Has anyone led worship w/ Taylor GS Mini?

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by northwestern

I have a D18 with a LR Baggs Anthem but it’s just too big sometimes so I’ve been looking into getting a smaller bodied guitar. Sounds crazy but I’m wanting to experiment with a Taylor GS mini koa or mahogany with the LR Baggs Anthem SL or M80. Sounds weird right? I lead for anywhere between 1000-2000 people with a full band.

I’ve played a GS mini with the old and much maligned ESgo. It wasn’t a problem.
If you have good people that know how to mix a band at the sound board, you can play any thing.
I’ve also done P&W with my very small Journey Instruments OF660.
Every guitar listed below, except the baritone, has found it self on the stage for praise and worship.
We have good folks on the sound board, and we plug in to Radial DI boxes.

[Martin_F]

Originally Posted by northwestern

I think this is changing though. I’m starting to see a lot more people playing Martin’s. The brightness of the Taylor’s helps cut through the band but in my experience our techs have always had to do more mixing with Taylor’s vs smaller adjustments with Martin’s to get the tone right! Could be a PNW thing though!

If you want something somewhere between a Taylor and Martin tone, you should try the Yamaha FSX5. It has a great tone and amazing pickup's in it. It would be closer to the 000 in size. It has plenty of punch and is bright, but not too bright. I think it has better bass response than any of the Taylor's in that size I have played. Plus, it still sounds great unplugged. I have the FS5 without the pickup's and it's a great guitar to play. Very comfortable.

Martin

[edward993]

OK, so thread is still going, wow...

1. P&W in the sonic sense is no different from any genre in live use in this respect: the music and its delivery matter, not the guitar! And it is the house (your FOH guy) that shapes your ultimate tone for the audience. Period. This binary thinking of "what guitar" really needs to die. Country played only on a Tele? Blues on a Strat? Rock on a Lester? Metal on something pointy? .... Most have long passed these inane cliches. Stop, please, with this silly pigeonholing of P&W as a "sound," Taylor or otherwise. It genuinely is so much ado about nothing; or better yet, full of sound a fury signifying nothing.

2. Likewise about the size of a guitar. How many/few instruments and vocals on stage have far more to do with your sonic footprint than what size guit you use. And with more folks sharing that sonic space, the smaller guitar wins.

3. Thank you to FLRon for being the first to offer the real answer, not to mention serious sense here. Why what he offered gets glossed over and the "discussion" ensues is beyond me.

Edward

[phavriluk]

Edward993 has articulated my thoughts entirely, not only in a worship band but in an open mike in the church basement. If somebody's plugged in, the sound man has far more influence over what the congregation/audience hears than anything the picker plays. There's way too many layers of electronics between the strings and the ears for the guitar to matter at all.

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by edward993

OK, so thread is still going, wow...

1. P&W in the sonic sense is no different from any genre in live use in this respect: the music and its delivery matter, not the guitar! And it is the house (your FOH guy) that shapes your ultimate tone for the audience. Period. This binary thinking of "what guitar" really needs to die. Country played only on a Tele? Blues on a Strat? Rock on a Lester? Metal on something pointy? .... Most have long passed these inane cliches. Stop, please, with this silly pigeonholing of P&W as a "sound," Taylor or otherwise. It genuinely is so much ado about nothing; or better yet, full of sound a fury signifying nothing.

2. Likewise about the size of a guitar. How many/few instruments and vocals on stage have far more to do with your sonic footprint than what size guit you use. And with more folks sharing that sonic space, the smaller guitar wins.

3. Thank you to FLRon for being the first to offer the real answer, not to mention serious sense here. Why what he offered gets glossed over and the "discussion" ensues is beyond me.

Edward

Hear, hear.

Now please tell me, what's the best string winder for reggae?

[varve]

I’ve seen it used during worship at Holden Village, from time to time. It’s a particularly powerful experience, as the Engelmann for the top and bracing grew about 100 yards away from the chapel
Dave Olson

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by edward993

...this silly pigeonholing of P&W as a "sound," Taylor or otherwise.

Looking back at these posts again, the ethnomusicologist in me theorizes that what we may have here is not a "sound" but a "look." Something that could be deconstructed from a cultural perspective.

That is, is there a demographic correlation between folks who play in "P&W" rock bands in church and those who buy Taylors? I'd bet there is...

[wguitar]

Originally Posted by FLRon

As a former worship leader I am squarely in the camp of “any quality acoustic guitar with a reliable pickup and an equally reliable and proficient person on the sound board” is sufficient. For the purposes of leading worship, the brand and model of acoustic electric guitar is far down on my list of priorities.

IMHO, this sums it up nicely!

All the best!

Cheers!

[whvick]

Originally Posted by FLRon

As a former worship leader I am squarely in the camp of “any quality acoustic guitar with a reliable pickup and an equally reliable and proficient person on the sound board” is sufficient. For the purposes of leading worship, the brand and model of acoustic electric guitar is far down on my list of priorities.

This makes sense. People are listening to the singing and the keyboard will usually dominate the music. Tone of the guitar is more important to us than the congregation.

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by edward993

OK, so thread is still going, wow...

1. P&W in the sonic sense is no different from any genre in live use in this respect: the music and its delivery matter, not the guitar! And it is the house (your FOH guy) that shapes your ultimate tone for the audience. Period. This binary thinking of "what guitar" really needs to die. Country played only on a Tele? Blues on a Strat? Rock on a Lester? Metal on something pointy? .... Most have long passed these inane cliches. Stop, please, with this silly pigeonholing of P&W as a "sound," Taylor or otherwise. It genuinely is so much ado about nothing; or better yet, full of sound a fury signifying nothing.

2. Likewise about the size of a guitar. How many/few instruments and vocals on stage have far more to do with your sonic footprint than what size guit you use. And with more folks sharing that sonic space, the smaller guitar wins.

3. Thank you to FLRon for being the first to offer the real answer, not to mention serious sense here. Why what he offered gets glossed over and the "discussion" ensues is beyond me.

Edward

Every time someone starts another thread in this wheelhouse, I always hope someone will interject a little common sense...

Thanks to you and FLRon for doing so this time...

[phydaux]

What about, instead of a whole congregation, just a home bible study? No amplification, just a guitar in a living room with 8-12 people. Would something small like the GS Mini be Ok, or should you do full dreadnought?

[egordon99]

Originally Posted by phydaux

What about, instead of a whole congregation, just a home bible study? No amplification, just a guitar in a living room with 8-12 people. Would something small like the GS Mini be Ok, or should you do full dreadnought?

You should play whatever guitar you want. Not sure if your post is serious or not.