In 1996, Taylor Guitars introduced the Baby Taylor, a 3/4-size dreadnought guitar, which demonstrated that compact guitars designed for travelers or children could still be well-crafted, visually appealing, and incredibly playable, all while delivering impressive sound quality. Over a decade later, co-founder Bob Taylor decided to revisit this concept, aiming to create a guitar that offered even more sound in a similarly compact form. After exploring various modifications to the Baby Taylor’s bracing, top thickness, and other specifications, Taylor and product developer David Judd redirected their focus towards Taylor’s grand symphony (GS) body shape, hoping to capture its robust bass and rich tone in a smaller instrument.
The outcome of their experimentation was unveiled in July: the GS Mini, a downsized version of the GS body shape, crafted with straightforward wood materials. Priced around $500, this guitar not only blurs the line between a portable instrument and a musician’s primary choice but essentially erases it. Taylor also introduced accompanying accessories: the ES-Go, an easily installable, GS Mini-specific soundhole pickup, and the Taylor V-Cable, a 1/4-inch cable with integrated volume control. We recently had the opportunity to test the GS Mini and ES-Go pickup in various settings: from casual playing on the couch to outdoor sessions and performances at music festivals.
Taylor GS Mini: Compact yet Complete, Uncompromised Quality
Upon opening the hard gig bag containing our review guitar, I was immediately struck by how the GS Mini defied the typical appearance of a “travel guitar.” Despite its simple caramel-colored sapele back and sides, solid Sitka spruce top, and satin finish, the instrument exuded a sense of understated elegance, enhanced by the three-ring rosette and three-layer purfling, which added a touch of sophistication typically found in higher-priced guitars. Moreover, the construction was impeccable.
As I settled onto my couch with the GS Mini in my lap, I was pleasantly surprised by the immediate sense of comfort it provided. Falling somewhere between the Baby and Big Baby in overall size, the GS Mini featured a 23.5-inch scale length—two inches shorter than the GS or full-size long-scale length—making open chords effortlessly accessible. With a body width of 14-3/8 inches, the guitar was small enough to be comfortable to play while seated, yet substantial enough to prevent any hunching over. Additionally, the 4-7/16-inch body depth, only a quarter-inch shallower than the GS but nearly an inch deeper than the Baby’s, gave the GS Mini a full-size guitar feel in my lap.
During a car-travel test, the GS Mini proved its versatility by effortlessly fitting into the trunk of my VW Golf alongside all my festival essentials: tent, air mattress, sleeping bag, duffel bag, and mandolin.
Big Sound in a Small Package
The GS Mini’s deep body not only provides the sensation of playing a full-size guitar but also delivers a sound reminiscent of one. Regardless of whether I strummed lightly or with force, the guitar responded with consistent volume. Whether played softly or with a moderate attack, the Mini emitted a warm, clear tone with a slight emphasis on the midrange, complemented by bright trebles and rich bass notes. Our review model featured low factory-set action, facilitating easy playability, although more aggressive players might prefer to raise the action. When played with a vigorous attack, particularly in the bass, the sound begins to break up, making it better suited for solo or small group performances rather than anchoring a bluegrass jam, for example. I utilized the GS Mini to accompany my vocals during a vocal workshop, and its unamplified tone provided robust support to my singing, projecting clearly across a ten-yard span of grass to the attendees.
While flatpicking fiddle tunes, the GS Mini produced crisp and clear notes, effectively articulating the melody across all six strings. This sharp tone allows bass runs to stand out amidst ringing chords and suits less intricate melodies such as bluesy single-line riffs. Fast runs effortlessly pop off the strings, while sustained notes can be held for extended durations, occasionally necessitating palm muting for cleaner articulation. The guitar’s sustain enriches chord progressions in cross-picked tunes, and on songs like “Norwegian Wood,” it effortlessly maintains a strong drone above changing bass notes.
The pronounced midrange adds punch to jazz chords, which, combined with the guitar’s comfortable factory setup and neck, make them easy to navigate up and down the fingerboard. Despite my tendency to fingerpick with a light touch, I found that achieving a balanced, even tone was effortless, and I particularly appreciated the full-bodied bass response. In every musical scenario, the GS Mini proved to be a versatile and capable instrument, handling a variety of playing styles with finesse.
ES-Go: Easy Installation, Plug and Play
Taylor provided our review guitar with the ES-Go, a magnetic, stacked-humbucking soundhole pickup that utilizes the company’s Expression System technology but is specifically tailored for the GS Mini (available separately for $98). Taylor claims that installing the ES-Go requires only a screwdriver and a few minutes. Designed to be inconspicuous visually, the black pickup attaches to a bracket inside the guitar beneath the fingerboard and then floats within the soundhole, rather than clamping onto the sides like most soundhole pickups. Even for someone with minimal experience like myself, the installation process was quick and painless, taking a mere 12 minutes to loosen and remove the strings, swap out the endpin, install the pickup, and tune the guitar back up.
When I plugged the guitar into a Fender Blues Junior amp, I initially struggled to hear the bass notes through the amp with the bass, mid, and treble controls set straight up. Since the pickup itself lacks controls, I adjusted the amp settings by cranking up the bass, dialing down the treble, and increasing the volume to match the plugged-in sound to the balanced acoustic tone. While the Blues Junior effectively amplified the resonant frequencies of the GS Mini, minor technique adjustments such as palm muting helped achieve a clean sound. When I tested it with an AER Compact 60 amp, some of these resonant frequencies vanished, but the sustain remained intact. Adjusting the bass control on the amp helped to even out the tone, resulting in a more pleasing sound compared to many undersaddle pickups I’ve encountered.
The compact size of the GS Mini, which is convenient for couch, car, and airplane travel, makes it an excellent choice for frequent travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, and home musicians alike. With its wide dynamic range, clear tone, long sustain, and reasonable price, it offers a satisfying and enjoyable playing experience whether strummed, fingerpicked, or flatpicked. It would serve admirably as a second guitar or even as a primary instrument for any player seeking a high-quality guitar that is always readily accessible.
Specifications
The GS Mini features a compact body size and boasts a Solid Sitka spruce top paired with laminate sapele back and sides. Its neck is constructed from sapele, while the fingerboard and bridge are made of ebony. The top is X-braced, while the back is braceless with an arched design. It comes equipped with a NuBone nut and saddle, along with a 23.5-inch scale length, a 1 11/16-inch nut width, and 2 1/4-inch string spacing at the saddle. The guitar is finished in satin and features chrome tuners. It comes strung with Elixir medium-gauge Nanoweb strings and is proudly made in Mexico.