JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Taylor or Martin?

I can never make up my mind on this dilemma. I go into the music stores and play the trusty Martin D15s, 16s, or D28s, then go to the Taylor 810s. I don't know what to get. I had a engineer at a recording studio that told me that the 810s and classic Guilds are great for recording, very good spectrum of sound. The Martins have a great warmer sound and tone quality, but supposedly require more overal mixing. I am not sure about all of this. I love both brands, everyone keeps pushing me toward the Martin.. What is everyone input and suggestions...

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Justin Lamoureux
www.omahasongwriters.com
www.midwestdilemma.com

I have both....
a 2001 314 CE and a 1968 Martin 000-18....

I like em both.....

good luck choosing....

Hey Justin good choices!! Try out an ALVEREZ Mini Jumbo acoustuc you wont believe the feel ,the ease of playing it and the excellent EQ setup it also has a built in tuner into the Eq setup i was blown away by it and i own a few great acoustics,and have been to MARS MUSIC and tried Taylor,Guild ,Fenders ,Yamaha,ect. this one was half the price and has a SOLID SPRUCE TOP AND MAHOGHONY BACK AND SIDES ,so if ya get the chance try it also HALF THE PRICE OF TAYLOR,GUILD ,GIBSONECT.!!! S.D. N.Y.

Hi All,
When purchasing a guitar, espically an Acoustic it is important to play the instrument to see if you like it. While Martin and others usually select good wood and at least at the Martin Factory each guitar is checked by a craftsman for tone quality before it is approved for shipment it is still best to play the instrument. If you still can't make up your mind both guitars are good. I have a Martin D-18 from 1961, a Gibson J-200, a Martin Sigma, and a new Fender DG-7. Each guitar has a different sound because of age and wood used. Sometimes I like the sound of one and then the other. So it isn't easy to choose an instrument.

You should not only play them yourself, but also have someone else play them
so you can stand in front of them and hear the tone and projection that an audience would. Matter of fact have two people playing. One at a time so you can get an immediate comparison. Also step out of the acoustic room if you can and into a bigger room. Does the sound still project or get lost?

If the price and the sound are comparable, and you like how both look, and play, look next to the warranty and customer service. Taylor has a lifetime warranty on craftsmanship and once an owner registers their guitar , Taylor sends out a newsletter with great educational info about the care of the guitar, construction, guitarists, free workshop offers etc and you can actually talk to a tech on the phone if you are having problems with it.

If Martin does the same then toss a coin.

hi justin,
personally, i think that martin guitars have diminished in quality the past few years. a good reason for this is because they have a very good reputation and want to make the guitars as available to the consumer as possible this causes some corners to be cut that used to seet them apart in craftsmanship.
taylor on the other hand is also trying the same things with the introduction of the "big baby" taylor. in fact if you look at a big baby's fretboard down at the neck joint it actually has screws showing through the fretboard. but their upper line such as the 810 and 710 and so on is still made with the same quality as before. woods do change and that is major. i don't think they should have strayed from the western red ceder on the 710. that's my take.

between the two i'd pick the taylor, but either guitar will probably suit you fine.

i used to go thruogh this same thing and i think my next guitar will be a handcrafted guitar from a private builder. or an alverez.
big price dofference.
hope this helps
jt

Hey JT i was telling Justin my Alverez is an excellently built guitar spruce solid top mahogahony back and sides and a great eq sounds fantastic unplugged too!! S.D.

i too like the sound and action and eq on the alverez. i didn't mean to sound sarcastic.
keep pickin'
jt

Thanks for all your input. I guess I still have some comparing and research to do. That Taylor 810 sure sounds nice!

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Justin Lamoureux
www.omahasongwriters.com
www.midwestdilemma.com

Before I ordered my Taylor 814c (no "e"; installed my own PUTW #27 pick-up and PowerPlug preamp), I tried a lot of guitars -- Martin, Larrivée, Lowden, Guild, Gibson, Seagull, Takamine, and some others. I almost bought a Larrivée LV-09, but in the end the Taylor won. I enjoy it alot and feel I made the right decision -- for me. You'll only know when that special guitar becomes apparent to you.

Tom