Does the Taylor GS Mini have a pickup?

There are a ton of different versions of the Taylor GS Mini, primarily differing in tonewood type. Mahogany, Koa, and Rosewood versions each have multiple iterations. For example, there's the Mini-e Koa, the Koa Plus, the Koa bass, and the left-handed Koa.

But if you're looking for a GS Mini with a pickup and electronics, the thing you have to look for is this:

• GS Mini
• GS Mini-e

If the title is "Mini-e", that stands for electronics, meaning that particular model has a pickup system with an ES-B preamp and a built-in tuner. The ES-B preamp is quite good, and I like it more than the ES-2. 

Do they all have the same pickup/preamp system?

All of the Taylor GS Mini-e models, at the time of publishing this article, are equipped with the Taylor ES-B preamp and pickup system. The ES-B has expanded on Taylor's original preamp system, the ES-2, making significant improvements, namely: Tuner added, easier to use, and a three-band EQ.

Read more: The Taylor ES-B pickup/preamp system

How does it impact the price?

How much does the presence of a pickup system impact the price of an acoustic guitar? In the case of the GS Mini series, the typical price difference between a Mini and Mini-e model is around $100, where the Mini-e model is more expensive.

However, be careful not to get tonewoods mixed up when analyzing price.

For example, the Mini Koa is a lot more expensive than the Mini Mahogany, with or without the electronics.

In most comparisons, the presence of a pickup/preamp system in an acoustic guitar will increase the price somewhere in the $100 to $200 range, when compared to the same model without any electronics.

Do I need a pickup system in the GS Mini?

If you plan to play live or to record, it's going to be preferable to have the pickup system. You can certainly use microphones, and many prefer that for recording. But especially for playing live, the plugged-in method is a better approach, plus it will give you access to additional preamp solutions and acoustic amps.

Read more: Best pedals for acoustic guitars

Conclusion

You have plenty of options to pick from.

If you want a Taylor GS Mini with a pickup, look for the Mini-e. From there, you just need to pick your tonewood.

With or without electronics, the GS Mini is a really great acoustic guitar overall. You can check it out here in our best overall acoustic guitar roundup. If you have questions about the GS Mini or anything else I mentioned here, leave them in the comments section below.

I try to answer every comment and will help out as much as possible.

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