Taylor Guitars Big Baby

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

Perfect.

Only brand new!

N/A

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

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

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

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

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

Web site is great. Email is fast.

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

You have heard it all before in other reviews

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

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

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

So far, so good

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

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

see website for all features

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

packed with features for the money

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

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

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

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

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

great full mid sound.....

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

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

nice quality guitar for the money

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

N/A

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Made in 2000,(Model 306GB). 15/16 scale dreadnaught, solid spruce top and laminated Sapele sides and back. Scalloped Bracing. Standard-size 20 fret neck. Arched Back is glued to the sides without kerfing. Has satin finish, Ebony fretboard and Ebony bridge. The nut and saddle is micarta and the end pins are plastic. Neck is bolted on from top (through the fretboard); the Phillips head screws are visible. Has a chrome plated strap button instead of an end pin and an extra strap button where the neck meets the body. Tuners look imported, but solid and they hold the guitar in tune. No heel on the neck which actually gives you access to about two extra frets. Very nice gig bag included.

Has a nice full tone for its size, with a warmer low end than many full-size guitars. It has a nice clean, bright sound. Sounds much better than other guitars that cost even more. Pretty good intonation with clear overtones. Amazing sustain. Sounds close, though not as good, to a Taylor x14 size guitar.

Pretty good action from the factory, I lowered the saddle about 0.007" and adjusted the truss rod to my liking and it plays like an electric now. Fit was good. Satin finish is OK (rember, it's a cheap guitar). Bookmatching was not fantastic but then again it was $290 with a good gig bag.

Hardware seems ok. Strap buttons are solid. Finnish is satin and thin. The guitar is extremely light and the back glued directly to the sides might not withstand the test of time.

Asked for a pickguard and they sent me one free. I e-mailed them a question about the gig bag and they replied in 24 hours. One year warranty. I also own a Martin and I sense that Taylor's customer support is just as good as Martin's.

I have been playing for 5 years. I also own a Martin HD-28 and an Ovation Legend. This is the best guitar for the money that I have found. I love the ebony finger board and bright sound.

You can find info on features elsewhere. The features are very minimalistic, but that is more my style anyway. It has all I need including pearloid dots on the fretboard which helps while playing in open tuning.

It has an outstanding sound, far superior to other guitars that I tried in the price range. The tone is well balanced between the lows and highs. It has a cheery bright sound which I understand is characteristic of Taylor guitars.

There are some blemishes in the wood used for the sound board (Top). The grain near the sound hole waves in an interesting way and causes a neat affect when the light hits it. I think that the "blemish" adds to the character and gives it a sound that is somewhat unique to my guitar. There was another Big Baby in the store where I purchased mine that had a more flawless grain pattern, though they sounded almost the same, I feel the one I chose had a unique ring to it. The action is great, though when I changed the strings the first time, the action dropped down to the fretboard. Perhaps there was a heavier gadge used before. I simply adjusted the rod and have had no other problems with the action after subsequent string changes. The Finish could be improoved (ie: Bolt on neck) Still, I'd rather keep it as is and keep the price down. It is nothing major.

The guitar looks Fragile, but sofar has withstood a beating. It has been dropped and knocked around a bit. I purchaced it almost 3 months ago and have played it just about every day for a couple of hours or so at a time. I have almost exclusively used a pick and dispite no pick guard, the top has not worne at all. I think that it will last. I recently bought a Fishman soundhole pickup for it and it performs like a champ connected to a Crate CA30D Accoustic guitar amp. I would have no problem playing it in Coffee shop gigs or open mics.

Never needed it. Hope I never do.

If it were lost or stolen I think that I'd definately get another. I love the simplicity about it. There is no trim or decoration on it other than a Lazer etched soundhole design, but I never much liked extravigance anyway. I play mostly folk music and enjoy the plane look of the guitar.

2000 Year Model Taylor Big Baby. Made in USA.
20 Frets, Solid Spruce Top, Sapelle Veneer back and sides.
Mahogany Neck. Satin Finish, 14/15 Sized Dreadnaught.
Grover tuners (although they don't say Taylor or anything on them).
25.5 Inch Scale. Ebony Fretboard. My Big Baby happens to come with a nice pickguard! Comes with nice Taylor Deluxe Gig Bag, warranty
card, some literature, and a neat little truss rod adjusting tool.

My ratings for this guitar are based on comparisons with other
guitars in it's price range or approximate size, to be fair. So
keep in mind that when you see a 9 or a 10 rating, it is relative
to another sub-400 guitar or an OM sized instrument.

The sound is bright. A bit brighter than the regular Taylors.
Makes an excellent fingerpicking guitar and a good strumming guitar.
The highs are a tad thin due to the size of the instrument, and the
lows are a bit lightweight, also due to the size of the instrument.
I would say it compares favorably to a Seagull dreadnaught.
This guitar sounds better than any other sub-$400 guitar that I've
ever heard. The Seagull comes close, and it would be a toss-up.
Considering it's size and price, this guitar produces amazing
sound. I would say its balance and sound is closest to that of
an OM sized guitar.

Set-up from factory was excellent. Low and easy action with no
fret buzz unless you try to strum very hard. Top was bookmatched
very well, and bridge was properly routed. The fit and finish
were a weak point, since Taylor chose to focus on the sound,
feel, and playability, and keep the cost down. The fretwork
is excellent, the neck is smooth and straight. The only thing
that fell short is in the polish department... it could have used
more polish. But for $329 w/ nice gig bag and ebony fretboard, Taylor
sound and playability, and solid sitka spruce top, it is hard to fault Taylor for lack of polish.

I think this guitar could withstand live playing especially
since only the top is solid wood, and the rest of the body
is sapelle veneer. The hardware looks to be top-notch
and should last. The satin finish appears to be durable and
well applied. The strap buttons are solid. I think I could
depend on this guitar, but not sure about gigging with it
without a backup. You should almost always have a backup with
any guitar IMO. And as I stated earlier, my Big Baby came with
a nice pickguard. Looks like Taylor has been listening to customers
and decided to add one!

I've dealt with Taylor before, and they've been very responsive.
Unlike my terrible experience with Larrivee customer service, which
was poor to say the least. I've not dealt with Taylor for warranty
issues, but Taylor has an excellent reputation and I don't think
their customer support is an issue. The warranty is for one year.
I'm giving it a 9 here only because I've not dealt with them for
warranty issues so I can't rate it.

The dealer just received a shipment of two of these Big Babys
the day they were to ship mine, so they didn't even open it,
slapped a mailing label on it and shipped it to me. It came in
it's original Taylor box with plastic wrap on the guitar inside.
It arrived in excellent condition, and I am the first person out
of the factory to play it.

I love the taylor playability - excellent neck feel and low action.
The simplicity in construction and appointments on this guitar is
attractive in a modest way. The gig bag is a quality bag with good
padding, and a nice big front pocket with the Taylor logo on it.
The weak points of this guitar is that the highs are a bit thin,
the bass isn't as strong as a full-sized dreadnaught, and the fit
and finish could use some polishing. But as I said earlier, given the
size of the guitar is 15/16 the size of a regular dreadnaught, and
the fact that it's $329, I can understand these shortcomings.

This is a New 2000, California-made Big Baby Taylor (Model 306GB).
The guitar is a 15/16 scale steel-string, flat top, dreadnaught with solid spruce top and laminated mahogany sides and back. It Handles like a grand auditorium size guitar. The guitar features a standard-size 20 fret neck which is bolted onto the body through the fretboard. The neck is a new Taylor design. Both fretboard and bridge are constructed from ebomy. The guitar comes with Elixar strings. It is an acoustic instrument, but the soundhole is standard and can accomodate my Dean Markley and "Snarling Dog" soundhole pickups.

This has quickly become one of my two favorites (the other is a Gibson WM 45). The sound is very accurate and balanced throughout its frequency range. The bass is tight, but not extended. The midrange and high-end frequencies are very smooth and pleasant. This is a very easy guitar to play as the neck is a new design with low action. It seems to form a continouus contact with the body of the guitar. I have not heard any guitar under $1,000. that I would choose over this instrument. This is a real "best buy" in acoustic guitars and will encourage me to sell some of my lesser holdings and expand into the Taylor line.

I prefer country, soft rock, classical and Jazz. The Big Baby performs in all areas but excels with folk, accoustic rock
and country.

The Big Babies which I selected from were all slightly different in appearance. The guitar looks very simple and only adorned by an etched soundhole rossette. The top of my guitar had several "scallops" in the grain and I thought it gave it character and a hand-made appearance. The top, sides and back are joined without any purfing. The guitar does have some minor finish flaws which add to the hand-made look. They do not concern me at all.

This instrument appears to be very solid and reliable. It is very light though and this adds to its ease of handling and playing.

The Big Baby has a one year warranty. I experienced excellent web site support and fast response. The warranty really merits a rating of 4. Customer support and communications would be a 10.

I would immediately replace this guitar if I lost it. I used to play in rock and folk groups years ago (many years ago) and I recently started playing again. Taylor could make an A/E version and use Koa laminate and provide a hard shell case for under another $300.00. I
would love the opportunity to buy an enhanced Big Baby. The gig bag that comes with the Big Baby offers a lot of protection and is truly a deluxe bag, but it could have been a little bigger for an easier fit.

This is a 15/16 size dreadnought with a solid spruce top. It has a nice satin finish. You can read more about the features of this guitar elsewhere. Bottom line, this is a Taylor and features high quality parts throughout.

The Baby Taylor has a nice full tone given its size. In fact, it has a warmer low end that many full-size guitars for more money. It has a nice clean, bright sound - great for cutting through a mix in the recording studio (very little EQ needed). I compared this side by side with a Tacoma DM-10 (another great guitar for the money) and found the tone very similar, although the Tacoma had a fuller low end (and a much higher price tag).

Very well set up. Nice even action all the way up the neck. No flaws at all. Great!

There is no pick guard which may be a problem for me over time given my playing style (we'll see). It is very light, but given Taylor's record I have no doubt that this guitar will be great for years to come.

This is by far the best guitar for the money - period. If I had another $200 I would have picked up a Tacoma DM-10, but for less than $300 the Baby Taylor cannot be beat.

USA made, ebony bridge and fretboard.....this really is a simple looking guitar with no pickguard or edging but personally I love the look. I was lucky and got one with beautifully textured and naturally marked wood.

I was really impressed by the sound of the Big Baby, it really is amazing for the price. I tested it out against a number of more expensive guitars including a Yamaha and it blew them all away. It's just so bright and loud and really does project amazingly for its size. Using a pick or fingers the sound is distinct and confident....excellent

My Big Baby came with Elixier gore coated strings which are very pricy but great sounding and lovely to play. Action is excellent, just right and the neck is slim and fast with no blemishes. It was the feel of the Taylor which also sold me. Compared to others at a similar price it is just so great to play. While trying it out I could hardly put it down...so fun. There were no faults with my Big Baby...I love it.

The Big Baby is noticeably very light when picked up but it feels solid and inspiring when played. Taylor have obviously had to scrimp on some of the construction methods (such as bolt on neck etc) so this could have conatations in the long run (i've only had mine a week so I can't really say). Overall though, it feels pretty solid

Can't really haven't had any problems yet (fingers crossed).

I've been playing about 5 years now and play mainly electric (I have a USA Tele which is my other true love). The BB is my first steel string acoustic and it's really got me into acoustic playing....my favourite feature is most definately the sound. At this price it's amazing.

Heaven - USA made, Ebony skillfully crafted fretboard and frets, Solid top - honestly, feature wise it is an acoustic guitar, no big surprises in its features. A sweet slim neck. Its important feature is its magnificance - if feels, and sounds and plays wonderfully, like a Taylor, and nothing else compares.

It sounds great, articulate, powerful, -sweet. Sounds like a Taylor!!!!!!

Perfect, neck and fretboard are very clean, comfortable and easily set. Plays like a Taylor!!!!!!!!!111

Well made, I have had the smaller baby taylor for 5 years and it has withstood international trips, motorcycle rides and parties - still plays, looks and sounds sweet.

I called for advice on what pickup to buy and received a real live and helpful person. This is an extremely cheap / inexpensive guitar, I think a high level of customer support is unreasonable but am very confident I would receive any important support I need. The guitar came with care info and names and numbers to call - but hey, it is an acoustic, not a laptop.

I have played for 20 years, mainly an electric player - tube amps only, and custom strats (warmouth's generally) and an occasionally played Les Paul (too heavy, not as comfortable as a strat). I do not mess around when it comes to equipment and this is why I buy a Taylor. I have owned tons of Yamaha acoustics, Ovations, sold and played Guild, Martin, Takamine, Laravee. Taylor is my favorite, Laravee and Martin nice alternatives - but of course this is the only one under $700. It is heaven, and it will not be sold, if necessary it will be replaced, but not willingly parted with. Freaking excellent. 10 out of 10.

New 2000 model with solid spruce top and laminated sapele sides and back. Auditorium sized (15/16th) dreadnought style. Bolt on neck. Sapele neck with ebony fretboard and ebony bridge. Regular scale neck. Sealed Grover type tuners. Includes well padded gig bag. Fishman and LR Baggs pickups available but not included with my model.

Brilliant, articulate full sound for such a small bodied guitar. A fingerpickers dream. Resonates exceptionally well. Excellent intonation. Clear overtones.

Satin finished. Bookmatched top. Cut joining body and neck could be finished better. Hole for truss rod adjustment was a little rough. Set up was perfect. Action ideal for both strumming and fingerpicking. The bolts for the neck should have wooden caps and not be visible. This is the only hint that it is a "cheaper" guitar.
I do have a concern about the bolt exposure and the potential for rust on the hardware especially here in Florida.

The Big Baby Taylor is a light guitar that plays strong, however, I would really "baby" it. It is definitely not a bang up type guitar. At any rate, it still projects quality and the sound definitely is superior to all of the guitars in its class and most dreadnoughts, period. I cant believe such a small guitar can have so much going for it. I would definitely replace it if lost or stolen. I beleve it will be harder for me to pay another $1500 or more for a full size Taylor. The tone is definitely in the Big Baby!!!

No experience yet.

I have been playing for about 35 years and have owned real close to 50 guitars. MY other acoustics are a 1977 Martin D-35, a LoPrinzi DM12 and a Peavey SJ60 acoustic/electric. The Big Baby shines among this company and is way louder than I ever expected. I did not really need another guitar, but when I heard the Big Baby and then played it myself with some fingerpicking, I immediately bought it. You just cant find a guitar that sounds this good anymore without investing a great deal of money. It clearly is the best guitar for the money in the world. Look out Martin X Series. You are in trouble now!!!

Brand new. Found it at Kincaid Music in Springfield Ohio.

Mahogony back and sides, Spruce top.

Noticed the back is glued to the side, with no perfing, I think it's called. Just glue.
Guitar works great and sounds awesome. Top is lively.

Sound is amazing. The bass and midrange is great. SOunds way better than other less expensive guitars I have.

Set up was ok for a strummer, but I play finger styler, so I lowered the nut fret some and adjusted the truss rod to my liking and it plays exactly like my 514-ce now.
Top is perfect. It looks like one piece unless you look very close.

No flaws and no problems at all so far.

it is a great work guitar, but I suspect it is about as fragile as any light acoustic. Nut fret, fretboard and bridge saddle are all substantial.
I think it will hold up fine.

Taylor has been great to me when I needed something and the dealer was great.

Been playing for 40 + years. Have several guitars including 4 acoustics.
I would buy another one, if lost, or at least another taylor.

The only other guitar in the price range that interested me was a couple Larrivee's that I tried, but they cost more.

Made 2000 in USA/ 14 frets to body/scale length 25 1/2 inches Solid spruce top/laminated mohogany back and sides/ arched back so that back bracing is not needed/ ebony fretboard and bridge/ Mohogany neck/ chrome tuners/ delux gig bag included. Odd looking bolted on neck, but it seems very strong.

Sound is bright and has excellent sustain. I tried to compare it to a
414, but since it is another body style that is an unfair comparison.
Decision: Very good for price range, better than Martin X series with solid top and for hundreds less.

Action feels slightly higher than my 414, but looks about the same. Very good action. Fit was good. Finish was average.Bookmatching of top was not great, and there was an odd sworl to the grain of the left side. It looks like Taylor is using the wood rejected for its top line guitars. May be a good thing! You get great sounding wood if you give up high end finish. some finish blemishes on back. New set of Elixors is alway a good start.

The guitar was for my son. When we picked it up, he sad it felt small, yet it is comparable to his concert size Yamaha. I think it was the difference in weight that surprised him. It is very light, like some of the high end guitars that you pick up. It seems stought enough, and since the small Baby Taylors have held up I expect this will also.

Extremely helpful and friendly. Buttttt! This is the first time I have felt let down by Taylor. I prepaid for this guitar months ago, before the Summer Namm. Their PR was that they would be shipping in August, but we just received this one in the Middle of October. When quizzed on where was guitar and why it had not shipped since my dealer had in the order since I first talked to him last winter/spring, someone at Taylor said they were being shipped "randomly". Later I got an email from the area rep who said that the order would ship Oct 5. It was finally shipped Oct 12 and received Oct 17. It took a Herculean effort by my dealer to get it to us that day from his main store to the branch in a nearby town, so my son could return to college with it. Bottom line: Taylor has always been the best with Customer Support/email/webpage, etc. It looks like this is going to be a winner for them and they cannot get production up after creating big demand for a good product at a very good value. Still--"random order shipping priorities"??? On the upside they did send a pickguard I requested by email ten days before my dealer received the guitar, so I guess customer support is still great, while dealer support, shipping, and production is lousy.

Great guitar for the price! Ebony Neck and Bridge for under $500! A great second guitar with a sweet sound and very good action. If not the fit & finish and sound of a $1700 Taylor it is still better than most anything else for 1/4 that price. I really like Martin's X series, but for almost $200 less and a gig bag and an ebony fretboard and bridge and a solid wood top the Talor Big Baby is hands down a better value. I would go ahead and put the pick guard on at the factory, cause people are going to use a pick on this size quitar. I would prefer a 1 and 3/4 inch neck at fret over the 1 and 11/16, but that is a personal prejudice since I think that this is a good guitar that would sound good for fingerstyle playing. I would make the neck bracing look more like a traditional guitar, even though I know Taylor has said this is quite strong enough. I would use the same tecnology, but make it look more like the bolt on necks of the expensive Taylors. This just seems to float in space. The drywall screws in the fretboard look tacky. First comment from My son "What's with these?" I would like to have several of these to keep at work and home etc. to pick around on and give to my kids, but if lost I probably would not immediately replace it, not that I would not want to, but that my son still can play his Yamaha. Overall a great value for student guitar or second guitar.