GS Mini | Travel-size guitar. Full-size sound.

David Murphy, The North Face

photo by Tim Kemple

You can count David Murphy among the happy GS Mini owners out there. A former professional marathoner and now Senior Brand Marketing Manager for outdoor gear manufacturer The North Face, Murphy touched base after returning from a photo and video shoot in Patagonia, Argentina for some running apparel.

Photographer (and world-class mountain climber) Tim Kemple had suggested the El Chaltén region of Patagonia, where the climate, terrain and light would be ideal, and a crew of about 10 made the trip, including Murphy and his Mini.

"The guitar was a massive hit with the athletes and camera crew," he says. "They really seemed to enjoy hearing me play music out there in the wild, as usually these shoots can get quite tedious with no entertainment. I was playing while some of the shooting was going on, and Tim really enjoyed it. He told me I need to keep bringing it on the shoots with me."

Murphy says he couldn't help but be inspired throughout the trip and was happy to have the Mini to express himself musically.

"Between the landscape and the creativity that's going on around you visually, if you tune into that it's really special. And Patagonia has a unique atmosphere to it; you can really feel that when you’re out there."

After the Patagonia shoot, Murphy brought his Mini with him on a shoot in Sedona, Arizona for yoga apparel.

"We were out at Red Rocks, and it was spectacular," he says. "The Mini is so portable — what I notice is you don't get any hassle at airport security; you can carry it right onto the plane, it fits in the racks. And it's just really versatile. I didn’t have any hesitation putting it into the car, and then just strap it on your back and off you go. That's what we need when we're on a trek like that."

The Silent Comedy

For the San Diego blues-folk act The Silent Comedy, the GS Mini has found a secure place in their instrument repertoire as a modern-day parlor guitar for their acoustic sets. Josh Zimmerman (vocals, bass, guitar), says it didn't take much to pick up a Mini.

"My brother (Jeremiah Zimmerman, piano, guitar, vocals) was looking around and saw the video of Jonah [Matranga] playing it and talking about it. We love Jonah's stuff, so it piqued our interest. We didn't even play one before we ordered them; we just looked online at reviews and saw other musicians talking about it. The thing that appealed to us the most is how much it really projects for being so small. We ordered two blindly, and when we got them we were blown away by how practical they are."

The band spent the summer of 2011 touring and performing at a slew of venues on the West Coast and has used the guitar for radio and in-store appearances, and anytime an acoustic show pops up. Josh is also a fan of the ES-Go, the Mini’s easy-to-install pickup.

"It's super practical," he says. "I don't like to work on any of my gear myself, but it was easy as pie. When we do acoustic shows, we mic the guitars or run them through amps. We’ve never had a problem with the pickup. They just seem to be really consistent and work well."

With a new album out in 2012 and top-secret tour plans in the mix, Josh assures us that the GS Minis will continue to be a part of their rig. The only concern among the brothers is mixing up the two guitars. But Josh has a solution. "I have plans to draw all over mine."

Love and The GS Mini at 30,000 Feet

For the past six years, long-distance couple Lovine and Kat have taken hundreds of trips between Oakland and Burbank, California to see each other. For this guitar-playing duo, both their airline of choice, Southwest, and their guitar of choice, Taylor, have held a special place in their hearts, as both had figured prominently in their relationship. Lovine explains: "I bought [Kat] the Baby Taylor as a Christmas present in 2009, and decided to get the GS Mini as soon as I could a year later when I realized what wonderful voices they have. I'm a small guy and prefer the small sizing of the GS Mini, but did not really imagine how useful it would be actually travelling with it and playing onboard the plane!"

When the time came to pop the big question and put the long-distance courtship to rest, Lovine says he knew Southwest and his GS Mini would be part of his surprise proposal. "Music is such a big part of our hearts, and I always knew I wanted to serenade her for the proposal!"

Lovine worked out his plan, and with the help of his GS Mini and Southwest, surprised Kat on her flight from Oakland to Burbank. He came walking down the aisle, serenading her with the Beatles' "Real Love" on his GS Mini, accompanied by their dog, Nickel, who wore a custom-made hatbox that opened to display an engagement ring. Passengers joined in, too, singing along to the lyrics with a special flyer Lovine made to mark the occasion. At 30,000 feet, with GS Mini in hand, Lovine asked Kat to be his wife, and she happily said yes.

For more pictures, check out Lovine's photo album.