Introduction
Taylor Guitars has been crafting high-quality acoustic guitars since 1974 when founder Bob Taylor started the company in California. Known for their attention to detail, innovative designs, and use of premium tonewoods, Taylor has become one of the most respected acoustic guitar brands worldwide.
The Big Baby Taylor (BBT) line is Taylor’s series of slightly smaller, more portable dreadnought models. While Taylor’s standard dreadnoughts are typically 15 inches wide, the Big Baby dreadnought body is scaled down to 15/16 size. This results in a compact, comfortable guitar that still packs impressive projection and rich Taylor tone.
The Big Baby Taylor Walnut stands out for its layered walnut back and sides. Walnut has a warm, balanced tonal character that enhances note definition and clarity. Paired with a solid Sitka spruce top, the BBT Walnut delivers the crisp, articulate tone Taylor is known for, along with the unique visual appeal and acoustic properties of layered American walnut. This guitar captures the Taylor spirit in a more travel-friendly size.
Construction and Materials
The Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut features quality tonewoods and hardware that deliver impressive sound in a compact package. The back and sides are made of layered walnut, which gives the guitar a rich, warm tone. Walnut’s aesthetic appeal also shines through the gloss finish with beautiful brown hues.
The BBT has a solid Sitka spruce top, which is known for its crisp, bright tone that projects well. This combination of spruce and walnut creates a nicely balanced sound.
The neck is made from tropical mahogany, which imparts a smooth, comfortable feel. The fingerboard is ebony, which enhances articulation and clarity.
Other noteworthy appointments include a Nubone nut and compensated micarta saddle for improved intonation, plus die-cast chrome tuners that hold the BBT in tune through long practice sessions or gigs.
The all-solid wood construction and premium components give the Big Baby Taylor a level of quality that punches above its price point. Taylor’s reputation for meticulous attention to detail is evident throughout this thoughtfully crafted instrument.
Tone and Playability
The BBT Walnut acoustic guitar produces a rich, balanced tone perfect for fingerstyle playing or light strumming. The layered walnut back and sides provide warm, pronounced midrange tones, while the solid Sitka spruce top offers crisp treble notes and tight bass response. The result is an articulate, well-rounded tonal profile.
Despite the slightly reduced 15/16 dreadnought body size, the BBT Walnut projects very well and has plenty of volume for both studio work and live performance. While not as boomy and bass-heavy as a full jumbo dreadnought, the BBT still has a strong low end that’s balanced by the clear mids and highs.
The smaller body size makes the BBT exceptionally comfortable to play for extended periods. The slim mahogany neck has a smooth, fast feel that lends itself to intricate fingerstyle playing up and down the ebony fretboard. Intonation is excellent across all frets thanks to the compensated micarta saddle. The guitar stays in tune extremely well even during aggressive rhythm playing.
Overall, the BBT Walnut punches above its weight in terms of tone and playability. Players looking for a rich, nuanced acoustic tone in a more portable size will find the BBT Walnut a superb option.
Electronics and Plugged-In Sound
The Taylor Big Baby Taylor Walnut comes equipped with Taylor’s own ES-B pickup system, featuring an undersaddle piezo pickup and a discrete preamp. This gives the BBT Walnut excellent amplification when plugged in directly to an amp or PA system for live performance or recording.
The ES-B pickup delivers a very natural, balanced tone that accurately captures the nuances of the BBT Walnut’s acoustic sound. Both the crisp highs and warm low mids are reproduced cleanly through an amp, thanks to the undersaddle transducer’s sensitivity. There is very little coloration added to the signal, resulting in an authentic amplified Taylor tone.
The onboard preamp includes simple but effective controls for volume and 3-band EQ, allowing you to shape your amplified sound. There is also a phase switch to cut out feedback at loud volumes. Overall, the controls are intuitive and provide enough tone-shaping options for most live and studio applications without overwhelming the user with too many knobs.
Compared to other popular acoustic-electric models from Martin, Gibson, and Guild, the Taylor ES-B holds its own in terms of transparent plugged-in tone and feedback resistance. It has a very natural sound when amplified, avoiding the quacky or too bright tone of some piezo pickups. The Taylor system also handles live mixing environments well, with enough headroom and feedback rejection for stage use.
Overall, the electronics package on the Big Baby Taylor Walnut makes it an excellent gigging and recording acoustic-electric guitar right out of the box. Plugging it in results in an accurate reproduction of the BBT’s acclaimed acoustic tone.
Aesthetics and Finish
The Taylor Big Baby Taylor Walnut stands out for its aesthetically pleasing layered walnut back and sides. The rich brown walnut has a striking multi-dimensional appearance from the various thin layers laminated together. The wood grain patterns are eye-catching, with a three-dimensional depth and shimmer from the different hues within the walnut.
The walnut pairs beautifully with the solid Sitka spruce top, which has a light cream color. The binding between the top and back is crisp white plastic that elegantly outlines the guitar’s shape. The rosette around the soundhole provides a delicate floral inlay design.
The guitar’s finish is smooth and glossy, which enhances the beauty of the layered walnut. The multiple thin coats of gloss urethane lacquer protect the wood and feel slick to the touch. From a distance, the BBT Walnut has an almost piano-like sheen that makes the guitar pop visually.
Up close, the fit and finish quality is evident. The joints between the neck and body are seamless, with no gaps or unevenness. The plastic binding is cleanly cut and attached. The fret ends are smoothly finished with no sharp edges.
The BBT Walnut comes in two standard color options – a natural finish that shows off the bare wood, or a shaded edgeburst finish that has a darker brown sunburst effect around the guitar’s perimeter. Both choices allow the striking walnut and spruce to take center stage in the visual aesthetics.
Overall, the Taylor BBT Walnut is one of the most eye-catching acoustic guitars in its price range. The layered walnut back and sides offer a unique multi-dimensional look, while the gloss finish and crisp bindings provide an elegantly refined appearance.
Portability and Durability
The slightly reduced 15/16 dreadnought size of the Taylor Big Baby Taylor Walnut makes it an exceptionally portable and durable travel acoustic guitar. The compact shape and lightweight build are designed for maximum comfort and playability on the go.
While only marginally smaller than a full-size dreadnought, the slimmed-down body size and narrower waist make the BBT Walnut noticeably easier to handle. It feels very comfortable to hold against your body when standing to play. The smaller size also makes it easier to play while sitting without the guitar feeling too bulky.
Many players find the slightly scaled-down proportions ideal for travel, especially smaller musicians and children. It’s easy to pack the BBT in the trunk for gigs, or in the overhead bin on airplanes. The compact dreadnought shape fits nicely in Taylor’s included deluxe gig bag with ample padding and protection.
Despite its portable size, the BBT Walnut remains a very sturdy and durable instrument thanks to Taylor’s excellent craftsmanship. The all-solid wood construction and layered walnut back and sides can easily withstand the rigors of frequent travel and everyday use. While the gloss finish can pick up some minor scuffs and scratches, the guitar still retains its classic beauty and plays like new.
Overall, the Big Baby Taylor Walnut offers an ideal blend of portability and durability – easy to transport to gigs or on vacation, but built to last for years as a trusty travel companion.
Value for Money
The Taylor Big Baby Taylor Walnut represents an excellent value for the money when compared to other acoustic guitars in the same price range.
At around $500, the Big Baby Taylor competes with other entry-level to mid-range acoustics like the Martin LX1, Yamaha FG800, Seagull S6 Original, and various models from Fender, Epiphone, and others. The Taylor punches above its weight class in terms of build quality, tonewoods, playability, and overall sound.
While the Martin, Yamaha, and Seagull models offer all-solid wood construction, the Taylor’s layered walnut back and sides help give it a richer, more complex tone. The solid Sitka spruce top provides crisp, balanced highs and articulate note separation. The tone holds up well when compared even to more expensive all-solid wood models.
Playability is another area where the BBT excels, thanks to its comfortable neck profile, low action, and slightly smaller 15/16 dreadnought body size. It feels great for both fingerstyle and strumming, accommodating various playing styles. Intonation up the neck is excellent as well.
The Big Baby Taylor’s high-end appointments like its ebony fingerboard and quality tuners allow it to feel like a more expensive instrument. Attention to fine details in the binding, inlays, and gloss finish further add to the perceived value.
Overall, the Taylor BBT Walnut is an ideal choice for newer players looking for their first quality acoustic, or as a reliable travel/gigging beater guitar for working musicians. The compact size also suits smaller-framed players or anyone looking for a comfortable, portable dreadnought. For its moderate price tag, it’s hard to find an acoustic that looks, plays, and sounds better than the Big Baby Taylor.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Warm, balanced tone from the layered walnut back and sides
- Crisp treble tones from the solid Sitka spruce top
- Excellent intonation and tuning stability
- Comfortable and playable 15/16 dreadnought size
- Quality electronics for natural amplified tone (BBTe model)
- Attractive layered walnut aesthetics and gloss finish
- Lightweight and portable for travel
- Comes with a padded Taylor gig bag
- Great value for the price from a top guitar brand
Cons:
- Slightly less volume and bass response than a full dreadnought
- No onboard tuner (unless you get the BBTe-LH model)
- Only available with a gloss finish option
- Electronics and cutaway add to the cost (non-BBTe models)
The pros focus on summarizing the warm, balanced tone, quality construction, comfortable playability, attractive looks, and portability that make the BBT walnut an excellent value at its price point. The cons mention the slightly reduced volume compared to a full dreadnought, lack of an onboard tuner on some models, and limited finish options as minor shortcomings.
Alternatives
The Taylor Big Baby Taylor offers great value in the compact acoustic guitar market, but there are some comparable alternatives from other top brands worth considering:
Martin LX1
Like the Taylor BBT, the Martin LX1 features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides in a smaller 00-14 fret body size. It produces a balanced, crisp tone perfect for fingerpicking. The satin finish is less prone to scratches. At around $500, it’s comparable in price to the Taylor BBT. The Martin has a slightly wider nut width which some prefer.
Guild M-120
Guild offers their diminutive M-120 mini jumbo model with solid mahogany top and layered mahogany back and sides for a very warm, rounded tone. The 24.75" scale length and 1.72" nut width provide comfort for smaller players. Priced under $500, it’s an appealing option in the small-bodied acoustic market.
Fender PM-3 Triple 0
Fender’s PM-3 Triple 0 is an all-solid mahogany acoustic in a petite concert body style. It produces a focused, mid-range heavy tone well suited to blues and rock. The smooth satin finish withstands scratches well. With a street price around $400, it’s among the more affordable alternatives to the Taylor BBT.
Washburn R320 Rover
The R320 Rover by Washburn packs full dreadnought features into a compact travel-ready body. With a solid spruce top and mahogany back/sides, it provides an articulate balanced tone. The reduced scale length improves comfort and playability. Priced comparably to the Taylor BBT, it deserves a look for portable acoustic power.
Yamaha JR2
At around $300, the Yamaha JR2 is a budget-friendly mini jumbo acoustic. With laminate spruce top, meranti back and sides, and nato neck, it can’t match the Taylor BBT’s build quality and tone. But it provides impressive value in a small, lightweight package ideal for travel and practice. The slim neck profile suits smaller hands.
Conclusion
The Taylor Big Baby Taylor Walnut acoustic guitar delivers impressive tone and playability in a compact, travel-friendly size. This guitar punches above its weight, providing the balanced tone and comfortable feel that Taylor is known for at an accessible price point.
After reviewing all of the features and capabilities of the Big Baby Taylor Walnut, our final verdict is that this is an excellent choice for beginners, traveling musicians, and players seeking a high-quality secondary acoustic. The slightly smaller 15/16 dreadnought body is comfortable for extended practice sessions while still projecting pleasing volume and low end. The all-solid wood construction produces the balanced, articulate tone Taylor is revered for, with the layered walnut back and sides providing warmth to complement the crisp spruce top. Intonation is excellent across the ebony fingerboard, and the guitar stays in tune thanks to quality hardware.
For those seeking amplified tones, the BBTe model comes equipped with Taylor’s ES-B pickup system which accurately reproduces the natural acoustic sound when plugged in. The onboard tone controls provide flexibility for dialing in your ideal amplified tone.
Considering its quality materials, construction, and sound – along with Taylor’s trusted reputation – the Big Baby Taylor Walnut presents an outstanding value at its accessible price point. We highly recommend checking it out in person at your local guitar shop or ordering one online. You’ll be impressed by how this travel-sized Taylor acoustic defies expectations and delivers big tone worthy of the Taylor name.