Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: mgap on March 09, 2012, 01:27:48 PM
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I have been wanting a guitar that I would not mind taking out to the camp fire and Rv traveling. Something I don't mind letting someone I don't know play it, or just in the kind of situation that your not sure if you should or not.
I have heard some good things about the GS mini, and have even played one briefly at a shop, I like the way they sound. The other option is the 100 series for full size, of course that is one of the reasons for considering the mini is the easy to travel size.
What is your opinion? Or do you have a alternative traveler you would suggest.
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I recently purchased one and reviewed it on YouTube, you can see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klMWHCxYHt8
What it is:
Amazing travel guitar
Lite-weight, easily transportable
Great backpack gig bag (in the bag lighter than some laptops!)
Plenty of volume for a travel guitar
Actually stays in tune
What it's not:
A full sized guitar
All solid wood - the back and sides are laminate sapele
Even though its volume and tone is far better than any other travel guitar I've heard/played, it's still not a full-sized solid wood guitar.
Advice: If you're going to get the ES GO pickup, give it a try first. Many people don't like it. You may consider having a K&K or LR Baggs pickup installed instead.
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I'm in the market for a travel guitar and quite fancy a GS Mini; but, I don't know if I can justify spending that level of money. I've tried one and it sounded nice, but I'd like to try some of the others on the market, Yamaha, Takamine etc,,, they are much less expensive, just need to see how they sound.
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You are going to get lots of opinions on the GSm. And most will be typical glowingly positive, if not gushy. Fine. But since you asked: I think they are good guitars and fulfill a nice little niche in the market. But frankly I do not understand what reads like uber love for these. Look at post after post, folks love them. Again, fine with me; but I just personally don't "get it." FWIW, I've seen more and more pop up in various classifeds so my guess is some folks were swept in with the novelty and/or glowing reviews ...then bought one and said "ok, it's a guitar." Just my guess, mind you. and while not slamming a good guit, I would not go out of the way to own one, personally. Now used at a good price... ;)
Edward
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It's a nice, small sized guitar at a good price point. Sure there are less expensive ones out there but the Mini has the Taylor sound and is LOUD. I bought it so I can take it out and travel to Montana with it - even named it Monty ;D
You may want to wait, I saw there may be some LTDs coming.........and they looked gorgeous!!!
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I've played a couple and they sound o.k., but the narrow nut and very short scale are turnoffs to me.
For less or the same money you can get a Voyage-Air guitar, with the folding neck. That gives you a small travel package, and then a full-size guitar when you open it up to play.
With the NT technology as a foundation, I would think that Taylor could easliy make a user-friendly removable-neck travel guitar. Based upon all of the talk on guitar forums, the market for travel guitars seems to be growing.
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I love mine. I take it to work everyday and play during my lunch. Actually I take it with me whenever I leave the house and just leave it in the car. I like having a guitar always be there in case I end up in a situation where I need one. At home it's always within reach in case I get the inspiration to play.
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I bought a gs mini 2 weeks ago . I only have owned dreads .... after playing one at a friends I found it to be a nice couch guitar, to just lay back and play.....If I try that with a dread I end up in some pretty weird positions that look like I might need a chiropractor ! " so honestly dear I had to buy it for MEdICAL reasons"".........sounds reasonable to me rcoolz
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I love mine! Bought it as a travel guitar, and catch myself playing it more than my others most days, mainly because I keep it out of its case, unlike the others. It is not a full size guitar, but it does the job, especially on the road. I'm even in the market for one of the LTD's coming out this month.
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I just bought a mahogany mini last week...I love the 512 ltd all hog I have and thought the hog mini would be a fun guitar to play around the campfire or on the couch, while keeping my "prize" 512 safe...well, I have been playing it for a week, and I have to say I am very, very impressed with the tone and playability. It is not a full size but it is really, really close, the GS body shape works wonders on a this small cannon. I am very happy with it, and see it being a long term friend, a guitar I pull out to play because it sounds wonderful, not because it fills a niche. I can say without hesitation that the GS mini mahogany is a keeper!
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You are going to get lots of opinions on the GSm. And most will be typical glowingly positive, if not gushy. Fine. But since you asked: I think they are good guitars and fulfill a nice little niche in the market. But frankly I do not understand what reads like uber love for these. Look at post after post, folks love them. Again, fine with me; but I just personally don't "get it." FWIW, I've seen more and more pop up in various classifeds so my guess is some folks were swept in with the novelty and/or glowing reviews ...then bought one and said "ok, it's a guitar." Just my guess, mind you. and while not slamming a good guit, I would not go out of the way to own one, personally. Now used at a good price... ;)
Edward
I wonder if the "uber love" comes from the fact that the guitar exceeds expectations, i.e. you expect a small travel guitar to be quite limited in tone and volume, and then you get something that's LOUD with decent tone. Even though the GS mini does NOT sound better than most ANY full-sized Taylor, it produces so much more volume and tone that expected that people get a little amped. I'll admit I've been one of those people. No, it's not my GS8 by a long shot, but to pull out and sit on the couch, where as alluded to by another poster, it's lot easier to handle makes it a nice addition. Not to mention the shorter scale is making me create in a whole new way...you venture up the neck more when it's not such a far distance away! Also, people who generally can't afford a full-sized Taylor can get a little closer than before with the mini, as it definitely is an improvement over the baby and big baby, at least IMO.
There are negatives: 1) the es-go sounds a little tinny and cheap, 2) if you use it live, it'll be a big drop off from your main Taylor, and 3) it's a laminate, etc. but overall, you feel you're getting a lot more guitar than its small package belies.
This, IMHO, explains the craze over the GS Mini.
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I tried a mahogany top mini and it was remarkably nice. However, the best travel guitar IMO is a voyage-air. It's more compact (with that folding neck) and it has excellent sound, especially if you add a Colosi bone saddle.
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freakin love mine, I think everyone feels they have to have a second Taylor. Thats the limit for me, I dont care to have 3. I dont feel comfortable having two high end Taylors either. They costs to much to really justify it (opinion). But, the gs mini is an excellent 2nd Taylor.
Pros: looks great, hog top, ebony fb and bridge, nt neck, sounds and plays better than any cheap traveler out there that I've tried (a few).
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We bought a GSm about a year ago. My wife traveled with it to Honduras last summer. My observations would be as follows:
1) for a smaller guitar it sounds ok.
2) It fit in the overhead and never had to be checked. Her traveling companion checked her 214 all the way down.
3) it was convenient. The soft case was quite nice and easy to carry around.
4) It does not sound anywhere near any full size guitar. Because of this, it never got played outside of travel.
5) At the price point, it is still quite expensive for what you get.
6) If you are mainly traveling by car, it really doesn't save that much room to make it work the diff in sound.
We sold the GSm late last fall and the new owner was quite please because they flew quite a bit. We have not missed it. For those that tell you it sounds as good or better than anything beyond a Baby and possibly a big baby I would seriously question their tone judgement, it just doesn't. For the same price you can fine a nice used 1xx or 2xx or an old beat up 3xx series, all of which sound more like a real guitar and you will enjoy playing more.
-Dave
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I'll be quick and to the point.
For me, it sounds great, feels good in my hands, and travels perfectly with me in our motorhome. It's also my "go to" guitar at home. It fits my needs to a tee. ;D (plus, it was a surprise gift from my hubby :-*)
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I liked the post doughboy.
I recently purchased one and reviewed it on YouTube, you can see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klMWHCxYHt8
It gave me a good insight to the GS Mini. I will have to try out a hog GS Mini. After watching and hearing your review I went to the Taylor site and heard the sitka top. Mind you it is impossible to compare the two in this fashion, but you could tell the hog has a different tone.
You are going to get lots of opinions on the GSm. And most will be typical glowingly positive, if not gushy. Fine. But since you asked: I think they are good guitars and fulfill a nice little niche in the market. But frankly I do not understand what reads like uber love for these. Look at post after post, folks love them. Again, fine with me; but I just personally don't "get it." FWIW, I've seen more and more pop up in various classifeds so my guess is some folks were swept in with the novelty and/or glowing reviews ...then bought one and said "ok, it's a guitar." Just my guess, mind you. and while not slamming a good guit, I would not go out of the way to own one, personally. Now used at a good price... ;)
Thanks for the straight forward thinking on the GS Mini, it puts perspective on all the comments. I will say for the most part I like what I am hearing about the guitar although.
This will in fact require many visits to the dealer to test and to re-test these geetars. I know it will take a lot of tedious work, but I will persevere.
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I like my GS Mini most for the ease of play due to a host of physical issues I have. The fact that it sounds good and works great as a travel guitar at a decent price point accounts for the fact that it gets much of my playing time. 8)
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Glad you liked the vid...hoped it helped...I write my own songs and I have to say that the mini has inspired some different approaches...shorter scale causes me to venture out more...one thing, though, I might reconsider is getting the ES Go...I'm thinking a k&k or lr baggs installed under bridge might be better...the ESGo is a little tinny sounding...
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I went to the Taylor store and tested the GS Mini. I liked the guitar, the only style they had was the spruce top. The mahogany model had gone out the door 1/2 a hour earlier, So I will have to go back another time, and test some more. I feel at this time I'll probably go without a pickup because I just don't amp up very often anyway, and in the rv I will not need it anyway.
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I had a GS Mini for a year or so. I liked it, but didn't love it. I never could bond with the narrow nut width (deal-breaker) and I'm not a huge fan of satin finishes. I sold it and purchased a Voyage Air VAOM-04 and haven't looked back. Personally, I don't think the Mini can compete with a Voyage Air. If the Mini came with a full sized nut, I might get another one to add to the herd, but I wouldn't consider owning another one until that happens.
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... purchased a Voyage Air VAOM-04 and haven't looked back. Personally, I don't think the Mini can compete with a Voyage Air. ...
Same for me, although I never purchased a Mini because of the narow nut. Now, having the VAOM 04, I never will.
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purchased a Voyage Air VAOM-04 and haven't looked back
I have checked around and can not find a dealer anywhere near me. I still want to try a Mini in mahogany anyway.
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purchased a Voyage Air VAOM-04 and haven't looked back
I have checked around and can not find a dealer anywhere near me. I still want to try a Mini in mahogany anyway.
Try Elderly Instruments, Lansing MI. Great dealer, solid web presence and broad selection.
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Thanks for the heads up. Elderly is a good dealer from what I have hear, but I want to try the Voyage Air first before I buy anything.
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You people are a bad influence. We'll be spending the summer on our boat in the Pacific Northwest... I was thinking of something really small, like a Traveler Escape Mk-ll (looks like a miniature Les Paul, with the tuning keys in the body and no head stock). I couldn't find one of those in the Phoenix area (where we are right now), but played a couple Travelers with humbucker pickups... a bit too metal-sounding for my tastes, and the neck felt odd with no headstock. I couldn't get comfortable sitting with that thing - like trying to play a breadboard. Still, it felt pretty indestructible. I already have a really small Roland Cube Street amp that is small enough to tuck in any compartment in the boat, but I couldn't make myself like that Traveler.
Yeah, I tried a couple GSminis... just because. At the last place we checked, I was about to give up. Then I picked up a GSmini that felt and sounded better than the others I had tried. Or maybe it was a "closing time" scenerio, since we are heading out of "the big city" in the morning? ;) My wife said, "Um, weren't you looking for a travel guitar when you bought that Tayor last month?"
"Yeah. But, with the hard case and the size and the weight..."
"If you get this one, we're done looking - agreed?" She loves it when I play, not so much when we guitar shop. So, a GSmini came home with us today.
I like the idea of the ES-GO pickup, but it has gotten a buttload of less than favorable reviews when I did a search. Has Taylor (or whoever the 3rd party is who makes them for Taylor) worked out the grounding buzz? Can you EQ the pickup for decent tone?
This thing weighs almost nothing in the gig bag (never had one of those before, always had hard cases).
Captain Jim
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You people are a bad influence. We'll be spending the summer on our boat in the Pacific Northwest... I was thinking of something really small, like a Traveler Escape Mk-ll (looks like a miniature Les Paul, with the tuning keys in the body and no head stock). I couldn't find one of those in the Phoenix area (where we are right now), but played a couple Travelers with humbucker pickups... a bit too metal-sounding for my tastes, and the neck felt odd with no headstock. I couldn't get comfortable sitting with that thing - like trying to play a breadboard. Still, it felt pretty indestructible. I already have a really small Roland Cube Street amp that is small enough to tuck in any compartment in the boat, but I couldn't make myself like that Traveler.
Yeah, I tried a couple GSminis... just because. At the last place we checked, I was about to give up. Then I picked up a GSmini that felt and sounded better than the others I had tried. Or maybe it was a "closing time" scenerio, since we are heading out of "the big city" in the morning? ;) My wife said, "Um, weren't you looking for a travel guitar when you bought that Tayor last month?"
"Yeah. But, with the hard case and the size and the weight..."
"If you get this one, we're done looking - agreed?" She loves it when I play, not so much when we guitar shop. So, a GSmini came home with us today.
I like the idea of the ES-GO pickup, but it has gotten a buttload of less than favorable reviews when I did a search. Has Taylor (or whoever the 3rd party is who makes them for Taylor) worked out the grounding buzz? Can you EQ the pickup for decent tone?
This thing weighs almost nothing in the gig bag (never had one of those before, always had hard cases).
Captain Jim
I've used my lr baggs para di to spread out the signal and have some extra eq control...added some bass and got a pretty good sound through the ESGo, but still think I could have done better not getting the ESGo, buying a pickup (like lrbaggs or k&k) and spending a few extra dollars on the install. I love Taylor, don't get me wrong, but this pickup isn't as good...
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The GS Mini is simply fun guitar that is not expensive, plays easy, sounds rich and full for the size of the guitar and does not take up a lot of room. It is not very common to find a guitar with a solid top, tuners that hold tune, a perfect straight neck, a real gig bag, awesome fretwork, a wonderful playability in that price range. For some folks, $XXX can be a lot of money which is very understandable, however if you can see your way, it is money very well spent. :) :) :)
edited for price
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It is not very common to find a guitar with a solid top, tuners that hold tune, a perfect straight neck, a real gig bag, awesome fretwork, a wonderful playability in that price range.
All good reasons why I pulled the trigger on a 2012 LTD.
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You people are a bad influence. We'll be spending the summer on our boat in the Pacific Northwest... I was thinking of something really small, like a Traveler Escape Mk-ll (looks like a miniature Les Paul, with the tuning keys in the body and no head stock). I couldn't find one of those in the Phoenix area (where we are right now), but played a couple Travelers with humbucker pickups... a bit too metal-sounding for my tastes, and the neck felt odd with no headstock. I couldn't get comfortable sitting with that thing - like trying to play a breadboard. Still, it felt pretty indestructible. I already have a really small Roland Cube Street amp that is small enough to tuck in any compartment in the boat, but I couldn't make myself like that Traveler.
Yeah, I tried a couple GSminis... just because. At the last place we checked, I was about to give up. Then I picked up a GSmini that felt and sounded better than the others I had tried. Or maybe it was a "closing time" scenerio, since we are heading out of "the big city" in the morning? ;) My wife said, "Um, weren't you looking for a travel guitar when you bought that Tayor last month?"
"Yeah. But, with the hard case and the size and the weight..."
"If you get this one, we're done looking - agreed?" She loves it when I play, not so much when we guitar shop. So, a GSmini came home with us today.
I like the idea of the ES-GO pickup, but it has gotten a buttload of less than favorable reviews when I did a search. Has Taylor (or whoever the 3rd party is who makes them for Taylor) worked out the grounding buzz? Can you EQ the pickup for decent tone?
This thing weighs almost nothing in the gig bag (never had one of those before, always had hard cases).
Captain Jim
I've used my lr baggs para di to spread out the signal and have some extra eq control...added some bass and got a pretty good sound through the ESGo, but still think I could have done better not getting the ESGo, buying a pickup (like lrbaggs or k&k) and spending a few extra dollars on the install. I love Taylor, don't get me wrong, but this pickup isn't as good...
I repent for this comment, since I've learned of TRS (Balanced) cables, which you can use on the mini ES Go, the ES sounds a lot better than I thought. On any Taylor, make sure you have a TRS cable, not just standard guitar cable, if you want to get the best out of the pickup.
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It is not very common to find a guitar with a solid top, tuners that hold tune, a perfect straight neck, a real gig bag, awesome fretwork, a wonderful playability in that price range.
All good reasons why I pulled the trigger on a 2012 LTD.
Congratulations - which one did you get, & when's delivery?
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It is not very common to find a guitar with a solid top, tuners that hold tune, a perfect straight neck, a real gig bag, awesome fretwork, a wonderful playability in that price range.
All good reasons why I pulled the trigger on a 2012 LTD.
Congratulations - which one did you get, & when's delivery?
I have on order a maple GS Mini. However I will actually be able to choice which one I want when they get their allotment of 9 in, 3 of each wood style
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A maple mini........... :-*
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yes! They are offering them in Maple, Blackwood, and Rosewood.
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what have people heard about the tone of the blackwood. it is one I am not familiar with, and on a mini how would it sound?
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All the LTDs will sound the same because they are laminates. I am going this afternoon to see about a GS Mini for my wife. I have never held one so I am excited to try it out myself.
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All the LTDs will sound the same because they are laminates
Well that is what I have heard as well. The dealer I have ordered from said there might a small difference, but that is all
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I played the Mahogany topped one at my dealer, I think it sounded much different from the spruce, personally. everything I'd expect from a hog top, warm and a little darker.
I don't know what the other woods would sound like though. :(
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All the LTDs will sound the same because they are laminates
Well that is what I have heard as well. The dealer I have ordered from said there might a small difference, but that is all
So one can hear a difference between laminate sandwiched between ultra-thin maple, blackwood or rosewood veneers? Impressive...I remain a bit skeptical, however. ;)
Kevin
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I bought a Mini M last month and love it so much it replaced my CA Cargo as my travel guitar. I've already taken it on a cruise and a charter trip I took with my wife, and it will be going to all my races. I love the sound and playability...to me it's as close to the perfect travel guitar as I've been able to come.
I waited until the mahogany version came out because I thought the spruce model sounded a little thin. I'm glad I did...to me the mahogany model sounds much better. One of my better guitar purchases, IMHO.
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I bought a Mini M last month and love it so much it replaced my CA Cargo as my travel guitar. I've already taken it on a cruise and a charter trip I took with my wife, and it will be going to all my races. I love the sound and playability...to me it's as close to the perfect travel guitar as I've been able to come.
I waited until the mahogany version came out because I thought the spruce model sounded a little thin. I'm glad I did...to me the mahogany model sounds much better. One of my better guitar purchases, IMHO.
phil, I totally agree!
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All the LTDs will sound the same because they are laminates
Well that is what I have heard as well. The dealer I have ordered from said there might a small difference, but that is all
So one can hear a difference between laminate sandwiched between ultra-thin maple, blackwood or rosewood veneers? Impressive...I remain a bit skeptical, however. ;)
Kevin
from the mini's i've played/acquired (tried about a dozen & pulled the trigger on 2),
i think that most of the tonal difference can be accounted for in variances between guitars
when comparing the DDX (with maple veneers & maple neck) & a 214ce (rosewood outer/sapele inner veneers &
sapele neck), the DDX had a very audible difference to my ear with crisper, more 'defined' overall response
this year, the nut & saddle changes from Tusq to NuBone & the 200 series adds a rosewood inner veneer -
i have yet to play a 200 with rosewood inner veneer, as the 214ce sunburst i've tried has a sapele 'inner'
the tonal variance on the mini MA could have been accentuated a bit more, if the
neck was made of maple as well & if nothing else, imho, it would have made that LTD
model stand out more, but perhaps the density of maple & the scheduling change that
would need to be implemented for neck production was not desirable or feasible -
it would be cool to see the maple become a regular production model for a while,
like the BT3 was, & seeing a maple neck on these would be pretty nice (i think)
a tasmanian blackwood top on a mini TB or a cedar on a RW woud be sweet :D
almost makes me want to try to pick up a couple & take a shot at doing
a 'top-swap' or if i could find some wood with similar coloration/grain,
perhaps a 'back-replacement' ... maybe a 3 piece one, with lattice bracing ???
hmmm ;)
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the tonal variance on the mini MA could have been accentuated a bit more, if the
neck was made of maple as well & if nothing else, imho, it would have made that LTD
model stand out more, but perhaps the density of maple & the scheduling change that
would need to be implemented for neck production was not desirable or feasible -
I totally agree!
it would be cool to see the maple become a regular production model for a while,
like the BT3 was, & seeing a maple neck on these would be pretty nice (i think)
I hope not. This would make the Limited not very special or limited.
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the tonal variance on the mini MA could have been accentuated a bit more, if the
neck was made of maple as well & if nothing else, imho, it would have made that LTD
model stand out more, but perhaps the density of maple & the scheduling change that
would need to be implemented for neck production was not desirable or feasible -
I totally agree!
it would be cool to see the maple become a regular production model for a while,
like the BT3 was, & seeing a maple neck on these would be pretty nice (i think)
I hope not. This would make the Limited not very special or limited.
i think that if there were to be a GS Mini MA (GSm-3), that there could be more
built than the LTD production run, which would make the GS Mini LTD more 'limited' -
perhaps there was a prototype or 2 made with a maple neck & sapele was preferable :-\
there have been many more sitka/walnut mahogany neck models made than these
http://taylorguitars.us/guitars/limiteds/Spring2010/Walnut400/ (http://taylorguitars.us/guitars/limiteds/Spring2010/Walnut400/)
i've heard that on a BTO, a mahogany neck is an option on a maple guitar,
but a maple neck can only be spec'd on a maple guitar .... wonder if this true ???
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i've heard that on a BTO, a mahogany neck is an option on a maple guitar,
but a maple neck can only be spec'd on a maple guitar .... wonder if this true ???
I have been working specs for a Ziricote GC BTO with Ted at L.A. Guitar (if and when they get some Ziri). I asked if he thought a maple neck would add anything and he indicated, although it is possible to request it, he would not suggest it. Haven't followed up to determine why but it certainly leads me to believe that Taylor would build it that way if requested.
Got your pics. Mulling it over. Only thing that makes me hesitate is the desire for a maple or blackwood LTD. You know me. I have this thing for the "look" of different woods in my collection. I'll get back with you later today.
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I have been working specs for a Ziricote GC BTO with Ted at L.A. Guitar (if and when they get some Ziri). I asked if he thought a maple neck would add anything and he indicated, although it is possible to request it, he would not suggest it. Haven't followed up to determine why but it certainly leads me to believe that Taylor would build it that way if requested.
The problem is that if Taylor uses a maple neck it has to share branding with Fender.
(that's a JOKE son.)
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I have been working specs for a Ziricote GC BTO with Ted at L.A. Guitar (if and when they get some Ziri). I asked if he thought a maple neck would add anything and he indicated, although it is possible to request it, he would not suggest it. Haven't followed up to determine why but it certainly leads me to believe that Taylor would build it that way if requested.
The problem is that if Taylor uses a maple neck it has to share branding with Fender.
(that's a JOKE son.)
i must've missed the memo :-\
i guess these may be needing to take a trip to corona then ;)
(http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/47485/2987903590081788860S600x600Q85.jpg)
(http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/42240/2786134280081788860S600x600Q85.jpg)
(http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/29658/2594287760081788860S600x600Q85.jpg)
i've heard that the density of maple may not 'resonate' particularly well
('matched-perfect' & 'staggered-special' ;) ) with some tonewoods,
but if it (maple) were to be stained in a satin clearwater brown finish as used on
the 02 fall 300LTD maples, it would make for a very nice looking/playing neck, imho :D
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The ES-GO pickup arrived today. I've been working on some boat projects, so I didn't get a chance to put it on until this afternoon. After reading a lot of less than stellar reviews, I kinda held my breath. Before installing it, I plugged a cable into the pickup and tried it direct into my Bose PA... no buzz. Turned it way up... a very faint buzz that disappeared when I held the pickup in the playing position. I decided to go ahead and install it. After tracking down an electrical problem on some integrated boat electronics, this was a walk in the park. 8) I loosened the strings rather than remove them, and the install really did take about 5 minutes... one in a row!
I plugged it into the Bose, and... it was better than I expected. A bit less on the lows than I had hoped for, but that was with no EQ. I plugged it into the small Roland and... my wife came in and said, "Hey, that sounds good." Having more adjustment sure helped. It sounds better on a clean setting than the acoustic setting.
This will be the easy amplification I was hoping for to use on the boat. It will be nice to have the pickup on the GS-Mini for the occasional dock gatherings that come up.
I'm pleased. :)
Best wishes,
Captn Jim
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The ES-GO pickup arrived today. I've been working on some boat projects, so I didn't get a chance to put it on until this afternoon. After reading a lot of less than stellar reviews, I kinda held my breath. Before installing it, I plugged a cable into the pickup and tried it direct into my Bose PA... no buzz. Turned it way up... a very faint buzz that disappeared when I held the pickup in the playing position. I decided to go ahead and install it. After tracking down an electrical problem on some integrated boat electronics, this was a walk in the park. 8) I loosened the strings rather than remove them, and the install really did take about 5 minutes... one in a row!
I plugged it into the Bose, and... it was better than I expected. A bit less on the lows than I had hoped for, but that was with no EQ. I plugged it into the small Roland and... my wife came in and said, "Hey, that sounds good." Having more adjustment sure helped. It sounds better on a clean setting than the acoustic setting.
This will be the easy amplification I was hoping for to use on the boat. It will be nice to have the pickup on the GS-Mini for the occasional dock gatherings that come up.
I'm pleased. :)
Best wishes,
Captn Jim
If you use a TRS (Balanced Cable) rather than a standard guitar cable you will get plenty of rumble from you ES Go in your GS Mini. The ES Go, like the standard ES, is setup to perform its best through a TRS Cable.
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The ES-GO pickup arrived today. I've been working on some boat projects, so I didn't get a chance to put it on until this afternoon. After reading a lot of less than stellar reviews, I kinda held my breath. Before installing it, I plugged a cable into the pickup and tried it direct into my Bose PA... no buzz. Turned it way up... a very faint buzz that disappeared when I held the pickup in the playing position. I decided to go ahead and install it. After tracking down an electrical problem on some integrated boat electronics, this was a walk in the park. 8) I loosened the strings rather than remove them, and the install really did take about 5 minutes... one in a row!
I plugged it into the Bose, and... it was better than I expected. A bit less on the lows than I had hoped for, but that was with no EQ. I plugged it into the small Roland and... my wife came in and said, "Hey, that sounds good." Having more adjustment sure helped. It sounds better on a clean setting than the acoustic setting.
This will be the easy amplification I was hoping for to use on the boat. It will be nice to have the pickup on the GS-Mini for the occasional dock gatherings that come up.
I'm pleased. :)
Best wishes,
Captn Jim
If you use a TRS (Balanced Cable) rather than a standard guitar cable you will get plenty of rumble from you ES Go in your GS Mini. The ES Go, like the standard ES, is setup to perform its best through a TRS Cable.
I'll give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
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The ES-GO pickup arrived today. I've been working on some boat projects, so I didn't get a chance to put it on until this afternoon. After reading a lot of less than stellar reviews, I kinda held my breath. Before installing it, I plugged a cable into the pickup and tried it direct into my Bose PA... no buzz. Turned it way up... a very faint buzz that disappeared when I held the pickup in the playing position. I decided to go ahead and install it. After tracking down an electrical problem on some integrated boat electronics, this was a walk in the park. 8) I loosened the strings rather than remove them, and the install really did take about 5 minutes... one in a row!
I plugged it into the Bose, and... it was better than I expected. A bit less on the lows than I had hoped for, but that was with no EQ. I plugged it into the small Roland and... my wife came in and said, "Hey, that sounds good." Having more adjustment sure helped. It sounds better on a clean setting than the acoustic setting.
This will be the easy amplification I was hoping for to use on the boat. It will be nice to have the pickup on the GS-Mini for the occasional dock gatherings that come up.
I'm pleased. :)
Best wishes,
Captn Jim
If you use a TRS (Balanced Cable) rather than a standard guitar cable you will get plenty of rumble from you ES Go in your GS Mini. The ES Go, like the standard ES, is setup to perform its best through a TRS Cable.
I'll give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
OK, one more question, since we are in the boonies right now and not able to just run to the nearest guitar store: I was thinking about buying a Taylor V-Cable for the Mini, but it does not appear to be a TRS Cable (from the image on Taylor's site... so, a TRS vs the V-Cable?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
Captn Jim
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Well, we made it to the big city today... I picked up both a TRS balanced cable and the Taylor V-Cable, and the difference between either of those cables and my regular ol' guitar cables is... nothing. :-\ And by that, I mean: no difference. OK, the V-cable is very nice, mostly to be able to switch guitars without turning the PA/amp off or to standby. But, really, there is NO difference in the sound (volume or tone) with the GS-Mini and those cables. Did I mention: no difference? It's not that the ES-Go sounds bad, it just sounds more "electric". Still better than no pickup for the times I want to amplify, and it is going to be a great addition for traveling.
Just thought I'd pass the hands-on info along.
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
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Thanks for the info Captain, but that leaves me still not knowing weather I get a es-go or not, I am still wondering should I get a different p/u to produce a more acoustic sound? So, if you had no cable at all which one do you think you would choose, the V-cable?
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Hey Captain Jim...sorry you spent so much dough and found the ES Go to sound the same with both cables...I haven't had a chance to check the forum this week (taxes!) I don't have the Taylor V Cable, so I only had a regular cable to compare to. I found a significant difference between the trs cable and the regular guitar cable when using my ES Go system. The TRS seemed much broader in tone than the narrow sound I was getting with the regular cable. The ESGo system is definitely not as good as a regular ES, but it's definitely better than I thought using the TRS cable than when playing through a regular cable. Perhaps the Taylor V cable is also TRS (you can tell if there's two rings on the connection points) and this is why you're not hearing a difference. If that's the case and you want to sell the cable, I'd sure consider it! I'm definitely going to buy another TRS cable for myself as well.
PS. I am, however, while using the TRS cable through the ESGo having to compensate with A LOT of volume compared to when I use my GS8 with a regular ES...
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Thanks for the info Captain, but that leaves me still not knowing weather I get a es-go or not, I am still wondering should I get a different p/u to produce a more acoustic sound? So, if you had no cable at all which one do you think you would choose, the V-cable?
Well, I've got a bunch of cables, but the V-Cable is a great idea, whether your guitar has volume control or not. Since the cable (V, TSR, balanced, not) doesn't seem to make a difference with the GS-Mini, any one will work. I like the convenience of the V-Cable, and think it will be my first choice... for now.
I hope I'm not giving the wrong impression with the ES-Go... many of the reviews I read said that it sounded "tinny," so I wasn't expecting much. It truly is better than I expected. My only complaint is it seems a bit weak on the bass E. That is in comparison to other acoustic/electrics I've used. I'm still new at this Taylor stuff, and I really wasn't expecting to do much with the electric part. These guitars have made me want to play more again, including the GS-Mini. The ES-Go is just so simple: pretty much plug and play. EQ it a bit, and it is fine. Not as pretty sounding as the pure acoustic sound coming off the guitar, but I'd rather have this set up for travel than anything else I played.
Would I use it to play in public? Absolutely, and I have a few things planned for our upcoming boat travels. I haven't made my living as a professional musician for over 30 years, but I am a big believer in "the right tool for the job." No doubt one could find a different pickup that may sound more "acoustic," but the ES-Go is easy and slick. Making a few adjustments to get the sound that pleases me isn't a big deal. I really like this guitar, and the ES-Go is part of that package.
I can't tell you whether or not you should buy the ES-Go, but I'm pleased with it, for what it is and what it does.
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
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Hey Captain Jim...sorry you spent so much dough and found the ES Go to sound the same with both cables...I haven't had a chance to check the forum this week (taxes!) I don't have the Taylor V Cable, so I only had a regular cable to compare to. I found a significant difference between the trs cable and the regular guitar cable when using my ES Go system. The TRS seemed much broader in tone than the narrow sound I was getting with the regular cable. The ESGo system is definitely not as good as a regular ES, but it's definitely better than I thought using the TRS cable than when playing through a regular cable. Perhaps the Taylor V cable is also TRS (you can tell if there's two rings on the connection points) and this is why you're not hearing a difference. If that's the case and you want to sell the cable, I'd sure consider it! I'm definitely going to buy another TRS cable for myself as well.
PS. I am, however, while using the TRS cable through the ESGo having to compensate with A LOT of volume compared to when I use my GS8 with a regular ES...
Hey Dougboy,
No problem. I'm glad you could hear a difference with the TRS cable. I tried it in both the Bose PA and the Roland amp and couldn't hear any difference from my regular guitar cables. The V-Cable is not TRS, but I knew that going into it. I wasn't expecting anyone to make my buying decisions for me. Having an extra cable is like having extra strings and picks... eventually it'll get used. The V-Cable isn't cheap, but Guitar Center price matched, so it wasn't outrageous. I really like the V-Cable.
I have the ES-T on my 114ce, and the ES-Go is definitely quieter (as you'd expect from a passive pickup). But, the Mini is just a neat little travel guitar and the ES-Go is fine for my needs.
My travel guitar previously was an Ovation... I figured the water environment couldn't hurt that plastic back. ;) Not an indictment of that guitar, I had it 14 years and enjoyed it; but, it sounded better amplified than it did acoustic. Just the opposite for the Mini, but I will be playing more unplugged than plugged. It works for me.
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
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Captain Jim, thanks for being a good sport...I feel kind of bad that you didn't find a difference. My pa is the soloamp, maybe that's part of it, but you have a bose which I understand is just a better soloamp, so surely you would have heard something...I'm going to try it again, perhaps I was just so excited about having the TRS cable for my regular ES that it bled over to my mini...but for me, it seems to sound significantly better (though I have to jack up the volume). I was actually surprised that the ES Go was set up for the balanced cable to begin with. Oh, well. I still feel bad for you, but am glad you have a cable you can control the volume with and also the trs cable for when you get your next Taylor with the full ES system!
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I for one was amazed to see the new options for the GS Mini. If only they weren't laminated, the difference may be worth investigating further and not so cosmetic. As it stands now (still), the original (spruce top) and the hog top are the two I would A/B (and probably go for a hog top)...but those new back/side woods sure are pretty! Way to go Taylor!
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Well, we made it to the big city today... I picked up both a TRS balanced cable and the Taylor V-Cable, and the difference between either of those cables and my regular ol' guitar cables is... nothing. :-\ And by that, I mean: no difference. OK, the V-cable is very nice, mostly to be able to switch guitars without turning the PA/amp off or to standby. But, really, there is NO difference in the sound (volume or tone) with the GS-Mini and those cables. Did I mention: no difference? It's not that the ES-Go sounds bad, it just sounds more "electric". Still better than no pickup for the times I want to amplify, and it is going to be a great addition for traveling.
Just thought I'd pass the hands-on info along.
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
Just to be clear about the TRS and balanced-cables, it is only the "ES" preamp that utilizes the tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) pinouts of a "balanced" cable. If a preamp is not designed for low-impedance, using said cable offers zero difference ...just as you noticed, Jim. The ES-T on the 100/200 line are not designed for low-z, and from what I've read (never had one in my hands) neither is the ES-Go. This is why there is no difference here because these systems were meant to function with a regular guit cable. Use a balanced line with a 300-up equipped ES and you will undoubtedly hear a marked difference in signal strength. Hope that helps a bit :)
Edward
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Well, we made it to the big city today... I picked up both a TRS balanced cable and the Taylor V-Cable, and the difference between either of those cables and my regular ol' guitar cables is... nothing. :-\ And by that, I mean: no difference. OK, the V-cable is very nice, mostly to be able to switch guitars without turning the PA/amp off or to standby. But, really, there is NO difference in the sound (volume or tone) with the GS-Mini and those cables. Did I mention: no difference? It's not that the ES-Go sounds bad, it just sounds more "electric". Still better than no pickup for the times I want to amplify, and it is going to be a great addition for traveling.
Just thought I'd pass the hands-on info along.
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
Just to be clear about the TRS and balanced-cables, it is only the "ES" preamp that utilizes the tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) pinouts of a "balanced" cable. If a preamp is not designed for low-impedance, using said cable offers zero difference ...just as you noticed, Jim. The ES-T on the 100/200 line are not designed for low-z, and from what I've read (never had one in my hands) neither is the ES-Go. This is why there is no difference here because these systems were meant to function with a regular guit cable. Use a balanced line with a 300-up equipped ES and you will undoubtedly hear a marked difference in signal strength. Hope that helps a bit :)
Edward
Indeed. Also, the amp makes a world of difference, too. I was an electric guitar player most of my life, and ran guitars through a Marshall stack, and various Fender amps (my favorite was the Twin Reverb with an extension cabinet with 4 12s). LOTS of tone control with my ES-335, but the amp still makes a big difference.
Back to the GSmini, it sounds completely different running it through the Bose PA vs the Roland small amp. Even though the Roland has an "acoustic" setting, it is not a true acoustic amp. Set it on a clean setting, adjust the tone with the onboard controls, dial in a tiny bit of chorus and reverb, and I am SO enjoying the GSmini with the ES-Go.
I've done a bunch of A/B with the 114 and the Mini (really nice use of that V-Cable ;))... and they are different. Not better or worse, just different. For my tastes, the 114 sounds better in the Bose and the Mini sounds better in the Roland. Nice, because that's the way I'll be using them. 8)
It takes my fingers a moment to adjust to the different scale. Otherwise, I am likin' 'em both!
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
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Well, we made it to the big city today... I picked up both a TRS balanced cable and the Taylor V-Cable, and the difference between either of those cables and my regular ol' guitar cables is... nothing. :-\ And by that, I mean: no difference. OK, the V-cable is very nice, mostly to be able to switch guitars without turning the PA/amp off or to standby. But, really, there is NO difference in the sound (volume or tone) with the GS-Mini and those cables. Did I mention: no difference? It's not that the ES-Go sounds bad, it just sounds more "electric". Still better than no pickup for the times I want to amplify, and it is going to be a great addition for traveling.
Just thought I'd pass the hands-on info along.
Best wishes,
Captain Jim
Just to be clear about the TRS and balanced-cables, it is only the "ES" preamp that utilizes the tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) pinouts of a "balanced" cable. If a preamp is not designed for low-impedance, using said cable offers zero difference ...just as you noticed, Jim. The ES-T on the 100/200 line are not designed for low-z, and from what I've read (never had one in my hands) neither is the ES-Go. This is why there is no difference here because these systems were meant to function with a regular guit cable. Use a balanced line with a 300-up equipped ES and you will undoubtedly hear a marked difference in signal strength. Hope that helps a bit :)
Edward
I was looking at a picture of the internals on the ES Go and I saw that the cable that plugs directly into the pickup did indeed have two rings on it, which gave me the idea that it was a TRS cable...
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=taylor+es+go&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1074&bih=605&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=41roHtHPrg51hM:&imgrefurl=http://www.buyfromchucks.com/products/Taylor-ES-Go-Pickup-320635.html&docid=hN5piestHmwZFM&imgurl=http://www.buyfromchucks.com/images/products/large/ES-Go.jpg&w=1000&h=1000&ei=oFGMT_joFomY8gS484zMCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=115&vpy=240&dur=4475&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=78&ty=118&sig=102327397733998100736&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=135&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:75
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Just got off the phone with Taylor and the phone tech said that the GS Mini is NOT setup for a balanced cable. Though I still find it odd that I can play through mine, which I think surprised him that such was the case. When i do, I definitely find the tone to be less tinny sounding than when I use my regular monster acoustic cable, but there is definitely less volume, which I have to compensate for on the PA. I'm still curious about why the connecting cable coming directly out of the pickup appears to be TRS (see pic above), and I'm also curious as to why the TRS cable still works on mine, though with less decibels. I again want to apologize to captain Jim for leading him to buy one when TRS isn't meant for the mini or the 1 and 2 series guitars, only for the full-fledged pre-amped ES's in the 3 series and above, and again offer to purchase it from him, though I know he wants to keep it in his "bag of tricks" for future use. I hope you all will forgive my zeal for TRS cables with Taylor products...got a little ahead of myself when discovering the difference it can make for a regular ES system. :-[
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Hey there doughbough,
The whole concept of balanced signal (or low-impedance) is not "native" to most ...it's kind of a "geeky thing" that gearheads get into. So don't feel too bad about it :)
FWIW (and simply FYI if you're interested), it's no surprise the balanced cable works. The "TRS" is the tip-ring-sleeve of the 1/4 phono plug that corrolates to the 1,2, and ground of the XLR end (can't remember if that's the exact pinouts, but you get the idea). The "ring" part is of no consequence to the ES-Go (as well as the ES-T of the 100/200 guitars) ...it is connected literally to nothing. So the guitar's unbalanced "hot" signal (from the ES-Go/ES-T) simply goes through the "tip," and the ground through the sleeve, and ends up in the right places on the XLR end (again, with zero signal from the unused "ring" to pin). So whatever you're plugging that XLR into, be it a PA or mixing console, it will "see" this "hot/ground" signal as regular ol' high impedence ...exactly as if you were using a regular guitar cable; no difference whatsoever, despite the cable ends being different. Hope that makes better sense of it.
Edward
EDIT: BTW, I just now saw the pic you included. Who knows how that 1/8" jack is wired to the output jack!! Is the "ring" even being used? Or is it serving a specific function when it goes into the endpin jack (in which there may be circuitry in there). One can't make the assumption that the "TRS" on that 1/8" plug directly corrolates to the output of the enpin jack. Remember that hi-impedance is the norm with pickup systems; low-impedance is a higher-end perk that offers the user an additional mode of plugging in. So if it's not touted/marketed explicitly as a benefit, it's safe to assume it's a regular high-impedance (unbalanced) system. FWIW, Taylor speaks of it in ther ES-equipped guits (300 series on up), and many acoustic-guitar amps likewise advertise low-impedance inputs as an extra feature to their wares.
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Hey there doughbough,
The whole concept of balanced signal (or low-impedance) is not "native" to most ...it's kind of a "geeky thing" that gearheads get into. So don't feel too bad about it :)
FWIW (and simply FYI if you're interested), it's no surprise the balanced cable works. The "TRS" is the tip-ring-sleeve of the 1/4 phono plug that corrolates to the 1,2, and ground of the XLR end (can't remember if that's the exact pinouts, but you get the idea). The "ring" part is of no consequence to the ES-Go (as well as the ES-T of the 100/200 guitars) ...it is connected literally to nothing. So the guitar's unbalanced "hot" signal (from the ES-Go/ES-T) simply goes through the "tip," and the ground through the sleeve, and ends up in the right places on the XLR end (again, with zero signal from the unused "ring" to pin). So whatever you're plugging that XLR into, be it a PA or mixing console, it will "see" this "hot/ground" signal as regular ol' high impedence ...exactly as if you were using a regular guitar cable; no difference whatsoever, despite the cable ends being different. Hope that makes better sense of it.
Edward
EDIT: BTW, I just now saw the pic you included. Who knows how that 1/8" jack is wired to the output jack!! Is the "ring" even being used? Or is it serving a specific function when it goes into the endpin jack (in which there may be circuitry in there). One can't make the assumption that the "TRS" on that 1/8" plug directly corrolates to the output of the enpin jack. Remember that hi-impedance is the norm with pickup systems; low-impedance is a higher-end perk that offers the user an additional mode of plugging in. So if it's not touted/marketed explicitly as a benefit, it's safe to assume it's a regular high-impedance (unbalanced) system. FWIW, Taylor speaks of it in ther ES-equipped guits (300 series on up), and many acoustic-guitar amps likewise advertise low-impedance inputs as an extra feature to their wares.
Thanks, Edward, you have taught me much. I too get into all the geeky "how things work" and enjoy this kind of talk. And though I'm not particularly overweight, Doughbough will now stick with me forever.
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I just gotta say, I am enjoying the heck out of my GSmini. It doesn't play as well or sound as good (kind of a back-handed compliment, huh?) as my 114ce, but I pick up the Mini first these days. Maybe it's because we're about to head out for a summer on the boat and the Mini is what I'll be taking along... or maybe it's because it weighs next to nothing... or maybe it's because it sounds better with the ES-Go through the small Roland Cube ST that will go with us on the boat?
I did get some buzz with the ES-Go when run through a TC Helicon G-xt. One can say it's because of a grounding issue, but there was no buzz with the 114ce, same cables, same wall outlet. ;) I installed the pickup grounding cable and the buzz went away. Sounds good, couldn't be easier.
I would think it would be smart for Taylor to sell the GSmini as a package: with the grounding cable on the ES-Go AND a V-cable. Really, that V-cable is slick!
Captain Jim