Love Triangle: A tale of me and a two Taylors

[Hawkeye_gurl]

Hi everyone!
I recently posted about taking the plunge on a Taylor 214ce or a Yamaha AC3R and I got so much positive advice and feedback.
So this past weekend, I ventured into GC and told myself, I'm not leaving until I know exactly how I feel between those two guitars. I stayed for hours and played back and forth between the two, also played a few Martins in that price range. I even asked the sales rep to conduct a blind test with me. I've come to the conclusion that at this point in my life I'm in LOVE with the sound and feel of Taylor guitars. I even played a few of the higher end models that are way out of my price range and...well... I understand what true happiness is now lol.

And as I was about to leave the acoustic room, with a solid choice and a made up mind, the sales rep stops me and hands me a GS mini koa that someone had returned earlier that day. I ran it through the same tests as the other guitars. And well here we are...I fell in love with two Taylors. Both sound amazing, both feel and play like butter, and both in my budget, but I can only take one home.
The 214 obviously has a fuller sound but the GS mini koa, definitely held it's own. Both sound great plugged in, both would be performance friendly whenever things get back to normal. But also as of right now, I'm more of a couch player and doing more zoom open mics than anything else. Do I get something that's going to fit me perfectly right now, or do I get something more future proof for if/when I do play with other people again that might fit better in a mix? Also brand new, they're only $100 difference between them but both in budget.

Edit: At some point I do plan to own both but as of right now, I'm wondering which to get first.

[jklotz]

A gs mini is a really cool guitar for what it is, but personally, I see it as more of a casual travel guitar. The narrow nut width would be limiting for me. I'd recommend getting a full sized 200 series over the gs if it's your only guitar.

[airpatrick]

I’d go with the full size guitar with the standard scale length. It could be a life keeper- the GS mini fits the travel/mini niche well. It makes a good second guitar. Plus you fell in love with the 214 first

[rmp]

from a guy who owns THREE taylors, all I can say is,, YES for sure, they're outstanding guitars.

If this was my decision:

Get the full sized now, and keep a mini on the short list for the day should some extra cash cometh your way..

[Mattface]

The plot thickens! Will it be the old flame or the new crush? Tune in next week to find out.

[aeisen93]

If I were considering that GS Mini, I would want to know why the customer returned it...

[VJP5]

The GS Mini Koa is my favorite of the Mini line (and I've owned the Sitka and Mahogany topped, as well).

That being said, I would go with the 214 first. Far more versatile, particularly if you start to play around with different tunings.

[Mark Stone]

I would suggest going with the full size Taylor first, but it's your choice completely. Welcome to the Taylor camp!

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by jklotz

......I see it as more of a casual travel guitar. The narrow nut width would be limiting for me. I'd recommend getting a full sized 200 series over the gs if it's your only guitar.

Originally Posted by airpatrick

I’d go with the full size guitar with the standard scale length. It could be a life keeper- the GS mini fits the travel/mini niche well. It makes a good second guitar. Plus you fell in love with the 214 first

Originally Posted by rmp

.....Get the full sized now, and keep a mini on the short list for the day should some extra cash cometh your way....

Originally Posted by VJP5

.....I would go with the 214 first. Far more versatile, particularly if you start to play around with different tunings.

See a trend developing here? Mini's are everywhere, so you can always find one used later at a good price. But if there was a 214 that spoke to you during your store visit get that one. Not a new one from the box (at least without a detailed test play) but that specific example. And FWIW my wife's GS Mini mahogany lived in Open G tuning, which is what she plays in most of the time. The only time she uses standard tuning is when she grabs one of my guitars that is tuned that way, or occasionally in a store.

[KevinH]

I had a mini for a few months. Really tried to like it, but in the end I couldn't get used to the narrow nut. So I sold it. Other than that, it was a fun guitar to play on the couch.

It sounds like you (the OP) are happy with the 214. Of the two, that would be my choice. Not to muddy the waters, but if its the size that is holding you back, did you get a chance to play a 312 or 322? I had a 324 at one time, then sold it and got a 522. The GC bodies are smaller than the XX4 (GA) series and bigger than the mini, with a 1-3/4" nut.

Originally Posted by aeisen93

If I were considering that GS Mini, I would want to know why the customer returned it...

[Imsully]

B b b b b b

[Willie_D]

The GS Mini is Taylor's best seller by a long shot. By which I mean, there'll always be one available. In your shoes I'd nab the 214.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_gurl

Hi everyone!
I recently posted about taking the plunge on a Taylor 214ce or a Yamaha AC3R and I got so much positive advice and feedback.
So this past weekend, I ventured into GC and told myself, I'm not leaving until I know exactly how I feel between those two guitars. I stayed for hours and played back and forth between the two, also played a few Martins in that price range. I even asked the sales rep to conduct a blind test with me. I've come to the conclusion that at this point in my life I'm in LOVE with the sound and feel of Taylor guitars. I even played a few of the higher end models that are way out of my price range and...well... I understand what true happiness is now lol.

And as I was about to leave the acoustic room, with a solid choice and a made up mind, the sales rep stops me and hands me a GS mini koa that someone had returned earlier that day. I ran it through the same tests as the other guitars. And well here we are...I fell in love with two Taylors. Both sound amazing, both feel and play like butter, and both in my budget, but I can only take one home.
The 214 obviously has a fuller sound but the GS mini koa, definitely held it's own. Both sound great plugged in, both would be performance friendly whenever things get back to normal. But also as of right now, I'm more of a couch player and doing more zoom open mics than anything else. Do I get something that's going to fit me perfectly right now, or do I get something more future proof for if/when I do play with other people again that might fit better in a mix? Also brand new, they're only $100 difference between them but both in budget.

Edit: At some point I do plan to own both but as of right now, I'm wondering which to get first.

Did u get a chance to play the new Taylor GT? It's a little bigger than the mini, closer to a full size guitar...it's probably a couple of hundred $ more then the 214 depending on which model 214 u are looking at.

[pickinray]

I would buy the 214. I think you will find the full-size Taylor much more satisfying to play in the long run. I see the mini as more of a niche guitar, not an every day "go to" instrument, but YMMV.

[MickZ]

Go with the 214. It's really apples and oranges. The 214 offers more of everything.