Taylor GS Mini: Mahogany or Spruce?

Hopefully the wisdom of this forum can help out a little bit. I've been looking for a new acoustic to replace my Yamaha FG-720s. I have been eyeing the Taylor GS Mini for a while. Unfortunately, I am left-handed so I have to make a purchase like this online. The only acoustics (other than my own) that I've had the opportunity to play in stores are a Simon & Patrick Songsmith, a bottom of the barrel Tanglewood, and a cheap Takamine/Jasmine. Anyway, the GS Mini seems like it will suit my needs. Through my internet research they seem to be a nice instrument that many are fond of. I plan on taking the guitar with me to work and back most days. The accompanying gig bag seems nice for me as I almost always walk, and my hard case gets cumbersome in the heat. I also appreciate the smaller size and scale.

My question is this: Should I get the mahogany or the spruce top version?
I am still relatively new to guitar, so I am all over the place in learning styles of playing. I prefer to learn more fingerstyle blues, and maybe pick up some slide playing in the future. However, I really do enjoy strumming out songs fairly often. I don't believe the volume difference between the tops would matter to me as I don't strum very hard anyway.

Side question: I much prefer my current acoustic while the strings are fresh. I find that after the strings get some good play time on them the guitar sounds dull. Given how a mahogany top sounds softer and rounder, would this suffer the same (or worse) fate as my current solid spruce top dreadnaught, or do solid mahogany tops retain much clarity even when the strings have some age? Would my rosewood fingerboard vs. the GS Mini's ebony fingerboard make a lot difference in this regard?

I ask these things because being left-handed is lame when it comes to buying a guitar. I have never seen anything other than lower end dreadnaught guitars in person. I like to do as much research as I can before I make a blind purchase like this. I made a blind purchase of a CV50's BSB a few months ago and it turned out just as I expected: great setup out of the box, excellent sounding pickups, great tuning stability, total POS input jack. A lot of guitar for the money.

Also, I have read some mixed things about the ES Go system for it, however I have no plans to ever play the guitar through an amp. So the quality of the pickup doesn't influence my decision.

Any and all advice welcome.

Make sure your OK with the shorter scale length, it was a deal breaker for me, I found an older Big Baby and I'm happy.

I should be alright with the scale, even without trying it before purchase. I feel I haven't been playing long enough that the transition will be hard to make. My hands aren't very large either, so anything that can help with my reach is very welcome.

Newfoundland? You live in a very beautiful place. I've gone fishing in Newfoundland and it was stunningly beautiful.

I would buy the mahogany top for a few reasons.......

1. The slightly woody quality that mahogany tops have will be very nice for fingestyle blues. I have two mahogany topped guitars and I think that you will love the tone for fingerstyle blues. I play mostly fingerstyle and the mahogany warmth is very nice.

2. The mahogany top is going to make a GS sound bigger than it really is. I have a spruce top GS Mini and I love it. I bought it when the GS Mini was a new model. The Mini sounds very big for it's size but I'm sure that the added bass and warmth from a solid mahogany top would be a plus. I used to have a mahogany top Baby Taylor.....the mahogany made the Baby sound like a Big Baby.

3. If you ever resell the guitar I believe that the mahogany top will add to the value. I post on several acoustic forums and when Bob Taylor announced the mahogany topped GS Mini there were people who were counting the days untill when they could get one. I know two guys who bought the mahogany topped model despite the fact that they already had a a spruce top Mini.

4. (This is really shallow of me). They look fantastic. They really look fantastic.


Strings - I don't think that you want to avoid the mahagany top because you like brighter/newer strings. I think that the mahogany will give qualities will stand on their own despite the string age. I like fresh strings and my hands tend to dull strings quickly no matter how often I wash my hands. My advice is to try D'Addario EXP Coated strings. EXP's have tone that has more bass and more top end than Elixers and EXP's have an elastric quality that you will love for fingerstyle. I can get 10 weeks out of EXP's. I get 4 weeks at the most from regulat 80/20's.

The ES-Go - I like the ES-Go. I would not record with it but it's far better than being "ok" for plugging into my Fishman Loudbox and playing with other musicians or gigging a coffee house. For $99 USD I think it's very nice. Bob Taylor did some smart thinking with this little pop in pickup. The whole design is very nice. Clever.

Hope that helps.

Newfoundland? You live in a very beautiful place. I've gone fishing in Newfoundland and it was stunningly beautiful.

I would buy the mahogany top for a few reasons.......

1. The slightly woody quality that mahogany tops have will be very nice for fingestyle blues. I have two mahogany topped guitars and I think that you will love the tone for fingerstyle blues. I play mostly fingerstyle and the mahogany warmth is very nice.

2. The mahogany top is going to make a GS sound bigger than it really is. I have a spruce top GS Mini and I love it. I bought it when the GS Mini was a new model. The Mini sounds very big for it's size but I'm sure that the added bass and warmth from a solid mahogany top would be a plus. I used to have a mahogany top Baby Taylor.....the mahogany made the Baby sound like a Big Baby.

3. If you ever resell the guitar I believe that the mahogany top will add to the value. I post on several acoustic forums and when Bob Taylor announced the mahogany topped GS Mini there were people who were counting the days untill when they could get one. I know two guys who bought the mahogany topped model despite the fact that they already had a a spruce top Mini.

4. (This is really shallow of me). They look fantastic. They really look fantastic.


Strings - I don't think that you want to avoid the mahagany top because you like brighter/newer strings. I think that the mahogany will give qualities will stand on their own despite the string age. I like fresh strings and my hands tend to dull strings quickly no matter how often I wash my hands. My advice is to try D'Addario EXP Coated strings. EXP's have tone that has more bass and more top end than Elixers and EXP's have an elastric quality that you will love for fingerstyle. I can get 10 weeks out of EXP's. I get 4 weeks at the most from regulat 80/20's.

The ES-Go - I like the ES-Go. I would not record with it but it's far better than being "ok" for plugging into my Fishman Loudbox and playing with other musicians or gigging a coffee house. For $99 USD I think it's very nice. Bob Taylor did some smart thinking with this little pop in pickup. The whole design is very nice. Clever.

Hope that helps.

First, thanks for your comment about Newfoundland. It's always a treat when someone of elsewhere gives recognition to the place you're from. I wish I could reply with the same.

Your points, respectively:
1) I greatly enjoy that woody sound that a mahogany top gives to bluesy playing. I just hope that it can still be a good strummer when it has to.

2) I had a feeling that it could work out to be in favour of this type of guitar. The increased warmth in the tone could compensate for the smaller body and scale.

3) That's good to know. I think resale of either guitar would work out nicely. Being a lefty, these could end up discontinued. Their popularity leads me to believe otherwise, but who knows.

4) I completely agree. I prefer the look of mahogany tops to spruce ones.

Thanks for the tip on strings. D'Addario is the brand I go for anyway, but I have never tried the EXP's.

Newfoundland? You live in a very beautiful place. I've gone fishing in Newfoundland and it was stunningly beautiful.

I would buy the mahogany top for a few reasons.......

1. The slightly woody quality that mahogany tops have will be very nice for fingestyle blues. I have two mahogany topped guitars and I think that you will love the tone for fingerstyle blues. I play mostly fingerstyle and the mahogany warmth is very nice.

2. The mahogany top is going to make a GS sound bigger than it really is. I have a spruce top GS Mini and I love it. I bought it when the GS Mini was a new model. The Mini sounds very big for it's size but I'm sure that the added bass and warmth from a solid mahogany top would be a plus. I used to have a mahogany top Baby Taylor.....the mahogany made the Baby sound like a Big Baby.

3. If you ever resell the guitar I believe that the mahogany top will add to the value. I post on several acoustic forums and when Bob Taylor announced the mahogany topped GS Mini there were people who were counting the days untill when they could get one. I know two guys who bought the mahogany topped model despite the fact that they already had a a spruce top Mini.

4. (This is really shallow of me). They look fantastic. They really look fantastic.


Strings - I don't think that you want to avoid the mahagany top because you like brighter/newer strings. I think that the mahogany will give qualities will stand on their own despite the string age. I like fresh strings and my hands tend to dull strings quickly no matter how often I wash my hands. My advice is to try D'Addario EXP Coated strings. EXP's have tone that has more bass and more top end than Elixers and EXP's have an elastric quality that you will love for fingerstyle. I can get 10 weeks out of EXP's. I get 4 weeks at the most from regulat 80/20's.

The ES-Go - I like the ES-Go. I would not record with it but it's far better than being "ok" for plugging into my Fishman Loudbox and playing with other musicians or gigging a coffee house. For $99 USD I think it's very nice. Bob Taylor did some smart thinking with this little pop in pickup. The whole design is very nice. Clever.

Hope that helps.

^^^^ I agree completely with each of the points John made above......including the beauty of Newfoundland (I fished there, too!).

I also have a spruce top GS Mini and it's a great guitar, although I think mine is very sensitive to humidity - more so than all my other acousics, including a Taylor 355CE 12 string and an all solid wood Larrivee. Actually, I currently have a lifting bridge on my mini (perhaps not enough glue on one side), despite spending most of its life with my other guitars in a humidity controlled room.

I'm sure Taylor will take care of it and do not mention this to discourage you or to criticize the product - after all, it is a relatively inexpensive mass produced item. Rather, I wonder if a mahoghany top is more dimensionably stable or less susceptible to climatic variations? I think John may own some all hog Martins and perhaps he or someone else could answer. I actually think this is an important factor for a guitar that will be taken various places, used outdoors, etc. Also, not sure what seasonal changes in humidity are in Newfoundland, but they are fairly extreme in my neck of the woods.

Lastly, I love the looks of the mahoghany GS mini too, and likely would have bought one if available at the time. :smile:

Taylor 2012 Spring Pulication - look at page 11 and 48 - PDF Link (http://www.taylorguitars.com/sites/default/files/W%26SWinter2012.pdf)

If you get the mahogany topped GS Mini you will be required by California law to learn how to skateboard barefoot.

It's very complicated. :cool: Dude!

I get the publication at home. The write up about the new hog topped GS Mini was a good read.

Maybe I should take up skateboarding, haha.

I don't think the climate here should be a problem, I haven't heard of anyone having major problems with their acoustic guitars before. Many here busk with their acoustics downtown on even the worst days of summer, and they don't seem to have problems. My own Yamaha FG720S hasn't encountered any problems and it frequently travels around town with me. It's a solid sitka top with nato neck, back and sides.

I can't wait to purchase one. I have a feeling if I'm ever looking for another acoustic down the road, then I'll probably be loyal to Taylor. I really appreciate how they are more of an R&D company than a historic company.

Thanks, John, for the link.

Did you end up getting the mahogany?

Did you end up getting the mahogany?

Not yet, but it is the one I plan on buying. The estimate on how long before I move province for work is a shorter one than the estimate on how long the local Taylor dealer will take to get one in for me. So I'll probably wait it out, and I'll order it after I move. It should be a lot quicker to get one in up in Ontario than here anyway.

I played both the Spruce and the Mahogany. I bought the Mahogany based on two things: I think it had a warmer sound, personally and I love the look of it.

I have no regrets! Great little instrument, regardless of which you choose. I've travelled with it to our boat, campsite, hot weather, cool nights, hot sun, back of the SUV, nothing seems to stop this little guy! Best guitar purchase I've ever made. I have it up here at work right now and am practicing more than ever!

Also, great projection, competes nicely against much larger solid wood guitars, great to sing with and has great action.

That's great to hear! Can't wait to get my hands on it finally.

I highly recommend the limited edition GS Mini in the spruce/blackwood combo. I have tried many GS Mini variants in a few different shops and the spruce/blackwood ones really consistently stood out as the best. My friend bought two of those...

I played both in store this recent Saturday. The mahogany had more bass punch and slightly duller highs than the more crisp spruce model. Tough choice. I would probably take the spruce but the mahogany's bass is nice for finger picking and looks nicer IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3bIms7jFxg

I highly recommend the limited edition GS Mini in the spruce/blackwood combo. I have tried many GS Mini variants in a few different shops and the spruce/blackwood ones really consistently stood out as the best. My friend bought two of those...

What specifically makes that one best to you? Sound? Fit and finish? Feel? I'm curious because I've been looking into getting one of these soon too.

What specifically makes that one best to you? Sound? Fit and finish? Feel? I'm curious because I've been looking into getting one of these soon too.

I meant they were the best soundwise. No other difference (except for the looks). These GS Mini Blackwood guitars have something interesting going in the mids. I know it might sound like "cork-sniffing", but they really cut throught the best for both single-note soloing and comping, they had more character, not as bland and as overly bright as the others. YMMV, of course, but a couple of other people noted that as well.

Cool...thanks for the info!