At some point in time, most dedicated musicians, whether they be beginners or professionals, have a small pipe dream of owning a Taylor Guitar.
The reason why it’s mostly a pipe dream from most musicians is because of the price tag- paying $1,500 or more for an acoustic guitar just isn’t in the budget for most people.
If you are someone who can’t afford the $1,500 price tag that comes with buying a full-sized Taylor, spending $300 for a ¾ sized Taylor probably seems to be more reasonable.
But, as some people have learned, just because a guitar has a top-name brand branded on it, does not mean that it’s truly worth the investment.
Personally, I would not suggest this guitar to you if you perform as a way to make your living. Just because the Taylor name is attached to the instrument, doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for a professional to purchase.
However, if we are talking about purchasing a guitar that offers a decent sound while also being easy to travel with, the Taylor BT2 Baby is an instrument that you should look at.
The ¾ sized dreadnought body sports a real tropical American mahogany top, with laminated sapele sides and back. The shape of this Taylor has been refined a bit; the curves at the top and the bottom have been softened so it sits easier in the lap.
The scale length is 22 ¾ inches and the ebony fingerboard with 19 frets attached.
The most distinctive feature of the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic is the mahogany. It’s well-finished and is certainly eye-catching.
It is a known fact that smaller guitars are harder to properly manufacture, due to their smaller size; smaller guitars are more fragile in comparison to full-bodied guitars.
The laminate back and sides do not provide this guitar with amazing tonality. The laminate also makes the Taylor BT2 Baby feel cheap, as laminate on most guitars do.
While the Taylor BT2 Baby has been advertised to produce large and full tones, I tend to disagree with that. However, I did notice that the projections for singular notes, arpeggios, and chords are distinct. When chords are strung with extra force, the resonation tends to become a bit muddy.
Ed Note: I purchased a Taylor BT2 Baby for my godson over 10 years ago. I hate to admit it, but I almost didn’t give it to him because I was impressed by the craftsmanship. Taylor put a lot of R&D into producing a big, clear sound out of a smaller body. My godson is 18 and it’s still his go-to guitar. I was impressed with the build, look, feel, and sound.
The Baby Taylor is my top pick for small hands. It's also cross-marketed as a travel guitar, making it ideal for on-the-go easy playing.
Criteria
It is most definitely easy to become overwhelmed by the massive guitar market that’s available; there are a countless number of guitars available in every single style in the world.
In order to know how to evaluate a guitar’s quality to make sure that the guitar you’re looking at is the proper one for your needs, you need to understand what criteria is used to evaluate a guitar’s quality.
This review of the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic Guitar will look at the following criteria:
- The playability to the Taylor BT2 Baby
- The materials that this guitar is made from
- Who the Taylor BT2 Baby is best guitar is best suited for
- The tone and sound quality of the Taylor BT2 Baby
- The value of the Taylor BT2 Baby for your money
Would you suggest the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic?
I would not suggest anyone purchase this guitar, whether you be a
For the sound quality that this instrument produces, you can go purchase a ¾ size guitar that’s much cheaper and produces way more sound. Not to mention the amount of work that you have to put into this guitar just to keep it functioning properly.
See how Baby Taylor compares to Little Martin; and check out our full Taylor vs Martin brand comparison.
Specifications of the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic:
- ¾ size guitar
- Dreadnought body
- Finger joint neck
- Die cast chrome tuners
- Perloid dot inlays
- 19 medium frets
- Genuine African Ebony fretboard
- Nubone nut
- Sapele laminate sides and back
- Tropical mahogany top
- Varnish finish on neck
- Varnish finish on top
- Baby dreadnought body
- 22 ¾ inch scale length
- Standard Baby X-Bracing
- Matte body finish
- Chrome baby tuners
Who is the BT2 Baby best suited for?
I personally would not suggest the BT2 Baby for anyone who is seriously looking to learn guitar. There are cheaper guitars that are on the market that provides better sound quality and durability compared to the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic Guitar.
However, if you have a young child that desperately wants to learn guitar and you have a little bit extra spending money, I would say that this guitar would be decent enough for a young child to learn on.
If you are someone who wants to travel around and just need a guitar to whip out quickly, this wouldn’t be a bad guitar to purchase either. Although, I would suggest that you look at other guitars because there are cheaper options on the market that are better quality.
The Baby Taylor is my top pick for small hands. It's also cross-marketed as a travel guitar, making it ideal for on-the-go easy playing.
Does the BT2 Baby work as advertised?
No, it does not. Taylor describes this guitar to be an easy and affordable guitar to work with, that produces high-quality sound and will last you for years to come. While this instrument is nice to look at, if you don’t take care of it, it’s going to fall apart.
I have a few friends who have owned the BT2 Baby that haven’t kept their guitars in with a humidifier and have had their guitars crack. Due to the materials that the BT2 Baby is made from, this guitar does not survive well in the heat.
In order to be able to keep this guitar for a long period of time, you’re going to need to have a sponge humidifier to prevent is from desiccating. However, if you happen to keep the room that you store your guitar in too damp, the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic will begin to be more prone to warping.
You’re also going to have to make sure that you loosen up your strings after you’ve finished playing, even if you only plan on storing it away for a day or two. The neck of the Taylor BT2 Baby is very prone to warping.
Taylor also says that this guitar is perfect to travel with while this guitar is small, you’re going to have to purchase a better gig bag if you want to be able truly travel around with this guitar. You can carry the gig bag like a backpack, which makes it prone to hitting walls and ceilings when you’re walking around.
This also means that the gig bag is a soft case, which provides no protection to the guitar against any kind of abuse or weather. You would have to spend another $80 to $100 just to get a case that’s small enough to hold the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic.
Pros of the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic:
- Decent action
- Good size for a child
- Comes with a functional backpack style carrying case
Cons of the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic:
- Needs a lot of maintenance in order to keep the guitar in working condition
- Does not come with a hard case
- Doesn’t stay in tune for a long period of time
- Doesn’t respond well to playing fingerstyle
- Doesn’t come packaged in protective padding
Other Alternative Guitars to Consider:
Eastman E10P Parlor Acoustic Guitar
The Eastman E10P Parlor Acoustic Guitar is the instrument that piqued our interest. The sound of parlor guitars, such as the E10P, is as if they were transported directly from a front porch in the Mississippi Delta.
While it is going to cost you around $1,000 to purchase one of the Eastman E10P Parlor Acoustic Guitars, it’s a parlor sized guitar that serves to be a quality instrument that you can use for all music styles and genres. The E10P Parlor is known to be a guitar that is extremely easy to play for people of all sizes; it’s an instrument that is easy to hold and feels lightweight.
The neck and the fretboard are half of an inch below the standard dreadnought length, which makes this guitar play like a real gem no matter the player’s size or preference in style.
Epiphone PR5-E Thin Body Acoustic Electric Guitar with Florentine Cutaway
Just in at Sixx Gun is an Epiphone PR-5E acoustic electric cutaway guitar featuring a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, fully bound in cream binding.
The Epiphone PR5-E Thin Body Acoustic has just been recently updated with their new eSonic pre-amp and NanoFlex pickup system. With this new technology installed into their acoustic guitar, the instrument comes alive when plugged in. This guitar also has a built-in, easy to use tuner. You can also plug-in and un-plug the guitar from an amp without any loud popping noise.
There have been a whole bunch of new features added to this guitar and it’s perfect for on-stage performances, especially with people who have smaller hands!
The Final Take on the Taylor BT2 Baby Review?
In just a brief summary, the Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic is said to be a delight to play for players of all different levels. However, I would suggest this piece to professionals who enjoy the sound of the BT2, but know how to properly take care of a guitar.
The Baby Taylor is my top pick for small hands. It's also cross-marketed as a travel guitar, making it ideal for on-the-go easy playing.
If you are a
There are other guitars out there that are cheaper than this guitar and that produce better tonal quality. I would suggest checking out the Eastman E10P Parlor Acoustic Guitar if you’re really interested in finding an acoustic guitar that’s easy to use for people who have smaller hands.
It’s a lot cheaper, has better sound quality, and is very popular among people who tend to gravitate towards playing on smaller guitars.
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Zak
Tuesday 24th of January 2023
I've had my Baby for 11 years and it plays just as good as when it was new and the sound might even be better. No cracks, no warping. Your review make me suspect that you have not actually played the guitar or that you simply do not like Taylor's for some reason. Since you also complain about the sound I challenge you to do a comparison to any of your favorite guitars in the same size and price range. And yes - I also have 3 other acoustics ranging up over $2000, so have some experience when it comes to appreciate a good guitar.
Ed Lozano, Managing Editor, Guitar Space
Sunday 5th of February 2023
Thanks for the comment, Zak. I own 3 Taylors myself and agree with you wholeheartedly. I added a note to the post as I respect the writer's opinion (even when different than my own).