Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric Review (Hands-On & In-Depth)

Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric

It can be difficult to find a moderately-priced acoustic-electric guitar. Many of these instruments are out of the price range of a lot of players. Thankfully, Taylor Guitars has a lot of excellent instruments that are affordable.

This Taylor Mini-E Koa Acoustic/Electric Guitar review has a look at one such instrument you might want to consider. This is a lower-cost acoustic guitar that has a lot of excellent features for today’s player.

Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric ReviewTaylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric Guitar

If you like what you see in this Taylor GS Mini-E Koa review, you can order the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa acoustic-electric guitar on Sweetwater.

SEE PRICE ON SWEETWATER

I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for almost my entire life. Taylor is a company that you can rely on time and time again. They have excellent acoustic products such as the GS Mini-E Koa. Let’s have a look at this excellent guitar.

About the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic/Electric

This is a smaller-sized dreadnought-style acoustic guitar. It comes with a pickup and preamp system, so you can plug it into an amplifier or play it live.

Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Review

It has an excellent tone and comes in at a moderate price.

Body

The top, sides, and back are made of koa wood. This provides an excellent tone for the guitar, and it’s also a nice-looking wood, so you have an attractive guitar. The body is covered in a smooth varnish.

The smaller size body makes it comfortable for playing different guitar styles such as folk or fingerpicking. It’s easy to play whether you are sitting down or standing up. It’s not as bulky as other acoustic guitars.

Neck

This guitar has a shorter scale length of 23.5″ and comes with 20 frets. The neck wood is sapele with an ebony fingerboard. It’s comfortable up and down the fretboard.

Pickup

The instrument has a pickup, and the side of the guitar features a preamp. This includes the volume control, tone control, and a guitar tuner. The pickup has three calibrated sensors, so it produces a full and rich tone.

Other Parts

The guitar has a Nubone nut and a Micarta saddle. This helps stabilize the tuning of the instrument. It comes with standard machine heads and two strap buttons.

Pros & Cons

Pros:
✅ Pickup
✅ Good tone
✅ Great look
✅ Easy to play
Cons:
❌ May be small for some
❌ No hardshell case

My Experience with the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa

The Taylor GS Mini-E Koa is an amazing lower-cost instrument. This is the perfect acoustic-electric guitar for today’s player. It’s got a wonderful look to it, a great tone, and easy playability.

Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric ReviewTaylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric Guitar

If you like what you see in this Taylor GS Mini-E Koa review, you can order the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa acoustic-electric guitar on Sweetwater.

SEE PRICE ON SWEETWATER

I was impressed by the look of this guitar when I picked it up. It has a nice smooth finish, and the koa wood stands out. The pickup system is easy to use and handy to access on the side of the guitar.

The smaller size is perfect for those that want to do some fingerpicking, yet it has the tone you need for both soloing as well as playing chord progressions. You get a lot of rich tone out of this instrument despite its price.

This would make a great guitar for those that don’t like the feeling of a full-size dreadnought. The smaller size is more comfortable when you’re holding it, yet it still has a great tone.

The Sound

The sound of this guitar is exceptional in its price range. Taylor has created a great acoustic/electric guitar with the Mini-E Koa. It doesn’t matter what you’re playing, it’s going to sound good on this instrument.

Since it’s a smaller size dreadnought, it’s the perfect guitar for playing folk or fingerstyle, yet it’s also suitable for full chord playing or even soloing.

The Body

The body of the instrument is nice and smooth. You won’t find any imperfections or marks on this guitar. The koa wood itself has a great look that’s different from most acoustic guitars. This helps the guitar stand out.

The electronics are easy to access on the side of the guitar. There are two strap buttons, great machine heads, and a solid ebony bridge.

Warranty

Please contact Taylor about any warranty for your instrument. You can also speak to the place where you purchased your instrument to determine what type of warranty you’ll receive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions that people ask about the Taylor GS-Mini E Koa guitar. This will help you decide whether this guitar is the right choice for you.

Is the Guitar Worth It?

I have to say that this guitar is definitely worth the price. You get a great-sounding acoustic guitar along with a pickup and preamp system. This makes the instrument suitable for regular playing, recording, or playing live.

The guitar itself has an excellent tone for the price. You won’t find many great-sounding acoustic-electric guitars in this price range, but this one is an exception, and it’s well worth picking up.

What Are the Advantages of the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic/Electric Guitar?

One of the main advantages of this instrument is the fact that it’s low cost. You’ll save a lot of money when you purchase this guitar. Another advantage is that you get a pickup and preamp system.

Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric ReviewOrder the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic-Electric Guitar

If you like what you see in this Taylor GS Mini-E Koa review, you can order the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa acoustic-electric guitar on Sweetwater.

SEE PRICE ON SWEETWATER

The smaller size of the guitar makes it less cumbersome for beginners or for people who have problems playing full-size dreadnought-style guitars. It will save you space if you happen to live in an apartment.

What Are the Disadvantages of the Taylor Mini-E Koa?

The main disadvantage of this guitar is that you might not get the sound you expect compared to a fuller size dreadnought. You still get a great tone, but it lacks the fuller punch of larger-size guitars.

Some players may not like the smaller size. The scale length on this guitar is reduced, so some might find that the guitar doesn’t meet their preferences. You may have to play one to decide whether it’s right for you.

Will It Need a Setup?

I found the instrument played great right out of the box. You may want to take it to your local music store to have it set up if you have a certain playing preference. For most players, it should be fine and won’t require a lot of setup.

Is the Case Good?

This guitar ships with a softshell/hardshell case. It’s a decent gig bag that will provide a lot of protection for the guitar, but you may want a full hardshell case if you do a lot of traveling. It’s good for lessons and provides decent protection.

Where to Buy the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic/Electric?

There are several places where you can purchase a Taylor guitar. I prefer to shop online due to the excellent selection, fast shipping, and good customer service.

Amazon

One of the better locations to purchase musical instruments is Amazon. They have a huge selection of products, you can leave reviews, they have good customer service, and you get your product quickly.

Order Online

Sweetwater and Guitarcenter are two other places to purchase excellent Taylor guitars. They have a great selection of music equipment, good customer service, and fast shipping that you can rely on.

Your Local Store

You can also check your local music store to see if they have the Taylor GS Mini-E Koa in stock or not. Not every location will have the guitar, so you might have to special order it.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading my Taylor GS Mini-E Koa Acoustic/Electric review. This is an excellent moderately-priced acoustic-electric guitar. It has a great tone, and it’s suitable for many playing situations.

Please comment, like, and share this article. I look forward to speaking to you about Taylor Guitars or music products in general. Enjoy playing your new Taylor GS Mini-E Koa.