[SOLVED!] Baby Taylor vs GS Mini: The Unending Battle of Two Small Taylor Beasts

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You are a guitarist who loves traveling and need a compact guitar as your companion? Then Baby Taylor vs GS Mini likely crosses your mind during the search for a suitable guitar. Read to the end to be able to pick up the guitar that suits you most

Baby Taylor Overview

A small, yet feature-packed travel guitar, the Baby Taylor is a ¾-size dreadnought guitar that’s not only good for your kids but you as well. It’s not newly released, because the original baby Taylor was first introduced in 1996. Whether you need a small guitar for pastime or use it as a go-to guitar, its electronics onboard are pretty handy.

It comes with a chromatic digital tuner so you don’t go crazy finding a guitar tech to tune your guitar in the middle of nowhere, especially when camping. A very capable guitar and a perfect companion for every musician out there.

Taylor GS Mini Overview

One of the most ultra-portable mini guitars, the Taylor GS Mini offers a scaled-down design, but not a cheap guitar. If you want to get a fuller and richer voice out of a travel guitar, then, this is the perfect one for you.

The GS Mini is designed to accommodate a custom-made passive magnetic soundhole pickup with V-cable that has a built-in volume control on the chord. Like the Baby Taylor, it’s always ready to take on any challenges anywhere. With the comfort of a Taylor neck, you might find it to be a little playable, too.

Baby Taylor vs GS Mini: Specs Comparison

If you’re torn between two products, the first thing you should compare right away is the specifications. The table below will give you enough information on which to choose, depending on the features that they have.

Specifications Baby Taylor GS Mini
Top Sitka spruce Sitka spruce
Bracing X Bracing X-Bracing with Relief Route
Back and Sides Layered Sapele Layered Sapele
Fretboard West African Ebony West African Ebony
Scale Length 22-3/4-inch 23-1/2-inch
Number of Frets 19 20
Body Width 12 ½-inch 14 3/8-inch
Body Length 15 ¾-inch 17 5/8-inch
Body Depth 3 3/8-inch 4 7/16-inch
Electronics ES-B ES-Go
Brand of Strings Elixir Phosphor Bronze Light Elixir Phosphor Bronze Medium
Pickguard None Tortoise

Baby Taylor vs GS Mini: Design

While the Baby Taylor is a ¾-size dreadnought and the GS Mini is a smaller Grand Symphony, if we compare them physically, the latter has a more defined lower bout. And, from the specifications tabulated above, one can safely say that indeed, the GS Mini is quite bigger than the Baby Taylor — in a lot of aspects.

This YouTube video will help you get the idea of the size and the neck construction difference between the two. Additionally, you can also get to hear the sound coming from each one of them:

Baby Taylor vs GS Mini: Playability

You know from the specifications and from the video above that the GS Mini is slightly bigger than the Baby Taylor. Also, it has a longer scale length and body length. So, experienced guitarists may find it easier to adjust to a GS Mini than to a smaller Baby Taylor.

About the neck, they both have a super-amazing neck that are comfortable and easier to play. They are handy and perfect for kids and players with a smaller profile. Both have die-cast tuners that do their job well, keeping the guitars in perfect tune for most times.

There’s just one thing that separates the two aside from the numbers — the chromatic digital tuner onboard in the Baby Taylor. This feature helps the guitarist to keep the guitar in perfect tune, giving the Baby Taylor a better advantage compared to the GS Mini.

Baby Taylor vs GS Mini: Sound

The Baby Taylor, as the baby between the two, offers a rich and bright tone because of the Sitka Spruce top, which is completed by the darker and earthier tone of the mahogany back and sides. So, you’ll get a sweeter midrange with a nod on the extremities.

Since GS Mini is slightly bigger than the Baby Taylor, you’ll get a much fuller sound, warm, clear and has more defined midrange response. If you want to play complex chords, they sound beautifully with the GS Mini compared to the Baby. It’s perfect for jazz strummers and flatpickers.

Baby Taylor vs GS Mini: Price

These two mini guitars have the same price, which is good, since you have to consider what you need from the guitar, rather than which costs less. But, they aren’t the cheapest models in the market. Though they are small guitars, they are designed to play electrically, to be plugged into an amp.

There’s also a much cheaper version of the Baby Tylor, the one without electronics. But, it’ll be a disadvantage since you don’t easily get amplified sound, unless if you have an external pickup. So, having to buy an acoustic-electric guitar will prepare you for everything that comes your way.

Conclusion

Certainly, you now have your bet in mind. Though the reviews and comparison can give you a hint of the user experience, it’s very important to know your preferences, pick the guitar and play.

As two of Taylors mini guitars, they are among the best in the market. They are almost the same in the aspect of craftsmanship and playability, however, they are unique when it comes to sound quality. And, only the guitarist can decide himself, which is better to play to accommodate his music styles and the way he plays.