I just bought a used GS Mini e QS. Had been looking at this model, and just loved the look. I already have full-size guitars that are spruce/rosewood and spruce/mahogany, so I was wowed by the look more than the sound. I do think this will still sound good, especially plugged in.
It's all about the look if you choose a Spruce top - the reflective back wood on all of these is actually Sapele - the exterior is just a different aesthetic.
That was an excellent review. I have a 2015 Taylor GS Mini-e RW that goes everywhere with me. I love it. Taylor has found the ”sweet spot” between portability, tone, quality and price. Perfect for playing everywhere.
im only looking at it because of he 23 inch scale length - scale length is everything to me - the finger board is the most important part of the guitar - the rest is fine but if you cant play the neck - you are in trouble
I have had a lot of guitars over the years. Once I got my mahogany GS mini back in 2014 I fell in love with it. It sounds good, very comfortable and plays great. I ended up selling all my other acoustics including my Martin D-15.
I prefer the Mini-e Mahogany myself. But they're all fantastic to me, wish I had one of each. I love the Minis because, as an electric player, the shorter scale length, awesome playing Taylor neck, and sweet tones are a dream come true.
@@jonathangoodman2636 Yes I'm "protected" from the demons when I play it. Lol Oh I know what you meant, projection. It's quite impressive really, it's louder than you might think. It's practically on par with the AD series honestly. Of course not quite as loud but stands it's ground. If you have a local shop go try em. Yes the high end is a bit muted with mahogany, the price you pay for deeper tone. Just hit those high strings a bit harder and further back and you'll get that bite. You can always plug it in or mic it. Mahogany sounds the deepest, best low end, of all the minis imo and yes I've had the opportunity to actually play them all. Of course your own ears will steer you the right way. Thankfully they don't cost much. Go for it. 🤘
I live less than two hours from the Taylor factory in California. I’ve taken two of my Taylors to the factory service center for a set up and they did a great job for free. While the layered back and sides are superior to the paper covered particle board other manufacturers use it has very little effect on the tone of the guitar. I think Bob Taylor and Andy Powers agree. It is real wood and much more attractive than fake wood. I have the rosewood spruce. I find it to have a very nice mid range with an almost flat EQ. It’s a very nice looking guitar that plays and sounds very good. Every player should own one of these!
yep, still in love with my Mahogany 5 years later. I'm not even that regular as a player nor insanely skilled but i still take her everywhere (yes i refer to my guitars as people, i should find some friends)
I bought mine new in 2013. Spruce deck with Koa back and sides. The spruce deck has aged beautifully and has turned a golden honey color. I love this guitar. So easy and comfy to play. Sounds amazing. I also added the ES-GO pickup back in the day. Does the job if you need to run through an amp.
Some of your information isn't quite as informative as it could be (I'll come to that) but WELL done on a nicely presented review. I have 3 GS Minis and pkay professionally, so I feel I xan speak with some experince. Firstly, I love the playability and quality of these guitars (why otherwise would I have 3?!?), but the tonewood - specifically the BACK woods are actually all the same, no matter which model you choose. Take a look through the soundhole - the back wood is Sapele, and then Taylor layer a sheet of Poplar against that, followed by the veneer you see on the outside. So, my Rosewood model sounds exactly the same as my African Ziricote model, because in truth I am playing 2 Sapele - Sitka Spruce guitars. The Koa topped and Mahogany topped model definitely sound different (I have one of the original Koa when they fitted the ES2 as standard). I contacted Taylor about this layered wood for the backs, and they informed me that the back veneer is essentially just for decoration. So, whilst I do love the look of both the Rosewood and the African Ziricote, I don't actually need both as they produce an identical tone, and they're both Sapele guitars. All this said, thanks posting this review; I really enjoyed the style.
Makes you wonder.. That Rosewood plus sounds so much better than the original one. I wanted to go for the Koa Plus so bad, mainly cause of looks I guess but rosewood/w spruce top is the better combo all around I believe. Great demo.!
The biggest challenge is deciding which one to go for as they're all so good! The Rosewood Plus' balanced tones are amazing - but the Koa Plus does look incredible... Guess it just comes down to sound vs looks for you 🤔 Tough choice!
The gs mini is set up with medium strings which is nice. The big baby which only can use light gage has a different neck but is also a fun traveler guitar. If these guitars are too expensive, the sammick greg bennet may be a good choice.
No GS-Mini for me, thank you. My wife wanted one to try to move from uke to guitar, but decided to stay with uke. So I tried it out at a few jams and open mics. I didn't like it at all. It's now with an extended family member, and I'm much happier with what I already had (which includes other Taylor models).
Have one, it is ace, amazing sound and great size and its a taylor so top quality. Also, if you dont like it, as it is the most popular guitar you can sell for good resale, low risk purchase
The only thing I hate with this guitar is its soft fret wires, that easily wears out. Why don't they replace it with titanium fret wires knowing that it is an expensive guitar? I hate refretting because it damages the guitar...
Only the tops contribute to the different tonal qualities of the GS Mini. All the veneers are poplar, with the various woods contributing to the visuals of the guitar.
What about the Sitka spruce top on African ziricote body. I have one and it’s awesome but I’m no expert. Is there a reason why not many manufacturers use ziricote?
Still not decided yet. Looking at the mahogany as an option now. Can't play them love unfortunately so here it goes. Rosewood vs mahogany vs Koa? Any thoughts? Cheers!
Main thing with the wood choices is going to be tone & also looks (which are important 😂), but the mahogany will give you a warm/dark tone, Rosewood is more "in the middle" (not too warm, not too bright) and Koa is in the middle of the 2, with a much more striking look! Best thing if you can is get a few in your hands to see what works the best :)
I love my GS mini. Big sound, easy to play and great to travel with. I can even sit in a passenger seat and play. Can't to that with a full size guitar. I just love it
I have an eight year old GS mini mahogany. I bought the ES GO pick up. Unfortunately no one sells a cord in the US for it anymore and I cannot get it to work with a standard cord. What pick up do you recommend putting in a GS mini mahogany?
Please make a review of gs mini rosewood e plus plug in using the pick up system, that would be great, because all of the channel who review this guitar use microphone only.. so we have an idea how does it sound when plug in… thanks 🙏
This a blatant unapologetic advertising video for the GS mini. You should be ashamed! Except, as a GS mini owner I can only say that you are absolutely right. It's the one guitar I always have to pick up whenever I walk past it in my living room 🙂
I had a walnut sided GS Mini for a couple of years. Tried to love it, played it loads, just never sounded quite right to the point where you had to know how to "out of tune it", especially on the b string, to get it to sound ok. Tried various string gauges aswell. In the end I traded it for a Faith Nomad. Sounds awsome, much prefer it & in the trade I got the Nomad plus a Les Paul Junior.
I have a similar experience. I’m own an original sapele and a rosewood. The action on the rw isn’t nearly as nice as the sapele but the sapele has a G string that is either in tune open and sharp fretted or in tune fretted and flat open. It drives me nuts! I often wonder if it’s fixable but I’m afraid whoever “fixes” it will ruin the perfect action.
it's not a fair comparison since the Martin is smaller than the GS Mini. for having tried both, it sounds like a box with rubber bands in comparison. if you want a Martin that compares to the GS Mini look into the D and 000 Juniors, they're much more relevant
13-56 gauge is what they come with. If you go lighter gauge strings, it won’t sound as good. The shorter scale length makes the heavier gauge easier to play, and being a smaller guitar, the heavy string make it sound great.
Thanx,@@jsmoker10. My problem with heavier strings is that they are really messing up my fingers as I age. Perhaps I'll go down just one gauge and try that. 🙂
I’ve had my Mini e rosewood for about 9 months now..Best acoustic for under $1k that checks all the boxes, and something I constantly grab off the wall weekly..I used elixir 13-56 first 6 months..didn’t care for them..sounded a little muddy..put on elixir 12-53 3 months ago..sounds a little more crisper..I’m thinking get off elixirs next go round with non coated strings will give a little more definition? I don’t care if I have to replace the strings more often..
This is my problem coz I have a very small hands, 13s is rough on my fingers, if I change the string 12s below will lose the tone that why Im returning my GS mini. Comfortability is important to me.
Thanks for posting that. I didn’t know of those but will check them out. Yamaha are brilliant. I have an FG800M that gets played more than my high end guitars.
@@ReneJohnMeldrum probably not an all solid 3M. I tried all of them, other than CSF3M, they all sound boxy and dull at upper frets. If you only play cowboy chords, GS Mini is very good.
@@toyotozan I assume that you haven't tried the GS Mini E Koa. I think it sounds better than the Yamaha, and the upgraded gig bag is certainly better. However, if you need a guitar that isn't as loud, then I can see how you might prefer the Yamaha.
Taylor under £2k is hard avoid, All made in Mexico, Laminated woods, The worst grade woods are used and the 214 costs 1k, Taylor have got to be joking.
You could have conveyed all of that in half or less time, provided you didn't speak in circles. Tell the viewer what you are going to cover, then go over the details, finally tell them what you just tole them (Demonstrate). 🤔🤨😏🤓
I don't 'love' it. Serious guitarists play The Maton EM6 mini as that is universally recognised as the world's best. The PRS P20 is a close runner up to the amazing Maton.
Well, not everyone loves the GS mini. I have big hands. Also it doesn't sound as good or is easier to play than my Art and Lutherie parlours, which cost quite a bit less. It's a gimmick guitar that is really just a small parlour but if they called it that they wouldn't sell because true parlours are a much better guitar. In a day and age when a lot of people think mahogany and koa tops sounds good ( they don't ), being obese and covered in tattoos and gross piercings is "beautiful" and healthy, men can get pregnant and need tampons, whilst women don't need men at all because apparently they can do everything better than men and even self procreate, I'm really not surprised something so mediocre is popular. Dee ee el you ess eye oh en ay el lol!
I have played a ton of acoustics I personally find a spruce top with rosewood back and sides are the best paired woods and have a beautiful rich balance sound ! I do love my all Koa Taylor but my Martin D35 spruce top with rosewood back and sides just sounds unreal!
@@samk4801 the sound is good, it's just the strings I coudnt handle. My fingers are so small, couldn't play longer on it. Guess I would stick to my electric guitar that got 9s string
Started playing Taylor guitars twenty years ago, with a 1996 610. I swear it’s got better and better over the years. Toured their factory in San Diego and was able to speak to one of their engineers about retrofitting an Expression p/u in Auckland NZ where I live. He put me in touch with a newly trained local guy, and stayed in touch to make sure all was OK. A good friend who was Elton John’s live sound engineer for 30 years told me it is the best acoustic p/u he has heard!
If you could have any GS-Mini, which model would you go for?
I went for the rosewood model.
Great choice, love the brightness of the rosewood model!
I just bought a used GS Mini e QS. Had been looking at this model, and just loved the look. I already have full-size guitars that are spruce/rosewood and spruce/mahogany, so I was wowed by the look more than the sound. I do think this will still sound good, especially plugged in.
It's all about the look if you choose a Spruce top - the reflective back wood on all of these is actually Sapele - the exterior is just a different aesthetic.
i have a 2011 and the top has aged and darkened up lovely.
That was an excellent review. I have a 2015 Taylor GS Mini-e RW that goes everywhere with me. I love it. Taylor has found the ”sweet spot” between portability, tone, quality and price. Perfect for playing everywhere.
im only looking at it because of he 23 inch scale length - scale length is everything to me - the finger board is the most important part of the guitar - the rest is fine but if you cant play the neck - you are in trouble
I have had a lot of guitars over the years. Once I got my mahogany GS mini back in 2014 I fell in love with it. It sounds good, very comfortable and plays great. I ended up selling all my other acoustics including my Martin D-15.
I prefer the Mini-e Mahogany myself. But they're all fantastic to me, wish I had one of each. I love the Minis because, as an electric player, the shorter scale length, awesome playing Taylor neck, and sweet tones are a dream come true.
Question: do you get plenty of protection from such a small model that is also mahogany? I'm considering one but concerned.
@@jonathangoodman2636 Yes I'm "protected" from the demons when I play it. Lol Oh I know what you meant, projection. It's quite impressive really, it's louder than you might think. It's practically on par with the AD series honestly. Of course not quite as loud but stands it's ground. If you have a local shop go try em. Yes the high end is a bit muted with mahogany, the price you pay for deeper tone. Just hit those high strings a bit harder and further back and you'll get that bite. You can always plug it in or mic it. Mahogany sounds the deepest, best low end, of all the minis imo and yes I've had the opportunity to actually play them all. Of course your own ears will steer you the right way. Thankfully they don't cost much. Go for it. 🤘
I live less than two hours from the Taylor factory in California. I’ve taken two of my Taylors to the factory service center for a set up and they did a great job for free. While the layered back and sides are superior to the paper covered particle board other manufacturers use it has very little effect on the tone of the guitar. I think Bob Taylor and Andy Powers agree. It is real wood and much more attractive than fake wood. I have the rosewood spruce. I find it to have a very nice mid range with an almost flat EQ. It’s a very nice looking guitar that plays and sounds very good. Every player should own one of these!
yep, still in love with my Mahogany 5 years later. I'm not even that regular as a player nor insanely skilled but i still take her everywhere (yes i refer to my guitars as people, i should find some friends)
I bought mine new in 2013. Spruce deck with Koa back and sides. The spruce deck has aged beautifully and has turned a golden honey color. I love this guitar. So easy and comfy to play. Sounds amazing. I also added the ES-GO pickup back in the day. Does the job if you need to run through an amp.
Some of your information isn't quite as informative as it could be (I'll come to that) but WELL done on a nicely presented review. I have 3 GS Minis and pkay professionally, so I feel I xan speak with some experince. Firstly, I love the playability and quality of these guitars (why otherwise would I have 3?!?), but the tonewood - specifically the BACK woods are actually all the same, no matter which model you choose. Take a look through the soundhole - the back wood is Sapele, and then Taylor layer a sheet of Poplar against that, followed by the veneer you see on the outside. So, my Rosewood model sounds exactly the same as my African Ziricote model, because in truth I am playing 2 Sapele - Sitka Spruce guitars. The Koa topped and Mahogany topped model definitely sound different (I have one of the original Koa when they fitted the ES2 as standard).
I contacted Taylor about this layered wood for the backs, and they informed me that the back veneer is essentially just for decoration. So, whilst I do love the look of both the Rosewood and the African Ziricote, I don't actually need both as they produce an identical tone, and they're both Sapele guitars.
All this said, thanks posting this review; I really enjoyed the style.
Excellent video - covered all aspects well and I was thankful for the demonstrations of each model. You deserve more likes.
I love your reviews! It makes easy for me to decide which gs mini i should buy 😊
Happy to hear that! Thanks for watching
Which gs mini did you buy?
Because it’s the perfect acoustic guitar
very nice review. covered all basics well AND made it easy to understand why a GS mini. Thanks
Makes you wonder.. That Rosewood plus sounds so much better than the original one. I wanted to go for the Koa Plus so bad, mainly cause of looks I guess but rosewood/w spruce top is the better combo all around I believe. Great demo.!
The biggest challenge is deciding which one to go for as they're all so good! The Rosewood Plus' balanced tones are amazing - but the Koa Plus does look incredible... Guess it just comes down to sound vs looks for you 🤔 Tough choice!
The gs mini is set up with medium strings which is nice. The big baby which only can use light gage has a different neck but is also a fun traveler guitar. If these guitars are too expensive, the sammick greg bennet may be a good choice.
For less price Martin makes all solid wood DJr-10 with a 1.75” nut width
No GS-Mini for me, thank you. My wife wanted one to try to move from uke to guitar, but decided to stay with uke. So I tried it out at a few jams and open mics. I didn't like it at all. It's now with an extended family member, and I'm much happier with what I already had (which includes other Taylor models).
Great review! And thank you from Arkansas US
Thanks for watching!
9:00 Don't forget to factor in the size of the resonant area of the top. The jumbo shape of these probably offer more area than most travel guitars.
Have one, it is ace, amazing sound and great size and its a taylor so top quality. Also, if you dont like it, as it is the most popular guitar you can sell for good resale, low risk purchase
The only thing I hate with this guitar is its soft fret wires, that easily wears out. Why don't they replace it with titanium fret wires knowing that it is an expensive guitar? I hate refretting because it damages the guitar...
I own a GS Mini Mahogany. Love it. This is a great video. Thanks. :)
Only the tops contribute to the different tonal qualities of the GS Mini. All the veneers are poplar, with the various woods contributing to the visuals of the guitar.
I prefer Martin DJR-10E StreetMaster.
Greetings
What about the Sitka spruce top on African ziricote body. I have one and it’s awesome but I’m no expert. Is there a reason why not many manufacturers use ziricote?
Beautiful machines. My next is a Grand Orchestra........
Great choice man!
Just bought last month GS mahogany. It comes with 13s string and kinda rough on my small fingers. Can I change the string to a lighter ones?
Yes I bought a mini too and I asked the shop to change to 11s string.
Still not decided yet. Looking at the mahogany as an option now. Can't play them love unfortunately so here it goes. Rosewood vs mahogany vs Koa? Any thoughts? Cheers!
Main thing with the wood choices is going to be tone & also looks (which are important 😂), but the mahogany will give you a warm/dark tone, Rosewood is more "in the middle" (not too warm, not too bright) and Koa is in the middle of the 2, with a much more striking look! Best thing if you can is get a few in your hands to see what works the best :)
GS Mini clearly doesnt have a rosewood top. Any idea why this isn't mentioned?
I love my GS mini. Big sound, easy to play and great to travel with. I can even sit in a passenger seat and play. Can't to that with a full size guitar.
I just love it
I have an eight year old GS mini mahogany. I bought the ES GO pick up. Unfortunately no one sells a cord in the US for it anymore and I cannot get it to work with a standard cord. What pick up do you recommend putting in a GS mini mahogany?
Why such a big tonal difference between thenrosewood and rosewood plus?
Please make a review of gs mini rosewood e plus plug in using the pick up system, that would be great, because all of the channel who review this guitar use microphone only.. so we have an idea how does it sound when plug in… thanks 🙏
Its so evident that you prepared this review so well
is there a mini that isn't a taylor that sounds great and is a similar price range. or do they have the best of the minis for the money, bar none?
I love the gs mini but I honestly think the big baby sounds better.
I love mine too
Delta House Harry Potter is correct. The mini Koa is awesome.
The Taylor GS Mini is probably so popular because it's the best guitar for smaller hands. like me.
I love my gs mini mahogany with go 1 pickup
I love mine too ❤
This a blatant unapologetic advertising video for the GS mini. You should be ashamed! Except, as a GS mini owner I can only say that you are absolutely right. It's the one guitar I always have to pick up whenever I walk past it in my living room 🙂
Well it shouldn’t be a surprise because after all he is a Taylor dealer, right?
love the taylore gs mini... i just hate the pick guard shape...
Easy fix, get a model without the pick guard 😉
Because there great guitars
I had a walnut sided GS Mini for a couple of years. Tried to love it, played it loads, just never sounded quite right to the point where you had to know how to "out of tune it", especially on the b string, to get it to sound ok. Tried various string gauges aswell. In the end I traded it for a Faith Nomad. Sounds awsome, much prefer it & in the trade I got the Nomad plus a Les Paul Junior.
I have a similar experience. I’m own an original sapele and a rosewood. The action on the rw isn’t nearly as nice as the sapele but the sapele has a G string that is either in tune open and sharp fretted or in tune fretted and flat open. It drives me nuts! I often wonder if it’s fixable but I’m afraid whoever “fixes” it will ruin the perfect action.
How does this compare to the Martin LX1R?
I have both, the Martin is a toy compared to the Taylor gs mini Koa. But it’s also 500 more expensive
it's not a fair comparison since the Martin is smaller than the GS Mini. for having tried both, it sounds like a box with rubber bands in comparison. if you want a Martin that compares to the GS Mini look into the D and 000 Juniors, they're much more relevant
What gauge strings gives the best sound? 🤔
13-56 gauge is what they come with. If you go lighter gauge strings, it won’t sound as good. The shorter scale length makes the heavier gauge easier to play, and being a smaller guitar, the heavy string make it sound great.
Thanx,@@jsmoker10. My problem with heavier strings is that they are really messing up my fingers as I age. Perhaps I'll go down just one gauge and try that. 🙂
I’ve had my Mini e rosewood for about 9 months now..Best acoustic for under $1k that checks all the boxes, and something I constantly grab off the wall weekly..I used elixir 13-56 first 6 months..didn’t care for them..sounded a little muddy..put on elixir 12-53 3 months ago..sounds a little more crisper..I’m thinking get off elixirs next go round with non coated strings will give a little more definition? I don’t care if I have to replace the strings more often..
This is my problem coz I have a very small hands, 13s is rough on my fingers, if I change the string 12s below will lose the tone that why Im returning my GS mini. Comfortability is important to me.
@@tarared7668 are you currently using Elixirs?
I assume you have never played a Yamaha CSF3M. Same price, all solid wood, better built, sounds better and comes with a much better case.
Thanks for posting that. I didn’t know of those but will check them out. Yamaha are brilliant. I have an FG800M that gets played more than my high end guitars.
Sold my csf to get my gs mini much more projection
@@ReneJohnMeldrum probably not an all solid 3M. I tried all of them, other than CSF3M, they all sound boxy and dull at upper frets. If you only play cowboy chords, GS Mini is very good.
All a matter of taste. If you like the Taylor sound, you will get one.
@@toyotozan I assume that you haven't tried the GS Mini E Koa. I think it sounds better than the Yamaha, and the upgraded gig bag is certainly better.
However, if you need a guitar that isn't as loud, then I can see how you might prefer the Yamaha.
itsa fing dat I fancy
Taylor under £2k is hard avoid, All made in Mexico, Laminated woods, The worst grade woods are used and the 214 costs 1k, Taylor have got to be joking.
5:21
You could have conveyed all of that in half or less time, provided you didn't speak in circles. Tell the viewer what you are going to cover, then go over the details, finally tell them what you just tole them (Demonstrate). 🤔🤨😏🤓
👌😎
I don't 'love' it. Serious guitarists play The Maton EM6 mini as that is universally recognised as the world's best. The PRS P20 is a close runner up to the amazing Maton.
Could have fooled me, I've been reading about mini guitars all week and this is the first I've seen that one mentioned
Lots of talks... 😂
waffle
This video just unsold me. None sound good strummed.
Parlor size guitars are mainly used for finger style anyway. Not strumming
I have a Takamini mini. Cheaper, better electrics.
No one asked
@@indradiana your arrogance is showing
@@indradianai did
I don’t like em …..they sound like a toy and you can’t get any volume out of it. If you like to play quietly to yourself, go for it.
Well, not everyone loves the GS mini. I have big hands. Also it doesn't sound as good or is easier to play than my Art and Lutherie parlours, which cost quite a bit less. It's a gimmick guitar that is really just a small parlour but if they called it that they wouldn't sell because true parlours are a much better guitar. In a day and age when a lot of people think mahogany and koa tops sounds good ( they don't ), being obese and covered in tattoos and gross piercings is "beautiful" and healthy, men can get pregnant and need tampons, whilst women don't need men at all because apparently they can do everything better than men and even self procreate, I'm really not surprised something so mediocre is popular. Dee ee el you ess eye oh en ay el lol!
Which one would be better for Mexico style of music? 🤔
Looks aside, Taylors adjustable neck puts them a cut above all set neck guitars.
It is a toss-up for me between the mini Koa and the mini Caramel Burst on sound quality.
Went for a mahogany cuz I'm poor 🤣
Went for mahogany because it sounded the best of the bunch.
I have played a ton of acoustics I personally find a spruce top with rosewood back and sides are the best paired woods and have a beautiful rich balance sound ! I do love my all Koa Taylor but my Martin D35 spruce top with rosewood back and sides just sounds unreal!
Aside from the sound, size, and the fair price, the GS Mini mahogany is the only guitar I could play a barre B-flat chord on. 😀
Coudnt do it on mine, the strings kinda rough on my small fingers. Planning to return it. Just got it recently.
@@tarared7668 Sorry to hear that. I wonder though if it's the strings or the guitar. At least you have the option to return it.
@@samk4801 the sound is good, it's just the strings I coudnt handle. My fingers are so small, couldn't play longer on it. Guess I would stick to my electric guitar that got 9s string
@@tarared7668 That's cool that you have an alternative plan with the electric guitar. Happy tunes!!
Started playing Taylor guitars twenty years ago, with a 1996 610. I swear it’s got better and better over the years. Toured their factory in San Diego and was able to speak to one of their engineers about retrofitting an Expression p/u in Auckland NZ where I live. He put me in touch with a newly trained local guy, and stayed in touch to make sure all was OK. A good friend who was Elton John’s live sound engineer for 30 years told me it is the best acoustic p/u he has heard!
Martin OOO jr competes well. All solid wood and wonderful tone.