It doesn't sound MUCH better. It's very, very slight, and I would wager it's a simple matter of heavier bracing under the top. You would experience a similar difference between pre and post war Martins. Before the war they were very lightly braced, which makes a more delicate guitar but allows the top to work(vibrate) more efficiently, lending to projection, at the inevitable cost of sustain. Sustain is a function of a guitar's rigidity, and projection is a byproduct of the top's ability to vibrate freely, and they are diametrically opposed. Increasing one always decreases the other, all else being equal(important to compare like shapes) Post war Martins, with the advent of X bracing and in comparison to their older counterparts, are much more durable guitars, but at a cost to the projection for which their predecessors are praised. I imagine the Martin in this video has scalloped bracing, Martin having refined their bracing in the decades since introducing X bracing, and the cheaper guitar uses the older style of x bracing which is now standard in the industry.
I didn’t watch the whole video, so I don’t know what kind of Martin he was playing, but it looks to be pretty heavily inlaid, which makes me think it’s a 41 or something like that. Those guitars are heavily braced like you said, and the real reason they’re so expensive is because of all the abalone. Martin does make modern guitars that, in my opinion, are worth $7,000 for their sound (D-18 and D-28 Authentics, for a start), but I don’t see the point of paying $7,000 dollars for something you could get the sound of for $2,000 just to show off how much dumb shiny shit you can buy because of your dorky day job.
Fred - not that I'm arguing here or debating anything but a properly tuned $200-300 guitar can play very well and "fool" most listeners. Plus everyone has their opinions on sound because we all don't have the same hearing or same taste for what we think is pleasant vs non pleasant. Some people like "bright, crisp" sound whereas others like "mellow, robust" sound. What does that mean? This is not directed at you personally but to anyone reading this - there are all kinds of variants when it comes to these guitars that make the sound different that we may or may not like. Is it solid, what type of wood, what strings, playing ability, bridges, necks, is it properly tuned....etc. Like many things we compare in society, we've been engrained to think more $ is better. But in what way? Looks? Luxury? Quality? Reliability? Is a $60k beamer better than the $40k version? Depends if you like better interiors or a more zippy engine but if you are talking reliability or dependability, then they should be the same because the extra money is for better interiors and/or performance regarding speed usually. Does it make it a better car for people? For some, they want that better "comfort" but for others they are paying for stuff that doesn't get them to work sooner, isn't any more reliable or dependable than the other. Some might say, keep the guitar for 10 yrs...does it still play that way, is the quality of the wood there...etc. I wouldn't compare a $5k car to a $50k car...it's just unfair. But then again, I'll never spend no $1000 on a guitar for what I do. Too many people get caught up in having expensive items and bragging about it. To many in the public, there are small differences - IF they can even tell. Take a very good player and proper tuning...probably sound similar.
The best acoustic guitar is any one that you can't stop playing, inspires you to play on and on. I have some like that which cost me about $100 and some that sell for many thousands of dollars. When asked which is my favorite, I say "It's the one I'm playing."
I got a tangle wood to learn on was good but big for me after a year practising I done a lot of research and finally just bought a little Martin and it’s small but ideal for me more comfortable to play and I can’t put it down it’s amazing
I actually can afford a Martin (used), but could never look at myself in the mirror if I was foolish enough to throw away my hard earned money. But I'm the type of guy who hates spending 2.50 for a Starbucks coffee.
I actually got my first electric guitar for 30 dollars in a pawn shop. I've had it for a year and a half. Its definitely far from a high end instrument but its definitely not the worst there is either. Now I've been looking at some Harley Bentons to upgrade to.
No free cat will sound like a Burmese. With the guitar, I wonder if stringing them the same would reduce the gap in sound, I know the bodies will still be different sounding but strings can go a long way with tone quality.
A little addition to the word *cheap* . When talking about guitars with a solid spruce tops, and rosewood back and sides, this is cheap! I know there are guitars under 100$, but not with these specs... Maybe the word 'affordable' would've been better, because that doesn't have the same negative connotations with it.
Just out of curiosity, is the back and sides of the more affordable guitar solid, like the Martin, or is it laminated? I've always herd people say, not that a necessarily agree or disagree with them, that solid tops make a huge difference, but back and sides, not so much, but I was just curious. Edit: Just checked the link you provided in the description box for the specs of the Orangewood. In case anyone else is curious, the back and sides of the Orangewood are laminated.
Chilling Guy look there are a lot of great guitarmakers today. In the price category where lowden in based, you anyways have to hear, play and compare different guitars, woods, bodyshapes. hear about paul speaking about his 3 acoustics and how long it took him to find em. paul will certainly agree with the fact that its a journey finding your guitar but it is so worth it.
Great comment! Bought my first western in London in '92 - cheapest one that could hold a tune. It was about 100$, but is still an ugly beast to play, compared to the nice sounding Orangewood guitar you have! Your Orangewood guitar doesn't sound "cheap"... Whereas my cheap one is more suitable for physical work out than music :-)
Oh... In this video th-cam.com/video/TtoD9yPXy8w/w-d-xo.html its the clunky guitar next to me (behind my daughter)... No wonder I prefer to play the piano in her video :-)
My latest acoustic is a Seagull, which I picked up for around $400 at a local music store. I couldn't believe the sound I got out of it, and it was infinitely more impressive to me than many of the high end acoustics. Every guitarist I show it to is immediately impressed by its price point.
The sound difference may not be huge, but I notice a big difference in how easily they play as they go up in price, especially with acoustic guitars. The fit an finish on fret ends and the lacquer used on the neck can make a big difference in how nicely they play.
You will get these diminishing returns when you compare this laminate Asian guitar with the top of the Martin line. However, there is no need to compare the bottom and the top. Instead, compare it to a Martin with a spruce top and laminate back and sides, like the Martin DX1RAE. The Orangewood described was $275 and the Martin DX1RAE can be had at Sweetwater for $600. The price difference is only a few hundred dollars and the sound difference is tremendous.
00:59 - 01:45 Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out. 04:49 - 05:45 The Spirit Carries On. Never cross my mind to see a comparison between an Orangewood and a highend product such as D-42. What a nice Indonesian guitar.
Great post! After years of playing cheap and dreaming expensive, I finally bought my dream guitar, a $3500 HD28, last year. I'm very happy... but I still play my $300 Cort just as often😊
Personally, the best guitar is eventually the one that you truly play, love and own for the rest of your life. Look at Willie Nelson's 'Trigger'. It's his guitar but the rest of the world knows Trigger like a masterpiece from heaven. But in the end, its look, sound and identity was all formed by the legendary player himself. The fading shade on the fretboard, the cosmestic body wear on where your arm rests, the scratches on your pickguard/soundhole, and utimately the tone depending on your playstyle... THAT'S ALL YOU. YOUR EMBODIMENT IN A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING NO PRICE TAG CAN EVER MATCH UP TO.
There are Martin guitars and copies of Martin guitars. The oldest of my 3 Martins is 60 years old and has stood the test of time. There is no substitute for quality. I wonder what playability problems the cheaper guitars will develop in just a few years ? Will the repairman tell the cheap buzzbox owner "NOT WORTH FIXIN' " Cheap guitars make great bird houses at the end of their short lives.
Seems like a strange statement to make when Trigger is a Martin and the expensive guitar here is a Martin. And both would probably cost around 7000 these days, good luck finding a 300 dollar late 60s Martin N-20 in decent condition. Overall just a really bad example.
As the old saying goes, "it's not the wand, it's the magician." Paul D is such a great player, he can make the $295 instrument sound pretty darned good. Love watching him, and listening to him in action.
😂, if you keep playing, it will keep appreciating till it worth more than the price you spend. I just bought 500$ guitar and it probably sound like 100$ now, hopefully one day i could make it sound like a expensive guitar.
@@martinng8281 Actually, I've owned it since 1968, when I paid about $200 for it. For whatever reason, I've never been inspired to invest the time required to become a good player. Instead, I spent that time learning the flute to a reasonable level of competency. The flute has always been more intuitive for me.
daaaamn. when you need that TH-cam money but just want to play guitar at the park surrounded by beautiful women... I can understand the pain but still... Was he trolling on purpose - maybe?
The Martin has better bass response. The only reasons why I'd buy an upper level Martin would be if A) I wanted my friends to feel envious and B) I won the lotto. I have a D-28 and OM-21. No frills excellent guitars.
Alex Chambers That’s the MAP price. Never pay the MAP price for a Martin. Call the shop and ask what their best price is. Shops are not allowed to advertise less than MAP price but they are allowed to sell for less than MAP. I Paid $2500 for my HD-28 a couple years ago.
@@ravendemo4980 I think a distinctive difference but still, it's not $6705 thinner and 10 years playing guitar got me realized that 99% of audiences don't care about that difference. Playability is the most important thing
That describes it perfect...Taylor is much like a Martin without the rich deep bassy tone..(my opinion) so close as I will ever get aside borrowing.lol..
I got a road series Martin about 3 months ago. So not $1k+ but it was close to $950 when all said and done. I can say personally when I played the Martin and then tried a Taylor and then a Breedlove, the Martin stood out the most. That woody deep tone is perfect to me. That’s the kind of tone I love. At the end of the day it really depends on the person. I still want a Taylor eventually but as far as sound goes I don’t think anything will top a Martin in my mind.
@@t3july Taylor has a rich treble while that Woodsy bassy tone you mention is a forever Martin trait that improves even more with age. Taylor's are really easy to play with little touch for pull offs and hammer ons but even a $950 Martin must be a sweetheart. I started on a old "Stella" Harmony parlor guitar and those have a trait untouched by many only they warp with age if left to go awry..lol.. Martin Road Series? I will need to look into those. I also have a Ibanez Hard Wood Series EW 1202 something that is pretty amazing for bassy tone and well made instrument ..They used to be $700 new(electric acoustic) but I see used ones for $300 on ebay...There are some great models out there.. I live in Pennsylvania where seasonal changes are hard on them..The Ibanez and Taylor hold up well and never change action while I had a 90's Guild that was ruined.My cousin has a 50's Guild that is Amazing like Angels at heavens gate and has not changed action ever.. Do you notice such changes with your Road Series Martin?
i have like $150 headphones and a decent audio card listening in 7.1 surround and i prefer the cheaper guitar for my style of playing lol fuck paying $7000. i would go no lower than $250 for an acoustic especially a nylon as i would even start higher for those as it makes more of a difference with nylon strings rather than steel string acoustics. i think one of the biggest differences in sound is the type of metal plating on the string as i like silver wound strings and rose wood back and sides but the top im not so fussy just like it to be very hard wood not to spongy. mostly i play flamenco and fingerstyle so i have more of a preference for certain styles but in this video comparisson im shocked even with the same wood and shape the cheaper one sounds better but less volume. if your playing big open rooms and concerts then the pricier option will be better but small rooms the echo is too much and loses the crisp sound as the bass tones takes over.
You start thinking differently after buying something expensive ,at the end of the day you will make yourself believe that it sounds better even if its not
Hmmm. depends. I played maybe 10 chords and wrote a few tunes on a cheap guitar, a 200 euro yamaha 12 string. Then i wanted to make a home demo with a good sounding guitar.I found a second hand Lowden for 2000 euro, (guilders, at the time),bought it with the aim to sell it after i had done the demo´s. But it sounded and played so fantastic that I could not let go of it. +-30 years later, i still own it. Basically, that guitar taught me how to play.
@@storywriterpoet yeah, right...Paul Davids could do his shows with a 90 euro Harley Benton and his viewers would be none the wiser. Because, just like you, they dont have ears, and never held a guitar in their hands anyway.
Tommy Emmanuel said - If you pick up a guitar and can't put it down, you want to play it all day, it feels good, you feel good and you love that guitar than that is the best guitar for you. It can be piece of junk but if you like it then it is good
@@NeverTalkToCops1 what!!! Have you ever heard Tommy live?? If you are talking about percussive playing then perhaps I might 10% agree with you- but a 2.5k Maton, in the hands of TE sounds phenomenal - not just his playing style or selection of tunes, but his ability to control and build/reduce volume and impact is extraordinary. If you can't appreciate him, go back to shreading. After Django - probably the most amazing accoustic player I have ever heard. Oh and having met the man, he is also a true gentleman, so giving/encouraging and genuine. If you don't like his music, that's your taste, but to NOT regard him as a phenomenal player is frankly disturbing. Kieran.
The Martin wood has probably been curing in a backroom for 15yrs. The Orangewood's just came out of the kiln. I'd be content with the Orangewood & still be able to live indoors for awhile longer. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.
Old video with many comments, but I'll add mine anyway, just because I like to type. So, I was in the music store today. I took in my Faith Neptune (Naked), that I bought new for £350 (About USD $450). I was going to trade it in for an upgrade. I sat in the store, playing various different guitars - a few Taylors, a Martin, some more expensive Faith guitars. I was in there for about 2 hours. I walked out with my old guitar. I decided there and then, that I wasn't ready for this outlay of cash. That my Faith, all $450 dollars of it, I just couldn't part with. I'd played it so much, that the fretboard edges had worn beautifully - so smooth. It had aged amazingly - and these brand new expensive guitars, they didn't sound that much better. In fact, I believe the Taylor I tried, at 4x the price, was no better at all in terms of sound. Sure, it looked beautiful, but the sound is the important thing. Looks are secondary. These more expensive guitars didn't improve my ability - of course they didn't, but I was hoping for maybe a lower action, some more resonance, that possibly my playing would sound better. It didn't. I am still very much learning and I think I made the right decision - the guitar I have, despite being quite cheap, without any inlay at all (naked series), really is a beautiful guitar. Just a pure, well built, great sounding piece of loveliness. I couldn't part with it. There it sat, behind the counter at the guitar store, ready for them to make me an offer. I got a lump in my throat and maybe a slight tear in my eye - and took my baby home again. But I did buy some new strings and a condensor mic instead, so it was a good day :D
I've done this same exact thing now that I'm better with playing guitar. Except i have a cheap epiphone i paid $150 u.s. for a few years back. First time i bought a $800 dollar martin that i played for 2 weeks but missed the sound of my epiphone and took the sucker back! Then i went and bought a $1200 taylor but within a week ended up hating the sound and the way it played, thank god i kept my epiphone. I've tested a lot of guitars in the store and for some reason I just like my epiphone. There was a gibson j35 i liked a lot but the sound wasn't necessarily better just different.....every singly guitar sounds different and some of these expensive guitars sound better but only slightly better..
I have a cheapo spectrum acoustic that I got for 70 bucks from a fire fighter who's daughter got bored with it. It sounds basically the same as these, probably a bit more fret buzz, but its certainly worthy of me practicing on. I think people tend to think that price=quality because that's how we've been conditioned in America, but time and time again you can see that the tools don't make the person. If you suck at guitar you can only get better with practice regardless of if you spend money. I had a friend in college who had a $5,000 Telecaster sitting in his room that he got as a graduation gift from his grandpa and I think he played it once the whole time I knew him because he didn't know how to play guitar.
@@JoesBrandonomics Guess you haven't owned one. I own 4 different models ftom vintage to current. Tried to find other guitars such Taylor and Gibsons, none spoke to me like the Martins. If you're talking 70s, I'd agree but not otherwise.
@@capohd28 I play a Taylor and love it to pieces. Martins I tried didn’t speak to me as much. I think it really does come down to personal taste when you get up to a higher kind of price point.
@@capohd28 Well, that is the answer. A guitar that speaks. That makes the $4000.00. I hope that it also gives you a massage while is talking to you 😁. Just a dad's joke.
In 1998 i had just got my license, dad said you want this car, or that guitar... Well, my best friend had a car so it was an easy choice... I got the guitar! Im 37 now and i still own my 98' American standard Tele, ...its 20yrs old this year, i probably would of wrecked the car and would not still have it either! Telling that story never gets old to me, lol!
Good to hear your story mate. Lot of people don't understand it but we guitarists have a special connection to the guitar we own and that connection gets stronger by time ;)
Do not ever sell that guitar! I had a great story like that and one day, on a whim, I sold the Fender Jazz Bass I bought when I was 16, in ‘78, and a 1965 🌞SUNN Amp. Sold both in ‘93 for next to nothing. I’ve cried over that stuff for years now, worst mistake I ever made. You keep that Tele forever and when you are an old man, watch you grandkids play it. There are way too many stories like mine and not nearly enough like yours.
Thanks for the reply guys! My Tely got me through so many tough times! Lol! Oh, its candy apple red, white gard,maple neck. I had to work all summer long at a pilot truck stop to save for it, 700$ brand new back in 98' best years of my life! ....i love to reminisce!
jim0115 .....Awesome to hear your story, you made the best choice ever in my opinion! ....heck.. Who needs a car,lol! I bet that D28 sounds incredible! Once again, lovely story!
I completely agree!!! My dad picked up his 1st ever electric guitar when he was 17 in a pawn shop in New York for $80.00 and that came with a used un matched case. He has passed away but I still have that guitar today... it's a 1959 Les Paul Junior, Candy Apple Red and it is still a fabulous guitar! Now Iv'e screwed up and sold a few other items that he had that I shouldn't have or let them get damaged and tossed them (1968 Rickenbacker Bass-1970's & 1960's Tube amps-1960 Gibson Amp for the Les Paul Jr.-Kramer split fork 4 string bass with Airline aluminum Trim) But I won't ever let that Happen ever again!!!
I really love this video, it's more about perspective and understanding. I'm a guitar teacher from Australia, have played alot and heard alot. I always purchased and played Maton guitars, they are beautiful instruments and absolute beasts plugged in. A few days ago I bought my first Martin, a new D28, and wow, just wow, how good can an acoustic guitar sound. I just went into a store and played guitars until I found the sound I wanted, it's very personal and that's why I love this video. The cheap acoustic guitar in this video reminds me of some of my Matons acoustically, it's a little thin and bright, but still sounds great. My Martin has that articulation, each chord is so pronounced and resonant, yet individual notes sing over the top with a bell like tone. Both instruments are great, regardless of the price. This is why a $300 guitar can sound amazing, just like a $7000 guitar sounds incredible. It's all about perspective, there is no right or wrong choice when it comes to finding the right acoustic guitar. Just buy the guitar that sounds and feels like home and you can't go wrong.
The Indonesian wood used gives that bright, but “thinner” sound. The Martin has the lower frequencies because of more dense wood. You can hear the mellow richness in tone. Its a beautiful sound, and to professional performers, worth it weight in gold. That’s why they pay the extra money.
I have a used mid grade Takamine that I paid 650 for. With my playing ability, that's my top end. The guitar is solid cedar top, solid sapele back and laminated sides. It sounds good, plays well and I have no need to upgrade.
I've been playing for three years. I've been using a $50 guitar for that whole time and I do love it. But I'm starting to find things that simply cannot be done with that guitar due to it's quality. So I might have to buy a $300 one. But never $7000 lmao Honestly the jump in quality from $50 to $500 is insane when compared to the jump in quality between $500 and $5000..
CR3ATUR3 50 is too cheap, I have always said for every year you’ve played guitar, spend at least 200 dollars. So for you, get a 600 dollar guitar (at least)
I own several high end guitars - Ovation, Gibson, Taylor, Martin Fender, Gretch from $700 to $1200 to $7,000 to $15,000 some vintage some relatively new. Any of those sound & play great with correct strings and set up. The difference in the very expensive ones is (1) the history, (2) the rarity of the instrument, (3) inlay materials and (3) celebrity affiliation. Probably not a great investment but I play & them all regularly in my studio and at gigs. Some people collect cars, it’s guitars for me. Go for a used high-end guitar for $700-$1000 and you probably won’t regret it, just be patient.
I had a good friend who was a Luthier of both electric and acoustic guitars and he told me that NO guitar is worth $2500 dollars or more based on the wood and materials used or labor. His guitars were 100 percent handmade and never cost more than $800 dollars. I agree with him.
Your friend was spot on correct. You can buy a great sounding and great playing guitar without paying for the name. The handcrafted Japanese guitars from the 60s and 70s were very high quality and were affordably priced compared to the equivalent Martin and Gibson acoustic instruments. I have a Daion/Yamaki from the 70s and it is wonderful.
@@codyluka8355 I'm starting a collection right now of 60s and 70s made in Japan guitars. They are amazing. At one point there were standing toe to toe with Martin, Guild and Gibson and I'm some instances were superior. Lawsuit era guitars a nice kept secret
@enriquegarza3127 That's great! There are some great vintage handmade Japanese guitars that would be worthy in any collection. They were very, very affordable at the time, compared to a Gibson or a Martin and, in my opinion, better quality instruments. My Daion/Yamaki is well over 40 years old and has never needed a neck reset or a bridge reset. It's a great sounding guitar, and it seems to get richer as time goes on. Love it. Best of luck in your collection 👍
You can see that easily, how Yamaha LL16 is a third of Taylor 314 price but sound overall just as good, you know how much you have to pay the the Brand name.
@@phanhuyduc2395 I love Yamaha. They easily compete above it's price point. With Yamaha I say it's worth double the price. For example the Yamaha FG-840 cost $450, in my opinion it can compete with guitars in the $900 range
@@luisg1653 it should be noted that it is layered wood on the back and sides and the Echo now uses pau ferro instead of rosewood. As a tonewood, it probably falls somewhere between rosewood and mahogany. It seems to be getting a lot more prevalent these days. Orangewood does make solid back and sides models in their Highland and Topanga series, though. Highland are mahogany and Topanga are solid pau ferro. Both have torrified spruce tops too which is impressive. Both still fall significantly under $1000 for the dreadnaught models. I bought the Brooklyn to have something to play around with after selling my Martin HD-28. Does it sound like my Martin? Of course not. It does sound pretty damn good though for something that cost me 1/10th of the price. I was extremely impressed and may end up buying the Berkeley Live some day. I also want to try one of their ukes.
The Martin is much richer in sound. But having played many guitars since the 1960s (my father owned music stores) it’s the feel in the hands that counts most, and high end Martins and Gibsons just feel so great when set up right, especially the older hand crafted ones. Also, there’s a difference whether the back and sides are solid wood, or laminate. Details count.
The law of diminishing returns would depend on the guitar, the builder, etc. There are many factors. Even two guitars within the same mode can sound wildly different especially with mass produced guitars
No one can really say. When you buy an acoustic guitar you're going down a rabbit hole of insanity. It seems like there's no question that the more expensive guitars sound better, but one day you get up and find that one guitar sounds wonderful and the next day you go wait that doesn't sound very good! I have been able to go to stores and play the best most expensive guitars out there, and I swear I hear a difference. I always thought that Yamaha has the best prices until you get to the Martins and Taylor's and so on. But even now I think it's all changed.
@@valueofnothing2487 I agree, and acoustics are particularly hard to pin down good from great. As someone who has owned many guitars of all kinds, some not a great investment and some amazing investments that will never leave my ownership - I can tell you that it's really wise to check out smaller builders. Check if there is any in your area or region. Many of these small-med guitar companies that exclusively make acoustic guitars are a godsend and somewhat guarded secret. Often these guys make their guitars with no real rush, they dont produce many per year and since they dont have many employees then their prices are reasonable. Some portion of the price of a Martin or Taylor is the cost to have the recognizable name and badge on your guitar. The notoriety of a company can allow them to have higher prices, look at Gibson for example. (Or if you're into cars, it's like how Ford can sell more luxury cars if its badged as a Lincoln.) I dont want to say any names in particular but the best sounding acoustic that I own is a "new" guitar hand built in Canada. It was $1400usd and it sounds better than many $4000 Martin in my opinion. And the feel is out of this world, just holding it feels great. Top notch neck profile and wood pattern. Sad thing is alot of these companies struggle to get their name out there and often go under. Often another larger company will buy out their brand name and their shop then continue to make lesser quality instruments under their brand name. I try to support them any chance I can, which isnt very often since I'm just a working class guy.
I recently bought a beautiful Takamine, all solid wood, jumbo body guitar for $1400 off of eBay (list price was around $2000). It is a superb guitar! I absolutely love it. You almost can't go wrong with Takamine guitars.
Yeah you r the 'wark sound guy" i always see these ""it has a warmer sound "comments which r totally fake and do you know anything about guitars? You r just saying that it has a better sound just cause its expensive.
@@yakshrajsingh8121 how are you going to tell him what he hears? Maybe your hearing isn’t that great, because there is a pretty clear difference in sound between the two.
@@yakshrajsingh8121 How are they fake comments? Lmao. Martins (or any high-end acoustic for that matter) have a much fuller bottom end to them along with better all-around resonance than cheaper guitars, resulting in a “warmer” sound. Your hearing must suck, because the difference in sound is quite apparent, even after being compressed to hell by TH-cam. The discrepancies become even more apparent if you hear a nice Martin in person. Like Paul said, it’s a somewhat subtle difference, especially to an untrained ear, but subtleties go a long way. And that’s not even to mention the drastic differences in terms of playability between a high-end and low-end acoustic.
I think that Orangewood is brighter than the Martin which I prefer when he strums. But for finger picking, I think the Martin is cleaner and has a larger dynamic range.
Conan Liquid You non scientific dumb ass - what are you talking about a dumbass program you ran if it’s not even accurate? Just so people can go oh you’re so fucking cool? Get the fuck out of here moron
Conan Liquid www.reverbnation.com/sitarist (Doctors don’t follow each other cause that’s stupid and so is counting followers lol - that said check my Twitter lol)
f I had it do do over again, I'd have taken all of the money I spent getting great guitars and sunk that into lessons. A great guitarist can make a cheap guitar sound good but a great guitar doesnt make a cheap guitarist sound great.
Yes, for sure. Thought; If a newer player were to be playing on a nicer guitar rather than some beginner junker, wouldn't he be more likely to play more ?? A solid chord on a cheap guitar can sound....cheap. Where as a solid chord on a nice guitar sounds.....nice , fulfilling.
@@johnmcaleese8459 I definitely think that's possible, but I think it's more the player's motivation to make music and hone their skills that makes them keep playing. Maybe a nice guitar would help? I say it depends on the person. I know a guy who has had a great prs for months now, and he still sounds terrible simply because he doesn't want to practice.
@@garydunham335 Oh for sure. Motivation is #1 in everything. Having said that, if I had a kid who has shown interest, I would at least buy something that would feel nice. Don't have to spend a boat load for that. Wouldn't hand him a $75 twanger either. Funny you mentioned a PRS. Just treated a big kid to one. Me. Lol
Not true in my opinion. No matter what level you are at with your instrument, you should always go buy a better instrument if you have money to spend or if you're not on a tight budget. It helps in the long run anyways. Of course you still need to practice your craft but it makes a difference when you use high quality compared to decent quality. But with being said, Orangewood is definitely high quality haha!!
@@johnmcaleese8459 Yes but showing an interest is vague with children. I would start them off with something cheap and if that interest evolves into something more then I would fit them with something more expensive.
@@omniyambot9876 True, but there's a lot more to it than that. The bridge, neck, and frets all add to the feel of playing a guitar. I have two acoustics that I use the same strings on, and they feel completely different.
I really like the Yamaha acoustics, really nice bright sound and I'd say best value for money at the low range price point. The Orangewood sounds promising
Most folk guitars don't come with pickguards make them look a lot nicer IMO what's the big deal of having a couple scratches on your guitar from your fingers or a pick just means you play it.
In Canada the CF Martin D-45 sells for $12,345 plus 13 % tax . 2021 . 🇨🇦 . The people who buy them often don't play guitar , it's a wall mounted conversation piece .
In nylon guitar’s the elements that change the price are: the luthier (if it’s famous), the woods (like Brazilian rosewood, German spruce...), and THE DECORATIONS. A luthier spend a lot of time making decorations so if you add something, the guitar will cost more and more. By the way, the first two points explained are very important. I recently passed from a 1000€ Esteve to a beautiful 9000€(in u.s.a. 18000$ i don’t know why) Enrico Bottelli’s guitar, an Italian luthier (I’m Italian) known all over the classic guitar’s world and it is an amazing guitar
That price though. I'm still considering buying a ~500 euro classic that I played at the shop. Couldn't get my hands off of it, so much better than my current cheapo that I still learn to play on, for over a year.
Agreed. No comparison. Martins are an American treasure. I've never played anything that sounds better. A Gibson SJ-200 is my second favorite. I have owned an HD-28 for 25 years. Flawless design, craftsmanship, hardware. I've grown old with it. Neck stays straight, fretwork perfect. the D series is more ornate, and if you are Neil Young or wealthy enough, and it's important to you, than go for it. The HD series gives you all the tone for about 1/3 less. The direct to consumer retail model is very popular on the internet. Ideal for mattresses and other overpriced goods. You save a few bucks, but beware. If you don't like it or it needs warrantee service, you will get what you paid for. Every 'value' instrument i've ever purchased had issues at some point. If you are a serious musician, a reputable brand purchased from a reputable dealer makes for a better experience. This Orangewood looks and sounds like a $300 guitar. It is what it is.
It's subjective. It sounds different but I prefer the sound of the cheaper guitar! It's more full and has better low mids. There sure isn't $6500 difference between them!
The less expensive guitar definitely did not sound fuller to my ear, it sounds much less full. It's like the difference between a stripped down trio and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production style. I don't think the Orangewood is a bad guitar, is perfectly serviceable and good for a beginner who may or may not stick with it. But when the Martin kicked in it was like night and day, I physically jumped a little when the richer, more complete sound hit my ears and I don't run expensive headphones, they're inexpensive Logitech. The craftsmanship of the Martin is not just in the visible details but in the subtle nuances of the body shaping gleaned from creating it and refining it over many years. You heard the low mids better, but to my ear that was simply the most prominent and others were lacking. Of course, listening is not just about sound reaching our ear, we all hear things just a little differently but the Martin was hands down the winner and I knew it within 2 seconds, I didn't need Paul to convince me of anything or inform my opinion. I wouldn't pay 7k for a guitar but that's nothing to do with quality and everything to do with wanting to pay my rent... for a year. A lot of people are trying to justify their comments by saying the Martin isn't 20-23x better than the Orangewood, that math somehow proves their point. The problem is it would prove the opposite just as easily. If 96% of the music you play on the Martin sounds better then that's at least 25-1, or 25x better and I'd bet dollars to donuts that the overwhelming majority of music played on the Martin sounds better given a talented player like Paul.
If at all possible, would you be able to recommend a guitar under $1000 that sounds anything remotely close to the D-42. I love its sound, but $7000 is a bit out of my price range. Thanks in advance!
I must say, your video editing skills have to be what keeps the viewers to keep watching along with your guitar wisdom. The part where you switch between the orange wood and the martin was amazing. 🔥👌🏻
Thank you brother for your important statement ! The "well-to-do westerners" should all keep in mind that the majority of the people have to struggle for the basics . In this respect a guitar for 7000$ is just obscene. - A few years ago i traveled in South East Asia and saw many young, gifted and enthusiastic guitar players with guitars that were hardly playable and impossible to tune. Since then i am dreaming of becoming a rich man, buying 10000 guitars for 100$ each and giving them away to these youngsters in poorer countries. Twice in my life i gave my guitar away : once in Bulgaria and once in Cuba. The Cuban peasant was, it seemed to me, on that day the happiest person on earth. (And i was second.) With all his honest work he would never have been able to buy this guitar. I could earn the money for it in two days ....
I always wanted a Martin for years... For the last 11 years I have been using a $250 (Canadian) Fender acoustic. I had to pay extra to get it set up and it sounds nice. Fast forward to 2021, I splashed out £1400 on a Martin D-15m. All I can say is wow. It plays and sounds great (still had to get it set up though). The D-15m has a very warm sound, but perhaps not as loud as the other Martins. It's a unique sound that I just happen to like a lot. The old Fender acoustic still has a place in my heart. If I ever go travelling again, I'll take that with me instead of the Martin.
OK, here's another guitar story. Best guitar I ever owned was a Guild that I bought in 1973 when dating my wife. fast forward 44 years. I've stopped playing and parted with the guitar, I've hated parting with the guitar more than not playing. ANYWAY, started playing a couple of years ago and bought a low end Martin, hated it! Was actually thinking of setting it on fire, videoing it, and sending the ashes and video back to Martin. Didn't, traded it for a cheap electric which I rebuilt. So, I'm in a guitar store waiting on a pedal to be ordered killing some time playing the acoustics when a guy comes up and starts a conversation about guitars. After having my "Martin" experience I'm pretty pessimistic about guitars and I start playing a 500 vs 2500 to 5000 guitars and showing him that there was very little difference in the sound. So buy what you want and ....................THEN I picked up a Taylor 414ce-R strummed a couple of chords and he and I looked at each other like what the just happened. Filled the room with sound, it was like the guitar was playing along with me. I thought OH SHIT, the guy was thinking about buying it but the salesman was a douche so it didn't happen. I go home, really wanting the guitar, but since I'd just bought over 3500 on gear I'm thinking "not now". Next morning I can't stand it, go over and buy it. Can't put it down, if I'm at home it's always in eye sight. Only downside, I have to make myself play my electric gear. Good news, the electric gear is working it's way up to the Taylor and the Taylor hasn't gone down to the Fender. I'm thinking I'm one lucky guy to have two guitars that I love. Sorry this is so long :-) Moral of the story...........play what moves you.......everything else is just temporary while you're waiting to find the right one.
Jeff honestly reveals the whole rationalization a potential customer goes through. He is ahead of most in thst he at least knows what sounds good to him. Many come to believe what has been marketed to them. They hold onto that belief even after arriving at the store and playing several instrument. That's O.K. if that is what they want. Real musicians can usually explain why their preferences are what they are. Comfort, playability, a good dealer that will help with issues, and many other reasons go into it. Nobody is wrong, everybody is right, and some people are just moronic wannabe wankers. Beware of the know it all's. If it sounds good and feels good, go have some fun. Several friends who are players feel that some ridiculous piece they have is their best friend. These people are at peace, and are to be admired. We can go into the difference in bracing and tonewoods, but on what guitar? What more at issue is what it will sound in 7-8 years.
I had a same experience. I was looking at a semi hollow godin with piezo pickups. Loved the idea of getting the acoustic sound with an electric. Enjoyed playing it for a bit but something was ever so slightly off. I was about to buy it anyway as it was what I thought I wanted until I set my eyes on a fender telecaster American deluxe and thought “let me have a quick shot of that” (I’ve never really been a fender guy). I then instantly became hooked. The neck felt amazing and the sound was an absolute dream. Even though it didn’t have what I was after on paper, it moved me so that I bought it there and then on the spot leaving the godin behind. Moral is, just because a guitar ticks boxes for other people, you don’t know if you’ll like a guitar until you play it and feel it become an extension of you.
cost is irrelevant really good gear helps I have had high end gear all my life ya it helps but music is in the person .it's in the hands . and touch . expensive guitars are only tools . I have a hundred pound fender acoustic I got 25 years ago and I love it . it's a piece of shit but some reason it's got gorgeous tone.
Can relate. I'm a Taylor loyalist. I had been playing guitar for over twenty years and saw a Taylor at a reasonable price on CL so went to check it out, never having played one. It was like playing for the first time...the sound was so much different, fuller, than what I had grown used to. I'm sure there are equally good guitars, but because of my "religious experience", I'm now in the cult of Taylor.
Hi Jeff, I made pretty much the same experience just recently: I bought a mid-prize Taylor 510 accoustic: I tried a lot, Martins, Lakewoods (I am from germany), Ovations but this is by far the most amazing guitar I ever owned. It weighs less than a feather, it has an overwhelmingly wide dynamic range from whispering to loud-as-hell and the playability is godlike! Since I own this guitar I can't wait to get home from work to play on it! With my older guitar after 1h of playing my hand was hurting. With the Taylor I can play for hours now. Yesterday f.ex. I played from 5pm to 9:30pm nonstop. My wife was like: What's going on with you!?
Or you could buy the all Mahogany version of the Orangewood, Vola, problem solved, got one sounds great/all around fuller. Or you could go full "out of bounds" and run a Ovation, some people love em, some hate em, i fall into the former category. Btw also love the martins; 15 series, old school Delta blues style/great stuff. -Cheers
No, it's about what you can PLAY. The guitars in this video sounds the same to me, or so similar that the difference is not worth $50, much less 6,800 dollars. As somoene above said, when you pay a high price you then convince yourself that it sounds better, lol. I decided to go mid-range. I bought a $800 (Canadian dollars) Yamaha Transacoustic FS-TA. It's the most beautiful thing I own, ha ha, and I love it. However, in years past I have had the cheapest guitar you can imagine, and that was fine for me then as well.
Would have been interesting to do a "blind" test for your viewers. It's easy to appreciate a Martin's qualities if you already know you're listening to one. I heard they did such a blind test recently on Stradivarius violins that were worth millions and the experts couldn't tell the difference between the Strads and much cheaper but still good instruments.
The instruments were in the same level of time and expertise, just not from a specific and rare maker. Strads derive their value from the fact that there's a limited number of them that will ever exist, and the history and legacy of them. The "much cheaper" instruments were still 6 figures in many cases! A comparable test would be one of the holy grail pre war martins vs a modern one and one from a different brand contemporary to the pre war one. With new instruments like this, you do get what you pay for to an extent.
I am turning 60 next month,a very long ( I was in my early 20s)long time ago ,I went out shopping for a 12 string with $2000, cash. I live in L.A.,I went everywhere and I mean I went every where,I played Martin,Taylors weren't around,Gibson, Fenders...Everything I could get my hands on..Sigh,I bought a law suit Tahamine f400 12 string...Whats the life expectancy of a 12 string like 10 years?,My 12 Tahamine plays awesome to this day! And I paid less $385. with a case ...Just sayin
@@Pudentame I keep my my guitars in a case only on the past couple of years have I used a humidifier. So I am lucky that my 12 string is still on good shape.
Treat it right and it will outlast you. I have two 12-strings in my "collection" that are over 50 years old. I didn't really want to become a guitar "collector", but I buy guitars I like to play and I keep them. I've been playing for more than 50 years and after a while the guitars accumulate.
I bought a Taylor 855 used in 1993 for $1250. Still playing it today and it sounds as awesome or better. I keep it in the case when not in use, trying to maintain humidity. I plan to keep it until I die.
Paul, the orange wood echo is Pau ferro layered or laminate back and sides, not rosewood.. there’s def a difference. For those of you interested, If you want to get a solid body orange wood, they do offer some models with solid mahogany or pau ferro but those are in the $1k area.
Barely noticed the change... very subtle... a very good demonstration and both guitars have a very nice sound... are they identical... no... but even twins that look alike have different voices sometimes. A dear friend gave me a Martin OM-21 w/ a cracked top... $200 to repair it and I have a Martin. If the repair had been estimated at $500 I would have bought the Orangewood. I'm 71... played off and on since I was 15... Owned Gibsons, Guilds, Kents, Kays, and Epiphones... still not very good... but I think sound is most important. Thanks for the demo.
The difference is night and day, especially in the bass. The Martin has fuller while clearer sound, more volume and longer sustain with beautiful overtone compared to the other one. And I bet the difference is even more notable irl. But it is definitely not 20 times better. But you guys need to know that quality tone wood and craftmanship is not cheap
After having 4 guitars hand made for myself, one jazz archtop, one semi-hollow, and two solid bodies, I think I can say: the price of premium materials used and top of shelf hardware doesn't equal more than a price of an average solid body guitar model made by a top brand manufacturer. But it does show in sound if the luthier is able to make those components produce nice frequencies. So, after a certain price range it's not the sound you're paying, that's just a fact. One could also go for a more pricey guitar because of its fine details and finishing. That's also fine, but before you approach the cash register it's good to remember that looks are secondary to sounds. You may save a lot, but still enjoy the guitar.
Thank you for that honest review Paul. We always learn from you. I would agree that the playability if the Orange Wood lies with the set up. However many of our better guitars are now made in the Shandong province of China they just need to be set up properly and that's impossible at $4.00 a day labor. I've set up a fugazi Martin D-45 and after a lot of fret crowning and polishing and replacing the Fishman and fake Grover tuners it was a very playable good sounding guitar for under $500.00 American. Also Guild is still fetching a high price and they are now owned and made in Korea. Lazer cut guitars which leads to a more consistent build but, they just don't sound like the old Guilds of America. Epiphone also made in China does have American quality control which leads me back to the Orange Wood (American set up and quality control). And Martin has moved to Mexico for cheap labor claiming their profit margins were going down. If anyone deserves an American Martin it's you. You've certainly put in the work and time. It's like wearing a Rolex watch.. it has nothing to do with telling time but, what you've done with your time. By the way loved your Doc Watson and Clapton.
This is the second video I’ve seen on some one challenging orange wood against a high end guitar. I feel like orangewood hired a new ambitious promotions manager.
What's going on is two ingredients at work,... Orangewood guitars are priced low and are fabulous playing and sounding guitars, putting them in a likely position to rival expensive guitars. If they were crap or played and sounded like the price suggests, nobody would do a video of that because it would seem unproductive and pointless. There ya go.
I purchased an Orangewood guitar a few months back and I have to say it is a spectacular instrument for the money. The build quality is excellent, it sounds fantastic, the out of the box setup was practically perfect, and it came in under $300. So far, I've been thrilled.
"for the money", yeah if you like fret-buzz and poor tonal articulation. The thing with aiming downward in price is that unless your music sticks to the more low-budget & DIY idioms (post-punk, hip-hop, lo-fi metal etc), you're more likely to stay a hobbyist. A better instrument coaxes you to play better and go further. In 99% of solid-bodies expert fretwork and setup is the mo$t expensive part of build.Truly, without much effort (as in, never buy a guitar without a thorough inspection) you should save cash for a while longer and look to spend about triple - you'll do FAR BETTER. $1000-$1500 is the sweet range for guitars. Here it can really begin to approach top-notch sound and performance, BUT you will want to get the frets dressed and the rest of the guitar properly set up - or it's still not gonna be close. The time+expertise needed to do that stage(s) correctly can be the most expensive aspect of the build.
I've had absolutely zero issues with fret buzz on my orangewood. I build solid and semi-hollow electrics as a hobby so, had it been needed, I could have done a good setup and fret job... But it wasn't necessary. The only thing I touched on the frets was the ends. I prefer the edge of my frets a little more rounded than they came out of the box but it was far from a problem. Most people probably would have left it as is. I agree with you that a higher end, better playing guitar will inspire people to play at a higher level. But, I didn't buy this guitar with expectations of it being a Larrivee or a Martin D-45... I bought it as something to throw in the truck, go out camping, and sit by a fire and pick a tune or two; and for that it's fantastic.
Pretty inlays and elaborate bindings increase price dramatically while doing nothing for the tone or playability. That said, a higher-price guitar will often be made using superior tone wood, which *can* significantly affect the sound. And *that* said, tone woods of equal sonic quality will be priced differently depending on how pretty they are.
@@jackberry1891 Tonewood is a thing..... But think I know what you mean. Violins closely mimicking Stradivarius tone have been built using carbon fibre and graphite. The old National tricone resonator dobros got amazing tone out of steel and bakelite plastic. The only wood was the neck.
Great video. Been picking on my Aspen since 1977. I am a better musician now but am not the talent of most people who have played that long. But I love my 3-piece Aspen, made lovingly by artisans in Japan. I only a couple of weeks ago bought my second guitar, a G-series Takamine made in China. I am very happy with it. Why have 2 guitars? Because my love for the instrument and for music made it into my kids. I want both my instrumentally gifted kids (2 of 3) to both have one. The third loves music but doesn’t play. I never held out for a ‘namebrand’ guitar. I have always gone for the sound. Couldn’t be happier. I am average in talent but I use what I have as best I can. Thanks for a great reminder, sir. Don’t be attracted to the $ invested. Love what comes out of the instrument and invest in practice.
The difference I saw between the guitars was the amount of feeling you put in to each guitar. With the Martin I noticed you seemed to enjoy playing that guitar I could tell by your facial expressions and body movement. While on the orange echo I saw a little less emotion put into your playing
But isn t that part of the answer. The way you love it and love playing it adds to the value it holds and is allowed to cost you. There are these guitars that you are allowed to pick every once and a while that you cant seem to put down any more. Driving you waiting family or next appoointment into madness. Then it s worth the money I guess.
To me the big difference becomes really noticeable by strumming big chords. Cheaper guitars just sound more 'boomy' and 'muddy' compared to the expensive ones.
Agreed. With the Martin each chord sounded very clear, none of the notes really got lost. The low end was much more full and had a warmer tone as well.
A great video as ever. Really interesting. I tried listening for the changeovers between the two guitars with my eyes closed. I could tell the difference... sometimes! Given that, and to think you could buy 23 Orangewoods for one Martin partly puts it into context. I’d also be scared to gig with a 7k instrument, I’d be so scared of ding-ing it! Also, once you take into account the ambience of the room, amplification, effects (even a little gentle eq)... the differences imo become marginal. However, for communing with a piece of music, enjoying the simple experience of holding a guitar, making sound with it, and trying to make that sound the best you can possibly play... I expect the Martin would feel like a terrific investment lol!!!
I have 2 Alvarez, a six string and a 12 string. My wonderful wife bought me a Taylor 224 ce KDLX for Christmas. It’s Koa wood, solid on the top and sides and layered (veneer) on the back. It’s beautiful to look at but even more importantly, it’s great to play and it sounds wonderful. There are so many times that I play a chord or a string of notes and it sounds so sweet I have to stop and play it again so I can hear it again. It brings tears to my eyes. It’s not the most expensive Taylor but it wasn’t inexpensive either. I literally love this guitar. I am blessed to be able to afford it and I understand not all can. But if you can, at least for me, it has been absolutely worth it.
I've been playing 30 years. I've been to The House of Guitars, and many other guitar stores and tried out the best vs the $300s. I can't tell the difference. And 30 years ago I worked at McIntosh labs (Great stereo and amps)... and developed a good ear to discern differences in speakers, frequency response, dispersion, etc. The only reason I can relate to for buying a more expensive model is like wearing a diamond... it LOOKS nice and has the brand name. I'm a well-paid engineer and the best guitars I've ever played IMHO are my own creations with an amp built into the guitar to "warm up" the tone. People get off on the image of the wood... the name brands... the inlays and appearance, when in reality the strings, fret positions, and other factors remain the same. Here's one of my creations. A Fender Squire hollow body with a built in Marshall. (the only thing about it I don't like is the Bixbe tremolo(wammy) - shouldn't have bothered adding that since it only added weight and sucks compared to other 'ballanced' bridge setups like my Ovation and other Ibanez have with the fine tuners). th-cam.com/video/Dci5z9XAboc/w-d-xo.html
To put it in car terms, if you have 150 grand to spend on a car, are you going to buy a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry or ? Maybe, if you view cars as just transportation. But if you live and breath cars and have been driving them for a while, then you might buy the fastest, most exciting and visceral one you can get for your money. And so it is with guitars .. remember, value and cost are different things. Cost is objective, value is subjective. Orangewood really seems like a quality brand, I'm going to check them out. Paul, great vid as usual.
Still not a good comparison. Because you get a ton of performance additives with a higher priced car for 150 grand. Not to mention technical things that improve drive quality.
Maybe not to the same extent (though the price gap is much larger as well), but the $7000 guitar in this video clearly sounds much better. That is the performance aspect of a guitar, and you have to consider that others are able to appreciate it as well. If you are interested in making music or playing for others, you don't want to be limited by your equipment. In contrast, most people who own nice cars do not race them.
The Echo sounds really nice and lively and it's also got fine features, but the D-42 is unquestionably the much better choice between the two because of its visually stunning looks and superb features and pretty much its very own unsurpassed amazing sound...!!!
I feel a peak cap for guitars in general is 1000 dollars. After that it’s just how fancy the guitar looks imo. That being said that Martin sounds amazing but not for 7k...
Shock I’d say it peaks at close to 2000. But guitars here are expensive, so it might be closer to 1500 in the US, I’m not sure. The best value for money guitars are at the 500 dollar mark. You can find some great guitars at that price if you do the research and personally test different ones, even from the same model. No guitars feel the same. So try them all and pick the one you liked best. And always ask if they also have one from the storage. I’ve yet to try a guitar that has been hanging in the store window, baking in the sun for months, that plays better than a guitar fresh from it’s case.
I've found it to be around $3000 if the person playing it is a real virtuoso but for most of us mortals we can't really get more out of anything over about $1200-1500. And Martin did make a very plain version of that guitar for around 3k, used often around 2k.
In a studio you can hear the Amazing differences, from each Guitar, but the guitars that are built from the highest resignating woods, such as Adirondack Spruce tops and Brazilian Rosewood back and sides will always be the best sounding. The Craftsmanship of an inexpensive guitar is so very different from a very well built Custom guitar, especially in the wood bracing, thickness of wood and the thinking of the spruce where it is glued to the sides. This creates more movement in the wood and translates into more sound frequency's and resignation. The higher the quality of wood, staighter the grain pattern the more evenly the wood is activated when vibrations are introduced into it. When Strataverius made his violins he made them from sinker logs, that were sometimes over a hundred years old sitting in the water canals collecting mineral deposits into the woods, Maple and Spruce. This along with his Craftsmanship made the world's best built violins Ever!
I have a Yamaha LL6R that’s amazing. I love it. Paid 1000. I still want a Gibson Monarch, though, because having an amazing guitar just makes you want to own all of them. Especially the 1937 Martin D-38.
Hi Paul, in 1974 I saved my pocket money to buy a 40GBP Yamaha Acoustic and have bought and sold several different acoustics since. I have a Martin D36 which allows me to compare it against my Sigma DR41 and Sigma SDR41. What I found most revealing was when I recently taught myself to play Joni Mitchell's "Off Night Back Street" which is in the alternate Tuning of C A C F G C. I dont know why as all 3 have been professionally set up but it was easily audible that it was the Sigma DR41 (that has been played consistently for over 4 years) that handled that tuning the best, especially that low bottom C and really seems to be a test for an Acoustic. Great Channel and insight Paul wishing good health.
295$ is the expensive guitar to me. 7000 is a nice car in my world.
7000 for me is some old sedan or some bad small car
7000 in my country. Its worth a villa i guess
7000 in my country can be use to bought... Hmm.. A nice gaming set
@@sebastianvayyosafatpardame5965 it worth a human lung here
here 7000 is a normal family income per year
The Martin sounds much better, warmer, but not $6,705 better.
It doesn't sound MUCH better. It's very, very slight, and I would wager it's a simple matter of heavier bracing under the top. You would experience a similar difference between pre and post war Martins. Before the war they were very lightly braced, which makes a more delicate guitar but allows the top to work(vibrate) more efficiently, lending to projection, at the inevitable cost of sustain. Sustain is a function of a guitar's rigidity, and projection is a byproduct of the top's ability to vibrate freely, and they are diametrically opposed. Increasing one always decreases the other, all else being equal(important to compare like shapes)
Post war Martins, with the advent of X bracing and in comparison to their older counterparts, are much more durable guitars, but at a cost to the projection for which their predecessors are praised. I imagine the Martin in this video has scalloped bracing, Martin having refined their bracing in the decades since introducing X bracing, and the cheaper guitar uses the older style of x bracing which is now standard in the industry.
to be fair, u have to witness it in person to tell
I didn’t watch the whole video, so I don’t know what kind of Martin he was playing, but it looks to be pretty heavily inlaid, which makes me think it’s a 41 or something like that. Those guitars are heavily braced like you said, and the real reason they’re so expensive is because of all the abalone. Martin does make modern guitars that, in my opinion, are worth $7,000 for their sound (D-18 and D-28 Authentics, for a start), but I don’t see the point of paying $7,000 dollars for something you could get the sound of for $2,000 just to show off how much dumb shiny shit you can buy because of your dorky day job.
You must be hearing something I’m not, the Martin doesn’t sound much better to me.
Fred - not that I'm arguing here or debating anything but a properly tuned $200-300 guitar can play very well and "fool" most listeners. Plus everyone has their opinions on sound because we all don't have the same hearing or same taste for what we think is pleasant vs non pleasant. Some people like "bright, crisp" sound whereas others like "mellow, robust" sound. What does that mean? This is not directed at you personally but to anyone reading this - there are all kinds of variants when it comes to these guitars that make the sound different that we may or may not like. Is it solid, what type of wood, what strings, playing ability, bridges, necks, is it properly tuned....etc. Like many things we compare in society, we've been engrained to think more $ is better. But in what way? Looks? Luxury? Quality? Reliability? Is a $60k beamer better than the $40k version? Depends if you like better interiors or a more zippy engine but if you are talking reliability or dependability, then they should be the same because the extra money is for better interiors and/or performance regarding speed usually. Does it make it a better car for people? For some, they want that better "comfort" but for others they are paying for stuff that doesn't get them to work sooner, isn't any more reliable or dependable than the other. Some might say, keep the guitar for 10 yrs...does it still play that way, is the quality of the wood there...etc. I wouldn't compare a $5k car to a $50k car...it's just unfair. But then again, I'll never spend no $1000 on a guitar for what I do. Too many people get caught up in having expensive items and bragging about it. To many in the public, there are small differences - IF they can even tell. Take a very good player and proper tuning...probably sound similar.
At that price, does the Martin come with a lawyer to handle the resulting divorce?
No, but she's going to end up with the guitar anyway.
no, but it'll make finding a new wife easier.
Top comment 😂
@@brendanlucero8585 lmfaoooooooooo
😂😂😂
The best acoustic guitar is any one that you can't stop playing, inspires you to play on and on. I have some like that which cost me about $100 and some that sell for many thousands of dollars. When asked which is my favorite, I say "It's the one I'm playing."
A nice comment, agreed!
@Felix Hackenberg beautiful comment! Very true and very well said!
love it
Agreed I have played every brand on earth and I always go back to my vintage Alvarez it’s my mistress my wife back that up
I got a tangle wood to learn on was good but big for me after a year practising I done a lot of research and finally just bought a little Martin and it’s small but ideal for me more comfortable to play and I can’t put it down it’s amazing
Damn guitar better play itself for $7000
If you check Martin's Guitars website there's a $65,000 dollar guitar and a $150,000 guitar.
@@tomaskubota4388 those guitars play you
The really expensive ones just sit there in a cabinet doing nothing. They are great for watching you.
I actually can afford a Martin (used), but could never look at myself in the mirror if I was foolish enough to throw away my hard earned money. But I'm the type of guy who hates spending 2.50 for a Starbucks coffee.
Dirty Dan better be able to tuck me into bed too
After six beers they all sound the ssme
And after two hits of acid they play themselves.
Instructions unclear. Mine grew teeth bit me.
I thought we were discussing guitars... oh wait!
@@StrengthScholar0 Underated Comment
Best comment yet
I can make a $7000 sounds like $5.
Edit: Wow all the likes, I didn't think I had such a rare talent
Downhill, always easy
Haha....me too....haha cuz my guitar skill damm suck...
Kkkkkkkkkkkk ! I bet you can
Great line :-) leading singer-songwriter Island Mountain Pat
LMAO!!!
After five years, I splashed out and bought a new set of $20 strings. Now my guitar is worth 50 bucks.
Dang I failed maths but even I know that a $5 guitar is dang cheap
@Kepler 186-F hello
@Kepler 186-F I’m doing well hbu
I actually got my first electric guitar for 30 dollars in a pawn shop. I've had it for a year and a half. Its definitely far from a high end instrument but its definitely not the worst there is either. Now I've been looking at some Harley Bentons to upgrade to.
@@ShockingPikachuhii how are youu now
Now do a video comparing the sound from a free cat to a $400 cat.
Underrated comment
Haha
Unexpected but hilarious
No free cat will sound like a Burmese.
With the guitar, I wonder if stringing them the same would reduce the gap in sound, I know the bodies will still be different sounding but strings can go a long way with tone quality.
A 400 dollar cat will walk around like its sheet doesn’t stink.
A little addition to the word *cheap* . When talking about guitars with a solid spruce tops, and rosewood back and sides, this is cheap! I know there are guitars under 100$, but not with these specs... Maybe the word 'affordable' would've been better, because that doesn't have the same negative connotations with it.
Just out of curiosity, is the back and sides of the more affordable guitar solid, like the Martin, or is it laminated? I've always herd people say, not that a necessarily agree or disagree with them, that solid tops make a huge difference, but back and sides, not so much, but I was just curious.
Edit: Just checked the link you provided in the description box for the specs of the Orangewood. In case anyone else is curious, the back and sides of the Orangewood are laminated.
Paul Davids what do you think about a lowden guitar?
Chilling Guy look there are a lot of great guitarmakers today. In the price category where lowden in based, you anyways have to hear, play and compare different guitars, woods, bodyshapes. hear about paul speaking about his 3 acoustics and how long it took him to find em. paul will certainly agree with the fact that its a journey finding your guitar but it is so worth it.
Great comment! Bought my first western in London in '92 - cheapest one that could hold a tune. It was about 100$, but is still an ugly beast to play, compared to the nice sounding Orangewood guitar you have! Your Orangewood guitar doesn't sound "cheap"... Whereas my cheap one is more suitable for physical work out than music :-)
Oh... In this video th-cam.com/video/TtoD9yPXy8w/w-d-xo.html its the clunky guitar next to me (behind my daughter)... No wonder I prefer to play the piano in her video :-)
Doesn’t matter what guitar it is, at any price point, Paul’s playing makes anything sound good
Trueee
Diego Arota totally agree he could make a tree truck sound great
Diego Arota ...i know, i totally love this guy!
alright take your nose out his ass
instantsurgery ...just because we have said some kind word about this fellow doesn't mean what your comment suggest. You have a wonderful day
My latest acoustic is a Seagull, which I picked up for around $400 at a local music store. I couldn't believe the sound I got out of it, and it was infinitely more impressive to me than many of the high end acoustics. Every guitarist I show it to is immediately impressed by its price point.
Amen, buying a Seagull S6 was the best decision (guitarwise) I ever made. I'm interested in trying out their other models too
I have an M6 seagull and I love it. Don't play enough, but glad I found them-my buddy recommended I check them out.
The Martin sounds better. Just not $6000+ better
I feel like that is the conclusion of all of these videos
The sound difference may not be huge, but I notice a big difference in how easily they play as they go up in price, especially with acoustic guitars. The fit an finish on fret ends and the lacquer used on the neck can make a big difference in how nicely they play.
You will get these diminishing returns when you compare this laminate Asian guitar with the top of the Martin line. However, there is no need to compare the bottom and the top. Instead, compare it to a Martin with a spruce top and laminate back and sides, like the Martin DX1RAE. The Orangewood described was $275 and the Martin DX1RAE can be had at Sweetwater for $600. The price difference is only a few hundred dollars and the sound difference is tremendous.
At how much do you evaluate better?
the 7k martin sounds as good as a 2k martin, and it does sound $1700 better to many
00:59 - 01:45 Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out.
04:49 - 05:45 The Spirit Carries On.
Never cross my mind to see a comparison between an Orangewood and a highend product such as D-42. What a nice Indonesian guitar.
I knew I heard a Dream Theater song in there somewhere!
Thanks a lot man!!
@roxoto I don't know this tune but it sounds a lot like Nine Cats by Porcupine Tree.
I was in another window and was like.... that's dream theater. had to go back lol
Rubbal Sidhu i think so too
The Martin sounds way better, I wish that it didn’t, but it does.
Weird right?
A better comparison would've been an $800 guitar vs the $7000. The Orangewood sounds like ass when played right next to the Martin.
I bet you wouldn't hear any difference blindfolded
@@user-bc8zq8io2c sounds like you dont play an instrument
@@DC-wo2yb I wonder if the tone would be more similar if he used the same strings on both guitars
Great post! After years of playing cheap and dreaming expensive, I finally bought my dream guitar, a $3500 HD28, last year. I'm very happy... but I still play my $300 Cort just as often😊
I’ve played HD-28 in guitar store and love it! Congrats!!
Personally, the best guitar is eventually the one that you truly play, love and own for the rest of your life.
Look at Willie Nelson's 'Trigger'.
It's his guitar but the rest of the world knows Trigger like a masterpiece from heaven. But in the end, its look, sound and identity was all formed by the legendary player himself.
The fading shade on the fretboard, the cosmestic body wear on where your arm rests, the scratches on your pickguard/soundhole, and utimately the tone depending on your playstyle...
THAT'S ALL YOU. YOUR EMBODIMENT IN A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING NO PRICE TAG CAN EVER MATCH UP TO.
I agree. I only own a fv stevens guitar and I love it
There are Martin guitars and copies of Martin guitars. The oldest of my 3 Martins is 60 years old and has stood the test of time. There is no substitute for quality. I wonder what playability problems the cheaper guitars will develop in just a few years ? Will the repairman tell the cheap buzzbox owner "NOT WORTH FIXIN' " Cheap guitars make great bird houses at the end of their short lives.
Trigger is a junk! willy just too stoned to realize it.. Blame it on the drugs... No way your convincing me Trigger is anything but JUNK!
Seems like a strange statement to make when Trigger is a Martin and the expensive guitar here is a Martin. And both would probably cost around 7000 these days, good luck finding a 300 dollar late 60s Martin N-20 in decent condition. Overall just a really bad example.
Izzat Zarin U
I watch one video by this guy, now he’s in my life every day.
Marry him 😊
Yousician too
😂 yep
the martin does sound "richer" in sound. No pun intended
If you said you bought one you would too.
Facts that’s what I was thinking
And more beautiful.
Jason Mendoza from The Good Place? 😂
As the old saying goes, "it's not the wand, it's the magician." Paul D is such a great player, he can make the $295 instrument sound pretty darned good. Love watching him, and listening to him in action.
You've never heard me play my $3000 Gibson. You'd probably say "That's a pretty nice $50 guitar...
😂, if you keep playing, it will keep appreciating till it worth more than the price you spend. I just bought 500$ guitar and it probably sound like 100$ now, hopefully one day i could make it sound like a expensive guitar.
@@martinng8281 Actually, I've owned it since 1968, when I paid about $200 for it. For whatever reason, I've never been inspired to invest the time required to become a good player. Instead, I spent that time learning the flute to a reasonable level of competency. The flute has always been more intuitive for me.
are you interested selling it？ I’d pay 100 bucks😆
You're lucky. When I play my 3000 eastman people say "It's a pretty crappy 10$ piano"
I'm nice guy. How about we switch my $60 guitar for your $50 Gibson. I am willing to bear your burden.
Anybody notice at 0:27 “F**cking boring cheap vs expensive video”?
I haven’t seen anyone mention it.
hahah holy shit nice catch. Seems like Paul had no interest in doing this one...
daaaamn. when you need that TH-cam money but just want to play guitar at the park surrounded by beautiful women... I can understand the pain but still... Was he trolling on purpose - maybe?
Wilson Henley I didn’t hear it whattt
Well spotted 😄
It’s a sponsored video which he clearly didn’t want to do
The Martin has better bass response. The only reasons why I'd buy an upper level Martin would be if A) I wanted my friends to feel envious and B) I won the lotto. I have a D-28 and OM-21. No frills excellent guitars.
Nothing a little EQ can't fix!
Those are both $3400 guitars!
Alex Chambers
That’s the MAP price. Never pay the MAP price for a Martin. Call the shop and ask what their best price is.
Shops are not allowed to advertise less than MAP price but they are allowed to sell for less than MAP.
I Paid $2500 for my HD-28 a couple years ago.
I honestly think that the Martin has a deeper tone to it...Hard to beat a good Martin!
Same, Orangewood sounds thinner. However, they both sound great!
@@ravendemo4980 I think a distinctive difference but still, it's not $6705 thinner and 10 years playing guitar got me realized that 99% of audiences don't care about that difference. Playability is the most important thing
That describes it perfect...Taylor is much like a Martin without the rich deep bassy tone..(my opinion) so close as I will ever get aside borrowing.lol..
I got a road series Martin about 3 months ago. So not $1k+ but it was close to $950 when all said and done. I can say personally when I played the Martin and then tried a Taylor and then a Breedlove, the Martin stood out the most. That woody deep tone is perfect to me. That’s the kind of tone I love. At the end of the day it really depends on the person. I still want a Taylor eventually but as far as sound goes I don’t think anything will top a Martin in my mind.
@@t3july Taylor has a rich treble while that Woodsy bassy tone you mention is a forever Martin trait that improves even more with age.
Taylor's are really easy to play with little touch for pull offs and hammer ons but even a $950 Martin must be a sweetheart.
I started on a old "Stella" Harmony parlor guitar and those have a trait untouched by many only they warp with age if left to go awry..lol..
Martin Road Series? I will need to look into those.
I also have a Ibanez Hard Wood Series EW 1202 something that is pretty amazing for bassy tone and well made instrument ..They used to be $700 new(electric acoustic) but I see used ones for $300 on ebay...There are some great models out there..
I live in Pennsylvania where seasonal changes are hard on them..The Ibanez and Taylor hold up well and never change action while I had a 90's Guild that was ruined.My cousin has a 50's Guild that is Amazing like Angels at heavens gate and has not changed action ever..
Do you notice such changes with your Road Series Martin?
I'm making my judgment using €20 speakers.
wdym in my 3 bucks earphones
i have like $150 headphones and a decent audio card listening in 7.1 surround and i prefer the cheaper guitar for my style of playing lol fuck paying $7000. i would go no lower than $250 for an acoustic especially a nylon as i would even start higher for those as it makes more of a difference with nylon strings rather than steel string acoustics. i think one of the biggest differences in sound is the type of metal plating on the string as i like silver wound strings and rose wood back and sides but the top im not so fussy just like it to be very hard wood not to spongy. mostly i play flamenco and fingerstyle so i have more of a preference for certain styles but in this video comparisson im shocked even with the same wood and shape the cheaper one sounds better but less volume. if your playing big open rooms and concerts then the pricier option will be better but small rooms the echo is too much and loses the crisp sound as the bass tones takes over.
im doing so with 27 bucks earphones
You start thinking differently after buying something expensive ,at the end of the day you will make yourself believe that it sounds better even if its not
So true.
Hmmm. depends. I played maybe 10 chords and wrote a few tunes on a cheap guitar, a 200 euro yamaha 12 string. Then i wanted to make a home demo with a good sounding guitar.I found a second hand Lowden for 2000 euro, (guilders, at the time),bought it with the aim to sell it after i had done the demo´s.
But it sounded and played so fantastic that I could not let go of it. +-30 years later, i still own it. Basically, that guitar taught me how to play.
You're exactly right Rolan. You buy an expensive Martin, you ave to convince yourself that it was worth it.
@@storywriterpoet yeah, right...Paul Davids could do his shows with a 90 euro Harley Benton and his viewers would be none the wiser. Because, just like you, they dont have ears, and never held a guitar in their hands anyway.
True, but if you're telling me there's little to no difference between a Martin D28 and Orangewood Echo then you need better ear training
Tommy Emmanuel said - If you pick up a guitar and can't put it down, you want to play it all day, it feels good, you feel good and you love that guitar than that is the best guitar for you. It can be piece of junk but if you like it then it is good
Tommy has the wonderful ability to make junk sound fantastic :)
Tommy is love. Tommy is life.
+KingPepe Tommy has the ability to make wonderful music sound like junk. Tommy is the inventor of pin ball guitar noise.
+Dominik He is neither of those two things. He is a human being. He makes funny sounds on guitar, perhaps that is music for you.
@@NeverTalkToCops1 what!!! Have you ever heard Tommy live?? If you are talking about percussive playing then perhaps I might 10% agree with you- but a 2.5k Maton, in the hands of TE sounds phenomenal - not just his playing style or selection of tunes, but his ability to control and build/reduce volume and impact is extraordinary. If you can't appreciate him, go back to shreading. After Django - probably the most amazing accoustic player I have ever heard.
Oh and having met the man, he is also a true gentleman, so giving/encouraging and genuine.
If you don't like his music, that's your taste, but to NOT regard him as a phenomenal player is frankly disturbing.
Kieran.
The Martin wood has probably been curing in a backroom for 15yrs. The Orangewood's just came out of the kiln. I'd be content with the Orangewood & still be able to live indoors for awhile longer. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.
Old video with many comments, but I'll add mine anyway, just because I like to type.
So, I was in the music store today. I took in my Faith Neptune (Naked), that I bought new for £350 (About USD $450).
I was going to trade it in for an upgrade.
I sat in the store, playing various different guitars - a few Taylors, a Martin, some more expensive Faith guitars.
I was in there for about 2 hours.
I walked out with my old guitar. I decided there and then, that I wasn't ready for this outlay of cash. That my Faith, all $450 dollars of it, I just couldn't part with.
I'd played it so much, that the fretboard edges had worn beautifully - so smooth. It had aged amazingly - and these brand new expensive guitars, they didn't sound that much better.
In fact, I believe the Taylor I tried, at 4x the price, was no better at all in terms of sound. Sure, it looked beautiful, but the sound is the important thing. Looks are secondary.
These more expensive guitars didn't improve my ability - of course they didn't, but I was hoping for maybe a lower action, some more resonance, that possibly my playing would sound better.
It didn't. I am still very much learning and I think I made the right decision - the guitar I have, despite being quite cheap, without any inlay at all (naked series), really is a beautiful guitar. Just a pure, well built, great sounding piece of loveliness. I couldn't part with it. There it sat, behind the counter at the guitar store, ready for them to make me an offer. I got a lump in my throat and maybe a slight tear in my eye - and took my baby home again.
But I did buy some new strings and a condensor mic instead, so it was a good day :D
That was a wonderful way of wording. Thanks for sharing the story!
I've done this same exact thing now that I'm better with playing guitar. Except i have a cheap epiphone i paid $150 u.s. for a few years back. First time i bought a $800 dollar martin that i played for 2 weeks but missed the sound of my epiphone and took the sucker back! Then i went and bought a $1200 taylor but within a week ended up hating the sound and the way it played, thank god i kept my epiphone. I've tested a lot of guitars in the store and for some reason I just like my epiphone. There was a gibson j35 i liked a lot but the sound wasn't necessarily better just different.....every singly guitar sounds different and some of these expensive guitars sound better but only slightly better..
I have a 1988 Sigma dreadnought that sounds better than almost anything I see in the store under $2000. I bought it used for $250 several years ago.
I have a cheapo spectrum acoustic that I got for 70 bucks from a fire fighter who's daughter got bored with it. It sounds basically the same as these, probably a bit more fret buzz, but its certainly worthy of me practicing on. I think people tend to think that price=quality because that's how we've been conditioned in America, but time and time again you can see that the tools don't make the person. If you suck at guitar you can only get better with practice regardless of if you spend money. I had a friend in college who had a $5,000 Telecaster sitting in his room that he got as a graduation gift from his grandpa and I think he played it once the whole time I knew him because he didn't know how to play guitar.
The action can probably be adjusted. Seems like every factory made guitar is set up for punk rock buskers with heavy strings and metals picks.
Those are some surreal edits man
They both sound like my phones speaker.
taylorroad/adamfine LOL
Cuz you watch this vid on your phone speaker
@@aipause no shit Sherlock
@@aipause finally we can put this case to rest
I'm not sure the Martin sounds "richer" but I'm sure it costs "richer".
Martin is the #1 overrated guitar brand in the us.
@@JoesBrandonomics Guess you haven't owned one. I own 4 different models ftom vintage to current. Tried to find other guitars such Taylor and Gibsons, none spoke to me like the Martins. If you're talking 70s, I'd agree but not otherwise.
@@capohd28 I play a Taylor and love it to pieces. Martins I tried didn’t speak to me as much. I think it really does come down to personal taste when you get up to a higher kind of price point.
@@JoesBrandonomics john mayer plays a martin ed sheeran plays a martin its not overrated at all fool
@@capohd28 Well, that is the answer. A guitar that speaks. That makes the $4000.00. I hope that it also gives you a massage while is talking to you 😁. Just a dad's joke.
If I had Paul’s beard, I would be a better player.
Paul Beard makes guitars and dobros.
Thanks to me you now have 69 likes
÷÷÷aww
@@235buz LOL that's good to know.
Certainly
The Martin does have a more complex sound, but that price is outrageous.
I agree; you are paying for craftsmanship, all that pearl inlay, better tuners, etc... You can buy cheaper Martins.
D-28 is as good as it get for 99% guitarist.
Lots of "bling" and is to be considered a guitar with jewelry.
In 1998 i had just got my license, dad said you want this car, or that guitar... Well, my best friend had a car so it was an easy choice... I got the guitar! Im 37 now and i still own my 98' American standard Tele, ...its 20yrs old this year, i probably would of wrecked the car and would not still have it either! Telling that story never gets old to me, lol!
Good to hear your story mate. Lot of people don't understand it but we guitarists have a special connection to the guitar we own and that connection gets stronger by time ;)
Do not ever sell that guitar! I had a great story like that and one day, on a whim, I sold the Fender Jazz Bass I bought when I was 16, in ‘78, and a 1965 🌞SUNN Amp. Sold both in ‘93 for next to nothing. I’ve cried over that stuff for years now, worst mistake I ever made. You keep that Tele forever and when you are an old man, watch you grandkids play it. There are way too many stories like mine and not nearly enough like yours.
Thanks for the reply guys! My Tely got me through so many tough times! Lol! Oh, its candy apple red, white gard,maple neck. I had to work all summer long at a pilot truck stop to save for it, 700$ brand new back in 98' best years of my life! ....i love to reminisce!
jim0115 .....Awesome to hear your story, you made the best choice ever in my opinion! ....heck.. Who needs a car,lol! I bet that D28 sounds incredible! Once again, lovely story!
I completely agree!!! My dad picked up his 1st ever electric guitar when he was 17 in a pawn shop in New York for $80.00 and that came with a used un matched case. He has passed away but I still have that guitar today... it's a 1959 Les Paul Junior, Candy Apple Red and it is still a fabulous guitar! Now Iv'e screwed up and sold a few other items that he had that I shouldn't have or let them get damaged and tossed them (1968 Rickenbacker Bass-1970's & 1960's Tube amps-1960 Gibson Amp for the Les Paul Jr.-Kramer split fork 4 string bass with Airline aluminum Trim) But I won't ever let that Happen ever again!!!
I really love this video, it's more about perspective and understanding. I'm a guitar teacher from Australia, have played alot and heard alot. I always purchased and played Maton guitars, they are beautiful instruments and absolute beasts plugged in. A few days ago I bought my first Martin, a new D28, and wow, just wow, how good can an acoustic guitar sound. I just went into a store and played guitars until I found the sound I wanted, it's very personal and that's why I love this video. The cheap acoustic guitar in this video reminds me of some of my Matons acoustically, it's a little thin and bright, but still sounds great. My Martin has that articulation, each chord is so pronounced and resonant, yet individual notes sing over the top with a bell like tone. Both instruments are great, regardless of the price. This is why a $300 guitar can sound amazing, just like a $7000 guitar sounds incredible. It's all about perspective, there is no right or wrong choice when it comes to finding the right acoustic guitar. Just buy the guitar that sounds and feels like home and you can't go wrong.
Can you do a comparison between a $295 Cat vs. a $7,000 Cat?
😂😂😂😂
Nope. They both are equally precious. 😻
Meow!
No such thing as $295 or $7000 cat. They are all priceless. And the one that's yours is always more dearer to you.
Lmao dude😂
Orangewood sounded "new".
Martin sounded " seasoned".
Exactly!
My thought exactly, as the Orangewood ages it will take on a richer tone.
Bulls eye definition 👍
The Indonesian wood used gives that bright, but “thinner” sound. The Martin has the lower frequencies because of more dense wood. You can hear the mellow richness in tone. Its a beautiful sound, and to professional performers, worth it weight in gold. That’s why they pay the extra money.
Give it a few years
Loved the cat providing his/her opinion. 😂😂
Zi identifies as a zir
He disturbed cat while it was masterbating beneath the bed 🛌
Yeah, it kept saying "nooooo"...
I thought it was his baby.
I have a used mid grade Takamine that I paid 650 for. With my playing ability, that's my top end. The guitar is solid cedar top, solid sapele back and laminated sides. It sounds good, plays well and I have no need to upgrade.
If I had a 7000 guitar I'd be afraid to play it
RJ same I would get scared to see a scratch on it 😂
RJ 😂😂😂😂😂😂
i played a 25k$ and was not afraid at all, you only avoid to play near something you can inadvertly hit
Lol i much worry that 7k guitar will put my house on burglar hit list
@@j.t4980 lol you're kidding me? 7k guitar seated on my laps...everbody will brag the shit out of it 😅😆
I've been playing for three years. I've been using a $50 guitar for that whole time and I do love it. But I'm starting to find things that simply cannot be done with that guitar due to it's quality.
So I might have to buy a $300 one. But never $7000 lmao Honestly the jump in quality from $50 to $500 is insane when compared to the jump in quality between $500 and $5000..
I love my seagull s6. Sounds great for about 300$.
CR3ATUR3 50 is too cheap, I have always said for every year you’ve played guitar, spend at least 200 dollars. So for you, get a 600 dollar guitar (at least)
@@dstyles8913 Good guitars.
The Martin definitely has a much tight low end, clarity, and more mids!. But I think under $300 Orange Wood, is the most value for money. Thanks.
I own several high end guitars - Ovation, Gibson, Taylor, Martin Fender, Gretch from $700 to $1200 to $7,000 to $15,000 some vintage some relatively new. Any of those sound & play great with correct strings and set up. The difference in the very expensive ones is (1) the history, (2) the rarity of the instrument, (3) inlay materials and (3) celebrity affiliation. Probably not a great investment but I play & them all regularly in my studio and at gigs. Some people collect cars, it’s guitars for me. Go for a used high-end guitar for $700-$1000 and you probably won’t regret it, just be patient.
I had a good friend who was a Luthier of both electric and acoustic guitars and he told me that NO guitar is worth $2500 dollars or more based on the wood and materials used or labor. His guitars were 100 percent handmade and never cost more than $800 dollars. I agree with him.
Your friend was spot on correct. You can buy a great sounding and great playing guitar without paying for the name. The handcrafted Japanese guitars from the 60s and 70s were very high quality and were affordably priced compared to the equivalent Martin and Gibson acoustic instruments. I have a Daion/Yamaki from the 70s and it is wonderful.
@@codyluka8355 I'm starting a collection right now of 60s and 70s made in Japan guitars. They are amazing. At one point there were standing toe to toe with Martin, Guild and Gibson and I'm some instances were superior. Lawsuit era guitars a nice kept secret
@enriquegarza3127 That's great! There are some great vintage handmade Japanese guitars that would be worthy in any collection. They were very, very affordable at the time, compared to a Gibson or a Martin and, in my opinion, better quality instruments. My Daion/Yamaki is well over 40 years old and has never needed a neck reset or a bridge reset. It's a great sounding guitar, and it seems to get richer as time goes on. Love it. Best of luck in your collection 👍
You can see that easily, how Yamaha LL16 is a third of Taylor 314 price but sound overall just as good, you know how much you have to pay the the Brand name.
@@phanhuyduc2395 I love Yamaha. They easily compete above it's price point. With Yamaha I say it's worth double the price. For example the Yamaha FG-840 cost $450, in my opinion it can compete with guitars in the $900 range
good to know Conor McGregor is doing something meaningful now that he is no longer beating people up
Underrated comment
i cant with this comment
Seem he calmed down quite a bit too, lol
@@vegarosa69 and lost muscle
@@ConnorJMC41 - I guess there just aren't that many people who are really into both acoustic guitar and pro wrestling.
At 5:15, the difference REALLY pops, but the $7000 Martin sound can be had for about $1000-$1500 depending on brand.
you are very right!!
At a certain price point (and quality), the difference is negligible and you are just adding decorations...
You can get a better sound but it won’t sound like the Martin.
I think we all can agree that the orangewood sounds incredible for a €300 guitar. And it looks sweet. That head stock is beautiful.
That is a killer value for a rosewood back and sides. I'm staring to want one of those.
@@luisg1653 it should be noted that it is layered wood on the back and sides and the Echo now uses pau ferro instead of rosewood. As a tonewood, it probably falls somewhere between rosewood and mahogany. It seems to be getting a lot more prevalent these days.
Orangewood does make solid back and sides models in their Highland and Topanga series, though. Highland are mahogany and Topanga are solid pau ferro. Both have torrified spruce tops too which is impressive. Both still fall significantly under $1000 for the dreadnaught models.
I bought the Brooklyn to have something to play around with after selling my Martin HD-28. Does it sound like my Martin? Of course not. It does sound pretty damn good though for something that cost me 1/10th of the price. I was extremely impressed and may end up buying the Berkeley Live some day. I also want to try one of their ukes.
@@AL_1547 good info, thanks for that.
@@luisg1653 Of course! Nothing like getting information 10 months after you mention your interest in them haha.
The Martin is much richer in sound. But having played many guitars since the 1960s (my father owned music stores) it’s the feel in the hands that counts most, and high end Martins and Gibsons just feel so great when set up right, especially the older hand crafted ones. Also, there’s a difference whether the back and sides are solid wood, or laminate. Details count.
When the cheap guitar is to expensive for me lol
That is a mood 😂 I'm looking for one for under £100
Here's one guitar you'll pay cheap for and use it for 50 years and might not want to part ever.
Yamaha C40.
Pure bliss.
then you need to work more hours or get a second job.
Jøshüa 115 I have a freedom I got for 30$ and I love it
Jøshüa 115 Bought a Victoria Acoustic for £70 from a pawn shop and to be fair the sound is absolutely crisp
What about say, a $1000 vs $7000 dollar comparison? I'm curious to know at what price this law of diminishing really starts to kick in.
The law of diminishing returns would depend on the guitar, the builder, etc. There are many factors. Even two guitars within the same mode can sound wildly different especially with mass produced guitars
No one can really say. When you buy an acoustic guitar you're going down a rabbit hole of insanity.
It seems like there's no question that the more expensive guitars sound better, but one day you get up and find that one guitar sounds wonderful and the next day you go wait that doesn't sound very good!
I have been able to go to stores and play the best most expensive guitars out there, and I swear I hear a difference.
I always thought that Yamaha has the best prices until you get to the Martins and Taylor's and so on. But even now I think it's all changed.
@@valueofnothing2487 I agree, and acoustics are particularly hard to pin down good from great. As someone who has owned many guitars of all kinds, some not a great investment and some amazing investments that will never leave my ownership - I can tell you that it's really wise to check out smaller builders. Check if there is any in your area or region. Many of these small-med guitar companies that exclusively make acoustic guitars are a godsend and somewhat guarded secret. Often these guys make their guitars with no real rush, they dont produce many per year and since they dont have many employees then their prices are reasonable. Some portion of the price of a Martin or Taylor is the cost to have the recognizable name and badge on your guitar. The notoriety of a company can allow them to have higher prices, look at Gibson for example. (Or if you're into cars, it's like how Ford can sell more luxury cars if its badged as a Lincoln.)
I dont want to say any names in particular but the best sounding acoustic that I own is a "new" guitar hand built in Canada. It was $1400usd and it sounds better than many $4000 Martin in my opinion. And the feel is out of this world, just holding it feels great. Top notch neck profile and wood pattern. Sad thing is alot of these companies struggle to get their name out there and often go under. Often another larger company will buy out their brand name and their shop then continue to make lesser quality instruments under their brand name. I try to support them any chance I can, which isnt very often since I'm just a working class guy.
Bilb Ono can you tell me what this Canadian guitar is? I own a Canadian seagull guitar and it sounds amazing for the price
I recently bought a beautiful Takamine, all solid wood, jumbo body guitar for $1400 off of eBay (list price was around $2000). It is a superb guitar! I absolutely love it. You almost can't go wrong with Takamine guitars.
4:50 - 5:44 The Spirit Carries On by Dream Theater. Great to know that you're a fan.
Recognized this immediately and began humming it and went "SCENES FROM A MEMORY"???
Who can hear Martin guitar warm sound, it feels so good even it is expensive as hell.😂
Yeah you r the 'wark sound guy" i always see these ""it has a warmer sound "comments which r totally fake and do you know anything about guitars? You r just saying that it has a better sound just cause its expensive.
Yikes, someone woke up on the wrong side of bed
@@yakshrajsingh8121 how are you going to tell him what he hears? Maybe your hearing isn’t that great, because there is a pretty clear difference in sound between the two.
@@yakshrajsingh8121 How are they fake comments? Lmao. Martins (or any high-end acoustic for that matter) have a much fuller bottom end to them along with better all-around resonance than cheaper guitars, resulting in a “warmer” sound. Your hearing must suck, because the difference in sound is quite apparent, even after being compressed to hell by TH-cam. The discrepancies become even more apparent if you hear a nice Martin in person. Like Paul said, it’s a somewhat subtle difference, especially to an untrained ear, but subtleties go a long way. And that’s not even to mention the drastic differences in terms of playability between a high-end and low-end acoustic.
Bruh
I think that Orangewood is brighter than the Martin which I prefer when he strums. But for finger picking, I think the Martin is cleaner and has a larger dynamic range.
Conan Liquid You non scientific dumb ass - what are you talking about a dumbass program you ran if it’s not even accurate? Just so people can go oh you’re so fucking cool? Get the fuck out of here moron
Conan Liquid you look it up - your methods are flat dumb and wrong. Oh yea and white supremacy is not a good look for you baldy
Conan Liquid www.reverbnation.com/sitarist (Doctors don’t follow each other cause that’s stupid and so is counting followers lol - that said check my Twitter lol)
Anand Vyas You must be fun at parties
Carlos Matos Fanpage For one I am the star at parties - another thing the racist deleted his comments
3:15 Cat: "Should have bought a Gibson J-45" 🐈
SuperSix Delta
I love my Gibson Southern Jumbo.
But it sounds nothing like my Martin HD-28.
I don’t want to lose either one.
Ha, literally just bought a J45 today!
J45 all day. It's all the acoustic you need.
Taylor k24ce all day you mean
Na cat was prbly like damn human why you talkin to yourself u crazy 2 legged hairless bitch
f I had it do do over again, I'd have taken all of the money I spent getting great guitars and sunk that into lessons. A great guitarist can make a cheap guitar sound good but a great guitar doesnt make a cheap guitarist sound great.
Yes, for sure. Thought; If a newer player were to be playing on a nicer guitar rather than some beginner junker, wouldn't he be more likely to play more ?? A solid chord on a cheap guitar can sound....cheap. Where as a solid chord on a nice guitar sounds.....nice , fulfilling.
@@johnmcaleese8459 I definitely think that's possible, but I think it's more the player's motivation to make music and hone their skills that makes them keep playing. Maybe a nice guitar would help? I say it depends on the person. I know a guy who has had a great prs for months now, and he still sounds terrible simply because he doesn't want to practice.
@@garydunham335 Oh for sure. Motivation is #1 in everything. Having said that, if I had a kid who has shown interest, I would at least buy something that would feel nice. Don't have to spend a boat load for that. Wouldn't hand him a $75 twanger either. Funny you mentioned a PRS. Just treated a big kid to one. Me. Lol
Not true in my opinion. No matter what level you are at with your instrument, you should always go buy a better instrument if you have money to spend or if you're not on a tight budget. It helps in the long run anyways. Of course you still need to practice your craft but it makes a difference when you use high quality compared to decent quality. But with being said, Orangewood is definitely high quality haha!!
@@johnmcaleese8459 Yes but showing an interest is vague with children. I would start them off with something cheap and if that interest evolves into something more then I would fit them with something more expensive.
They both sound great. I loved it that you played Dream Theatre, I've been learning that recently! Amazing album.
I wish you would have talked more about how they felt to play, instead of only how they sound.
WoodenSaucer ... that’s true
I think that's the user's personal preferences on the size/shape of the structure or the strings.
@@omniyambot9876 True, but there's a lot more to it than that. The bridge, neck, and frets all add to the feel of playing a guitar. I have two acoustics that I use the same strings on, and they feel completely different.
WoodenSaucer oh I see. I'm not a pro guitarist like you btw.
Right?
I really like the Yamaha acoustics, really nice bright sound and I'd say best value for money at the low range price point. The Orangewood sounds promising
At least for $7000 you get a pick guard.
It comes with a pickguard. It's just not applied, in case you don't want one.
Pickguards are worthless.
@@augmentedkeys5971
looks cool tho
Most folk guitars don't come with pickguards make them look a lot nicer IMO what's the big deal of having a couple scratches on your guitar from your fingers or a pick just means you play it.
Lurk
Depends how you play. Some people will destroy the top in a couple months without a pick guard.
In Canada the CF Martin D-45 sells for $12,345 plus 13 % tax . 2021 . 🇨🇦 . The people who buy them often don't play guitar , it's a wall mounted conversation piece .
In nylon guitar’s the elements that change the price are: the luthier (if it’s famous), the woods (like Brazilian rosewood, German spruce...), and THE DECORATIONS. A luthier spend a lot of time making decorations so if you add something, the guitar will cost more and more. By the way, the first two points explained are very important. I recently passed from a 1000€ Esteve to a beautiful 9000€(in u.s.a. 18000$ i don’t know why) Enrico Bottelli’s guitar, an Italian luthier (I’m Italian) known all over the classic guitar’s world and it is an amazing guitar
That price though. I'm still considering buying a ~500 euro classic that I played at the shop. Couldn't get my hands off of it, so much better than my current cheapo that I still learn to play on, for over a year.
The Martin is pretty amazing sounding in comparison, the difference is fairly large if you listen with exceptional headsets or speakers.
I agree. I noticed a great difference.
Agreed. No comparison. Martins are an American treasure. I've never played anything that sounds better. A Gibson SJ-200 is my second favorite. I have owned an HD-28 for 25 years. Flawless design, craftsmanship, hardware. I've grown old with it. Neck stays straight, fretwork perfect. the D series is more ornate, and if you are Neil Young or wealthy enough, and it's important to you, than go for it. The HD series gives you all the tone for about 1/3 less. The direct to consumer retail model is very popular on the internet. Ideal for mattresses and other overpriced goods. You save a few bucks, but beware. If you don't like it or it needs warrantee service, you will get what you paid for. Every 'value' instrument i've ever purchased had issues at some point. If you are a serious musician, a reputable brand purchased from a reputable dealer makes for a better experience. This Orangewood looks and sounds like a $300 guitar. It is what it is.
It's subjective. It sounds different but I prefer the sound of the cheaper guitar! It's more full and has better low mids. There sure isn't $6500 difference between them!
The less expensive guitar definitely did not sound fuller to my ear, it sounds much less full. It's like the difference between a stripped down trio and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production style. I don't think the Orangewood is a bad guitar, is perfectly serviceable and good for a beginner who may or may not stick with it. But when the Martin kicked in it was like night and day, I physically jumped a little when the richer, more complete sound hit my ears and I don't run expensive headphones, they're inexpensive Logitech.
The craftsmanship of the Martin is not just in the visible details but in the subtle nuances of the body shaping gleaned from creating it and refining it over many years. You heard the low mids better, but to my ear that was simply the most prominent and others were lacking.
Of course, listening is not just about sound reaching our ear, we all hear things just a little differently but the Martin was hands down the winner and I knew it within 2 seconds, I didn't need Paul to convince me of anything or inform my opinion.
I wouldn't pay 7k for a guitar but that's nothing to do with quality and everything to do with wanting to pay my rent... for a year.
A lot of people are trying to justify their comments by saying the Martin isn't 20-23x better than the Orangewood, that math somehow proves their point. The problem is it would prove the opposite just as easily. If 96% of the music you play on the Martin sounds better then that's at least 25-1, or 25x better and I'd bet dollars to donuts that the overwhelming majority of music played on the Martin sounds better given a talented player like Paul.
If at all possible, would you be able to recommend a guitar under $1000 that sounds anything remotely close to the D-42. I love its sound, but $7000 is a bit out of my price range. Thanks in advance!
For my little son it is priceless that his dad plays for him and the price of the guitar doesn't matter.
That is so wholesome
Nice bro. That's exactly how I explained spending $7k too.
Before or after your wife's boyfriend leaves?
@@SuperMikeFender LOL
I must say, your video editing skills have to be what keeps the viewers to keep watching along with your guitar wisdom. The part where you switch between the orange wood and the martin was amazing. 🔥👌🏻
Did i heard some Dream Theater "The spirit carries on" at 4:50? nice!
Close your eyes and begin to relax...
Cláudio Santos I love how all we guitarists recognise petrucci :D
I have the same idea, the spirit carries on 😎
Regression
The D chord and strumming pattern initially reminded me of Lover You Should've Come Over by Jeff Buckley.
Can't even afford a $295 one, 7000 is beyond dreams 😂
Mustak Ahmed save your money and buy one.
@@brunningwolf yupp trying to save money to buy my first guitar 😍
The harder it is to get the better ìts going to sound when you do get it. Hang in there man.
@@guitarsrcool4922 yepp the result is gonna be amazing, I'll not give up
Thank you brother for your important statement ! The "well-to-do westerners" should all keep in mind that the majority of the people have to struggle for the basics . In this respect a guitar for 7000$ is just obscene. - A few years ago i traveled in South East Asia and saw many young, gifted and enthusiastic guitar players with guitars that were hardly playable and impossible to tune. Since then i am dreaming of becoming a rich man, buying 10000 guitars for 100$ each and giving them away to these youngsters in poorer countries. Twice in my life i gave my guitar away : once in Bulgaria and once in Cuba. The Cuban peasant was, it seemed to me, on that day the happiest person on earth. (And i was second.) With all his honest work he would never have been able to buy this guitar. I could earn the money for it in two days ....
Martin has a more full bodied rounder sound but if you owned it you’d cry harder and longer if you damaged it!
Allan Russack
🤣🤣🤣
My guitar I've owned the longest since the 90's barely had a couple dings on it.
I always wanted a Martin for years... For the last 11 years I have been using a $250 (Canadian) Fender acoustic. I had to pay extra to get it set up and it sounds nice. Fast forward to 2021, I splashed out £1400 on a Martin D-15m. All I can say is wow. It plays and sounds great (still had to get it set up though). The D-15m has a very warm sound, but perhaps not as loud as the other Martins. It's a unique sound that I just happen to like a lot.
The old Fender acoustic still has a place in my heart. If I ever go travelling again, I'll take that with me instead of the Martin.
OK, here's another guitar story. Best guitar I ever owned was a Guild that I bought in 1973 when dating my wife. fast forward 44 years. I've stopped playing and parted with the guitar, I've hated parting with the guitar more than not playing. ANYWAY, started playing a couple of years ago and bought a low end Martin, hated it! Was actually thinking of setting it on fire, videoing it, and sending the ashes and video back to Martin. Didn't, traded it for a cheap electric which I rebuilt. So, I'm in a guitar store waiting on a pedal to be ordered killing some time playing the acoustics when a guy comes up and starts a conversation about guitars. After having my "Martin" experience I'm pretty pessimistic about guitars and I start playing a 500 vs 2500 to 5000 guitars and showing him that there was very little difference in the sound. So buy what you want and ....................THEN I picked up a Taylor 414ce-R strummed a couple of chords and he and I looked at each other like what the just happened. Filled the room with sound, it was like the guitar was playing along with me. I thought OH SHIT, the guy was thinking about buying it but the salesman was a douche so it didn't happen. I go home, really wanting the guitar, but since I'd just bought over 3500 on gear I'm thinking "not now". Next morning I can't stand it, go over and buy it. Can't put it down, if I'm at home it's always in eye sight. Only downside, I have to make myself play my electric gear. Good news, the electric gear is working it's way up to the Taylor and the Taylor hasn't gone down to the Fender. I'm thinking I'm one lucky guy to have two guitars that I love. Sorry this is so long :-)
Moral of the story...........play what moves you.......everything else is just temporary while you're waiting to find the right one.
Jeff honestly reveals the whole rationalization a potential customer goes through. He is ahead of most in thst he at least knows what sounds good to him. Many come to believe what has been marketed to them. They hold onto that belief even after arriving at the store and playing several instrument. That's O.K. if that is what they want. Real musicians can usually explain why their preferences are what they are. Comfort, playability, a good dealer that will help with issues, and many other reasons go into it. Nobody is wrong, everybody is right, and some people are just moronic wannabe wankers. Beware of the know it all's. If it sounds good and feels good, go have some fun. Several friends who are players feel that some ridiculous piece they have is their best friend. These people are at peace, and are to be admired. We can go into the difference in bracing and tonewoods, but on what guitar? What more at issue is what it will sound in 7-8 years.
I had a same experience. I was looking at a semi hollow godin with piezo pickups. Loved the idea of getting the acoustic sound with an electric. Enjoyed playing it for a bit but something was ever so slightly off. I was about to buy it anyway as it was what I thought I wanted until I set my eyes on a fender telecaster American deluxe and thought “let me have a quick shot of that” (I’ve never really been a fender guy). I then instantly became hooked. The neck felt amazing and the sound was an absolute dream. Even though it didn’t have what I was after on paper, it moved me so that I bought it there and then on the spot leaving the godin behind. Moral is, just because a guitar ticks boxes for other people, you don’t know if you’ll like a guitar until you play it and feel it become an extension of you.
cost is irrelevant really good gear helps I have had high end gear all my life ya it helps but music is in the person .it's in the hands . and touch . expensive guitars are only tools . I have a hundred pound fender acoustic I got 25 years ago and I love it . it's a piece of shit but some reason it's got gorgeous tone.
Can relate. I'm a Taylor loyalist. I had been playing guitar for over twenty years and saw a Taylor at a reasonable price on CL so went to check it out, never having played one. It was like playing for the first time...the sound was so much different, fuller, than what I had grown used to. I'm sure there are equally good guitars, but because of my "religious experience", I'm now in the cult of Taylor.
Hi Jeff,
I made pretty much the same experience just recently: I bought a mid-prize Taylor 510 accoustic: I tried a lot, Martins, Lakewoods (I am from germany), Ovations but this is by far the most amazing guitar I ever owned. It weighs less than a feather, it has an overwhelmingly wide dynamic range from whispering to loud-as-hell and the playability is godlike! Since I own this guitar I can't wait to get home from work to play on it! With my older guitar after 1h of playing my hand was hurting. With the Taylor I can play for hours now. Yesterday f.ex. I played from 5pm to 9:30pm nonstop. My wife was like: What's going on with you!?
The Martin’s sound is richer. And the Orangewood sound good but a little tinnier.
The Martin's sound is dull. Orangewood is brighter.
I don't hear it. lol.
Or you could buy the all Mahogany version of the Orangewood, Vola, problem solved, got one sounds great/all around fuller. Or you could go full "out of bounds" and run a Ovation, some people love em, some hate em, i fall into the former category. Btw also love the martins; 15 series, old school Delta blues style/great stuff. -Cheers
It's not about what i WOULD buy, it's about what i CAN buy. 😂😭
No, it's about what you can PLAY. The guitars in this video sounds the same to me, or so similar that the difference is not worth $50, much less 6,800 dollars. As somoene above said, when you pay a high price you then convince yourself that it sounds better, lol. I decided to go mid-range. I bought a $800 (Canadian dollars) Yamaha Transacoustic FS-TA. It's the most beautiful thing I own, ha ha, and I love it. However, in years past I have had the cheapest guitar you can imagine, and that was fine for me then as well.
Would have been interesting to do a "blind" test for your viewers. It's easy to appreciate a Martin's qualities if you already know you're listening to one. I heard they did such a blind test recently on Stradivarius violins that were worth millions and the experts couldn't tell the difference between the Strads and much cheaper but still good instruments.
The instruments were in the same level of time and expertise, just not from a specific and rare maker. Strads derive their value from the fact that there's a limited number of them that will ever exist, and the history and legacy of them. The "much cheaper" instruments were still 6 figures in many cases! A comparable test would be one of the holy grail pre war martins vs a modern one and one from a different brand contemporary to the pre war one. With new instruments like this, you do get what you pay for to an extent.
thats how it works for most of the things. people make up things too much.
One of the great myths of capitalism… more money equals better product. Rich people are idiots.
I am turning 60 next month,a very long ( I was in my early 20s)long time ago ,I went out shopping for a 12 string with $2000, cash. I live in L.A.,I went everywhere and I mean I went every where,I played Martin,Taylors weren't around,Gibson, Fenders...Everything I could get my hands on..Sigh,I bought a law suit Tahamine f400 12 string...Whats the life expectancy of a 12 string like 10 years?,My 12 Tahamine plays awesome to this day! And I paid less $385. with a case ...Just sayin
"Life expectancy" of any guitar depends on how well you take care of it.
@@Pudentame I keep my my guitars in a case only on the past couple of years have I used a humidifier. So I am lucky that my 12 string is still on good shape.
Treat it right and it will outlast you. I have two 12-strings in my "collection" that are over 50 years old.
I didn't really want to become a guitar "collector", but I buy guitars I like to play and I keep them. I've been playing for more than 50 years and after a while the guitars accumulate.
I bought a Taylor 855 used in 1993 for $1250. Still playing it today and it sounds as awesome or better. I keep it in the case when not in use, trying to maintain humidity. I plan to keep it until I die.
@@cfugee1 Nice..I own a couple Taylors myself..a 310 and a koa :)
Towards the end you really start hearing the difference between the Martin and the orange wood. Both sound great!
Yes, there is a difference. But it's just not worth all of that extra money. At least in my opening
Paul, the orange wood echo is Pau ferro layered or laminate back and sides, not rosewood.. there’s def a difference.
For those of you interested,
If you want to get a solid body orange wood, they do offer some models with solid mahogany or pau ferro but those are in the $1k area.
The Orangewood sounds like landing in an airplane and my ears need to pop. The Martin is that feeling after your ears pop.
Barely noticed the change... very subtle... a very good demonstration and both guitars have a very nice sound... are they identical... no... but even twins that look alike have different voices sometimes. A dear friend gave me a Martin OM-21 w/ a cracked top... $200 to repair it and I have a Martin. If the repair had been estimated at $500 I would have bought the Orangewood.
I'm 71... played off and on since I was 15... Owned Gibsons, Guilds, Kents, Kays, and Epiphones... still not very good... but I think sound is most important. Thanks for the demo.
Thanks for the insight!
What did you listen on?
Lol your cat interrupting you cracked me up. 😂
The difference is night and day, especially in the bass. The Martin has fuller while clearer sound, more volume and longer sustain with beautiful overtone compared to the other one. And I bet the difference is even more notable irl. But it is definitely not 20 times better. But you guys need to know that quality tone wood and craftmanship is not cheap
After having 4 guitars hand made for myself, one jazz archtop, one semi-hollow, and two solid bodies, I think I can say: the price of premium materials used and top of shelf hardware doesn't equal more than a price of an average solid body guitar model made by a top brand manufacturer. But it does show in sound if the luthier is able to make those components produce nice frequencies. So, after a certain price range it's not the sound you're paying, that's just a fact. One could also go for a more pricey guitar because of its fine details and finishing. That's also fine, but before you approach the cash register it's good to remember that looks are secondary to sounds. You may save a lot, but still enjoy the guitar.
It sustains a bit better but definitely not worth that imo
Do Orangewood post to Europe now? Last time I wanted to get one they were US only
No, they are not shipping to Europe
And there is no future plans to do it
@@davidalvarez5150 well great...I thought a big part of pauls Audience is European?
In The Mix I think it’s more about the price/value of the guitars
actually i have emailed orangewood and they do plan on shipping to europe in the near future
Thank you for that honest review Paul. We always learn from you. I would agree that the playability if the Orange Wood lies with the set up. However many of our better guitars are now made in the Shandong province of China they just need to be set up properly and that's impossible at $4.00 a day labor. I've set up a fugazi Martin D-45 and after a lot of fret crowning and polishing and replacing the Fishman and fake Grover tuners it was a very playable good sounding guitar for under $500.00 American. Also Guild is still fetching a high price and they are now owned and made in Korea. Lazer cut guitars which leads to a more consistent build but, they just don't sound like the old Guilds of America. Epiphone also made in China does have American quality control which leads me back to the Orange Wood (American set up and quality control). And Martin has moved to Mexico for cheap labor claiming their profit margins were going down. If anyone deserves an American Martin it's you. You've certainly put in the work and time. It's like wearing a Rolex watch.. it has nothing to do with telling time but, what you've done with your time. By the way loved your Doc Watson and Clapton.
This is the second video I’ve seen on some one challenging orange wood against a high end guitar. I feel like orangewood hired a new ambitious promotions manager.
What's going on is two ingredients at work,... Orangewood guitars are priced low and are fabulous playing and sounding guitars, putting them in a likely position to rival expensive guitars.
If they were crap or played and sounded like the price suggests, nobody would do a video of that because it would seem unproductive and pointless.
There ya go.
I purchased an Orangewood guitar a few months back and I have to say it is a spectacular instrument for the money. The build quality is excellent, it sounds fantastic, the out of the box setup was practically perfect, and it came in under $300. So far, I've been thrilled.
"for the money", yeah if you like fret-buzz and poor tonal articulation.
The thing with aiming downward in price is that unless your music sticks to the more low-budget & DIY idioms (post-punk, hip-hop, lo-fi metal etc), you're more likely to stay a hobbyist. A better instrument coaxes you to play better and go further. In 99% of solid-bodies expert fretwork and setup is the mo$t expensive part of build.Truly, without much effort (as in, never buy a guitar without a thorough inspection) you should save cash for a while longer and look to spend about triple - you'll do FAR BETTER. $1000-$1500 is the sweet range for guitars. Here it can really begin to approach top-notch sound and performance, BUT you will want to get the frets dressed and the rest of the guitar properly set up - or it's still not gonna be close.
The time+expertise needed to do that stage(s) correctly can be the most expensive aspect of the build.
I've had absolutely zero issues with fret buzz on my orangewood. I build solid and semi-hollow electrics as a hobby so, had it been needed, I could have done a good setup and fret job... But it wasn't necessary. The only thing I touched on the frets was the ends. I prefer the edge of my frets a little more rounded than they came out of the box but it was far from a problem. Most people probably would have left it as is. I agree with you that a higher end, better playing guitar will inspire people to play at a higher level. But, I didn't buy this guitar with expectations of it being a Larrivee or a Martin D-45... I bought it as something to throw in the truck, go out camping, and sit by a fire and pick a tune or two; and for that it's fantastic.
Pretty inlays and elaborate bindings increase price dramatically while doing nothing for the tone or playability. That said, a higher-price guitar will often be made using superior tone wood, which *can* significantly affect the sound. And *that* said, tone woods of equal sonic quality will be priced differently depending on how pretty they are.
I hate to inform you, but tone wood isn't thing
@@jackberry1891 Tonewood is a thing..... But think I know what you mean. Violins closely mimicking Stradivarius tone have been built using carbon fibre and graphite. The old National tricone resonator dobros got amazing tone out of steel and bakelite plastic. The only wood was the neck.
3:15 the best expensive sound i heared on this video
Great video. Been picking on my Aspen since 1977. I am a better musician now but am not the talent of most people who have played that long. But I love my 3-piece Aspen, made lovingly by artisans in Japan. I only a couple of weeks ago bought my second guitar, a G-series Takamine made in China. I am very happy with it. Why have 2 guitars? Because my love for the instrument and for music made it into my kids. I want both my instrumentally gifted kids (2 of 3) to both have one. The third loves music but doesn’t play. I never held out for a ‘namebrand’ guitar. I have always gone for the sound. Couldn’t be happier. I am average in talent but I use what I have as best I can. Thanks for a great reminder, sir. Don’t be attracted to the $ invested. Love what comes out of the instrument and invest in practice.
The difference I saw between the guitars was the amount of feeling you put in to each guitar. With the Martin I noticed you seemed to enjoy playing that guitar I could tell by your facial expressions and body movement. While on the orange echo I saw a little less emotion put into your playing
But isn t that part of the answer.
The way you love it and love playing it adds to the value it holds and is allowed to cost you.
There are these guitars that you are allowed to pick every once and a while that you cant seem to put down any more.
Driving you waiting family or next appoointment into madness.
Then it s worth the money I guess.
To me the big difference becomes really noticeable by strumming big chords. Cheaper guitars just sound more 'boomy' and 'muddy' compared to the expensive ones.
Agreed. With the Martin each chord sounded very clear, none of the notes really got lost. The low end was much more full and had a warmer tone as well.
A great video as ever. Really interesting. I tried listening for the changeovers between the two guitars with my eyes closed. I could tell the difference... sometimes! Given that, and to think you could buy 23 Orangewoods for one Martin partly puts it into context. I’d also be scared to gig with a 7k instrument, I’d be so scared of ding-ing it! Also, once you take into account the ambience of the room, amplification, effects (even a little gentle eq)... the differences imo become marginal. However, for communing with a piece of music, enjoying the simple experience of holding a guitar, making sound with it, and trying to make that sound the best you can possibly play... I expect the Martin would feel like a terrific investment lol!!!
I have 2 Alvarez, a six string and a 12 string. My wonderful wife bought me a Taylor 224 ce KDLX for Christmas. It’s Koa wood, solid on the top and sides and layered (veneer) on the back. It’s beautiful to look at but even more importantly, it’s great to play and it sounds wonderful. There are so many times that I play a chord or a string of notes and it sounds so sweet I have to stop and play it again so I can hear it again. It brings tears to my eyes. It’s not the most expensive Taylor but it wasn’t inexpensive either. I literally love this guitar. I am blessed to be able to afford it and I understand not all can. But if you can, at least for me, it has been absolutely worth it.
I would buy a 1500 dollar martin and the 300 orangewood for camping or hauling out with a 6 pack.
Forgot to mention an important aspect: Action.
Easily adjustable with any guitar worth a shit
My cheap Regent Alvarez has action that would make a Strat jealous. And no buzz.
I'll take my $600.00 Taylor GS Mini any day of the week. Sweet action.
@@scottyjohnson3120 you can set up any guitar with decent fretwork however you like! Set it too low though and it kills your projection and tone.
you can set up any guitar with decent fretwork however you like! Set it too low though and it kills your projection and tone.
Slight difference. I think it would only matter in the recording studio, or to someone who can play as well as you. Great videos.
I've been playing 30 years. I've been to The House of Guitars, and many other guitar stores and tried out the best vs the $300s. I can't tell the difference. And 30 years ago I worked at McIntosh labs (Great stereo and amps)... and developed a good ear to discern differences in speakers, frequency response, dispersion, etc. The only reason I can relate to for buying a more expensive model is like wearing a diamond... it LOOKS nice and has the brand name. I'm a well-paid engineer and the best guitars I've ever played IMHO are my own creations with an amp built into the guitar to "warm up" the tone. People get off on the image of the wood... the name brands... the inlays and appearance, when in reality the strings, fret positions, and other factors remain the same. Here's one of my creations. A Fender Squire hollow body with a built in Marshall. (the only thing about it I don't like is the Bixbe tremolo(wammy) - shouldn't have bothered adding that since it only added weight and sucks compared to other 'ballanced' bridge setups like my Ovation and other Ibanez have with the fine tuners). th-cam.com/video/Dci5z9XAboc/w-d-xo.html
To put it in car terms, if you have 150 grand to spend on a car, are you going to buy a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry or ? Maybe, if you view cars as just transportation. But if you live and breath cars and have been driving them for a while, then you might buy the fastest, most exciting and visceral one you can get for your money. And so it is with guitars .. remember, value and cost are different things. Cost is objective, value is subjective. Orangewood really seems like a quality brand, I'm going to check them out. Paul, great vid as usual.
Maybe? I live in Omaha NE and Warren Buffet lives here in a home valued under $200k and he is one of the richest men in the world.
I recommend an Orangewood then
Still not a good comparison. Because you get a ton of performance additives with a higher priced car for 150 grand. Not to mention technical things that improve drive quality.
Maybe not to the same extent (though the price gap is much larger as well), but the $7000 guitar in this video clearly sounds much better. That is the performance aspect of a guitar, and you have to consider that others are able to appreciate it as well. If you are interested in making music or playing for others, you don't want to be limited by your equipment. In contrast, most people who own nice cars do not race them.
Accord and Camry? I'm thinking Civic or Corolla lol. Great analogy though.
The Echo sounds really nice and lively and it's also got fine features, but the D-42 is unquestionably the much better choice between the two because of its visually stunning looks and superb features and pretty much its very own unsurpassed amazing sound...!!!
I feel a peak cap for guitars in general is 1000 dollars. After that it’s just how fancy the guitar looks imo. That being said that Martin sounds amazing but not for 7k...
Shock I’d say it peaks at close to 2000. But guitars here are expensive, so it might be closer to 1500 in the US, I’m not sure.
The best value for money guitars are at the 500 dollar mark. You can find some great guitars at that price if you do the research and personally test different ones, even from the same model. No guitars feel the same. So try them all and pick the one you liked best. And always ask if they also have one from the storage. I’ve yet to try a guitar that has been hanging in the store window, baking in the sun for months, that plays better than a guitar fresh from it’s case.
I've found it to be around $3000 if the person playing it is a real virtuoso but for most of us mortals we can't really get more out of anything over about $1200-1500. And Martin did make a very plain version of that guitar for around 3k, used often around 2k.
In a studio you can hear the Amazing differences, from each Guitar, but the guitars that are built from the highest resignating woods, such as Adirondack Spruce tops and Brazilian Rosewood back and sides will always be the best sounding. The Craftsmanship of an inexpensive guitar is so very different from a very well built Custom guitar, especially in the wood bracing, thickness of wood and the thinking of the spruce where it is glued to the sides. This creates more movement in the wood and translates into more sound frequency's and resignation. The higher the quality of wood, staighter the grain pattern the more evenly the wood is activated when vibrations are introduced into it. When Strataverius made his violins he made them from sinker logs, that were sometimes over a hundred years old sitting in the water canals collecting mineral deposits into the woods, Maple and Spruce. This along with his Craftsmanship made the world's best built violins Ever!
Chinese Martin copys are getting scary good in sound and build quality. You can get an incredible guitar for $375.00
I have a Yamaha LL6R that’s amazing. I love it. Paid 1000. I still want a Gibson Monarch, though, because having an amazing guitar just makes you want to own all of them. Especially the 1937 Martin D-38.
Hi Paul, in 1974 I saved my pocket money to buy a 40GBP Yamaha Acoustic and have bought and sold several different acoustics since. I have a Martin D36 which allows me to compare it against my Sigma DR41 and Sigma SDR41. What I found most revealing was when I recently taught myself to play Joni Mitchell's "Off Night Back Street" which is in the alternate Tuning of C A C F G C. I dont know why as all 3 have been professionally set up but it was easily audible that it was the Sigma DR41 (that has been played consistently for over 4 years) that handled that tuning the best, especially that low bottom C and really seems to be a test for an Acoustic. Great Channel and insight Paul wishing good health.