How Is a Baby Taylor Guitar Different Than a Regular Taylor?
Updated past Bobby
Recently updated on April 14th, 2021
Updated ratings and review links for Taylor GS Mini and BT2.
Taylor GS Mini VS Infant Taylor (BT2)
Which i practise nosotros recommend?
The Baby Taylor is a chip smaller than the GS Mini (GS is a "mini concert" acoustic while the BT2 is a iii/4 dreadnought). Just, the Baby Taylor wins out for us considering it gives you lot well-nigh of what the GS provides, with a significantly lower toll tag. Unless y'all don't like how small the BT2 is, it's our clear selection between the 2 instruments, simply because the value is higher.
Both the Taylor GS Mini and the Baby Taylor are pocket-sized-grade acoustic guitars with a similar spec sheet. In this commodity we'll do a elementary side-by-side comparison to highlight the verbal places where these two acoustic guitars differ.
While these guitars look adequately different, they don't have a lot of technical distinctions.
About of the noticeable differences are related to torso type, size, and aesthetics.
For example, both guitars apply solid Mahogany for the top piece, merely the Babe Taylor top slice appears a flake lighter in colour.
Read more than: The best acoustic guitars
Quick Look at Significant Differences
We'll list the most prominent differences between the two guitars here, for those wanting a quick respond.
- Price
- Tone
- Torso shape and size
- Bracing
We've constitute that the price deviation - the increment for the GS Mini - is a scrap foreign given the similarities between the two models. Other than the retail cost, the trunk shape and the bracing are the only significant distinctions the two models accept from one another.
As you'll see in the next section, the GS Mini employs what Taylor calls a "G Symphony" pattern (basically a concert audio-visual) while the BT2 is a traditional dreadnought shape in a three/4 body size.
Other Acoustic Guitars (comparison nautical chart)
How do they both audio?
Though both guitars use Mahogany and Sapele for tonewood, the audio profiles of both are quite unlike. The GS Mini is well-baked and bright with a lot of melodic dash and accent on the picking manus.
This is something we expect from smaller guitars, particularly with the concert (m symphony) body shape.
The BT2 is significantly softer and warmer. It has what I'd describe equally a "full" sound that'due south amend for strumming and conventional acoustic rhythm.
| Taylor GS Mini | Taylor Baby Taylor (BT2) |
|---|---|
| | |
| $500 | $370 |
| Bright/Crisp/Melodic | Soft/Warm/Total |
| Strumming/Lead | Rhythm |
| Heavy picking emphasis | Moderate picking emphasis |
Continue in mind, these are generalizations and non sectional rules. The GS Mini can definitely be a practiced strumming acoustic (well-nigh acoustics are) only information technology lends itself more to lead audio-visual guitar than the Infant Taylor.
Read the total review: Taylor BT2
What are the bodies like?
As we've already mentioned, both of the acoustics employ Mahogany for the top piece and layered Sapele for the back and sides.
Both guitars - if you look on Taylor's manufacturing pages - are listed every bit having a solid pinnacle, which definitely helps with the tone quality you're getting from such a small acoustic instrument.
Information technology'south where Taylor starts to add a lot of value.
Similar three/4 size acoustic guitars - like the Martin LXK2 for example - give you a laminate (layered) top instead. Props to Taylor for getting solid tonewood into the top pieces of these acoustics while staying at or under the $500 price marker.
Read the full review:
Other Tonewood Combinations
In that location are actually multiple versions of the Baby Taylor and GS Mini that comprise unlike kinds of tonewood. Several versions use a solid Sitka Bandbox top (like the nicer Taylor models) while others use Walnut for the dorsum and sides. You can even go a version of the GS Mini fabricated with solid Koa.
You can also find versions of the BT2 and BT1 with built-in electronics.
Here are all the tonewood arrangements we know of:
Taylor GS Mini
- Solid Mahogany Top
- Solid Sitka Bandbox Top
- Solid KOA Top
Taylor BT2 (Babe Taylors)
- Solid Mahogany Top
- Solid Sitka Spruce Top
- Solid Sitka Spruce top with walnut dorsum and sides
In the following table we're comparison onlybody characteristics, where we've highlighted the differences. Xanthous indicates a divergence that doesn't impact value (style or preference upshot) while red indicates places where a difference doestake an impact on quality.
| Taylor GS Mini | Taylor Baby Taylor BT2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Body Type/Shape | Concert Mini (Grand Symphony) | Dreadnought (3/4) |
| Torso Dimensions | Length: 17 5/8" Width: 14 3/8" Depth: 4 7/xvi" | Length: fifteen 3/4" Width: 12 i/2" Depth: three 3/8" |
| Sides and Back | Layered Sapele | Layered Sapele |
| Meridian | Solid Mahogany/Spruce | Solid Mahogany/Spruce |
| Terminate | Varnish | Varnish |
| Bracing | X-bracing with relief route | Ten-brace only |
| Binding | White | None |
The Mahogany in the GS Mini sounds great and you tin can definitely hear where the solid top helps projection a full tone that doesn't audio small. Without that solid tiptop, you lose some of the boldness of your sound, which is not a problem for either of these guitars.
Otherwise, the only significant spec difference is the bracing in the GS Mini, which provides a little more relief to the force per unit area of the torso.
Every bit we mentioned before, the deviation in torso shape - and the corresponding divergence in tone - could be a preferential issue for some protentional buyers.
Preference Considerations
- Grand Symphony Body Type: Typically ameliorate for lead guitar or more than melodic styles
- Dreadnought: More mutual for rhythm guitar playing or those who are focused exclusively on chords
Taylor uses a solid Mahogany tonewood for the summit piece on the GS Mini.
Multiple versions of the BT2 and BT1 are available, including those with both Mahogany and Sitka Spruce tops. The Taylor website lists both the Spruce and Mahogany versions every bit solid tops.
Cervix & Fretboard
The GS Mini sticks with Sapele for the cervix and heel, basically extending the tonewood already used for the back and sides of the guitar. For the Baby Taylor's neck we become some other round of Mahogany, which we'd adopt over the Sapele since it seems to aid with warming up the tone and matches the top wood.
| Taylor GS Mini | Taylor Infant Taylor BT2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Neck Wood | Sapele | Tropical Mahogany |
| Neck Shape | Not specified | Not specified |
| Radius | Not specified | Not specified |
| Fingerboard Material | Ebony | Ebony |
| Fingerboard Inlays | Pearloid Dots | Pearloid Dots |
| Number of Frets | 20 | nineteen |
| Scale Length | 23.5" | 22.75" |
Note that the GS Mini has one more fret than the BT2 and that the BT2 uses a screw-in neck type that intrudes on the higher annals frets anyway. This makes the GS Mini a little bit larger than the Infant Taylor and certainly reinforces my earlier characterization of the GS every bit the more melodic (better for lead guitar) of the two acoustics.
Preferences Considerations
- Sapele VS Tropical Mahogany: Divergence is primarily aesthetic
- Number of Frets: GS Mini gives you a niggling more room
Here's a shut look at the top of each guitar'south fretboard, right around the 12th fret.
On the GS Mini, Taylor uses the same Sapele tonewood used in the guitar's back and sides for the neck.
The Baby Taylor typically uses Mahogany for the cervix and Ebony for the fingerboard. Annotation the two screws used to fix the neck to the guitar's body.
Parts and Accessories
There are no pregnant differences in this category, exterior of the type of gig bag advertised for each guitar. The 1 that comes with the GS Mini is a piddling heavier and stronger, though just a modest notable difference. We've also noticed that included gig bags can change depending on where y'all're buying from.
Otherwise, the comparing is straightforward right downwardly to the Elixir strings which ship with all Taylor acoustics.
| Taylor GS Mini | Taylor Baby Taylor BT2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge Fabric | Ebony | Ebony |
| Nut & Saddle Cloth | Tusq Nut/Micarta Saddle | Tusq Nut/Micarta Saddle |
| Tuning Machines | Dice-Cast Chrome | Die-Bandage Chrome |
| Nut Width | i.6875" | Non specified |
| Case Included | Mini hard bag | Mini gig bag |
| Strings | Elixir | Elixir |
Which one?
Of the two nosotros have to give the Baby Taylor more credit.
Because information technology comes extremely close to matching the GS Mini's spec sheet, yet it's significantly cheaper. In the GS Mini, I believe you're paying extra for the better bracing organisation and a slightly larger guitar, which is understandable.
But since both guitars have solid tops and similar tonewood combinations, it should come up down to which sound y'all like meliorate, as I previously mentioned.
To review, hither are the distinctions:
- The Taylor GS Mini'south Tone: Bright, Crips, and Melodic
- The Baby Taylor BT2's Tone: Warm, Soft, and Rhythmic
Depending on the mode of music you desire to play, the deviation in sound might be the most compelling characteristic.
Also consider the size issue.
Both guitars are small, shut to the 3/4 size, but the Infant Taylor is slightly smaller even with the dreadnought torso shape. If that's something that matters to you, it should be considered earlier yous decide between them.
In the stop we like both, but the Baby Taylor is clearly a ameliorate value.
Questions almost the GS Mini and Baby Taylor
Do you lot take questions almost our comparison?
What about the GS Mini or the Baby Taylor specifically?
If you need some help, drop a line in the comments department below. I'll do my best to spring in an help out.
We'll encounter you there.
References
Source: https://www.guitarchalk.com/baby-taylor-vs-gs-mini/
0 Response to "How Is a Baby Taylor Guitar Different Than a Regular Taylor?"
Post a Comment