GS Mini Advice - All sorted

Tannin

Interesting to hear the Shearan range described as having a "good rep"!

I've never played one myself and can't comment on them from that point of view, but they got pretty poor reviews when they first came out. Admittedly, this was mostly from the Yanks, who seldom much like anything made anywhere other than the USA.  

They arrived here about that same time with some fanfare and at ridiculously high prices and sold very slowly. I recently noticed a major stockist remaindering them out in their end of financial year sale, at around half the original prices. I doubt there will be many re-orders. 

I imagine that they are actually perfectly playable, but they queered their pitch by coming out at insane prices (around double what you pay for a full-size, all-solid guitar from China, and more than you pay for full-size solids made in Japan, Australia, or Canada. That was never going to end well. Whether that was Lowden's fault or greedy importers I don't know. 

I've always wanted to try one, but just out of curiosity, I almost certainly wouldn't buy a short scale guitar, just not my thing, and I don't like to go into shops just to play something I'm not interested in buying. 

PAL

The Taylor GS Mini would be a good choice .Yes it will sound different but you will adapt to as will the scale of the guitar.
 I suggest going and trying one before you buy !