Between our half-century of guitar-building history and a track record of innovation to improve the playing experience, there have been many player-favorite models in the Taylor lineup over the years. But the loveable GS Mini truly stands out as an iconic Taylor design, boasting half a million models sold in just 14 years.
With its scaled-down frame, comfortable neck and a powerful voice that punches above its weight, there’s really nothing else quite like it. If you’ve never played one or you’ve been thinking about finally snagging one for yourself, here are five reasons to add a GS Mini to your musical toolkit today.
#1: It fits in just about anywhere you could want to go.
Line up a GS Mini between a full-scale acoustic guitar and a traditional three-quarter-size travel guitar and you’ll immediately see why it’s so appealing to players.
Based on our original Grand Symphony body shape (thus, the “GS” moniker), it’s scaled to a size that fits between our Grand Concert and the smaller Baby Taylor. Once it’s in your hands, you feel the benefit of that design choice right away—it sits comfortably in your lap, with body contours that are perfectly placed to rest on your leg while offering ideal positioning for both your fretting and picking hands. It adds up to one of the most accommodating playing experiences you’ll find with an acoustic guitar.
The Mini’s compact proportions also make it an excellent guitar for players who spend significant time on the road or in the air. Since every model comes with a structured, padded gig bag with backstraps, the GS Mini is easy to pack into a car or bring on flights (just be sure to check your airline’s guidelines around traveling with musical instruments).
#2: It doesn’t sacrifice tone for its compact frame.
Smaller acoustic guitars can be hit-or-miss in terms of their sonic capabilities. With many “travel-size” guitars, their sub-compact dimensions come at the expense of tonal output.
The GS Mini is different. It starts with a solid-wood top on every model, and whether you select a model with a soundboard of spruce, koa or mahogany, you can count on clear, bold projection with impressive dynamic range. The use of Taylor’s Grand Symphony body shape is a major factor in the Mini’s impressive sonic output. With its wider lower bout and relatively large air capacity for a smaller-scale guitar (its body depth is nearly the same as that of the Grand Concert), it produces a pleasing volume and full-range depth of sound. The GS Mini also features a standard-sized soundhole, matching the four-inch diameter of full-scale Taylor models instead of the 3-½-inch diameter featured in the Baby Taylor. Having a bigger “mouth” relative to its size helps produce impressive volume for the player to enjoy.
Inside the body, the GS Mini features a unique braceless back that incorporates a pressed arch rather than interior bracing for structural stability. That design element helps maximize resonance with the guitar’s layered-wood back and side construction. With all of these design elements working together, the tonal output roughly doubles what you can expect from any three-quarter-size guitar.
#3: It’s worthy of the stage (even big ones) and studio.
The GS Mini might be travel-friendly, but it’s more than a travel or couch guitar. It answers the call in almost any musical situation. Many models feature built-in electronics that make plugging in and playing through an amp, recording interface or mixing board a breeze. Standard GS Mini-e models include our ES-B preamp and pickup, which also features a built-in digital tuner in addition to volume and tone controls. GS Mini-e Plus models boast onboard ES2 electronics, the same behind-the-saddle pickup you’ll find in our top-of-the-line guitars. Artists like Damon Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) have strummed their Mini to a stadium full of fans. Because it’s also designed for optimal sonic clarity and balance, it’s also easy to mic up in a studio or home recording space, making it an incredibly versatile tool.
Watch Creature Canyon perform “American Movie” with a trio of koa-bodied GS Minis, including our fun-to-play acoustic bass.
#4: Lots of variety means a sound for every player.
Survey the complete GS Mini Series and you’ll discover a range of wood options, from spruce paired with layered rosewood to all-mahogany and all-Hawaiian koa versions to our 50th Anniversary limited edition. Tonally, spruce-topped models will sound familiar to most players thanks to its projection and midrange punch. Mahogany GS Minis will yield a slightly woodier, drier response, while koa models will deliver a touch of extra sparkle and a low-end warmth that will grow more pronounced as the wood matures.
Each tonewood combination also offers a unique visual character, and models like the GS Mini-e Koa Plus are sure to impress players and audiences alike with their lustrous coloration. Models with the “Plus” identifier also include upgraded aesthetic appointments like full-body gloss finishes.
Speaking of impressive visuals…
#5: The GS Mini is a perfect medium for our growing range of collaborative projects.
If you’ve been following Taylor in recent months, you might have noticed a few especially interesting-looking GS Mini models popping up, including some adorned with beautiful custom artwork. These are the result of a new program we’re calling Taylor CoLabs.
CoLabs is an opportunity for Taylor to partner with brands, artists and other organizations that we feel align with our mission, breathing fresh life into our designs and bringing the Taylor sound to more people than ever. You can check out some of these collaborations over on our CoLabs page and see a roundup of custom art-top GS Mini guitars we’ve made over the years in our story here [link to art-top story].
BONUS: The GS Mini family also features a four-string acoustic bass.
Featuring a similar shape and scale as our six-string GS Mini guitars, the GS Mini Bass is configured with specially formulated short-scale bass strings that the string masters at D’Addario developed specially for Taylor master builder Andy Powers. Featuring a bronze winding around a nylon core, our bass strings offer a soft, responsive feel with a voice that remains warm and snappy—no easy feat for a bass with a 23-½-inch scale length. Perfect for adding punchy low end to any musical mix, the GS Mini Bass provides the same portability and playing comfort as you’ll find in its six-string counterparts, making it easy to season your jams with some bass-range rumble. It’s also great for kids to learn on. And it’s a great tool for working out new melodies and laying down bass tracks in the studio. Watch composer and Taylor player RAM demonstrate how he uses his GS Mini Bass in the studio below.
Model options vary by year, but the GS Mini Bass is currently available in two variations: the standard GS Mini-e Bass, crafted with a solid spruce top and layered sapele back and sides, and the GS Mini-e Koa Bass, featuring a solid Hawaiian koa top paired with layered koa back and sides. Both editions include onboard ES-B electronics for easy amplification.
Be sure to explore the rest of our GS Mini special feature here in Wood&Steel and visit your local dealer to try one for yourself.
