Martin and Taylor

sws626
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:55 am

I recently bought a Martin 000-28EC and have only played a few Taylor models in the shops, so while I can't make any systematic comparison, I do have a some views on the subject -- biased, I'm sure, by my new love.

The lower end Martin's didn't do anything for me. And while the Taylors demonstrated more consistent quality across the range of prices, I couldn't get around what always struck me as an almost sugary brightness. If I played a style of music that lent itself to its brighter tones or played in a band with amplification, I might have given the Taylors more consideration, but I mostly play bluesy tunes alone without an amp and the Martin just sounded better to me for this sort of playing.

On the issue of necks, Martin has a variety of neck shapes and the 000-28EC has a subtle V-shaped next that I find suits my large hands very well.

It would be interesting to know how the marketing budgets of Martin & Taylor compare. I do see a fair amount of advertising from Martin and would be surprised if they weren't in the same general ballpark.


prawnpig
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:13 am

I play a Martin dx1 entry level guitar $550.00 i compared it to other brands of guitar around the same price. They had only one taylor in the store in that price range which i tried but it was badly in need of a set up so i could not really compare the two,That being said I would really like the sound and playability of the martin a nice guitar for the price, Next time I go out of town, as none of the three music shops where i live carry taylors. I will check out the taylors always in the market for a guitar.


dennisg
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:13 am

About once every two weeks, I go to my local guitar store (Dusty Strings in Seattle) and play at least 15 different Taylors and a similar amount of Martins. My conclusion: both are fabulous brands. The differences, I've found, are in two areas: 1) I like the "feel" of Taylors much more than the feel of Martins, and that feel extends all the way down to the cheapest guitar Taylor makes; and 2) I didn't start to love the Martins I was playing until I worked my way up to about a $3500 model. After that, they were wonderful, but no more so than a comparably priced Taylor.

If you want to hear what Taylors sound like, go to TaylorGuitars.com and watch some of their videos. They've filmed an amazing amount of performers playing Taylors in live performances.

Not that you're planning to do this, Tony, but I would never buy a guitar without playing it first. I know you make periodic trips to Canada. If you ever make it to Vancouver, drop on down to Seattle, and we'll spend a day at Dusty Strings playing their entire wall of Taylors and Martins.

- Dennis


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neverfoundthetime
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:39 am

Well, as the owner of two Takamines (basically Martin Copies, one 12 string and one 6 string nylon) you'd think I'd like the Martin sound better. I certainly love my Tak 12 string as the sound is so full and bright and it is a very solid piece of wood(s) and has some weight to it. It's a big guitar. I bought them both quickly on sound and feel alone over 18 years ago.
I have been window shopping guitars since I joined TG as I don't have a steel 6 string. I came across a Martin in every shop but so far but only one low range Taylor. That says something. Something else I've discovered is that I probably would prefer the brighter Taylor sound as my attention was caught by three other European makes who all sound brighter than Martin: Furch (Stonebridge in America), Lakewood and BSG. The lakewood is German built and is not as bright sounding as the other two but is real quality and great sound and great built-in electronics and price-wise you feel you would get your money's worth but you'd have to spend 2'000 - 3'300 Dollars.
Furch and BSG are made in the Czeck Republic. Furch are really value for money, very good sounding guitars for 1'500 - 2'500 Dollars. BSG is something else, small production of absolute gems. The sound is really bright and the craftsmanship first class and the feel is seducing. The price is 2'500 - 3'600 Dollars without case for the models I liked so they are not cheap. The shop I found these BSG's in is a jewel of a guitar shop... just the kind of place you want to try out guitars in. It's in a building which is several hundred years old in the old town part of Winterthur, Switzerland. They have a practice/display room with 60 beautiful guitars standing elegantly around inviting you to try them out. The stairs creek and the rooms are full of wood including the ceiling. You can imagine the acoustics! And the BSG sounds like no other guitar I've ever tried. The owner said to me, "Oh, you have a real taste for European guitars then" as I told him even his $5'000 Martin couldn't compete.
So, I wonder if I'd be more of a Taylor fan.... if only I could find a medium to high range model to try out!

POST EDIT: Dennis, we were writing at the same time. Let's do a swap: You take me to that wall of Taylors and Martins and I'll take you to "Die Gitarre" in Winterthur and we'll have two memorably days! Image


MarkM
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:44 am

Interesting topic Tony. In some circles this would be opening a big can of worms. In some circles this is more of a religous discussion. I went through this process as well. As you know I have a Taylor DN4 but how I got here was a bit different.

My first guitar was a yamaha and then I got another. Looking back on it now, for me anyway, I never really progressed as a player becasue I really didn't have a guitar (not all yamahas just mine) that the action was set up correctly and it was also a lower end model so the tone was never consistant and always sounded dull to me.

A good friend of mine has a beautiful HD-28 that I would always pick up and play a bit when we got together. Sounded fantastic. Loved the low end tone that it delivered. So I went to many guitar shops looking for a sound that I thought I wanted. Played a bunch of Martins, some boutique models, and then some Taylors. Because of the neck and a bunch of research on the company I decided to go with a 110 (fully knowing that I would upgrade eventually).

After about a year I wanted a change. Although the playability for me was great it still didn't have that HD-28 sound. Why not get a Martin you ask. Well I wanted to be a bit different and not copy what this paricular friend had as well as what quite a few folks I know have. So I kept looking for a darker/warmer quitar that still had the midrange sparkle. So now that I knew that it would be a Tayor I didn't know what model I'd go with for that sound I had envisioned in my head.

I played a bunch of models. Rosewood was very nice but the mids weren't there for me. If I was going to drop a significant amount of money (for me) then I wanted to get a specific sound and not settle. Learning about wood combinations, shapes, bracing, etc helped a great deal. So one day while I was coming home form work I decided to test a few more. I had read that Ovangkol had alot of the same characteristics as Rosewood (being and African cousin to rosewood) and wanted to see if they had one. They didn't. So everywhere I went (I travel all over the country with my job) if I passed a Guitar Center or someplace else I would check. I came up empty.

One day someone recommended this guitar shop in Massachusetts and said that they had a DN4. So I drove down there and tried it out. It was exactly what I was looking for. Bought it on the spot. Brought it home and was very happy with my choice. It came with the standard Elixir Nanoweb strings so it did have a highend sparkle. I still wanted a little bit warmer sound so then next set of strings I put on where the Phosphor Bronze. That did it!! Now I was competely happy.

What I have learned through all of this is that when testing a guitar you need to be aware that most of the shops you go into to pull that guitar off the wall may have dead strings. If its been sitting there awile the strings may be old. Have them changed before you test it. If they won't walk out. I think its all about what an individual is looking for more so then the the brand or rather what style of music one is looking to play. I still would love to get my hands on a Martin d-45!! Neil Young can certainly make that thing sing. When I think of Martin I think of Neil Young. Now a big Taylor player that I love is Lyndsey Buckingham. Man what he can do with that Taylor blows my mind.

I like the sound of both but I still think that for me the Taylor neck got me hooked. Playing a Martin was a bit more difficult. For the right sound though I'd learn to deal with it. The next guitar I want to try is a Collins........

MarkM


dennisg
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:01 am

Chris, I'd love to take you to my local guitar shop. Any time.

Mark, here's what Lindsey Buckingham can do with a Taylor:



haoli25
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:20 am

I really like both Taylor and Martin guitars. But if you are considering buying a mid-priced fine guitar, don't forget about some of the handmade guitars. Its not always been the case, but many of these guitars are excellent.
A personal favorite of mine now is from a guitar maker in Finland. His name is Olav Loef. The next guitar I buy will be one of his. Many of his guitars are in the $2500 (USD) price range.

Have a listen to a Loef guitar;





Bill


MarkM
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:25 am

haoli25 wrote:
I really like both Taylor and Martin guitars. But if you are considering buying a mid-priced fine guitar, don't forget about some of the handmade guitars. Its not always been the case, but many of these guitars are excellent.
A personal favorite of mine now is from a guitar maker in Finland. His name is Olav Loef. The next guitar I buy will be one of his. Many of his guitars are in the $2500 (USD) price range.

Have a listen to a Loef guitar;





Bill

Nice. Bill I'll put my order in now if the ability to play like that comes with the package.......... ;) ;)

Yeah there are alot of great handmade guitars out there. Too many to count.


MarkM


dennisg
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:30 am

Bill,

If you played "Baby I'm-a want you" on that guitar, would it be a Loef of Bread?

- Dennis


haoli25
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:34 am

Excellent Dennis!!!!! :laugh: Image


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