Guitar Specs:
No. Strings: 6
Body Type: Dreadnought 3/4 Size
Top Material: Sitka Spruce – Solid
Back & Sides: Sapele Laminate
Binding: White Plastic
Neck Material: Tropical American Mahogany 14 Frets To Body
Neck Shape: Low Profile
Neck Trussrod: Yes, Adjustable
Nut & Saddle Materials: Tusq
Fretboard Radius: 15″
Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots
Headstock Overlay: Lexan
Fretboard: Ebony
Scale Length: 22.75″
Total #Frets: 19
Nut Width: 1-11/16″ Finish: Body Satin, Neck Satin
Bridge: Ebony
Bracing: “X” Bracing
Tuners: Enclosed, Die cast Chrome Plated
Electronics: None
Baby Taylor Acoustic MSRP: $398.00 (incl. Gig Bag)
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Taylor BT-1 Kids Guitar:
If you are looking for a guitar that is just a bit of an upscale model from the guitars that are below the $100 to $150 mark, take a look at the Taylor BT-1. It is also known as the Baby Taylor.
Guitar Accessories and Setup:
It is a 3/4 sized guitar so it is good for little hands and arms to wrap around. It is also used as a traveler type guitar. In other words it is designed to be disassembled and packed in a suitcase for travel shipping. Just take a phillips screwdriver and loosen 2 screws and the neck comes right off. This is a great feature if you decide to travel a lot.
Adjustable Truss Rod is Great!
Another thing I like about this guitar is that it has a fully adjustable truss reinforcement rod in the neck. If the guitar would be subjected to extreme heat or cold, you could bring it back into playing condition with the truss rod. Also as a guitar ages, you will find that a twist or two of the truss rod nut will relieve the strings from buzzing or you will be able to lower the strings a bit more as a result of the adjustable truss rod.
The guitar is made in China, which is pretty much the norm for any guitar in this price range.
Sound Production:
The sound production of the guitar is really quite good considering it is a travel guitar and is in this price range. It is no doubt due in part to the solid wood spruce top, which will put out great a sound. The sides and back of the guitar are made from a laminated wood called Sapele, which in appearance is much like Mahogany.
The fretboard is Ebony, which again is quite amazing at this price point and the bridge is typical Taylor in Ebony as well.
Action:
The guitar that I tested was setup quite reasonably and would be very suitable for a young child to play very easily. If we were to get into harder chord fingerings such as bar chords or partial bar chords, I would do a little work on the action and bring it down just a bit.
Fit and Finish:
The guitar has a satin finish which I feel is totally appropriate since it is likely this guitar will be banged around a bit. A satin finish will also tend to hide fingerprints and other kid related soiling issues.
Overall Rating:
Overall I would give this guitar a rating of 8 out of 10 stars for a Ultimate Kids Guitar. The tone is great, the woods are well selected, it plays well and I believe it would last your child many guitar-playing years.
Street Price:
You should be able to pick up a Taylor BT-1 from Amazon for around $299, including a gig bag. Not a bad price for this much quality.
Tags: acoustic guitar revew, child guitar, kids guitar reviews, kids guitars, taylor bt 1, taylor guitars
