What is it?
It’s fitting that one of the most idiosyncratic artists of this decade, Jacob Collier, is a fan of the seldom seen (outside of Keef) five-string guitar.
His route into it, however, is not – as you might think – that of a six-string guitarist seeking a simpler, more direct expression of the instrument. In fact, Jacob says he grew up playing the four-string tenor guitar and “used to dream of augmenting the tenor guitar with an extra string.” Well, now he need dream no more, because Taylor has done the honours.
The five-string GS Mini is one of two new affordable signature guitars Taylor has released with Collier. There’s an Academy Series 22E five-string made of walnut and smoked eucalyptus (if that was a salad, I’d buy it) plus the Jacob Collier GS Mini that I have here, which features a torrefied Sitka spruce top and layered sapele back and sides, Taylor’s genteel term for ‘laminated’ though, by any name, it’s a perfectly good material for acoustic bodies.
Like other guitars in the highly popular GS Mini range, the guitar has a 23.5-inch scale length and a body that’s essentially a 7/8th scale version of its Grand Symphony (GS) guitars, hence the name.
Specs
- Price: £814 | $814 | €849
- Made: Tecate, Mexico
- Body shape: ⅞ size Grand Symphony
- Body top: Torrefied Sitka spruce
- Top bracing: X-bracing
- Back & sides: Layered (laminate) sapele
- Neck/shape: Tropical mahogany / standard carve
- Scale/length: 23.5” / 597mm
- Nut/width: NuBone / 1.65” (42 mm)
- String spacing at bridge: 14 mm
- Fingerboard wood/Radius: Crelicam ebony / 15-inch (381mm)
- Body depth: 4” / 101mm
- Finish: Natural with Jacob Collier soundhole graphic
- Bridge/pins: Black plastic
- Tuning Machines: Die-cast chrome ‘paddle’ type
- Weight: 3.7lbs / 1.67kg
- Case: Taylor padded gig bag
- Left-handed options: No
- Contact: Taylor Guitars
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★☆
As mentioned, the Jacob Collier GS Mini’s Sitka spruce top is torrefied – a carefully controlled baking process that makes tonewood more stable and simulates the effect of natural ageing, giving a brand-new instrument the voice of a mature guitar (or at least that’s the idea).
The soundboard, meanwhile, is supported by traditional X-bracing, rather than Taylor’s innovative V-Class or C-Class bracing.
Styling wise, the Jacob Collier GS Mini is a mixture of plain, functional elements – it has no binding at all, for example – mixed with a flash of Collier-esque flamboyance via the colourful geometric rosette design, which appears to be a well-executed decal applied under the topcoat.
Overall, the scrupulous tidiness of the build lends the Jacob Collier GS Mini a plain integrity.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★☆
That compact GS Mini body tucks right under the arm and, combined with the short neck, makes this guitar so easy to engage with
As always, the 20-fret Taylor neck is easy playing and electric-like, with a hint of a soft V to its profile. The string spacing feels quite natural under the fingers and there are surprisingly few fumbles getting used to it.
The only time I reached for something and missed was when I went to use the tuners on the lower side of the headstock – you’ll search in vain for the third tuner there.
And again, that compact GS Mini body tucks right under the arm and, combined with the short neck, makes this guitar so easy to engage with.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
The GS Mini is not a D-35 by any stretch but it definitely jabs above its weight.
I found it easy to get modal sounding, drone-like riffs going and make mercurial shifts between major and minor moods
In its intended tuning, the guitar’s sound is full, warm and surprisingly loud and, with fingerstyle in particular, notes really pop without losing composure.
Top end is slightly attenuated but in a pleasant, sweet-toned way. And then there’s that Collier-approved DAEAD tuning that avoids thirds to offer a kind of airy, open canvas for chordal improvisation.
I found it easy to get modal sounding, drone-like riffs going and make mercurial shifts between major and minor moods – and while there’s a learning curve it’s quite an approachable, attractive tuning scheme.
Collier's GS Mini ships without electronics but Taylor's ES-Go soundhole mounted magnetic pickup is specifically designed as as an easy install aftermarket option (you can pick one up for $99/£74/€84). The review model shipped with an LR Baggs VTC pickup with soundhole mounted controls, however this is a non-standard addition and doesn't contribute to the overall scoring of this review.
Verdict
This is quite a hard guitar to categorise – and perhaps Jacob Collier likes it that way. Its big voice (for its size) and no-frills build quality are impressive and the torrefied top works brilliantly here.
The advantages of the unique tuning and the five strings are harder to buy into.
The advantages of the unique tuning and the five strings are harder to buy into. Collier has said he wants new players to be able to conjure up unique and inspiring chord voicings more easily and that is indeed possible on this guitar.
But it also disconnects you from the vast body of established guitar traditions and the ability to learn directly from them.
Nothing’s stopping you from tuning your six-string differently, either, if you want to try something new. At this price we’d love to feel this unusual platform offers something undeniably, uniquely valuable. In that much, at least, it feels like a beguiling solution in search of a real problem.
MusicRadar verdict: The Jacob Collier GS Mini 5-String is quirky, great-sounding and unique – but it’s hard not to feel its limitations are at least as great as the musical vistas it opens up. For the right player, though, it could be the key to experiencing guitar anew.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
A simple build but deftly executed. |
★★★★☆ |
Playability |
Buttery Taylor playability, offset initially by that unique tuning. |
★★★★☆ |
Sounds |
Warm, clear and more expansive than they have a right to be. |
★★★★½ |
Overall |
A clean, professional package – with a lot of quirks. |
★★★★☆ |
