I definitely hear the difference. The standard has more brilliance in the highs and sounds thinner. The rosewood rounds out the highs more and sounds overall warmer. It's subtle but it's there.
JayValorMusic You hear it more when you play them. I played the Mahogany, Standard, and Rosewood versions a few months ago and bought the Rosewood. The Rosewood had nicer bass to me.
I am so torn, the Rosewood is the one that makes me immediately smile, but it feels like the other is more versatile, the rosewood I can really see only for some folk or bluegrass - also my voice is pretty high pitched and has a timbre similar to the rosewood one, it sounds like my voice is complementing the guitar and not vice versa :D with the other one there is more interplay between the two sounds, but it s still very suited to my voice, unlike mahogany
Thanks for posting. I couldn't tell a difference in sound. They both sound good. The rosewood your demo'ing looks much darker than the ones I've seen in store and also what's on Taylor's website. I'm guessing the color is based on what is available at the time or they gave you a really pretty one to demo.
Is the Martin Dreadnought Jr. out already? This has to be one of the most expected models in the last years. Please compare it with the Taylor GS Mini!
Just played both today but I ended up buying the standard one. I find the standard one with sapele sounds tighter/crisper and just a tad deeper compared to the rosewood. The rosewood was a bit soft bright.. Both are great, I just personally prefer the tight and more articulated notes the standard gives plus it may depend on the plectrum used (I used dunlop jazz 3 utlex 2.0) :) You have to really play both so in-person to hear the difference, I think the standard really got my heart haha
They do sound pretty close here & Bob Taylor would agree with you. I've owned both and switched to the Rosewood, pre electric, which is not only prettier but I believe the Rosewood sounds better. Mine's now souped up with: Gold Gotoh Mini Butterbeans, Bone Pins, and a great K&K Pure Mini pickup. The thing just rocks!
I also LOVE my GS Mini! I own both of these. I prefer playing the standard but through an amp, the rosewood sounds much nicer. I am taking the rosewood to a service center next week and having the shims changed hopefully to lower the action a bit but we'll see. Love you Tony!
For having had both, I can state that the essential difference is that in the model equipped with the preamp, the saddle rests on the piezo sensor and that does change the sound when played acoustically. In the standard version, the saddle rests directly on the ebony bridge and therefore is in closer contact with the body. As a result, there is a slight but noticeable difference: the standard sounds fuller, the ES a little brighter. In terms of sustain, resonance and bass projection the standard surpasses the ES. It lacks of course the preamplified ES expression system. The latter has a price to pay in terms of fullness acoustically. Your choice ! Peace \m/
The sonic differences you hear in this case has nothing to do with the laminated rosewood vs laminated Sapele but the subtle nuance that exist between any two identical instruments. The "base layer" is not Sapele. The "base layer" (middle layer you can't see) on all of Taylor's guitars with laminated/layered back and sides is Poplar. If you imagine a paper thin cut of Sapele or Rosewood on the front and back of a piece of Poplar wood that is what Taylor is doing. So it's like Rosewood wallpaper on a Poplar core vs Sapele wallpapaer on a Poplar core.... The tone contribution from the back and sides you are hearing is the Poplar. It's always the base/core product... Taylor's luthiers have gone on record saying there is no distinguishable tonal difference between layered Sapele, Rosewood, Maple, etc... It's the core wood in the layered back and sides that's sprinkling some color on that tone.... This is also why not all laminates are the same. Yamaha's layering process is similar to Taylor's while other less reputable companies have in the past used some interesting products for the core (something that looked a like like white foam, particle board, etc...)
Interesting take on this. However, I have seen several videos in which the two models are demostrated side-by-side, back-to-back, and the sonic differences I hear are exactly the same in each of the comparisons. This leads me to conclude that the outer layer does indeed make a sonic difference. If not, then that would mean the core wood was the same across all sapele models, and the same across all rosewood models, and that the two core woods used are different. Could that be the case?
I'm honestly not sure anymore. Recently acquired an Alvarez with laminated Indian Rosewood back and sides. I've had guitars with solid Indian Rosewood b&s before an I can hear Rosewood characteristics.
+rmzzz76 So your more recent experience appears to also show that the laminate has an impact on the sound. Fascinating topic. In the end, the proof is in the pudding. Whatever our ears hear is the truth. The far more interesting thing is that so many people here don't/can't hear any difference between the two. Wow. It seems so obvious.
There's a video here on youtube of a well known classical guitar builder (super premium guitars, think > $7000). For fun he shows off a classical guitar he made with the back and sides cardboard. You can not tell by looking at the guitar and he doesn't come out and say it, but implies that it really doesn't make a difference what the b&s are made out of.... This seems to be along held belief among many luthiers. As you said, best to judge with your ears. If the guitar inspires you I wouldn't worry what it's made of too much :)
+rmzzz76 That's pretty amazing to hear. But after recently watching a few videos of some carbon composite guitars that sound quite captivating, I'm willing to believe a lot of different materials can sound pleasing.
It is quite obvious that they sound no more different to each other, then two identical guitars of the exactly same model. The difference between sitka, hog and koa top minis is pretty noticeable, though.
I hear a difference, but no more than the difference you would expect from any two individual guitars, even ones with identical materials. I actually liked the sound of the standard better, slightly warmer.
I hear ya, but unfortunately, a cutaway version will affect the tone of a small guitar like this dramatically and will make it sound a bit boxy I guess.. It would be nice to have though (if Taylor can bend physics)
I love the gs mini! After 4 years of using this as main (and only guitar) the satin finished has been pretty beat up and polished from usage tho. The fretboard is still fairly clean tho. It has some signs of fret wear on the paint but nothing that shows in normal lightning. It still sounds as good as ever and I’m happier that I bought one for each year that passes. For future owners tho, I do recommend taking good care of the finish as it shows wear pretty fast.
I can definitely hear a difference between the two. The Rosewood has that plate reverb effect that rosewood is known for and the Standard sounds more woody and open witch mahogany woods are known for. Laminate backs do have and effect on tone although not as much as solid woods of course. I prefer the standard for strumming and the Rosewood for finger picking and percussion playing.
in this video the rosewood sounds more open and trebly. But the standard is tighter and slightly warmer. Pretend you didn't know they were laminate and listen with better speakers.
Just so people know if you get the Rosewood model with a pickup it the Expression System 2 with the 3 controls knobs the same pickup Taylor is famous for. That velcro pickup was made for the sapele model only. All other GS Mini guitars have the expression sustem as well.
I didn't think there would be much difference but the Rosewood was a bit more jangly, the highs were clearer but I preferred the warmer Standard to the Rosewood. However as someone said below, was it just the strings that made it sound different? Maybe for fun you could do a comparison of two of the same guitars? Two dreadnoughts, two OM's two mini's? Maybe before and after re-stringing as well so we could maybe learn to factor that into your reviews.
Hi Tony love your videos mate ! New subscriber here. With the pickup Es2 in the older model, do you think it is better than the current pickup on the models out today with the 3v battery ? what would you go for if you had the choice ?
You can hear a difference in sound allright! I did play several Mini's at the store, all of them had a sitka-spruce top and they had sapele, maple and rosewood backs and the difference was significant!
+Ae Silvestre I agree in this case. They're the exact same guitars, with the same slight variation in sound that you would expect when comparing two guitars. You could compare two of the same exact model and have the same difference in sound as these. No two guitars will ever sound the same played back to back, regardless of the choice in laminate.
Rosewood is an overkill for a Mini guitar. It literally kills the beauty of already very fragile mids. That means, a small guitar must have balanced mids, finely present, and everything else will sort itself out.
For my own taste, the standard sounds better. The rosewood version sounds a bit "hard" or "too solid". However, I wonder what will happen in 5 to 10 years. Will they become milder?
When finger picking I hardly notice the difference in sound but there is a noticeable difference when strumming. Rosewood produces richer and has more resonance.
I can definitely hear the difference .The rosewood Taylor is just a touch brighter on the other hand the standard seems to be smoother. For hillbilly of the Smokies songs I would take the rosewood.
Watching this video, I didn't hear a difference between the two. But when I went to the music store, I heard a big difference between the two. The RW is the better choice in my opinion, it had a brighter, warmer sound with a bit more bass. It also looks a lot better :) I suggest going to the music store to compare the two physically before buying! Both are still amazing guitars though!
To my ears the sapele has more bass and the rosewood is brighter. As many others have posted out though. It could be that the standard is warmer and fuller because of no pickup. Maybe you compared two with both having pickups?
I tried both yesterday. I think the difference was quite noticeable but I wonder if I'd tried two identical units if there would have been a similar difference. To me, one potential huge factor is wood variation, particularly on the spruce top. No two tops are the same and they won't sound identical. Interesting to note, just like in real life, I prefered the sound of the sapele one in this video. Also interesting to note is that I wanted to prefer the rosewood one because of how gorgeous rosewood is. So, if I was to have a bias it would actually be leaning opposite of where my sonic preference ended up. Finally, I suppose, I should note that I play mahogany usually (000-15m) and so since sapele is similar perhaps my favouring of the sound couldn be related to what I'm used to hearing, if in fact the back veneer is in some way acting as a significant influence on the sound.
+visiblemode I've played several of the regular gs minis and while there is a difference between them it's not as "big" as the difference between the regular and the rosewood. I can't help thinking that the mic system that's inside the rosewood mini actually has a larger impact on the sounds that the laminate has however.
Tony, I know I shouldn't hear a difference between these guitars but I do. My ears could be playing tricks on me. Tonewood in laminate back and sides should not make a difference but when I A/B the two in person I hear a difference. I can also sometimes hear a difference between a model that is a few years old and broke in and a new one so I think that factors in a bit as well. These differences are subtle but I really feel like I hear them. ...It is much harder to hear on you-tube but I still feel like I could tell a difference. I like both those sounds but there is something different.
Does the rosewood are the same as standard ? Layered rosewood are HPL (high pressure laminated) which is they use a thin rosewood veneer and the sound has zero effect ?
Do you find the Big Baby sounds better than the GS-MINI? Not sure about how their electronics compare, but the Big Baby has a special feel to it, but it is bigger . Which would you get for a composing guitar, with capability of gigging?
I was looking to get the Taylor Academy 10/12 as my upgrade from a jump pack Ibanez. Now I'm thinking the GS Mini. Which route would you choose for a guitar that will last and easy to play. Im 5' 9" 150 lbs with large size glove hands. Thanks.
The Rosewood is a little sharper in this demo, but I’ve played them personally there’s really no difference since the Rosewood is a veneer and doesn’t really do much from the outside of the back of the guitar.
Patrick Williams GS Mini's are great! PRS SE Angelus makes a great guitar, and so does Yamaha. Here's what's on our site under $600... acousticletter.com/?min_price=129&max_price=600
Acoustic Letter I want a 000 or OM style guitar, and i'd prefer for it to be one without a pickup (I'll be adding a fishman rare earth humbucker) I also don't want to spend all that much for one, what would you suggest?
Patrick Williams Hi Patrick, I would also add that, if you can, try and listen to dreadnoughts v's OM's v's mini- like GS's. I bought a dreadnought Fender Sonoran and I really like it but I realised I prefer the sound and size of OM's. This is obviously a great site for comparing the sound of guitars, but if you can, go and try as many as you can. I think someone already mentioned that the sound you hear when you are playing can be a bit different to what you hear when you record it through a microphone and hear it back (because you hear the sound from a different angle when you're playing. But this is obviously how you are going to hear it most, so you want to enjoy the sound of the guitar from that angle!). Also if you love the sound of a guitar but you find it difficult to play, then you're probably not going to enjoy practicing as much as with one that you find easy to play. I enjoyed going through all the guitar reviews before I bought my guitars. Yamaha's got consistently great reviews. The 720 (I think it was) a dreadnought seems to be a winner, if you find you prefer dreadnoughts. I went on to buy a Breedlove OM Passport and I now have a Breedlove Pursuit Concert. Both are Mahogany tops (or laminated Mahogany) with laminated Sapele back and sides. Sapele is related to Mahogany. They sound great. The "Concert" is a slightly different shape and it "rings" a bit more than the OM. The OM is a bit more mellow, a bit more subdued. I found the searching was really good fun. Happy Hunting! I can recommend Tony's guitar lessons too. I'm a beginner and can't recommend his site enough. It really has made me want to practice. Or try and google free guitar lessons. There's a good one called justinguitar. All styles. All free.
pw design there are actually taylor 114 grand auditoriums on amazon for 600 (although you would probably need to factor in shipping). Every time I've heard this guitar I've absolutely loved it, the balance and tone are simply amazing for the price.
Two questions hopefully you can help me out. I want to buy one of these but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that in the spring they will all come with pickups. Is that true? And second I have a full size acoustic but it is junk. Could I use this as my only guitar? I am not looking to play shows or anything with it but I do want it to sound as close as possible to a normal sized guitar
+andrew burke The pickups were upgraded on the GS Mini to the ES2 system. There are still 2 models with no pickups though. This is a wonderful travel size guitar. But it doesn't sound the same as a full size guitar.
+andrew burke The Taylor-provided pickup is not great. I had a b-band pickup put in. Fan-freakin-tastic. I carry my laptops and a Roland Mobile Cube in one bag and my GS-Mini and lyrics in the Taylor bag. Sounds great, plays great.
Yeah, is it the expression system, or a different one? The RW one comes with the THREE DIALS on the side. I don't know how that sounds. Can you amplify acoustic in same ways as you can electric? I am bass player learning acoustic guitar? Having a Roland Cube sounds cool. It has a separate mic and instrument inputs right? Does that have the loop function as well? Which power version do you have? It seems that in guitar world, little goes further.
I don't recall the name of the Taylor pickup made to fit the GS Mini. There is a built-in clip in the sound hole under the end of the fingerboard for the Taylor pickup components to plug in. The bottom line was that I didn't like the sound of the Taylor pickup. Thought it sucked actually. So I had a "B-Band" brand pickup put in. Despite the number of guitars I have (including a Les Paul Custom that I managed to get Les Paul, Jim Marshall, and B.B. King to sign before they died), the GS Mini is my favorite everyday guitar in all circumstances. I've done backyard jams for 40 people and taken a set on stage at local venues from friends' bands all with just the GS Mini. And... otherwise I'm not a Taylor fan. It's just this little powerhouse of a guitar! I have a Roland Micro Cube (one input only) and a Roland Mobile Cube (guitar, vocal, and MP3 inputs) for use as travel amps. Both are either battery powered (6xAA) or electrically powered. The Roland Micro Cube sounds pretty good as a practice amp and as a travel amp but you have to carry a mixer to blend in vocals. The Roland Mobile Cube is very portable and works great... under one condition. Either you have VERY new batteries or you PLUG IT IN. Further, you can ONLY use the Roland-supplied official power supply. It is VERY sensitive to any other power supply and you will get noise and full amp cut-outs. But... it all works well.
What's the point of comparing 2 laminated back and sides guitars? They should be identical in sound, and if they're not, it's probably got more to do with the age of strings etc. No 2 guitars will be identical in sound but to think the back and sides of these makes a difference to the sound shouldn't be the case.
I should have said, they should be virtually identical, or very close to each other in sound. However I have a Maton ECW80 and a buddy has one 3 months older than mine and they are VERY different sounding instruments. His has much more mids and mine has more bottom end and high end, sounding more scooped than his, and yet they have straight bracing. Go figure.
I dont hear any difference... i think its just cosmetic... The rosewood looks better but i dont think there is any difference in sound ... as far as sound goes every player is going to sound different.. pick they use there touch...
no difference, since: A. The base layer is the exact same wood. and B. It's laminate, hence it has next to no impact on the sound compared to Solid Wood. Even if you compared the GS Mini to the Dreadnought Junior from Martin, you'll see a difference since the body shapes are different, AND the Martin DJr has an All Solid Body.
Sorry Tony, but you're really splitting hairs with this one. Is there a difference? Yes, of course. ANY change to a guitar affects it in some way sonically. The question isn't if there's a difference, it's if anyone will notice the difference.
I think the Rosewood one has better clarity, note to note separation, and slightly warmer. Looks killer!
the standard is warmer dude lol. and barely.
Forgot to mention the addition of an electronic pickup in the Rosewood. A major difference I would say. You can't plug in the other one.
Amazing playing. Both sounds really good! I couldn't hear the difference between the sapele vs rose wood back.
I definitely hear the difference. The standard has more brilliance in the highs and sounds thinner. The rosewood rounds out the highs more and sounds overall warmer. It's subtle but it's there.
JayValorMusic Have to agree ... it's certainly there ... not really enough to worry about for a travel guitar but non the less there it is.
JayValorMusic spot on
JayValorMusic Odd, totally disagree, but my hearings going these days, haha
JayValorMusic You hear it more when you play them. I played the Mahogany, Standard, and Rosewood versions a few months ago and bought the Rosewood. The Rosewood had nicer bass to me.
Yup! That's exactly what I did, and ended up going with the rosewood too 👍
They sound pretty much the same. Whichever is less expensive is the way to go
I am so torn, the Rosewood is the one that makes me immediately smile, but it feels like the other is more versatile, the rosewood I can really see only for some folk or bluegrass - also my voice is pretty high pitched and has a timbre similar to the rosewood one, it sounds like my voice is complementing the guitar and not vice versa :D with the other one there is more interplay between the two sounds, but it s still very suited to my voice, unlike mahogany
Thanks for posting. I couldn't tell a difference in sound. They both sound good. The rosewood your demo'ing looks much darker than the ones I've seen in store and also what's on Taylor's website. I'm guessing the color is based on what is available at the time or they gave you a really pretty one to demo.
wood differenciates from tree to tree so obviously you can have different patterns or even slightly different colour variations
Is the Martin Dreadnought Jr. out already? This has to be one of the most expected models in the last years. Please compare it with the Taylor GS Mini!
Just played both today but I ended up buying the standard one. I find the standard one with sapele sounds tighter/crisper and just a tad deeper compared to the rosewood. The rosewood was a bit soft bright.. Both are great, I just personally prefer the tight and more articulated notes the standard gives plus it may depend on the plectrum used (I used dunlop jazz 3 utlex 2.0) :)
You have to really play both so in-person to hear the difference, I think the standard really got my heart haha
so then this video was not a fluke. thanks for confirming because thats what I heard too from the video.
Saludos desde México! Concuerdo con tu observación.
The Rosewood is a tiny bit louder and warmer and I totally want one!!!
They do sound pretty close here & Bob Taylor would agree with you. I've owned both and switched to the Rosewood, pre electric, which is not only prettier but I believe the Rosewood sounds better. Mine's now souped up with: Gold Gotoh Mini Butterbeans, Bone Pins, and a great K&K Pure Mini pickup. The thing just rocks!
just the comparison I was looking for! thank you
I also LOVE my GS Mini! I own both of these. I prefer playing the standard but through an amp, the rosewood sounds much nicer. I am taking the rosewood to a service center next week and having the shims changed hopefully to lower the action a bit but we'll see. Love you Tony!
The rosewood sounds brighter. I liked how balanced the standard sounded. Going to have give the win to the standard.
With good headphones on, both the same.
Without headphones, placebo effect towards rosewood being better.
Bought the standard.
For having had both, I can state that the essential difference is that in the model equipped with the preamp, the saddle rests on the piezo sensor and that does change the sound when played acoustically.
In the standard version, the saddle rests directly on the ebony bridge and therefore is in closer contact with the body. As a result, there is a slight but noticeable difference: the standard sounds fuller, the ES a little brighter. In terms of sustain, resonance and bass projection the standard surpasses the ES. It lacks of course the preamplified ES expression system. The latter has a price to pay in terms of fullness acoustically.
Your choice ! Peace \m/
thats what I heard. I agree.
Just Bought My Rosewood Taylor Lefty Yesterday...!!
Definitely can hear the difference. Both sound good. But even that out layer of rosewood makes it different
Thanks a lot, Tony! Your videos really helped a lot on my choice.
The sonic differences you hear in this case has nothing to do with the laminated rosewood vs laminated Sapele but the subtle nuance that exist between any two identical instruments. The "base layer" is not Sapele. The "base layer" (middle layer you can't see) on all of Taylor's guitars with laminated/layered back and sides is Poplar. If you imagine a paper thin cut of Sapele or Rosewood on the front and back of a piece of Poplar wood that is what Taylor is doing. So it's like Rosewood wallpaper on a Poplar core vs Sapele wallpapaer on a Poplar core.... The tone contribution from the back and sides you are hearing is the Poplar. It's always the base/core product... Taylor's luthiers have gone on record saying there is no distinguishable tonal difference between layered Sapele, Rosewood, Maple, etc... It's the core wood in the layered back and sides that's sprinkling some color on that tone.... This is also why not all laminates are the same. Yamaha's layering process is similar to Taylor's while other less reputable companies have in the past used some interesting products for the core (something that looked a like like white foam, particle board, etc...)
Interesting take on this. However, I have seen several videos in which the two models are demostrated side-by-side, back-to-back, and the sonic differences I hear are exactly the same in each of the comparisons. This leads me to conclude that the outer layer does indeed make a sonic difference. If not, then that would mean the core wood was the same across all sapele models, and the same across all rosewood models, and that the two core woods used are different. Could that be the case?
I'm honestly not sure anymore. Recently acquired an Alvarez with laminated Indian Rosewood back and sides. I've had guitars with solid Indian Rosewood b&s before an I can hear Rosewood characteristics.
+rmzzz76 So your more recent experience appears to also show that the laminate has an impact on the sound. Fascinating topic. In the end, the proof is in the pudding. Whatever our ears hear is the truth. The far more interesting thing is that so many people here don't/can't hear any difference between the two. Wow. It seems so obvious.
There's a video here on youtube of a well known classical guitar builder (super premium guitars, think > $7000). For fun he shows off a classical guitar he made with the back and sides cardboard. You can not tell by looking at the guitar and he doesn't come out and say it, but implies that it really doesn't make a difference what the b&s are made out of.... This seems to be along held belief among many luthiers. As you said, best to judge with your ears. If the guitar inspires you I wouldn't worry what it's made of too much :)
+rmzzz76 That's pretty amazing to hear. But after recently watching a few videos of some carbon composite guitars that sound quite captivating, I'm willing to believe a lot of different materials can sound pleasing.
It is quite obvious that they sound no more different to each other, then two identical guitars of the exactly same model.
The difference between sitka, hog and koa top minis is pretty noticeable, though.
I hear a difference, but no more than the difference you would expect from any two individual guitars, even ones with identical materials. I actually liked the sound of the standard better, slightly warmer.
We need a cutaway gs mini!!!
TacticalTupperware Oh, God, no...
It would be the perfect traveling teaching guitar for me.
I hear ya, but unfortunately, a cutaway version will affect the tone of a small guitar like this dramatically and will make it sound a bit boxy I guess.. It would be nice to have though (if Taylor can bend physics)
Georgia luthier supply has build plans. Includes cutaway option.
TacticalTupperware they just need to do the spoon cut instead of the cut out.
I love the gs mini! After 4 years of using this as main (and only guitar) the satin finished has been pretty beat up and polished from usage tho. The fretboard is still fairly clean tho. It has some signs of fret wear on the paint but nothing that shows in normal lightning. It still sounds as good as ever and I’m happier that I bought one for each year that passes. For future owners tho, I do recommend taking good care of the finish as it shows wear pretty fast.
I can definitely hear a difference between the two. The Rosewood has that plate reverb effect that rosewood is known for and the Standard sounds more woody and open witch mahogany woods are known for. Laminate backs do have and effect on tone although not as much as solid woods of course. I prefer the standard for strumming and the Rosewood for finger picking and percussion playing.
in this video the rosewood sounds more open and trebly. But the standard is tighter and slightly warmer. Pretend you didn't know they were laminate and listen with better speakers.
the rosewood sounded a bit brighter to me,not much but a bit
It's sounds to my ear like the rosewood has newer strings. Other than that, it's too close to call.
Just so people know if you get the Rosewood model with a pickup it the Expression System 2 with the 3 controls knobs the same pickup Taylor is famous for. That velcro pickup was made for the sapele model only. All other GS Mini guitars have the expression sustem as well.
I didn't think there would be much difference but the Rosewood was a bit more jangly, the highs were clearer but I preferred the warmer Standard to the Rosewood. However as someone said below, was it just the strings that made it sound different? Maybe for fun you could do a comparison of two of the same guitars? Two dreadnoughts, two OM's two mini's? Maybe before and after re-stringing as well so we could maybe learn to factor that into your reviews.
I heard the same.
hey Tony... please do a Vs video, with the Martin Dreadnought Jr. and the GS mini please please
Hi Tony love your videos mate ! New subscriber here. With the pickup Es2 in the older model, do you think it is better than the current pickup on the models out today with the 3v battery ? what would you go for if you had the choice ?
It's all about aesthetics, period! Both the Sapele, and Rosewood back and sides are laminated wood, those won't alter the sound at all.
You can hear a difference in sound allright! I did play several Mini's at the store, all of them had a sitka-spruce top and they had sapele, maple and rosewood backs and the difference was significant!
+Ae Silvestre I agree in this case. They're the exact same guitars, with the same slight variation in sound that you would expect when comparing two guitars. You could compare two of the same exact model and have the same difference in sound as these. No two guitars will ever sound the same played back to back, regardless of the choice in laminate.
Rosewood is an overkill for a Mini guitar. It literally kills the beauty of already very fragile mids. That means, a small guitar must have balanced mids, finely present, and everything else will sort itself out.
For my own taste, the standard sounds better. The rosewood version sounds a bit "hard" or "too solid".
However, I wonder what will happen in 5 to 10 years. Will they become milder?
I have the rosewood! love it!
When finger picking I hardly notice the difference in sound but there is a noticeable difference when strumming. Rosewood produces richer and has more resonance.
I can definitely hear the difference .The rosewood Taylor is just a touch brighter on the other hand the standard seems to be smoother. For hillbilly of the Smokies songs I would take the rosewood.
Watching this video, I didn't hear a difference between the two. But when I went to the music store, I heard a big difference between the two. The RW is the better choice in my opinion, it had a brighter, warmer sound with a bit more bass. It also looks a lot better :) I suggest going to the music store to compare the two physically before buying! Both are still amazing guitars though!
To my ears the sapele has more bass and the rosewood is brighter. As many others have posted out though. It could be that the standard is warmer and fuller because of no pickup. Maybe you compared two with both having pickups?
I tried both yesterday. I think the difference was quite noticeable but I wonder if I'd tried two identical units if there would have been a similar difference.
To me, one potential huge factor is wood variation, particularly on the spruce top. No two tops are the same and they won't sound identical.
Interesting to note, just like in real life, I prefered the sound of the sapele one in this video. Also interesting to note is that I wanted to prefer the rosewood one because of how gorgeous rosewood is. So, if I was to have a bias it would actually be leaning opposite of where my sonic preference ended up.
Finally, I suppose, I should note that I play mahogany usually (000-15m) and so since sapele is similar perhaps my favouring of the sound couldn be related to what I'm used to hearing, if in fact the back veneer is in some way acting as a significant influence on the sound.
+visiblemode I've played several of the regular gs minis and while there is a difference between them it's not as "big" as the difference between the regular and the rosewood.
I can't help thinking that the mic system that's inside the rosewood mini actually has a larger impact on the sounds that the laminate has however.
YEs, the electronics inside the guitar would make a bigger difference than a different paper thin veneer. @@henrikpetersson2899
Tony, I know I shouldn't hear a difference between these guitars but I do. My ears could be playing tricks on me. Tonewood in laminate back and sides should not make a difference but when I A/B the two in person I hear a difference. I can also sometimes hear a difference between a model that is a few years old and broke in and a new one so I think that factors in a bit as well. These differences are subtle but I really feel like I hear them. ...It is much harder to hear on you-tube but I still feel like I could tell a difference. I like both those sounds but there is something different.
Does the rosewood are the same as standard ? Layered rosewood are HPL (high pressure laminated) which is they use a thin rosewood veneer and the sound has zero effect ?
Tony you don't have a gs mini in your gear list, and you say you have one?
the standard sounds fuller. Probably the pickup under saddle makes the Rosewood lose tone.
Do you find the Big Baby sounds better than the GS-MINI? Not sure about how their electronics compare, but the Big Baby has a special feel to it, but it is bigger . Which would you get for a composing guitar, with capability of gigging?
Standard is way warmer, my pick!
I was looking to get the Taylor Academy 10/12 as my upgrade from a jump pack Ibanez. Now I'm thinking the GS Mini. Which route would you choose for a guitar that will last and easy to play. Im 5' 9" 150 lbs with large size glove hands. Thanks.
There should be no difference between these 2. But, every guitar has its own voice. So, that’s the difference we hear.
If I'm more into flatpicking/bluegrass style, would the Taylor GS Mini rosewood or the Martin D-Jr be better?
How is there a tonal difference when the sides are both just laminate? Its an aesthetic veneer.
Which is the more versatile guitar in your opinion?
They sound exactly the same!!...maybe a little something (plus) for the rosewood, more balanced overtones!!...
The Rosewood is a little sharper in this demo, but I’ve played them personally there’s really no difference since the Rosewood is a veneer and doesn’t really do much from the outside of the back of the guitar.
Hey Tony nice video, what would recommend for someone with a 600 dollar max budget?
Patrick Williams GS Mini's are great! PRS SE Angelus makes a great guitar, and so does Yamaha. Here's what's on our site under $600... acousticletter.com/?min_price=129&max_price=600
Acoustic Letter I want a 000 or OM style guitar, and i'd prefer for it to be one without a pickup (I'll be adding a fishman rare earth humbucker) I also don't want to spend all that much for one, what would you suggest?
Patrick Williams Hi Patrick, I would also add that, if you can, try and listen to dreadnoughts v's OM's v's mini- like GS's. I bought a dreadnought Fender Sonoran and I really like it but I realised I prefer the sound and size of OM's. This is obviously a great site for comparing the sound of guitars, but if you can, go and try as many as you can. I think someone already mentioned that the sound you hear when you are playing can be a bit different to what you hear when you record it through a microphone and hear it back (because you hear the sound from a different angle when you're playing. But this is obviously how you are going to hear it most, so you want to enjoy the sound of the guitar from that angle!). Also if you love the sound of a guitar but you find it difficult to play, then you're probably not going to enjoy practicing as much as with one that you find easy to play. I enjoyed going through all the guitar reviews before I bought my guitars. Yamaha's got consistently great reviews. The 720 (I think it was) a dreadnought seems to be a winner, if you find you prefer dreadnoughts. I went on to buy a Breedlove OM Passport and I now have a Breedlove Pursuit Concert. Both are Mahogany tops (or laminated Mahogany) with laminated Sapele back and sides. Sapele is related to Mahogany. They sound great. The "Concert" is a slightly different shape and it "rings" a bit more than the OM. The OM is a bit more mellow, a bit more subdued. I found the searching was really good fun. Happy Hunting! I can recommend Tony's guitar lessons too. I'm a beginner and can't recommend his site enough. It really has made me want to practice. Or try and google free guitar lessons. There's a good one called justinguitar. All styles. All free.
pw design there are actually taylor 114 grand auditoriums on amazon for 600 (although you would probably need to factor in shipping). Every time I've heard this guitar I've absolutely loved it, the balance and tone are simply amazing for the price.
Any chance the rosewood is still available for sale? Man it’s pretty
Sorry but no, this video is 4 years old and the Rosewood version of the GS Mini is not currently available from Taylor.
@the supernatural It is now..... it wasn't one year ago.
Two questions hopefully you can help me out. I want to buy one of these but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that in the spring they will all come with pickups. Is that true? And second I have a full size acoustic but it is junk. Could I use this as my only guitar? I am not looking to play shows or anything with it but I do want it to sound as close as possible to a normal sized guitar
+andrew burke The pickups were upgraded on the GS Mini to the ES2 system. There are still 2 models with no pickups though. This is a wonderful travel size guitar. But it doesn't sound the same as a full size guitar.
+andrew burke
The Taylor-provided pickup is not great. I had a b-band pickup put in. Fan-freakin-tastic. I carry my laptops and a Roland Mobile Cube in one bag and my GS-Mini and lyrics in the Taylor bag. Sounds great, plays great.
+parkjammer do you mean the es-t pickup?
Yeah, is it the expression system, or a different one? The RW one comes with the THREE DIALS on the side. I don't know how that sounds. Can you amplify acoustic in same ways as you can electric? I am bass player learning acoustic guitar? Having a Roland Cube sounds cool. It has a separate mic and instrument inputs right? Does that have the loop function as well? Which power version do you have? It seems that in guitar world, little goes further.
I don't recall the name of the Taylor pickup made to fit the GS Mini. There is a built-in clip in the sound hole under the end of the fingerboard for the Taylor pickup components to plug in.
The bottom line was that I didn't like the sound of the Taylor pickup. Thought it sucked actually.
So I had a "B-Band" brand pickup put in.
Despite the number of guitars I have (including a Les Paul Custom that I managed to get Les Paul, Jim Marshall, and B.B. King to sign before they died), the GS Mini is my favorite everyday guitar in all circumstances.
I've done backyard jams for 40 people and taken a set on stage at local venues from friends' bands all with just the GS Mini.
And... otherwise I'm not a Taylor fan. It's just this little powerhouse of a guitar!
I have a Roland Micro Cube (one input only) and a Roland Mobile Cube (guitar, vocal, and MP3 inputs) for use as travel amps.
Both are either battery powered (6xAA) or electrically powered.
The Roland Micro Cube sounds pretty good as a practice amp and as a travel amp but you have to carry a mixer to blend in vocals.
The Roland Mobile Cube is very portable and works great... under one condition. Either you have VERY new batteries or you PLUG IT IN. Further, you can ONLY use the Roland-supplied official power supply. It is VERY sensitive to any other power supply and you will get noise and full amp cut-outs.
But... it all works well.
Omg how out of tune were those guitars on the bluegrass G run and the chord strumming at the end??
Are the electronics the same? ? ?
Really informative and interesting review, thank you
I can't here a difference but the rosewood sounds better to me.
What's the point of comparing 2 laminated back and sides guitars? They should be identical in sound, and if they're not, it's probably got more to do with the age of strings etc. No 2 guitars will be identical in sound but to think the back and sides of these makes a difference to the sound shouldn't be the case.
I should have said, they should be virtually identical, or very close to each other in sound. However I have a Maton ECW80 and a buddy has one 3 months older than mine and they are VERY different sounding instruments. His has much more mids and mine has more bottom end and high end, sounding more scooped than his, and yet they have straight bracing. Go figure.
Definitely a difference. Rosewood not necessarily better. Just different.
Why your gs mini rosewood back blacker? 😂
rosewood for me
I dont hear any difference... i think its just cosmetic...
The rosewood looks better but i dont think there is any difference in sound ... as far as sound goes every player is going to sound different.. pick they use there touch...
Rosewood is more specific
no difference, since:
A. The base layer is the exact same wood.
and
B. It's laminate, hence it has next to no impact on the sound compared to Solid Wood.
Even if you compared the GS Mini to the Dreadnought Junior from Martin, you'll see a difference since the body shapes are different, AND the Martin DJr has an All Solid Body.
02:52
Sapele all the way for me …
3:16 - what tune is this?
I think it's "Angeline the Baker". It's a pretty common bluegrass fiddle tune.
@@AubreySalokaN yeah I got the name pretty quickly. Thank you though Aubrey :-)
Sound same
Sorry Tony, but you're really splitting hairs with this one. Is there a difference? Yes, of course. ANY change to a guitar affects it in some way sonically. The question isn't if there's a difference, it's if anyone will notice the difference.
N
P
C
std
No difference
I thought t the back is fake wood 🪵