Bob Taylor introduced the small-bodied Grand Concert in 1984 as an alternative to the boomier tonal tendencies of traditional, larger-bodied guitars. The GC spoke to the evolving styles of acoustic guitarists at that time, as solo instrumental fingerstyle music was growing in popularity. More and more, adventurous players like Michael Hedges and Alex DeGrassi were pushing the envelope in terms of techniques, tunings and the expressive moods of their guitar compositions.

Bob developed the GC with input from Chris Proctor, the 1982 National Fingerpicking Champion, who would go on to be Taylor’s first guitar clinician. Proctor wanted a comfortable body shape with clarity and balance from bass to treble, a cutaway, and a wider neck than the 1-11/16” then used on the Taylor Dreadnought and Jumbo. The GC’s elegant body contours and cutaway design migrated toward the more modern, elegant visual aesthetic that would come to define the look of a Taylor.

Beyond its compatibility with fingerstyle players, the GC’s smaller body and tapered waist made it the ultimate studio and stage guitar. With its controlled overtones, it doesn’t take up too much sonic space — an important consideration if other instruments are being recorded, and it records well with a microphone. The GC also curbed the kind of sonic bloom that often caused feedback with bigger guitars on stage.

The GC body geometry and sound have continued to evolve in recent years. In 2004, our 30th Anniversary limited edition (XXX) models showcased our latest ideas on optimizing the sound and playability of a small-bodied guitar, increasing its versatility and viability as an all-around guitar. The body depth was expanded by a quarter-inch, and it was revoiced to add volume and bass response, giving the GC a tone that belies its intimate size. The guitar was also made as a short scale, which proved to be a wonderful match for the body shape. It paid dividends both in terms of its “soft touch” feel (less string tension), enhanced playability (less stretching across the frets), and a deeper, richer tone. The short scale and slotted headstock used on the XXX models would go on to become a standard feature on the GC in our Acoustic line as of 2007.