# Getting tired of my Taylor GA8



## mikesae (Feb 21, 2008)

I'm starting to find it's bulky and is very bassy.

I was thinking of trading it for the smaller Taylor GC body or an L body Larrivee

I'm a rather horrid player, so perhaps something with a shorter scale? Maybe some kind of parlour guitar? 

Any other suggestions?


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## noobcake (Mar 8, 2006)

Haha nice a fellow member from White Rock. 

Anyways I recently bought a Martin Little Martin for my brother and it is one hell of a guitar. It's basically the same size as a parlor guitar, but parlor guitars typically have the neck joining the body at the 12th fret. I personally find this to be quite limiting, the Martin is not actually a parlor guitar and the neck joins at the 14th fret or so like any other normal acoustic. Being a small bodied guitar, it has a very strong midrange and weaker bass compared to a full bodied acoustic. It plays really well and comes with a nice gig bag and only costs about 350-$400 depending on where you buy it from. I'm pretty sure that Tapestry Music in White Rock has some in stock right now. You should go try one out for yourself.


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## danbo (Nov 27, 2006)

Try 'em all until ya find "the one." :wave: I like Guild..


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## wintle (Mar 25, 2008)

Friend of mine shows up with a Big Baby Taylor when we go camping every year. It's a 7/8 size, pretty well balanced, don't know the scale length, but it might be the kind of thing you're looking for. Light, sounds pretty nice, and I usually see them used for around $350 or so.

I have a Baby Taylor but it's really a fun travel guitar. Good for the kids too.

Cheers


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

i prefer a more midrangy guitar- and one that fits in my hands comfortably, like an electric-
i like it to honk and snap- and basically, sound cheap. i avoid fancy models, and favour old ladder braced birch or mahogany bodies- closest thing ive found to that sound in a modern off the shelf guitar is this
http://www.guitarsetc.net/guitar_acou/al_ami_23509.html
its cheap as dirt but price doesnt matter-
other more expensive parlour models ive tried had all kinds of goofy sparkle and clarity- im not into that.
i like a big chunky 30s vee shape neck, this doesnt have that- nor is it ladder braced, but, it does sound alright- the spruce top models not as much- less warmth- has to be the cedar top. ive got some oscar schmidt stellas, regals, and harmonys from the late twenties into the thirties, and this guitar gets real close for about $250 -


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## mikesae (Feb 21, 2008)

I remember that Ami parlour when I was shopping for my 1st guitar. I really liked it, but went with a fullsize Simon Patrick Dread because looked cool (I didn't know any better back then) :smile:. 

That Martin DX-1 looks good, shame it doesn't have fretboard markers. I'll have to try it out. A Taylor Baby is worth a try, too. 

Another option might be getting a short scale neck for my GA8, but I've no idea what that might cost, if it needs to be sent in, re-shimming, etc. Doesn't solve the big uncomfortable body issue, though. 

A steel string with a classical body guitar size would be great. I have La Patrie Collection that I find most comfortable.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

you might want to look into these,
http://www.axemusic.com/product.asp?numRecordPosition=30&P_ID=17666&PT_ID=34
They have a classical body size but are steel string guitars.


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## roadflix (Nov 4, 2008)

*Shameless Plug*

If you can wait until fall when the first 48 MacKenzie & Marr "Tofinos" will be available and if a $1,000 guitar is in your budget you may be (pleasantly) shocked by how good a small guitar can sound. (enough said. I'm proud enough of our guitar to mention it but don't want to turn into the company shill)


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## mikesae (Feb 21, 2008)

Right, so I went out and tried the Art & Lutherie Ami, Little Martin and Baby Taylor and to my surprise the results were totally opposite of what I was expecting. The A&L sounded & felt the best, with a clear, rich tone. The Martin LX1 was nice, but didn't have the richness of the the A&L. Also, as I understand it, the LX-1's finish is "photographically reproduced" Huh???
The Baby Taylor was the a disappointment. It was thin and jangly sounding without that bright and full ringing bell tone that I love in a Taylor. The neck didn't have that smooth Taylor feel, either. It felt 'badge-engineered'. 

So the Art & Lutherie came away the winner, but in the end I somehow walked out with a Martin 000-18, a story which I suppose is for another post.


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## lyric girl (Sep 4, 2008)

Okay now I'm gonna make a huge assumption here. Given the fact that you're thinking about possibly replacing a GA8, I assume that you like quality instruments. Please know that going from a GA8 to a Little Martin or Baby Taylor is like going from a Porsche to a Honda Civic (not that they'res anything wrong with that).

I would say if you're looking for a smaller good guitar, to definitely look at the Taylor GC, but look at higher quality parlors like Larrivee, Santa Cruz etc. 

Also, you might want to check out the following limited run Larrivee:

http://www.12fret.com/new/Larrivee_Twelfth_Fret_Special_2009pg.html


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## mikesae (Feb 21, 2008)

You're right, I just couldn't downgrade (not that there's anything wrong with that). In my quest for a smaller body guitar, I ended up trading my GA8 for a Martin 000-18. 
In the process I shattered some personal presumptions.

The contenders were Larrivee OM3 and OM60 and Martin 000-28 and 000-18. 
No GC size Taylors in stock anywhere in town, unfortunately.

To my surprise, I found I prefered Mahogany over Rosewoood. The Rosewood guitars sounded pillowy and warm, whereas the Mahogany OM3 and 000-18 had more clarity and "pop". Interesting. 

I found I preferred the smoother, thicker neck of the Larrivee by a narrow margin (no pun intended), but the Martin's sound was more "in control", less boomy plus I preferred the shorter scale. 

So, Martin 000-18. I won't have it til next week, as I left it @ the store for setup. 

Actually, none of the guitars had that ringing bell like tone and smooth neck of the Taylor. I bet if the shop had a 712 in stock I would have gone with that, but hey maybe next time around!


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## lyric girl (Sep 4, 2008)

Congratulations on your new guitar. Please post some pics when you get her.


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