GAS

[Loraine]

Hi @Dirk_R . I have a GS Mini Koa, and it is a very playable guitar. I don’t think you could go wrong with one.

[That_Guy]

I had a gs and thought it was really great. I just wish it came with a wider nut.

[Guitargeezer-Jack]

My first guitar is a Taylor GS mini. Although I had an attack of GAS awhile back with my purchasing a Taylor 414 ce-R, the GS mini is the one I find more comfortable for my old fingers to use when learning new skills on TAC. Great little guitar for the money. And, you are correct, it travels well (in in a hard case) on trips. Be sure to maintain the proper humidity level as with all acoustic guitars. Using either the D’Addario manual sponge or automatic humidipaks system has worked well for my guitars.

Guitar Case Humidifiers & Sensors | D’Addario (daddario.com)

[Dirk_R]

so any advise on which gs mini I should buy, I want the best one

[OwenGL]

The “best” one is completely subjective. It depends on what you like best. I would watch reviews on youtube where they compare them. Use headphones so you can hear things more clearly.

You can also see if a local guitar store has some in stock that you can go try and hear in person.

I like my gs mini koa, but not for everything. Sometimes it is just too compressed sounding and I want something more open. I imagine the rosewood model is brighter.

The shorter scale length makes the stretches easier – probably helpful for arthritic fingers.

[Dirk_R]

thank you all for the input😀🙏

[Akabbbb]

I ended up buying a Martin DJr after playing this and the Taylor Mini. I preferred the tone, slightly longer scale length, and wider nut. There is a good comparison on YouTube from Tony a few years ago. https://youtu.be/iFutVQ5tghI

Cheers,

Bill

[N-lightMike]

Hey @Dirk_R , as far as the comparison of the Taylor GS Mini and the Martin Dread Jr, the Taylor is built better. I’m pretty sure the Martin doesn’t have a solid top.

MG 😀

[Akabbbb]

That also factored in to my decision to buy the Jr as it has solid wood top, back and sides. Really impressed with the bass and sustain on a smaller guitar. I honestly had no intention of buying the Martin as I absolutely love my Taylor, but it just felt “right”.

[Bill_Brown]

Hi @Akabbbb , I agree with you. When I went to buy my first acoustic, I was thinking Taylor. I went to my local music shop and played a GS Mini and wasn’t totally happy with the feel and sound. I believe I was told that the Mini had a solid top, but laminated back & sides – not thrilled. They showed me the D10Jr (solid wood top, back & sides), and when I played it, I happily bought it right then and there.🤩 Both were the same price, but the Martin also came with a heavy weight soft shell gig bag👍

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by  Bill_Brown.

[AttyTJ]

@Dirk_R , Everybody has their own preference. Warmth of Mahogany, Chime of Koa, Base and clarity of Rosewood. Compared to each other (not an easy thing to do I am guessing in Ketchikan), at a store that handles Taylor, is the best way to see which.

Me, I know I am staid in my ways, and I love the tones Koa adds. I don’t own a Mahogany guitar (except for necks), and do also really prefer Rosewood to a lot of other tone woods.

All bodies and sides are “layered” (read laminated or ply), tops are solid. The Rosewood has a solid Sitka Spruce top. The Mahogany (Layered Sapele an African member of Mahogany’s family) has a Mahogany top. The Koa has a Koa top and layered Koa Back and Sides.

Good luck, with the progress you have made, I bet whatever you choose will be a fun addition for you, and will encourage you further. (As I was looking these up, I notice there are two other models, but have never seen one of those.)

[Dirk_R]

Thanks, everyone. Well the two qualities I am looking for in a mini, is playability for aging fingers and fullness of sound. I believe it is not an easy task for a mini to have fullness of sound but that being said those are my priorities. And as TJ said I don’t have an opportunity to live test these as we do not have a guitar store in Ketchikan.

[Dirk_R]

I am leaning away for the taylor Gs toward the martin dread junior so far, thanks again for all of your input, you are a wonderful group!!!

[Dirk_R]

I looked up the dreadnought jr from Sweetwater and they just have a few choices a D JR-10 and then a couple of acoutic electric. They are quite a bit cheaper than the taylor. The taylors gs mini listed as high at 999$ the dreadnought jr 499 and 599

[Dirk_R]

I also need to decide if electric-acoustic or just acoustic

[Dirk_R]

Natural spruce or cherry Sapele?

[JohnV]

My 2 cents. First I don’t have one… But the $999 price you saw at Sweetwater was most likely the GS Mini Koa plus. But yes, in general, the GS Mini is more expensive.

About solid vs layered. The layered back and sides will have little to offer as far as tone goes. In fact the tone they offer may all be very similar simply because they are layered. Bob Taylor has once stated that a layered guitar will sound like a layered guitar. The only layered guitar I know of that claims to color the tone is from Breedlove as they are using a newer technology for the layers. Regardless, the majority of tone will come from the top wood. The GS Mini will have a full tone, but not full like a full size guitar. Spruce good all around tone. Mahogany, warmer tone. Koa, brighter tone because it is a hard wood.

I just watched this review and was impressed with the fullness of this Martin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lblmBOs0aKM

[Dirk_R]

I just ordered the dreadnought junior 10 natural spruce acoustic electric, I hope I will like it $599 from sweetwater. Its a done deal so wish me luck, thanks for all the input.

[N-lightMike]

I hope you like it @Dirk. I think there is a very good chance that you will. It is a lower end guitar, but Martin’s name is still on it. They don’t sell junk. And I think the jr size is a good choice. And the Martin has a slightly larger neck which is good for finger picking. If the neck is a little uncomfortable at first, don’t let that throw you. It won’t take long at all and you will start seeing the benefit of having a guitar with a wider neck. No, it won’t play like you semi-hollow electric. But that’s why we have more than one guitar. They can all do the same things, but they can’t all do different things as well.

I hope to see you at a VOM with your new Martin DJr.

MG 😀

[Dirk_R]

Thanks Mike, I am hoping it is an acoustic guitar I can play. So far all the acoustics I have tried are not as easy to play as my electric. And therefore I am always going back to my electric especially on VOM.

[OhWowMan]

Hi @Dirk_R I just recently bought a Martin D Jr-10E sapele. I like it a lot! I bought it primarily as a travel guitar. I thought about the spruce model, but opted for this instead. I like the look of the sapele. And, I like that it is all solid wood. It has a nice sound, too, balanced in my opinion. My full-size guitar is a Taylor DN3, all solid wood with a spruce top. I thought about getting a Taylor GS Mini as my “traveler” , but instead I went with the Martin DJr because it has a 1 3/4” nut, same size as my Taylor.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by  OhWowMan. Reason: Adding just one photo

[Dirk_R]

Hey OhwowMan, that is a nice looking guitar, I liked the look of the sapele also however the guy at sweetwater told me the spruce had a fuller sound so I went with that. I like it lots, but maybe I’ll get a sapele also as it looks great.