Taylor Guitars Big Baby

Made in 2002, in USA. 20 Frets, Solid top (COOL!) Laminated sides and back. I had a Martin 332 thinline installed at the dealer. Passive pickup. Ebony Fretboard. Grover tuners. Nice Gig bag included!!

As for the sound of this guitar.. I played it before and after a 800 series model Taylor. I couldn't believe my ears. I was literally amazed at the sound of this instrument. From the top to the bottom of the neck was wonderful.

Action is great. (note.. have the dealer set it up for you if you're not totally satisfied, they did it for me, I'm well pleased) It played as well if not better than the 800 series that I played. Maybe it was just me, but I thought it played just as well.

I think this guitar would withstand "Live" playing, it seems to be pretty durable. I haven't had the chance to play it live yet, but it is rather light weight, and for all you Les Paul players out there (I've had a few myself) it is a dream in the weight category. Strap buttons are solid, and I would use it alone without a backup axe. It's pretty solid for a "baby"!

I haven't had to deal with Taylor yet... and I don't think I'll ever have to. Their reputation speaks for itself. Wonderful company!

I've played guitar for approx 26 years. Switched over to Bass about 5 years ago. The funny thing is... I went looking for an Ovation Celebrity Deluxe (It already had the preamp and pickups and all). The salesman asked if I had seen the Big Baby yet by Taylor. Knowing what I thought I knew about Taylor Guitars, I looked at him in awe and said, "Yea, right.. I can't afford one!" To my disbelief, he said, "I think you can afford this one" How's 329 plus tax sound? I said, "Dude, I'll take it! Install a pickup and we're there!!" Needless to say, I'm very pleased with the sound, price and playability of this jewell. Consider me sold on the Big Baby!!

Made in 2002 in the USA, 20 frets, satin-finished solid spruce top (nice!) and sapele sides which have a very nice grain. The neck is mahogany, and is bolted in through the fretboard at the 16th fret - I have never seen an acoustic made this way. Another good feature is the ebony fretboard - I'm impressed by that. Chrome tuners, nothing special but they have seemed to get the job done so far. As you probably know, the guitar is 15/16ths scale, just a tad bit smaller. This guitar doesn't have a fancy finish or inlays, but it has a simple, quality look and features, plus good woods for the price.

I am an electric player, but wanted an acoustic to play around with. Personally, I don't like huge acoustics with big boomy sounds, I find them unwieldy and am not a big fan of that kind of tone. I prefer a more defined sound. Those two factors make this guitar really appeal to me. It's nice and compact, easy to play and hold, and it has a very energetic and articulate sound. Very vibrant. I have played more expensive acoustics with tone that doesn't come close. For the price, this thing sounds damn good. People have commented on how good this sounds.

It was set up well when I got it and was easy to play, though my friend has one which has lower action than mine. But it's still good. There are no construction flaws, seems to be in perfect shape. The wood on it is very nice. Also, the guitar is very lightweight.

This guitar is very light, it does not have much of a finish on it, and it is also very thin. It's well made but I would think these factors would make it a little vulnerable. I would say with normal use it will be fine, but if there was to be an unfortunate accident it might take more damage than other guitars.

Didn't deal with them, but I think it's a lifetime warrantly, which is good. I hear Taylor is very helpful.

I have two electrics, an Ibanez RG3120 Prestige and a customized strat. I wanted an acoustic for playing at home and songwriting, and have always felt many acoustics are a pain to play - huge necks, and high action. Probably because I'm used to electrics, but anyway. This guitar feels alot closer to an electric, is very light, and for $300, sounds very impressive. Plus, it's backed up by a quality company that makes some really expensive stuff! The features they've put into this are impressive. I reccommend it.

I've now owned my bib baby for about 2 years. It came with a nifty truss rod wrench and a nice padded gig bag. It's a solid sitka spruced topped 20 fret 15/16 size body. The big baby has a very nice satin top and nice rosette as well. But there are some problems folks., The tuners are TERRIBLE. I bought the big baby expecting all Taylors to come equipped w/ Grovers, but they're no name crappy tuners. If you're a strummer, have fun re-tuning every minute. The action also is way too high. No bracing on the back whatsoever-probably how they kept the price so low, and maybe why the guitar doesn't sing that well.

The baby sounds very rich.....with new strings on it, that is. The elixirs that come with it dont show what sound they actually make with normal strings (cause most of us cant afford 13 bucks a pop for elixirs). When you string on a fresh set, they'll sound great for a few days and then get very dull. The high's are great, but don't expect any bottom end. The bass is very unsatisfying, but what do you expect from such a small guitar with no bracing?

This guitar is great to look at. Very simple. The sitka spruce top dents easily, but is nice. The set up is not great at all. The action when i got it was way to high. I thought a simple truss rod turn would do the trick, but then the strings buzzed. There's no happy medium with a fast action without string buzz. The top bracing inside was not sanded cleanly. Strap buttons are very nice and strong. Not many obvious flaws out of the box. The back wood is sapele, which is pretty sweet looking.

The area where the baby shines-durability. I wouldn't have a problem taking it to the beach or throwing it in the back of a car for a gig. Its cool to have the Taylor logo on your headstock. The strap buttons are very solid. Finish is a little chippy, but looks nice.

Very helpful-just call em up and they'll help you out. Lifetiime warranty.

I've been playing for 14 years. I own a Les Paul Custom, a Clapton Fender Strat, a taylor 714ce cedar top, and an Ibanez Artwood 500. I dont regret buying this guitar b/c its fun to dink around on sometimes, but for the cash, I would have rather gotten an Artwood-that is one INCREDIBLE line of acoustics. If you dont mind retuning a lot, and dont mind an insanely high action, then this guitar is not a bad buy. Just play it carefully before buying.

The Big Baby Taylor is put up against older Martin/Gibson/Gretsch acoustics daily...it keeps right in there. I am a record producer, and am VERY picky about starting with the right instrument before mic 1 is placed. The Baby through KM84/Coles Ribbon into a Neve 1272 is one of the coolest gtr sounds I have EVER gotten...it is not a huge sounding guitar, but that really helps out when recording...it just tracks well...and plays great...I have 3 of them now...

Played great out of the box. While at Guitar Center...I tried all the guitars, and a few high $$$ Taylors and one Martin surpassed it...but these were all in the $2000.00 range...nothing can touch this guitar at this price or even under $1000.00

Been using the Big Baby in the studio for 6+ months, and it gets played everyday, and unfortunately banged around alot...taken a few dings, due to the lack of clear coat finish..but still is ok...even fell over a bass drum and hit the base of an Atlas stand...still ok.

Taylor is VERY cool...just call em, and they will help you...I have had a 514 in the past with problems, and they were always immediately addressed.

I have been playing gtr for 5 years, and producing music for about 3...I have a lot of high end gear, matchless, soldano, fender, jerry jones, Lakeland, Vox, Neve, SSL, Studer, Telefunken, etc...the big Baby fits right in the mix. Don't believe that there is a better acoustic out there for less than $1000.00.

2002 Big baby. Nice tuners, lively top, and great sound.
I added a Fishman Natural one pickup system with endpin pre-amp.

Sounds great unamplified. Awesome amplified.
I play it unamplified and also through the fishman pickup system, through a Carvin ag100-D acoustic amp.
Lively top produces great bass and clear mids and highs.

Setup was typical factory setup, which I changed to suit my needs. I have a very low action which is great for fingestyle playing.
Guitar was made properly with no flaws that I could find.

I have used it in a couple live situations and see no problems, although the way the back is constructed worries me, but I have put electronics in five of these for other people and have never heard of a problem.

Taylor has been great when ever I had a need or question.

best bang for the buck for a solid top low end guitar.
Predictable Taylor neck feel and setup.

This is a followup review of my Big Baby I have had for about 7 months. The sound is improving and I have fallen in love with this simple yet extrordinarily elegant guitar. I have added the features I felt it needed for less than $100. Under saddle p/u, bone saddle, ebony bridge pins(free from Taylor, just call em), and ebony tuner buttons.

The sound had improved over the 7 months. I added the bone saddle, and now the guitar had much more sustain. It simply adds to the already great sound.

I added the saddle and subsequently lowered the action-a simple fix to lower the action. I also don't recommend putting mediums on this guitar. The intonation will suffer. The playability is as great as it was , or better, as the day I bought it.

I will play live with it if given the opportunity. It sounds great with the pickup. I know its not as road worthy as a all gloss finished guitar, but hey for the price of one of those that sound this good, you can buy 3 Big Babies. It is a solid guitar for what it is. It has a couple of dings in it, one on the joint of the back and side as I pulled it out of the bag and one is on the top thanks to my 2 year old and my car keys. Structurally it is quite sound though.

Taylor is a great company and will help you with anything if you ask. They treat us low end owners the same as those who buy their $3500 models. Try that with Gibson's $300 models (epiphone).

Bottom line- I have gone through a lot of guitars in the last five years since I first started and I have never kept one this long. I don't think I will ever part with this one. I love the Big Baby and think it is one of the greatest values in the guitar world today. I highly recommend it.

Ebony fretboard ??!!! need I say more !!!! Oh yeah !! Solid Top!!

I first strummed one of these "Babies" about 1 year ago and swore I'd own one "some day". I ended up buying the smaller "Baby Taylor" for my 5yr old son. I actually have found myself playing that Baby Taylor quite often just for the novelty. It lacks bottom end...but what do you expect. I found myself in the music store recently and saw the "Big Baby" hanging on the wall....picked it up and strummed it and once again was blown away by it's sonic characteristics. Very balanced tone with good volume. Sound for the price ??? I HAVE to give it a 10.

No adjustments necessary on this guitar yet. Nice smooth action, polished frets. Ebony fretboard was a bonus!!! No complaints at ALL !! The bolt on neck is a nice feature allowing the user to change the neck angle if desired.

Mine is brand new so I don't know. The "Little Baby" I purchased last year had to go back to the factory because the back and side glue joint became separated. (Of course my son had NOTHING to do with that!!!!) The Big Baby holds a tune perfectly even after a hard workout. I plan on beating this guitar to death...that's why I bought it. Yes...I will install a bridge pickup and use it live...I will record with it...and when I'm done, I'll buy another...WHY ?? 'cause this thing sounds FREAKING AWESOME !!!

Taylor didn't bat an eye when I had to send back my "other" baby...no questions asked (wheww). I really appreciate the Taylor website as well.

I have been playing for ~25 years. I own a Martin 000-1R, a Fender Strat, Gibson ES-335, several homemade Warmoth guitars, Two Taylors, an Epiphone "Chet", and a cheapo Yamaha... This BIG BABY has delivered the biggest "Bang for the Buck" of any guitar I have ever purchased. My only complaint is that the frets (not on mine but on other's) pop out of the top and bottom due to wood "shrinkage". Someone could lose a finger if they were not careful.

Same as the rest of the reviews - solid sitka spruce top, sapele laminate sides and back. The back is also bowed out - no bracing there. It has a mahogany neck and tortoise pickgard. The only real "design" feature is a laser etched soundhole - quite striking. I guess depending on your sense of style and taste in guitar design, this could either be quite boring, or just plain elegant. I love it. Nothing unexpected or really surprising here.

oooh, creamy. very balanced from top to bottom. Solid projection and volume - especially for a smaller dread. I wouldn't call the sound "bright," - I think it leans toward warm. The supplied elixer strings may have something to do with that. But I love the sound- thats why you buy a guitar right? I do however tend to get pretty heavy handed while strumming and the low E does tend to buzz just a bit in standard tuning, I just hope it doesnt buzz too much when I drop it down (tuning). I mainly play rock/indie rock/madeup-makebelieve-superstarrock. It just sounds waay better than I can play right now - feel kind of bad about my skills. I also listened to top of the line Martins, Taylors, and Takamines back to back against the baby. I was amazed. Of course the $2000 guitars sounded "better," but it wasn't as if they made the baby sound bad. Just different.

No real build flaws. It's a "players" guitar, not at all a show type piece. I looked at 4 different babys - I ended picking the most "irregular" bookmatched one. It just seemed like it had the most individuality. It also played the nicest (actually, they all played just about the same - but i did have to pick one). Finish was perfect except for the very bottom of the neck (nearest the body), it wasnt sanded as smooth as the rest of the neck, but I cant feel it while I'm playing. Action was fairly low, very easy to play (I mostly play electrics). That is probably the largest factor of why this guitar seems so addictive to play.

No idea. Only had it for a few weeks. Everything seems really solid though. Good tuners, strap buttons, etc.

no idea

Been playing for about ten years. I recently sold an Ibanez aw100 in search of another "cheap" guitar. I hated the Ibanez, weak projection, muted bass and the action was horrible. Went in to GC for some strings, bought the strings and on the way out picked up the baby, and that was it. I have never played a guitar that just felt perect in my hands - and this is as close to that feeling as I can imagine. I wouldn't hesitate at all, if I were somehow forced to buy another acoustic, to buy this again. I do wish it had a pickup in it, but I can go get one later. I also own an Gibson SG and a Hamer electric, and a Beringer amp. It doesnt exactly exceed in any one area, but put it all toghether. . . .

This is a 2002 Big Baby made in the usual place, Solid top laminated back and sides. No extras. The real feature is the Taylor quality, good tuners, and decent construction it has the soft bag et al. It's a travel instrument I keep it in the truck and don't expect a lot, or really need a lot for that. I knew what I was buying.

It has an adequate sound, respectable intonation. It isn't as good as my Simon and Patrick Pro, or really as good a full sized guitars of decent quality, but adequate for my needs. Something to strum while traveling.

Action is excellent, everything is as it should be. Taylor even goes out of the way on the back laminate to layer it so it's atractive even though it's not bound. The only real ding on this is I'd rather they'd used a clear pickguard, and wouldn't use elixers but that's personal preference.

This particular one has some scars in the wood itself. Most of them had pretty clear tops, nice straight grain, but this one just has something in the sound vs the others, so I chose it.

It's very light wait, and where it will take a whack on the sides, and even the top, the back is a bit light weight and will flex if ya whack it, so there's a bit of concern on that front.

Taylor has flawless cooperative and friendly support, couple that with a decent website, and they are as good as any and better then most.

Been playing guitar a couple years, mando a bit longer though not as much of late. Overall this is a good travel guitar, much better the any of the various asian ones I've tried at up to twice the price.

If it gets stolen I'll get another. I have never found a Taylor I didn't like, and hope tis is just the first of a few for me.

Features don't vary much. I will say that the earliest ones
came without pickguards (a bad move on a satin-top instrument.)
Mine has the pickguard, so it's good to see that Taylor figured
this out early on. Otherwise, bare-bones and utilitarian -- form
follows function.

I wanted an acoustic that would sit in a mix. My other acoustic
is a big boxy Guild, which throws off too many overtones, and
clutters the midrange. I was going to buy a Fender for about
the same price (possibly a DG23?) but the Fender sounded like
a damp fart next to this. Very clear, a slight sacrifice in
true bass, but enough to outclass other small-bodied guitars.
Very balanced sound. I record it with a Shure KSM32 for rhythm,
and a Rode NT1 for lead. The NT1 brings out all of the liveliness
of the Big Baby. Projects very well, with no boom.

Very playable, right from the store. Over a couple of months, the
action pulled up. I took the opportunity to divorce myself
permanently from the factory installed Elixirs (slippery rubber
puke-inducers) and replace them with D'Addario EXP's. The EXP's
are coated, but have a much more "bare metal" feel and tone. I
use .011's -- the Big Baby doesn't like heavier strings, as it's
a slightly fragile beast. The guitar really comes alive without
the Elixirs deadening the sound.
The neck plays like an electric, and the build quality is fine.
The inside bracing has some loose fibers hanging from it -- this
is not a Collings, after all. But short of buying some piece
of crap built be slaves in Indonesia, I'll settle for some loose
shavings, especially when the guitar sounds this good.

It's well-built, but I wonder about that neck joint. It has a
slightly "temporary" feel overall, but I think that if you
treat it a bit more gently than more robust designs, you'll
do well. I'd be very careful not to let it fall over face-first --
check those case hinges! The pickguard (not present on the
original design) is a big plus for the longevity of the satin
top. Be nice to it, and it should last well.

My regular guitar tech was a Taylor authorized
repairman, and he loves to work on Taylors, because they're
repair-friendly. As for Taylor itself, I've not dealt with
them.

I may buy a second, and set it up for DADGAD. Taylor necks are
supposed to be slightly prone to adjusting themselves (as mine
did) so subjecting one guitar to multiple tuning tensions seems
like asking for trouble. Next time I have $325 burning a hole in
my pocket, I just might grab another Big Baby, and change the
string gauges for the dropped tuning.
p.s. -- this thing sounds very nice as a slide guitar -- very
responsive and alive.

2002 - made in July. Shipped to my dealer and into my hands 3 days later.

You know the features. If not read on below...

Sounds is incredible. Lots of bass, well balanced, bright and very defined sound. I played 5 of them and they were all consistent in tone. Except the one I bought... it jumped out at me.

Well made. Taylor are the best at making consistent quality acoustic guitars.

The lack of back bracing worried me but with the warranty and the level of care I give my instruments, I have no worries.

Some say this guitar is not for performing. I say put a pickup an preamp in this baby and watch those who have spent $2000 on a high end acoustic cry.

No yet needed.

Have been playing 20 + years. Have owned Fender, Gibson, Yamaha and Ibanez. Currently have a Godin electric (best electric guitar makers in my opinion) and my 25 yearl old trusty Yamaha acoustic.

I had a 2000 Martin D-28 which sounds great. The problem was I was too afraid to bring it anywhere thus I could not enjoy it. I say an ad in the local paper for a guy looking for a Martin. I showed it and was still on the fence about selling it. I went to a local music store to get some strings and while waiting for the sales guy to get freed up, I picked up this plain looking Taylor. An hour later my wife was calling me on the cell phone wondering where I was. I was really blown away with the sound. This is by far the best $500 acoustic guitar you can buy and it blows away a significant amount of guitars over twice that! I sold the Martin and bought the Big Baby. I have much more enjoyment playing this.

This is about as basic as basic can be. That's the beauty of this gem.
Spruce top, great neck, pretty good tuning machines. Ebony fretboard. Adjustable truss rod with wench. Nice custom fit gig bag. One of the best acoustic necks out there. I'm giving it a 10 because the simplicity is outstanding.(see overall rating section for comments)

The sound is nice and lively. Bright but not too jangle like. Kinda reminds me of that bouncy 12 string sound.

Very good finish, action & playability. played great out of the box. I made a few adjustments for my particular taste. I still cant believe how reasonably priced these are.

As with any guitar, this will hold its own in terms of quality. Proper care and feeding, this will be fine in the long run.

n/a

Here's how it started, I have a ton of stuff, les pauls & soldano amps is my setup. I wanted a guitar to take to the park. I looked at several, Ibanez,Seagull,washburn and the lower end martins. I was really impressed with the playability. What a great neck!! Its light and smart looking. I also looked at some other crap that you couldn't even tune. This guitar has great harmonics and could be harmonically tuned right out of the box. No fancy abalone toilet seat inlays here, just a great playing guitar that plays like one that costs 3 times as much. It lacks a little bottom end, I can live with that. Overall, I still cant believe the quality and price. I've been playing electric for 26 years & although I've had several acoustics, gibson, takamine & alvarez, I never really play acoustics alot. Thats changed, I can't put this down...Also comes with one of the better gig bags I've seen. I'm generally not a gig bag dude, this one is nice.

Solid Spruce Top. Laminated Sides and Back.

Sounds quite nice for a skin and bones guitar. This guitar is meant to be someones very first guitar or in my case a travel guitar. This is not a guitar for someone to perform with by any means. If that is what you are looking for, sorry.

It is a Taylor, therefore the action is VERY GOOD. The guitar does have an adjustable truss rod, but it comes out of the box very easy to play.

This guitar is not meant to stand the test of time. Like I said earlier, it is meant for an entry level guitar for a beginner or to be used as a travel guitar.

I was looking for a travel guitar and did not want a dinky martin backpacker. This guitar puts any other travel guitar to shame. It is very well built and the action is great. I purchased the gig bag for this guitar which is also very nice. The gig bag is better than any other gig bag I have ever seen.

This guitar is Spartan on features to say the least. With that being said, it does however feature an Ebony fingerboard and bridge, a mahogany neck and a solid Spruce top. The sides and back are laminate and there is no bracing on the back. The Elixer strings wre a nice bonus. Comes with a rather nice monogrammed Taylor Gig bag.

I had a budget of $500 so I knew I wasn't getting a Martin, full size Taylor or any other solid wood American made guitar. I read about the Big baby and decided to give it a try. The local shop had 2 of them and I played them both. From the first time I strummed a chord I knew it was a bargain at $299. The man showed me several guitars that looked fancy, but sounded dead as a door nail. For its size it has a nice brilliant sound. Of course not as deep as full size Dreadnoughts, but I was pleasantly surprised. I mainly fingerpick and strum. it is louder than I expected.

The action was right on from the store. The ebony fingerboard and mahogany neck are a pleasure to play. I had my choice of 2 so I chose the best looking Spruce top because they both sounded fine. Nothing loose, rattling or buzzing.

It is meant to be a throw around, take camping, play antwhere, affordable guitar. With a Satin finish and no binding I imagine it will get nicked up, but it seems solid enough to last a good while.

No problems thus far. I expect Taylor is top-noth for customer service.

I've been playing quite a few years and have had 2 Yairis, an ancient Harmony, a 12 string Alvarez and a few electrics. The Yairis were very nice, but sounded best with new strings. This Taylor has that bright Taylor sound that I really like. This is not a cheap little plywood guitar. It may lack abalone, pearl, herringbone, solid rosewood and a fancy finish, but overall it's a tremendous bargain at this price.

standard no frills Big Baby, 2002, solid top, no electronics. I'll give a 9 for features because it has everything an acoustic needs. Woould have been a 10 but would have liked to see some Grover tuning pegs.

Souunds Great. Very bright. Only negatives are: it's a bit thin sounding, not too much bass, and slight buzzing on the low E sting near the 7th fret. Tuning down to low D doesn't have the balls a normal sized acoustic does, but that's too be expected w/ a guitar of this size.

This is why I bought the guitar. It feels great. Action is perfect, neck is perfect thickness - on the thinner side and the unglossed mohagany back is sweet. This guitar is for playing. This is my first acoustic after like 14 years of playing. I never liked acoustics much because they often have high action and are difficult to play. Not that I'm a wuss (I play w/ 11's on my Fender Strat), but I just never got into acoustics. This guitar changed that mental block of mine the second I picked it up! Playing should be fun and enjoyable, with the Big Baby it is.

I don't know, I'm not worried.

dunno, hope not to.

This guitar is bringing me out of a 2 year hiatus from playing. I couldn't be more excited about playing due to this guitar. I actually initially purchased an Ibanez AW (which I did like very much) and was back in Guitar Center 2 days after my purchase to exchange the guitar for another Ibanez AW w/ a mohagany finish. I was having trouble deciding between the two and asked a kid who was playing his opinion. He put down the Big Baby he was playing and obliged me. He gave his opinion but asked, "have you tried this?" gesturing towards the Big Baby. I said no, but thanks, and went back to my Ibanez dilemma. When he left I tried the Big Baby. That was it, my dilemma was over. I wanted the Big Baby!

2002 20 Fret, u know the stats.
Great gig bag.

Beautiful sound, no apparent buzzing. However, the bass was not very deep. Finger picking was dreamy, especially with the Elixir's!

Great set up, amazing feel. Seems fragile, im scared of people picking it up by the neck in my dorm room. Hope it can withstand the bumps it will take

Seems really light, I have babied mine so far. Only had it a week, so who knows, but if i get 3-4 yrs out of it ill be more that happy.

No clue. But Taylor seems to be the Cadillac of acoustics.

Been playing 6 months, started out with and Alvarez RD10, and sold it in order to buy this one. The guy at Guitar center said give this a try, so i did, and i was blown away, u really should pick one up, if u do, u will buy it! I play a large variety, jack johnson, neil young, weezer, nirvana, sounds great for most. I noticed that my wrist has been getting sore from playing, perhaps a side effect of the thin neck, but probabaly bc i havent been able to set it down!

Made in the good ole USA, paid $319 for it with a good quality gig bag. New from Guitar Center, I played 30 guitars and took home an Ovation Celebrity. Two days later the simple looking Taylor Big Baby made me drive 180 miles back to Guitar center to return the Ovation and get guitar that I couldn't quit thinking about.

This guitar sounds better than others costing 3 times as much. It's a bright sounding guitar that has a good full sound.

The action is awsome (reminds me of my old Les Paul) and it was setup perfect from the factory. Not a flaw anywhere on this one. But it does look simple. Once you pick one of these up good luck trying to put it down.

This guitar with proper care should last a goodlong time, I might replace the tuners with some Grovers, but ones that came on it do work fine. The strap buttons are attached well, and I would depend on this guitar to hold it's own on any stage.

Haven't had to deal with them, but the website has tons of information on care and maintenance.

I have been playing since I was 8 years old now 34, I own a Fender hotrod p-bass, Aria Integra bass, Ampeg SVT stack with SWR bass 350 head, and Two violins. Over the years I have owned many guitars. This one is a keeper. Its a very fun and enjoyable guitar, I wish these where around when I first started playing.

My BB was made in 2001. Solid top, laminated sides and back with a satin finish. It's not the type of guitar that pulls you toward it with come hither looks. Mine has a pickguard and came with a Taylor gigbag. I used to think it's kinda dull looking but my Wife said she thinks it has a certain beauty in it's simplicity--I now see it that way.

I would rate this a 15 if I could. I mainly play fingerstyle and it shines. I have been playing for about 25 years and it's the best I have played. I still have my tried and true Yamaha FG325 that will always have a special place in my heart. Honestly, when I would go to music stores and play the guitars-I couldn't hear a huge sound difference for the money. But with the Big Baby the quality of sound to price ratio is insane. Bob Taylor is a genius!!If I was Martin guitars I could not sleep at night. I was reading that Bob Taylor's favorite guitars he makes are the 514 and the Big Baby.

Wood is simple and beautiful--everything nice--It even smells good!!!
When not playing it --I stare at it and feel very proud it is a Taylor..

To be honest this guitar does not strike me as a battle axe like a Les Paul but everything is solid and it's a Taylor which gives me a sense of peace.

I e-mailed Taylor a couple of times and they answered me in a couple of days

I also own a Gibson Les Paul Studio, a Gold Star banjo, a flatiron mandolin and a Peavey Wolfgang Special Flame. I feel the Big Baby fits right there with these. I do wish a hard shell case was an option with the Big Baby. This guitar is such a value -they should have a picture of it in the dictionary next to value.....
I mainly play Fahey,Kottke stuff and it does great.

You all know these by now... satin finish, bolt on neck, etc... this is a 2002 model. I just wish thet would come out with the other finishes like the baby has. Great gig bag, incomparable to any other in price range.

Great sound, if a little lacking in bass. I was also looking at the Martin countertops models(DX1). Thet were too boomy without a balanced mid and treble. The BB has a great bright, balanced sound. The best sound/quality mix in its price class. Defitintly loud enough.

Perfect finish. I had two to choose from, and picked the better of the two. The neck is as straight as it can be. the fretboard and bridge are perfect.

Seems thin and light, but should do fine in its application. As with anything, if you take care of it, it will take care of you.

I bought this from a dealer who was getting rid of all their taylors because they couldn't afford to stock their stuff anymore. They told me if I had a repair need, they could still address it. I trust Taylor to help me as well.

The best guitar in it price range by far. If you are looking for wall candy, this isn't for you. Go out and buy a Epi or Dean and let it hang on the wall. But if you want to spend $300-$400, and get a quality made in the USA guitar that plays and sounds AWESOME, buy this one. Once you play one of these, you will be left wanting one, I guarantee.

An excellent, I mean EXCELLENT 2001 dreadnought model. It has a solid sitka spruce top and laminated sapele back and sides, a tropical american mahogany neck and a satin finish. The neck is smooth and really comfortable. No electronics installed but hey, who cares? Although it's only 15/16 the size of a standard guitar, it sounds great unplugged! It also comes with a radical gig bag.

No acoustic guitar with a similar price range and size comes anywhere close to this Taylor Guitar. Its amazing how it produces a very bright and crisp sound even though the body has only a depth of 4 inches. Personally I play lots of rhythm at the same time I'm working on fingerstyling and this guitar doesn't seem to limit me at all. Absolutely stunning!

I think the action of this guitar has done a pretty good job. And the overall workmanship of it is nearly picture perfect.

I trust that it'll last, after all, it is a Taylor.

I've been playing the guitar for nearly 5 year now but only recently have I've got serious about the acoustic guitar and this constant craving to play like the pros. Some of my personal favourites and influences include Doyle Dykes, Laurence Juber and Tommy Emmanuel. I bought my big baby a year ago and since then I've not turned back. This is my first 'serious' acoustic guitar. What I love most about this guitar is that I'm paying so little for such a great sounding instrument. It can definitely compete with other acoustic guitars 4 times the price! I've grown very fond of my big baby taylor and if i had lost it, you can be sure I'll buy the same guitar as a replacement the very next day.

No need for me to reiterate the features. The only things that are noteworthy are the (1) the satin finish (which can be noisy as you hand brushes against it), (2) the bolt on neck--which I think is brilliant since there is (apparently) no downside to not having a heel and you get extra fret access and (3) the ebony fingerboard which is lovely--much slicker than rosewood and looks better too. All guitars should have ebony fingerboards but it adds about $10 to the cost so I guess we shouldn't hold our breath.

Remarkable. I heard someone playing one of these and when I found out it was $320 I bought one the next day. The only thing that separates it from a really good Guild or expensive Taylor is that its not as loud--and in an apartment, that's a plus. If you follow the rule that the fancier the guitar is, the worse it sounds you can see just how good the Big Baby is.

Being a 15/16ths sized guitar I suppose the neck is scaled down just a bit, too. I think its perfect. Thin, fast and I can hit most of my Allan Holdsworth chords without much difficulty.

Seems very solid. Heck, if you were to break the neck, just unscrew it. Leo Fender be praised. The tuning pegs are surprisingly good, too.

Can't think of a reason to call.

I'm not sure why this matters but I've been playing since 1966. If you are seeking a DDL guitar (doctor/dentist/lawyer) the lack of frills on the BB will be a concern. There are no inlays, no 10 tops, no flamed Bubinga wood. It ain't jewelry. And I do wish the guitar had a gloss finish. Other than that, I adore the guitar. If you play well, people will be doubly impressed that such a simple guitar can sound so good.

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.