Taylor Guitars Big Baby

miniature dreadnaught that only comes in natural spruce top. as with the majority, if not all, taylors - ebony fretboard. no bindings whatsoever. laser engraved detail by ther soundhole. simple and straightforward which is to my liking.

i bought the guitar for it's uber tone. punchy and clear. it came with elixirs which are somewhat bright. but i wore those out and bought PYRAMID STRINGS. they're more natural sounding and gave the Big BaBy tone some warmth and body. the ebony fretboard is a joy to play and rounds up the tone nicely.

the action was a tad bit high out of the box but i took it right away to my luthier and had it set up. the guitar is simply beautiful and gotten compliments from players and non players.

after a couple of years i broke the pin from changing the pins but it was no biggie and i never had to change them again. i replaced the set with cream colored ones and it looked beter. the tuners does its job but i don't think they're the best. the truss rod cover is plastic and a piece broke off. i've brought it to places and it's got some minor dings and chips but i don't mind. as long as it's not dropped, i think it'll be ok. NOT for gigging..

never had to use warranty/support.

I've been playing the BBT for 4 years. i don't consider this as a low end taylor. there's no such thing. the quality is there and the tone is there. however, it's definitely not for gigging. this is ideal for spur of the moment ideas, outdoors(beach), a starter guitar for adolecents and everything in between. I wish taylors would make guitars with rosewood fretboards though. i would get the same guitar with that option.

The Taylor "Big Baby" is a very moderately priced scaled down dreadnaught offering sporting a hand rubbed satin finish solid spruce top and saplee laminate back and sides. The neck is mahogony with an ebony fretboard and bridge and also sports Grover style chrome sealed tuners of good quality.
This little axe is made in Mexico as are a number of good quality instruments by competing guitar companies. Fit to finish is very good, as is expected of a Taylor product. The sound hole rosette is laser etched into the top and is really quite elegant. The overall size of this guitar is about the same as a 000 or grand concert size guitar by other companies and is extremely comfortable to play. Taylor provides a custom gig-bag that is one of the best I've seen as far as gig-bags go. It fits around the instrument almost too tight but offers some of the best out of the box "bag" protection I've seen. I prefer a good solid hard shell case but the company couldn't compete and sell these little beauties for what they do if it came with a good case, but I think they could still make it a good buy.
This little flat top projects like a 000 or better with good sustain and sweet balanced range all across the sonic palate. Notes are clear and pronounced. Mine needed a basic set up to get rid of "string buzz" that seems to be a problem with a lot of Taylors and Martins lately. Frustrating, but an easy fix.
It comes equiped with Elixer strings from the factory and I find these to be adequate but recommend changing them and shopping around to find what particular strings your individual ax prefers. This guitar will then leap to life... believe me.

As already stated, with the proper strings on this little monster it will jump to life in your hands and begin talking to you as only a quality instrument can. It is quite suitable for a variety of styles of music and I play a wide range of different styles myself.
The Big Baby has that typical brighter tone than say a Martin which is usually a darker tone, but again... choosing the correct strings for what you want will enhance the particular sound you're looking for.

As stated earlier, fit to finish was excellent. The factory set up was poor and my particular instrument had a nasty fret buzz when the strings were aggressively attacked both finger style and especially with a pick. Releif was applied to the neck and the problem disappeared, but it is a problem that should have been dealt with at the factory,and in my opinion is made worse by the Elixer strings that come on the Taylors.
Elixers are ok but I have other preferences that I find work better for me, you or the guitar itself may find my personal choice for strings stink. Except for that minor problem the action is sweet and the instrument handles very well with excellent nut spacing and plenty of room on the neck to play.

All in all I think this little box is an excellent buy. It can compete with it's Taylor big brother and sisters costing two to three times more with ease and in my opinion since I've owned 4 other Taylors, plays as good or better than some of the more expensive models.
If your strating out, a smaller person looking for a smaller guitar with a full sound, an intermediate player looking for a quality budget minded instrument or a professional looking for an extra ax for kickin', pickin' or working and don't need a larger full size dread or a jumbo then I highly recommend this guitar, especially for the bargain price for which it can be had.
It is a dependable and rugged little guitar that I'd be quite comfortable gigging without a back-up. As they Taylor folks say it will soon become one of your favorites whether going to the studio or the couch. And this thing will only sound better as it is played and ages. Dude.

Limited lifetime warranty to the original owner. Taylor is easy to work with for tech support and warranty, and it includes their low end instruments like the Big Baby. They let you know without saying so that each customer and each instrument is unique and improtant to them. That makes one feel very comfortable with the company.
Taylor is eager to work with you no matter how minor the problem or silly the question and have both on-line and toll free access to their customer support people. They also go around the country a couple times a year putting on guitar clinics and invite Taylor owners to bring in their guitars to be tuned up, set up, fixed, tweaked and given a Taylor Factory Tech going over for free so that when you walk out of the store with your newly tuned up guitar it plays as good or better than it did the day you bought it. Taylor wants to keep it's customers and to make you feel like a part of a special family who appreciate fine musical instruments.

I've been playing guitar and other musical instruments for a little over 40 years now, so I've got a couple miles of experience under my belt and played more than my share of really awsome instruments as well as some real clunkers during that time.
Besides my little Taylor Big Baby I own 3 Martins, a Washburn travel guitar and a Brownsville "Fat Strat" along with some descent sound gear and a small horde or harmonicas and a Yamaha key board.
If this Taylor was stolen or damaged I'd be heart broken as with any of my other babies. I'd certainly try to replace it with another as soon as it was practical. I bought Taylor, and the Big Baby for a reason... the price just could not be beat (I got mine for 20% less than the regular cost)and because of the way it played and sounded. I like the voice of Taylor guitars as an alternative to my Martins for some things and you didn't need to kidnap a rich kid to get the money to afford this one.
Taylor has a real winner in the Big Baby and folks shouldn't regard it as a cheap gimic guitar. This is a serious instrument made for the regular guys to afford if they want a Taylor and the quality that goes with that name and sound.
Comparing it to like priced Martins this instrument is untouchable for a solid wood top guitar. Martin has the all HPL instruments that are just fine, but in the same size guitar they don't have quite the volume and projection that the Taylor does. Sorry guys and I love my Martins but Taylor whacked ya' on this one. And I'm one picky SOB. I'd even thought about settling for a Washburn, Epiphone or another Ovation but I'm tired of settling and went for the Taylor and glad I did.
I wish she came with a hard shell case but I can get a nice after market case for it any time for between $50 and $60. Buying a Taylor Big Baby will be money well spent for beginner or old hand alike. And people... humidify your instruments. You will be suprised at the difference a properly cared for instrument makes in sound, playability and durability. I don't know about you, but I didn't spend my hard earned dollars to ruin a beautiful wood instrument and be disappointed. Choose wisely, buy once and play long.

Simple guitar, solid sitka spruce top, laminated sides and back. Not much to mention here that hasn't already been said. It's a super affordable acoustic that I primarily use for writing and it takes a beating. I've owned it for about three years and it has some dents and dings.

Ok, here's why I'm writing this review. I've read several reviews bashing the sound quality or just misrepresenting it. Taylors by nature are very bright with little low end like you would find on a Martin. Here's the secret...REPLACE THE STRINGS. Taylors come with elixir strings which typically kill your low end although they last forever. I replaced the strings with Martin SP Phospher Bronze strings and the low end appeared...AMAZING. Also...solid top guitars tend to change the more you play them. A spruce top is going to accentuate the highs and make the guitar sound extremely bright at first but the more you play and break in the top the brightness will mellow.

Sound quality before string change 6, after 9.

Mine was set up really nice from the factory but over time I noticed it raise slightly (mainly in winter even when humidified). It typcially drops back down in the spring. I did file the bridge recently to get the action even lower. The action on this guitar is great and low like most Taylors, you won't find this on a Martin as much as I love some Martins.

No flaws, everything else was very nice.

It's a beater guitar that I wouldn't gig with. If I were looking for a performance guitar I'd pick up a Composite Acoustic. Everything has withstood my abuse to this point and it still looks quite nice, even with the dings/scratches.

Taylor is a great company to work with although I've never needed to have anything done with this guitar.

I've been playing almost 16 years and currently own an LTD EC300, LTD KH203, Peavey Generation Vintage tele copy, Peavey 6505+, Peavey 4x12 stereo cabinet, random pedals, etc.

What I love - the action, playability, and tone.
What I hate - not much, I do wish it was a cutaway.

I played some higher end Taylors and for the price this got very close to the higher end Taylor tone.

I wasn' t going to look at the other reviews but the gentlemen blow's low opinion caught my eye so I read it. I gathered he didn't fancy it (:>) As i do, my preface is I do early acoustic blues, from Patton and R.Johnson and do some electric R.L Burnside, early Muddy, Elmore james etc. My acoustic was a Regal slot head parlor made in the 30's that is giving out faster then I can keep up with it. My finding this guitar as right for me was easy.... the people I cover are varied. If your an early blues player you all know what R.J. played, Patton, ASkip James plus I do some Frank Hutchinson and Guiat Frank, Memphis Willie, all the guys with the cool names. My method is fingerpicking no pick except sometimes thumb, and slide with a wine bottle top buffed. The very last guitar I ever thought i would walk out with would be a big baby Taylor. This is a big shop so I keyed in on my 3 favorite tunings. I didn't want any electronics, just a simple small parlor like guitar. I went from top shelf to low shelf which by the way wasn't bad in some cases... I just wanted something loud enough to help cover up my bad vocals (solo performer) but loud enough so I wouldn't have feedback problems or at least not too many, after awhile I decided what the heck, and tuned BIG BABY for Robert Johnsons Crossroads, wow I'm thinking am I hearing right? then I held it on my knee facing towards me and beast I could I plucked somes strings and was very pleased. When you try to cover Blind lemon Jefferson or John Jackson etc, you'd need a roadie for the roadie. I'm all over the sound of this as a finger picker/slide because to me thats all I care about. But honestly, its a plain jane guitar. neat in its simple appearence but compared to the austentatious ones its homely like me. Got a gig bag and a set of Elixers with it. If you want the specifics skip the guy below and check out the others reviewers. For a small guitar the neck is comfortable, I need a fat neck but this is fine from stem to stern.

suitas my style of material perfectly, as I said the earlies recordings of blues up to about the 50's. The sound is with my style of pickin perfect, no pickes except a thumb somethimes. If your a picker then you your control is in your touch. If I used a handful of picks it may be a bit bright .. maybe that is, the seperation of strings along with the height is so right on for me, I never exsperienced this... and like most, I have had blah blah blah for guitars since 1962. I'm covering a wide variety of material but it does not fail me in any, maybe its because of the length of time I have been picken or maybe its the guitar.. but I just know the other guitars were more really good at 1 or 2 areas.. really good but that didn't help me. There is nothing I don't like about this no matter what the cost and i'm not kidding myself, for blues its perfect pickin and slidin... for something else, I have no idea, maybe flat picking it would fall short or maybe not... try it out. What i like about it is everything from the plain looks, the nut, saddle construction ease of playing and of course the sonics.

The action a A+

the set up was great, I asked for the demo, because i didn't want to take a chance of one from the box. Intonation is spot on, and can reach those "hard to reach area's) with the body at the 14th. To some the body top may look unfinished as far a shiny stuff . I use my little finger on my right hand as a pivot and it has a thin pick guard which keeps my long nail from drilling a hole, I don't like this expression but forgive me "it is what it is" a small low end taylor BUT a guitar which is well made and if you your a picker give it a try, slide is .. well, right now its tuned low, and no problem with a bottom out using a fairly heavy slide and the sound is down south without trying. Lets see, homely well made, great nut and saddle, no finish to speak of, sure looked homely next to those per-ritty ones that make you sound better han you are... hmmm, I give it a 10

This box is not made to bang around, if even a skinny person sat on it its good by big baby. I can depend on it because as a rule I don't let people sit on my guitars. No back up, just careful.

got my first guitar in the 50's. There's so many great players out there in the hills of the mid west etc... Its not the guitar, its the player.. the point is one of controversy but I don't care, almost any guiat can be coxed into sounding good for something or other, or maybe they would sound better smashed against a wall... this guitar is a pleasent surprise to me since I never even considered a Taylor least of which a lowely Big Baby.. fits blues acoustics of the "back in the day" maybe next I'll get a pair of farmers jeans and review them.

Pretty guitars.

I had the opportunity to try out several Taylor Guitar models. I have to say that I just did not like the "sterile" tone of these guitars. At this point, I prefer to stick with my Tom Anderson & Brian Moore guitars that have the Wilkinson bridge setup to produce a sparkling "acoustic" tone.

Sorry! No TAYLOR GUITARS will ever be part of my performance or rehearsal rigs.

The finish looked great, but like they say "The lights are on but no one is home".

I will stick with my other guitars.

Artist relations representative that came out to our gig over the weekend surprised us with free guitars to use and a free dinner for the whole crew. We were happy about that.

I've been playing for 30+ years, too much PRO gear to mention. I should have asked for a perfect guitar, in line with the quality of Tom Anderson and/or Brian Moore guitars.

If I was ever even given a Taylor Guitar, I'm sorry to say that it will end up on EBay.

Nice guitars though, and pretty to look at. I won't be buying or endorsing Taylor Guitars in any way.

For what it is, the featurs are more than basic. As with anything in this price range, there is always a trade off. In my mind it is not in the same category as a full wood guitar with a pickup. It is meant to be stripped down, but clean. What it may lack in features it makes up for in build quality.

It is a very, very bright guitar because of the thin laminate wood sides. But, it has a very balanced tone that isn't boxy and quiet. Each note rings out with decent sustain and tone, but lacks warmth. It doesn't bother me that it is bright, but the thin wood on the sides and back does make the guitar unbalanced with the neck falling down when standing and using a strap...pretty annoying. I give it a 9 because it is very similar to my 314ce just without the fullness. For my beater guitar at home it's perfect.

This is where the guitar shines in my opinion. I needed a guitar that I could take to the park, write songs with, and maybe neglect here and there, but, something that would not be an adjustment from 314ce. The neck and the frets are clean and smooth. Very clean and playable.

It is sturdy enough, but, if you need a primary guitar I would suggest that you don't buy it for that purpose. The finish is really thin and picks up smudges and scratches easily. I don't care about that because of how I use it but I wouldn't recommend it for anything but a learner or beater for home.

I am glad that they let you register a guitar with them now that you didn't purchase new. They don't transfer warranty, but at least they recognize you as the owner. Thanks Bob

I have been playing about 8 years now. I am a professional musician and I know a thing or two about guitars. For what I use this guitar for it is perfect. I love being able to grab a guitar that feels like my regular one, and sounds similar enough, but that I can just throw around. Serious Taylor owners who aren't filthy rich should have one of these lying around.

Natural/satin finish on the top which is not all that robust (mine has a couple of dings after a couple of months), lovely Taylor style bridge, ebony fingerboard, spruce top, sapele laminate body and sides (a little disappointing when you are paying UK prices). Nasty looking tuners, and plastic looking headstock. Basically the guitar looks like a toy, which makes it all the more satisfying when you play it in front of people. There are screws in the fingerboard for heaven's sake.

I started out 25 years ago on a steel string acoustic, a real beast that probably put me off for years. So after 11 years of playing exclusively classical, I'd decided to dabble with steel again without spending too much money. Tried a few and thought I'd plump for a Washburn D10 which had a nice balance to it, better than pricier Yamahas/Takamines etc. that I'd also tried. Picked up the Big Baby just to see how the ??130 Washburn compared to a ??330 guitar and there it was, the sound I'd been looking for. None of the boominess I hate, plenty of top end and no sacrifice in the middle. Really fast action compared to my classical guitar, comfortable for a short bloke like me, and honestly sounding better than the other Taylors and Martins at 3 times the price in the same shop. Spent a week trying other guitars around the city in an effort to spend less, but just had to go back and get it. It's a sweet sounding guitar, great for fingerpicking, but you can hammer the bass strings if you need to. The curved back surely makes a big difference to the balance of the sound.

Flawless from the factory, but the laminate back and sides do look like cheap 70's furniture. Sorry! For me, really best thing about this guitar physically is that the neck (not the fingerboard) has absorbed oil and sweat in only a few months and that makes it silky smooth to play, and it's a slim neck anyway so altogether it feels lightning fast.

I do tend to abuse things - they get damaged and I shrug. I doubt this guitar will fare any better than anything else I own, but the sides seem tough enough that it will always be playable. Fingerboard and frets feel like quality. It's an acoustic guitar - they all need looking after. Supplied case is funky but feels a little tight on the neck.

Good info about humidity etc. supplied with the guitar, although it does seem a bit alarmist. Not really a humiidity problem in the UK. Registered it, but never heard back from them. Their web site is a bit poncey and hard to navigate

Love: sound and sheer playability
Less keen on the laminate sides and back.
Been playing for 25 years. I imagine I would replace this guitar if I lost it as it's the best all round instrument I've owned (price, sound, playability). I've owned Fender Strats, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Fender 12 string acoustic. Currently own a Yamaha Classical, 2 Tokai Strats and the Taylor. While I'm always open minded, I suspect that the Big Baby would make me always inclined to look at Taylors over Martins and Gibsons should I ever inherit a fortune. In the meantime I'll continue to play this guitar every day.

The Big baby I owned was a 2003.

Features: Satin finish, 15/16th size dreadnought, solid sitka top, etc. Fast neck. Ebony fretboard. Gig bag included. Rosette burned into the wood. Plain looking, but in a pretty sort of way. Not a frilly guitar.

Bright sound, not much bass. Sounded nice for fingerpicking, but a little too bright when strummed for my taste.

I bought the guitar used, so I can't say how well it was set up from the factory. The top was bookmatched nicely. Smooth frets. I noticed no problems, but I'll give the guitar an 8 for this category, just because it seemed sort of fragile.

I'm sure this guitar would withstand live playing, but the guitar is not very loud. All the components seemed to be of quality. I don't gig, but if I did I'm sure I would bring a backup just in case...but I think I would do that with any guitar. I smacked it into the edge of my desk a few times (accidently!) and the guitar didn't break, so I suppose it's solid enough. Like I said above, though, the thing seems like it would be more fragile than some guitars, due to the fact that it has no binding and is very lightweight. I'll give it a 7.

Never dealt with Taylor.

I've been "playing" for several years, but have only been trying to actively improve/learn new things for a couple of years now. I'm self-taught, and not that great, but I *have* managed to own many acoustic guitars in this (relatively) short time period. At present, I own a Cort Earth 200 GC and a Martin 000X1. I would say that they Taylor Big Baby did not sound as good as my Martin, but it also cost less money.

Overall, I give the Big Baby an 8. The main thing I liked about it was its size (I'm small), but I also enjoyed its bright tone--although I'm sure not everyone would love it. It's a plain jane guitar, and should not be compared to a $3,000 model; however, for what it is, it's nice.

2005, Satin finish, no pickup, padded gigbag, 15/16 size dreadnought, 20 frets, body depth: 4 inches. Bolt-on neck.

Very pleasant, bright sound. I finger-pick for the most part. The sound is well suited to this. It is surprisingly loud for its size. I use a Dean Markley Pro-Mag Gold soundhole pickup with it when I need reinforcement. I never cared for the Dean Markley on any other steel string guitar I used it on, but it is sweet sounding with this guitar. A total surprise.

Looks a little home-made with the bolt-on neck, but this makes for nice clearance up at the 13th and 14th fret. The neck is easy and fast.
The wood on the top has an uneven appearance but is flawless. The construction does not come close to the higher-end Taylors but the sound and feel of the instrument are remarkably similar. Excess glue is evident inside.

Very light guitar. Does not seem durable, but it is marketed as a travel guitar, so the appearance may be deceiving. I treat it like a "Big Baby" but still it gets its share of dings. Nothing is showing. Handles knocks well. Padded gigbag does a very good job. Occasionally there is a "click" sound originating from where the neck joins the body, like uneven expansion when warming up. (Is this a bolt-on "feature"?)

The company seems more "present" than others. When the warranty was registered, they acknowledged. I haven't had to contact them for warranty issues but I suspect it would be a pleasant experience. Friends with Taylor guitars have had very good experiences.

I was interested in trying a Taylor 312CE Grand Concert, a smaller body guitar suited to fingerstyle playing. I had tried a friend's and it was gorgeous. No shops seemed to carry it. The Taylor 310CE, which they all had, was much too large for me. The Big Baby was suggested. To my surprise, it felt even better than the 312CE. The neck was fantastic, the body was smaller and thinner. Some richness of sound was sacrificed. For a third of the price of the 312CE and a smaller body, that was to be expected. But the sound was pretty close. I tried the Baby Taylor 3/4 size Mahogany. Remarkably, it had the same big bright sound. It felt almost like a ukulele, though. The Big Baby was the Goldilocks guitar.

The only thing I would wish for is that they had a BB model with electronics.

"Baby Taylor" guitars are 3/4 size, and this "Big Baby Taylor" is a step up to 15/16 size. It feels pretty darn close to a regular-sized guitar with the most noticeable difference being the thinner body thickness. This is compensated for, though, with a slightly rounded back that is almost devoid of any kind of bracing (there's a little along the lower bout). As Jason pointed out in the previous review, the wood on the sides and back are pretty robust and the lack of bracing on this model's curved back helps it resonate well. It has a decent solid-spruce top with an etched soundhole rosette, and unlike the "Babies" the Big Baby comes with the distinctively-shaped Taylor pickguard. And speaking of distinctive, it has the ebony bridge to match the ebony fretboard, which for me, is the best fretboard wood. Taylor could easily have gone with a less expensive wood, or a composite for these affordables but they went high-class, and for that I applaud them. This is a satin finish natural wood (not gloss) guitar and as mentioned previous, the sides and back do have an amazing luster to them. They are made of Sapele (tonally similar to mahogany), and the luster of the wood in certain light reminds me of a polished "Tigers Eye" rock. Really nice. The fretboard scale is, I believe, full-sized (any difference is not noticeable to me) and though you can call this a "travel guitar" you wouldn't know it by the way the neck feels. The headstock has a black hard plastic overlay which at first I didn't like the idea of, but it looks nice and makes sense for a "travel guitar." The Taylor logo is printed on the overlay - again looks good and is practical. Chrome tuners are simple in appearance and very good functionally (18:1 ratio and real solid). The neck is bolted on at the 16th fret with two countersunk screws, but don't let that scare you: First of all, it's a very solid fit and it also affords easy maintenance & adjustments. As Jason so correctly points out in his review, the incredible action on Taylor guitars is highly dependant on humidity care (mainly top wood). Unfortunately, "gig bags" like the one provided wont maintain humidity very well. Also, travel guitars are more often subjected to harsher changes in environment (I take mine on hunting & backpacking trips). So having this easier-to-adjust neck joint helps ensure easy maintenance and adjustments, if necessary. Secondly, the screw-on neck means that there is no dovetail-type heel, and the neck stays at the same thickness all the way up to where it joins the body. This is great for playing up at the 12th-15th fret area. The screws cannot be hit / scraped / felt with the strings, even if you wanted to. I'm very much sold on this neck joint. My ONLY gripe in the Features category would be that the Big Baby fits VERY tightly in its gig bag. It's a very nicely made gig bag with an embroidered Taylor logo on it, etc. But storing a guitar in a bag that puts a lot of constant pressure on the neck is, in my opinion, a little sketchy. Another good reason to forgo cases for home storage and maintain a humidified room for keeping your fine instruments. Jason mentioned 35% humidity, but in actuality you want it up at 45-50%. A really big plus with any Taylor guitar, including the Baby series, are nuts and saddles made of Tusq. This is pretty much accepted as the best material for these components, and if you aren't already familiar with why, you will be at some point. Quality construction and craftsmanship, only slightly below the finer Taylors, mostly due to the lack of ornate bindings, high-end finish, etc.

Here, I'll directly quote Jason from the previous review: "The sound is simply amazing for the size of the guitar and the price that I paid." Amen. As I mentioned, I like to take a guitar with me in the woods, and I'm not taking my Fender or Garrison acoustics out to those environments. For my first travel guitar I started out with a $150.00 Takamine (offshoot) Jasmine S-34C (a very decent ultra-affordable guitar that I reviewed on this site also). Then I found an Art & Lutherie ($220.00) which easily bettered the Jasmine. My hunting buddy talked me out of the A&L so I went looking again. When I tried the 3/4 Baby Taylors, I felt they lacked a little bass and projection. One strum on the Big Baby and I flopped down my cash and have never looked back. Understand, this is not as full and complex a sound as the higher-end Taylors such as the incredible 700 series, but it blows away any other affordable travel guitar out there, in my opinion. It definitely has that distinctive Taylor ring - with incredible balance between lows, mids and highs - and a ton of projection for a guitar of this size. Hell, a ton of projection compared to most guitars period. Intonation could not be better on mine. Spot on tuning for wonderful chord voicings all the way up the neck. Now I'll give this a "9" because I'm reviewing this very nice guitar in the context of all nice guitars and I would reserve a "10" for the top-end rosewood Taylors, Martins, Gibsons, etc. Amazing sound though. I use custom lights so I can have heavier E and A strings, with the standard light guages on the rest.

Initially, I did a tad bit of tweaking on the truss. 1/4 to 1/3 turn clockwise to tighten tension and lower the action a hair. I should point out that the guitar was fine from the dealer. I'm just a "tinkerer" and I like a lower action. By the way, the truss rod is accessed at the headstock by the nut - very uncommon for affordable guitars, and very nice. I decided to mess around slightly with the action for the first few stringings / months: At one point I put all ultra-lights on it and took the action down to a point that it was as low as my 79 Les Paul Custom - and that's a bold statement. This $400.00 acoustic had the feel of a guitar that currently goes for eight times as much! And the amazing thing is, it played flawlessly like this up and down with no fret buzz or dead notes. Frets are obviously perfectly aligned and they are very smooth. Everything lines up (FB, bridge, saddle, etc) when you sight the neck. Great, great playing guitar.

Here I must confess that although I posess an understanding of proper humidity care, I'm pretty lousy at practicing it. I don't have the humidified room, and so I keep humidifiers in my cases (and the guitars in the cases when not playing). But since I love this little Taylor so much, I keep it handy for practice, jamming, whatever, and it spends most of its time hanging on a hook in my living room. My living room is at the Central Oregon humidity level of 30% or less year-round. Not good. Still, in two years of living room and mountains, this guitar has not shown a hint of any humidity-related problems. In fact it shows signs of being particularly resistant to them. I would say this is due to the slightly smaller size body, the stout back and side Sapele wood, along with the substantial ebony fretboard wood. Also, top craftsmanship with tolerances between truss and neckwood, neck joint, etc (not sure what the neckwood is on these). Taylor obviously put some thought into not only making this attractive & playable, but durable as well.

Sent in my warranty card, but have not had cause yet to call on Taylor. But rather than go with a "no opinion" I'm giong to give them highest marks. I've seen their literature on guitar care, construction, considerations, etc, and it is top-notch. I've heard nothing but the best about their customer service, and lastly, the folks at the Taylor dealer where I purchased the guitar are outstanding in every way.

I've played for about 30 years and currently own Garrison 12-string and Fender acoustic-electrics. Also a Les Paul Custom. I've owned 60's Strats / Gibsons and 70's Guild acoustics, and played PRS, etc. I'm planning to purchase either a Taylor 700 or 800 series acoustic, or a Martin. I play mostly with friends (too old / busy for the band scene these days), and we play a lot of acoustic rock stuff: Eagles, Tom Petty, Radiohead, Grateful Dead, and of course The Floyd. This Big Baby Taylor is THE "travel guitar" for me, bar none. And in fact I would say I play the Taylor more than any of my other guitars. Why? Because I always leave it handy, it plays better than any acoustic I currently own, and it sounds as good as any of them. If it were lost or stolen I would absolutely replace it without hesitation. I highly recommend this guitar.

Typically features for a dreadnought with no electronics. Finish is a nice satin. Soundhole rosette is done nicely with lazer etching. Solid sitka spruce top. Nice gig bag. Smaller 15/16 size is neat.

Sound is extremely bright. If you are looking for a more bass, stay away from this one.

Poor factory set up. Action was horrible (high) and my fingers were sore after half hour. I took it back to GC and ordered a Martin online. I did not want to fool with bridge/nut adjustments. I did have to adjust the truss rod. That didn't help the action though. The Taylor label inside the soundhole was coming off. Overall, the neck was uncomfortable for me. I bought this guitar because I was impressed with the sound (for it's size) which was a big mistake.

A little on the flimsy side. Would be easy to dig and scratch. Satin finish seems like it could dry out easy.

N/A

I would not recommend this guitar unless you like the feel of it from the beginning. For my first attempt at a Taylor this is a bad first impression. Buy a full size Takamine for the same price or spend a little more on an entry level Martin. Epiphone Masterbilt is also another guitar I liked. When I tried out many guitars at GC I kept going back to the Martin. Should have went with the Martin from the beginning. Please note it was returned for a full refund at GC.

Sikta Spruce top, smooth finish, great luster. The side and back are a heavier wood. Overall, the guitar feels solid. The Big Baby model is 15/16 the size of a normal sized dreadnaught, so it's slightly smaller but feels natural, and the fretboard doesn't feel smushed up like it does on smaller, travelling guitars. Big Baby comes with a thickly-padded gig bag, but there is an issue there (See below). The Taylor factory strings their guitars with the Elixer Nanoweb strings, and they are slick and sound great.

The sound is simply amazing for the size of the guitar and the price that I paid. Taylor has a warm, rich, ringing sound that you normally hear in the larger, auditorium-level guitars, but this sounds just as good. Due to the nature of the wood, the guitar must be kept humidifed (I know, all instrurments should be), but this is so sensitive to changes in humidity that it drastically effects the neck, frets, and overall sound on the guitar. Taylor recommends keeping the guitar in the gig bag when not in use, and recommends the use of a Dampit (or other soundhole humidifer) to keep the guitar in good shape. I ended up just getting a high-end humidifer for the room with all of my musical instruments and keeping the room around 35% humid. Not an easy task, but the guitars are more in tune and sound better in the long run.

The neck is set with these two huge screws that are right though the fretboard, but countersunk so you can't scrape across them. As a result, the neck connection is SOLID, and the entire rig feels great. You can really go to town on this guitar and not feel like it's under any real strain. The Elixir strings are fast and tight, and the tuners are fully enclosed and turn very smoothly.

I've had this guitar for about 2 years now, and I love it. The Big Baby ended up replacing an old Alvarez that I had modified from a classical stringing to a steel-stringing and then later up and died on me. I've played live indoor and outdoor, recorded, and auditioned with this guitar, and it's never failed me yet. We have an understanding- I keep the guitar humidified, and it will keep me happy when I play it.

Taylor has great customer support and an excellent feedback about problems, as well as offering solutions. The humidity issue was already important enough for Taylor to include a spec sheet with the guitar about keeping the unit hydraded and exactly how to go about doing it. Every so often, Taylor clinicians and technicans go around to music showcases or expos, and if you bring in your guitar they will re-string and clean it for free, and fix any minor problems right there on the spot. Plus, these guitars are made here in America. For all of these reasons, I'll be a Taylor fan until the day I die.

Playing for about 10 years now- prefer Epiphone Les Paul models for electrics and have played a variety of different acoustic models- Fender, Takamine, Yamaha, Alvarez, and Martin, but the Taylor is one of my all-time favorite guitars. I can't wait until I can get my hands on a full-sized 410c or a T5!

If production of this guitar were discontinued today, the value would skyrocket. That's how good this unadorned and unassuming little instrument is. Whatever you may think or read about its construction, the fact is, the quality of sound that comes out of this thing is astonishing. Hands down, the best value out there.

it is a satin finish just the way i like it glossy finishes tend to muffle sound the body is what id call drednought jr kinda almost a grand style like a 000 martin the tuners are ok but i plan to upgrade to grover impereal the neck is thin a little to small for me but im used to it now it came with a great gig bag mine was made in 05 made in the usa thats a plus and it has 20 frets in all with solid spruce top[satin] it has a sapple lamanate body with mohaganay neck

i love the sound of this guitar it has a intamate like sound to it great for bed room ,living room,camp fire play i play mainly stuff like jhon mayer,dave mathuews ,egals to me for its size it a very full sounding rig iv played several full sized drednoughts and the big baby is louder than others in its price range like seagull,eppaphone,ill never get rid of it she's a keeper!

from the factory the action was very low but i happen to like that! and it was flawless in its build ,however i am going to add some grover impereal tuners to jazz it up a bit

it seems very dureable and it has a very good gig bag to protect it it play it at a open mic night any night by my self i recomend 12-53 guage strings no biger no smaller trust me.

never had to deal with that but taylor uses local lisenesd repair men so you dont have to send it off and there a u.s outfit that builds here no slave labor lol

iv been playing guitar for two yrs and i own a fender strat M.I.M made
if it were stolen i would cry lol and yes id buy again
love it ,love it my next acustic will be eather a taylor 210 or larvaree d-3 mohoganey

Check website or other reviews for specs. Main thing you need to know is that it's got a wooden top and laminate sides and back. Bolt on neck that looks strangely appealing once you're used to it.

Beautiful. It's a slightly smaller dreadnought shape. However, it does not have any of the boomy bottom end associated with this shape. This in itself is nothing other than a bonus, because it leave you with a guitar that has a lot of presence in the mid and upper ranges. If you just want to strum you may have to push it hard, and you will miss that 'thump' you're expecting. If you play ANY fingerstyle music, or want a sympathetic guitar to accompany you or others on songs then this is the Baby for you. Think 'parlour' rather than 'dread' with a sound that gets you in your heart rather than gets right in your face.

Utilitarian, functional, but charming.

Looks built to last with a lovely gig bag.

Was only playing a friend's but I fell in love with it instantly and am now considering buying one for myself. This guitar has a lot of presence in the mid and uppers as I've stated. It's a restrained sound, and perfect for playing SONGS, which is what it's all about.

It is a 15/16 dreadnought. Solid spruce top with ebony finger board. It think the tuner could be better. Big baby comes with a well-padded gig bag (the best that I have ever seen so far) :) And the pick guard looks cool.

I play finger-style music. This is the perfect practice guitar for finger-style guitarist. I like to play this guitar when I am chilling out on the couch. The sound is typical of Taylor guitars, bright trebble. The sound is much fuller than the Taylor baby series (which sounds empty when I played it at the guitar shops)

The guitar was well set-up at the factory. The action was just nice. However, remember to ask for tuss-road adjustment when you buy the guitar. It will cost you some money if you ask for it later.

I buy this guitar mainly for practice at home. I think the guitar will last long. The finish wears off after frequent plays.

I have never dealt with the company.

I have been playing guitar for 10 years. I own a hand-made classical guitar and a Yamaha electric guitar. If it were stolen or lost, I would definitely buy it again. If you are considering a baby or a big baby, the big baby is definitely a better choice.

It is what it is!! This is a "high end,low budget" Guitar. Solid spruce top,laminate sapele sides and back,ebony fretboard. No electronics.Comes with a top notch gig bag.

I chose this guitar for it's sound! I have been playing guitar for 28 years,this is not the type of instrument I usually associate myself with(I prefer all solid wood construction)...but the tones that come from this guitar make me smile.I had intended on spending a couple hundred dollars more to make my ears happy,glad I found this guitar!

I found mine on the showroom floor at The Guitar Center. I know the guy who sets up the acoustics and he said that mine went "from box to floor".There were 4 others to choose from and they all played awesome!The intonation was "spot on".I have read others complaining about buzz....I would guess that their problem may be in their technique.I cannot get mine to produce a buzz!I keep mine in a humidity controlled environment as you should.True it does not offer miles of sustain,but as I said earier "it is what it is". I chose mine for its grain pattern (a little darker run down the middle)not something I would ever expect from a higher end instrument but I loved the fact that this guitar had its own personallity.

Will I ever use this guitar for live perfomance? Probably not,it seems a little bit too delicate.I bought this guitar as a practice/writing instrument.I play it to give my other guitars a break.

I once found a used Taylor in a Mom&Pop music store.For whatever reason the label had been mostly torn from inside.I contacted taylor via the internet seeking info on the guitar.They responded in less than 10 minutes,with more than enough info!

I have been playing for many(28)years.I love,and play many types of music.I have owned countless instruments;acoustic guitars,electric guitars,bass guitars,mandolins.I love to do repair and restoration work as well.If this guitar was lost or stolen I would replace it immediately! If you are looking for a beginner instrument,look no more! If you are a seasoned player looking for a writing/practice companion this is it! Now go play!

Same features as everyone else has written about. I like the fact that it is so simplistic. Great gig bag came with it.

I've only owned a low end Johnson before this guitar, but when I went to my local music store and started to pick up guitars to play, I was blown away by this one. I tried a low end Taylor, $600 range, and I realy couldn't tell the difference with my ears. I'm not an accomplished player, but it even sounds good when I play.

Everything worked well and I've had it a few months without any problems. The finish has no flaws and it is very simple looking with it's satin finish, but yet still has a nice quality look to it. I'm not a big fan of bright shiny guitars. I love this simple look.

So far so good. The verdict is still out! It seems well built to me.

Only from what I've read and heard. I haven't had to take advantage yet.

I'm AMAZED how some of the reviews have this rated so low. I have nothing but good things to say about guitar. I have had friends talk so highly about Taylor guitars, but at this time, I didn't think I could afford one. The guitar isn't made cheaply, but some of the frills have been left out, like the outer banding or flashy finishes, to lower the cost. It is easy to play and sounds great. I recommend this to beginners especially, but for those who have been playing awhile, it's also a great sounding guitar. Go to a music store and have someone else play it compared to others in it's price range while you sit back and listen. You'll be amazed too.

use the internet to look them up if you don't know. i love the look. dark sides, light colored Solid Sitka Spruce top with a light satin finish. made in usa :)

this is my second one. i sent the first one back, it was weird. to discribe the sound of the first one i would say "the guitar just did not like its self". the second one is great, balanced, lively, clear, it rings out wonderful sounds. it lacks a little bass. i guess that is the trade off for a lower end taylor

one small truss rod adjustment is all i have done to this guitar. it came perfectly set up from the factory. i usally fight to get a low buzz free strings. the whole neck is very usable with very little buzz. one small complaint is that ebony neck varies in color from black to brown from one side to the other.

this guitar is affected by humidity.

have not used.

i love this guitar :) the taylor sound suits me. it easy to play. elixor strings last a coons age. if lost or stolen i would get an other big baby or i would could get a better taylor.

Same features as all others list, with truss rod adjusting tool and a great gig bag. Otherwise, it is what it is, nothing fancy.
I noticed complaints about the tuners...they look Schaller-esque to me and I've had no issues with them, and I bend the crap out of my strings frequently.

I think it sounds great for a practice guitar. Less bottom than full sized, but WAY fuller than the Baby, which is truly just a travel guitar. I play mostly blues and the bright sound of this guitar suits me well enough.

The action and finish were perfect on this guitar when I got it. The finish is very basic, but it's a budget guitar. Due to environmental considerations, I've had to adjust the truss rod from time to time. Humidifier is a must for this guitar if you have dry winter heat.

The satin finish obviously will not hold up as well as a thick gloss and I've dented the binding with a knock to my stand, so clearly it is not invincible. How many acoustics are 'tough'?
I think the hardware, nut and bridge are quality and should last a reasonable amount of time.

I haven't dealt with Taylor, but my local shop is an exclusive dealer and they have been great.

I have two fender electrics and this one acoustic. It is the second acoustic I have owned, the previous being a cheap Ibanez. This guitar is a big step up from my old one (which was fine, but I broke the headstock by accident), so I'm really happy. I freely admit I don't know how well a 2000 dollar Martin plays, but I do feel that this guitar is great value for the money and the tradeoff of size for bottom end is worth it for those with limited space and those who are more comfortable with a smaller guitar.

We've had this guitar for about 2 years. Two necks later and lots of strings, it's the same guitar! I bought it for my son, who at 14 is playing a lot more than most teens, bluegrass lessons every week, etc. I researched a long time and picked the BB for what everyone says here: Lots of good sounding value. American, and good customer support. All those have come to fruition. See below.

I play a little, mostly play the mandolin. But I love the sound of this guitar. It's very deep and woody, and seems loud. I think the finish helps, it just "seems" a think matt finish doesn't mute the sound like a glossy does.

The setup was good from the factory. Over time the action got high. We live in Tucson and you don't know hot/dry til you've been here. My son also doesn't baby, the baby. The frets and neck(s) have always seemed level and good. Never a buzz. The body has survived a few medium knocks fine. I note the finish is wearing off where his arm goes over the top, sign that he plays a lot and doesn't wipe it down?!

But the first time we noticed the action getting high, we took it in for a neck adjust. The excellent mom-pop dealer here came out in five minutes and said: "we cannot fix the neck, it's too warped." Waaah...? I started to balk, but then the tech said he'd contacted Taylor and we'd get a new guitar. Actually they replaced the neck and all was fine. Until the next time. About a year later we went in for another action adjust. "just need to shim the neck" the tech said, "they settle after a year or so." Next call revealed he couldn't (for some reason) shim that neck, so they pulled a neck off of another BB in the shop and we now have that one. I believe it's a bunch of flukes, but 3 necks in 2 years? Perhaps they should mount them like their other guitars.

Taylor has been excellent about fixing the above neck problems at no charge. Fast and easy.

I don't want to give up on this guiter, it sounds so nice and is becoming an "in demand" item. I note Martin makes a copy now. But - I might try to extort a good tradin on a higher end Taylor for my son. He wants something acoustic with a pickup and cutaway.

Great laminated guitar with a good solid top.

The neck is great (as any Taylor neck I guess). Ebony fingerboard, mmmm...

The gig bag is an excellent one.

For that price...
In the other hand, the tuners could be better.

It is a 15/16, but it sounds as good as many full size guitars. The sound definition is great and sound as loud at any place on the neck.

Compared to a full size dread, it lack bass. But compared to a 000 or 00 it is just fine.

I find it well suited for fingerstyle.
Playing hard with a pick makes this guitar sound too full of highs.

The setup is very good and the neck allows an incredible low action. I am feeling this guitar is very easy to play. It takes less concentration to play.

Hard as a rock. It feels so good to have a good quality guitar without being afraid of scratching it.

Once again, the tuners are bad.

No need for customer support yet.

My other guitar is a Martin d-16 gt. While I really like my Martin, I don't miss it when I play my Baby Taylor. The perfect guitar has a Taylor neck and a Martin bassy tone...

I'm having GAS considering exchanging my Martin for a Taylor 310... That neck !

Hello, I'm not an accurate guitar players and there are a lot of reviews for this guitar allready, so I will try to be quick and I use my words of non accurate player :)

I hows this guitar since several years,
according to me the finish is not that good, more specially if when you will need to change the strings for the first time, you will maybe have some little problems to remove the pins, because the 'circle' when you put the pin inside is not 100% clean. some little pieces of wood are makind it harder to remove them (on my guitar)
The tunners could be better, but there is not any major problem with them.
The frettboard is NICE ! and fast. Since I have tried this one I need the same wood for all my new guitars.
this guitar is sold with a bag, be carefull , some vendors may 'forget' to give you the bag !

It is what people call the taylor sound, very bright and nice, but some people prefer a sound with more powerfull bass.
I like it and It makes me want to own an other and better taylor guitar to have this nice and pure sound.
I like the fact that in any place of the frettboard, the guitar sound good, no buzz anywhere.

When ou buy it, the action is not well fitten, my local vendor has solve that problem for me and now the guitar is nice to play with and comfortable. Don't forget to ask for that when you bought the guitar, It cost me 25$ later :(
By the way I think that most of the guitar that you buy need a tussroad adjustment !

I can't really answer for this, I take care of all my guitars, cheap or not, so there is no problem with that point.

Well, this guitar has show me what is the taylor sound, but I think it's not a serious guitar, looks cheap, not enough power and sustain, and it's a smaller guitar. However, the sound is not bad and the freattboard is great. Plus, this is a good guitar to take with you in travel (I think that taylor has made it for this purpose)
Since I hown a 1000? takamine jumbo, I know what is a true and serious guitar. I also own a yamaha apx-4 that cost 400? and even I pefer the yamaha one. For the value I'm sure that you can have a better guitar. Oh, yes, there will not be 'Taylor' written on it, but you will have more pleasure with it.

Mine is a 2001. The top is a light satin finish, the grains of the wood are really beautiful. The back has a dark finish and curves slightly out towards you in the middle. Other features are as mentioned below. Obviously, this guitar doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a full sized Taylor but when you look at it closely you can see that it is well crafted ie: instead of inlay around the sound hole there is a tiny pattern stamped into the wood which I think looks quite nice. I have played this guitar so much that the places where my forearm and palm rest on the guitar have become highly polished and it has given the guitar a weathered look which I like. The main thing I don't like is the tuners, I think they are a little bit flimsy and they don't keep the guitar in tune long enough.

I play fingerstyle generally and I think this guitar suits that style of playing. The sound probably has more treble than bass in terms of tonality. One thing I like is that when you strum quite hard on the bass strings you can get a nice 'rock' tone ie: it sounds a little bit distorted and the bass becomes a little fuller. You can therefore play some quite nice blues on it especially if you use a capo further up the neck. Other people often comment positively on the quality of the sound the guitar produces so that says something also. I have recorded in a studio with the guitar and it sounded great.

The guitar was set up well and had no flaws I can recall

I would not recommend this guitar for live playing unless a) you use it as a back-up or b) you change the tuners on the guitar to better quality ones. As already mentioned the satin finish does wear off but I think this actually enhances the appearance of the wood grain on the top of the guitar. The guitar seems to be structurally sound although it is so light at the body end of the guitar that you could damage it quite easily. I think the lightness of the guitar helps give it its resonance so it is not an easy trade-off.

I have been playing for about 15 years. For the money I paid for this guitar I could have probably bought something a bit better second hand so I would look at something else if it were stolen. Overall I think this is a great guitar and I really enjoy playing it.

A little bit smaller than a standard dreadnought acoustic. Has got a solid sitka spruce top, laminated sapele, ebony neck with pearl dot inlays starting from the 3th fret with chrome tuners. A plus is that mine comes with a typical Taylor pickguard from the factory, I suppose. But NO, gigbag included .. THAT's A SHAME !!!! If I want it I have to order it seperately.

This guitar sounds very POOR!!! A piece of cheapness!!! Well , can't blame it, cause it 's a low budget one! It only has got good looks, but concerning the sound quality I have to say NOOOO !!! I also own a Taylor 510 and tha sound differs like earth and heaven comparing it to this big Taylor ! Well, it has got a very thinny, metallic sound. I wouldn't call it bright to my ears, 'cause it has a boomy, dull, short resonancy. Not bright at all!
I am a strummer with a flatpick but when strumming this guitar there's no sustain at all. Even when I started to fingerpick it ...but it stills sound quite ugly. Although, i have purchased it with the naive idea that i will get used to the sound because it sounds different not like the others.
Afterwards for me ,this is a horrible sound quality comparing to the other guitars in the same price range. I would rather choose for the middle-end range Seagulls, such as the M6 gloss. The M6 has got more sustain and sings bether for tha bucks.

The playability is ok. Low action just like all Taylors.
Some glue noticed inside the guitar... but that's no big deal for me.
The tuning pegs seem to stay in tune quite well.

No real major flaws 'v been seen.

Had bought it for just 3 days and then returned it back to the store for a refund . Couldn't live with it anymore. THe sound of this big taylor takes away my appetite for playing guitar.. Too many complains about the sounding .
I had no other option than to return it back and ask my buckies back to buy another better guitar!

I've been playing guitars for about 16 years now and never heard such a bad sounding guitar . I have 2 taylors, a Fender DG and 2 Spanish classicals.
I would not recommend this one to those who are familiar to high ends guitar sound. And not good for people who mostly like to strumm,'cause of the short sustain. It has no ringing level.