Holden village mini impressions...

[Lizzy]

I'm going to go in and play the hog mini again at my local dealer. It had great action and tone.

Taylor is taking back the Holden, no problem. Everyone I have talked to has been more than helpful....great customer service.

Will be waiting for your NGD TaylorGirl!

[Blueshwk]

Lizzy.....you are who matters......do what's right for Lizzy.

Ditto!!

[mgap]

Lizzy.....you are who matters......do what's right for Lizzy. Try the hog mini (hint hint.....going to be posting my own ngd  ).

Now that is called teasing TaylorGirl.  Let me think out loud here: maybe a Koa 6 string to go with the 12 er, or could it be a mando? Hummm...

[TaylorGirl]

Lizzy.....you are who matters......do what's right for Lizzy. Try the hog mini (hint hint.....going to be posting my own ngd  ).

Now that is called teasing TaylorGirl.  Let me think out loud here: maybe a Koa 6 string to go with the 12 er, or could it be a mando? Hummm...

You have me confused with BigSkyTaylorPlayer (I think).  Don't want to hijack Lizzy's thread....but I did drop a hint for you. Will start a ngd thread when I have more time.

[pjroberts]

Lizzy, I love your stripes, and wish mine was a bit more stripey, but they have become more defined ... Sounds like you're not into the stripes tho. As far as the maple veneer moray pattern thing, that is actually very common in maple guitars I have noticed ... It's not unique to this guitar, and I' m not sure what causes that. I did expect it to look that way though. My hog mini, which preceded my HV was not as difficult to play as your HV, but it did help me adjust to medium strings, so much that now I don't like light strings usually because the medium adds so much meatiness to tone on all my guitars. However, I had some set up work done on my hog mini, which eased play a bit ... I do think it is a little harder to play than a typical full size Taylor, but I basically accepted that as trade off for small guitar (similar experience with other small guitars).

Does not matter though .... Doesn't sound like your guitar .... well it may SOUND like your guitar, but doesn't look or play like the guitar you want:-) Good luck getting the right one.

[Dulcilo]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It must be a disappointment, but at least you won't be out any $ because of Taylor's great return policy.

I put lighter strings on my MiniGS Rosewood and find it much easier to play now. It is not as loud--but it was almost too loud anyway, if that is possible. My husband kept thinking I had it plugged in when I was practicing, and I have had to tell him twice--no it is just a LOUD guitar. Anyway, I will probably put the medium strings back on when my fingers toughen up more, but for now as a beginner, the lights have made this a much more playable instrument for me. The mahogany top at my local shop is no longer calling my name as strongly as it once was, anyway. I hope the one you have been eyeing hasn't been sold yet (because I think it was meant to be yours;)

[Strumming Fool]

GS Minis seem to be a different kind of animal, when compared with other Taylor models. While the standard line offers lots of consistency, each individual Mini seems to have its own vibe. For me, it's more of a "try before you buy" thing with these GS Minis. I've played several over the past few years - spruce tops, hog tops, various laminate backs- but in the end you have to find the individual specimen that speaks to you. Mine happened to be a rosewood, although I think that had little to do with it. As far as string gauge, I've played lights for years and years, but I've found no major adjustment with the medium gauge strings on the Mini, perhaps due to the shorter scale and lower string tension. Best of all, the GS Mini offers a nice little "vacation" from all my more serious GAs - it's just a nice, little kick-back and relax guitar. Approaching it that way really kept much of the typical anxiety out of the purchasing decision.

I hope that the next one is a keeper, Lizzy.

God bless....

[Lizzy]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Sometimes buying a guitar can end up being more stressful than fun. But maybe that's only when you don't have the right one:)