If you’re looking for a compact acoustic guitar with a big sound, then the Taylor GS Mini and Baby Taylor (BT) are excellent options to consider, but which is the best choice for you.
I’ll be taking you through an in-depth look at both acoustic guitars and comparing their tones and all their features so you can decide which to go for.
Quick Comparison
The Taylor GS Mini has a longer scale length, wider body and shallower waist compared to the Baby Taylor. The GS Mini sounds louder and fuller compared to the warmer sounding Baby Taylor. Both guitars use the same tone woods, bracing and neck shapes.
Taylor GS Mini
Baby Taylor
Image links to Amazon
Size and Shape
One of the most notable differences between the Taylor GS Mini and Baby Taylor is the size and shape of the body. This affects the tone, look and feel of the guitars.
The Taylor GS Mini is classed as a “mini concert” guitar and has a slightly larger body than the Baby Taylor which is a 3/4 dreadnought. The GS Mini also has a slightly longer scale length of 23.5″ compared to the Baby Taylor which has a 22.75″ scale.
Here is a table showing the dimensions of both guitars.
| Specification | Taylor GS Mini | Baby Taylor |
| Scale Length | 23.50” | 22.75” |
| Body Width | 14.38” | 12.50” |
| Body Length | 17.63” | 15.75” |
| Body Depth | 4.44” | 3.38” |
The shape of both these guitars is also different, as well as the overall dimensions.
The GS Mini has a wider lower bout and narrower waist compared to the Baby Taylor. This has a big impact on the tone.
Differences in Tone
The Taylor GS Mini produces a louder sound due to its larger body compared to the Baby Taylor. The GS Mini has a richer and clearer tone with more mid-range compared to the Baby which has a darker and warmer tone with more bass.
Here is a comparison of the Taylor GS Mini and Baby Taylor on YouTube so you can listen to the differences. The Baby is being played first.
Feel and Playability
Both guitars are very nice to play and manageable for most guitarists due to their smaller size. However, there are some differences which affect how easy they are to play.
Some players find the GS Mini easier to play whilst say down due to the narrower waist and wider lower bout which makes it easier to balance the guitar on the knee compared to the dreadnought shape of the Baby Taylor.
The GS Mini has a slightly longer scale length but this won’t present any issues unless the guitar is being played by a small child. The GS Mini also has a slightly thicker body but again this is very unlikely to negatively impact playability for most guitarists.
The neck on both guitars has the same fretboard radius (15″) and neck width (1.69″). The only difference here is that the GS Mini has a neck heel which some players can find a bit annoying. The Baby Taylor does not have any neck heel.
The GS Mini has medium gauge strings which are thicker than the light gauge strings on the Baby Taylor, but these can be changed after purchasing the instrument.
It’s tough to say which is the easiest to play out of the two guitars as it’s all personal preference. I’d advise trying both guitars in the store so you can get to grips with them properly and see which really feels best to you.
Full Specification Comparison
Here is a full list of the specifications of the standard Taylor GS Mini and Baby Taylor guitars.
| Specification | Taylor GS Mini | Baby Taylor |
| Scale Length | 23.50” | 22.75” |
| Body Width | 14.38” | 12.50” |
| Body Length | 17.63” | 15.75” |
| Body Depth | 4.44” | 3.38” |
| Neck Width | 1.69” | 1.69” |
| Fretboard Radius | 15.00” | 15.00” |
| Frets | 20 | 19 |
| Bracing | X-Bracing | X-Bracing |
| Top Wood | Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Mahogany Solid Koa | Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Koa Solid Mahogany |
| Back and Side Wood | Layered Sapele Layered Koa Layered Rosewood Layered Maple | Layered Walnut Layered Sapele Layered Koa |
| Neck Wood | Sapele | Sapele |
| Fretboard Wood | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck Heel | Yes | No |
| Pickguard | Yes | No |
| Finish | Varnish | Varnish |
| Binding | None | None |
| Tuning Machines | Die-Cast Chrome | Die-Cast Chrome |
| Nut | Nubone | Tusq |
| Saddle | Micarta | Tusq |
| Strings | Phosphor Bronze Medium | Phosphor Bronze Light |
| Case | Structured Gig Bag | Not Included |
| Made In | Mexico | Mexico |
Different Versions of the GS Mini and Baby
There are several variants of both guitars which use different woods. Some are standard acoustic guitars and some are electro-acoustic guitars Here’s a full list of models available at the time of writing with links to each variant so you can check the current prices.
Taylor Baby
- Taylor Baby Mahogany
- Taylor Baby Spruce and Walnut
- Taylor Baby Spruce and Sapele
- Taylor Baby Acoustic-Electric Mahogany
- Taylor Baby Acoustic-Electric Spruce and Walnut
Taylor GS Mini
- Taylor GS Mini Mahogany
- Taylor GS Mini Rosewood
- Taylor GS Mini Acoustic Electric Koa
- Taylor GS Mini Acoustic Electric Rosewood
- Taylor GS Mini Acoustic Electric Koa Plus
Check out my in-depth comparison between the Taylor GS Mini and Martin Little Martin.