Taylor GS Mini (Spruce Top) Reviews

from
May 18, 2013

Amazing Guitar

OK I've owned the Martin LXM for my travel guitar for several years. Great guitar. Here's the thing, i was thinking there has got to be better tone out there. I looked into the Baby Taylor. Nope, it's nice but very much like the LXM. The blogs said look at the GS Mini. I saw that over and over. So I did and I went and played one - WOW! This guitar is awesome. Slightly more $$$ than the Baby and LXM but you'll get your $$$$ worth!

David
from San Francisco Bay Area
February 20, 2013Music Background:
Beginner

GS Mini Spruce Top

This Guitar may be a "Mini" but it has the Grand Symphony sound. It is a beautiful work of art and an excellent beginner and travel guitar.

from
January 4, 2013

GS mini

Oh yeah! This is my first acoustic guitar in a while and this one is wonderful. Great tone and sustain. The neck is slim and elegant and feels very much like my electric LTD. Played in drop D with the elixir medium strings and it sounds great and stays in tune. Throaty low end and nice warm mids/ highs. Quality construction and quality materials. There are a ton of videos with people playing this guitar if you need further information or sampling.

Charlie Davis my sales guy is always top notch. Great communication and customer service. I have purchased several things from Sweetwater now and will continue to come back because of the quality and time Charlie takes to ensure the best experience possible.

Jim Cox
from Muncie, Indiana
January 1, 2013Music Background:
Singer/songwriter with a small home studio, played in bands semi-professionally since the '50s

Taylor GS Mini

I was shopping around for an acoustic that was within my price range, yet would still be suitable as part of my “backup group” on my demos – something with crisp highs and not a lot of low end. In reading the reviews, it appeared that the GS Mini filled the bill on both counts. It is also sized to fit my small hands and small frame. After several weeks of playing it, I'm convinced I was right in choosing this great instrument.

Despite its size, it doesn't have that “uke” sound that plagues many smaller acoustics. The intonation is dead on up and down the neck and it's so easy to play. I'll keep this one for a long time.

Joe Davis
from Central America
December 16, 2012Music Background:
Professional for the last ten years.

Super funt to play

This guitar was a total surprise. I had read other reviews and was prepared for a great guitar but I never expected to get this much guitar for the money. I still gig with my CE 315 but I practice a play and do some giging with the GS Mini. GEt the pickup and cable too. It's worth the extra investment.

Jim
from NJ
November 3, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Awesome guitar, awesome service from Sweetwater

The GS mini is extremely well made, easy to play, and sounds incredible. It is a great size - very easy to handle but clearly not a "kids" guitar. If you were intrigued by the baby Taylor because you want somthing easy to travel with but consider the baby taylor too small, the GS mini is the way to go. You will be pleased. Case that comes with it is top notch as well. As to Sweetwater - their customer service is outstanding. I got my guitar and it had a problem. They quickly sent me a replacement (overnight!) and a postage paid return for the other one. They were an absolute pleasure to deal with, every step of the way. I have bought two guitars from them, and they will get my future business as well - never seen a more orgnanized, friendly, knowledgable company on the web. Special thanks to Dustin for looking out for me since day one. :-)

matthew goppert
from New Paris IN. USA
October 23, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

sounds big!

This is a great little guitar, I take it every where, and I find myself using it at home instead of my full size martin. Great when your siting in a recliner.

Steve Pastore
from Clermont FL USA
October 7, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

AWESOME Taylor GS Mini

What a remarkable instrument the Taylor GS Mini is...She is in a class all by herself.....Tone and playability/projection is astonishing given it's size...add a ES-Go pickup and shes sings... So, If you are looking for a fine guitar that gives you that authentic Taylor sound without breaking the bank..then this guitar is for you.....Thanks JK at Sweetwater.....

from
August 29, 2012

I love this guitar

Acoustic guitars are very expensive. The GS Mini sounds amazing for relatively little cost. It is a little guitar but it has a big sound. Even though it is smaller it does not sound reduced or compressed. The neck is comfortable. After reading some reviews I was tempted to get a mahogany. I like the hog color as well. Yet I preferred the tone of the spruce. Sweetwater lets you pick the guitar from actual photos so I got one with darker wood between spruce and hog. The tone of mine is perfect and not bright. It is easy to tote around in its gig bag, either in the house or on trips. I leave it in the bag all of the time. The guitar is compact enough to play in a car, YMWV. I am very happy with the GS Mini.

KEN FILLOFF
from Fort Wayne,IN.
July 14, 2012Music Background:
Still trying to improve!

KICK *** MINI TAYLOR

There is no sales person that stands out all staff work as a team.LOVE MY RETAIL MUSIC STORE.THANKS A LOT!!!

Steve Schultz
from Sparks, NV
May 22, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

GS Mini is a great traveling companion

Great tone in such a small guitar. Tried the Babys and Little Martins, but this beats them all, I also own a Taylor 414 and a Martin HD 28V which I'll never take out of the house and I needed something for those nights away from home.
If you;re looking for a great sounding guitar that takes up little space, this is a great choice, You will not regret it!

Joseph Bedard
from Agawam Ma.
May 8, 2012Music Background:
Played for 60 years

My GS Mini

When I received my GS Mini I was very impressed. The tone of this little guitar is amazing and the price is right. This is a great price and a fine guitar for the beginner or the professional. I own several guitars and they all have there own personality. This GS Mini by Taylor fits all occasions and its a pleasure to own and more so to play. Its truly a sweetheart.

Ryan VanBuskirk
from
May 2, 2012

The best option for your buck.

This is an amazing guitar. The sound is phenomenal. Fingerpicking with this guitar is very easy, and its loud when i want to use a pick. When I get home i can just pick it up and jam. It stays in tune very well. its easy to play, not hard on the fingers. it's surprisingly light weight. For the cost you get more than what you pay for with this guitar. Taylor really knows how to make a great guitar.

Gary
from Fernandina Beach, Florida
January 16, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Sweet little guitar with the Taylor sound

Bought this guitar because I wanted a decent short scale guitar due to my having small hands with short fingers. Read all reviews and figured I'd give the GS Mini a try. First time I played it I could not believe the sound was possible from this little guitar - sounds exactly like a Taylor (best way I can describe the sound). Not quite as much volume as my Martin D-28, especially when using a capo, but the tonal quality is excellent across all of the strings. I added the ES Go pickup that I play through a VOX 30 set to Boutique CL with reverb and the guitar/pickup combination is superb. The excellent sound coupled with the light weight and short scale make this a fun guitar to play. I did change strings from the Martin SP lights (same gauge as the Elixor's) but that was just due to my personal preference for uncoated strings.
Also have to add that my experience dealing with Sweetwater was OUTSTANDING. I was called soon after I place my order and all my questions were answered. The guitar arrived in perfect condition, double boxed and in the well padded gig bag that comes with the guitar. All I had to do was tune the guitar up.

Mike G
from Los Angeles, CA USA
December 21, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

The Perfect Pick-up and Play Guitar

Ordered mine after trying a few smaller body guitars. Quality is top-notch, very playable, super comfortable , and great sound. The included gig-bag is very sturdy. I wouldn't think twice about getting another one if something happens to mine. Its that good.

from Michigan
December 5, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

Taylor Mini GS

Just like the other reviewers, this little Taylor is just incredible. It is so convenient to pull this guitar out to practice. My other guitars are getting neglected. The tone that comes out of this instrument will blow you away. I am also very impressed how much sustain you get from the smaller body. The sound isn't muddy either. It's intonation is right on the money and it holds tune second to none. I've had my Taylor mini GS for about 5 months now. It just gets better and better as time goes on. You know what it's like to buy an instrument you absolutely love versus buying one that something just isn't quite 100% perhaps a little buyers remorse? Not with this guitar. I absolutely loved this guitar on day one and now 5 months later I love it even more. The sound was killer when it was new but has gotten even better now that it's nice and broke in. Every time I pick it up I can't help but to say, I just love this little Taylor. I am very satisfied with the purchase of this guitar for something that is easy to pull out of it's case and have such great tone, sustain, and playability. Brave to Taylor on this one.

from
October 17, 2011

excellent product!

the sound from this little guitar is incredible. i feel like i need a mic or vocal lessons to compete! it's got such a great tone and volume for its shorter size. i've never been able to do barre chords very well before and with the smaller distance between frets and between the strings and the neck it's too easy. i'm absolutely in love with the gs mini and thrilled with the purchase.

Betty
from Clearwater, FL
September 14, 2011Music Background:
Beginning Student

Taylor GS Mini

Just right in sound, size, and quality. An excellent match.

jim miller
from st.louis mo.
August 30, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist-Band member on and off over thirty years

Taylor GS Mini

I ordered the GS Mini from reading all the good reviews on this guitar.I LOVE THIS FINE LITTLE GUITAR. The set up was perfect, the sound out this GS Mini is super. like so many others that bought this fine guitar have said, Since I received this little gem that's the only guitar out of four others that I have that I have been playing everyday. I just might buy another one. For the price and what this guitar size is made for it is outstanding, Just like Sweetwaters Service. Thank you Sweetwater and Taylor for a fine and fun guitar to play. Jim Miller

Brian Bright
from Lowell, IN
July 25, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist/occassional gigs

Just what I needed

Picked up my GS Mini last month at Sweetwater. I drove 2.5 hours to visit the "store" (it's more like an amusement park!), and found it to be everything that I had hoped for. To be honest, I've always been a bigger fan of Martins, but Taylor really hit it out of the park with the GS Mini. First, there's little to say about the action and playability other than "it's a Taylor"--CNC manufacturing and such pays off very large in this department. The sound is awesome, likely due to the extra body depth and convex back giving a larger internal volume. I don't see it keeping up with my Martin D16 in a volume contest, but I didn't get it for that, so I'm very happy. This thing outright embarrasses all of the other "travel" guitar I tried--including the Little Martin and the Big Baby.

What really surprised me the first time that I tried one of these was the attention to detail that Taylor put into the guitar. My Martin is a gloss-top model, and while it has some nice features, it has a composite (that is, plastic!) fingerboard. Taylor made sure to use real wood everywhere, and although the position markers and headstock veneer are simple, they have obviously been given the same attention that I would expect of any quality guitar.

All in all, I see this becoming an instant classic, although I'm not sure that we'll see as many of these sold as say, telecasters. This is an excellent 1st guitar, especially for those with a smaller frame, or a great second guitar for those with higher-end instruments that spend a lot of time put away. However, I don't know that many people would keep this as their only acoustic, as my experience has been that most people would either go very cheap or considerably more expensive that this is they can only have one guitar. However, I think that this would be the ideal guitar for those with limited space, like perhaps a college student on their way to the dorms.

Drew
from SE Michigan
June 24, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

Close Your Eyes and You Wouldn't Know the Difference..

Between this "Mini" and a full size instrument. I travel for a living and have been searching for the perfect travel guitar for several years. The Travelers are good but I wanted real acoustic tone and every mini/traveler I tried sound like garbage.

I was on a biz trip and stopped in a guitar store and saw one of these and was blown away! I bought one from the good folks art Sweetwater mainly due to the excellent customer service and the fact you can pick your individual guitar from their gallery. I picked one with a slightly wider grain and more tinted color and could not be happier. The sound was very very good right out of the box.

Always one to Tweak, and never a big fan of coated strings (comes with Elixers) I used it as an opportunity to upgrade the saddle and bridge pins to Tusq, and thought I'd try the new DR Dragon Skin strings to see if their claims as good as non-coated were true.

Between the new saddle/pins and strings it was an order of magnitude better. Totally amazed that this much sound can come out of something this small.

Only gripe was after acclimating the truss rod needed a minor tweak but I consider that normal setup.

peter royles
from Goulburn sydney Australia
June 15, 2011Music Background:
pro musician.

GS MINI

Thank you mark. I,m amazed at the tone of this guitar
it,s realy nice to play, the tone is great.i,ve put the esy go
taylor pick up on. play it through a compresser with pre amp
for good volume is the way to go with the pick up.
good quality gig bag. thank you for the good service.
just 5 days from USA-to-Australia.
.

Ed
from Livermore, CA
May 13, 2011Music Background:
Long time player

Amazing

I just received my GS Mini from the FedEx driver. The packaging was great and the guitar was in perfect condition when taken out of the gig bag. After a quick tuning I started playing my new toy. Wow, what a sound for such a small little guitar. I've heard full sized guitars that don't sound near as good. This is the third Taylor in my guitar collection so I was expecting great feel and intonation. And I got both. The craftsmanship is top notch just like it's big brothers. The gig bag is really nice as well. Everything about the transaction with Sweetwater was just as great as the guitar. I'm very pleased and do recommend the GS Mini to anyone looking for a guitar to take on a plane, to the campground, or anywhere you wouldn't take your regular guitar.

Bob "Taylor" V...
from Wabash, IN
February 18, 2011Music Background:
gigging player...

Buy this Taylor Mini GS if you can find one...Get in line...

I had to wait for mine. It was worth it. They are selling these things faster then can make them. I Love it. I have played top end Martins, Taylors and all the others. For the money and size, this is a amazing value. I am not saying it is not a little bit boxey sounding. Not going to compete against a 700 or 800 series but everyone who picks it up wants one.
If you just want a campfire guitar this is perfect. That said, the ES-Go pickup is not very appealing. They should offer these with the Expression system. I am going to have mine added by the factory. Costs as much as the guitar I understand but now you got a real stage instrument. It seems a shame they built such a nice package and choose to offer a lame pickup option. I guess I understand the logic. They want you to buy a bigger ticket guitar.

The padded case is nice and sturdy. Looks like it will hold up well to the road.

I say you get your butt in line on one of these right now. You will thank me when you get it...

John R.
from Encinitas, CA USA
January 11, 2011Music Background:
long time hobbyist and ocassional performer

BEST travel guitar on the market

I got my GS Mini from Seetwater just before Christmas. I have the luxury of living 30 minutes from the Taylor factory in CA and was able to try one out for about 1 hour. I have been playing in almost every day and just can't put it down. This guitar has really nice tone and the volume can compete with most full sized guitars. It is as loud as my Taylor 814ce. When you really dig in on it, it doesn't wash out but pushes back even lending it to a pretty aggressive style. This guitar would be a street musicians dream. It was easy to play right out of the box and the gig bag is so well padded that it will stand up by itself. It is not as nicely finished as the other high end taylors I have had but for $500 I would guess it is the best sounding small travel size guitar on the market. I take it with me wherever I go! PS I had a factory retrofit of the full expression system (costs as much as the guitar) and OMG it sounds amazing plugged in. I will definitely perform with this great little guitar. Thank you Sweetwater and thanks to Taylor for their fantastic customer service. Buy it you won't be disappointed....

from Omaha, NE USA
January 1, 2011Music Background:
Guitar Major, Set Musician

It's That Amazing

I've always had low thoughts about mini traveler guitars. To be straightforward, they've never been that great. I was in a store the other day and I decided to try one, out of curiosity. I was blown away. The bass is present, and it plays smooth. It's probably the only traveler guitar that I'd actually use in a live environment.

Mark Easley
from Raleigh NC USA
December 30, 2010Music Background:
Musician and guitar teacher

It's All Taylor

It took a while to get it, but worth the wait. The GS Mini is every bit a Taylor, great looks, sound, and playability. The short scale makes it very easy to play, and Taylor decided to put on medium guage elixers, which helps give it a very big sound. I can use it for practice, travel, playing live, and recording with the ES Go pickup or on a mic. Finally there is a real, playable, great sounding travel size guitar. Nice job Taylor!

Herb Genelly
from S.F. CA
October 31, 2010Music Background:
Gigging musician

Taylor GS Mini

Sure it's easy to join the Band Wagon, but this thing really outshines any small travel guitar by leaps and bounds. I own high end Taylors, and the Baby, but I'd gig with this no question. The action, fit and feel are great, and the whole guitar resonates when you play it. I'm still waiting for the optional pickup, so it will be interesting to see how well it sounds amplified. Yes it's made in Mexico. Get over it, as it's a finely crafted instrument. No finish flaws, no string buzz, great intonation, and the same quality Taylor QC we're used to experiencing.

from
September 25, 2010

gs mini

I was really looking forward to receiving my gs mini and went as far as to pre-order it from a local guitar store. When I received it and began playing it, my only initial response was WOW!! This thing is great, with the exception of one thing.....one very important thing. Upon looking it over a bit closer I discovered it was made in MEXICO thats right MEXICO. Upon discovering this, I felt terribly disappointed as I am very pro Made in America. If I had know I was going to have to pay $500 for something made in MEXICO, I would not have made the purchase.

Mark Leach
from Monroe Michigan
September 21, 2010Music Background:
Hobbyist

Taylor GS Mini

First off I woulg like to thank Mike and the Sweetwater team for keeping me updated on my GS Mini status that I pre-ordered in July. It arrived today and all I can say is Wow! Little guitar with a huge sound!! It is everything that I was hoping for. Great guitar for a awesome price..Thanks Taylor Guitar...It was worth the wait.

S. Crain
from Denver, CO
August 23, 2010Music Background:
Professional at times playing for over 30 years.

GS Mini Hits The mark

I got the first one that came in to the area today. I got a call from my local store when it arrived yesterday and today when I got back into town I went down and we opened the box. I played it and was surprised as it has much more volume and a fuller tone than the Big Baby. I then played it side-by-side against every guitar from every maker that is smaller than "full sized" and it out shined them all.

Great volume, excellent tone for a small guitar. It has a great neck. It's the same size neck as my Big Baby and double the volume. There are many guitars out there at half the price if you are looking for a cheap guitar to beat around and/or travel with. I wanted a guitar to take on the road with me when I'm going out for a while and this sure fits the bill. Size isn't the issue as full-sized cases fit overheads just fine. However, the size and weight of this make it excellent for travel while still providing a stage-worthy sound. The factory medium's give it the feel of a longer scale when compared to the easy-playing Big Baby but it will be a while before I toss some lights on it to give them a spin.

All in all, it is exactly what the Taylor factory advertised it as. Everyone I played it for today was amazed at the tone and volume. Additionally, it has the nicest gig-style soft-sided travel bag with backpack straps that I've seen. Very protective and lightweight. Plus a little Bear Claw.

Reuben
from U.S. Southeast
January 17, 2013Music Background:
high-level amateur pianist, so-so guitar picker.

Close to top-quality Taylor

Needed a smaller-than-standard acoustic for my teen who has smaller hands. Didn't want to go too cheap (i.e. $150 ). Tried the 3/4 size, but it really was *too* small; this GS Mini is perfect for her. Very nice sound, beautiful wood all around. Comes with a well-designed soft/padded case. Half-point off since it probably needs to be (obviously from a buyer's POV) about $75 cheaper.

Noel Case
from Maryville, Tennessee
August 31, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

High Quality and Crisp Sound.....

I can feel the quality in this guitar. The size of the sound hole and the depth and width of the bout gives it more sound projection and a broader spectrum than you might expect. I had difficulty making the choice between the spruce and mahagony but with input from my Sweetwater guy (Mike Arango) I made the right choice for me.....spruce. I like the attachment of the neck and fretboard better than other Taylors (no screws visible) and the fit an finish are flawless as far as I can tell. The gig bag is above average and overall i feel that this was a quality purchase that will be a great guitar for me for a long time. It will be a nice guitar to give to my two year old grandaughter when she's ready to learn to play.

Steve Thompson
from Jordan Minnesota
February 9, 2012Music Background:
Professional chuch musician, songwriter

Amazing little guitar!

Really fun to play. More powerful that it has a right to be for the size and cost . I have lots of guitars. I like this as well as any of my much more expensive instruments. It's a nice balanced instrument for recording.

Get one!

Dave N.
from Kent, OH
February 6, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Great little guitar!

The guitar was set-up perfectly out of the box. Sweetwater did a great set-up and packing job. As everyone has mentioned, this guitar puts out a lot of sound for its size. Delivery was very quick and communication from Sweetwater to insure I was happy with everything was a nice touch. If you're looking for a nice little guitar with a bright sound, the Taylor Mini might be just what you are looking for. I would definitely consider Sweetwater in the future if I was looking for another guitar.

Bob Velasquez
from Wabash, IN
January 10, 2011Music Background:
Active, gigging musician

Taylor GS Mini - Sent from the Heavens

I am so knocked out by this lil beauty. Everyone who checks it out is the same. We absolutely Love it. Thank you Taylor
They might have included the pickup and the special cable for a lower price then buying each seperately as a purchase option.

What would be even better they could set up some with real electronics, Taylor Expression System installed. While the pick-up is usable (and I am being kind here), it is nothing like the full expression System electronics.

Still there is no comparision for travel acoustics that sound this good. Not even the Baby or Big Baby. Night and Day difference, boys and girls. Get it. Now!!!

Mike
from Cape Cod, MA
March 14, 2013Music Background:
Studio Musician, Recording Hobbyist

Just... FUN!

Great little guitar for the apartment, road, bonfire, studio... could really see it being used in a any number situations. Sounds great, looks and feels great. It's my first Taylor and I can say it lives up to the quality that I expect from this brand. Setup nice when it arrived thanks to Sweetwater tech's. Really just fun to play!

June Esquierdo
from
January 30, 2013Music Background:
Guitarist, Hobbyist, Praise and Worship Leader

Marvelous Mini

Great parlor sized acoustic guitar with crisp and bright Taylor sounds.. I brought it to the church instead of my Yamaha AG during the worship service. My bandmates were amazed with the excellent tone and sound..it sat properly in the mix using the ES Go pick-up..Kudos to Sweetwater for their best in class customer services! God bless.

John
from Britiain
January 1, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Nice Guitar

This a nice guitar and has a great sound. Definitely not a toy guitar. I should note that the steel strings may be a bit difficult to hold down for a younger new player. My son's a young teenager so I bought him something he could grow into and learn on.

Cindy Thomas
from Seattle, WA
March 13, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

A few little surprises

I'm not going to echo everything else that has been said by the other reviewers here. Everyone will say this is a great little travel guitar, which it is. I just got mine today and there were a couple of things that really surprised me. One, the sustain. Where the heck does that kind of sustain come from in such a little guitar? And two, when I brought it home the first thing I did was change the strings, just because I always do that on a new guitar. One of the string peg heads was not tightened down. I noticed it was lose and looked at it and the nut was a good 1/8" inch from being tightened down. All I had to do was get a 3/8" nut driver and tighten it so I wouldn't call it a major problem I'm just a little surprised that something like that would pass through Taylor's Quality Control checks. So, while it's not a major problem and easily fixable I think that maybe Taylor is trying to get these little babies on the market so quickly at this point that something simple slipped through their Quality Control inspection. Other than that, I will just say that I love the guitar, I love the way it plays, I love the way it sounds, I love the way it feels, and my buddy looked at it and said "wow, what a beautiful guitar". It's true, I love this guitar already.

Norbert Squidfish
from ohio
September 2, 2010Music Background:
pro musician

Taylor GS mini

I've played this guitar now for several hours and must say it sounds big.
That being said many will find it awkward to play. It took me a while to find a comfortable playing position. Reclined on the sofa was pretty good. I could actually feel the wood vibrate on my chest. Ver nice. But, when I tried it with a strap in a standing position; not very good. I couldn't see gigging with this thing, just too awkward when strapped in. It does sound great with a Fishman AGX I installed. I'm still going to try a few gigs.
The neck is also taking a little time to get use to. Not as comfortable as a tradition Taylor neck but better than most small bodied guitars.
Overall not a bad little axe, but don't pay full value wait til you get a 20% off coupon and can buy it for $400. It's worth it. I'm not sure i would have bought it for full price. And if you but it with the pickup it's $600 and I think there's some better value out there.
Definitely go play it, you'll be surprised out the sound.
BTW. I changed to Elixir Lights and it plays easier than the meds and no real change in tone

Bob
from Colorado
January 17, 2013Music Background:
Novice

GS Mini

I am not an avid guitarist, but wanted something I could pack around and offer good, full sound. I have purchased a mini Martin and my daughter plays that, although I was not impressed with the sound as it offer a muted sound and she had some problems with the integrity of the construction. So, that said, based on the reviews and the web videos this sounded like it was a full sound for the size and Taylor quality would be better. It plays decent, but this too offers the muted sound and at the price and and being sligthly larger than the Mini Martin I was hoping to have a stronger, fuller sound, guess for the size it is nice, but not what I would have thought at this money. The frets are rough and although I did not expect a perfect guitar at the botton of the tier, this would not have taken but a little longer on the assembly cycle to have filed the fret ends down a bit more to smooth out the ends. The finish is nice and the action is consistent.