Taylor Guitars Big Baby

This is a 2001 Taylor Big Baby acoustic guitar. No electronics. 15/16 size dreadnaught shape...but it's a good 1'' to 1 1/2" or so shallower than a standard 4" dread. Solid spruce top, laminated sapele back and sides, ebony finger board and bridge. The back and sides are not your typical laminates: they are very thin 3 solid plys and the back is arched to help bass response and projection. Satin finish on all surfaces. Lexan headstock covering with the Taylor logo. No fancy in-lays or bindings (none at all) and the soundhole rosette pattern is etched/burned into the wood via a laser...a very plain looking guitar. It does have the standard Taylor tortoise shell pick guard.
The neck is very interesting: 1 11/16" width a the nut. The profile is fairly flat...almost feels like a good electric neck in your hand. 14 frets to the body. It's glued and bolted onto the body via 2 scews at the 16th fret. Yes they are exposed, but they are slightly counter-sunk & you can play over them quite easily. The joint is rock solid. This type of neck joint alows Taylor to totally eliminate any neck heel that would normally sit on the body of the guitar. Instead, the neck is planed fairly flat as you approach the body and this gives you lots of room and suprising easy access to the upper frets.

Overall the guitar feels solidly built, but it feels very light when you pick it up to play. Comes with Elixir light (12's) gauge strings.

Came with a stiff and heavily padded Taylor gig bag.

I'm a fingerstyle player. Here's how I came to own this little guy: As the guitarist in the family I was elected to shop for a mid-line guitar for my brother (who also plays a bit) on his 40th B-day as the family's gift to him. Lucky me! and lucky him!! So I camped out in Guitar Center for a weekend trying all the guitars in the $600 to $1000 range. So in the process of trying these out...Tacoma DM9, Taylor 310, Martin 00-16gt, etc...I picked up this Big Baby Taylor almost by accident....and it just blew me away. There's a suprising amount of tone here. I'm using the word "suprising" here because I picked up this $300 guitar immediately after playing a $900 Taylor 310 for 20 mins...and surprise!, this little guy sounds really good. Bass is very present and supportive, more than the Tacoma DM9 (in the 3 DM9 samples I played, the bass sounded choked in comparison) and the trebles are bright and crisp. Notes are well articuated and separated. Could use a bit more mid-range to warm the sound up a little. The neck is very comfortable and slinky and feels good in your hand. All in all, a very satisfying guitar that sounds surprisingly (!) great and plays well. I find I cannot put it down. Came out of Guitar Center with a Taylor 310 for my bro, and a Big Baby for me. Rating it "9" for sound.

Action was perfect out of the box...on the medium low side. Elixir strings added to the neck's positive feel. All joints were prefect, and no glue spots or finish blems. Frets are well polished and even. No buzzes anywhere when playing at normal volumes and only get a faint amount when really digging in hard. The guitar is very light, but well built. Satin finish won't protect against dings like gloss will. The Big Baby is built to perfection for what it is.

Had it 2 months, so I'm not sure about long term reliability. It certainly feels solid and all joints are very tight. Time will tell here. Comes with a life-time warranty.

Life-time warranty. Great web-site. Haven't dealt directly with Taylor yet.

I've been playing since I was 10 or so and I'm 42 now. I'm a huge Merle Travis and Chet Atkins fan and play mostly in that style. I also own a few arch top jazz guitars and a very nice late 80's Yamaha FG460SA...solid spruce top that has aged wonderfully and sounds very sweet. But I find that I play the Big Baby all the time now. The neck just feels so good in your hands; it sounds excellent and puts a smile on my face. I would buy another in a heartbeat. This has to be one of the best acoustic guitar values out there. A "10" for value vs sound.

Its an acoustic guitar. Wood and strings, what else is there? No electronics but you can always mike it or get a pick up with the cash you saved buying it.

Okay here's the story...
Yesterday I went to the music store to fool around for awhile. I went int the small room full of the $1000 and up Gibsons, Martins, and Taylors. I played all of them without any concern of the prices as I figured they were all out of my range. I just wanted to play some REALLY nice acoustics. Then I pick up this Taylor and I am completely blown away by the sound. I mean I had to check my pants for stains. It was that good. After playing with it for awhile I decide to put it up and face the reality that I can't own it. As I looked at the price, once again I was blown away. I had to check my pants one more time for stains because this thing cost less than $400!!!! honestly, I haven't been a huge acoustic person, but I am begining to love the sound and the intimacy they provide. I don't have much experience with acoustics but honestly, in my opinion, this sounded so much better than all the other acoustics I couldn't believe it.

Wonderful, bends with easy and the neck is extremely comfortable

I don't know but I know Taylor has a good reputation

Once again, Taylors, and Martins are sort of the Holy Grail of acoustics.

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL

Bought the Big Baby in Munich for something like 580 Dollars; the transport and a few more dealer hands probably being the reason. It replaces a 30 years old Ibanez Vintage which I still like for it's low action, but the Big Baby ROARS in comparison with it; I've never been afraid of bothering my neighbors when playing guitar, now I am. Goes nice with English/Irish style folk tunes, because it sounds nice, too, when you suddenly go to low.

Where I use to sit the guitar scrapes to the walls sometimes. With no reinforcement at all in the edges I'm afraid the top will come loose some day in twenty years which will be too early because I want to keep this thing longer than that.

2000 model I think........Santa brought it so I'm not sure of the price. Features are pretty well covered all ready.

Great sound for a "cheap" acoustic. I already own a Taylor which I payed over 1200. for and if this guitar had been around then I would have saved some serious bucks. I've played so....many acoustics I've yet to try anything that even comes close for the price.

Played great right out of the box...maybe I'll drop the action a little bit. Guitar is quality built....what you would expect from a Taylor ( not the price you would expect!!)

I guess I'll see....

Been playing about 26 years........15 semi pro. 2 thumbs up on this little jem.

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Stunning. No buzzing, perfect intonation, great action. I don't really like Taylor guitars (810 etc.), find the sound not quite as good as Martin's. But this sounds absolutly stunning.

Perfect.

Only brand new!

N/A

Been playing seven years, and I work in a guitar shop. Played them all - Taylors, Martin's, Guild, Gretsch, Fender - All the very high end models. This is definitly a fantastic guitar, and the nicest sounding and playing Taylor I've ever played, irrespective of price. Fantastic.

Chill out, price includes LR Baggs Double Barrel active electronics. Made in 2001. Plywood sides and back, Solid Spruce top with some irregularities in the grain pattern which makes it look even better, gives it more character. I like it. No support braces around bottom edge. Neck is bolted on with screws showing on fretboard. Satin finish, no bindings, no inlays. Comes with gig bag. About what you'd expect in this price range.

I use it for recording, and it sounds great. Mostly finger-picking, some strumming. Not as much bass with the thinner body, as expected.
Somewhat bright sound, yet warm and natural-sounding. I use the mike inside the guitar in one channel for strumming, and the ribbon transducer for finger-picking. I also use an Audio Technica instrument mike with phantom power for really sweet sound on rythm tracks when I want the natural sound of the wood. All sound excellent, but the LR Baggs mike does sound a little harsh without EQ, also gets some pitch feedback, as expected. Overall sound with the ribbon or AT mike is awesome, no need to spend $2000 here. Very little buzz, very little intonation. Sounds great without the amp, too, read other reviews for that. Very well balanced sound output with LR Baggs, not bottom heavy like some other guitars. No Rumble feedback at all, even without EQ. Great for amplified finger-pickin.

Was set up perfect from factory, I added the LR Baggs myself, but I did not feel it was necessary to file the saddle or route the bridge like the kid (not old enuf to shave yet!) told me to do. The ribbon only raised the action about 1/32", but honestly, I didn't even notice it when I was done. I saved $75.00, only took an hour, and helped keep our streets safe by denying the kid luthier some crack money. Bookmatching was perfect, I love the waves in the grain. Some excess glue, but without the bottom braces you can't be too skimpy here. No need to route the bridge. Everything looked great from the factory. Low action.

I would hestitate to gig with this because it looks so fragile with no bottom braces, but I dropped it a few times and it didn't even ding it.

Web site is great. Email is fast.

Been playing 30 years. I own a strat, P-bass. I have owned them all: Fender, Guild, Gibson, Ovation, Epiphone, Martin, just to mention a few. I would rate this a steal. Best sounding guitar I have heard in this price range. If it were lost or stolen, I'd file an insurance claim, then buy another Taylor. Installation of the LR Baggs was easy. I like the ebony bridge and fretboard. The dense wood makes it perfect for the LR Baggs system, since it picks up vibration, unlike other systems that respond to pressure. I sold my Martin to pay for this. No complaints here. I was as critical as possible in the features section, but still give this gitbox a perfect 10, considering the rediculously low price.

You have heard it all before in other reviews

I am a new student to guitar. Started on an older Epiphone and I thought that was good. The more I learned, the more guitars I heard, the more I assumed a guitar with this sound would be out of my price range. All I can say is that it makes me want to play it more and be a better player.

The day I bought this guitar I started out to buy an electric for the sole reason of good action. I have short, fat fingers and have been frustrated learning bar chords. By chance I picked this guitar up and was awed by its ease of play.

Seems incredibly well made. The fit seems excellent. Wish it had a prettier finish but I don't mind giving that up for the price and all the other great things about it!

So far, so good

I have been playing for only a few months, but this guitar has helped me get past some struggles. I absolutely love the sound and the action. Don't hesitate...buy it. I promise you you won't be sorry.

Made in California, Year 2001, 15/16-scale Dreadnought has a solid Sitka spruce top and sapele-laminate back and sides.

see website for all features

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/models/bigbaby.html

packed with features for the money

i will try and temper my enthusiam with the fact i am a new acoustic
guitar player (owned a Washburn and a Baby Taylor before this), been
playing electric for a while...

got this guitar to do acoustic stuff with the band, been around Taylor Guitars and very impressed

that being said i really enjoy the sound of this guitar, it makes me want to play, its a quality instrument

ordered it with a fishman installed under the bridge, no noise at
all...

use it unamped, direct input to a PA and into a fender princeton
amp, it sound great in all three, have used it with a multi fx processor for chorus and echo, real lush

great full mid sound.....

plays like an electric, i need to lower the action a little
again for the money a lot of quality

finish is excellent for the money, no flaws i could see

nice quality guitar for the money

i've had a Baby taylor for a year no problem, so i expect the Big Baby will hold up just fine; even though the guitar is light, it holds up well

would give them all 10's but the factory installed pickup
was not balanced properly (when amped/DI to PA you could
not hear high E string, my mom and pop store guitar tech told me it was an easy adjustment and something that should have been checked
at the factory)

I will give them a 9 because they did give me cost over the phone for guitar with pickup, so I could price bargain with my store - Total cost for guitar with pickup installed $400 (Big Baby $300, Fishman $100)

cannot argue with this company on customer support, they pride themselves on quality and service

I have admired the Taylor line for some time but just could not bring
myself to pay $1000 for an acoustic given my needs (basically an electric player just getting into acoustic); that being said I could tell the quality and features of the Taylor and was very pleased that
they began producing the Baby series; they are very affordable guitars (Big Baby 15/16 size $300 and Baby Taylor 3/4 size travel guitar - $249); sound great, no frills but if you like the Taylor
line but would like to try and entry level guitar (and price) give this guitar a try

a note about the pickup, installed under the bridge, it has a really nice sound, but be careful you check the volume balance of each string
after installation, i've had pickups installed in both the baby and the Big Baby, and both needed follow-on adjustment with the pickups
to get even string volume

great guitars, i am glad Taylor is finally making affordable ones !!

Made in USA in 2001. 20 frets. Solid-top. Spruce and Mohogany sides. Natural finish. Dreadnought body. Rosewood neck. Case included (gig bag).

The sound is excellent! It sounds like I paid thousands of dollars for it.

The finish is beautiful. My pickguard was kind of picked at, but I think that was just because of people in the store who had played.

It seems very stable and could hold the test of time if it is taken good care of. I thought that the fact that there were no struts inside the body was a little strange.

N/A

I've been playing for about two and a half years, and this is the best guitar for sound quality and overall quality I have had

This is a rare guitar in England, and was quite a struggle to get one for Xmas! you all know the spec, mine seems to have very even grained wood, the finish is what I expected, simple but sharp, just the lable in the soundhole wasn't burnished down to the wood!The case is snug fit but great.It is the precision of it all that gets you and the smooth tuners too, value for money. I paid less than retail price here, just #299- us Brits always seen to have to pay more! This is my first new guitars, I have 3 vintage ones also.I find the neck narrow but so slim to the hold.

The magazines said it gave a full sound, does it ever! Bass is so rounded and trebble a little thin which I like. Full open chord such as 'c'are deep and rich and go on for ever. I don't use a pick normally but a pick amplifies the whole thing even more and adds a certain ring also.simple fingerstyle is easy and crisp, but the high E is too close to the fingerboard edge and I have to play more precisly to avoid the occational buzz, but it's so nice...

Not too sure of the factory set-up. The action seems very high compared to all my golden oldie Gibsons etc, so I will drop the bridge when I change the strings, and maybe add an pickup too. Any wood flaws are strangly welcome in this instrument, you expect and almost want to have them!There is a real charm to the 'rough' build that is great.All edges are so well finished it's untrue, right down to the neck adjust tool; exceeds all expectations!

The light weight makes the guitar feel fragile and you can knock it out of tune getting it out of the carry bag. You are always aware of the lack of curfing in the bouts, but the neck joint is really solid it look like it grew on the tree there! The guitar will tolerate very heavy playing, will faithfully stay in tune and never wears you out, it is bias to the headstock though, feels strange at first. Playing off the strap, the dreadnought shape kees the body on you leg, and does't keep wandering off, indeed, try the classic guitarists 'hold' and things are better still. the satin finish is irritating inasmuch that if your right hand brushes over the body as you strumm you can hear the 'chugh-chugh' of the hand passing over the wood grain, a pick guard is needed.All my other guitars are gloss and i don't get this noise. As a travel guitar it would go around the world easy.

Chasing supply of the Big Baby exposed me to the factory and their distributor/outlet systems, which all proved to be world class, beyond reproach. Such service in England is very rare,makes you want to by another Taylor! I went the full 9 yards and ordered the 'New Neck ' video and the first CD of Wood abd Steel, all arrived so quickly, try 3 days from the USA. Bad news is that I am reminded that I can't play very well...It is all very re-assuring.

I have 'played' guitar since the late 60's, and own a 60's Gibson ES125(wonderful)a Hofner Verithin(not so good)a 70's Italian EKO(stunning)and a very rare German Roger which is facinating, found in a junk shop, dates back to the early 50's.I originally wanted a Martin, tried one at 3 times the price of the Taylor and was dissapointed. My EKO was better. A review of the Big Baby in a magazine caught my eye, I took the marketing blurb but it was all true! If the guitar was 'lost' I would look to upgrade to a Series Taylor. I don't need the Travel guitar bit, but another Taylor for sure.I've got enough guitars now, best spend some money on a good teacher so I can get the best out of this lot, variety is the spice of life!