I have a 214CEDLX Sapele model and love it. I think the Martin sounded great as well, but I prefer the Taylor. For me the laminate was the way to go for humidity factors. Truth be told, you probably can't go wrong with either of these - pick the one that fits you best! Great video, thanks!
To me the Taylor was bright and crisp. Solid tones. Lows mids and highs were all very clear and sharp. Martin was no slouch. Very warm and smooth, but to my preference Taylor hands down best one.
I just got my Taylor 214ce Deluxe this week as a Xmas to myself. This has to be the sweetest guitar that I have ever played. I have been thinking of getting an acoustic guitar for a-while and was torn between all of the choices. I had personally narrowed my selection down to Martin, Taylor and Yamaha, based off of the price, reviews and the great review info from Chris McKee. Thank you for helping me decide on the Taylor.
That martin sounded better and over time it’ll only continue to do so, at a rate greater than the Taylor because of the all wood. With that said the Taylor will be less finicky over time and season changes too if you’re in the Midwest like myself. But $1200 for a guitar and no hard case?!?! That’s a no-no.
I'm a Martin fan and owner but in this case I give my nod to the Taylor, especially the line input sound. To my ears the Taylor pickup system has a better sound with much less "quack" than the Fishman. Both very nice guitars though.
I just bought the Taylor model he has in the video. I am happy with the purchase. Sound wise, I didn't hear much difference between the guitars. The Taylor GA body and bracing is well done and produces a very balanced sound. The reviewer said over time the real wood guitars open up more. I'll take his word for it, but the Taylor I bought sounds great now and if that doesn't change over time I'm good with that. The appointments and the case on this model Taylor are hard to beat. I own a lot of acoustic guitars and one thing to consider about the guitars in question is which will stand up to time. The layered wood on the Taylor is generally more resistant to things like humidity opposed to solid wood guitars. Most of the sound comes from the top which is solid wood on the Taylor. Also note that if a Taylor neck has issues you can take them to a local Taylor repair shop and its fairly easy and inexpensive to repair them. With the Martin and any solid glue joint guitar, the guitar will need to be sent out to a professional Luthier to heat up the glue, dis-join the neck and then repair the issues and glue the neck back on, ship back to the owner and will be expensive. Both are great mid level from arguably the two best acoustic guitar makers in the world.
From experience: the all around sound of the Taylor has the edge. The base notes and blend with the mids is much closer transition, creating a smoother tone blend. Personally, I have a 214ce DLX and don't deserve any better sound!! Thanks, great and informative video! Chuck Skillet
After hearing both, I would pick Taylor just because Taylor seems to be able to cover up my mistakes. I am NO professional what so ever, and it is huge benefit and plus for me that mistakes are hidden as much.
Played both. Had a friend play both without me knowing which one was which. Then had him hand me them to me with my eyes closed and played them again. It was weird. Liked the Taylor when I played them. Liked the Martin better when I heard them. Liked the Taylor when I played them without knowing which one I had. Figured I would go with the Taylor in the end. It was probably the case that sold me in the end lol. All in all, I love my Taylor.
I just bought the Martin GPC-13E yesterday and I just cannot get it out of my hands. So, that bias aside. To my hear, the Martin seems to have less mid range and more high end brilliance overall where the Taylor seems to be slightly more muted on the highs. The GPC-13E was the sound and utility I was looking for in a guitar and I was prepared to spend twice the amount. I just feel in love with it at first grip. Can't wait to record with it tonight to see how the pickups sound.
Surprised - I have never owned a Martin - had plenty of Taylors and love them. Here's a suggestion. The comparison here is phenomenal. Open 2 youtube windows and queue them up side by side. Instead of listening to one all the way through, bounce back and forth at the same sections of what he is playing. It will surprise you. The Martin sounded more articulate which was shocking to me as I have always thought that was the big difference between them, in favor of the Taylor. Not in this instance. If you think the Taylor was brighter, listen again. But it is all a matter of taste. What some call warm, sometimes is muddy for my taste. I've always liked a little more articulation. Martin won this one which is a surprise given my taste.
Martin have natural earthy sound, I can imagine singing with Martin guitar and as for Taylor it’s great sounding when plugged in, suitable in band situation. Both are great guitar which I can’t afford
First of all you are the best at doing reviews and have watched so many of your reviews. I have Taylor, Martin and Gibson guitars. I started out just wanting martin guitars, finally warmed up to the Gibson and Taylor. I love the 214ce it is now my favorite.
With headphones on it's just no contest for me. The Taylor sounds so much better to my ear despite being laminate, and that's coming from someone who really loves both of these brands and would prefer an all solid wood instrument.
The Martin is the same style laminate since 2021. Both use layers of top and back woods sandwiched between other woods. Taylor is Polar, and Martin a veneer sandwiching Mahogany. This is from 3 years ago so maybe it was solid then.
I just bought the Taylor 224cc K DLX. I loved the Koa top. Nice warm sound. The pickup system is completely revolutionary. The crystals are mounted behind the saddle, not underneath. You really notice the difference in this video. I've been testing Martin's and Taylor's for awhile. To me, the Taylor's played and sounded better. I'm very happy with my investment.
VSR I just ordered the 224ce k dlx today. After multiple guitar stores and playing all the guitars I was considering: Taylor 317e, 214, Martin D18 GPC and a few others. I chose the 224. Sure, it’s gorgeous but it was seriously effortless to play and sounded simply amazing. I was looking for an all solid around $2k but this one made me smile ear to ear and just felt good in my hands. It should come Wednesday or Thursday, I cannot wait!!!! Oh, I did play a Martin D28 ....that guitar is crazy good but a few grand out of my price range lol.
@@gregbaker3701 yeah, I don't think you can go wrong with that. Im very happy with my choice, I'm sure you will too. I bought mine at Guitar center. I felt it sounded and played the way I wanted, looked flawless, nice case, so I just bought it. Happy jamming to you.
Good review! I own a Taylor 210ce but will be purchasing the Martin GPC-11e. I think the Martin sounds better both acoustically and plugged in than the Taylor did. The Martin has more fullness with clarity and definition while the Taylor was too muddy acoustically and too thin plugged in. You forgot to mention that the Taylor does not have a built in tuner like the Martin. I think the Taylor is much more appealing to the eyes than the Martin, but the Martin is the clear winner for me!
I picked up the Taylor 214 e dlx a month ago. I loved the acoustic sound, playability, dynamic response. I was not so crazy about the sound plugged in. My main complaint is it started to buzz from the resonance body. The buzz came either from a loose brace or the battery case. I returned it yesterday for a refund. Researching the problem, I found that this is not a single occurrence.
Happy Ending. So after returning the Taylor, I got second thoughts and called Guitar Center. I really loved this guitar, I spoke to the guitar technician. He had a closer look at the guitar and found 2 cables, that were loose and should have been taped down. I tried her out again today and the buzzing is gone. I’m glad to have her back 🤓
Two nice guitars. Question: How do you change the battery on the Martin GPC 13e? 1) do you have to loosen the strings and poke your hand through the soundhole for access? 2) or is there an outside battery compartment (like the Taylor) at the bottom of the guitar? Thank you.
Great comparison Chris. i do think folk come to this with their own brand perceptions. I would have liked to hear the comments if it was a "blindfold" test where we don't see what you are playing! I love what Martin is doing with the GPC-13e. It does look like they are responding to Taylor's popular Grand Auditorium shape. I think the Martin has a lovely warm, mellow mid rich tone mic'ed. The Taylor typically has more articulation where you hear each string, rather than a blend. I think it is more balanced across the the strings. If you want it to sound more warm you can always EQ I guess. The comparison of the pickups (line) is a different matter altogether. The Martin's Fishman has that awful piezo fizzy sound that had me skipping ahead. To me its like fingernails on a chalk board. A real shame! A mic'ed guitar always is going to sound the best, but the Taylor ES2 is excellent and 100% useable. What's better value - Solid wood or a hard case? It's your preference I suppose. Remember most of the tone comes from the top, not the back & sides, so the Taylor tone will also blossom and mellow over time. I think that a comparison should have been with the new Taylor 214ce Plus which was released at the same time as the Martin at Namm 2020. I think the Plus is about $300 less than the Deluxe reviewed here. Tut the Taylor Aerobag is far better than the Martin soft bag. Taylor 214ce Plus wins that contest hands down, in my opinion.
The most important factor that determines the playability of acoustic guitar is first to reset the saddle height & nut height with sand papers apart from all others.
@@danielmorales6151 strongly disagree. Played my cousins 314 and then a 214 at a store. The 214 is good don’t get me wrong but the 314 was just so full sounding.
Thing that saddens me is now anything above the 3 series is now v braced with no choice of x bracing on standard models. Wouldn’t buy a Taylor above that range as I just don’t like v bracing that much.
@@richardshank7659 I strongly disagree I tried 214ce Dlx and the 314ce, 214 was clearer more full and played better hands down for me 214 dlx and saved 400 bucks.
Taylor has a deeper tone. Martin has the twangy tone. I like them both and wonder how the Taylor laminate will hold up over time. I would suggest getting both and use them for various types of songs that you like.
I had a Taylor 314ce at one time and got rid of it. It just sounded all high end nothing on the bottom. However I just got the 214 deluxe because it has nice and balance tone all the way through. I don't put it on par with my Gibson CL 40 but I am happy with it.
In my opinion the Taylor sounds warmer and less bright. I researched both of these and chose the Taylor (214 ce non deluxe) due to the playability of the Taylor. Also, w/ the electronics they have in acoustic guitars these days, solid wood versus laminate doesn’t make as much of a difference as what electronics are inside. Unplugged? Well like I said earlier, do you like bright or warm sounding? As far as the Martin having solid wood, funny thing is, I’ve never heard of the woods he mentioned.
I purchased the Taylor 214ce Deluxe 3 months ago and so far I love it. I think that Taylor would be wise to eliminate the hardshell case and put the expense towards an all wood guitar. I actually hate the case. maybe I am too careful with the instrument but I return it to it's case after every use...and it's a pain in the ass. Bob Taylor can call it "layered" but it is still a laminate. I will give Taylor a win on playability, I love the neck however I have to give Martin the win on sound and tone. but as the old saying goes, tone is in the ear of the beholder, or in this case the player. My next purchase will probably be the Martin 000-15M as I have always wanted a Mahogany guitar.
I’ve played these models side by side and just about every model above from both companies. I just don’t think there’s a better acoustic than Taylor in my opinion. The tone is always there but for me the biggest thing is playability. Taylor’s play so smooth. Feels like I’m immediately a better player when I pick up a Taylor. Wish I could afford one lol.
It so funny how subjective everything is because I feel like an extremely better player with Martin and digress with Taylor’s. Except maybe a 614ce but that’s 3500
From numerous reviews, the Martin is the best playing Martin ever made. It is specifically designed for play-ability. Have you played this specific Martin because it is a complete redesign of Martin's guitars and is far different from any other Martin.
I just purchased the Taylor 214ce deluxe, and man that case is fantastic, fit and finish on the Taylor exceeded many of the martins I played in comparison, and many of those had price tags of above 1500 dollars, the Taylor after tax was 1684.00 dollars and I could not be happier, I feel like you would have to pay above 2 grand for a superior instrument, but that’s just my opinion, I dislike the trend guitar company’s are taking with gig bags included on instruments that cost more then a grand. For instance Gibson supplied me with a leather gig bag, a nice one but a bit of a slap in the face when you consider that the sg standard I bought was almost 1800 dollars, I understand the need to cut costs but there should be a fundamental need to please your patrons, and part of that is value, Taylor has definitely fulfilled that obligation in my mind. Granted I got the deluxe with gold hardware and koa back and sides, absolutely gorgeous to the eyes as well as the ears, has that shimmering top end quality that Taylor is known for, after playing a Martin DM made in America solid mohagany for the past ten years or so I needed an instrument with a brighter voice, the Martin did not age well, as the finish was inadequate to protect the wood, I still enjoy my Martin, but the days of being able to by a solid wood made in America Martin for a grand are long gone, the DM was a great value in that regard. I think both company’s are fantastic but Taylor gave me more for my money this go around!!
I think you can still find good guitars at a cheaper price. It’s all about haggling and deals. For instance I just paid $1500 for a brand new Martin 16 style rosewood. The guitar is great but I do agree not having a hard case sucks and I’m gonna have to buy one somewhere. The Taylor is nice. I played a few of them and for some reason I just always go back to the Martin. The Koa is nice. It has a fantastic sound so enjoy it!!!
Depending where you look you can still get cheap all solid wood Martins. I have a road series GPCRSG all solid wood and still made in the USA. They’re mostly made in Mexico but from looking around the forums some of them are made in the us like mine and it was $999 and came with a hard case 💯 it took me a long time to find it though and lots of calling around to see where it was made. All gloss body looks super nice. 👍🏽
I just played both back to back and for me the Taylor 214 CE DLX was easier to play and sounded better to my ears for my playing style. I'm more of a Metal player but wanted an acoustic for home use and something I could bring to jam around a camp fire. I ended up buying the Taylor yesterday. I just wasn't feeling the Martin.
Ok, I just purchased the same TAYLOR and the Beautiful hard Case for 700 US dollars...................so I will choose the one I bought! I believe EVERY GUITAR , even the same model always has a different sound. So the beauty is in the EAR of the beholder! My plywood Yamaha FG 180 From 1969 sounds as good as either of these guitars.
I have a 214ce, and I love it! But I can’t give an honest comparison, as I’ve never got the opportunity to play a road series Martin before. I’d love to try one sometime. But nobody in our area carries the Road Series. It does look like a beautiful guitar though.
I ended up purchasing the Taylor 214. IMO the sound quality was VASTLY different in person. I also just like how the fret board plays better than the Martin. I actually played every guitar available under $3,000 and this Taylor was by far the winner!
Yep. I usually would say go solid wood, but the 214 is the best guitar you can get for the price. I play mine more than both my Martins and Larrivee combined.
@@shawnsnow6413 I own all wood guitars as well as the 214. In my opinion the solid wood top is very important, but this guitar which has a properly laminated back and sides (emphasis on properly) produces a tone equal to or better than my solid wood guitars. It also has many advantages over solid wood when it comes to changes to environment. It's the best guitar I have ever played.
Nice dude. I just ordered a 214ce-k. All guitar stores are closed so I couldn’t go try any out. I used to play 10 years ago and really been wanting to pick it up again so I did some research and this guitar seems perfect for the price. Can’t wait til it gets here in a few days.
@@jordanpierce2367 You'll love it. It plays like an electric and sounds like a guitar that cost 2-3 times as much. Plus you'll never have to worry about a neck reset.
My son-in-law plays a Martin. I play a Taylor 810 (1997). He picked up my Taylor and began to play. His comment was "it's like cheating", meaning the Taylor is so much easier to play. As far as this comparison, I like both for their strengths. I would buy the Taylor because of my experience with Taylor, but I like a lot of things about the Martin too.
Hi, Martin says on their www that the Road series are made of solid wood. “With a Road Series model, you’ll enjoy solid wood construction...” But with the GPC-13E guitar specs they say it has two options: Ziricote Fine Veneer (laminate) or Mutenye (is this solid wood?). “With a gorgeous glossed Sitka spruce top and option of mutenye or ziricote back and sides this solid wood Grand Performance cutaway model is a great sounding guitar at an affordable price.” Is it made (back and sides) from laminate or solid wood?
Dude.. You are Right on the money bro lol, I just left the guitar shop & was able to narrow down which one I wanted to between these 2 models ! & there's a battle raging inside me!! This video was helpful, thank you.
I went with that very Taylor. I love Martins, but I’m buying a tool. It’s gonna get gigged. I know solid versus laminate, but the laminate does open over time. I’ve gigged with a Sigma DR41 and it aged well. Wish the Taylor had built in tuner. But I’ll go with Taylor this time. Better sound plugged in, and a real case.
I mean there are also other factors. Like feel and playability. If you like a more modern playability like I do you would probably gravitate towards the taylor. Martin, no matter how much they modernize they still hold on to quite a bit of they're vintage trademark in my opinion.
there is no question on the playability the Taylor all day, but your right he didnt even mention it. I've played both models and the Martin's playability really is not bad but the Taylor is faster and easier to play
Solid wood Martin. If taken care of it will only get better. It has a warmer tone but the Taylor is close and you can't go on tone alone. Playability plays an important part also. I would love to play them side by side before purchasing either. I'm a solid wood guy. I know the finger board on the Martin is not wood which is another reason to play both.
Personally I like the Taylor better. I think it sounds warmer and sweeter than the Martin. I also just like the looks of the Taylor better than the Martin
So I hear with those Road series Martins you can get pretty low action compared to a standard Martin. True or…? And if true, would that action compare to the Taylor 214? Also I believe that deluxe model has forward shifted X bracing from what I’ve read. It’s a few hundred dollars more in cost than your standard satin 214ce. The 214ce Plus addition is also nice but I think all you get is a gloss finish compared to the satin. I wonder though what kind of spruce tone-wood they use on the top of that standard 214ce. It seems to always be listed as just Spuce not Sitka Spuce like that others. Idk though. Maybe I just need to do better research. I feel the 214ce is the best guitar for me. The Taylor necks and action is amazing for me and, for layered toonwoods on the back and sides, I have a Martin all American made solid wood through and through D15m and trust me, it really doesn’t sound better. It’s all mahogany so compared to spruce I’m going to lose a lot of that more open end brighter sound sure but a bad design would still show up and my buddies Taylor 214ce I can’t say enough about it. I’d trade him in a half a second. I’ve tried to lower my action but even after it’s been lowered as low as it can go, that Martin is still kinda rough to play regarding the action. The Taylor reminds me of an old Alvarez I use to own. MD60ce. Just regarding the action though. But I miss that action!! But I did hear these new Roads Series Martins can have the action lowered much lower than a standard Martin. Idk. I’d still buy a 214ce though.
I went and demo'ed the Martin GPC series both the 13e and the 11e as well as and the the 214ce delux and non delux. Also played the 114ce. This was all done down at the local Sam Smash store. :) in the morning when they first opened up so I had the room all to myself for quite a while. We don't have an Alamo music store here in California 😢. So check it out. I ended up buying the 214ce deluxe as well as the Martin GPC-11e. The 13E at least that particular one. I could not justify the price increase. I firmly believe it's not worth it. The 11e actually sounded better without all the extra 300$ bling. Honestly. 45 day return policy. And I told them that I'm gonna buy both and return one 100%. So I got home... poured up a nice bourbon on the rocks and jammed out for like 3 solid hours. I was in the the room where the guitar was primarily gonna be played. My 1000$ went to the Martin gpc-11e. Playing it at the home in the setting that I would normally play it at. I think that guitar was far superior to the Taylor in almost every way. YmMv... but that all soild is just downright amazing. . I 100% believe that for 1k that is the guitar you should get. And you know the best part? They cut me a deal $100 off each guitar so I only ended up playing 900 each. I got a really good deal for a new guitar.. I returned the Taylor a few days later perfect condition just like I found it. and then.... well I ended up buying a Taylor GS mini. Brand new with a discount. It pays to be nice to people. 450$ out the door with tax :) so happy me. Why not.. you only live once. 🥳👌
😂😂 cant blame you on that, who doesnt love the GS mini. I played the 11e at a local shop the other day and as a long time Taylor fan (I've owned a 2018 414ce-R, and currently own a 2006 Taylor 914ce fall limited) I was pleasantly surprised enough to consider it as a near future purchase. I still prefer the Taylor necks but I agree for 1k the 11e is most definitely worth looking at. congrats on 2 very nice additions 👍
@@baileypawsplays1047 that's awesome man, how do you feel about the Martin you bought? I'm honestly considering it as a 2nd guitar to practice and put the wear and tear on
@@rickysreviewsandhowtos it's not really a wear and tear guitar. It's a really nice guitar. Here... let me link you to a song i did up with it with my armature self.... play it on a stereo or on headphones. The sound is good the guy playing it not so much drive.google.com/file/d/1Jo2Y9EHHBxb6f0RDr2kQCXTneQoX1bse/view?usp=drivesdk
People love the Taylor because it costs more. Whenever Chris compares a Martin with a Taylor he plays the Taylor a little bit louder, and the Martin a little softer. He makes more on Taylor sales than the less expensive Martin. I've owned a Taylor 814Ce and now own the Martin featured in this video. There's no comparison. The Martin is the better guitar. Even my Yamaha's LL16 sound better than Taylor's and the Martin. Pricey does not mean better.
The Martin sounds more even throughout the spectrum, not too deep on the low end, nice mids, highs are not tinny. I think the Taylor's electronics are superior, and sound nearly identical to the micd sound, which is extremely impressive. The downside though, is that the lows are too overbearing and loose.
The Martin is a laminate too now. They just call it "fine veneer", but it is sandwiched woods like the Taylor. Chris has an updated video. th-cam.com/video/HX8_wfdtd_Y/w-d-xo.html
You say these have the SAME NUT WIDTH, yet the Martin has a 1-3/4" normal width nut, whereas the Taylor has the thinner 1-11/16" nut width, which imho is TOO THIN and leads to unintentional string muting. This is a BIIIIIG DEAL to me, to the point where I had to sell what I THOUGHT was a perfect axe....a Taylor 214 DLXSB. I bought it, then pretty quickly realized why I was having a tough time getting my fingerstyle notes to ring out ....the dreaded 1-11/16" nut width!
LOL I noticed I wrote a similar post below about a year ago! lol I just wish Taylor would change from their 100-200 series getting the "Kiddie" nut, where the 300-Above get the Real Deal!
The BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between these guitars is the NUT WIDTH!!!! For some weird unknown reason Taylor builds the 200 series with a THINNER NUT WIDTH then the rest of their lineup. It's TOO DAMN NARROW, and for me at least, it's difficult to make chords ring true as my fingers end up Muting other strings.... And the result is shitty sounding! Ymmv, but...I've been playing for thirty years and know a thing or two about anything or two...and THIS IS THE THING THAT MAKES THE 100-200 SERIES TAYLOR GUITARS DIFFICULT TO PLAY. If u have small hands you may be okay, but if you're hands are average or larger, you're gonna struggle to get those axes to sound clear! Hardly anyone ever mentions this about the Taylor low end models, but they SHOULD!!! TAYLOR says it's bc those lines are designed for beginning guitarists and beginners struggle with a standard nut width, to which I say, "THATS TOTAL BULLSHIT!". RANT OVER. LOL
He said they had the same nut width, but even if they're not the same 1/16" difference in the nut widths is no deal breaker anyway. LOL Get real, that MAY BE at most 0.0104166667 inches distance between each string depending on spacing, there may be no difference at all. That isn't going to make or break any guitar player. Plus, the Taylor's electronics are way superior and their hard shell case that comes with the 214CE sells for $199.99. It is one of the nicest cases I have ever seen.
Patrick Schnall I agree they should make this more known but...I would only buy a 100 or 200 series Taylor for that exact reason. They rest are too wide for me, almost unplayable. To each his own I understand. Also I’m mainly an electric player so there’s that. I want an acoustic to feel as close to my electrics as possible or the change is too drastic. It’s not bullshit though, that’s why companies make different products for different tastes.
The microphone sound doesn't do either justice. There is a difference between "warm" and muddy. Mic them up like you would in the studio so we can hear the true sound of both.
The Martin is a way better guitar naturally. The Taylors pickup system is better but with eq the Martin would smoke the Taylor. To me most Taylor’s are overpriced and hyped beyond what they deserve. In a year or so the Martin will open up and speak better. Several of my buddies own older Taylors...some are very nice but still have that same new guitar metallic treble that a Taylor has. Really gets down to your own ears and needs here but the Martin gets my vote. Keep up the good work with the videos.
I will agree that the Mexican made Taylors are overpriced. the 214CE DLX is a nice guitar, comes with a hardshell case. At $999 the Taylor would be a good value, at $1,500 not so much, look for a used one.
Martin is all botton end and the Taylor has more wide range of sound. What is the difference in the 214 deluxe and the 214 standard? I don't care about a gig bag or case or the electronics ut the acoustic sound, thanx. The 214 standard is $899 so why pay $500 more for the deluxe?
I compared the GPC-13e, 000-15M, and the ovangkol grand auditorium model from Martin against the 214 and 224 from Taylor. I was fully planning on buying a Martin, and I really wanted at least one of their models to win me over, but both Taylor’s were far better in sound and playability. Well worth the money, and the solid vs laminate debate means nothing to me.
No question about it. Taylor is the clear winner. We all know you could set those two down grab two different guitars of same model and you could have a different outcome
There is one big misleading factor, Taylor uses Elixir meanwhile Martin has Martin Strings. How is a sound comparison possible if they don’t even have the same type of string s?
You don’t say? Well how bout having 5$ strings on one of them and the other have 30$ Strings? One has Gauge 10 and another has Gauge 13? Can you really tell which GUITAR sounds better in this case? Is that a fair comparison?
Garry Wan put what ever strings you want on them and they will sound different. Put the same strings on hem and they will sound different. Ones a Taylor and ones ‘s a Martin.
I am not sure you understand what I am saying. At the beginning I already wrote “You don’t say”. It’s very obvious that they don’t sound the same, no guitars will sound the same even if the model is the same. My point is a sound comparison is not accurate if many factors are different. Please read all my responses AGAIN if you still can’t understand
I think it would be interesting to keep the string gauge correct to the instruments but swap brands and have a comparison with them both ways ie. 4 guitars maybe 4 players same riffs and cord strum etc.
Still trying to figure out why Taylor would produce the 214ce and the 214ce Plus with a 1-11/16" nut and the 214cd Dlx with a 1-3/4" nut....checked the specs on all 3 and that is what they list.... Maybe Taylor is thinking that better players wanting the Deluxe model would prefer a 1-3/4" nut?? Seems kinda stupid but who knows the reasoning?
Why is gloss finish still considered more fancy among guitars? I kinda would like an expensive guitar to feel and look as close to possible to natural wood. Or keep it in a satin finish. I just bought a Furch Green, and when I compare it to the cheaper models with non-gloss surface, they kinda look nicer. Everything else is going matte these days.
I have a 214CEDLX Sapele model and love it. I think the Martin sounded great as well, but I prefer the Taylor. For me the laminate was the way to go for humidity factors. Truth be told, you probably can't go wrong with either of these - pick the one that fits you best! Great video, thanks!
To me the Taylor was bright and crisp. Solid tones. Lows mids and highs were all very clear and sharp. Martin was no slouch. Very warm and smooth, but to my preference Taylor hands down best one.
I just got my Taylor 214ce Deluxe this week as a Xmas to myself. This has to be the sweetest guitar that I have ever played. I have been thinking of getting an acoustic guitar for a-while and was torn between all of the choices. I had personally narrowed my selection down to Martin, Taylor and Yamaha, based off of the price, reviews and the great review info from Chris McKee. Thank you for helping me decide on the Taylor.
That martin sounded better and over time it’ll only continue to do so, at a rate greater than the Taylor because of the all wood. With that said the Taylor will be less finicky over time and season changes too if you’re in the Midwest like myself. But $1200 for a guitar and no hard case?!?! That’s a no-no.
I'm a Martin fan and owner but in this case I give my nod to the Taylor, especially the line input sound. To my ears the Taylor pickup system has a better sound with much less "quack" than the Fishman. Both very nice guitars though.
the piezo sound on that fishman... def a problem if you plan to play live or through an amp
I just bought the Taylor model he has in the video. I am happy with the purchase. Sound wise, I didn't hear much difference between the guitars. The Taylor GA body and bracing is well done and produces a very balanced sound. The reviewer said over time the real wood guitars open up more. I'll take his word for it, but the Taylor I bought sounds great now and if that doesn't change over time I'm good with that. The appointments and the case on this model Taylor are hard to beat. I own a lot of acoustic guitars and one thing to consider about the guitars in question is which will stand up to time. The layered wood on the Taylor is generally more resistant to things like humidity opposed to solid wood guitars. Most of the sound comes from the top which is solid wood on the Taylor. Also note that if a Taylor neck has issues you can take them to a local Taylor repair shop and its fairly easy and inexpensive to repair them. With the Martin and any solid glue joint guitar, the guitar will need to be sent out to a professional Luthier to heat up the glue, dis-join the neck and then repair the issues and glue the neck back on, ship back to the owner and will be expensive. Both are great mid level from arguably the two best acoustic guitar makers in the world.
I like the Taylor even tho it’s more expensive and laminate wood
yeah surprisingly it had a little more low end and wasn't overly bright....sounded more natural
I think that the Taylor sounded way better. It has a richness to its tone that I don’t feel the Martin even came close to.
The Taylor sounds more articulate, responsive, and has more projection. The Martin only offers more bass.
Explain how it sounds more "articulate"
From experience: the all around sound of the Taylor has the edge. The base notes and blend with the mids is much closer transition, creating a smoother tone blend. Personally, I have a 214ce DLX and don't deserve any better sound!! Thanks, great and informative video! Chuck Skillet
After hearing both, I would pick Taylor just because Taylor seems to be able to cover up my mistakes. I am NO professional what so ever, and it is huge benefit and plus for me that mistakes are hidden as much.
Love Taylors!
What do you mean? You’re basically saying that the Martin is more articulate and the Taylor’s tones are kind of blended together?
@@AlamoMusic You played New York Jazz blues music at last comparison.
Played both. Had a friend play both without me knowing which one was which. Then had him hand me them to me with my eyes closed and played them again. It was weird. Liked the Taylor when I played them. Liked the Martin better when I heard them. Liked the Taylor when I played them without knowing which one I had. Figured I would go with the Taylor in the end. It was probably the case that sold me in the end lol. All in all, I love my Taylor.
Me to!
Kind of strange. The Taylor has layered back and sides with a hardshell case. The Martin has all solid woods and comes with a gig bag🥴
I just bought the Martin GPC-13E yesterday and I just cannot get it out of my hands. So, that bias aside. To my hear, the Martin seems to have less mid range and more high end brilliance overall where the Taylor seems to be slightly more muted on the highs. The GPC-13E was the sound and utility I was looking for in a guitar and I was prepared to spend twice the amount. I just feel in love with it at first grip. Can't wait to record with it tonight to see how the pickups sound.
Me too!!!!!!!!!
I actually prefer the sound of the Martin mic'd up, but the Taylor electronics sound much better to me when using the line input
Surprised - I have never owned a Martin - had plenty of Taylors and love them. Here's a suggestion. The comparison here is phenomenal. Open 2 youtube windows and queue them up side by side. Instead of listening to one all the way through, bounce back and forth at the same sections of what he is playing. It will surprise you. The Martin sounded more articulate which was shocking to me as I have always thought that was the big difference between them, in favor of the Taylor. Not in this instance. If you think the Taylor was brighter, listen again. But it is all a matter of taste. What some call warm, sometimes is muddy for my taste. I've always liked a little more articulation. Martin won this one which is a surprise given my taste.
yes, only when he played Taylor, fingerpicking near very end and he played that part louder and didn't play on Martin, was the Taylor more clear
Martin have natural earthy sound, I can imagine singing with Martin guitar and as for Taylor it’s great sounding when plugged in, suitable in band situation. Both are great guitar which I can’t afford
I have the Taylor and love it. I wasn’t really aware of that Martin but it sounds great too.
Thanks for the great video!
I like the Martin nut width and scale length better. Much more playable
I love Martin's sound which is a bit warm and not so bright like Taylor. But both are awesome guitar. Thanks for clip that is easy for me to choose.
I played both these guitars today. I went home with the Taylor. I do wish it had a built in tuner.
I think the Martin model sounds better. I will choose that out of these two. Thank you. Great Vid!!
Martin 6:14 Taylor 7:10
Martin 8:04 Taylor 8:57
Martin 9:50 Taylor 10:37
First of all you are the best at doing reviews and have watched so many of your reviews. I have Taylor, Martin and Gibson guitars. I started out just wanting martin guitars, finally warmed up to the Gibson and Taylor. I love the 214ce it is now my favorite.
With headphones on it's just no contest for me. The Taylor sounds so much better to my ear despite being laminate, and that's coming from someone who really loves both of these brands and would prefer an all solid wood instrument.
The Martin is the same style laminate since 2021. Both use layers of top and back woods sandwiched between other woods. Taylor is Polar, and Martin a veneer sandwiching Mahogany. This is from 3 years ago so maybe it was solid then.
I just bought the Taylor 224cc K DLX. I loved the Koa top. Nice warm sound. The pickup system is completely revolutionary. The crystals are mounted behind the saddle, not underneath. You really notice the difference in this video. I've been testing Martin's and Taylor's for awhile. To me, the Taylor's played and sounded better. I'm very happy with my investment.
VSR I just ordered the 224ce k dlx today. After multiple guitar stores and playing all the guitars I was considering: Taylor 317e, 214, Martin D18 GPC and a few others. I chose the 224. Sure, it’s gorgeous but it was seriously effortless to play and sounded simply amazing. I was looking for an all solid around $2k but this one made me smile ear to ear and just felt good in my hands. It should come Wednesday or Thursday, I cannot wait!!!! Oh, I did play a Martin D28 ....that guitar is crazy good but a few grand out of my price range lol.
@@gregbaker3701 yeah, I don't think you can go wrong with that. Im very happy with my choice, I'm sure you will too. I bought mine at Guitar center. I felt it sounded and played the way I wanted, looked flawless, nice case, so I just bought it. Happy jamming to you.
Good review! I own a Taylor 210ce but will be purchasing the Martin GPC-11e. I think the Martin sounds better both acoustically and plugged in than the Taylor did. The Martin has more fullness with clarity and definition while the Taylor was too muddy acoustically and too thin plugged in. You forgot to mention that the Taylor does not have a built in tuner like the Martin. I think the Taylor is much more appealing to the eyes than the Martin, but the Martin is the clear winner for me!
Overall preferred the sound of the Taylor
I picked up the Taylor 214 e dlx a month ago. I loved the acoustic sound, playability, dynamic response. I was not so crazy about the sound plugged in.
My main complaint is it started to buzz from the resonance body. The buzz came either from a loose brace or the battery case.
I returned it yesterday for a refund. Researching the problem, I found that this is not a single occurrence.
Happy Ending. So after returning the Taylor, I got second thoughts and called Guitar Center. I really loved this guitar, I spoke to the guitar technician. He had a closer look at the guitar and found 2 cables, that were loose and should have been taped down.
I tried her out again today and the buzzing is gone.
I’m glad to have her back 🤓
@@markusbuergin6934 thx for sharing this experience
I liked the Martin’s natural sound. I liked the Taylor’s plugged in sound. Great comparison video.
Love both but the Taylor was more warm to my ears.
I liked the Martin mick's up. The Taylor sounded fuller plugged in.
In reality the taylor is very nasily and lacks any output compared to the martin
I bought the Martin just waiting for it to arrive . But I like the burst on the Taylor
I liked the martin sound better with the external mic. But I liked the Taylor built in mic better.
Two nice guitars. Question: How do you change the battery on the Martin GPC 13e? 1) do you have to loosen the strings and poke your hand through the soundhole for access? 2) or is there an outside battery compartment (like the Taylor) at the bottom of the guitar? Thank you.
@@rosemarycaldwell231 Thank you for the info and that's good news.
Great comparison Chris. i do think folk come to this with their own brand perceptions. I would have liked to hear the comments if it was a "blindfold" test where we don't see what you are playing!
I love what Martin is doing with the GPC-13e. It does look like they are responding to Taylor's popular Grand Auditorium shape. I think the Martin has a lovely warm, mellow mid rich tone mic'ed. The Taylor typically has more articulation where you hear each string, rather than a blend. I think it is more balanced across the the strings. If you want it to sound more warm you can always EQ I guess. The comparison of the pickups (line) is a different matter altogether. The Martin's Fishman has that awful piezo fizzy sound that had me skipping ahead. To me its like fingernails on a chalk board. A real shame! A mic'ed guitar always is going to sound the best, but the Taylor ES2 is excellent and 100% useable. What's better value - Solid wood or a hard case? It's your preference I suppose. Remember most of the tone comes from the top, not the back & sides, so the Taylor tone will also blossom and mellow over time.
I think that a comparison should have been with the new Taylor 214ce Plus which was released at the same time as the Martin at Namm 2020. I think the Plus is about $300 less than the Deluxe reviewed here. Tut the Taylor Aerobag is far better than the Martin soft bag. Taylor 214ce Plus wins that contest hands down, in my opinion.
The most important factor that determines the playability of acoustic guitar is first to reset the saddle height & nut height with sand papers apart from all others.
Both are great. I'll get the Martin, it's cheap and the sound is comforting. When funds get better I'll add any Taylor 3 series and up.
3 series is just looks
@@danielmorales6151 strongly disagree. Played my cousins 314 and then a 214 at a store. The 214 is good don’t get me wrong but the 314 was just so full sounding.
Thing that saddens me is now anything above the 3 series is now v braced with no choice of x bracing on standard models. Wouldn’t buy a Taylor above that range as I just don’t like v bracing that much.
@@richardshank7659 I strongly disagree I tried 214ce Dlx and the 314ce, 214 was clearer more full and played better hands down for me 214 dlx and saved 400 bucks.
Taylor has a deeper tone. Martin has the twangy tone. I like them both and wonder how the Taylor laminate will hold up over time. I would suggest getting both and use them for various types of songs that you like.
I’m buying the Taylor 214ce. I love the sunburst. First Taylor I’ve ever owned.
I had a Taylor 314ce at one time and got rid of it. It just sounded all high end nothing on the bottom. However I just got the 214 deluxe because it has nice and balance tone all the way through. I don't put it on par with my Gibson CL 40 but I am happy with it.
In my opinion the Taylor sounds warmer and less bright. I researched both of these and chose the Taylor (214 ce non deluxe) due to the playability of the Taylor. Also, w/ the electronics they have in acoustic guitars these days, solid wood versus laminate doesn’t make as much of a difference as what electronics are inside. Unplugged? Well like I said earlier, do you like bright or warm sounding? As far as the Martin having solid wood, funny thing is, I’ve never heard of the woods he mentioned.
I purchased the Taylor 214ce Deluxe 3 months ago and so far I love it. I think that Taylor would be wise to eliminate the hardshell case and put the expense towards an all wood guitar. I actually hate the case. maybe I am too careful with the instrument but I return it to it's case after every use...and it's a pain in the ass. Bob Taylor can call it "layered" but it is still a laminate. I will give Taylor a win on playability, I love the neck however I have to give Martin the win on sound and tone. but as the old saying goes, tone is in the ear of the beholder, or in this case the player. My next purchase will probably be the Martin 000-15M as I have always wanted a Mahogany guitar.
I’ve played these models side by side and just about every model above from both companies. I just don’t think there’s a better acoustic than Taylor in my opinion. The tone is always there but for me the biggest thing is playability. Taylor’s play so smooth. Feels like I’m immediately a better player when I pick up a Taylor. Wish I could afford one lol.
It so funny how subjective everything is because I feel like an extremely better player with Martin and digress with Taylor’s. Except maybe a 614ce but that’s 3500
Zo yes it does have so much to do with price unfortunately. I’m the same way with Martins.
From numerous reviews, the Martin is the best playing Martin ever made. It is specifically designed for play-ability. Have you played this specific Martin because it is a complete redesign of Martin's guitars and is far different from any other Martin.
I just purchased the Taylor 214ce deluxe, and man that case is fantastic, fit and finish on the Taylor exceeded many of the martins I played in comparison, and many of those had price tags of above 1500 dollars, the Taylor after tax was 1684.00 dollars and I could not be happier, I feel like you would have to pay above 2 grand for a superior instrument, but that’s just my opinion, I dislike the trend guitar company’s are taking with gig bags included on instruments that cost more then a grand. For instance Gibson supplied me with a leather gig bag, a nice one but a bit of a slap in the face when you consider that the sg standard I bought was almost 1800 dollars, I understand the need to cut costs but there should be a fundamental need to please your patrons, and part of that is value, Taylor has definitely fulfilled that obligation in my mind. Granted I got the deluxe with gold hardware and koa back and sides, absolutely gorgeous to the eyes as well as the ears, has that shimmering top end quality that Taylor is known for, after playing a Martin DM made in America solid mohagany for the past ten years or so I needed an instrument with a brighter voice, the Martin did not age well, as the finish was inadequate to protect the wood, I still enjoy my Martin, but the days of being able to by a solid wood made in America Martin for a grand are long gone, the DM was a great value in that regard. I think both company’s are fantastic but Taylor gave me more for my money this go around!!
It's always good to hear another players experience! Thank you for sharing!
I think you can still find good guitars at a cheaper price. It’s all about haggling and deals. For instance I just paid $1500 for a brand new Martin 16 style rosewood. The guitar is great but I do agree not having a hard case sucks and I’m gonna have to buy one somewhere. The Taylor is nice. I played a few of them and for some reason I just always go back to the Martin. The Koa is nice. It has a fantastic sound so enjoy it!!!
Depending where you look you can still get cheap all solid wood Martins. I have a road series GPCRSG all solid wood and still made in the USA. They’re mostly made in Mexico but from looking around the forums some of them are made in the us like mine and it was $999 and came with a hard case 💯 it took me a long time to find it though and lots of calling around to see where it was made. All gloss body looks super nice. 👍🏽
I like the sound of that Martin, but frankly I thought that Taylor has a ... hmmm ... wider sound.
Cats pick Whiskas I pick that Taylor.
I just played both back to back and for me the Taylor 214 CE DLX was easier to play and sounded better to my ears for my playing style. I'm more of a Metal player but wanted an acoustic for home use and something I could bring to jam around a camp fire. I ended up buying the Taylor yesterday. I just wasn't feeling the Martin.
Ok, I just purchased the same TAYLOR and the Beautiful hard Case for 700 US dollars...................so I will choose the one I bought! I believe EVERY GUITAR , even the same model always has a different sound. So the beauty is in the EAR of the beholder! My plywood Yamaha FG 180 From 1969 sounds as good as either of these guitars.
Can someone please tell me the name of the song at 8:17? Looking for it for over half a year now. Thanks!!!
I have a 214ce, and I love it! But I can’t give an honest comparison, as I’ve never got the opportunity to play a road series Martin before. I’d love to try one sometime. But nobody in our area carries the Road Series. It does look like a beautiful guitar though.
I ended up purchasing the Taylor 214. IMO the sound quality was VASTLY different in person. I also just like how the fret board plays better than the Martin. I actually played every guitar available under $3,000 and this Taylor was by far the winner!
Same here Marshall.
Yep. I usually would say go solid wood, but the 214 is the best guitar you can get for the price. I play mine more than both my Martins and Larrivee combined.
@@shawnsnow6413 I own all wood guitars as well as the 214. In my opinion the solid wood top is very important, but this guitar which has a properly laminated back and sides (emphasis on properly) produces a tone equal to or better than my solid wood guitars. It also has many advantages over solid wood when it comes to changes to environment. It's the best guitar I have ever played.
Nice dude. I just ordered a 214ce-k. All guitar stores are closed so I couldn’t go try any out. I used to play 10 years ago and really been wanting to pick it up again so I did some research and this guitar seems perfect for the price. Can’t wait til it gets here in a few days.
@@jordanpierce2367 You'll love it. It plays like an electric and sounds like a guitar that cost 2-3 times as much. Plus you'll never have to worry about a neck reset.
They both sound great. I like the Taylor a little better. The Taylor’s nut width is 1 11/16.
The Martin sounded great, and all solid wood? I'm definitely checking that out.
Not any more.
Starts playing at 6:13
My son-in-law plays a Martin. I play a Taylor 810 (1997). He picked up my Taylor and began to play. His comment was "it's like cheating", meaning the Taylor is so much easier to play. As far as this comparison, I like both for their strengths. I would buy the Taylor because of my experience with Taylor, but I like a lot of things about the Martin too.
Really nice playing in your demos!! Thanks for the review.
Both nice. I chose the Taylor 214 ce - the exact model you showcased. Its Heaven! Plus the hardcase gives me peace of mind.
I like the sound of Martins and their feel so I’ll most likely get a Martin but I’ll definitely try the Taylor
Solid vs Laminated, and $200 cheaper, cmon now
But with a gig bag
Not a real wood fingerboard or bridge? Didn't like richlite and got rid of 2 Martins.
Since 2021 the Martin is a veneer also. "Ziricote fine veneer".
Hi, Martin says on their www that the Road series are made of solid wood.
“With a Road Series model, you’ll enjoy solid wood construction...”
But with the GPC-13E guitar specs they say it has two options:
Ziricote Fine Veneer (laminate) or Mutenye (is this solid wood?).
“With a gorgeous glossed Sitka spruce top and option of mutenye or ziricote back and sides
this solid wood Grand Performance cutaway model is a great sounding guitar at an affordable price.”
Is it made (back and sides) from laminate or solid wood?
Either or for me ,love the sound of both
Dude.. You are Right on the money bro lol, I just left the guitar shop & was able to narrow down which one I wanted to between these 2 models ! & there's a battle raging inside me!! This video was helpful, thank you.
The Taylor Sounded more alive and vibrant while the Martin sounded more subdued or muffled
I haven't heard anyone mention that the Martins are Pleked at the factory.
What is the action like on these guitars? easy to play compared with sub £500 acoustic guitars?
I went with that very Taylor. I love Martins, but I’m buying a tool. It’s gonna get gigged. I know solid versus laminate, but the laminate does open over time. I’ve gigged with a Sigma DR41 and it aged well. Wish the Taylor had built in tuner. But I’ll go with Taylor this time. Better sound plugged in, and a real case.
The line pickup on the Martin sounded wonky compared to the Taylor's pickup! Another great review.
I mean there are also other factors. Like feel and playability. If you like a more modern playability like I do you would probably gravitate towards the taylor. Martin, no matter how much they modernize they still hold on to quite a bit of they're vintage trademark in my opinion.
After listening and some really good speakers , I really like the martin tone the best
Playability??? I played both recently and preferred the taylor's feel. I honestly can't hear the difference between the solid and the laminate.
there is no question on the playability the Taylor all day, but your right he didnt even mention it. I've played both models and the Martin's playability really is not bad but the Taylor is faster and easier to play
They taylor mid range was much more pronounced, the Martin was mid range was bassier. Taylor for me.
Solid wood Martin. If taken care of it will only get better. It has a warmer tone but the Taylor is close and you can't go on tone alone. Playability plays an important part also. I would love to play them side by side before purchasing either. I'm a solid wood guy. I know the finger board on the Martin is not wood which is another reason to play both.
Since 2021 they are veneer just like the Martin. They call it "ziricote fine veneer".
I purchased the Martin GPC-13E and it arrived today.
Personally I like the Taylor better. I think it sounds warmer and sweeter than the Martin. I also just like the looks of the Taylor better than the Martin
Fair statement!
So I hear with those Road series Martins you can get pretty low action compared to a standard Martin.
True or…?
And if true, would that action compare to the Taylor 214?
Also I believe that deluxe model has forward shifted X bracing from what I’ve read. It’s a few hundred dollars more in cost than your standard satin 214ce. The 214ce Plus addition is also nice but I think all you get is a gloss finish compared to the satin. I wonder though what kind of spruce tone-wood they use on the top of that standard 214ce. It seems to always be listed as just Spuce not Sitka Spuce like that others. Idk though. Maybe I just need to do better research. I feel the 214ce is the best guitar for me. The Taylor necks and action is amazing for me and, for layered toonwoods on the back and sides, I have a Martin all American made solid wood through and through D15m and trust me, it really doesn’t sound better. It’s all mahogany so compared to spruce I’m going to lose a lot of that more open end brighter sound sure but a bad design would still show up and my buddies Taylor 214ce I can’t say enough about it. I’d trade him in a half a second. I’ve tried to lower my action but even after it’s been lowered as low as it can go, that Martin is still kinda rough to play regarding the action. The Taylor reminds me of an old Alvarez I use to own. MD60ce. Just regarding the action though. But I miss that action!!
But I did hear these new Roads Series Martins can have the action lowered much lower than a standard Martin.
Idk. I’d still buy a 214ce though.
Both sound super good. If I closed my eyes I can’t tell the difference between them
I went and demo'ed the Martin GPC series both the 13e and the 11e as well as and the the 214ce delux and non delux. Also played the 114ce.
This was all done down at the local Sam Smash store. :) in the morning when they first opened up so I had the room all to myself for quite a while. We don't have an Alamo music store here in California 😢.
So check it out. I ended up buying the 214ce deluxe as well as the Martin GPC-11e. The 13E at least that particular one. I could not justify the price increase. I firmly believe it's not worth it. The 11e actually sounded better without all the extra 300$ bling. Honestly. 45 day return policy. And I told them that I'm gonna buy both and return one 100%.
So I got home... poured up a nice bourbon on the rocks and jammed out for like 3 solid hours. I was in the the room where the guitar was primarily gonna be played.
My 1000$ went to the Martin gpc-11e. Playing it at the home in the setting that I would normally play it at. I think that guitar was far superior to the Taylor in almost every way.
YmMv... but that all soild is just downright amazing. . I 100% believe that for 1k that is the guitar you should get. And you know the best part? They cut me a deal $100 off each guitar so I only ended up playing 900 each. I got a really good deal for a new guitar.. I returned the Taylor a few days later perfect condition just like I found it. and then.... well I ended up buying a Taylor GS mini. Brand new with a discount. It pays to be nice to people. 450$ out the door with tax :) so happy me.
Why not.. you only live once. 🥳👌
😂😂 cant blame you on that, who doesnt love the GS mini. I played the 11e at a local shop the other day and as a long time Taylor fan (I've owned a 2018 414ce-R, and currently own a 2006 Taylor 914ce fall limited) I was pleasantly surprised enough to consider it as a near future purchase. I still prefer the Taylor necks but I agree for 1k the 11e is most definitely worth looking at. congrats on 2 very nice additions 👍
@@rickysreviewsandhowtos I love that GS Mini wow just like 2 months later I cant put it down sounds amazing
@@baileypawsplays1047 that's awesome man, how do you feel about the Martin you bought? I'm honestly considering it as a 2nd guitar to practice and put the wear and tear on
@@rickysreviewsandhowtos it's not really a wear and tear guitar. It's a really nice guitar. Here... let me link you to a song i did up with it with my armature self.... play it on a stereo or on headphones. The sound is good the guy playing it not so much drive.google.com/file/d/1Jo2Y9EHHBxb6f0RDr2kQCXTneQoX1bse/view?usp=drivesdk
To my ears the Martin had the better tone. Just wondering which had the better playability?
People love the Taylor because it costs more. Whenever Chris compares a Martin with a Taylor he plays the Taylor a little bit louder, and the Martin a little softer. He makes more on Taylor sales than the less expensive Martin. I've owned a Taylor 814Ce and now own the Martin featured in this video. There's no comparison. The Martin is the better guitar. Even my Yamaha's LL16 sound better than Taylor's and the Martin. Pricey does not mean better.
The Martin sounds more even throughout the spectrum, not too deep on the low end, nice mids, highs are not tinny. I think the Taylor's electronics are superior, and sound nearly identical to the micd sound, which is extremely impressive. The downside though, is that the lows are too overbearing and loose.
The Martin is a laminate too now. They just call it "fine veneer", but it is sandwiched woods like the Taylor. Chris has an updated video. th-cam.com/video/HX8_wfdtd_Y/w-d-xo.html
You say these have the SAME NUT WIDTH, yet the Martin has a 1-3/4" normal width nut, whereas the Taylor has the thinner 1-11/16" nut width, which imho is TOO THIN and leads to unintentional string muting. This is a BIIIIIG DEAL to me, to the point where I had to sell what I THOUGHT was a perfect axe....a Taylor 214 DLXSB. I bought it, then pretty quickly realized why I was having a tough time getting my fingerstyle notes to ring out ....the dreaded 1-11/16" nut width!
LOL I noticed I wrote a similar post below about a year ago! lol I just wish Taylor would change from their 100-200 series getting the "Kiddie" nut, where the 300-Above get the Real Deal!
The BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between these guitars is the NUT WIDTH!!!! For some weird unknown reason Taylor builds the 200 series with a THINNER NUT WIDTH then the rest of their lineup. It's TOO DAMN NARROW, and for me at least, it's difficult to make chords ring true as my fingers end up Muting other strings.... And the result is shitty sounding! Ymmv, but...I've been playing for thirty years and know a thing or two about anything or two...and THIS IS THE THING THAT MAKES THE 100-200 SERIES TAYLOR GUITARS DIFFICULT TO PLAY. If u have small hands you may be okay, but if you're hands are average or larger, you're gonna struggle to get those axes to sound clear! Hardly anyone ever mentions this about the Taylor low end models, but they SHOULD!!! TAYLOR says it's bc those lines are designed for beginning guitarists and beginners struggle with a standard nut width, to which I say, "THATS TOTAL BULLSHIT!".
RANT OVER. LOL
Patrick Schnall I played both today, and I have big hands and noticed the Taylor was a little more cramped
He said they had the same nut width, but even if they're not the same 1/16" difference in the nut widths is no deal breaker anyway. LOL Get real, that MAY BE at most 0.0104166667 inches distance between each string depending on spacing, there may be no difference at all. That isn't going to make or break any guitar player. Plus, the Taylor's electronics are way superior and their hard shell case that comes with the 214CE sells for $199.99. It is one of the nicest cases I have ever seen.
Patrick Schnall I agree they should make this more known but...I would only buy a 100 or 200 series Taylor for that exact reason. They rest are too wide for me, almost unplayable. To each his own I understand. Also I’m mainly an electric player so there’s that. I want an acoustic to feel as close to my electrics as possible or the change is too drastic. It’s not bullshit though, that’s why companies make different products for different tastes.
@@marksh24 Same here. I prefer 11/16 over 3/4.
Hmm I have massive hands and own a 214ce DLX and I have had no problems
The microphone sound doesn't do either justice. There is a difference between "warm" and muddy. Mic them up like you would in the studio so we can hear the true sound of both.
Nice comparison, but you should consider dropping the Guild OM-240 in there.
The Martin is a way better guitar naturally. The Taylors pickup system is better but with eq the Martin would smoke the Taylor. To me most Taylor’s are overpriced and hyped beyond what they deserve. In a year or so the Martin will open up and speak better. Several of my buddies own older Taylors...some are very nice but still have that same new guitar metallic treble that a Taylor has. Really gets down to your own ears and needs here but the Martin gets my vote. Keep up the good work with the videos.
I will agree that the Mexican made Taylors are overpriced. the 214CE DLX is a nice guitar, comes with a hardshell case. At $999 the Taylor would be a good value, at $1,500 not so much, look for a used one.
I totally disagree with what your saying its definitely the other way around
The Fingerstyle at the end hears like the song called You got a friend on me
Taylor's website says that the nut width on the 214ce dlx is 1-11/16". Is the video wrong or has the nut width changed?
My vote goes to the Martin GPC-13E
Martin is all botton end and the Taylor has more wide range of sound. What is the difference in the 214 deluxe and the 214 standard? I don't care about a gig bag or case or the electronics ut the acoustic sound, thanx. The 214 standard is $899 so why pay $500 more for the deluxe?
I compared the GPC-13e, 000-15M, and the ovangkol grand auditorium model from Martin against the 214 and 224 from Taylor. I was fully planning on buying a Martin, and I really wanted at least one of their models to win me over, but both Taylor’s were far better in sound and playability. Well worth the money, and the solid vs laminate debate means nothing to me.
No question about it. Taylor is the clear winner. We all know you could set those two down grab two different guitars of same model and you could have a different outcome
Man that Martin has some buzzing going on didn't notice it when I listened to this video when it first came out. 6-26-2021
I bought both.
There is one big misleading factor, Taylor uses Elixir meanwhile Martin has Martin Strings. How is a sound comparison possible if they don’t even have the same type of string s?
Is this a serious question? Doesn’t matter if each have the same string, the guitars will still sound different.
You don’t say?
Well how bout having 5$ strings on one of them and the other have 30$ Strings?
One has Gauge 10 and another has Gauge 13?
Can you really tell which GUITAR sounds better in this case? Is that a fair comparison?
Garry Wan put what ever strings you want on them and they will sound different. Put the same strings on hem and they will sound different. Ones a Taylor and ones
‘s a Martin.
I am not sure you understand what I am saying.
At the beginning I already wrote “You don’t say”. It’s very obvious that they don’t sound the same, no guitars will sound the same even if the model is the same.
My point is a sound comparison is not accurate if many factors are different.
Please read all my responses AGAIN if you still can’t understand
I think it would be interesting to keep the string gauge correct to the instruments but swap brands and have a comparison with them both ways ie. 4 guitars maybe 4 players same riffs and cord strum etc.
Still trying to figure out why Taylor would produce the 214ce and the 214ce Plus with a 1-11/16" nut and the 214cd Dlx with a 1-3/4" nut....checked the specs on all 3 and that is what they list.... Maybe Taylor is thinking that better players wanting the Deluxe model would prefer a 1-3/4" nut?? Seems kinda stupid but who knows the reasoning?
The Taylor sounded so much more forward? Midrange?
What you think the 214ce plus basically the same as the dlx but with a hard gig bag or the Martin?
Can you please do a vs on.. taylor 224ce-k dlx vs Martin Sc13e?? thank you
I've played both. The sound is personal preference, but the Taylor projects better and plays easier. Taylor 214 for me.
Why is gloss finish still considered more fancy among guitars? I kinda would like an expensive guitar to feel and look as close to possible to natural wood. Or keep it in a satin finish.
I just bought a Furch Green, and when I compare it to the cheaper models with non-gloss surface, they kinda look nicer. Everything else is going matte these days.