GS Mini-e Koa
Crafted as part of a limited run of premium GS Mini models, the GS Mini-e Koa boasts a pair of upgrades: a back and sides of exotic veneered Hawaiian koa, with the addition of Taylor’s Expression System 2® pickup, including onboard tone and volume control knobs. The compact Mini’s scaled-down design blends ultra-portability with the voice and projection of a full-size guitar, while Taylor’s patented NT neck guarantees signature Taylor playability.
GS Mini
Body Width: 14 3/8″ / Body Depth: 4 7/16″ / Body Length: 17 5/8″
A scaled-down GS that’s anything but small.
- Scaled-down Grand Symphony body
- Great for all playing styles
- Considered a modern-day parlor guitar
The award-winning GS Mini was designed to be the ultimate musical companion, wherever you go — or stay. Inspired by the big, bold sound of Taylor’s GS body shape, the Mini scales things down without skimping on sound, packing a ton of tone into a comfortable travel size and giving you a guitar that’s full-voiced and incredibly fun to play. Think of the Mini as a modern-day parlor guitar, perfect for playing around the house but also built to fit an active lifestyle.
Inspired by the big, bold sound of Taylor’s Grand Symphony, the GS Mini scales things down without skimping on sound. The guitar manages to pack a ton of tone into a comfortable, travel-and couch-friendly guitar that’s full-voiced and incredibly fun to play.
A hardwood top such as koa produces a natural compression, so there tends to be more of a controlled, sustaining “roll-in” effect to a note. An all-koa guitar will produce strong fundamental focus, with a splash of top-end shimmer.
Taylor’s layered backs and sides incorporate three layers of wood, featuring a middle core of poplar with a veneer on each side. While layered woods won’t produce quite as complex a sound as solid woods, they allow us to blend exotic looks with climate-resilient construction.
The Taylor Expression System® 2 (ES2) is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated pickup sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed “professional audio”-grade preamp, this system produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the Expression System 2 faithfully conveys the voice of your Taylor guitar.
Behind the ES2 Design: Rethinking the Piezo Pickup
For decades, piezo-electric transducers have been positioned under the saddle of a guitar based on the long-held belief that the string and top vibration cause the saddle to “bounce” up and down. But Taylor’s electronics team, led by developer David Hosler, discovered that the vertical movement is actually heavily restricted, and that the saddle gets “locked down” due to the string tension’s downward pressure. That’s why a traditional under-saddle pickup with piezo-electric crystals often responds with a sound often characterized as thin, brittle, brash or synthetic, especially with more aggressive playing.
The saddle’s natural range of movement as the guitar is being played is actually back and forth like a pendulum. That revelation led Taylor’s design team to relocate the crystals from under the saddle to behind it. The new positioning enables the crystals to respond more naturally to the guitar’s energy as it is transferred through the saddle. Three pickup sensors are installed behind the saddle, through the bridge, with three tiny Allen screws that calibrate the position of the sensors in relation to the saddle.
Like the original Expression System, the ES2 features the same volume and tone control knobs. The preamp is similar but with a slightly different gain structure. As a result it will be about 25 percent hotter, which is more in line with other pickups. This makes it plug-and-play friendly both for artists and live sound mixers.
SPECS
Scale Length:23-1/2″
Nut & Saddle:Tusq Nut/Micarta Saddle
Bracing:X-Bracing with Relief Route
Truss Rod Cover:Black Plastic
Pickguard:Tortoise
Number of Frets:20
Tuners:Taylor Chrome
Case:GS Mini Hard Bag
Brand of Strings:Elixir Phosphor Bronze Medium
Body Length:17 5/8″
Body Width:14 3/8″
Body Depth:4 7/16″
Body Binding:Black
Top Finish:Varnish
Back Config:Layered
Backstrap Finish:None
Rosette Size:Three Ring
Bridge Inlay:None
Back/Side Finish:Varnish
Rosette Mat.:Plastic
Neck Width:1-11/16″
Fretboard Inlay:4mm Dot Italian Acrylic
Fretboard Binding:None
Heel Cap Binding:Black
Type of Neck Joint:Scarf
Neck/Heel:Sapele
Fretboard Wood:Ebony
Neck Finish:Varnish
Heel Length:3″
Peghead Finish:None
Peghead Binding:None
Peghead Type:Standard
Headstock Overlay:Lexan
Peghead Inlay:None
Peghead Logo:Printed on Headstock Overlay
Bridge Pins:Black
Strap Buttons:Chrome