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Your Taylor 717 sound so good.

or Gibson???

I have all my life, and I am now 75, played Martins because all of my acoustic guitar heroes played Martins. When I started playing Taylor was not even in existence. I have nothing against Taylor’s guitars, I think they sound great, but at this stage I have no need for another guitar.

Have a D-18E retro and a 414ce-R. Both great, but very different instruments that sit well in a a mix together and complement each other very well.

I don't have any experience with a Martin, but I have a Taylor 310CE and it has always sounded dead like a $100 guitar. Never got a good sound out of it.

Collings. No contest.

The answer is Collings.

The difference in used guitar valuations between brands is likely because there is still a huge and specific vintage market for Martin guitars. When I was a guitar dealer way back when, there was virtually no vintage market for Taylor guitars. I don't know if that has changed since then, but I doubt it. So, every new QUALITY Martin guitar (say, a "15" or "16" series guitar and up) will eventually command some premium as a vintage guitar. As it stands right now, I don't know that 30 or 40 year old Taylors are (everything else being equal) any more valuable than a two year old Taylor. That may change in the future. Old Gibsons also command large premiums. Again, tradition and legacy.

Aspen

I own a Martin D12 koa, after owning a Taylor 114 and a ad27 mahogany model with V class bracing. The Martin D12 koa has the highs you hear on a Taylor and the low end you expect from Martin. It has been my favorite guitar this far!

I was a really big Martin fan and was looking to buy a D-28 back in the mid 90s and then ended up getting offered a Taylor 814 from an artist that I was working with. I bought it from her a little bit of regret for it not being the Martin I was wanting. 25+ years later that Taylor is my day in and day out workhorse and I absolutely love it!

I own a couple of Taylor’s…a 1999 310 and a 2022 214ce…I enjoy both…borrowing a friend Martin X model to get a feel for Martin. All fun stuff…I write a bit of cowboy poetry n out it to music as best I can and play campfire settings and help beginner players get started…enjoyed your video sir

I've have yet to play a Taylor I felt lived up to its reputation. I'm a Martin man all the way. Runner up is Guild. I love my Guild D-25.

There is no factory here.

I own a Martin 000-18 and a Martin D-35. I also own a Taylor 555 Jumbo 12-sting. All three of them are excellent, but they each have different sounds and different advantages.

I dont really like taylor guitars all that much and here is why ! Martins are generally better sounding and here is the important part Martins hold their value much better ! I like your Martin best ! Did you use the same strings on all three ? Strings make a big difference ! Almost everyone I know would prefer a Martin guitar !

I own 3 Martins but I'm pretty confident if I were to look for a guitar with a little different sound I would likely go for a Guild. I actually gigged a Guild F-35 in a bluegrass band for a while and it showed well for itself.

Lower resale means you can pick up a nice used Taylor for a good price. So better for a used option. Better still if you have a good luthier you can get a neck reset cheaply, you can pick older ones in need of a reset for very little. I have 3 Taylors 312ce, 314ce and UA Gt but no Martins yet because they hold their value! All 3 of those guitars cost £1400 (some had dings) , which would only get me one Martin. Too scared to try one as sure I would want it!!

I have an Emerald X20 and a Taylor 614. They are both nice sounding guitars. The Emerald never sets in the case and does not go out of tune. The Taylor stays in a case in a humidified closet, protecting it from the dry Arizona weather.

Nice review, and I agree with your assessment, and I’ve described the qualities of guitars using Taylor/Martin comparisons. But, it’s time we dragged ourselves away from terms that we’ve come to assume are universal. We could 86 terms that require a subjective value like warmth, shimmer and move toward terms like, overtone and sustain, terms that can be measured and quantified. Now we get into strings and picks and arguments of energy in/ energy out and all that. It all comes down to yada, but some terms do at least suggest a subjective analysis. Was that too cranky? Hope not.

Get a D-28 and the girls will love you!

First one sounds a lot better to me. Am a Veteran and do have hearing loss. What was the 1st one? Second one sounds a little like guitars that America would play.

I have both, but can anyone advise me on a question, please! Love Ovation, Takemine, Alvarez, I guess I like Japanese guitars. Which will I like better? Had a Taylor 314, about 20 years ago and it was ruined. Loved this guitar, but it was hand made. Bought a 224, which I don't play much. Big question: Are Taylor guitars still hand made in El Cajon, CA?

Thank you!

Beautiful presentation. Thank you. I love both Taylor and Martin. I have owned older Taylor 310 (too big for me) and sold it purchase a new Taylor 214CE. Love it. I would also like to purchase a Martin 000-10E Mahogany.

Made in mexico is taylor better made in usa is martin better

Which one is better…the one you play

Eko

How about comparing comparable Models??

I’m not a Taylor fan because of the the brightness or what we say it sounds tinie . I play a Collings D2h and a Breedlove legacy . I find the Collings is much like a Martin in the low end but much better balanced the Breedlove is my cutaway so I have both options on stage. I also own an old Washburn dreadnought that has a wonderful sound for open or different tunings . I use it to play the rain song on . I think basically it’s in the ear of the beholder. I have owned a few martins and I let one get away that I regret a 1946 D-18 that had great overtones but I needed the cash at the time and she’s been gone for 8 years now. Play many brands and sizes and find what’s right for you. One other thing the string selection matters immensely!

Obviously yamaha. Yep. Imma be that yamaha fanboy that questions why you would buy such expensive guitars when yamaha and Alvarez/Yairi exist.

I have a Taylor 710 and a Martin OOOO, both are incredible, I keep leaning toward one and then change the strings on the other and, amazingly the other now sounds better! Amazing companies, amazing products

Taylor is like a silicone girl. Nice physique but...something is missing

Nice video, thanks for posting. I had a martin D28 that sounded great, but for some reason never sucked me all the way into loving it. Then i found someone selling a 90's yamaha fg460sa in great condition and really fell in love with it. To me it sounds like the boom of the martin plus the shimmer of the Taylor. Then i bought a really cheap new yamaha to beat around, and its not as nice as the others, but still amazing for the money in terms of pkayabikity and sound. Id keep a martin for having something that will hold its value and its beauty and nostalgia, but play yamahas, which leaves the taylor sort of in no-mans land for me, even though great guitars.

Do you have any experience with Seagull’s solid body offerings? I have a Seagull Artist Cameo CW Element with solid maple back and sides with a spruce top. I’m wondering what you think of them compared to a Taylor or Martin dreadnought of like or similar construction?

Interesting. Just went on the Martin factory tour a few weeks ago. Listened to this without reference to the video so as to make it a “blind” listening test. I’m shocked that (A.) I heard a difference and (B.) that it was the Martin that I much preferred. I didn’t expect that as I prefer brighter guitars. However, the Martin sound palette has a greater depth and richness to it. It seems more “balanced” and “expansive” to my ear, as compared to the Taylors which seem more one dimensional - for the lack of a better term.

Great analysis and great comments right through to the end, thank you. I bought an entry level Martin DM about 12 years ago as motivation to practice, and it has worked pretty well so far. That said, the Taylors sound mighty fine too. Guess my folky country bluegrass side keeps me heading to Nazareth whenever I can, but good on the folks out west for giving us this choice!

Wonderful interview. Itś gotta be fun or it will nevvver happen. As a growing intermediate guitar player I understand, lucky enough to own several guitar brands and sizes..- it often comes down to this, 1. Looks, 2 Fit, 3, Playability, 4. Sound. I only play for hobby, so I don’t often perform- I hav two cheap guitars, probably the ones I play the most on, because one stands next to my dinner plate on the floor, the other nesxt to my favorite reclining chair. I have other guitars around the house, but it all comes down to playability an fun. The more I play the better ”it” sounds. I dooo love the high end guitars. Don´t get me wrong. But, I actually cherish each and every one of them. They’ve all taught me something 😊

Martin, off-course.

Personally I believe the martin spruce tops are perfect for live Recorded performances but a maple top Taylor is perfect for Live human heard performances. As for microphone recorded performance the Martin d-15 or 14 fret elongated body is perfectly genuine to a recording over a spruce top guitar

Tend to stay away from US guitars. Overpriced and over hyped.

I am partial to Taylor, but know Martin makes an amazing instrument, and hope to be able to add a D28 to the collection of 3 Taylor’s I own…..

Correct answer? Gibson :D J45 24/7

Tone is a matter of taste but this is definitely the tone I like personally. I never really liked tailors because they are too bright.

I walked into Guitar Center with a pocketful of money and a lifelong dream of owning a Martin…..then my eyes caught a Taylor’s 414ce special edition on the wall. I pulled it down, played it and walked out the door with it. No regrets!

The reason Taylor guitars don't tend to hold their value as well is because Taylor's niche in the marketing is innovation. Taylor has been around since the 1970s and yet they don't have any iconic models comparable to a D18, D28, Gibson J-45 or J-200. The most iconic guitar Taylor has built, which any dealer can confirm, also happens to be their best seller, is the GS Mini. That's also the model that holds value the best. By "innovation" I mean they are always making changes and claiming their new pickup technology, new finish, new bracing design, whatever it is that's new supersedes everything that came before it... It was very sad to me seeing that for their 50th anniversary this year they have not a single reissue, that's because there's nothing sought after in their back catalog... C.F. Martin makes much more subtle changes, being the company responsible for the most sought after golden era / Wartime guitars from the 1940s, C.F. Martin's and Gibson's sell on legacy and tradition not innovation.For the type of buyer looking for a Martin, the older often the better.

I just Google it 😬😬😬$$$$$

Last time I went shopping for a guitar I just happened upon a Seagull S-6. For some reason it was parked along side with all the Martins, sort of out of place I thought. Anyway, I strummed a few chords and had to buy it. Way less expensive than the neighboring Martins and yet to my ear sounded sweeter. It's now my go-to choice in studio requiring very little (if any) EQ. You're right about the personal (subjective) nature of guitar choice. I liken it to a cat in the way they choose us people-- sometimes a guitar picks you and not the other way around. Thanks for a great video and hopefully you had a nice lunch afterward. :D

Take a peek at Northwood guitars. Made in Canada, phenomenal guitars.

There is no “better” in guitardom, imo, just “personal preference”.