Taylor GS Mini set up - by JONAH GUITARS
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Hey folks, in this video I set up a Koa GS Mini. Along with explaining what I look for in a good set up I will take you on some rabbit trails.
Dane Nichols builds and repairs guitars in Mt. Shasta Ca.
![พบรัก - INK WARUNTORN x FELLOW FELLOW [LIVE SESSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1VonHhP6_Y8/mqdefault.jpg)
Dane I dunno why you don't have more subscribers, you do great work, just keep doing it and eventually the algorithm will make them come.
Heya Randy. The Algorithm. It’s like The Borg. You will (eventually) be assimilated. Or not, depending on its mood. 🍺
@@100amps for sure! the algorithm has NEVER did anything to favor my channel, not once!
Thanks for the encouragement. Appreciate you brother. I need to do a heart to heart video with all my long time subs/viewers. And plead for more likes and shares. And maybe even give something away. But It's like you say I think it will happen eventually. Oh by the way I'm kidding about all that.
Good video Dane!!!!!!!))) The pins made it brighter!!! That good to know!Thanks!!!!!!)))🎸🎸🎸😊
Steve Harris it sure sounded brighter to my ears. But nothing that couldn’t be EQed if playing through an amp. My clients main problem is playing in a passive environment.
Thank you Dane...very clear instruction and explanation. Awesome job!
Thanks very much, appreciate your comment.
Let me start by saying that I’m no expert, however my understanding is that Taylor guitars have been designed to use their shim system to set string height. I took my guitar to a Gold certified Taylor repairer and that’s basically what they told me. You shouldn’t, apparently, need to make adjustments to the nut or saddle if you have access to their shims (which change the overall angle of the neck). Happy to be corrected, but just thought I’d share what I’ve heard. Oh, I also believe that if your guitar is still under warranty and you’re the first registered owner, the cost of any shim adjustments can be covered under warranty if you use a certified Taylor repairer.
That is correct. I didn't have time to order shims. Nothing I did is irreversible. Nut hight can not be corrupted with neck shims and they are typically high out of the factory.
Those Pins sound great…
My mini koa kind of sounds muted and dead. It’s a cool sound in its own right, but I’ve always wanted it to be a little brighter. Thanks.
Try them out. Good luck>
I have a Koa GS. Just swapped the bridge pins for ones from a 1980 Fender acoustic. I cannot believe the difference. Much more bite:)
Thanks for watching. Any idea what the Fender pins are made of?
The GS mini koa is hands down the best value on the market.
Yep! And they are very popular.
I actually brought a rosewood mini to a bluegrass practice and everyone laughed until I started playing Lonesome River bluegrass on my little guitar. Was it a Martin, no,but.......you can play bluegrass on it if its all you have!
@@robertflagg2461 nice! I just got my tickets and air bnb for telluride in June. The mini is definitely making the trip
For set ups, this is as good as it gets Dane. There's a little philosophy going on here too? All elucidated well, but from my perspective as one that struggles with set ups, what you're doing is getting yourself comfortable with a conjugate set of adjustments. Lesser mortals such as myself have to take it one step at a time. It's apparent that like all great luthiers, you are au fait with the knock on effects that individual adjustments have on the other perameters. Impressive stuff Sir. I could hear a difference, but given the set up I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it's down to the bridge pins alone.
Nice chord at around 17-20!
Dippy Hippy, thanks for your comment. I’m always encouraged to keep at this video racket after hearing from you. Not that a host of others don’t encourage me as well.
As for that chord it’s an F played at the 5th fret in a D2 shape. It’s a Neil thing.
@@jonahguitarguy That chord is a real stretch Dane!
I’ve been noticing more and more non-spruce top guitars recently. Given the odd set-up this one came with, I’m guessing its design goal was to look good-full stop. Good video, Dane!
I think non traditional top woods are something more akin to one off makers or small shops trying to use local woods or more sustainable woods maybe. But Taylor has been using Koa on their full sized guitars for years. Something that has never made sense IMHO is how all the guitar builders rant about grain spacing and how it must be spruce and quarter swan or it's not strong enough and won't sound good and bla, bla,bla. And Taylor throws some ridiculously figured Koa on a top and it's strong enough and sounds great. Their words not mine. This set up didn't seem awful to me as it didn't buzz when I played, I just made it better.
Wow, I have this guitar. I also like to watch you make es 335,which is my another dreamed one.
Thanks a lot I appreciate you watching!
Thanks for the informative video. Just bought me a koa version today. Liked and subscribed, my friend!
Oh man, thank you very much! Sorry this took so long, I missed a bunch of comments some how.
nice, all the GS minis I played sounded pretty bright . . think most owners of parlor/half/mini put higher gauge strings to get a better low end response, perhaps a deer antler saddle or EQ adjustment. Cheers
roboZ starrr thanks for taking the time to comment. Deer antler is kinda hard to come by around here. Not because folks don’t hunt but because they like to keep the antlers.
This guy was having some buzz so he put heavier strings on already plus it’s a Kia top. Not sure how much of a diff that makes but the pins did brighten it a bit. His main thing was getting lost in the mix on stage acoustically. As a side note he has an large collection of Martin’s and he’s used to punchy sound.
Here in the UK, you can buy deer antler cut off pieces in pet food stores intended for dogs to gnaw at. I bought one for my dog and she turned her nose up at it, so I repurposed it as a handle for blackthorn walking stick! Maybe it's the same in pet shops across The Pond?
@@KL3NCH haven't seen deer antler in pet store only rawhide and pigs ears. Jerry Rosa hunts his own and has multiplied thousands of subs that send them to him. I'm pretty sure this little Taylor has a Tusq saddle. hard to beat. But then again if the pin can make a diff...
@@KL3NCH yeah, we have those antler chew treats for dogs in pet shops. I've seen them around for years.
Would have been nice if you showed how to adjust the truss rod. The mini is a different beast apparently. Moving on.
What makes it so different? lol
Hello! I have a problem with my gs mini Taylor walnut guitar. Whenever I tune it and play my guitar, it gets out of tune. I wonder why. Do I need to change anything on my guitar? I’m bothered :( of the sound
Thanks for your comment. Two things come to mind with you out of tune issue. First of all Taylor didn't use cheap tuners on the the minis and tuners are rarely the problem with tuning issues. One possibility is the nut is not cut quite right and the strings are getting stuck in the nut. Once you play the strings slip in the nut resulting in tuning problems. But most likely it's how you tune and this is a very common problem. You should always tune up to pitch. So first de tune the string and then bring it back up to pitch. If you happen to tune it sharp don't just loosen the string down to pitch. This will leave slack in the tuner and once you play it will go out of tune. This is the number one reason people have trouble keeping their guitars in tune.
What a palava. First check neck relief, then nut slots height, then neck angle. If the action is high, change the heel shims. Never mess with the saddle on a Taylor..
I looked up "pulava" depending on the language it could mean anything from brilliant to screw up. I'm guessing you intend the later. If you don't have Taylor neck shims readily at hand you can shave the saddle. Do it all the time on much more valuable instruments. If a time comes when a serious adjustment needs to be made shimming the neck and replacing the saddle would not be a big deal. This is not an irreversible repair. I do appreciate you watching the video Steve.
@@jonahguitarguy hi, appreciate your reply, I meant to write palava...
In any case, Taylors are all set up from new with a high action for heavy strummers, unless you're one of those, you'll need the neck joint re-shimming. If you don't have one locally, an authorised dealer will send you them, and it's a ten minute job....
Dane, Sorry I’m not sure what the pins were made of but they seemed harder to the touch and longer than the supplied ones.
What about a truss rod adjustment? Mine doesn't take an allen key
On an acoustic guitar if the adjustment access is through the sound hole it's probably an allen. At the peghead it could be a nut or an allen.
SIR,ARE THOSE BLACK BRIDGE PINS THAT COMES WITH THE GUITAR ARE PLASTIC OR EBONY?I THINK THEY FITS WELL RATHER THAN THOSE WHITE PINS THAT YOU INSTALLED...
Thanks for watching. I had to watch it myself to see what you were talking about since it was three years ago. I think the black pins were ebony. They look a little high to me in the opening section of the video, but even across the bridge. The white pins at the end were bone. I say it at the end of the video, that before I fit the pins I wanted the owner to play it and see if he liked it. Because you have to ream the bridge to fit the pins you don't want to open up the holes if those pins aren't going to be used. You might make the holes too big for other pins you may end up using.
Good job sir 👍 subbed ur channel to look for more awesome vids!!!
Thanks a lot Sacheen, appreciate the sub.
Dane Nichols welcome
What is the best gauge of string for the Koa?
Hi sweetie, the mini Gomes with .013-.056 from Taylor as do many of their guitars. So I wouldn't go any bigger than that. Strictly acoustic, not plugged in, 13s will be you loudest option. I personally use 10s on all my guitars. Electrics and acoustics alike. Lighter strings are generally consider easier to play but many folks like the feel of the 13s.
If I do a trust rod adjustment to my gs mini mahogany and get it around 2.4mm on the low e on the 12 fret. There seems to be some fret buzz close the second fret on the g and b string. Almost a dead sound. But if it don’t have that low. It’s hard to play and f or bar chords up the neck. Is there something I should be looking for ?!
Good question Jason. The truss rod is there for neck adjustment not string height adjustment. They do inter-react with each other but there are some rules or cautions. Most guitars electric and acoustic will work well with .010 inch of relief in the neck. That's what the truss rod is for. Capo at first fret and hold the fat E down at the body joint. Measure around the 6th or 7th fret. Then measure the string height at the 12th fret. I like 4/64s even on acoustics but 5/64s is well within range. Hope you find this helpful. There is a lot of tech info at a web site called GUITAR ATTACK. Check it out.
I gathered from this that he does NOT care for the GS mini. Luthiers presenting on TH-cam should include their opinion of the guitars. Added help for the viewers to consider. imho
I think this customer is very happy with this guitar. A good set up makes all the difference in how much some one enjoys playing their guitar. Thanks for having a look james.
Dane hello! I'm a composer from istanbul/turkey i recently bought a gs mini e koa and after 2 guitar workshop, i still have the same problem. My E string (thick one) has a entonation problem. When i try the tune the guitar it cannot find E-0. It always swings to +2 or -2 but can't stay at 0. I think it's about my neck nut, and maybe it was a fault by the guitar workshop. May i can send detailed photos about it and maybe you can direct me to the problem? I really couldn't find anyone who's master the subject about gs mini's at Istanbul. I guess one of the guitar repair guys used too much sandpaper for to nut and the wire is way to low, but i'm not sure. I only have this problem at thick E string. I can send a mail with photos. I hope you can direct me i just want your professional opinion. Thanks!
Yes please send photos. I will see what can figure from there.
@@jonahguitarguy thanks a lot! i sent the email!
How long is the guitar???
GS Mini
Body Width: 14 3/8" / Body Depth: 4 7/16" / Body Length: 17 5/8"
A scaled-down GS that’s anything but small.
Scaled-down Grand Symphony body
Great for all playing styles
Considered a modern-day parlor guitar
Thanks for watching
Did I miss something? You didn’t show us any of the adjusting you did or what you did. What the heck?
IDK I watched it again and I explained what I was checking and what I needed to do to get the desired results. Granted I didn't show the nut filing or the saddle sanding. But like I said in the video I have lots of other videos that show that. Sorry I can't do the whole enchilada in every video because they become hour long videos that nobody watches. But I do appreciate you having a look.
Still dont know how to lower my string height after watching this vedio:(
I just watched far enough into the video to see what you mean. I have other videos that explain the process in great detail. Without going into all the other things related to saddle adjustment and string height I'll explain the process. So assuming everything else is correct, to lower the string height you must shave the saddle down. You can sue a file or sanding block. Most important is that the bottom is square to the sides when finished and straight from end to end. Good rule of thumb is 2x the amount you want to come down at the 12th fret has to come out the saddle. Example one is, if you want to the fat E string lowered 1/64" at the 12th fret you would have to remove 2/64" or 1/32" from the bottom of the saddle. Example two, if you want to the fat E string lowered .5mm at the 12th fret you would have to remove 1mm from the bottom of the saddle.
A bit of Neil young old man for a sec .
It could happen.