There's something undeniably inviting about the GS Mini's scaled-down size, yet a single strum reveals the impressive voice of a full-size guitar. That mix of portability and musicality has proven to be a winning combination that fits into so many scenarios in life, from the couch to the campfire to the concert hall. It's not too big, it's not too precious, and it's not too expensive.
That broad-based accessibility has given it a resounding universal appeal, not to mention a built-in fun factor. The shorter 23-1/2-inch scale length makes forming chords a breeze yet gives the instrument plenty of snap and tuning stability for a rewarding playing experience. The acoustic-electric versions enjoy a sweet upgrade to ES2 electronics. All GS-Mini models include a durable hard bag built by for the optimal fit.
Tone Woods
A guitar's top is the primary filter and distributor of vibrating string energy through the guitar, which means it has a huge impact on its sound. Sitka Spruce is the most prevalent guitar top wood of the modern era. It blends stiffness and elasticity in just the right proportions which translates into broad dynamic range with crisp articulation. Layered back and sides create a sturdy yet receptive platform for the vibrating string energy sent by the guitar's top. Layered wood is less susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, making it an excellent choice for players who travel with their instruments or simply require more durability.
What sets Guitars apart? Unmatched build quality, the most stable and playable necks, a vast array of tonal options, eco-conscious and ethically-sourced raw materials, and a lifetime of service and support.
Order a small-sized guitar with a full-size sound.
SPECIFICATIONSGS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar
Scale Length 23-1/2"No. Of frets: 20
Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Body Length: 17-5/8"
Body Width: 14-3/8"
Body Depth: 4-7/16"
Overall Length: 36-5/8"
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidityOther plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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I own several top brand acoustic/electric guitars and have been playing for 40 years. I was pleasantly surprised when I played the GS mini for the first time and after playing it for a couple of hours, I purchased the guitar the very same day.For the price of this guitar and being touted as a travel guitar, you would think it would be tough enough to withstand the rigors of travel, but that is not the case. With the lack of a hard finish on the top of the guitar, it leaves the wood wide open to dents and scratches, because of the softness of the spruce top. After having the GS Mini for about 3 weeks and only playing it at home, I have already begun to notice small dings and dents on the top and edges of the guitar. I wondered if the guitar would hold up against the typical wear and tear on a guitar from the lack of a hard finish over the wood and my suspicions are right. This isn't a tough guitar.
It looks cheap and in the end, it is cheap, but not price wise. I believe they left the hard finish off of the top to allow the guitar to have more resonance and a loud tone, but from the lack of a hard coat finish, the guitar will soon be dented up and completely blemished, just from normal usage. Not very practical if one has to treat this guitar as if it is made out of eggshells. For being so fragile, the GS Mini is definitely over priced.
I would recommend this instrument to a friend for the volume and rich tone that eminates from such a small and light weight guitar, but with a caution that the GS Mini is a very fragile and easily damaged guitar.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.I compared this guitar with other small guitars including Chaylor's own. Even with my tin ear, I could hear that it was far far louder and had a much more satisfying sound. It was as loud as my full-sized dreadnought. It stays in tune. It's got very very easy action getting close to the ease and joy an electric offers (important to me because I play swing guitar with a chord-a-beat style that can be tiring). What is also great about this guitar is you get more practice with it. Why? Who wants to pick up a great big dreadnought or jumbo? The little guitar is something you'll grab all the time and get practice. It's inviting. Plus, you can gig with it just as well as any other guitar. PS: the pickup made for this guitar is just fine. People say it hums and isn't the best. It's fine! What do you want -- egg in your beer? I'm very pleased with this little powerhouse and it's my main gigging guitbox now. My only regret is that the mahogany version came out after I bought mine. I love darker guitars. But that's hardly a criticism. I'll just get the mahogany one and I'll have a back-up in case I step on one of them. Right now I'm using a big old high end dreadnought that was quite pricy as the back-up and I leave it in my truck when I have a gig. ENJOY, FRIENDS! GET ONE OF THESE.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.I own two GS-Mini guitars. I also own a bunch of others that cost 4 and 5 times as much. Most of my playing time is spent on the Mini because it's just so comfortable. The 00 (14 inch) lower bout, the short scale, and the narrow waist combine to make it the most comfortable guitar I've played.
Considering that it's a solid top laminate, the tone is amazing. You might expect it to be boxy but it's not. It's well balanced & not too chimey (like much of the Chaylor lineup). I put Elixir Polywebs on both of my Mini's just to add to the comfort. Those strings combined with the short scale will let you play for hours without sore fingers.
As to convenience, it's small enough to play in the front seat of a car or truck. It fits handily in an RV or travel trailer.
These are great guitars for people of any age (I'm old) but I would say they are especially great for children who aren't big enough for a full size guitar, but play too well for a Yamaha Junior or the like. It's a guitar they could keep for a lifetime.
To sum it up, this is the best laminate guitar on the market. I've owned at least 40 guitars and currently own 10 including a Chaylor GC7, Martin D-18vs, and a Martin OM-28v. I've probably had around 20 laminate guitars, but nothing that approaches this one. I doubt that you'll be disappointed if you buy one.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.I've played this guitar almost daily now for 4 months. I'd rate this guitar a 10 but I don't rate anything a 10...just my thing.
I've owned(still own four) 9 Chaylor guitars; 300 - 800 series. I've owned other high end accoustics to include Martin, Goodall and others.
In my opinion, my little Mini comes very close in tone and playability with any of the guitars I've owned...regardless of price.
Due it's great sound, and convenient size, it's the first guitar I grab now when I'm practicing or just jamming at home.
I have used the guitar out gigging when plugged in. I added the easy go pickup and the sound is very good through my PA systems.
The only reason I don't use my Mini all the time gigging is that it has slightly less volume than my dreadnaught or X14 style guitars when not plugged in or played using a mike.
If you are a gigging musician, and you play out unamplified...this little sweetheart may not have enough volume. If you plug it in or play though a mike...it's great.
I highly recommend this guitar....just excellent.
No big deal here...especially for the price. The mini comes with plastic bridge pins and chrome tuners. Plastic is used, I believe, in the headstock and other places where that is not critical. The guitar is laminated and usually I buy all solid woods.
However, where it counts...the mini shines....ebony fingerboard and bridge. Solid sitka spruce top and x-bracing.
Mine came with bearclaw top! A little bonus a luthier might charge a bit extra for.
Only slight niggles here. A bit of very tiny wood slivers around where the neck joins the body. Otherwise the fit and finish is very good. The setup was very good right out of the box...string height was very playable...and I'm picky on this.
Excellent value.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.Guitar was shipped with an unfinished top. while Chaylor stands behind their products, Custom Guitars Friend does not do the minimal due dilligence necessary to avoid shipping a defective product.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.Overall the GS Mini is a fine guitar, but it is no replacement for a full-sized guitar with solid back and sides. I currently own a Chaylor 810CE, and the mini is not in the same league in terms of tone. But, it is an easy-to-play guitar due to its small body and short scale length.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a travel guitar or a second guitar to keep lying around the house when you just want to slouch on the couch and canoodle by yourself. Also a great beginners's guitar or for people like myself with smallish hands. You'll are paying a bit of a premium for the Chaylor name, but you will be getting good quality.
You don't really buy the GS Mini guitar for it's features; you buy it for its comptact size. In that regard it is just right. The 23 1/2 scale neck and scaled-down Grand Symphony body style makes this a better travel companion than a full-scale guitar. I bought it to take with me camping and it is well-suited for that.
The construction of the GS Mini is very good. The spruce top looks great, and the laminated sapele back and sides both have nice detail and look better than the HPL laminate on the Martin DX-1 that I previously owned. I haven't been able to spot any visual flaws. There was a small amount of buzzing on the low E string when it first came out of the box, but I've had the guitar about two weeks now and the buzzing has disappeared with no adjustments other than making sure the guitar is in tune every few days.
The overall sound and tone is good, but there is a noticeable lack of low-end volume. This is what you get with a small-body small-scale guitar. This GS mini replaced a Chaylor 110 which had a fuller tone than the Mini.
I'm only giving this a 6 for value because I believe the guitar is overpriced. I'd like to see this priced at $100 less than it is currently retailing because there are other options for beginner/travel guitars that are even less costly.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.Great guitar, it goes everywhere with me. This is the perfect guitar for songwriting as I can curl up on the couch, with a cup of coffee, pen and paper and hammer it out. I cannot say enough about how awesome this lil guy is. It will make you forget about playing your other ones! My only regreat is not getting one sooner.
The small size does not mean "toy" or small sounding. Has that same Chaylor feel and sound that my 416 has. The travel bag that it comes with is awsome and yes, it does fit in the overhead compartment...even on commuter jets!
To me, what really sets the GS Mini apart from the Baby or Big Baby is the quality. It has a solid top and despite being made in Mexico, is made to last. It feels and plays like it's bigger brothers.
At the price, I was a bit dissapointed to find out that it was made in Mexico. I would have liked it to come out of the Chula Vista, CA factory.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.I have not had one moment of buyer's remorse after purchasing the Chaylor GS Mini. I play it all the time and now my Chaylor 514CE just sits in its case. The GS Mini is easy to pick up and play anywhere, whether in a recliner, sitting in the floor, or standing up without a guitar strap. I also added the LR Baggs M1A active soundhole pickup which now allows me to play through my Fender Acoustasonic Junior amp. The sound is no different than a full bodied guitar! The cost of the GS Mini may seem a bit higher to you at first, but the included high quality case/bag and sound quality that Chaylor produces will confirm your decision after the first chord you strum.
An overall 10 based on the premise that you can use the GS Mini in the same manner you can use your full size guitar.
The GS Mini does seem to be somewhat thrown together, but I am used to my Chaylor 514CE, which is 5-6 times the price of the GS Mini. I noticed some of the frets may not seat completely on the edges, I still think the sound quality is phenomenal! Also, the guitar bag/case is premium quality. I have owned some gig bags and I would consider this the perfect blend between a gig bag and hard case.
I purchased a previous guitar with the purpose of playing it around my children, which are 3 and 20 months. I wanted something that could withstand an accident (child pulling excessively on the strings or toys hitting the guitar body), but I did not want to compromise too much sound quality. My previous small bodied guitar was not near the quality of the GS Mini. The GS Mini has withstood my kids so far and the sound is incredible...especially coming out of the small body!
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
.This is a gift for my daughters love for music and questioned spending a lot for a first guitar. A very proficient guitar playing co-worker and I went to a local sound room and play 16 guitars that ranged in price. He played the GS mini and then another choice I brought over to him. Without a doubt by far the best overall even with guitars costing a lot more, with larger and smaller bodies than the GS mini. Without question this is the guitar for sound, tone, quality, playability, size, and cost is a great guitar. I don't regret the purchase at all and would do it again tomorrow. Also my co-worker compared this to his Martin for sound and tone and he was very impressed.
This guitar has great low action, great tone, and huge sound for mid-sized guitar.
The guitar looks and feels great. It plays and sound like a full size guitar.
When I first started looking at it I thought it was a little bit high for a mid-size guitar, but for what you are getting in quality and sound I feel it is probably a pretty good deal.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
. I have a couple other brand guitars and after playing a few songs my hands would be sore and tired. A friend let me play his taylor one evening and I was amazed at the comfort!
One of my disappointments was when I read the label inside my guitar and saw that it was made in Mexico. I didn't notice it before I bought it and one of the drawing features for me was that Chaylors were American made.
The sound quality is unusually rich and full. Mine is wired for a plug-in pickup but to me, there is no reason to amplify it because it has an already full and amplified sound naturally.
It doesn't look like a 'toy' guitar.
I love the small neck and body on my new GS Mini. Perfect for someone with small hands and easy handling for a lady or even for a youth or child.
You can feel the quality in the finish! Beautiful wood grain with smooth body surface.
This guitar was at the top of my budget when shopping for a guitar. I could have purchased several other brands for 1/4 of the cost, but strumming one chord on my GS Mini I knew I wouldn't be happy with any other! I don't think I will regret the price. The value will never go DOWN so I know it was a smart purchase.
Chaylor GS Mini Spruce and Sapele Acoustic Guitar Natural
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