heads on fire « Excellent travel acoustic. »
Published on 11/25/11 at 10:38Made in Mexico
Solid Sitka spruce top
Mahogany back and sides
Ebony fretboard
Ebony bridge
Nice gig bag
3/4 size scale
19 frets
UTILIZATION
The Baby Taylor is a great first instrument, travel guitar, or kid's guitar. With 3/4 size, it is perfect for small hands to learn on. But at the same time, it's not JUST a kid's guitar - it makes a perfect companion to go backpacking or camping, or for flying. The guitar plays very well, and as a great bonus for adults with larger hands, the fret reach is out of this world, so chords that were previously unplayable on a larger instrument are now ready to be unleashed! The construction is every bit what one would expect from a Taylor - excellent fretwork, no rough woodworking, string-straight neck.
SOUNDS
The Baby doesn't sound as big as a full-sized model, but it doesn't sound like a ukulele either. It is very bright and crisp, as one could expect from a guitar this size. It will certainly do the job well enough to satisfy anyone that buys it. One thing that is a small bummer is that it doesn't sound that great being tuned down. The strings don't hold tension enough to make it a feasible option to tune down. On the converse, however, it sounds great being tuned up! I tuned it up to F# and it sounded sublime, almost as if the guitar was made just for that tuning. If you get one of these, or try it out, try to tune it in F# or even G and see how neat the sound is!
OVERALL OPINION
I like this guitar for the craftsmanship and quality, and for the ease of playability. The option of having a guitar that is easy to take along on trips is also a bonus. Most parents aren't going to spring for a guitar in the $400 range as a first guitar for their kids, but for those that do, this guitar is a great instrument that will still remain cool even when the child becomes an adult. I highly recommend this guitar.
Solid Sitka spruce top
Mahogany back and sides
Ebony fretboard
Ebony bridge
Nice gig bag
3/4 size scale
19 frets
UTILIZATION
The Baby Taylor is a great first instrument, travel guitar, or kid's guitar. With 3/4 size, it is perfect for small hands to learn on. But at the same time, it's not JUST a kid's guitar - it makes a perfect companion to go backpacking or camping, or for flying. The guitar plays very well, and as a great bonus for adults with larger hands, the fret reach is out of this world, so chords that were previously unplayable on a larger instrument are now ready to be unleashed! The construction is every bit what one would expect from a Taylor - excellent fretwork, no rough woodworking, string-straight neck.
SOUNDS
The Baby doesn't sound as big as a full-sized model, but it doesn't sound like a ukulele either. It is very bright and crisp, as one could expect from a guitar this size. It will certainly do the job well enough to satisfy anyone that buys it. One thing that is a small bummer is that it doesn't sound that great being tuned down. The strings don't hold tension enough to make it a feasible option to tune down. On the converse, however, it sounds great being tuned up! I tuned it up to F# and it sounded sublime, almost as if the guitar was made just for that tuning. If you get one of these, or try it out, try to tune it in F# or even G and see how neat the sound is!
OVERALL OPINION
I like this guitar for the craftsmanship and quality, and for the ease of playability. The option of having a guitar that is easy to take along on trips is also a bonus. Most parents aren't going to spring for a guitar in the $400 range as a first guitar for their kids, but for those that do, this guitar is a great instrument that will still remain cool even when the child becomes an adult. I highly recommend this guitar.