Are you looking for an affordable Taylor guitar suitable for small hands? Do you need a travel-friendly acoustic? This Taylor BT1 review will help you determine if you’ve found your champion.
Reduced size parlor and travel guitars like the BT1 Baby Taylor are becoming a mainstay on the acoustic guitar market. What may have started as a gimmick is now a worthy guitar type in its own right.
Taylor is a popular and trusted brand known for high-quality instruments. Let’s look into how well the Baby Taylor BT1 delivers.
Table of Contents
Taylor BT1 Physical Features
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- Top: Sitka spruce
- Back and Sides: Layered sapele
- Neck: Sapele bolt-on
- Nut Width: 1 11/16”
- Nut & Saddle: Nubone nut, Micarta saddle
- Body Shape: 3/4-size non-cutaway
- Electronics: None (available on BT1-e)
The Baby Taylor BT1 is like a dreadnought but with a scale length of 22.75 inches, making it a small powerhouse suitable for travelers and children.
A Sitka spruce soundboard gives the Taylor BT1 a harmonic-rich tone with a big dynamic range. Combined with the X-bracing and sapele laminate sides, this gives you a well-rounded guitar sound with a strong projection for its size.
There are 19 frets on the fingerboard, which consists of West-African ebony for smooth playability. Together with the Nubone nut, it also helps preserve the upper harmonics for a punchy sound.
Other than the Micarta saddle, all components and materials are pretty much standard. Also, it comes with a sturdy gig bag.
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Electronics
The standard Taylor BT1 doesn’t have any electronics. However, the BT1-e is the same guitar but fitted with an ES-B preamp system.
Finish
A simple varnish coating completes the sleek design and makes it both durable and pretty. Everything is sleek and timeless with no binding and a very basic rosette and inlays.
How the Taylor BT1 Plays
Many of us associate the Taylor brand with great playability, and the Taylor BT1 is no exception. Thanks to the low string action, you’ll find it very comfortable to play. Plus, it’s easier to reach the highest frets since there’s no big heel to stop your hand at the bottom of the neck.
Regardless of your experience level, you’ll find the Taylor BT1 very agreeable. It’s versatile and suitable for fingerstyle, flat picking, and hybrid styles.
Tone Quality
Just like the look and feel, the sound has that Taylor touch to it. Despite the small size, it can get pretty loud, and the tone isn’t thin at all. It’s crisp and clear with warm mids and a parlor-esque treble.
The lower end is tight and balanced. This guitar will make a great complement to singing, especially with deeper voices.
As for projection, in other words how well the sound travels, it’s impressive for the size. As long as you’re not expecting full-size performance, you’ll find it impressive.
What People Say
Users enjoy the convenient size and affordable price. They say it’s a joy to play and that the sound is impressive.
Some find that the smaller size makes it a bit quiet for some uses. All in all, it gets a 5-star rating on Sam Ash.
Taylor BT1 VS Taylor BT2
A common Taylor BT1 review question is “what’s the difference between Taylor BT1 and BT2?”
The answer is in the soundboard material. The Taylor BT2 has a mahogany top instead of spruce. This gives it a slightly mellower sound. Other than that, they’re the same.
The two Baby Taylor guitars are among the best guitars for small hands.
- 6-string Acoustic Guitar with Mahogany Top
- Layered Sapele Back
- Sides - Natural
Pros & Cons
A good Taylor BT1 review should be as compact and easy as the guitar itself. So, let’s summarize the strengths and weaknesses.
Pros
- Affordable for Taylor
- Great for children
- Travel-friendly
- Sounds bigger than it is
- Smooth playability
If you’ve been pining for a Taylor guitar but your budget or free space wouldn’t allow it, the Taylor BT1 is an excellent solution. It’s not a gimmick but a real Taylor with a smaller format and price.
Cons
- Simple for its range
- No double-action truss rod
It’s hard to find negative things about the Taylor BT1. It may be a bit pricey for beginners, and it’s a very basic design. However, the only real convenience missing is an easy-access truss rod for easy intonation and action adjustments. But since it’s a quality Taylor guitar, it’s unlikely that you’d miss that.
Final Thoughts on the Taylor BT1 Review
If you’re looking for a small, easy-playing guitar with a big sound, a Taylor BT1 is a wise choice. From the build quality to the gentle feel, it simply delivers.
Plus, it comes at a very reasonable price for what you get. I hope my Taylor BT1 review has helped with your decision.
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Rating: 4 out of 5
Last update on 2024-10-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
