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  #31  
Old 12-05-2019, 11:12 AM
gmel555 gmel555 is offline
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Originally Posted by Kerbie View Post
A definite yes! My favorite is the Mahogany top... sweet little guitar..........
Agree on both points, with the caveat that while I believe a mini can serve as a primary guitar for a good while, eventually many -but maybe not all, but many- players will want to add a more "full-size" to their options.
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  #32  
Old 12-05-2019, 08:23 PM
Jaden Jaden is offline
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I did try out a new GSMini mahogany (or derivative?) top recently and from first plucked note, it was obviously a good one in that it provided soft overtones - completely different from the stiff, strident, thin sounding bearclaw top spruce model I had - try before you buy, and do consider that for best performance this guitar does best with medium gauge strings which I found killer on my finger tips when I returned to playing guitar after a few years off - even after full set up with ultra low action.
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  #33  
Old 12-05-2019, 10:31 PM
Marshall Marshall is offline
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I'm going to strike a somewhat contradictory note. A GS-mini is a very nice guitar. But for me it's a role-player. It's my travel guitar. It's not as warm as a fuller bodied guitar. Though hard to beat at the price point. But some Eastmans come in that price range and will haev a fuller sound.

Also the scale is extra short on the GS-mini. That makes it easier to play, if you don't have big hands. But if you go back and forth, you might find it tougher to play a normal scaled guitar.

These are all small considerations. Go play one somewhere, if you can. If you feel it suits your needs, it'll treat you right.
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  #34  
Old 01-06-2020, 05:16 AM
dbramsey dbramsey is offline
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I have looked around my area and there is no one even close to where I live that sells the GS Mini. Because of other health issues it is hard for me to travel very far. Would you buy a GS Mini online, say from Sweetwater?
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  #35  
Old 01-06-2020, 05:24 AM
RalphH RalphH is offline
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Go for it. It's always nicer to try in person but it's not always possible. By far the most expensive guitar I ever bought was from an online store.

Just make sure you get it from somewhere with a good return policy. Most UK online stores have a no-questions-asked return policy and some even pay return postage so the insurance (and any claim) is their issue on the return trip. I'm sure US stores can be found with similar.
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  #36  
Old 01-06-2020, 05:48 AM
Rpt50 Rpt50 is offline
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Originally Posted by RalphH View Post
Go for it. It's always nicer to try in person but it's not always possible. By far the most expensive guitar I ever bought was from an online store.

Just make sure you get it from somewhere with a good return policy. Most UK online stores have a no-questions-asked return policy and some even pay return postage so the insurance (and any claim) is their issue on the return trip. I'm sure US stores can be found with similar.
I would add to this that, since you are not an experienced player, you might want to have a long-time player check you guitar over good during the return period just to make sure everything is fine and their are no issues that an inexperienced player might not catch!
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  #37  
Old 01-06-2020, 07:11 AM
Lillis Lillis is offline
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Originally Posted by dbramsey View Post
I have looked around my area and there is no one even close to where I live that sells the GS Mini. Because of other health issues it is hard for me to travel very far. Would you buy a GS Mini online, say from Sweetwater?
I recently bought mine from Eddie's guitars in St Louis and was very pleased with service and purchase. Photo's on their site are of actual guitar which sold me on mine. Sweetwater is also nice because you can compare photo's of four different guitars.
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  #38  
Old 01-06-2020, 07:30 AM
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UncleJesse UncleJesse is offline
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Originally Posted by jaymarsch View Post
I have played a number of mini's and owned one for a while. I A/B'd them with some other similar size guitars and found that I preferred the tone and feel of the Alvarez parlor to the mini. More room on the fretboard and more nuanced and fuller tone to my ears. Some folks love the mini's but if I wanted a smaller Taylor, I would take a Big Baby over a mini any day of the week. You might want to A/B them and see what your ears and hands like best.

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I played a super loud Big Baby at GC a few months back. I was shocked at how loud and resonant it sounded. I'm not in the market right now to buy a $500 guitar otherwise I would have bought it. But I didn't want to derail my plans for a Martin 0000.
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  #39  
Old 01-06-2020, 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Lillis View Post
I recently bought mine from Eddie's guitars in St Louis and was very pleased with service and purchase. Photo's on their site are of actual guitar which sold me on mine. Sweetwater is also nice because you can compare photo's of four different guitars.
I'm kind of surprised Eddie's sells this model. That store is mostly for high-end collectors.
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  #40  
Old 01-06-2020, 11:46 AM
Hurricane Bob Hurricane Bob is offline
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My GS Mini sounds incredible, I do have long fingers so it can be hard to play chords, it sits next to my Eastman
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  #41  
Old 01-06-2020, 11:57 AM
Birdbrain Birdbrain is offline
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Originally Posted by bufflehead View Post
Everybody loves them, even those of us who don't play them. There's nothing better than sitting next to A GS Mini in a jam. Not only can you hear your own guitar better in that situation, but you can actually hear guitars across the room.

(Unless of course the guitar across the room is a GS Mini.)
True that! I had two ensemble classes with a lead player who used a GS Mini. He was playing up a storm, but I have no idea what it sounded like. The sound just died compared to my loud Tacoma.
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  #42  
Old 01-06-2020, 12:29 PM
Marshall Marshall is offline
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Originally Posted by dbramsey View Post
I have looked around my area and there is no one even close to where I live that sells the GS Mini. Because of other health issues it is hard for me to travel very far. Would you buy a GS Mini online, say from Sweetwater?
Sweetwater is GREAT. And if, per chance, you decide in the first week the GS Mini is not for you you can send it back. They'll take it no questions asked and give you credit towards something else. Of course it'll cost you the shipping cost to send it back. But other than that no problem.

I bought an archtop from them a couple years ago and it was way too big of a body. They took it back no questions. I've bought a lot of stuff from them. That's the only thing I've returned. They are good people. And they give you some free candy with each order you buy.
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  #43  
Old 01-06-2020, 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Marshall View Post
Sweetwater is GREAT. And if, per chance, you decide in the first week the GS Mini is not for you you can send it back. They'll take it no questions asked and give you credit towards something else. Of course it'll cost you the shipping cost to send it back. But other than that no problem.
To add to this, Sweetwater will also offer a refund. And you can ask them for a pre-paid return shipping label; it'll still cost you, but it'll significantly less than shipping it back all on your own.
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  #44  
Old 01-06-2020, 02:14 PM
dhalbert dhalbert is offline
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Originally Posted by Rpt50 View Post
I would add to this that, since you are not an experienced player, you might want to have a long-time player check you guitar over good during the return period just to make sure everything is fine and their are no issues that an inexperienced player might not catch!
I echo this. A friend bought a GS Mini from a local Guitar Center. The first one's action was too high, and it really needed the neck to be reshimmed. He took it back and got another, which had good action but needed a truss rod tweak to get the neck relief right.
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  #45  
Old 01-06-2020, 04:34 PM
Frosted Gladd Frosted Gladd is offline
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I’ll echo the sentiments that a GS mini is not an ideal guitar to learn on. I wouldn’t want my muscle memory to be fixed to a 23” scale.
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