I'm considering purchasing one of these from a friend. My thanks for your review video. This is the kind of video that helps me decide. You play chords that I can actually play on this fine instrument, and that gives me a great opportunity to evaluate this guitar. Nice job, even 2 years after you made the video.
Chris, I love your videos. I’m 60 & just got my 1st guitar a Taylor Academy 10e, 1/22/21 & I’m learning slowly but surely. I want a Gs Mini next. Please keep your videos coming.
Congratulations on getting started on guitar. I wish Taylor Academy guitars had been around when I started. Much easier on the fingers than the $29.95 Silvertone started on. Have fun with it!
@@Roofished I remember that, it goes away. That's why I spend most of my time on nylon string guitars (or with light gauge strings on steel-stringed instruments). Part of the "rites of passage" for aspiring guitar players.
You played that guitar so beautifully. Inspiring! I've been looking for an acoustic electri guitar for a while and I've always thought this size feels too small to my fingers but my God this one definitely sounds like a bigger size guitar.
Love the playing. Guitar sounds great, but great players make any guitar sound great. I play in a very similar finger style to yours, so this really gives me an accurate idea of what to expect. Kudos.
Very nice review Chris! I have recently just got one and it is absolutely gorgeous! Unplugged or plugged in! And the case like you say! Wow! As plush as Count Dracula’s coffin 👌especially all the lovely crushed red velvet. Top marks to Taylor indeed in every respect🤘
All thst messing up? You played phenomenal!!! I just played the koa mini standard and damn, that koa just sounds so good. I can't put my finger on what it is but its great
YEP. Unfortunately, been there done that. My tuner ground a little of the logo off of the head stock before I realized it. OUCH. Probably only noticeable to me really but it still hurt like hell. If you’re a couch player use your ear or phone app !!
Chris I just bought another Martin Road Series 000 12 E. I was seriously looking at the Taylor GS Mini Koa. The sound they get out of a small guitar like that is AMAZING !! Thank you for your videos. Sounds great as always ! My wife's cousin has bought a lot from Sweetwater-they are amazing too.
Chris. I’m 71. Been playing guitar for 56 years. Wish I could play as well as you. I’ve been considering a GS Mimi for some time. Leaning toward Spruce and Rosewood but you may have changed my mind. Might go with Koa Plus. Enjoyed this video. Subscribed to your account. My wife says to ask you to record Somewhere Over the Rainbow finger style for her. Thanks.
Chris. I’m 71. Been playing guitar for 56 years. Wish I could play as well as you. I just bought a Zager ZAD900 OM but may return it. Been considering a GS Mimi for some time. Leaning toward Spruce and Rosewood but you may have changed my mind. Might go with Kia Plus. Enjoyed this video. Subscribed to your account. My wife says to ask you to record Somewhere Over the Rainbow finger style for her. Thanks.
Pete...Thanks for the nice comments. I don't know exactly what it is, but there is something I really like about the Koa Plus version GS Mini. My son also bought the Rosewood model and then the Koa and prefers the Koa. I'll brush up on Somewhere Over the Rainbow and record it soon. It's been a while since I played it. Thanks again...Chris
Chris, a few years back I purchased a Taylor 515 CE-N based upon your review: a wonderful guitar! Now I'm headed to my local dealer to look at a GS Mini. Another great review, and I always enjoy hearing you play.
BTW, I'm 75. No one ever seems to mention how much easier it can be to play small-body guitars once Arthritis begins to raise its ugly head. Thanks again. OOPS! That was a Taylor 514 CE-N.
thanks for the video Chris! got to play one of these a while ago and forgot about the name of it, just remembered that I enjoyed it very much. I finally found it again and through your video I have decided to grab one of these if I can. much appreciated from another Chris hahaha
I hope you enjoy it. I've had much nicer guitars (and correspondingly much more expensive), but there is something about these little guitars that make them fun to play.
this was probably the best test video out there for this guitar - thank you for uploading. :) have you tried the standard mini Koa GS Mini? If the case is no issue, which would you go for? I like both but won’t really need the case - is the Koa Plus still worth the price difference? Thanks
I have not tried a standard Koa GS Mini, so I cannot help you with a comparison. I do like the Koa Plus a lot. Not so crazy about the Aerocase mainly because the Gig Bag seemed more compact and easier to carry around.
This is currently my one, and only, steel-string guitar. I like keeping one around just in case I want to try a tune that sound better with steel ... that happens rarely with me. I have about 99% nylon-string DNA. Perhaps one minor mutation in my double helix that makes me want to keep a steel-string instrument around just in case.
I really like how the Koa sounds. Very nice jazz chords! If I hear it correctly, I think the tabs are something like this: E A D G B e 3 x 4 4 3 x 4 x 3 4 5 x 5 x 5 5 5 x 6 x 5 6 7 x 7 x 7 7 7 x x 7 6 7 6 x 5 x 5 5 5 x x 5 4 5 4 x
@@timr3255 for around 30 years. I still enjoy playing. That's why I'm looking for the perfect compact guitar. The sound is amazing when playing with others and using no amplification.
Hi!!! Beautiful playing and fantastic guitar. Have you done any saddle or neck adjustments to make it even more playable? I have just bought one but it feels that the strings are a bit high although the neck the straight as it should be... do you have the same conditions?
Curious~~ how's the finish on yours? Noticing a lot of "chip/imperfections" around the inside just under the white binding on mine that arrived. Otherwise it plays amazingly, just a bit sad on the QC of the finish.
I just looked at mine with a flashlight and magnifying glass and noticed no imperfections. The quality of workmanship on this particular guitar looks excellent to me. There are some places on the inside where you can barely see a little glue where the back joins the sides. I do not consider that a QC problem and find it acceptable, especially in an instrument at this price point. I don't particularly find the finish attractive, but that is not as important to me as playability and tone which is great for this size guitar. I just ordered one of the new GTe guitars. It will be interesting to see how it compares with the GS Mini. Probably won't get it in until late in the year. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZPvMSZs-Om8.html
Chris Crouch Appreciate the reply! And def let us know on the new one! Sadly I have a few inches of finish missing off the front. Ah well, it still plays amazingly :)
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 sorry, I'm quite late to this comment, but I just came across your video today. Why did you end up selling the new GT and preferring the GS Mini? Did you get the GT in Koa as well?
Chris, I was surprised when this review popped up yesterday on my RU-vid feed. It's been a while since you have posted here. I ran across you a few years ago when I was looking for info on the Martin 00-28C my friend was letting me borrow for awhile. I don't remember what tunes you demonstrated on the video for the 00-28C, but I watched some others and stumbled on your renditions of "The Christmas Song" and "Silent Night". This was a few months before Christmas, so I watched them over and over until I got the fingerings figured out and performed them at the Christmas show at our church using the 00-28C. I have no idea what the names are for some of the chords you used, but I sure like the way they sound. I also liked and learned your rendition of "Cold, Cold Heart" but that tune would not have been appropriate for the Christmas show! Thanks for posting and giving me an opportunity to add a bit to my repertoire.
Bob...Good to hear from you. Thanks for the nice feedback and I am glad you could use my videos to learn a few new tunes. Hopefully you improved on them. By the way, I totally swiped the arrangement of Silent Night from Craig Dobbins...so he gets credit for that. I used to record a lot more, but I don't think much about doing it now unless someone asks me for a specific demonstration of something. Maybe I'll get back to it someday. Keep learning and having fun! Chris
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 Thank you for your reply. MA130 I think they are 11 gauge. I want to change to 12 guage. I was just wondering if I would get a lot of buzzing but I think I'm gonna be okay changing to 12s. Thank you
@@fengcarlos With the MA130 strings I occasionally get a slight buzz, but I generally play with a very light touch and at low volume, so it is not a problem for me. I doubt if you will get much buzz from the 12s. I really do not like the Elxir strings that it comes with.
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 I agree with you. I do like Elixir but not medium. They are killing my fingers with only few minutes of playing where with 12 I can go for hours.
Hi Chris, I came across your review on the Taylor academy 12N on a forum the other day and was wondering if you still have it? I'm a beginner and wanted to learn more of a fingerpicking style like yours :) so would you recommend the academy to someone like me? Which one do you prefer, the academy or the gs mini in terms of playability etc?
I did not end up bonding with the Academy and eventually (fairly quickly) put it in my "catch and release" program. It is gone. I personally favor the older NS model Taylor nylons, especially the NS52ce, NS72ce, NS54ce, NS74ce models). I would quickly choose a used NS24ce over the Academy and they would probably be close in price. If you want a steel-string guitar, the GS Mini is a great choice that represents solid value for the money spent (any of the various models and tone woods). Faroundthose used as low as the $400 range,
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 oh I see. What don't you really like about the academy if you could share? Cause I remember you saying it's more alike to the old taylors than the newer 214/314ce-n? Yeah unfortunately there isn't many used taylors/martins around where I live so have to settle on the new ones.
@@andrep1579 After playing it for a while, I became a bit more disenchanted with the tone, both quality and volume, compared to alternatives. I did not experiment with strings on that guitar, so that might improve it. It is a nice instrument, as most all Taylors are, but not nice enough to keep - for me. In the Academy's defense, I don't find most guitars nice enough to keep. I usually buy them with the thought that they are just temporarily passing through my life. I don't hang on to many of them for very long. Some people buy boats, cars, jewelry, and such...I spend money trying out guitars. It is actually a pretty inexpensive hobby, especially if you buy used. If you want to try and Academy, don't let me discourage you. Given the price range of there Academy, it will probably be an inexpensive experiment for you. The problem with reviewing guitars is that so much depends on personal preference. What I like you may dislike and vice versa. In the end, you must try them yourself.
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 Yeah I guess that makes sense. I'll probably just have to bite the bullet and see if I like it, but I'm pretty sure it will be much better than the old guitar I have right now. Appreciate your help, good sir!
Ha...thanks so much for the nice feedback. I do not offer online lessons and that is a good thing. When I play around some "real guitar players", especially those who teach guitar...they always point out my "very bad guitar-playing habits" and try to "fix" me. I don't need to pass any of those bad habits on to younger players. Thanks again for you nice comments. I appreciate them. If it helps, this site has a few tutorials that I recorded for my friends to help them learn to play a particular tune they were interested in learning (e.g. Help Me Make it Through the Night, etc.).
Thanks for the performance and review. I've had a Taylor GS mini mahogany on my wall as "wall art" for a couple of years. A few months ago I needed to get a guitar quickly (you know, one of those "break glass in case of imminent jamming emergency" events) so instead of de-casing one of my other Taylors I grabbed my GS mini art. Now I'm looking for new wall art. That GS mini has become my "go to and grab" guitar for quick scales/arpeggio runs and tunes. I'm considering the GS mini plus because I like the ES pickup system. A 2 part question re strings: 1) You went from Elixir mediums to Martin lights. Did the truss rod adjustment solve the set up/buzz issue? 2) Do you believe splitting the difference--going with a "bluegrass?" combo (Mediums on 4-6 and lights on 1-3) would realize any difference in tone between the mediums and the lights? I know that answer is subjective. So I guess I'm wondering why you chose to go full light? Just personal playing preference? I can' believe how good it sounds with lights. Thanks again!
Bill - I was able to adjust the neck enough to suit my needs and eliminate any buzz or muting. However, I have an extremely light touch and play at very low volumes. Others with a heavier touch might need more adjustment. I have not experimented with hybrid solutions because I am very happy with the silk and steel strings (Martin MA130). I have been using them for years and like them a lot. I personally do not feel I give up much in tone, which was what I expected. I am primarily a nylon string player, so the silk and steel stings are very easy on my fingers. I also use them on my full size Taylor guitars. For what it is worth, I have owned about a half-dozen different versions of the GS Mini since they first came out; I liked them al, but the GS Mini Koa plus is my favorite...Chris
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 Thanks for the response, Chris. You've given me the heretical courage to break my dependency on the Taylor-blessed Elixir strings and give the Martins a go on my other Taylors. And your endorsement of the GS Mini Koa is going to cost me. The mog mini just might become wall art again. Thanks again! Bill
@@billa6348 For what it is worth, I found the Mahogany Mini my least favorite of the Minis. Still a nice guitar, but projection/volume was the weakest of the ones I owned.Good luck with your guitar-buying/string adventure!
I can't really answer that since I have relatively thin fingers and I don't know what it is like to have otherwise. I would certainly try one out before buying. I do switch from classical and crossover nylon (2" and 1/7/8" nut) necks quite often and it doesn't bother me.
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 Excellent. I am tempted, they are beautifully made and extraordinary tone and playability. I would be willing to sacrifice a few of my guitars, and prepared for a long wait. Meantime I'll keep my eyes open for a used one. Enjoy your playing and commentary. Thanks.
@@SouthwindCCCC1414 Chris Thanks for replying. I didn’t think you were using the originals because yours looked lighter and seemed more playable. I am not crazy about these medium Elixirs. They are heavy especially for blues and even small bends. Will checkout the Martins. I have the same GS you have...same wood and electronics. Your finger style is so beautiful...if you ever feel like doing a video on it...I think folks would enjoy and get a lot out of it...
@@jetwoman10001 Sandra - I am primarily a nylon-string player, so the Elixirs are too hard on my fingers. This is a personal preference, but I think the silk and steel strings make it seem like a totally different (and better) guitar. I have tried many different kinds of light gauge strings and keep coming back to the MA-130 strings (not the MA130S strings or other versions). It is especially comfortable to play with the MA130 strings and a capo at the second fret. Have fun!
