special run of GS Minis

[woodbox]

joemcg
The run is 1000 guitars. Could the members of AGF subscribe for ALL of them before they're released?

Wouldn't that be a fun thing!!
I wonder how many have been spoken for?


Last week, I posted the second entry on this thread.
I immediately went to the Holden site and ordered one of these little gems then and there.
Who knows, I may be first in line!!

Have considered getting another as a gift.

I think its very cool that folks would come together like this.
Taylor may be a big corporation, but they are in touch with the wood, and the people.

I can support that, and get a cool guitar too.

[varve]

I think its very cool that folks would come together like this.
Taylor may be a big corporation, but they are in touch with the wood, and the people.

I can support that, and get a cool guitar too.[/QUOTE]

Well said, Woodbox! This project has been one of the most interesting things I've been involved in, and I've been very impressed with Taylor Guitars and their wood supplier, Pacific Rim Tonewoods - their drive, their capacity, and their heart. This has been (and is) a complex collaboration of people who haven't before worked together (Taylor, Holden, Living Waters for the World, El Porvenir, PRT, and the Whatcom Community Foundation).

I like to think of this project as an ideal meeting of the profit and non-profit worlds, coming together to accomplish several good things at once - clean up a mine and the river and the village next to it, honor a forest that took root when Bach was composing that audio sample, and provide for clean drinking water for at risk communities elsewhere in our hemisphere.

One of the most important goals, as well, is to bring attention to the fact that old growth tonewood is a vanishing resource - we gotta pay attention and grab opportunities when they appear, to realize the best and highest use of this resource.

Hundreds of trees in that valley forest are now gone, and a new river runs thru it. We culled only a fraction of a percent of that wood for this project, but thanks to the skill and ingenuity of the folks listed above, that forest will sing again. I am immensely gratified by the interest shown on these pages for the instrument, and the work.
Peace,
Dave Olson MD

[10304cpg]

i think all of this is such a great story and cause. i was wondering how much of an upgrade moneywise$$ a engelmann spruce top is ??? i am sure the tonal upgrade is nice as well. thanks for all of this information!

[varve]

Originally Posted by 10304cpg

i think all of this is such a great story and cause. i was wondering how much of an upgrade moneywise$$ a engelmann spruce top is ??? i am sure the tonal upgrade is nice as well. thanks for all of this information!

For this guitar and this project, the Engelmann top, the brace wood, and the Flamed Maple B/S are donated, and the price is the same ballpark as a standard GS Mini (549$).

I had the opportunity to play the prototype and a standard Sitka top GS Mini side by side, same strings. The only sonically important differences were the top wood, and the fact that the Sitka top model had been "played in" and the HV prototype was straight off the bench. The figured maple veneer looks great, but doesn't make a difference to the sound.

Despite its newness, the prototype had a greater responsiveness to a light touch. I'm not sure that it was louder for a given attack, but it seemed to "fill the room" a little better - the notes had a fullness that I associate with a larger guitar. I noticed no difference in headroom between the two. These little guitars can be LOUD when they wanna be.

The original post on this thread has a link from Holden Village with some pics and sound samples - enjoy!

One of the most interesting aesthetic features of this model is the way the neck intersects with the flamed maple -- here's a photo, taken on a rare sunny Pac NW day…
https://www.dropbox.com/s/biig3bs192h4dkn/DSC_0821.JPG

DO

[akafloyd]

That's a nice shot. Whatever they put between the back and the sides sets it off like binding, and that maple veneer is really stellar!

[Blueshwk]

Ordered mine on the 16th....Wounder if they will ship them out in the order they were recieved? Are there any better pictures of the back of the guitar? I am really excited to get my hands and ears on this one!
Kudo's to all involved!

[Doubleneck]

Originally Posted by Blueshwk

Ordered mine on the 16th....Wounder if they will ship them out in the order they were recieved? Are there any better pictures of the back of the guitar? I am really excited to get my hands and ears on this one!
Kudo's to all involved!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/049i3ajre...qtr%20back.jpg

[SongwriterFan]

Would make a great addition to my Taylor flame maple / Englemann GS . . . . . except I just can't seem to warm up (pardon the pun) to the very bright (to my ears) sound of this smaller guitar.

[Blueshwk]

Thank you Steve!!

[varve]

Originally Posted by Blueshwk

Ordered mine on the 16th....Wounder if they will ship them out in the order they were recieved? Are there any better pictures of the back of the guitar? I am really excited to get my hands and ears on this one!
Kudo's to all involved!

Here's a photo of the figured maple veneer, which has its own interesting story. It came from a single Big Leaf maple tree north of Bellingham WA, and is some of the most intensely flamed maple I have ever seen:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wvce43pjj30q4h7/DSC_0637.JPG

The figure changes markedly with light angle. Witness how the top of the back bookmatches in the light of the studio, where the bottom looks as though it is mismatched:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3f9zw3cztdbc1d9/DSC_0623.jpg

When brought outside, the angle of the light makes it look as though the bottom of the instrument is perfectly bookmatched, the top mismatched:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wvo2zdjs8khcfm5/DSC_0737.jpg

In fact, the back is perfectly bookmatched top to bottom. Very unusual wood, deeply 3 dimensional - quite a striking effect. You don't even have to be hopeless wood nerd (like me to appreciate it.
DO

[NdrewC]

Originally Posted by varve

Here's a photo of the figured maple veneer, which has its own interesting story. It came from a single Big Leaf maple tree north of Bellingham WA, and is some of the most intensely flamed maple I have ever seen:

https://photos-4.dropbox.com/t/0/AAB...?size=1024x768

The figure changes markedly with light angle. Witness how the top of the back bookmatches in the light of the studio, where the bottom looks as though it is mismatched:

https://photos-4.dropbox.com/t/0/AAA...?size=1280x960

When brought outside, the angle of the light makes it look as though the bottom of the instrument is perfectly bookmatched, the top mismatched:

https://photos-6.dropbox.com/t/0/AAD...?size=1280x960

In fact, the back is perfectly bookmatched top to bottom. Very unusual wood, deeply 3 dimensional - quite a striking effect. You don't even have to be hopeless wood nerd (like me to appreciate it.
DO

Hi, I'm unable to access the photos though. =( So excited to see it!!! Hehe

[varve]

Whoops - fixed ! See edited post aboveu

[NdrewC]

Originally Posted by varve

Whoops - fixed ! See edited post aboveu

Thanks! Looks nice!

[okietom]

I've pre ordered one. Holden is a great place. My wife's parents met there in the 50s when she was a nurse and he was an engineer at the mine. Her grandfather was postmaster at Lucerne and built the cabins there which we still enjoy. ( if you know Holden you know Lucerne). so I'm getting one for sentimental purposes and to help support Holden Village. My D28 is what I play mostly and that will prob continue but looking forward to the Holden Taylor.

[NdrewC]

I just ordered one too. Really like the portability of the GS mini and this looks great and has my favorite top wood too. Additionally, I really like the story behind this guitar.

My only concern now is the shipping cost. Taylor did not reply me with regards to the shipping cost to Singapore. I just hope it isn't too high when the bill comes around, =X