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.

Taylor Big Baby, made in 2004 in California. Stunning ebony fingerboard with a gorgeous blond streak through it. Ebony none-more-black bridge. Has the typical Taylor scratchplate. Other than that, the features are all listed below. Came with an impressive gig bag. Basic features, but the gig bag makes it an 8

I bought this guitar blind, although I'd never ONCE heard a bad thing about the Big Babys from people whos opinion I respect. When I got it, the first thing that struck me was the lack of bottom end, which tok a lot of the thrill out of my new guitar. Then I stopped thumbing the E string and played a song, and I fell in love. I do a lot of stumming, but I favour finger picking, and this guitar is perfect for both. I don't even notice the lack of bottom end any more. Beautiful tone out of this specimen. I can't really complain about the sound, as I love it. Can get quite a lot of volume out of it too, which surprised me.

Action isn't too low, not too high. Just right! Everything is fit together very nicely, although there's a bit of residual glue where the 'heel' of the neck meets the body (I'm nit-picking). It's a bolt on, so there isn't a heel as such. The spruce top has a knot in it that adds a lot of character. Lovely neck on it. Actually, lovely is a word that I use a lot when describing this guitar to people.

The guitar is very light, and the top is quite fragile. I'm going to treat this guitar very carefully (no playing it at parties!). So long as I don't mistreat it, I fully expect to pass this guitar on to my kids, assuming I ever have any. It seems to stay in tune fairly well, but I'd imagine its fairly susceptible to atmospheric change.

I've only had it for two (glorious) weeks, so I can't say much about reliability.

No idea, but they're supposed to be very good (so long as you live in the US, which I don't). One thing that has to be said is that they take pride in every single guitar they put out. Buy a Taylor, and you're pretty much gauranteed a great guitar.

I've been playing 4 years (flunked a year of uni because I spent the whole year in my room learning guitar). I've got a Pacifica, US Deluxe Strat and a crappy Johnson semi (Don't know what possessed me to buy this). I've played one guitar better than this, a fairly high-end Takamine. This guitar screams "QUALITY" very loudly. I wouldn't change a thing on it. If it were lost, I'd get another one as soon as the mourning period was over. If stolen, I'd catch the bollix and do unspeakable things to him. On the strength of this guitar, the next time I upgrade, Taylor will be top of my list. I am very happy with this guitar. I can't stress that enough. There's great high register access, and the tone is fantastic all over the fingerboard. Can't congratulate Taylor enough. Lovely.

2004 Big Baby,20 frets, solid spruce top, sapele laminate sides and top,satin finish,african mahoghany neck,ebony fretboard and bridge,tusq saddle and nut,gig bag included, no electronics

Has a tinny, thin sound, like a cheap acoustic, frets buzz, light gauge elixor strings, low action, but not low enough to cause all of the buzzing

nut looks good, saddle looks cheap, low quality spruce top, arched laminate back. No flaws, just the way guitar is made, fret work looks real good ,but produces buzzing and poor quality sound,

Would not use one, turned it down, after I ordered it, too tinny sounding, poor intonation

no

25 years playing, own nothing now, have had Martin D-16, 59 Telecaster,76 Gibson Les Paul, 96 Fender DG20S - You could not give me this guitar and I love most Taylors, spent about an hour in the store trying to get it in tune

Made in CA in September 2004, and bought it in November 2004. I guess you all know the features of this guitar. Solid top, very impressive gig bag, ebony fretboard and bridge, Sapele laminated back and side, 15/16 sized body, no back bracing, and etc...

I have to admit that its low-end bottom sound is really weak compare to a full sized dread guitar, and I don't agree that it sounds much better than most >$1,000 guitars on the market. However, it sounds rich and warm that fills the air in an apartment, and has absolute 'Taylor tone' - very clean crisp airy sound. To my ear, it is very unique treble sounding guitar. If you really want a full dread sound guitar, get the 110 which is the best bang for the buck. After playing about 15 Big Babies and several 110s, I found 110 has richer and fuller sound with more projection of bass. But BB has its own sound which I really like.

Factory setup is perfect for me. Much better than that of Martin's. It is quite bookmatched on top and back, and almost no flaw except some excessive glue residue inside the soundhole. Tuners are good enough, but not that stable after hard strumming. I think I got a pretty well made Big Baby. On the other hand, I have seen many poor made entry level Taylors on local shops.

It doesn't look like to withstand hard road playing. Strap buttons are solid, hardware(tuners?) is OK... I don't know I can depend on it on a gig - FYI, I have never been on a gig so far :-)

Heard good things about Taylor customer services. Never dealt with them though.

I have played guitars for 20 years, but still playing like a highschool band's guitarist (no offense there). If it were stolen, I will definetly buy another. I really like its crisp sound, small size body (15/16), action and playing ability, Ibanez electric guitars like neck ... to make it one word: simplicity!!! Laser etched rossette, no binding, solid spruce top, circle sticker inside the body, and very well matched pickguard. I really don't like one thing: two wall screws on the 16th fret, but I got used to ignore it and it doesn't bother me to play this guitar. For the price, I would recommend this guitar to everyone even if they already have a D-45, Larrivee collector's edition, Collings, Taylor 9xx series, or Asian made cheap plywood guitars. If you find a well made BB and the BB sounds just as good as other more priced Taylors, just buy one. You will not be disappointed! I am not a big fan of Taylor guitars, but it is a real gem even if you had paid the full list price of $548.

2004 model. Made in El Cajon, California. 20 frets, pearloid dot fret markers. Solid Sitka Spruce top, Tropical American Mahogany laminated back and sides, Ebony fingerboard and bridge, and the headstock is made from East Indian Rosewood. Turtoise pickguard, standard stock Taylor tuners. Came with a deluxe padded gig bag, which was nice.

The only things I wish it had were a preamp and a cutaway. Otherwise, it's a top-notch instrument with a puny price tag.

I play fingerstyle, acoustic rock, and worship tunes with this thing. It sounds great for what I use it for.

The sound is breathtaking. Full, round, thick, chiming chords sound just like a Grand Piano. In my opinion, this is what every acoustic should sound like -- a nice, bottom-heavy, even-layered Grand Piano. Lead sounds good too, and fingerstylists and flat pickers will absolutely LOVE this instrument. It sounds great on everything...heavy acoustic rock, melodic chord progressions, hot licks, Blues in E minor, everything.

The Solid Sitka Spruce top gives the guitar that traditional Taylor sound; poppy, bright, organic, alive. The strings compliment each other when they're ringing in unison. Open tunings would sound stellar on this instrument. Glass slide? No problem. This 'Baby' is equipped to do it all.

There is something about this Big Baby that just pulls you in. I compared it to a lot of other Taylors that were 3-4x its' price, and nothing compared. I think I got a one-of-a-kind guitar.

The sound is excellent. I call this guitar my "little cannon", because that's exactly what it is, it projects sound across the room like a little cannon. A smokin' guitar, she is.

I have not changed a thing on the instrument since I've gotten it (except a G string that broke for no reason at all). In fact, the reason I took it up to the counter was because it played so nice, it was sweet like honey and smooth like butter. And the thick, juicy, organic traditional Taylor tone that just oozed out of that sound hole and vibrated throughout the body was just too much. I HAD to have it. The back and sides are smooth as felt, the neck is very comfortable, and the ebony woods really make the instrument stand out and shine.

There is an 'ugly spot' on my guitar to the bottom left of the soundhole, looks like a badly polished knot in the wood. it really shows up bad in pictures, and when light reflects off of it, it detracts the beauty a bit. I've seen other Big Baby's that were worse though, fretboards with yellowish streaks from the ebony wood. Luckily mine wasn't one of those.

The finish on the instrument is extremely light, in fact I think all they did was sand down the woods, piece it together, sand it once more, and put a very very light coating of gloss on the wood. You can barely tell it's there.

So far I have not found any defects (save that 'ugly spot' on the top), so I have no reason to complain. I've heard stories of the bottoms on Big Baby Taylors bubbling up and the tops shrinking, but I guess time will tell.

I've played it out once before, and took it to practices, Worship meets, etc. Mainly it's a stay-at-home guitar though.

The tuners aren't as solid as I'd like them to be, but they're surely not the worst in the world. I've seen stock tuners that were 10x worse than these ones.

I would definately trust it out for repeated gigs.

?

I've been playing for about 2 years, and I currently own a Fender Stratocaster, a Yamaha FG412-S, Taylor Big Baby, a Behringer GM110, and my effects are constantly changing, but I usually have an assortment of Boss, MXR, Electro Harmonix, Ibanez, DOD, Arion, and Danelelectro effects pedals.

I tried to get them to knock down the price $50 or so, so I didn't have to walk out of the store with my tail between my legs so to speak, being ashamed that I paid almost twice as much as some of these guys paid. However they didn't budge, so I decided to pay full price, since I loved this guitar so much. They offered to throw in some free picks and my choice of a strap or a set of guitar strings, hehe...I reached my hand in the pick bowl and grabbed a handful, and went over to the elixirs, grabbed the most expensive pack and went on my way.

One thing I do wish it had was an internal preamp, so I could plug this thing in. But I guess the best things in life have their shortcomings as well, for now a soundhole pickup will have to suffice.

This is really a great guitar, I mean, wow...I know I got ripped, but it was worth it. I congradulate Taylor for marketing such a well-designed guitar at such a low price. You don't see that too often these days, the only brands I can think of that really do that are Fender and Ibanez, and maybe Takamine as well.

The Taylor Big Baby is one of the best values on the market today, and I would encourage anyone who is putting some serious thought into them to go up to their local store and try one out. Seriously, I think you'll be in for a big surprise. I played this next to some high-end Taylors, including the 110, 214, 310, 314ce, 414ce, 510ce, 712ce, and even the 814ce -- the holy grail guitar for many famous acoustic artists. I compared this to every Taylor guitar in the store, and this one just could not be beat for the price. The only Taylor that sounded better was the 814ce, but only by a fraction...and I couldn't really justify paying $2k more for an instrument that was only 35% better than the one I was holding in my hands with a price tag I could afford. Sure there's no cutaway or preamp. But who cares? I can get along without them for awhile. Maybe if I become a big time rock star, I'll buy one of those fancy KOA Brazillian Rosewood All-Solid wood guitars for $35k from eBay with a cutaway and a preamp that I probably won't even use half the time 'cause I'm enjoying playing my 'little cannon' so much.

Seriously, do yourself a favor and go try one out. They're the biggest bang for the buck on the market next to the Fender Stratocaster. Way to go, Bob Taylor.

God Bless!

Sweet & simple & already covered! I prefer satin finishes, so that is part of the appeal personally. Tuners are classy looking & pretty nice, but could stay in tune a tad longer.

Sound? Hmmm, now this is a tough one. Like most Taylors I've tried, this guitar leans on the trebly side. Bass notes can be heard w/chords but I don't believe that it is "even" across the tonal range. Not loud enough to play out w/out a pickup being installed. It is not especially loud & if it is strummed too vigorously you get some some buzzing & unpleasant overtones. The tone I find to be rich, but not full. Absolutely SUCKS for slide. That being said, I find the "tone" of the guitar to be almost hypnotic.Very beatiful, almost harplike tone. Lots of what some people call shimmer. Love the way minor chords sound especially. Very capable for a 15/16ths size guitar. (Remember it is not full size, so ratings are relative to what it is & what its for) NOTHING in 3/4 size even comes close!

Wood joints all clean. Action was pretty low w/no buzzing all the way down the neck. Neck feels GREAT - just like an electric, very fun to play. Neck could be wider. Fat fingered people beware of open b chord! But a wider neck might also detract from the "fastness" of the neck as well.

Very,very,very light w/arched back. Hasnt been dropped or fallen over yet. Feels solid enough so far though. Finish is satin & will definately wear of quicker than a highly glossed axe.(dont have to spend alot of time wiping off fingerprints, which is a good tradeoff to me) Loud enough for living room noodling for friends, but probably not up to a coffee-shop gig w/out mic'ing.Strap buttons solid, but nothing special.

Havn't had too deal w/Taylor about any issues. Been to their web site & I like the vibe of the company. Cant rate yet.

Taylor doesn't allow online ads for their guitars, but you can see what I paid new from guitar trader. Nice people, great service and on this axe, unbeatable price.(No taxes or s&h on that price either) I Highly reccomend them. Shit, these are going for 60-70 bucks more on e-bay USED. This is the best practice/travel guitar I've ever played. Not loud,but nearly double the volume as the baby or martin LXM & alot more playable. Nice tone, good looking, EXCELLENT quality gigbag as well. I find playabilty its best feature.

A plain and simple 2002 Taylor Big Baby, with pickguard and the Taylor padded bag.

Having lived with this guitar for nearly two years now, I feel I'm finally up to giving it a considered review. When I first bought it, I'd never owned a steel-stringed guitar; I had owned several classical guitars which I'd never learned to play properly. Buying the Big Baby was partly to force myself to get to grips properly with rhythm guitar and to fulfill a longstanding love of some types of country, folk and bluegrass music.

I have to say I've found this guitar suits all those styles - it is incredibly versatile. Of course, being such a small guitar, it isn't powerful, but it is crisp, bright, intimate, and largely well-rounded apart from a slight lack of bass, especially if you play with a capo on fret 4 or higher. It's a great guitar to sing over as you won't be overpowered by the volume of the thing (you should be able to hear yourself!), and equally you're unlikely to keep the neighbours awake if you strum into the night. Compared to a Taylor 310 - admittedly one I tried in the shop, which might have had oldish strings - I have to say the Big Baby stands up surprisingly well; the 310 is for my taste a little brash and boomy. The Big Baby can be brash as well if you try to eke loads of volume from it, but treat it reasonably and it shines.

I seldom see reviewers mentioning the plectrum they use, which is odd because simply by varying your pick you can get quite a variety of sounds from this (and any other acoustic) guitar. With a medium Jim Dunlop nylon pick, the Big Baby comes across quite mellow and warm; for bluegrass-style alternating bass mixed in with chords, however, I prefer a Jim Dunlop Tortex pick, which really lends this guitar a great deal of projection and clarity. Celluloid picks are a happy compromise between the two. In all cases, I stick with a medium to medium-heavy pick, as going to anything heavier does tend to push this guitar into that brash overdrive. Oh, the guitar makes a decent recording instrument, if my experiments with a simple all-purpose mike are anything to go by.

Appearance-wise, the Big Baby's unadorned natural finish is really pleasant, and to my eye it's simply prettier than the darker, glossy 310. My guitar has some discolouration on the high frets of the neck, which annoys me a tad though it is apparently not unusual.

The action was a little low to start with, and to be honest this is the only area in which I've had problems. I've had to have the guitar set up about three times in the two years I've owned it, and each time it's set up it has to be tweaked again within four weeks, because the neck keeps moving. Basically the neck tends to become too flat and so the low strings buzz against the middle of the neck. Why this is happening is a mystery to me and to the technician: the guitar is kept in its gig bag when I'm not playing, and though humidity is the obvious suspect, it's not as though London weather (or conditions in my living room) is extreme.

In other respects the Big Baby is competently put together, as you'd expect from Taylor, and very comfortable to play in your lap or standing up. One little personal complaint is that the neck width is a little narrow for my stubby fingers - I'd prefer the 1.75" nut used on Taylor's full-sized guitars. Also, the tuners could really be better.

People say these guitars are light and fragile. They are light, without doubt, but you'd have to be terribly clumsy or wilfully negligent to damage it. After two years my Big Baby still looks like it's in mint condition, and I have played live with it once and would certainly do so again if people would hire me. :-)

No experience of dealing with Taylor, though their UK agents Sound Technology (www.soundtech.co.uk) seem good at handling queries.

This is such a wonderful guitar for beginners and competent players alike - if only it were a bit louder and bassier, but you can't have everything. There's really hardly anything to dislike and much to appreciate for a very reasonable price. If it were stolen, well once I'd got over the shock I'd probably treat myself to the similarly sized (but much more expensive) 312ce, which I imagine would be very similar in volume and tonal response, with the bonus of the Taylor Expression System pickup and (I would hope) perhaps more shades and subtleties - not that the Big Baby is an unsubtle guitar.

Mine was made Jan. 16 2003,I bought it in March of 2003 for $329.00.It features a SOLID Sitka Spruce top,Sapele sides and back(laminate). The fretboard IS Ebony (They do not use faux ebony!Any discoloration,"light yellow or cream" is normal for the wood.Taylor allows this on even their high end models.The bridge is also Ebony.There are no electronics,I would have gladly paid more for a pickup system,but Taylor does not use cheap electronics thus raising the price past the "target" market.It came with a great "gig bag".Will try to get a case for it soon, I feel I have pushed my luck,I take mine all over the place!

This is where this instrument shines!!I play hard,light,flat pick,fingerstyle, all kinds of music and this guitar always sounds great!!It is a pleasure to play and to listen to.You would never guess it is not a full sized guitar from hearing it!I could go on and on but I would be wasting time I could be playing it!

Picked it up at the store(Guitar Center)and did not have to do a thing to it.In fact there were 3 or 4 more to choose from and they all were set up great.Do not know if that was Taylor or Guitar Center though.My Big Baby stays in tune!I use several alternate tunings and a capo at several positions and I have never had a problem.Had to put it away for a while due to health problems (forgot to slacken the strings also)went from winter to spring,pulled it out and was still in tune!Swear on my Big Baby!

Would I take this guitar on the road as my main axe? No. Why? It does feel a little bit on the fragile side.Could be because it is light as a feather.Flip the coin on that one and you have a guitar you can play forever with no fatigue.The only thing that scares me is the neck joint.There are two wood screws driven into the fretboard at the 16th fret.This neck joint allows EASY access to the higher notes but I do worry about strength.

Have not had a need for support with this instrument,but I have dealt with them before and was more than pleased.Prompt is an understatement!

Have been playing for about 20 years(37years old)I have owned many guitars and basses from every price range.Bought this guitar after playing it for only a few minutes(something I never do!).Have laid several tracks with it (mic)and I fooled everyone who heard them.This guitar is all about the tone!In my Humble opinion there is no guitar near this price range that can touch it.

Ebony Fingerboard, 20 frets, Grover Tuners, solid spruce top.

not alot of features but enough to get you by.

here is where i want to rave. I do not own one, but I wanted to review on how good this thing sounds. I played with it for about ten minutes at a local guitar shop...but before you flame me, let me explain.

This thing sounds so sweet it's not even funny. This thing pours out beautiful Taylor tone and playability. I compared it to a 314ce (my personal favorite of all time acoustic), a 310, a 712ce, and even an 814ce! This thing sounded just as good as those other ones, but at a price 4-5x less!!! And when I say it sounded just as good, I'm not saying that it sounded "taylor" like all of the others, I'm saying that really couldn't tell any difference! It sounded THAT good! I know I'm raving here, but I just thought I would share. I'm not sure if this one is special somehow, but it just sounds phenomenal. So you're saying ten minutes isn't enough to play with a guitar. Sit down for ten minutes straight with a guitar or just sit there...that's quite awhile. I didn't have to play it too long to decide that this guitar rocked my world.

The ONLY drawback is that it looks like a child's guitar and that it has a really small body. However, the tone just makes up for it completely.

The woods were really nice looking, not sure what it was built with, but whatever it was, they were extremely good tonewoods. The action was great, not too high or too low, and the taylor sparkle was just there with every pluck of the strings.

Nice guitar, indeed.

It's small, so I don't know how well it would hold up... don't take it to backyard wrestling, and hit your opponent with it, nor would I recommend you throwing it in the back of a pickup truck while traveling in the black hills to be tossed around and even possibly thrown out.

For home use and occasional live use though, this one's a winner.

Weee. nope.

I have been playing approximately 2 years and I currently own two guitars (though at one time I owned five guitars and then some). My acoustic right now is a Yamaha FG412-S which really is a great value. This Big Baby has me sold though. I love it. I think I'm going to go in and play it once more, then throw it on layaway. Seriously, it has me sold. And I believe that if you find "THAT ONE", that you should jump on it, because chances are, you won't find it again.

I still love the 314ce, still my favorite, but for $458.00?!?! GET REAL!!! Big Baby equals BIG VALUE.

God Bless!

2003 model. Mine is similar to all the other descriptions except it has faux ebony fingerboard with a big yellow smear between the 9th and 15th fret. I bought it as a "camp-out"/alternate tuning/slide/mando-itar. Very nice gig bag.

Sounds very good for an affordable mini-guitar. I play all manner of rock, folk, blues, bluegrass. Finger pick or flat. I really disagree with the others in that my instrument has a very strong base and bright high end with no middle. It projects amazingly well for such a small body. You'd have to mike it up in live situation but for banging around the living room doodle fest or at the camp fire, it is fine. I have high-topped it and it sounds much more balanced. It can pull off a mandolin-like sound pretty nicely.

It lacks sustain when used with a slide and has no complex overtones.

The B. Baby sounded fantastic when compared to other $500 or less guitars. Not in the ball park with my Martin's though.

Moderately high action that was lowered easily enough. Intonation was fine but the sucker will not stay in tune. Very poorly cut nut and saddle. Broke three strings at the saddle within an hour of bringing it home. A little emory fixed that but I was surprised that Taylor let it out that way. Frets are polished but could use a bit more work.

Body and neck fit great, looks nice except the ugliest fingerboard ever...I got $30 bucks off so no real complaint but how it got out of the factory is beyond me.

Oh, did I say the tuners are crap? Very, very, VERY annoying...

I've had it for a year and have knocked it around pretty good but it plays and sounds the same as when I bought it. I could never use this for a gig as it won't stay in tune but everything else is fine.

I know Taylor will support their products and I have discussed my problems with people over there that I know...but it is a $300 dollar guitar and a mighty fine one for that price. I really didn't expect any help and I didn't get any.

Been playing for 40 years. Got a Martin 000-28ec and a HD-28, yamaha 12 string, Heritage 555, USA Standard Strat. I got what I paid for. It makes a great beginners ax or a knock around second or third guitar. A little work and they'll play great but the tuners are crap. I'm torn between fixing it up with new ones or just putting up with it. I migh buy another if the tuner problem was solved.

How in the HELL can you people rate this guitar's sound, action, fit and finish with a 10? That said, I'm giving it a 6 but when compared to other instruments in it's price range, it's a 9.

Havn't been playing very long.Started with an Ibanez Artwood-just OK. Returned it for "something else"at G.C.-God bless them people,they'le take anything back within 30 days. Saw the Bib Baby. Picked up the Big Baby....PLAYED the Big Baby. Ran to the checkout and confirmed that "I would NOT be returning THIS guitar." I can't put it down once it's cradled in my bosom.

Has to drop the action.Also change the strings regularly with Portland acou. lights from Webstrings.com($3.50 per set!)

Glad I selected this model specificly for recording.I've set it up with two Neumann KM184's and it just sounds fantastic! Want to further the recording quality with John Pearse strings and possibly an IVORY saddle,which one reviewer claimed made a noticeable difference.Gotta run now-The Big Baby wants to be loved!!!

This guitar is very plain looking which is actually kinda good considering it's 15/16th size. it makes it look cute. It has a very light satin finish. But forit's price how can ou argue with ebony fretboard, sitka spruce top and sapelle sides? Truly your best bang for your buck. Not to mention it comes with elixars!!!

I play most alternative and classical rock. And it suits my style fine. Many people complain about it lacking bass. But I only find that true when you compare it with the high end taylor like the 310 and up. comparing the bass tone with like a...regular ibanez dreadnaugh won't cause too much of a diffrence. overall it's very nice sound that has that crisp taylor trademark sound for under 300!!!

Action was great right form the start, I have't need to adjust. My one complaint is the same as other guitarist with the big baby taylor. The A string drones. light the baby taylor under flouresent light and pluck all the strings. Then watch the A string...you'll see what I mean. It doesn't really bother me that much, but it causes the the notes on the A string to have really bad sustain. Otherwise everything was top notch quality.

I wouldn't reccomend this guitar for live playing, if you want a live playing guita I'd suggest somehting along taylor's x12 or x14 series. I've dropped this guitar many times, it even has a dent on the Side!!!! but it still sounds good and no problems so no worries for me. If I was to gig I'd use this guitar as a backup or for an alternative tuning for one song. if lost, I would definatly buy another one.

never talked to Taylor

I own The Taylor big baby, A takamine Jasmine (don't laugh!) and a Epiphone Sg Gothic 400. I'm currently saving up money for a taylor 414 or 314. Hands down this is the best guitar for the price range. And it's a taylor so if you don't like it you'll be able to sell if for value. A used TAylor is cool, a used yamaha is well...a used yamaha

This Big Baby was made in 2003 in El Cajon (pronounced L CAHON), California. Yes this baby is Made in the USA. The back and sides are sapele laminate. The top is solid Sitka Spruce. The soundhole is laser etched. The neck is made of Tropical American Mahogany. It has an ebony bridge and fretboard with pearloid dots. The headstock overlay is lexan. It has Macarta/Tusq nut and saddle. The tuning machines are just enclosed die cast and chrome plated. It came with and I continue to use Elixir Acoustic Light Gauge strings. THe scale length is 25 1/2", body width is 15", 19 1/2" body length, 4" body depth, and 40 1/4" overal length. The truss rod is adjustable, and Neck width at the nut is 1 11/16". This guitar has 20 frets, X-bracing, and a satin finish. It came standard with a very nice padded Taylor Gig Bag.

I will play just about any kind of music. It just depends what kind of mood I am in. I like Blues the most and this guitar is great. The sound is superb. It has nice low's and bright highs. The Elixir strings really compliment this guitar well. I belive the material the nut and saddles are made out of really help a lot. Intonation is great.

I have a $1,200 Ovation Elite Standard Balladeer and this guitar blows it out of the water in every way. The action is perfect for lead and rhythm. I am a finger picker and this guitar is just perfect. The Satin finish is okay and the fact there is no binding. It kind of makes it look handmade and more rustic. That's cool to me. There were no flaws in this guitar at all.

The guitar seems a little light is all. I don't plan to go on the road. Not sure how it would take a beating, but all in all I think it will last a long time and it could be depended on.

I have called Taylor many times to inquire about various things and they have always been helpful.

I have been playing for 14 years now and this guitar blew my mind. So much so I had to go out and buy the new Taylor 214. The only thing I have added to this guitar was a set of Ebony Bridge Pins with Abolone dots. I bought them from Taylor for $12 a set. I put them on both this and my 214. I am highly please with both guitars and will never stray from Taylor as long as they continue to make such superb instruments.

Made right here in California with a solid top for $320? what i really like about this guitar is that it has everything you need for good sound with nothing you don't. That's what keeps the cost so reasonable. No binding, no inlaid headstock or rosette, no thick lacquer finish, no backstripe, no veneer on the headstock... What's more the bolt on neck (with its ugly screws) i now swear by, because it makes the thing as easy to play as an electric or a cutaway. there's no dovetail at the end to keep you from playing all the way up. The tuners are not the best i've seen, but a substantial improvement over most in this price range. I do have to fine-tune it every other day (but that's partly because i'm really anal about being exactly in tune). I had to ditch the Elixirs and put on some D'Addario EXP's. I'm giving it a nine because the features it has have been very well thought out, and i think it would destroy most of its charm to have inlays and shine and all that. Plus, this geetar came with a great soft case, one of the best gig bags i've seen (except i had to add the second shoulder strap to make it work like a backpack). The gigbag is key since i travel a lot.

Well, i had never heard of the Big Baby series when i played this one. I walked into the "$1000 & Up" room at the store and started playing Taylors, which i have always drooled over. Then this simple one caught my eye, and i figured it must be Taylor's $800 "cheapie" like the other companies make. I picked it up and decided it sounded all right for a mid priced Taylor, looked at the price tag to confirm my suspicion and promptly bought the thing when i read $320. The sound is subtle, but bright, even and punchy, without much bass (sadly-my only complaint). Along with the wonderful neck the sound is perfect for fingerpicking and intricate soloing. A perfect around-the house guitar, comfortable and familiar. I would give the sound a 15 if i could, it is that far above and beyond anything in its price range.

I love the action, the playability is incredible compared to any larger guitar. It was set up really low, but with no buzzing anywhere. The wood seems to be very high quality, though the inner braces aren't sanded down or finished. but really, they're inside the darn thing, who's looking anyway? On the outside the finish is spot-on, with pieces aligned incredibly close. I like the lack of binding, because it shows off the amazing job Taylor has done matching the top and sides. That spruce-meets-mahogany edge is more attractive to me than any pearloid-herringbone-solidgold-showoff edging ever could be.

This is the big flaw. This is without a doubt a fragile instrument. It's delicacy does serve a purpose: the lightweight wood vibrates wonderfully and contributes to the awesome sound. But i am scared to death of knocking this thing over or dropping it on the strap button. I'm afraid it'll just explode into fragments... with no kerfing supporting the back, i fear the worst one day. But then, to replace it would not be a wallet-busting ordeal... I have already dinged it a few times, despite being careful. I try to always keep it in the case. I knocked my keys (4 on a plain keyring) off the shelf above it and they put a good ding in the spruce... oh well.

N/A, but i've heard they're great

I've been playing for seven years, and am an Art Studio major at UC Santa Barbara. I hear a lot of people saying how plain and boring this guitar looks, and how they "definitely didn't buy it for the looks." But personally, my Baby's simplicity makes it more attractive to me than 99% of the guitars out there. It is elegant, honest, and displays fine workmanship without any showboating. Were Taylor to make a guitar with the same lack of appointments, bolt-on neck, and satin finish in a full scale, with a solid back and sides and Grover tuners, i would have my ideal instrument.

My guitar was made in April 2003 in the Taylor factory in El Cajon, CA, USA. It is a 15/16-sized dreadnaught. It has a solid sitka spruce top with laminated sapele (a mahagony-like tonewood) for its sides and back, with satin finish. Its neck is made of Tropical American Mahagony. Comes with a gig-bag that is better and more protective than all other gig-bags I have held in my possession before. Big Baby Taylors do not come with pickups, although I know of a number of people who do wish they did...I personally would have liked the idea as well. Other vital information about this guitar can be obtained at the Taylor Guitars website (it is by far one of the most educations guitar websites I have visited). This guitar is absolutely simple and does not even have a binding, although there is a laser-etched soundhole rosette; which brings me to the most important point I want to make about its features - the Big Baby is not a guitar that is manufactured for aesthetic purposes. It seems to be manufactured for people who already HAVE an existing full-sized guitar, especially Taylors (like myself) and who need a second guitar for casual use; and also for people who are helplessly desperate for a Taylor sound but find the full-sized Taylors unaffordable. I am giving this category a 10 because the guitar absolutely provides all the basic features necessary to provide the guitarist with a pleasant accoustic-guitaring experience. Hence, "features" here is not to be understood within the dimension of physical aesthetics.

I play mostly fingerpicking and fingerstyle, strumming only occasionally. I have not installed any pickups onto it and do not intend to do so anytime in the near future until a need arises. But after my purchase, several other friends have ordered their Big Babies and will install L.R.Baggs iBeam Active pickups on theirs. I trust it will sound good to the extent that the iBeam Active will project the sound of the guitar as it is. What kind of sound does the guitar make? A Taylor sound...this is what most Taylor-lovers fell in love with, isn't it? But the Big Baby is a little lower on the bass as compared to full-sized Taylors, but it is not to be faulted for that. It still provides a very full and amazingly attractive sound. I dare say it sounds better than 90 percent of the full-sized guitars I have heard in the market (maybe it is because I live in Malaysia and Singapore - back and forth - and there just aren't that many good guitars available in this part of the world). But the sound of the Big Baby basically makes me want to play it all the time. It is also the sound that made some of my friends decide almost immediately that they would like to have a Big Baby. I suppose for many of the Taylor fans, it is like a moment of truth!

I am not sure that the guitar was set up only at the factory because I think some adjustments may have been made by the resident luthier of the distributor over here. But the action was low and just right. I have owned the guitar for about two weeks by now, and I have not discovered any flaws in it as yet. There are some rough edges at the soundhole, although that can only be reasonably expected for a guitar thus priced. Again, I am giving this an 8 because a rating needs to be commensurate with the intended level of the guitar. An 8 means it is wonderful, but that Taylor could have added a little more into it to make the owner even happier than he/she already is! But as it stands, it is good enough.

It does seem a bit fragile; but then again, that can be deceiving. I suppose I will only know after an extended period of playing it. The finish may be rather thin, but again, expecting much more than this for such a price may not be reasonable on the part of the buyer. But in the final analysis...YES, I CAN DEPEND ON IT. I do not use it in environments that require amplification, as my full-sized Taylor would do that well for me. The Big Baby is used more within the context of smaller groups and gatherings that do not require amplification, as well as for personal use. I am giving it a 10 for "reliability" because it obviously is not rock solid (but which guitar is?).

I understand that Taylors give a lifetime warranty for ALL their guitars (if I am misperceived on this issue, I stand corrected). I purchased my Big Baby in Singapore, and the warranty is covered by the local distributor...and they provide a year's warranty for all Baby Taylor models, including the Big Baby. I have yet to require any service for the Big Baby. I am unsure if I am supposed to comment on the customer support offered by Taylor Guitars or by the local distributor. As far as Taylor Guitars is concerned, I sent them an email informing them that I am awaiting the delivery of a Baby Taylor 301 (yes, a third Taylor guitar that I am intending to purchase), and that I would like to have a pickguard for it because Baby Taylors do not come with them. Furthermore, for some reasons I shall refrain from disclosing, I did not want to go to the local distributor to ask if they have any. I told Taylor Guitars that I was living in Malaysia and that I would very much loved to have a pickguard for my Baby Taylor, but didn't know how to get it. Within a matter of several minutes, they replied my email asking for my residential address with no other questions asked. As of now, I have received the pickguard even BEFORE my Baby Taylor is delivered...need I say more? As for the local distributor, I do not suppose I would like to publicly comment much on my experiences with them. But I do think that Taylor owes it to themselves to ensure that they appoint distributors that are truly representative of their friendly image. So the rating of 10 that I am giving is for Taylor Guitars (and not for other parties involved in my purchasing experience). And the rating is a 10 only because it cannot get any higher than that.

I have been exposed to and began playing the guitar even before I could speak fluently! I have owned other acoustic guitars before, consisting of several mid-ranged Yamaha models and two Washburn models (one mid-ranged and one high-range). Nothing has beaten the Taylor guitars that I have held so far. I have compared them to some top-range Martin guitars, and was still more amused and amazed by the Taylors. At the moment, I still have in my possession a Yamaha APX6NA (a nylon-string guitar).

Anything else I would like to share? I guess so. Some people have asked me why put all my eggs in the same basket...why exclusively own Taylors. I suppose it is because I have found a sound that I have been looking for all my life, and will be devoted to playing a guitar that I deem does justice to all the efforts I have put into scaling the heights of acoustic guitaring. Watching people like Doyle Dykes and Tommy Emmanuel, I realise I am not quite there yet...but Taylor guitars simply make it easier for me. And if like me, you need to have a guitar with you wherever you travel and you want it to feel like a full-sized guitar without being too cumbersome, I highly recommend the Big Baby. After my purchase of the Big Baby, several of my friends tested it out and placed orders for theirs within less than two weeks of my purchase. This highly attests to the captivating properties of the Big Baby, wouldn't you say?

After running out of patience with a crappy old guitar I had bought at a yard sale for a first guitar, I started searching for an inexpensive, well-made replacement. After playing many $350-and under guitars at Guitar Center, Daddy's Junky Music, and finally the small guitar store where I bought the Big Baby, I decided that this is absolutely the best guitar in its price range. It has a solid top with a satin finish, a full 20-fret neck, an ebony fretboard, and looks absolutely awesome! I think it is one of the coolest looking guitars I have seen. It is 15/16 the size of a usual dreadnought, but it is by no means a "baby"- it feels very much like a light, comfortable version of the standard dreadnought body. It comes with a very nice soft case. It's a great guitar at a great price, and it absolutely has enough features for any beginner, or anyone looking for a fairly inexpensive guitar.

This guitar sounds great! It has a very bright, lively sound, but is not tinny or shrill. For such a small body, this guitar produces a very full sound, and is great for strumming open chords, and playing basic folk. It does not buzz or make any excess noise that I notice. Its clear, bright, full tone is versatile enough to begin learning any style of music. Arpeggios and soloing on the higher strings sound really cool- almost electric-like, I don't have pickups in it and I've never played miked, but I imagine this guitar might sound really cool in the studio, as some of the other reviews mention

I haven't touched a thing since I bought it. The guitar seems to me to have a great factory settup, and the action on mine was really good. I don't like the Elixer strings too much, but they're certainly playable. I have found no flaws on the guitar. The action on this guitar is very good. It has a very thin, electic-guitar-like neck that feels great. It is very comfortable to play in general because of its neck, lightness, and small size.

The guitar can take a lot of hard strumming and rough playing before it falls out of tune. Although I've never performed, it seems as though it would hold up very well through a long night of jamming. The hardware seems good to me, but I'm sure it is not as high quality as more expensive guitars. It also seems a little fragile in the body- I think the thin rounded back could easily be broken. I've had the guitar for six months though and I've had not problems.

I've never dealt with Taylor (haven't had to yet). The guitar comes with a one year warranty

I've been playing for a less than a year, but with the knowledge I have of guitars it seems to be very good and high-quality. I love to play it. I would reccomend this guitar to anyone looking for a guitar that costs less then $400. It is much better than the ovations, squiers, yamahas, and other smaller name guitars that I played in the same price range. The only guitar that I played that comes close to it is the $150 Alvarez RD8, wich if you're on an even tighter budget than I was is a great choice. Anyway, this is an excelent guitar and I highly reccomend it!

2002, solid top, ebony fretboard, satin finish, nice heavily padded gig bag.

Nice, bright sound. Good and loud. Slight buzz on 6th string but can (probably) be adjusted. True notes!

I had the guitar tech set up the Big Baby. No compaints. I keep looking for flaws but don't find any.

I've only had this guitar for 6 months. I have tried to be careful to keep it as climate-controlled as possible. I live in New Jersey where it's freezing and dry in winter and very hot and humid in summer so it's tough.
I think I could depend on the Big Baby, no problem.

Haven't needed it but their reputation speaks for itself.

I've been playing for >30 years!. I own an 1976 Epiphone Texan 12 string, A Martin Backpacker, an OLD Fender Telecaster, a Martin D-12 12 string, Yamaha classical and an old Yamaha FG beater. I was looking to buy an acoustic-electric in the $300. range. I tried around 15-20 then fell in love with the Big Baby! Soundwise, the Taylor gives a much louder and brighter sound. And with a solid spruce top! Much more bang for the buck!
If lost, I would buy another today.
I love the thinline design. It is very easy to play and comfortable.
And to think I was once considering a Jumbo!

well considering it's my first guitar, i can't complain, and i know there are better guitars out there (that cost more, accordingly) but it far surpasses what i expected for my first guitar. it actually feels really nice and compact, which makes learning how to play a lot easier, at least for me. it's quite light too, meaning i don't mind lugging it around at all. it looks damn good too, simple and refined -- is exactly what its name suggests, a small taylor.

it sounds great, can't say too much more than that. i've only played one guitar that sounded better and it was 3x the cost (a martin).

i played on a terrible beginner's guitar that i couldn't stand, and this had much better action. i'm a bit worried about what will happen with the neck, because it doesn't feel incredibly sturdy, but overall the thing feels solid. finish is nearly perfect.

it's really durable as i've found after banging it a few times in my house. no damage to it at all, surprisingly. i do worry a bit about the neck holding up, cause it seems a little fragile. i'm very sure this guitar will last me many years to come though.

i've heard taylor is good ...

i've been playing for three months now and this has been a solid companion for that short time. i don't wish for any other guitar right now, until i get better and then hopefully have the skill and money to justify buying a "real" taylor, but as far as i'm concerned, this is very much a "real" guitar, despite the 15/16 scale and "budget" materials. it feels expensive and well-made, great as a beginner's guitar, but will hopefully take my into my intermediate years. i will probably never replace it ... playing it til it gives up (if it gives up!) but at some point i'm going to get serious enough to get another guitar. the taylor big baby is awesome.

This is a very basic 6 string acoustic which is slightly smaller than average for a flattop dreadnaught style.The appearance is unfancy but strangely attractive.You don't pay for looks and features here but only a sound which belies the price and appearance. It came with a soft bag and fitted with Elixir strings which I never used before but they sound fine to me. I dont know quite how to rate this section so Ill leave it blank.

This is why I bought it. I first heard someone playing one a couple of years ago when I wsa visiting with friends over in England and I was impressed enough to try one out when I came back home. The sound I get from this guitar is colorful and bright with plenty of projection. Open chords really ring on it with or without a capo and bar chords sound crisp and lively.I wouldn't class myself as a good player but I started to learn guitar in High School and ive been playing abour 8 years now. I play for my own enjoyment and when Im with friends and family. I play mostly old folkstyle tunes a few rock ballads, a little bluesy stuff, that kind of thing as well as some of my own stuff. I find my Big bay is great for trying out new ideas.

The neck is really comfortable to play and teh action is fine.I have smaller hands than average and it feels just right for me.Also it stays in tune very well.

It still looks new but I dont play proffesionally so i cant really say.

I also own a Martin D-18 which sounds beautiful and has more bottom end. The Taylor is easier to play though and its the guitar I use most.It's just such a joy to play. Ive had it more than a year and I still cant believe that cost me only $300 and its not made in Japan or Korea but right here in California.

You all know the Taylor name,so this is not really necessary.Small body with a big sound.Sure looks like a plain Jane but pick it up and you will be shocked.I like the gloss tops but my wife thinks the satin looks nicer.

I play mostly country and a little older rock.And I was looking for something to sit on the couch while watching(CMT).It is hard to believe that something so small can sound so big.The clarity is absolutely amazing.The bass is a little less than most full sized dreads,but the rest of it makes up for it!!!The sustain is amazing,it seems to ring forever.

The action is fine,a little high but nothing a little adjustment can't fix.How can you even consider bookmatching on an instrument that cost this little.If you are in it for looks then you should not even be considering this baby(pardon the pun)As far as finish it looks plain,but man is it ever a wolf in sheep's clothing,again it sounds like Martin's $1000 models.I have read that the tuners are not up to snuff,and they don't stay in tune well they might not be Grovers,but man they sure work for me.On the negative side the saddle and the nut were a little sharp around the edges(small amount of filing needed)

I only play at kitchen parties(mostly my own)and I tend to baby my guitars.It sure seems to be frail,but only time will tell.But they are still actually a guitar and not a hammer.So you take care of it and it will take care of you.The way I look after my axes it will last me forever.All in all I don't really know but am hoping for the best.After all this is a Taylor,if they let you down then give up.

Don't really know.But have heard it is second to none.

I have been playing for about 30yrs.Like I said earlier it is hard to believe that something so small can sound so big.It is a plain Jane,that sounds very good,seems a little fragile,and some of the edges are a little sharp.But I am told this is not even a worry.Just play it and be happy.I also own a Canadian made Seagull(M6 Gloss) very nice piece of work.By the way while I am on the patriotic scene,most of us Canadians were behind the USA in Iraq.YOU can't blame us if we have an idiot leading our country!!!!!!

02 model Taylor Big Baby. Made in El cajon california. Solid sitka spruce top, laminate sapeale back and sides. Elixers from the factory, very nice gig bag included. Some people call this a small guitar, well its not, it is a full size guitar, except for the depth its full scale.

The sound of this guitar is truely amazing. Vibrates so freely. The bass response is awsome, highs crisp and very bright. this guitar sounds alot bigger than it looks. Cannot say ebough about the sound of this lap cannon. Very pleased.

Action very low from the factory. Pne of the best things about this gutiar is the neck. Its so slim and fast. All other acoustic necks i have played feel like a telephone pole, very wide and fat. Not this neck, its about as thin as the neck on my Bc Rich. Playes like buddah.

The guitar has stood up very well during shipment. Very nice hardware, all joints well finished, flawless finsih on the body. Some people will complain about "blonde streaks" on the neck, this is the natural color of some ebony pieces.

Taylor's customer support is number one in the business. If you need somthing they will send it to you free of charge. Very helpful on the phone and will be more than glad to answer your questions.

This is THe best acoustic guitar i have played for under 1,000 dollars, bar none. No guitar can comapre, i have played washburns, takamines, ovations(yuck), and fenders. none can compare to the sound of this guitar. If it was stolen i would stab whoever took it in the face with a soldering iron.

This is a review of the Taylor big baby guitar. It looks quite a bit larger than the standard baby Taylor as a matter of fact it does not even look like a travel guitar. It has a solid top with laminated body and an ebony fingerboard. The craftsmanship is top notch. The satin finish makes the guitar look very plain. It looks like an economy guitar that it is.

This is a very nice sounding guitar. The mid and high frequencies are excellent but the guitar lacks the bottom end that a full size dreadnaught would have. The guitar does not sound loud at all, not something to use for a performance or any kind of recording in my honest opinion. With the lack of a strong bottom end it really does not sound like the guitars you hear on recordings.

The finish is immaculate as with more expensive Taylors

this looks more like a practice guitar. I do not know how durable they are

I do not own this guitar just gave it a test run. The ebony neck is fabulous. My fingers moved up and down the neck like an electric guitar. This guitar is a blast to play. Taylor really hit the mark with this model. The tone is beautiful, just a bit different from the larger dreadnaughts. I compared this Taylor big baby to a Tacoma papoose but there really was no comparison, the big baby gave the papoose a knockout punch! ;)

Come on, you know the features! Solid Spruce top, Sepele laminate b/s. ebony bridge and fretboard. Don't ask for much more for $320, come on, please. If you want a featured filled guitar, spend $1200 on a solid 310. If you want a great sounding $319 guitar, look no further.

Kicks a lot of tail for what it is, a travel 15/16th size dread. It is very balanced. Sounds great. excellent tone. This is my second Big Baby. Very nice sound.

Perfect it and finish...........

This a reall inexpnsive guitar, only 3 bills. It does have a thin finish. But it sound good. Take care of it. It is a nice guitar.

Taylor, nufff said.....................

This is a great guitar for what it is. A simple easy to own and play USA made guitar. If you need a beater/ couch guitar or just an acoustic to knock around, consider this one.

Average features with a great neck and quality name.

I was attempting to purchase a 310 or more expensive series until I tried the Big Baby. The ultra clear sound and the wonderful neck sounded better than all the others. Very bright which I like. I want a bright precise sounding guitar for fingerpicking, not a boomer strummer. For this sound and playability, I could not pass up the great price.

My action is very low with no buzz. The easiest neck I have ever played. Was very well set up by the dealer.

This guitar is very light. The wood top is very thin, thus the great sound. However it seems so fragile. You have to make sure you keep it in a humidified room near 50%. My frets became exposed because the humidity in my house was only 33%. This guitar also gets out of tune easily. I am thinking it is because of the low cost tuners or is it the thin wood or both? I do not think this guitar will hold up very well in the long run.

The Best!

Been playing for 30 years. Excellent sounding guitar, great price, fragile guitar.

2002 TAYLOR BIG BABY W/GIGBAG. BOLT-ON NECK. NO ELECTRONICS.
SOLID TOP. NICE TUNERS. WELL BUILT GUITAR.

I AM GIVING IT A 10 BECAUSE OF THE PRICE (319.00 NEW). OF COURSE A MARTIN D-28 SOUNDS BETTER. BUT IT IS PRICED ACCORDINGLY.

VERY NICELY SET-UP FROM FACTORY. ACTION IS FAIRLY LOW. IT IS ADJUSTABLE IF YOU WANT IT LOWER. NO COMPLAINTS WITH THIS GUITAR.

I've HAD IT ABOUT A YEAR AND NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. I HAVE PLAYED IT ALOT TOO.

HAVE'NT HAD ANY NEED FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT.

I AM GIVING THIS GUITAR A 10 BECAUSE IT IS A SOLID-TOP, MADE IN USA, NICE SOUNDING (VERY NICE) GUITAR. WITH THESE ATTRIBUTES, YOU CAN'T TOUCH THIS GUITAR. IT IS A BARGAIN. ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT STORES CAN'T KEEP THEM ON THE SHELVES. IF YOU SEE ONE AND LIKE IT, BUY IT. IF YOU DECIDE TO 'SLEEP ON IT', IT WILL PROBABLY BE GONE THE NEXT DAY.

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!!