What are some market niches that are not currently being met?

[nashtele]

I have been thinking about the acoustic guitar market recently and thinking about what, if any, realistic/economical market niches are currently not being met.

I'm not sure if I'm describing this currently, but a couple of tangential examples that come to mind would be:

• The Taylor GS Mini. The body size and proportions combined with the build quality was just a total revelation for a lot of people. I'm sure there were boutique builds out there, but for most people, there was just no access to that kind of thing before that model.
  
• Luna guitars. I haven't played one of these but my sense of the brand is that, laminate being laminate, there are probably some folks who aren't buying $3000 guitars who would be into colors, designs, wolves. I don't know how well they sell, but I can totally appreciate the idea.

So -- what are you GASing for that just isn't on the market nowadays?

[RP]

I'm really not in the throes of GAS (honest!), but I've always been a fan of Fender hardtail Strats and Taylor full acoustics (no cutaway, no pickup system). Those seem to be few and far between...

[jaymarsch]

I have seen and heard a number of street performers play Luna guitars. They amplify well and can withstand some road wear. I have heard Vicki Genfan play her Luna’s both live and unplugged. They are nice guitars.
Best,
Jayne

[mr. beaumont]

I'd like to see some crossover nylon strings that are crossover in the terms of body shape/size and have electronics, but don't have a narrow nut width.

[bfm612]

More guitar-adjacent, but I'd love to see some more affordable guitar-shaped octave mandolins. Those Fletcher Brocks and Northfields are in the $4K-$5K range, so I'd like to find something even in the $1K range.

[CarolinaGetaway]

Yamaha NXT 1200R

[Cameleye]

Mandolins with a slightly wider fingerboard for us guitar players who have problems with a mando's typically skinny neck.

[Ken Carr]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I'd like to see some crossover nylon strings that are crossover in the terms of body shape/size and have electronics, but don't have a narrow nut width.

I second this, but I would also like to see some carbon fiber steel string acoustic guitars that have wider than 1 3/4" nut width with wider string spacing, for us fingerstyle guys who roll that way.

[Shortfinger]

Martin's 000Jr-10 vs. Taylor Mini GS, size comparo.

Martin 3/8" longer overall length.

Martin 24" scale length, Taylor 23.5"

Martin lower bout 14" versus Taylor at 14 3/8"

Body length Martin 17 3/4" versus Taylor 17 5/8"

So yes, Taylor does not occupy a solo seat in this niche. But they do offer the GS mini in 9 different models, while Martin has done two variants, one a cutaway, that they discontinued, and a signature model, the Shawn Mendez.

[vintageom]

Guild F-212XL all solid woods, made in Oxnard

[AMW]

We'd like to see Waterloo production ramp up again!!!

[pagedr]

Originally Posted by AMW

We'd like to see Waterloo production ramp up again!!!

Are there any indications that this will happen in the near future (or at all)?

[s2y]

Affordable cedar SJ
A "light" baritone braced for lighter strings.

[CoastStrings]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I'd like to see some crossover nylon strings that are crossover in the terms of body shape/size and have electronics, but don't have a narrow nut width.

Isn't that being met by the Yamaha NCX series? Or did you mean having 14-frets to the body as far as shape/size were concerned?

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by nashtele

[LIST][*]The Taylor GS Mini. The body size and proportions combined with the build quality was just a total revelation for a lot of people. I'm sure there were boutique builds out there, but for most people, there was just no access to that kind of thing before that model.

Actually there was. Larrivee's parlour, when they introduced the model back in the mid-90s, had the short 24" scale and small body. It was unbound (-01 series) and no other fancy appointments to keep the costs down. And it was all solid wood (Isn't the GS mini laminate? Or at least some of them?) And it was priced at around $300.

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