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Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut
Taylor AD17 Blacktop
VS
Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
69
Value
79
Score
74
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Playability
73
Sound
85
Build
80
Value
74
Score
79
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
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Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut vs AD17 Blacktop

Reasons to Get
Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut over AD17 Blacktop

Release Year
2022 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Dreadnought Mini vs Dreadnought
Dreadnought but much smaller and shallower
Value Score
79 vs 74
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor AD17 Blacktop over Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Dreadnought Mini
Prominent low-end tones in a large body

Other Key Differences
Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut vs AD17 Blacktop

Bridge Material
West African Crelicam Ebony vs Eucalyptus
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Walnut vs Spruce
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Eucalyptus
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
NuBone vs Black Tusq XL
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut vs AD17 Blacktop

Back Material
Walnut
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Walnut
Same Sides Material
Saddle Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Saddle Material
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Taylor AD17 Blacktop is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut's 74 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor AD17 Blacktop wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut is the better choice.

The Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Taylor AD17 Blacktop meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor AD17 Blacktop
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut Overview

  • From Taylor's 2022 Big Baby series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Walnut top
  • Layered Walnut back
  • Layered Walnut sides
  • Hard Rock Maple neck
  • West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • West African Crelicam Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor AD17 Blacktop Overview

  • From Taylor's 2020 The American Dream series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Walnut back
  • Solid Walnut sides
  • Tropical Mahogany neck
  • Eucalyptus fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Eucalyptus bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Taylor Nickel tuners
  • Weight around 4.05lbs (1.8kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut

It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops. Find out more about Walnut.

Woods Used in the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Taylor AD17 Blacktop

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Eucalyptus wood pattern used for guitar building
Eucalyptus
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Eucalyptus is not a common tonewood, but it's becoming more popular recently. There are many species around the world, each with its own characteristic, so it's hard to describe the tone it produces without knowing the exact species.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

Neither of them come with electronics that allow you to connect them to an amp. This makes them completely acoustic, so you'll need to use an external mic to record with them or play live.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut
Sustain 75
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 81
Taylor AD17 Blacktop
Sustain 90
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut compares to the Taylor AD17 Blacktop.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut is built in Mexico while the Taylor AD17 Blacktop is made in United States.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Taylor AD17 Blacktop

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut has a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

On the other hand, the Taylor AD17 Blacktop comes with a Black Tusq XL nut. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to tune stability).

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut's are Die-Cast Chrome while the Taylor AD17 Blacktop's are Taylor Nickel

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor AD17 Blacktop
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Black Tusq XL Nut
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut
Quality of materials 71
Features 65
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 69
Taylor AD17 Blacktop
Quality of materials 86
Features 65
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 80

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut Nut Width
Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut Nut Width
Taylor AD17 Blacktop Nut Width
Taylor AD17 Blacktop Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Taylor AD17 Blacktop has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 1.6mm (0.062'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Taylor AD17 Blacktop, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut and Taylor AD17 Blacktop's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut and the Taylor AD17 Blacktop have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut and the Taylor AD17 Blacktop have the same fretboard radius of 15". This radius y closer to the 12'' that most Les Paul guitars have, but a bit flatter. It'll make it easier to play single notes than chords, but it's still comfortable for playing chords without muting strings.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor AD17 Blacktop:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut and Taylor AD17 Blacktop Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Taylor AD17 Blacktop
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut vs AD17 Blacktop
General Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Walnut AD17 Blacktop
Brand: Taylor Taylor
Year: 2022 2020
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico United States
Series: Big Baby The American Dream
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Walnut Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Walnut Walnut
Back Material: Walnut Walnut
Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony Eucalyptus
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Die-Cast Chrome Taylor Nickel
Fretboard: West African Crelicam Ebony Eucalyptus
Neck Material: Hard Rock Maple Tropical Mahogany
Decoration: 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic 4mm Dots Faux Pearl
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic Taylor Standard Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 15"
Nut: NuBone Black Tusq XL
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: