Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

[ArtieToo]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Also, Taylor has crazy good customer service which really helped them grow.

Ditto to this. In all the years I've known my favorite local mom-'n-pop Martin/Taylor dealer, I've been to two Taylor shows. Never seen a Martin show. Those folks are friendly and informative. And they offer killer deals at the show. Cool people. I'm not saying that Martin folks aren't. Just never met them.

[AniML]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Yeah, I tried an S series and SWS Maritime. They're nice guitars (not a fan of the headstock shape, but could probably get used to it), but the nut width really bugged me. It felt too wide or something.

I had an S6 a few years back. I loved everything about it (even electrified it) but the neck width was the reason I sold it. The Taylor 314 is going to have 1 3/4" nut where the lower models are 11/16.

I have had a 114, non cut away, non electric for several years and love it. I recently got a Martin 000-15M recently and it is a fun and very playable guitar for a little over $1000. I took the saddle down a few 32nds on each and they both have great action and tone.

Both are smaller bodies. The Taylor being the larger of the pair, projects a bit more with a modestly deep tone. I've played a number of 2xx and 3xx models, and the ones I like best seem to be the individual instrument vs the position in the model lineup, though I was consistently impressed with the 214 DLX rosewood.

The Martin while not nearly as loud, has a sweeter more chimey and more complex tone that I love. And although I have nothing against a good sounding laminate like my Taylor, the Martin has much more of a sound and feel of a fine instrument. The 114 weighs over 5lbs, the 15M weights under 4lbs. Ideally the Martin would be a bit larger / voluminous (like the size of the Taylor x14, IMO, close to perfect dimensions), which I guess is the 15SM model, but its short scale and a few hundred more.

[arten]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Do yourself a huge favour and check out the Taylor academy series:

https://youtu.be/gxysZzzCYL4

I have the a12e and it’s the nicest and most value for money acoustic I’ve ever owned! This one will never ever leave me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ehdwuld]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

The Martin has a 25.6 inch scale
The Taylor is 24.8 I think
This makes an incredible difference in playability

[GuitarStv]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

The Martin has a 25.6 inch scale
The Taylor is 24.8 I think
This makes an incredible difference in playability

The Taylor is 25.5 and Martin is 25.4. Honestly, I couldn't notice much difference between them in scale length but the Taylor (with slightly longer length) was easier to play. Action was similar on both guitars, so maybe it's the frets?

[ehdwuld]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Oh ok
I seem to remember some of the Taylor guitars being 24.87 when I was looking for a short scale acoustic some years ago

I may have gotten confused with a different manufacturer

My cheap Epiphone Hummingbird has a 24.75
And it is very nice

[plasticscouse]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

I tried the Taylor 214 recently and I was very impressed. I didn’t try the d16, but I did try other Martins. I preferred the Taylor, it was better to my ear and played better new without a setup.

I. Terms of spec Taylor has laminated back & sides yes, but it has real ebony board and bridge.

The Martin has Richlite board & bridge but solid back & sides.

I’d have had the Taylor over ant Martin in that price point. The Taylor wasn’t there so I bought a Gibson J45 Studio instead.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

I love the sound of a good Martin, but I have to admit that I am a real Taylor fan. With age and use, the Taylor gets a richer, fuller tone.

[GuitarStv]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

So . . . in answer to the question . . . Taylor:





I've tried a ridiculous number of acoustic guitars in four different shops now. This was definitely the one . . . a Taylor 214ce SB-DLX. Spruce top, laminated rosewood back/sides/headstock, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and plastic bridge pins that are about to be swapped out for some ebony ones. (I've made my peace with the laminate back/sides. It sounds head and shoulders better than a bunch of solid wood guitars that I played.) The neck feels great, action is incredible, it's the first acoustic I've owned with a cutaway which is nice.

This guitar sounds awesome! Whatever the hell an 'Expression System II' is, it's actually not bad . . . way better than some of the crappy acoustic piezo stuff I've tried over the years. Mostly I was interested in unplugged sound though. Of the sixteen or so Taylor 214s that I played, the one I got was the bass heaviest. By which I mean, it doesn't feel like someone has vacuumed up all of the bass from the guitar and just left a top-endy sparkle. It's still not as boomy as a dreadnought, but there's some body that was missing in the others. It's currently strung with a custom light set of .11s (same as my electrics :P ) and I'll definitely be going up a gauge in the future. Not sure if I should just move to regular light .12s or a medium/light (medium EAD and light GBe) to try and coax a bit more bass out of her. Anyone have recommendations?

Only negative is that it's got that ugly burst ruining a perfectly good spruce top . . . but I don't have to look at it when I'm playing it.




Tried a bunch of other brands of guitars, but kept coming back to the wall of Martins . . . and eventually decided that I didn't like the warm sounds I was getting from the Martin D16s and D18s. There's some missing zing/treble that I'm used to from my old acoustic that they don't have. They sound too woody (which I think is the mahogany). The D28 that I played was a tone monster though and felt very familiar (which makes sense, it's what my old guitar was supposed to be a clone of), but way, way, way out of my price range. And at the price they want for it I'd be afraid to leave it out of the case.

So, on to Taylors:

Tried a Taylor 314, 414, 614, 814 . . . and they sound nice. (Particularly a cedar top, rosewood sides/back 414 that sounded incredible!) But I didn't spend too much time with them. It turns out I hate every Taylor that's higher than the 200 series, because although they look and sound lovely the neck is ****ed up. All of them feel too damned big in my hands. Not like filling my hand too much, but too wide. The 214s and 114s have a much more comfortable neck, but also mostly seem to have a sound that I don't like. Too zingy/high pitched. They uniformly play great though - have to be one of the most consistent guitar makers out there. The regular 214ce's with Koa back and sides are noticeably bass deficient for the kind of flatpicking I like to do. The 214ce DLX with copafera sides and back was better, but still a bit weak in bass. Laminate or not, the ones with rosewood sounded more balanced (ie not so damned bright) to my ears as the others.


Hopefully I won't have to do this again for at least another 20 odd years.

[GuitarStv]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Also, the new Taylor smells nice. Maybe not as nice as a martin, but pretty good.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Great Choice. congrats.

Additional bonus -the CE body Style's more even sound is more naturally adept for recording sounds than a typical Dreadnaught -which is designed more for volume and lows.

[PFDarkside]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Congrats on the new guitar!

As for strings, try whatever Taylor recommends. I love the tone of phosphor bronze over 80/20, and the larger gauge should get the top moving with a bit more bass.

https://www.taylorguitars.com/support/strings/best-strings-for-your-taylor-guitar

[NegativeEase]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

GuitarStv -Elixirs are standard on Taylors

but I'd try the D'adarrio EXP Phosphor Bronze

They don't last as long as Elixirs but I think the sound better.


-also, I think ErnieBall Earthwoods are trash personally

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

Good choice Steve. May she give you a lifetime of music.

[GuitarStv]

Re: Buying a nice acoustic - Taylor vs. Martin

GuitarStv -Elixirs are standard on Taylors

but I'd try the D'adarrio EXP Phosphor Bronze

They don't last as long as Elixirs but I think the sound better.


-also, I think ErnieBall Earthwoods are trash personally

Unfortunately Dean Markley has discontinued their Alchemy strings . . . which were long lasting, and sounded amazing. I had a stockpile of about 20 packs from when I heard they were discontinuing that are now, sadly, all gone.

I've tried EXPs and didn't like them, but think that was the 80/20, not their phosphor bronze. Elixir nanowebs are my go to for electric. I was thinking of giving Martin's lifespan strings a try this time.