GS Mini

[Jersey tuning]

A totally superfluous, beating a dead horse review of a Taylor newish fave.

Ain't got one. Don't need one.  But it was sure fun to pick up sitka- and hog- topped cousins at GC.  I think the mahogany-topped one I saw was not only esthetically the winner but the hogtop gave the instrument a more mellow tone than the brighter (less appealing  for me) Sitka-topped instrument.  Too bad it needs medium strings to drive the engine--sort of defeats the purpose if the motivation is to get a smaller, easy to play instrument.  Great for the travelling strummer tho.........

[michaelw]

a 112 12 fret with 1 3/4" nut & 4 5/8" body depth would be pretty sweet, imho -
i think a regular solid headstock would cut down on labor time for routing & not
having to use as thick of a piece of sapele for the headstock as the slotheads

it would probably be in the 2XX acoustic price range, though, & since there isn't too much of an
upcharge for the rosewood veneer, gloss top & hardbag, maybe a cedar top 212 12 fret LTD

[mikeguywest]

sort of defeats the purpose if the motivation is to get a smaller, easy to play instrument. 

It's still easy to play even with the medium strings. You can put lights on and I bet it will still project, though not as much as with the meds. But, hey, if your casually at the park or beach, or simply kickin' back on the couch at home who needs big projection. I like my GS8 much more because I can dig into it, has excellent projection even unplugged, and a fabulous tone. But for a small, convenient, travel guitar you can beat the Mini. And it sounds so much better than the other travel guitars out there.

I too played the Hog and Spruce side by side and chose the Hog. Sitka is great on larger bodies, but too stiff/dense for tops the size of the Mini's

[JontheRevelator]

GS mini records really well also.  It's the only acoustic I've been using on my latest effort. I think that I put 12s on last string change w/ no perceptible change to me or the microphone.

[TaylorGirl]

I love mine, and I am a fingerstyle player. I use mediums on it, and still find it easy to play. It travels with me wherever our motorhome goes.

[Jersey tuning]

Just didn't like the feel of the medium strings played fingerstyle on the mini, which is curious because I've begun playing my baritone fingerstyle and have no issues with the .017-.070 set!!  I guess some subjectivity has crept in.........

[mgap]

Just didn't like the feel of the medium strings played fingerstyle on the mini, which is curious because I've begun playing my baritone fingerstyle and have no issues with the .017-.070 set!!  I guess some subjectivity has crept in.........

With the short scale size of the GS Mini I have never had a problem with the string gauge.  The short scale makes it easier.  The Taylor Dreadnaught and the GS models all come with medium gauge strings and they have a beefier feel to the strings over the GS Mini.

I plan on calling Taylor customer service to get the ok to put medium strings on a recent purchase of a 514ce, just to see what it can offer for tone.  Any thoughts on that.

[Jersey tuning]

I plan on calling Taylor customer service to get the ok to put medium strings on a recent purchase of a 514ce, just to see what it can offer for tone.  Any thoughts on that.

In W&S "Ask Bob" he has always said (loosely paraphrasing) about a .013 set on a x14 "Go for it, you just may need to file the nut a bit and adjust the truss rod to accommodate the thicker gauge strings; string tension is fine"

[Earl]

My wife, who plays intermittently, recently chose a GS Mini with mahogany top.  She thinks the medium gauge strings are a bit tough to play, being used to light gauge 12's on other guitars.  Not wanting to trash the brand new set of Elixir strings still in fine condition that it came with, I simply tuned the whole deal down a full step (D-D instead of E-E).  The reduced level of tension was fine with her, basically equivalent to 12's.  When it is time to change strings her Mini will get 12's and go back to E-E tuning.

Although we have a stable of fine guitars, the GS Mini is an impressive little instrument, and fits her much better.  We now have "mama bear" and "papa bear" guitars to fit each of us.

[mgap]

Elixir strings have strings gauges as such:
Light                     .012        .016   .024      .032      .042      .053
Light-Medium      .012      .016      .024      .035      .045      .056
Medium               .013      .017      .026      .035      .045      .056   

The Mini has the medium on them from the factory.  I am wondering how the Light-medium would sound,  the E, A, and D string have the size that is needed, yet a little easier on the finger with the lighter gauge on the G, B, E strings.  That might help a bit.  I am going to try them on my 514..  I am not going to file out the nut if need be I would probably go back to the light strings first.

[michaelw]

once the mediums on my mini have expired, i'll be putting on a set of EXP19 .012 -.056 PBs -
unless there is pinging while tuning up, which indicates the string is binding in the nut slot,
i wouldn't worry about it, as the nut slots are cut slightly oversize than the string gauges

if you're wanting to try to stick with light gauge, might i suggest
maybe a set of ghs infinity bronze lights on that cedar top 514
http://www.ghsstrings.com/strings/acoustic/infinity-bronze

after a diet of elixir nano 80/20s lights on a well-played in 514ce,
i was pleasantly surprised by the extra warmth & articulation -
not a bad deal, either
http://www.juststrings.com/ghs-ib30l.html?cmp=nextopia&kw=ghs-ib30l

if they made them in medium lights, i'd try them on my spruce top mini as well -
over the 'hog top mini i used to have, to my ear the spruce top on the little bugger
has more going on dynamically, from barely coaxing it to slapping it around a bit

[Jersey tuning]

Ps I swapped out the mediums for lights on my Little Martin sitka over high pressure garbagedumpwood and like how it fingerpicks. 

[michaelw]

Ps I swapped out the mediums for lights on my Little Martin sitka over high pressure garbagedumpwood and like how it fingerpicks.

it's a multitasker, as it can be flipped over & used as a cutting board
i kid, i kid ... c'mon, put the knife down

those little m's have some depth to them & the 000X1 can really deliver, imho -
if i were looking for a guitar to take anywhere, regarding of nearly any environmental
conditions, i'd consider an all HPL model, as any investment i'll be making in carbon fiber
will be going on something i can shift gears in, rather than strumming down by the river

i would have thought this one would be a little less $ than the solid top 'hog HPL one
http://www.martinguitar.com/new/item/3339-gpcpa5-black.html

[stepchildusmc]

[/quote]
it's a multitasker, as it can be flipped over & used as a cutting board
i kid, i kid ... c'mon, put the knife down

[/quote]
 

[joshsimpson79]

Elixir strings have strings gauges as such:
Light                     .012        .016   .024      .032      .042      .053
Light-Medium      .012      .016      .024      .035      .045      .056
Medium               .013      .017      .026      .035      .045      .056   

The Mini has the medium on them from the factory.  I am wondering how the Light-medium would sound,  the E, A, and D string have the size that is needed, yet a little easier on the finger with the lighter gauge on the G, B, E strings.  That might help a bit.  I am going to try them on my 514..  I am not going to file out the nut if need be I would probably go back to the light strings first.

I use D'Addario medium lights and like them very much.