Taylor GS-mini vs Grand Concert Comparison

acoustophonic · #1 07-25-2014, 05:57 AM

I've been looking for a reason to buy...uh hmm, I mean...looking for a smaller bodied guitar. I have been really eyeballing the GS-minis for their portability. I've played a few and like them. However, in my quest for aural and visual satisfaction, I started thinking about other options and that led me to the Taylor 522 12 fret.

"The best of both worlds," I tell myself. I get the solid mahogany sound I'm looking for and a guitar that's easy on the eyes as well. That leads me to the other areas of satisfaction. Would anyone happen to have both a GS-mini and a grand concert bodied Taylor that might have a group photo they could post for size comparison? Any other thoughts on the more focused sound of the GC as compared to the GS...if one could not take solid woods into the equation.

bancika · #2 07-25-2014, 06:05 AM

What do you mean by more focused? I compared the mini with 512 12 fret and 512 seems to have broader sound to me, and of course better

I would rather associate word focused with the mini.

acoustophonic · #3 07-25-2014, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bancika

What do you mean by more focused? I compared the mini with 512 12 fret and 512 seems to have broader sound to me, and of course better

I would rather associate word focused with the mini.

I guess I should have clarified. I wasn't suggesting the GC was more focused than a mini...just more focused than a larger bodied guitar. I haven't A/B'd the two back to back to pick up on the nuances. And...to be honest, the acoustic room at my nearest guitar store is usually busy with sound and not the best place to really demo a guitar.

bancika · #4 07-25-2014, 06:46 AM

IIRC GC was bigger than the mini and deeper.

email4eric · #5 07-25-2014, 06:53 AM

The sizes of both are available on the Taylor web site. Also, you can demo similarly sized guitars by other makers to get an idea on relative size.

williejohnson · #6 07-25-2014, 08:00 AM

I have both a GS Mini and a 522ce. The mini is very cool and a lot of fun to play but the 522ce is one of, if not the best acoustic guitar I have ever played.

Willie

Beat Up G · #7 07-25-2014, 08:17 AM

The GC3 I have is loud when pushed. I mean A/B'd with dreads, there's little to no difference in volume banging out chords. The 322 is nowhere near as loud but has a smoother, glassier tone.

It's been awhile since I've played a mini so I can't compare it to my GCs.

bancika · #8 07-25-2014, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by williejohnson

The mini is very cool and a lot of fun to play but the 522ce is one of, if not the best acoustic guitar I have ever played.

I had the same impression about the 512, those 12-fretters are something else.

Captain Jim · #9 07-25-2014, 08:40 AM

I have had a GSmini for several years. I just got a 522ce 12-fret. The 522 is with me in the Pacific Northwest, the Mini is back home in Texas, about 2,800 miles away... no way to compare them for photos.

But, I can paint some mental images.

The Mini is a fun guitar. It plays great and sounds better than I thought any small guitar could. I put a pick-up in mine right away, and have played out with it. I bought it as a travel guitar, but I have found that it is certainly more than that. I am not really a "couch" player, but the Mini works fine in a comfortable overstuffed chair, too.

Basic finish.

Now, the 522ce 12-fret... what a spectacular guitar! It plays like buttah and has a warm, rich sound. It is bigger than the Mini, but more comfortable for me than a GA or a dred. There is no comparison in sound or appearance - the 522 is leaps and bounds beyond the Mini... as you would expect.

As a travel guitar, the Mini is a champ. That great gig bag completes that package. It is "rough" enough (with the basic finish and laminated back and sides) that little bumps when being carted around don't bother you. Could it be a "one and only" guitar? Sure. But you might want for more.

The 522ce 12-fret comes with a Taylor hardshell case. I was a hs case only kinda guy before getting the Mini... and then I discovered what a GOOD gig bag was all about. I have an Access gig bag that fits the 522, but I don't see that I will cart it around in that as a travel guitar. (For disclosure, I am carting my RainSong Shorty around in that Access gig bag.) Could the 522 be a "one and only" guitar? Absolutely, and I wouldn't want for anything more. Goodness, this thing sounds SO good! The finish is beautiful; love the grain in the mahogany.

I jammed with some folks the night I got the 522. Other guitars being played: a Taylor 414 and a Martin (no idea what model). Everyone there commented about how good the 522 sounded. And it held its own just fine with the other guitars. Held up next to the 414, the body is a bit smaller, but the 12-fret neck join makes the overall size feel smaller.

When I add a guitar these days, I want it to be something that has a different sound from what I already have. I feel that any of my guitars could be a "one and only" if that's what circumstances dictated. It may be the "honeymoon stage" talking here, but this 522 looks to have moved my 814 out of "favorite status." We'll see when we get home.

Size wise, the GSmini is noticeably smaller. The scale is smaller. The sound isn't necessarily smaller, but it doesn't have the depth of sound of a larger guitar. But, that Mini can kick. The 522 is, for me, that "Goldilocks" just right size. Typical beautiful Taylor finish and feel. And the only way to know if that warm, rich sound is right for you is to play one.

Good luck with the decisions.

Jim

champ0608 · #10 07-25-2014, 09:07 AM

I can't compare the two, other than to say that my wife has a GS mini (all mahogany...I don't know if there are different models) and it is such a sweet little guitar. Its has that bright, chimy, balanced sound that Taylors are known for, but it is much louder and less boxy than most small bodied guitars I have ever played. I love small bodied, all mahogany guitars, and through the years owned a number of vintage mahogany Martin parlors, and the mini is my favorite of them all. Great little guitar, and the price is very hard to beat.

Dru Edwards · #11 07-25-2014, 09:23 AM

I find that the GCs are so much more than the GS Mini, and I am a Mini fan. Part of that is probably due to it's bigger size but the tone from a GC, whether a 300 series or higher, sounds better than a GS Mini - and it should based on the price.

I can see someone owning both the GS Mini and Grand Concert and enjoying both of them. If someone wanted just one, had the budget and didn't have any travel requirements, I'd recommend the GC every time.

fazool · #12 07-25-2014, 09:39 AM

I have a GC7 (which is a short scale slot head 14-fret grand concert 700 series with reduced bling) and had a spruce GS-Mini (and am impatiently awaiting my mahogany GS-Mini).

Dru is right on the money: The GC is incomparably more guitar than a GS Mini. The only reason I am getting another GS-Mini is to have it in mohagony.

The GS-Mini is a great little guitar. For a travel guitar it is probably (IMO) the best there is. It's almost a full guitar. It has a very narrow nut and short scale so its small. But it sounds great and its sound (volume and quality) belie its stature.

The GC, however, is simply light years ahead of a GS Mini.

That is, however comparing guitars with list prices of $699 vs $3398

Not a fair fight.

SprintBob · #13 07-25-2014, 09:47 AM

As the owner of both, I agree with everything said above by similar owners.

jseth · #14 07-25-2014, 12:33 PM

Well, I own a Goodall Grand Concert and I have played quite a few GS Minis... there really is NO similarity, other than they are both guitars.

Although I enjoyed messing around with a GS Mini, it always feels like some sort of "toy" guitar to me... a Grand Concert is a bit small, but still substantial, with a very nice, even tonal spectrum...

acoustophonic · #15 07-25-2014, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

I have had a GSmini for several years. I just got a 522ce 12-fret. The 522 is with me in the Pacific Northwest, the Mini is back home in Texas, about 2,800 miles away... no way to compare them for photos.

But, I can paint some mental images.

The Mini is a fun guitar. It plays great and sounds better than I thought any small guitar could. I put a pick-up in mine right away, and have played out with it. I bought it as a travel guitar, but I have found that it is certainly more than that. I am not really a "couch" player, but the Mini works fine in a comfortable overstuffed chair, too.

Basic finish.

Now, the 522ce 12-fret... what a spectacular guitar! It plays like buttah and has a warm, rich sound. It is bigger than the Mini, but more comfortable for me than a GA or a dred. There is no comparison in sound or appearance - the 522 is leaps and bounds beyond the Mini... as you would expect.

As a travel guitar, the Mini is a champ. That great gig bag completes that package. It is "rough" enough (with the basic finish and laminated back and sides) that little bumps when being carted around don't bother you. Could it be a "one and only" guitar? Sure. But you might want for more.

The 522ce 12-fret comes with a Taylor hardshell case. I was a hs case only kinda guy before getting the Mini... and then I discovered what a GOOD gig bag was all about. I have an Access gig bag that fits the 522, but I don't see that I will cart it around in that as a travel guitar. (For disclosure, I am carting my RainSong Shorty around in that Access gig bag.) Could the 522 be a "one and only" guitar? Absolutely, and I wouldn't want for anything more. Goodness, this thing sounds SO good! The finish is beautiful; love the grain in the mahogany.

I jammed with some folks the night I got the 522. Other guitars being played: a Taylor 414 and a Martin (no idea what model). Everyone there commented about how good the 522 sounded. And it held its own just fine with the other guitars. Held up next to the 414, the body is a bit smaller, but the 12-fret neck join makes the overall size feel smaller.

When I add a guitar these days, I want it to be something that has a different sound from what I already have. I feel that any of my guitars could be a "one and only" if that's what circumstances dictated. It may be the "honeymoon stage" talking here, but this 522 looks to have moved my 814 out of "favorite status." We'll see when we get home.

Size wise, the GSmini is noticeably smaller. The scale is smaller. The sound isn't necessarily smaller, but it doesn't have the depth of sound of a larger guitar. But, that Mini can kick. The 522 is, for me, that "Goldilocks" just right size. Typical beautiful Taylor finish and feel. And the only way to know if that warm, rich sound is right for you is to play one.

Good luck with the decisions.

Jim

Thanks for the detail. I saw your NGD post the other day and it was my tipping point to explore this option a little further. The 522 seed had already been planting, but your post fertilized it a little. I need to get my hands on one ASAP.