After I saw the ground crew “pass” my Alvarez Yari 20 feet through the air before bouncing it onto the conveyor belt to put it in the plane I swore I’d never check another guitar.
I love my Backpacker. But I got the classical version. The steel string has absolutely no volume at all. Kind of like playing a Strat unplugged.
The Classical version has a much better tone and is better suited for what I do with it. It is my sitting around watching TV guitar. I also bring it on trips. I travel A LOT. I never have to gate check it because of its size, so I carry it right on the plane. (Be careful on Southwest, they may ask you to sing if they are delayed!)
It is what it is. A tiny guitar for picking around that does not weigh much and takes up very little room. I cant speak for the Baby Taylor, but I imagine as small as it is, it would still frequently be the subject of a “gate check.”
Patrick