Feature:
The product includes a beautiful hardshell Taylor case. It's designed specifically for the GA series, and the buckles, handles are all in good top-notch shape. However, the case is quite heavy (about 21lbs w/ guitar). I'm a small lady, it's a huge workout for me to carrying this hardshell around.
Quality:
My GA4 have a few blemishes on the binding, but I was able to get a slight discount on the guitar because of it. The white bindings really brings out the guitar's shape, and the tuners look really nice with the engraved "Taylor" name on each tuner. The satin finish for the back/sides feels incredibly nice and the gloss top does bring out the shine on the GA4. The fretboard/bridge is ebony, and the strings are Elixirs lights gauge. Of course, this guitar is all solid wood, Ovangkol! Personally, I love the look of Ovangkol. It is lighter than Rosewood, but you can still see the amazing wood pattern. The dark lines really makes the guitar look much more intense than the Sapele tonewood.
Value:
The quality on GA4 is good, but you can obviously buy other guitars brands (Larrivee, Takamine etc.) with the same quality or better at a lower price. I've always been eyeing for a Taylor, and now I can finally afford one. I wanted to buy the 214 before, but the 214 only came with laminated Rosewood back/sides, and the GA4 came with SOLID Ovangkol back/sides.
Desirability:
I wouldn't buy it if I didn't want it. Haha. The factory setup was perfect for me.
Sound:
Taylors are known for their bright sound, and the GA4 has a bright sound. I've played an Ovation for 6 years, so I'm quite used to the brighter sound of acoustic guitars. The wood, Ovangkol, does help bring out the mid-range and slight basser tones of the guitar. In my opinion, Ovangkol would be a better choice than Sapele (which comes in the 300 series or GA3 models). At the moment, the guitar still sounds a bit bright, but I'm hoping once I start playing it more, the wood will open up and give the guitar a more even tone with the sound.
Ease of Use:
The guitar is very playable. I am a 5'1" girl, so the GA shape is much more comfortable for me to play than a dreadnought style. I prefer the GA shape since my Ovation has a similar GA shape too. The neck of the gutiar is very comfortable with the satin finish, however the width of the fretboard is a bit wider than what I'm used to, but I do have small fingers, so maybe that's why.
Overall:
Yes, I am very satisfied with the GA4. I just really wished I could have ordered a new one with the pickguard, but ordering would take about 6 months. This particular Taylor model had everything I wanted in an PURE acoustic guitar. Beautiful white binding, no cutaway, no pre-amp or excessive 'inlay' decorations and a beautiful Taylor hardshell case! Everything about the guitar is top-quality in my eyes. I hope to keep playing this guitar for many years, maybe even pass it down to my kids (if I have any) in the near future.
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