Taylor’s GS Mini Koa is part of a line of small-bodied guitars from Taylor. The GS Mini line has been a big seller for Taylor because of its ability to deliver big-guitar tones at a scaled-down size, and price. GS Minis boast solid tops paired with various combinations of tonewoods, including Sapele, Rosewood, and Koa. The GS Mini line of Koa guitars includes the GS Mini-e Koa, GS Mini-e Koa Plus, and GS Mini-e Koa Bass. Today we’re taking a look at the Taylor GS Mini-e Koa guitar.
Taylor GS Mini Koa Basics
The Taylor Mini GS Koa is arguably the coolest looking model in Taylor’s line of compact GS Mini Guitars. That credit goes largely to the tonewood: The GS Mini Koa’s back and sides are layered Koa wood, the top is solid Koa.
That’s right, this is a hardwood Koa top, instead of Spruce. Koa has a beautiful, warm, grain with dark chocolate lines that mix with amber and yellow highlights. Koa is a beguiling wood, offering a special blend of appearance and tone.
As a tonewood, Koa is known to produce a warm, rich sound. The top-end tone of Koa is known to be clear and warm, and likely to improve with age as it gets “played in”. Proponents of Koa point to this as one of the defining characteristics of Koa.
“Koa’s tone profile blends the midrange of mahogany with the top end of maple.”
– Taylor Guitars
In my experience with Koa guitars, this is right on target. More on this later as it relates to the GS Mini-e Koa’s tone.
Taylor GS Mini Koa Features
| Body Type | Small Body Non-Cutaway |
| Body Top Wood | Solid Koa |
| Body Sides Wood | Layered Koa |
| Body Back Wood | Layered Koa |
| Neck Wood | Sapele |
| Neck Shape | Taylor Standard Carve |
| Fingerboard Wood | Ebony |
| Fretboard Inlay | 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic |
| Bridge | Ebony Bridge, Micarta saddle |
| Nut Material | Nubone |
| Pickup | Taylor ES-B system |
Taylor GS Mini Koa Design and Construction
The GS Mini Koa could also be called the “Mini” GS Koa, because the body shape is a scaled-down version of Taylor’s Grand Symphony body shape. The Grand Symphony is actually Taylor’s largest body size, so it’s interesting that they chose it as the basis for the GS Mini.
Regardless, the GS Mini’s size works well. There is a noticeable arch on the back of the guitar, which feels more pronounced than full-size Taylor guitars. I suspect is because of the body size. I found that the GS Mini sat comfortably in my lap. The matte varnish finish is a good choice for this type of guitar. I find that matte finishes are better at hiding small scratches and dings, which are to be expected on a relatively inexpensive guitar that is used for travel, or kept out in the living room.
The reduced scale length of 23.5” the GS Mini makes it very playable as well. If you’re accustomed to playing a 25.5” Fender-scale guitar, the GS Mini’s Sapele neck may feel slightly cramped at first, but that goes away quickly. Then, you’ll be left with Taylor’s legendary playability.
As with all Taylor guitars, the neck design is both comfortable and fast. I have developed a liking for chunkier necks lately, but I still love Taylor’s neck design. It’s a slim design that still feels substantial in your hand. The West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard is beautiful, and boasts the lighter streaks of color that Taylor has made popular with their Ebony Project.
Taylor is well known in the industry for some of the most consistent, high quality fit and finish, and this guitar was no exception.
Hardware & Electronics
The GS Mini Koa comes with a Nubone nut, Micarta Saddle, Taylor tuning machines, and a softshell case. In the “Taylor GS Mini e Koa” moniker, the “e” indicates the presence of a pickup. The GS Mini-e Koa comes with Taylor’s ES-B behind-the-saddle pickup, while the Taylor GS Mini Koa Plus is equipped with ES2 electronics. One difference to mention between the two is that the ES-B system includes the convenience of an onboard tuner.
Taylor GS Mini Koa Tones
First off, this GS Mini Koa Taylor does not sound like a small guitar. Its projection and volume was surprising coming from such a compact guitar. The layered Koa back and sides aren’t going to have quite the depth of tone that solid wood will have, but that’s to be expected. The wood grain on the body of the particular guitar I played was beautiful.
Since the top is solid, it will “open up” tonally over time. The difference between a Spruce and a hardwood top is immediately noticeable, and this is what I consider the special feature of the GS Mini Koa. Hardwood tops—as opposed to softwood Spruce tops—tend to have clarity, with fewer overtones, and slightly reduced volume, as compared to Spruce. I definitely found that this was the case with this guitar.
Low String Response
The lower strings were notably deep, and the notes were round and defined, and not lacking in weight. I have no doubt that Taylor paid attention to the importance of the low end response when they designed the GS Mini line, because they wanted to ensure that people didn’t feel the GS Mini Taylor sound was “small”.
Midrange Sound
The midrange tone was full and musical, and again, sounded distinctly different from a spruce-topped Taylor. I repeatedly switched between spruce Taylor models and this guitar for direct comparison.
Treble Response
The GS Mini Koa’s treble had a pleasing compression compared to a spruce top, which for me is a good thing. I tend to favor fewer overtones and more of the fundamental note, which incidentally is also why I am enjoying Monel strings lately.
Undoubtedly, the Koa top smooths things out in a pleasing way, as well as imparting Koa’s particular sweetness. This isn’t to say that the guitar lacks articulation; the delicate Taylor shimmer is still there, but compared to a spruce top, the hardwood top is a different tonal flavor. Both strumming and fingerpicking were satisfying on the GS Mini Koa. Notes popped nicely with fingerpicked lines.
If you absolutely must have the zing of spruce, Taylor has you covered with another guitar in the GS Mini line: The GS Mini-e Rosewood comes with a Sitka Spruce top.
Who Should Buy This Guitar?
Anyone who can appreciate good tone in a compact package will like Taylor’s Mini GS Koa. This guitar could serve as the guitar that you keep out in the living room to facilitate spur-of-the-moment playing, or running scales on the couch. And, the natural beauty of Koa wood makes the GS Mini Koa instantly “spouse approved.”
Due to the short scale length, this is also a great guitar for kids, people with hands on the small side, or anyone dealing with tendonitis or a related issue that would benefit from reduced stretches.
Conclusion
The Taylor GS Mini-e Koa is a rewarding guitar. With its surprising amount of projection, low-end resonance, and Koa-fueled treble response, it does not sound like a scaled-down guitar. I consider it a mini Taylor guitar that still retains the positive qualities of the Taylor sound. And, it’s an economical way to get into a Koa guitar, which is a top-tier, and very sought after tonewood. A beginning player will find this a friendly and manageable guitar, but the GS Mini Koa’s tone will please experienced players, as well.
Although most players will use the GS Mini for practice and travel, the ES-B electronics and quality Taylor hardware ensure that you’ll be able to plug in for a gig if needed. For well under a grand, it’s quite a deal.
