Which is the travel carbon fiber guitar that sounds more similar to a Taylor GS Mini

[gerardo1000]

Or viceversa ! :-)

[wade63]

I love my Emerald x7-os for travel, sounds better than a mini for sure

[mikealpine]

Heard good things about the Emerald. Might also want to check out a Cargo Raw.

[Doubleneck]

Very good question, I have a Holden Village GS Mini and found it to be pretty impressive. As a total package and at its price point it is just about impossible to beat. You are asking sound only so I would agree with the above but add the Bkackbird Rider: sound wise it may be the closest? Very tuff question.

[mikealpine]

There are two sponsors that are really nice people, and I'm sure would point you in the right direction. Ted from LA Guitar Sales and Michael from MacNichol. Certainly worth calling to get their opinions.

[Captain Jim]

I have a GSmini, and thoroughly enjoy that guitar. Just like the CF guitars I've played, it has its own voice. The RainSong Parlor is close in size, and also sounds good. Different, but good. Four times the price of a Mini, though.

If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive guitar that is good for most kinds of travel and sounds nice, the GSmini has been good for our travels (not flying). Hard to beat.

If the hot points on a guitar are:
* Sounds good
* Travels well
* Carbon Fiber

I'd be looking at the RS Parlor. Make mine a 12-fret. And a good gig bag, like on the GSmini. Good luck with the decisions.

Jim

[TWork]

I can attest to the fact that the Mini and RS Parlor sound nothing alike. I have both and the RS is definitely brighter and more crisp. But, can't discount the Mini. It's a great guitar.

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

The RainSong Parlor is close in size, and also sounds good. Different, but good. Four times the price of a Mini, though.
Jim

[Earl49]

My wife bought a mahogany topped GS Mini almost a year ago, liking it much better than the spruce topped versions. Then about four months ago she tagged along with me to the local guitar store and tried a CA Cargo (painted, not the raw version). She likes the wider neck [1-3/4" versus 1-11/16"] and the even shorter scale [22.75" vs 23"]. Plus she thinks it is even more comfortable to hold and play, given the body shape and contours.

The tone of the Cargo is much larger and fuller than the GS Mini, sounding closer to a full-sized guitar. We agree on that, both from the player's perspective and from out front. It would not surprise me to see her GS Mini up for sale sometime in the future, even though it is a fine instrument. She has barely played the Mini since the Cargo came home.

[NRH]

I recently played the Mahogany Taylor Mini and I was amazed by the full woody sound of a travel guitar. I own several Baby Taylors and the Mini sounds great in comparison. I probably would have bought that Mini if I hadn’t already found a very nice used CA Cargo Raw on Craigslist. As far as the sound between the Cargo and the Mini, they are different, but they are both nice. The Mini I played had a fuller sound with more overtones. The Cargo has a more intimate sound with strong fundamentals. I like the neck and wider fretboard on the Cargo for fingerpicking although I had no problem playing the Mini.

[AZLiberty]

I can't think of any that sound as bad as a GS mini. Sorry.

If I were buying a CF for travel I would probably get a Rainsong Parlor, it's almost identical in size to a Larrivee O/Parlor.

[Finger Stylish]

Sound being a subjective thing, I would say the carbon guitars would have the most consistent sound within each model.
The same cannot be said about the wood guitars. Two minis, or D28's, or Gibson SJ's built by the same person with the same species of material, with the same strings installed can sound quite different.
That's not a bad thing unless you're trying to get all your instruments to sound alike. (boring)

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Finger Stylish

Sound being a subjective thing, I would say the carbon guitars would have the most consistent sound within each model.
The same cannot be said about the wood guitars. Two minis, or D28's, or Gibson SJ's built by the same person with the same species of material, with the same strings installed can sound quite different.
That's not a bad thing unless you're trying to get all your instruments to sound alike. (boring)

Well said. I heard the term "carbon copies" on here by someone and that just kinda stuck with me. I suppose in someways it is a good thing that carbon fiber guitars are just that meticulously designed and the nature of the material makes them stay that way. What they do lack is the personality from guitar to guitar as you mentioned above. I remember buying my Breedlove Atlas in 2008. They were on closeout- a $1K guitar on sale for $800 new. There were 2 left on the wall and one out sang the other in every way imaginable. I came home with that guitar and it was a very neat experience. What is disheartening is knowing that there are some of the same make and model as mine out there that sound even better yet.

[SprintBob]

Where the GSM sounds like a small guitar is when strumming. It is IMO a fantastic fingerstyle guitar. That said, I'm thinking about trying a CF travel guitar that sounds as good fingerstyle as the GSM and sounds fuller strumming (more like a bigger body) plus the addition of getting back to a 1-3/4" nut width. I want to keep my budget below $1,500 so the RS Studio Parlor 12 fret and the CA Cargo are two possibilities for me.

[Doubleneck]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Where the GSM sounds like a small guitar is when strumming. It is IMO a fantastic fingerstyle guitar. That said, I'm thinking about trying a CF travel guitar that sounds as good fingerstyle as the GSM and sounds fuller strumming (more like a bigger body) plus the addition of getting back to a 1-3/4" nut width. I want to keep my budget below $1,500 so the RS Studio Parlor 12 fret and the CA Cargo are two possibilities for me.

The Cargo is in your price range and is actually a shorter scale length. The Parlor would be a longer scale length than the Mini. To me part od the joy of the Mini is its short scale length. Might try a Cargo. Out of your price range would be the new McPherson.

[dkoloff]

The new Journey Overhead carbon might fit the bill......some videos posted on it and the sound is very full for its size.