Baby or not the Baby That is the ?

[The Guitarman]

I Just bought a Baby Taylor (has not come in yet). I am looking for a guitar to carry to the park etc. You don't really want to take a 614ce or a upper end guitar out just to get it beat up camping.
Question: Best Guitar Just for Fun? (Baby or something else)

[Aruthas]

My opinion would be to go for a Seagull M6 if the goal is to use it in the park. For less money, you would have a well-built, full-size dreadnaught with a neck a little larger than a full-size Taylor. Now, if we are talking about bringing a guitar on a plane, or on the bus, a Baby Taylor would certainly be more appropriate.

[The Guitarman]

I was looking for a couple of answers with the poll. Everytime I go to look for a guitar that is small enough to pack with gear and kids, and yet sound ok, I end up getting something that sounds better and costs more than I wanted to spend. I have a baby Taylor comming this week. I have never owned or played one. Is the baby to good for camping trips? It's smaller and less expensive. My wife wanted a gibson backpacker, so I got her one. For me It does not hold well and it sounds like a uke.
Also, would like to know how many of you have similar problems buying guitars. How many of you have a back-up guitar for messing around, and if so what kind.
Camping is a good time for Kids and music especially if you find other players camping to. Give me a fiddle player, a banjo picker, someone to play lead , and lets make a night of it.
The Kids love It! They are the next generation of musicians.




Sorry! no sleep and to much coffee

[leftydude]

I personally don't like any of the baby size guitars. The Big Baby though, I find portable enough for most anything and actually plays and sounds like a real guitar. If the poll had that I would have voted.

[Bill_K]

I agree with Leftydude. I am a fan of the Big Baby. It is inexpensive and sounds like a full sized guitar. While I have never camped with it, I travel a bunch by car and take it with me. It is sturdy.

[ironreed]

I love my Baby Taylor. It sounds great! It may not have enough volume if you run across a small band in the woods, but for camping part of the goal is traveling light. And it would be a lot of fun around any campfire.

[Marge]

I played the Baby Taylor and really didn't care for it. I ended up with a Larrivee Parlor, Koa model. It's solid wood back and sides and solid spruce top. For the money, it was a great buy, and I enjoy the sound a lot better than the BabyT. The parlor just feels and sounds more like a "real" guitar. I bought it with the gigbag rather than a hardshell case that my dealer offered as an option. The gigbag is very good quality and makes the guitar lightweight to carry. I basically bought it so I can take it to our tree farm. My husband can work there (or whatever it is he does), and I can hike around or play guitar.

MAKE it a GREAT day!!!
Marge

[The Guitarman]

Thanks for the inputs!
My Baby just arrived. Cute Little thing. It is small and portable, when space is an issue. However, I understand now what you guy's were saying. 1. Size is good for packing or traveling. 2. Sound is better quality than Gibson backpacker, and It handles and plays much easier. 3. Great if you want different voicing in the back ground.
Conclusion: The baby is fun to play, but is better suited for learning or back ground music. If you sacrifice size and wood, the tone qualities suffer.
I'll keep it. It's still fun to play with, but still not quite what i'm looking for.



"I see said the blind man"

[StormyPenny]

Baby Taylor by a mile. Well build and it sounds good. How about that warranty too...

[cpmusic]

For all-around playing, I agree that the Baby just won't do the trick. It's neat, but just not strong enough. I'd add another vote for the Big Baby, or the Seagull S6 in either Grand (parlor) or Folk model. The Seagulls offer the same kind of utility, durability, and portability as the BB but with a markedly different tone thanks to their cedar tops and, the case of the Folk, a deeper body. The S6 line is very reasonably priced, too -- right in the BB's neighborhood, with the Grand usually costing a little less. You won't go wrong with the BB, but check out the 'gulls, too.

[Ian Anderson]

Yes try any of the Godin products, Seagull, Simon and Patrick ect. $200-$400 will buy a good sounding well made guitar for that purpose. As for me I have 25 year old Yamaki beater worth $50, (H E double hockey sticks) if someone throws it into the campfire, I don't care! He He My My (NY)

[JW]

Id go for the big baby, Ive got some babys and for the life of me i cant make them sound just right. Cant get the inotation right. Id spend just a few more dollars and go big baby. If you just want something to beat on in the park where the birds will get you Id just get a 99 dollar Jasmine by Takamine. For the money it cant be beat. JW

[ScottyMac]

Another Big Baby vote here. I got one a few weeks back, and it is somewhat impressive. My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to stay tuned all that well...a symptom of lesser quality tuners I suppose, along with overall integrity that isn't up to par with the other Taylors.

But hey, for a few hundred bucks, you can afford to take it camping.

[BillM]

A question - Do you mean Martin Backpacker in the poll, or does Gibson make a model by that name as well?

Bill

[frayne48]

Usually don't respond to polls, yea right. But I recently bought an Alverez PD-100 for my beater guitar. Kind of looks neat too. Played a couple of Babys and wasn't impressed.