Small guitars are having a moment. Perfect for recording, traveling, and couch-playing, there's been renewed interest in small vintage sizes like parlors and the newer GS Mini models from Taylor, Little Martins from Martin, and other compact strummers from Washburn, Takamine, Orangewood, or more.
Today, Taylor is announcing a brand-new diminutive body shape, in the form of the Grand Theater (GT). It's slightly larger than the GS Mini, slightly shorter than the Grand Concert (though nearly as wide at the lower bout)—but as for the shape itself, it's a scaled-down version of the Grand Orchestra, Taylor's largest size.
So, what does this mean in practice?
According to Taylor, it gives you the best of both worlds: "the rich voice of a full-size, solid-wood guitar" and "the playing comfort" of smaller acoustics.
The guitar's scale length—at 24 1/8"—is also longer than the GS Mini's, so it will feel more like a full-size instrument in players' hands, though still comfortable for smaller-stature pickers. "The GT's scale is the equivalent of playing with a capo on the first fret" of a standard acoustic, Taylor says. And the nut is slightly narrower as well.
The first two models in the GT size are the GT Urban Ash ($1,399 USD) and the electronics-equipped GTe Urban Ash ($1,599).
More features, according to Taylor, include:
- 1 23/32" nut (again, striking a middle ground between Minis and larger instruments)
- C-Class bracing, with a cantilevered, asymmetrical design
- Solid Urban Ash back and sides, sourced responsibly from Southern California
- Solid spruce top
- Eucalyptus fretboard, bridge, and peghead overlay
Both the GT Urban Ash and GTe Urban Ash are available on Reverb now.