compromise when it comes to sound.

It's not impossible to build a small guitar that sounds good, but the real challenge is to build a small guitar that has a big sound. The laws of physics say that a small guitar body can’t compete with the volume output and bass response of a large one, but a few guitar makers have figured out ways to fool the forces of nature.

Taylor’s new GS Mini is one recent example of this. While its dimensions are similar to a typical three-quarter-size guitar, the GS Mini is not a scaled-down version of a larger guitar but rather a unique model with its own exclusive design. With the GS Mini, Taylor’s goal was to create an instrument that has the compact dimensions of a travel guitar and the tone of a full-size acoustic, making it easy for players to take the Taylor sound anywhere they go.

FEATURES

The GS Mini's most noticeable feature is its curvaceous, scaled-down Grand Symphony shape, which makes it look like a mini jumbo guitar. Taylor achieved a big sound by using a tonal relief rout that allows greater flexibility in the top, a deeper body (4 1/2 inches deep), an arched back and an oversized four-inch sound hole, which together facilitate louder volume output, enhanced bass and improved resonance. The bridge is strategically placed in the center of the lower bout to drive the solid spruce top with maximum efficiency, and the light (but not delicate) construction accommodates expressive, dynamic response. The guitar also has a tortoise pickguard in an exclusive GS Mini shape.

The NT neck and laminated back and sides are made of sapele, which is similar to mahogany, and the fretboard and bridge are ebony. The guitar has a light satin finish that feels almost like raw wood (even the pores on the back and sides are open) but provides essential protection from the elements. The GS Mini also features a pre-installed bracket and cable clip for mounting the optional ES-Go pickup, which is designed to float inside the sound hole.

PERFORMANCE

Despite its diminutive dimensions, the GS Mini truly sounds like a full-sized guitar, with rich sustain, impressive volume and satisfying bass. The 23 1/2–inch scale may be just a bit shorter than a full-size guitar’s, but many users—including kids who are learning to play, guitarists with small hands and big-handed players who are tired of stretching—will appreciate how comfortable and easy the GS Mini is to play. Needless to say, all players will enjoy having great tone, playability and features in such a compact and portable guitar.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The GS Mini may look small, but it’s really a big guitar in a compact package that refuses to compromise when it comes to sound.

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