NGD GS Mini Hog

[Nick84]

Picked up a used GS Mini Mahogany top. Bought on on EBay. Came with a John Pearse Ebony armrest fitted. I’m not a huge fan of the arm rest so I’ve removed it with a bit of heat it came off easy enough.

It’s only 6 months old and in immaculate condition. My only irritations with it are the bridge pins are all at uneven heights (I’m hoping it’s just the way the strings have been seated), and the action is very high. The saddle has loads of room on it. Has anyone sanded their saddle down or is this something where I would need to take it for a neck reset ??

I’ve ordered some Ebony pins from Taylor and a JJB 330 pickup to put in it.

[Doug MacPherson]

Congratulations. I've got the mahogany one, too. Love it. The bridge pins can be pushed down, firm, but easy does it. Yes, it's the way the strings have been seated. If you can't push them down now, the next strings change you can do it.

I sanded my saddle down just a little bit, not too much. I pulled it out, sanded the bottom, be careful, don't do too much, a little goes a long way.

If you hold down the third fret on any string and check clearance on the first fret, there should be a hair of movement. My GS mini has excellent nut height. Also neck relief is good on my, factory set up excellent. All I wanted to do is sand off a little bit of the saddle. Due to arthritis I play light strings, no problemo.

[Dru Edwards]

Congrats! The GS Mini has the NT neck. I wonder if you need a neck reset? It's done with Taylor shims and it isn't a big concern.

[Nick84]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Congrats! The GS Mini has the NT neck. I wonder if you need a neck reset? It's done with Taylor shims and it isn't a big concern.

That’s what I was thinking. I may order a replacement Tusq saddle sand that down a little then if it’s no good I can drop the original back in and take it to a Taylor tech.

[Nick84]

Originally Posted by Doug MacPherson

Congratulations. I've got the mahogany one, too. Love it. The bridge pins can be pushed down, firm, but easy does it. Yes, it's the way the strings have been seated. If you can't push them down now, the next strings change you can do it.

I sanded my saddle down just a little bit, not too much. I pulled it out, sanded the bottom, be careful, don't do too much, a little goes a long way.

If you hold down the third fret on any string and check clearance on the first fret, there should be a hair of movement. My GS mini has excellent nut height. Also neck relief is good on my, factory set up excellent. All I wanted to do is sand off a little bit of the saddle. Due to arthritis I play light strings, no problemo.

The pins don’t look like factory standard so they may be wrongly sized. I’ll restrict by when the taylor Ebony pins arrive.

The nut height is fine on this one just when you go 5th fret upwards it’s difficult to fret, although it’s not just the high action it’s also probably that things get a little cramped on the shorter scale

[magirus]

Re the bridge pins. I bought a GS Mini Koa version just over a year ago. I replaced the plastic bridge pins a few months ago with the ebony/abalone that Taylor supply. They went straight in no problem. To the eye the ebony pins look wider and shorter, so I measured the difference with a digital caliper to see how far apart they are. So taking the head as the external part seen when fitted, along with the lip at it's base, and the hidden part as the shaft -

head diameter ebony 7.75mm plastic 7.4mm
lip diameter ebony 7.15mm plastic 5.95mm
shaft under lip diameter ebony 5.35mm plastic 5.2mm
shaft end diameter ebony 4.2mm plastic 3.5mm
total length ebony 26.6mm plastic 30.35mm

The lip under the head is absent where the slot is on the plastic pins, but is complete all around on the ebony.

[Nick84]

Originally Posted by magirus

Re the bridge pins. I bought a GS Mini Koa version just over a year ago. I replaced the plastic bridge pins a few months ago with the ebony/abalone that Taylor supply. They went straight in no problem. To the eye the ebony pins look wider and shorter, so I measured the difference with a digital caliper to see how far apart they are. So taking the head as the external part seen when fitted, along with the lip at it's base, and the hidden part as the shaft -

head diameter ebony 7.75mm plastic 7.4mm
lip diameter ebony 7.15mm plastic 5.95mm
shaft under lip diameter ebony 5.35mm plastic 5.2mm
shaft end diameter ebony 4.2mm plastic 3.5mm
total length ebony 26.6mm plastic 30.35mm

The lip under the head is absent where the slot is on the plastic pins, but is complete all around on the ebony.

I’ve got a spare pair of plastic pins from my 114 assuming they are the same as the mini should there be any issues. From that pic the pins in my mini are definitely not stock pins so probably a poor fit..

[Nick84]

To update on the saddle, I ordered a replacement tusq saddle and I was quite surprised to see that it dropped straight in and was the exact same height as the original.
I would have thought Taylor would have done a little work with the saddle (I know they set the action from setting the NT neck).

Anyway I sanded down the new one to get the action to my specifications. There’s still a good break angle and the mini now plays as it should do all over the neck.

Just waiting on the JJB 330 pickup arriving then I can do some more tinkering!

[troystory92]

congrats man!

I wanted a hog top with the es-2 but they stopped making them all together. Ended up going with a 2016 Koa with the es-2.

Really convenient as a backup guitar and the one I take to give lessons. Better than luggin around my 214 dlx with the hardshell.

Hope you get it set up right and the pickup sounds good. Those hog tops without electronics are a steal!