Taylor GS Mini: Mahogany vs. Sapele

[fazool]

I had a spruce-topped GS Mini. It was a great little guitar but that's all it was.

I have auditioned several Mahogany-topped GS Mini guitars and thought there were simply amazing and magical guitars. It had it's own mahogany sound and a totally different everything.

I saw a very significant difference between the two.

[ifret]

I think you should try them both out and let your ears decide. Generally, the spruce will be brighter with more apparent volume and the mahogany will be warmer. I don't see huge differences between them, but noticeable. In case you were curious, the koa is in between the spruce and mahogany, in my opinion.

[vintageom]

I have played several of each type of GS Mini, except for the Holden Village model. I rank them as follows:

Best GS Mini KOA

GS Mini Mahogany/Sapelle

GS Mini Sitka/Rosewood

GS Mini Sitka/Sapelle

I bought the all-KOA model, still loving it. The Sitka tops are too bright and seem to make the guitar sound small. The mahogany and koa warms them up greatly and fits the smaller body for a more wooden, balanced tone spectrum to me.

Some weeks later, a guy was checking out a Taylor 214 deluxe in the same showroom I was playing another GS Mini KOA they had in stock. (I already owned mine, just curious..) He asked if he could play the KOA I was playing.

He bought the GS Mini KOA-e instead of the 214ce deluxe. They knocked off 15% from the $699 price tag for him.

[The Growler]

I played both the hog and the Sitka tops when the hog came out. Several of each and I thought the mahogany was better, warmer, and that's what I took home.

That said, try them all out and get the one you like the best.

[moshei24]

Is there any reason to not buy the hog online? Taylor is pretty consistent with their construction, right?

[vintageom]

Taylor GS Minis are very consistent when I have compared same models to same models.

I would not hesitate to buy a mahogany-topped GS mini online if it gives you the price you need to achieve.

[Captain Jim]

My GSmini has traveled. Thousands of miles. It still gets played in the rotation when we are home. I thought I'd sell it when I bought a RainSong Shorty (a bigger guitar than the GSmini) to use as my "travel" guitar. Nope, they are both in the rotation - both sound great.

I bought the Mini before Taylor offered options besides the spruce top. I've played some mahogany Minis since that time, and they sound good, too. I'll stay with my spruce top Mini. I have played out with it (with an ES-Go pickup), and it just works.

Play 'em both. Pick the one that sounds best to you. Taylor sells a bunch of them. I get it. It made me appreciate the feel of a smaller guitar... and led to a 522ce 12-fret (so, yes, I do like the sound of mahogany).

[moshei24]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

My GSmini has traveled. Thousands of miles. It still gets played in the rotation when we are home. I thought I'd sell it when I bought a RainSong Shorty (a bigger guitar than the GSmini) to use as my "travel" guitar. Nope, they are both in the rotation - both sound great.

I bought the Mini before Taylor offered options besides the spruce top. I've played some mahogany Minis since that time, and they sound good, too. I'll stay with my spruce top Mini. I have played out with it (with an ES-Go pickup), and it just works.

Play 'em both. Pick the one that sounds best to you. Taylor sells a bunch of them. I get it. It made me appreciate the feel of a smaller guitar... and led to a 522ce 12-fret (so, yes, I do like the sound of mahogany).

Ended up getting the hog. The spruce would be much like my current 210ce, so I figured I'd get something different.

[vintageom]

Originally Posted by moshei24

Ended up getting the hog. The spruce would be much like my current 210ce, so I figured I'd get something different.

Congratulations on your new companion. They are fun guitars.