Taylor GS Mini

I bought it brand-new in 2018 and played few hours a day, then after 3 months my ears are too tired of trebly Taylor sound that I had to pause my guitar practice for a while. Eventually, Little Martin saved me (I got Koa model) but I wondered why my GS mini was so difficult. Before selling it out, I considered changing saddle as one last experiment (I had changed strings, picks, bridge pins).

To my surprise, low E had almost 3mm at 12th fret - no wonder I couldn't tame the long sustain The volume was way too loud for my apartment, too.

Then, true surprise came. There were 2 piece of .. paper? came out when I removed the saddle. Each one is almost 1mm thick when not pressed down. I removed them and put the saddle back in, then - voila! String tension got sooo much lower, so does the volume. No more sustain issue when strumming!

I have no idea why those spacers are placed under saddle, and wish they could made it only one piece of paper which would make it medium hight. It was hard to realize for a novice player like me, and I learnt it hard way.
I see "Taylor is too bright at times" comments generally everywhere. If it's something that's gonna hurt your ears seriously (and not about nice rich mid-high), check under saddle!! Not sure if it was only mine, but I saw at least one more case online (yes, exactly the same, 2 pieces of paper).

Now, my GS mini is amazing for strumming and finger picking - basically everything! My journey with Taylor just got started over

The Taylor Gs Mini incorporates a beautiful sitka spruce top and sapele laminate back and sides. A 23 1/2" scale length allows for an enjoyable elasticity in playing feel. No onboard electronics are present but you do have the option of purchasing the Es-Go pickup system from Taylor. Designed specifically for the Mini, the Es-Go system sports a fairly simple installation procedure and is an excellent companion if you plan to play this guitar in a live setting. The guitar is factory equipped with Elixir nanoweb strings which sound wonderful and pair well with the naturally bright voicing of the Mini. The included gigbag was, to my pleasant surprise, well constructed and durable.

UTILIZATION

The small size of the guitar allows for a very intimate feel. The frets felt very nice for an acoustic in this price range. I found the Mini's tuning stability to be nothing short of extraordinary. Even going frequently between Standard, Eb, DADGAD, Open C, and a variety of other tunings-- the guitar rarely fell out of tune. This behavior stayed consistent over the 8 months that I owned it.

SOUNDS

The guitar is inherently bright but very pleasant to the ear. Chords and arpeggiations ring out with crystal articulation. Fingerpicking passages that were indistinct and lowend-heavy on other guitars were brilliant and perfectly intelligible. Easily the best sounding Taylor guitar below the likes of the 600 series. I found the laminate back and sides to actually provide a superior tone to the hardwood models compared against it, offering greater (yet intelligible) low end and volume. This guitar can project loudly in a room despite it's small shape.

OVERALL OPINION

I had ample funds to purchase just about any acoustic on the market. I compared many high end acoustic guitars from names such as Taylor, Guild, Gibson, and Martin. The Taylor Gs Mini was one of the strongest contenders and the only guitar in a price point below $1800 in the roundup. The finish and playability of the Mini is unchallenged, outclassing many guitars in higher price points. With that said, I am a fan of bright sounding guitars. If you enjoy a darker, earthier tone-- you might seek out the mahogany counterpart to the Gs Mini that Taylor offers. The lack of an onboard preamp is my one complaint. While the external pickup offered is affordable and easy to install, it is an inconvenience.

Model: GS Mini
Shape: Grand Symphony
Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Cutaway: None
Headstock Overlay: Lexan
Finish: Satin
Rosette: 3-ring
Neck: Sapele
Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Purfling: Black/White/Black
Fretboard: Ebony
Inlays: 5mm dots
No of Frets: 20
Overall Length: 36-5/8"
Scale Length: 23-1/2"
Body Length: 17-5/8"
Body Width: 14-3/8"
Body Depth: 4-7/16"
Nut/Saddle: Tusq
Tuners: Chrome
Bridge: Ebony
Bridge Pins: Plastic
Pickguard: Tortoise (GS Mini shape)
Electronics: None
Strings: Elixir Medium Gauge Strings with NANOWEB Coating
Case: GS Mini Hardbag

UTILIZATION

The GS Mini is a nice little axe. It seems to be designed either as a terrific quality first instrument for budding young guitarists, or as a travel/camping guitar, or just as a guitar for smaller people in general. It certainly boasts the craftsmanship that the Taylor name should indicate, with excellent fit and finish, as well as fretwork. The string action was nice, and the shorter scale gave my big hands some great stretch chords that I usually can't play on standard-sized guitars. This guitar plays very well, and looks great doing it.

SOUNDS

This really is a good-sounding little guitar. I'd have given it an 8 if it was a touch louder, but the tone is fantastic. I look for volume capability in my acoustic guitars, as I want them to be able to keep up with other acoustic instruments should the occasion arise. This guitar may be a bit on the quiet side, so I'm not confident it could cut through in a multi-instrument setting. But this is what microphones and pickups are for, right? In a more intimate setting, this would be perfect.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a quality instrument from Taylor, and it hits the spot with the wallet as well; it's a great value in a sub-$500 guitar. Fingerstylists will enjoy the crystal clarity and rich mids coming from it, and the fact that it is a lot more portable than a standard guitar is an attractive feature. I'd recommend anyone to take a look at this guitar.

Model: GS Mini
Shape: Grand Symphony
Back/Sides: Sapele Laminate
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Cutaway: None
Headstock Overlay: Lexan
Finish: Satin
Rosette: 3-ring
Neck: Sapele
Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Purfling: Black/White/Black
Fretboard: Ebony
Inlays: 5mm dots
No of Frets: 20
Overall Length: 36-5/8"
Scale Length: 23-1/2"
Body Length: 17-5/8"
Body Width: 14-3/8"
Body Depth: 4-7/16"
Nut/Saddle: Tusq
Tuners: Chrome
Bridge: Ebony
Bridge Pins: Plastic
Pickguard: Tortoise (GS Mini shape)
Electronics: None
Strings: Elixir Medium Gauge Strings with NANOWEB Coating
Case: GS Mini Hardbag

This is a GS mini. It's a bit difficult to classify because it's small enough to be a travel guitar yet maybe big enough to sound like a good 000 esque fingerpicking guitar too. Made in Mexico I believe but you wouldn't even know if you played it.

UTILIZATION

There's no cutaway considering the size of this thing but it's not really meant for something like that anyway. It's a small body, quite comfortable, and yet thick so the tone is still quite good.

The ES-GO pickup is quite convenient. Taylor made pickup that takes 5 minutes to put in and screw in and you're done. Very cool.

SOUNDS

For the size, it's quite thick! Most guitars approximately the same size usually sound thin and do not project. These GS minis are very suprisingly good, there's a lot of depth to the sound and it can project quite well. Of course it's nothing compared to a full size dreadnought guitar but for it's class of guitars it's quite good. I would basically consider this to be one of the best sounding travel guitars out there.

It's thick and deep and projects.

OVERALL OPINION

A very unique guitar. Great for travelling with good quality sound. Or if you're one of those players whose got tons of different acoustics and wants to try something different and a little bit unique this may be it for you. I'd say it's good as a guitar to leave out and fiddle with on the couch sorta deal. For the price, including a custom gig bag and taylor made acoustic pickup? Pretty sweet deal I'd say!