The Second Official GS Mini Upgrades / Mods / Customizations Thread

[Texasmph]

If someone can help me figure out how to add the photos directly to this post rather than as a line, I'd appreciate the help. I tried to follow the instructions but clearly failed miserably.

[Iain1231]

How bout a soundport next? Perhaps one with a lid

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by Texasmph

I know this thread has been semi dormant for a while, but it has given me plenty of ideas over the last couple years and I wanted to share my big mod. I have a 2017 Koa. After adding a bone saddle, zero fret nut, abalone inlay strap button, abalone fret markers, abalone pins, a Nichols custom Texas flag truss rod cover, and Gotoh 510 mini tuners, I ran out of mods other than the big one - replacing the crappy black plastic head plate. Being semi quarantined, I decided it was time to take a shot, but I didn't want to lose the Taylor logo (call me vain even though I'm exclusively a couch player).

I have no experience with inlay and only a little with woodworking but, given the time on my hand from the Corona quarantine, I gave it a shot. It cost me a couple hundred bucks in Dremel related tools, supplies, and finishing products and an unbelievable amount of hours but I finally finished. I cut the abalone, inlaid it into the wood, and cut and shaped the koa head stock plate. I also made and inlaid a truss rode cover out of rosewood. There are flaws in the head stock inlay that bug me, but my wife pointed out that NO ONE else will ever see it and starting from scratch might take longer than Corona-mania.... I also swapped out my Gotoh mini 510 chrome tuners for the aged gold version (thereby adding significantly to the cost of my project). If anyone's interested in tackling the head plate replacement, let me know and I'll share my tips and, more importantly, my mistakes.[IMG][/IMG]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/187792...h/49736932437/

Great job on the upgrades! It looks really beautiful now! Love the woodgrain on the body too! Looks like a tiger’s body with its stripes.

I own a 2017 Mini Koa too (bought new) but nowhere as nice as yours. It plays and sounds great!

Maybe try downloading the app “Tapatalk”. I use this app as I find it easier to attach pictures to AGF. Just snap pictures using my i-phone and attach pictures to the thread.

[Texasmph]

Originally Posted by Iain1231

How bout a soundport next? Perhaps one with a lid

No way I'd trust myself actually cutting into the guitar! It was a white knuckle ride just getting the black plastic cover off. It was really glued on and pulled some of the wood off with it in places. Fortunately it wasn't on an edge and I was able to use wood filler to make it level.

[Texasmph]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Great job on the upgrades! It looks really beautiful now! Love the woodgrain on the body too! Looks like a tiger’s body with its stripes.

I own a 2017 Mini Koa too (bought new) but nowhere as nice as yours. It plays and sounds great!

Maybe try downloading the app “Tapatalk”. I use this app as I find it easier to attach pictures to AGF. Just snap pictures using my i-phone and attach pictures to the thread.

Thanks for the compliment and the Tapatalk suggestion. As to appearance, I bought the guitar because of the stripes and got it online through Willcut Guitars, which always seems to have a huge supply of GS Minis (at least 15 when I bought mine). Willcut posts a thumbnail shot of of each guitar and you can see/compare most of them on the same page. You can also click through and see more pictures of each guitar the same as Sweetwater and some others that show the individual guitars, but the selection is much larger. The benefit - you have a really wide selection for appearance. The downside - you can't hear the guitar before you buy, but I'm not good enough to notice.

I just bought my daughter a Mini Hog from Willcut earlier this week (need her to have something to do while stuck in the house) and she got to pick the one she liked - more brown than red. On a side note, even my bad ear can tell the difference in tone between the two. The mahogany really does sound deeper/woodier (very cool for such a small guitar) and the Koa is more balanced.

[Texasmph]

I decided the rosewood TRS was a bit too much contrast so I made another with the same abalone inlay design from koa. I then spent another couple hours tracking down brass screws and how to age them to look like the aged gold Tuners. My OCD has reached the breaking point...

20200406_195649 by Michael Hutchens, on Flickr

20200406_195129 by Michael Hutchens, on Flickr

[Iain1231]

Wow that is a gorgeous looking Koa GSM!

[BillyMays]

Where would one find a pickguard for a mini? Would I just have to cut one out myself?

[Neil K Walk]

In looking at all these photos I am seeing what has turned me off about the GS Mini: open pores beneath a "satin" finish that just sinks right into those pores. As much as I applaud you all for little things like new pins and whatnot, it doesn't seem to really fit with the "roughness" of the look of these guitars. Have any of you ever considered sanding down to bare wood and apply a faux gloss finish with Maguires? Years ago people were doing such to their satin Larrivee parlors.

[fishwatcher]

Originally Posted by Texasmph

I decided the rosewood TRS was a bit too much contrast so I made another with the same abalone inlay design from koa. I then spent another couple hours tracking down brass screws and how to age them to look like the aged gold Tuners. My OCD has reached the breaking point...

You did quite an amazing job with this project.

Awesome!

[Lillis]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

In looking at all these photos I am seeing what has turned me off about the GS Mini: open pores beneath a "satin" finish that just sinks right into those pores. As much as I applaud you all for little things like new pins and whatnot, it doesn't seem to really fit with the "roughness" of the look of these guitars. Have any of you ever considered sanding down to bare wood and apply a faux gloss finish with Maguires? Years ago people were doing such to their satin Larrivee parlors.

I like the finish just as it is. Although I have three guitars with different finishes which I kind of like.