Nearly Full-Size Sound in a Body That's Easy to Love
There's a certain kind of guitar that just makes you want to play every single day — one that feels right the moment you pick it up, doesn't intimidate you with its size, and sounds surprisingly robust for something not quite full-scale. The Taylor Big Baby Taylor is exactly that guitar. Sitting just shy of a full dreadnought, it's the biggest of Taylor's small-body designs, and that distinction matters: you get the volume and projection of a dreadnought in a package that's noticeably more comfortable to hold and play.
At the heart of the BBT is a solid Sitka spruce top paired with layered walnut back and sides — a combination Taylor chose deliberately. The spruce delivers that punchy, clear response you expect from a steel-string acoustic, while the walnut adds warmth and a focused midrange character that sits nicely between the brightness of maple and the depth of rosewood. Whether you're strumming chords around the campfire or working through fingerpicking patterns at the kitchen table, this guitar holds its own.
If you've been looking for a guitar that travels well, doesn't require babying, and still delivers genuine Taylor quality, the BBT is a very easy recommendation. Players at every experience level — from those just getting started to veterans who want a reliable second guitar — keep coming back to this one.
A Body Built for Playing, Not Just Holding
The Big Baby's 15/16-size dreadnought body is the sweet spot Taylor has refined over many years. At 15 inches wide and 4 inches deep, it's close enough to a standard dreadnought that seasoned players won't feel like they're playing a travel guitar — but trim enough that it sits comfortably in the lap without that forward-tipping feeling some players notice with deeper-bodied full-size acoustics. Taylor also gave it an arched back, which contributes both structural strength and a fuller, more resonant tonal output than a flat-backed design at this size.
The layered walnut back and sides are worth talking about specifically. "Layered" is Taylor's term for laminate — and that's actually a feature here, not a compromise. Laminate construction makes the body significantly more resistant to humidity swings and the bumps that come with travel and everyday use. For a guitar you plan to actually take places and play regularly, that resilience is genuinely useful.
Neck and Hardware That Encourage You to Play More
Taylor fitted the BBT with a hard rock maple neck and a West African ebony fingerboard. Ebony brings a smooth, dense playing surface that responds crisply to both fingerpicking and flatpicking — and it holds up well over years of use. The 1-11/16" nut width and 25-1/2" scale length are standard Taylor dimensions, matching what you'll find on the 100 and 200 series guitars, making this a comfortable transition point if you ever want to step up the lineup. The slim oval 'C' shape is specifically designed to avoid the chunkiness of a classic 'V' shape, making this guitar approachable and comfortable - especially for players with smaller hands.
The X-brace top bracing pattern is the workhorse of acoustic guitar construction, and for good reason — it gives the solid Sitka spruce top the structural support it needs while allowing it to vibrate freely and project clearly. Nubone nut and Micarta saddle, die-cast chrome tuners, 20 frets, and a matte finish round out a package that's honest and functional without unnecessary ornamentation. The single-ring rosette and faux-tortoiseshell pickguard give it a clean, classic look that doesn't try too hard.
Product Features:
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Top: Solid Sitka spruce — explicit solid-top construction for punchy, clear projection
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Back & Sides: Layered (laminate) walnut — warm, focused tone with excellent travel durability
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Body: 15/16-size dreadnought — Taylor's largest small-body design, nearly full-size sound
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Neck: Hard rock maple with West African ebony fingerboard — smooth, responsive playing surface
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Scale Length: 25-1/2" | Nut Width: 1-11/16" — standard Taylor dimensions for familiar feel
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Bracing: X-brace pattern under a solid Sitka spruce top
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Nut & Saddle: Nubone nut / Micarta saddle
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Tuners: Die-cast chrome enclosed machines
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Frets: 20 | Fretboard Radius: 15"
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Finish: Matte — clean, understated natural look
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Electronics: None — purely acoustic
Brand: Taylor Guitars
Model: Big Baby Taylor (BBT)
SKU: BBT
Condition: New
Since 1872, C.A. House Music has been helping musicians across the Ohio Valley find the right gear -- with real advice from a team that actually plays. We're your authorized dealer of all the big names in guitars, keyboards, band instruments, drums, pro audio, and more. With four family-owned and operated locations in Ohio and West Virginia (plus a full online store), you don't have to go far for instruments, lessons, rentals, and repairs. No matter your musical needs, our team of musicians wants to help you Play Music for Life.
