Taylor 114ce vs Yamaha A3M Comparison
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2024
- Looking for an amazing acoustic-electric guitar that won’t break the bank? Alamo Music Center might just have solutions for you! Our own Chris McKee is pretty stoked about the Taylor 114ce and the Yamaha A3M; and he’s going to discuss the differences between the two. Both guitars play and project wonderfully, but you might find that one suits your sound and needs better than the other. Enjoy the video and please subscribe as we always have more waiting for you!
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I have a Taylor 214 CEDLX....I love the guitar, but I also own a Yamaha LW15. The two guitars have totally different sounds. With that said, it comes down to whether you enjoy the brighter sound of Taylor 114ce or the more balanced sound Yamaha offers with the A3M. In addition, the Yamaha A3M is all solid wood. I give it to the Yamaha A3M. I think theses two guitars are worth having.
We Americans can be fickle. The Yamaha is the superior instrument in this demo. It's more resonant in the mids, more detailed in the lows and neck and neck with the Taylor in the upper range. The Taylor is a beautiful instrument and would be a joy to own as well.
I have a 1979 Yamaha 815 Country Jumbo and it is and has been my goto guitar for years. Solid wood top, sides and
Yea, I wish it had been made here in the US but bottom line is, it sounds so good that she's a keeper for the duration.
Thanks for the Demo and confirming my experience with my Yamaha. I am sure there are other models where a comparable Gibson, Taylor or other models would have had the edge.
I own a Yamaha A3R and sounds amazing for the price. The quality construction is incredible too
Great job as usual Chris. The Yamaha sounds so much better. Fuller, richer, more balanced and seemed more responsive.
A very useful comparison. Both instruments sound fine. Oddly enough, the Yamaha has more of a traditional 'American flat-top' sound than the Taylor, to my ear.
Taylors always sound more treble heavy to me. Martins are usually more "mellow" (or "muddy" depending on who you ask!). The Yamaha is a good middle-ground, covering it all very well to me. This yamaha sounds more trebley than a Martin but more balanced than a Taylor. Every guitar has its place - I like the sound of all of them
As a rhythm, high range singer Taylor's sound just doesn't work. Need that bass and fullness to counter. Still, Taylor makes great stuff.
You can easily tell which one he enjoyed playing more. Yamaha has really stepped up their game.
Tried the Yamaha a1m at guitar center and it sounded really good. I imagine the a3m all wood version sounds even better. The A1M had alot of punch and clarity!
I was so mad after I played a ac3r after playing an ac1r. Because I couldn’t take it home with me 😂
I had the A1M and thought the same thing. Purchased the A3M and I was not impressed. I tried changing the nut and saddle to both bone and Tusq along with wooden bridge pins. Didn’t make much of a difference.
I feel like the yamaha has a much fuller sound, and you can hear more of a balance of the trebles bass and mid notes in my opinion, but the Taylor is still amazing no doubt
Yamaha is rocking the acoustic guitar world. Love it!!! The Yamaha A5M will blow you away💪🏼
Great video. Just played both of these at the store and bought the Yamaha - mostly for the full solid wood build and the coloring. (Incidentally, I haven’t seen any video or pictures of the Yamaha that does justice to the color and finish on the sunburst version. Much prettier in person.)
In any event, both guitars sounded quite similar live and unplugged. With background noise in the store, it was hard to do a careful analysis, though. That said, both of them had a noticeably richer, fuller sound than all the other guitars we played in the same price range, including a few Martins, Breedloves, and other Taylor models. It was interesting, the AC3M and the 114ce really stood out from the other models. My friend, an accomplished cellist (played stringed instruments competitively since he was 5 yrs old, music scholarships, and all that), had the same opinion.
Obviously, much depends on the style of music you like and like to play. A cellist might naturally be drawn to the sound of a guitar that sounds more like the noise a cello produces.
Fwiw, we also played the Taylor GS mini Koa at roughly the same price as the AC3M and the 114ce. Not totally sure what all I was expecting but it sounds like (and is) a significantly smaller instrument. Very nice to play and definitely has a good sound. But after watching/listening/reading so many reviews on the GS mini, I did expect it to produce a bigger, fuller sound.
Perhaps the lesson, here, is don’t buy online. My cellist friend thought I was crazy even thinking about buying online without listening to the exact instrument I was buying. Lol
Mine looks way better in person too. I think they vary.
Always interesting to see people's opinions. So often around 50/50. Seems to be a matter personal preference
Yamaha makes world class pianos so its just natural they would put a lot into their guitars. If I bought a Taylor it would be one of the 200 series. Beautiful playing of two nice guitars.
I liked the Taylor for the finger picking portion and the Yamaha for the strumming portion.
Yamaha has the over all balance sound. The low on yamaha has more definition vs the taylors muddy, boomy low bass sound. I'd prefer the yamaha for over all clarity and balance sound.
Agree. I own a AC3M DLX. Love it.
Um it has more bass because its a dreadnot of course its goong to have more bass. Get 2 of the same body then a whole different story.
I have the AC3M and it's a fantastic guitar. Out punches it's weight class for sure. Having said that though, I think I'm going to buy a Taylor next time I'm in the market to buy something high end. Taylor has an amazing sound and their form of neck join makes for insanely simple neck resets, which is something that is eventually necessary on any acoustic guitar.
I have a very hard time telling them apart. They both sound very good, I would give a very slight advantage to the Yamaha but I would be very happy playing either one.
I’ve played them in person. Owned the A3M and sent it back within 2 weeks. It was way too quiet for me even after adding bone nut and saddle. Everything better about the Taylor 114ce…note clarity when picking or strumming, better bass, better playability and all. I even have a cheap Kepma acoustic with a cheap Kepma Acoustafix guitar preamp inside that sounds better than the Yamaha’s SRT electronics did through my Fishman loudbox artist amp. I really wanted to like my Yamaha and was originally biased towards it.
The A3M is more guitar than most people would ever need in terms of premium materials, solid construction, and sound. $900 doesn’t seem cheap, but for what you get I think you have maxed out quality for price. I was blown away testing it out compared to $2-4k guitars. You can often find them in great shape used for $500-700 which is insane for what you get.
I ordered the AC3R the concert version yesterday and I am still wondering if I will be missing out on the premium japanese AC5R... But I got mine on a 25% discount new at around 990€ while the real price new is around 1200-1300€ for the AC3R and 1900-2000€ for the Japanese AC5R so around a grand less then the Japan version.
@@SmoothToast39 I think you chose well. If you had bottomless cash, sure, the Japanese AC5 has slightly nicer finishes, but did not feel much different when I played it. The main difference in price is where it’s made. With modern machining, “made in China” no longer means low quality. Some Chinese factories, including Yamaha are producing amazing guitars and the customer gets to benefit from the cheaper price.
@@thomaskeller9758 Thats great to hear, do you feel like swapping the nut and saddle for a TUSQ material would mean something in the long run?
@@SmoothToast39 Only if you felt like modifying, which can be fun. My A5M didn’t feel like it needed anything out of the box. Nut feels fine to me, but I guess that is the only place they skimped in terms of materials.
@@thomaskeller9758 A3M you mean, You wrote A5M? But if thats the case and the material is fine (urea or whatever they used) if it ever gets damaged I will put TUSQ nut and saddle, only problem is don't know how to get an original hardcase... would really love one but can't find them in the EU.
Bought the yamaha a3r. Really great guitar. I bought it for a studio guitar when I or others want to record vocals and guitar together and want isolation between the 2. It really sounds natural when recorded plugged in. Great stage guitar as you don't have that normal quack sound from most undersaddle pickups. I have 25 or more guitars and would buy this again in a heartbeat. In person there is no true comparison between this particular Taylor and the Yamaha. Yamaha takes it.
I bought the A3R last year and returned. It had too bright and trebly sound, high pitched. Did you feel the same way? Is it the strings that make it sharp sounding? It gave a shrill sound while playing chords or flatpicking.
@@Gman44044 it definitely has less bass than most, more Taylor like. I use D'Addario coated and they sound good but they created it for recording and stage so that's why it has a more subdued bass, to control feedback. If I could only have one guitar I probably wouldn't choose it but for recording and stage it's great.
The Taylor sounds like it has a more focused mid/low range. The Yamaha sounds like the highs are more pristine with a lot more warmth and balance over all. In this demo I easily vote Yamaha...
I don’t see one better than the other, they’re both beautiful instruments. As in most cases, it’s simply personal preference. Thanks yet again Chris for a wonderful review!..
I agree, they're both nice guitars to look at but for sound let's just be honest, in a blind test how many would choose that Taylor... Exactly!
Taylor has a richer tone and sound to it
Clearly different sounding guitars which is great and both sound awesome.
To make a decision on which one to buy, i guess its a matter of taste and present needs. No need for arguments about guitars :)
Balanced and well spoken bass and pronounced treble sounds with a great Eq preamp. The feel on your hands is great. Easy to change to different and difficult chords. Easy to move around the neck and even for songs that required you playing down low. AND ITD SOLID WOOD
Great playing and video, the Yamaha sounded better any that’s what I would have wanted to buy.
Man, Im a 100% Taylor fan, but the Yamaha is way better in this vid!
Taylor 114ce for me!! I actually just purchased this Yamaha A3M thinking it was better than the A1M the I previously had but the A3M is actually quieter. But does have an overall good bass to it. But the mids seem too thin and too shimmery for me and didn’t have good note articulation IMO like the Taylor 114ce. Note: on the A3M I’ve tried replacing the nut and saddles to both tusq and bone, wooden bridge pins, Elixir Phosphor Bronze strings and still sounded too weak! I picked up the Taylor 114ce at a Guitar Center and noticed I didn’t have to strum it as hard to sound loud. It was FAR more playable (to me) chording, fretting, finger picking than the Yamaha A3M. The Taylor IMO didn’t need any tinkering or tweaking (changing nuts, saddles etc) and sounded better too! Sent the A3M back in the return period and now getting this Taylor.
Similar to my experience
Just the comparsion I needed! Yamaha bought!
I defintely prefer the sound of a taylor. I love the clarity and the ring. I will say the a3m has a much warmer sound and is probably more dynamic because of that
Not even close... Taylor has a great name and a good sound but who are we kidding here, that Yamaha beats that Taylor hands down. ✋️
@@jzznup8664 u can’t tell someone that their preference is wrong if that’s what they Iike that’s what they like and their allowed to have that opinion
@kaleb stief You are so right that you may have missed the fact I was simply expressing my own... btw, blind tests are the way to go and I'm yet to see anyone on the tube dare to put Taylor vs Yamaha ac5r blind test. And it's not likely because when there's no name to impact opinion, only sound remains.
I have a 114ce and wow I am BLOWN away with the Yamaha. (Still wouldn’t trade my taylor in tho!!)
Yamaha has a smoother, warmer sound, but the Taylor seemed to have more distinct string voicing. Probably want both but would buy the Yamaha first.
Rosewood
I’ve spent last four months trying all brands......I bought Taylor and this is why!
Yamaha all the way, Taylor makes an outstanding guitar no doubt, but in this particular comparison Yamaha wins, in my opinion
Solid wood beats laminate back and sides. The Taylor sounds good, but the additional resonance and depth in the all-solid makes a difference in all the brands. I'd like to see a comparison of the Yamaha A5 versus, say, a Taylor 314 and/or Martin 16-series.
@@drewdavis2392 exactly. I don’t think this is a balanced comparison since that Taylor is not all solid wood.
Yamaha guitars are really amazing guitars in turns of their built and playability and their prices start really low which are still great sounding and really good for both beginners and advance players alike. Moreover, they can also become expensive and very competitive with other and more popular higher-end guitars but they can still keep up well with the quality and overall performance...!!!
Outstanding for gigging so you don't ruin those 3k Martins, and Taylors.
Love the sound of the Taylor better. That's the true sound of the modern guitar imho... Perhaps some of the sound difference is actually the shape? Grand Auditorium sound is so fresh
Yeah I was thinking the same thing.
Then why does a higher end Taylor sound more like the Yamaha?
Yes dreadnaught and grand auditorium. Dreadnaught has more bass while grand auditorium has crisp high notes.
@@Renaldo015 They are actually very close in size because different companies size their guita4s differently.
I currently own a Taylor 114 CE nice sounding guitar but I don’t think it’s any match against the Yamaha.
On everything he played I thought the Yamaha sounded better. However, when he played the blues, I thought the Taylor had a brighter sound which was more bluesy than the Yamaha. So, I guess it depends on what type of music you're playing.
I agree the Taylor is very punchy which lends well to blues playing imo
informative video Chris. I recently got to play a Taylor 324ce. A guitar I've been wanting to purchase. The neck felt Thicker than what I'm used to which propelled me into researching neck widths and thickness on popular acoustics and how that affects playing. Not knowing if You've already addressed this, I would be nice to see you speak about this perhaps using Alamo's popular models as a comparison and your own thoughts. Thanks!
LOL I just bought the 114ce this very day my friend....I thought the Yamaha had a better sound here. Still, I am so in love with my Taylor.
Taylor as some character sound that i really like, Yamaha for the build quality!
Thanks for this series of videos ... really nice and useful !!!
You are welcome!
Yamaha winner I got a APXT2 mini electric acoustic it's beautiful for the $179
I have an 114ce and I love it, above all the acoustic sound.
My favourite was this… soft playing wow so nice. Very clear. When you play hard, articulated and clear!! For the most part No mud!!
Taylor’s sound so fantastic, but Yamaha’s great also, hope someday could having one of them
Wow! I have a 110 C for sale now lol
Amazing guitar playing good sir!! Very much enjoyed that more than the shoot out. 👏👏👏👏
I watched/listened to this video....it solved a dilemma for me......I went out the next day and traded in my Taylor 114 ce for the Yamaha A3r.....I have other Taylors. .Hard to let go of the 114..it is a really nice guitar at that price.......but I just had to have the rosewood.....whole other ballgame....
For the price ,both of these guitars sound really good. The Yamaha seems to have a slight edge.What type of AMP are you plugged in to, I'd like to see you demo the electronics on guitars like these .
Check out the review of Yamaha AC3R electronics variations.....th-cam.com/video/EVh4IDyOqDg/w-d-xo.html Pretty interesting. I believe it's the same product. French titles but you can figure it out. I am trying to purchase a new guitar in this price point and am stuck on Taylor 114CE and the Yamaha AC3R. Didn't get to play the Yamaha yet though. Like others have mentioned, I preferred the sound of the Taylor 114CE over the 214. It is definitely a personal preference.
Why did you compare a dreadnought (A3) body with a Concert body (114ce)? Of course they sound so different,should have compared the Yamaha AC3 R or M instead,does not make any snese this way.
The overall size of the taylor is not the same that the yamaha. Its not a Concert size, its bigger
@@renerguez Yamaha AC3R and Taylor 114ce are "basically same size",while the A3M IS a Dreadnought...make peace with yourself.
How about a few simple strums?
he doesnt know how
This is a great video but you can’t really compare the sound between a dreadnought and a orchestra sized guitar. The dreadnought is going to have much more base and low end. I’ve owned both of these guitars and I actually still own the Taylor but comparing the😊 Taylor to my Gibson J 45 or my Gibson songwriter it doesn’t even compare. Should definitely compare a 110 or 210 for this to be more of a fair comparison
Two different sounding guitars but it would be the Yamaha for me.
Hi guys, my name is Travis Yates, a.k.a. Travis burkhalter I’m a musician, guitar player, songwriter, singer, I love music. I also was a person who is born with cerebral palsy, which is a muscular disease that made it hard for me to learn how to walk I didn’t walk till I was seven and then later it also made it very difficult to learn how to play guitar, but I did both of those things although when I would play guitar, it seem like no matter how low the action or health in the string, I would struggle with it due to my cerebral palsy until one day a friend of mine handed me a Taylor guitar. It was like magic. It was beautiful. The heavens parted, and I could play guitar like I’ve never had before. I’ve never forgot that day, and I’ve never been able to afford to Taylor being home on a fixed income, but if you could see it in your hearts guys to sponsor me just one Taylor guitar, I will play it on everything I ever write again I will put it on every show that I do. I will play it on every online venture I do and I will forever be grateful, and my mama always told me With God behind you, there’s no telling what can happen and there’s no harm in asking so here’s me asking you guys. I hope you don’t mind please let me know.
I love yamaha acoustic guitars. But i have to admit it sounded kinda compressed when played in comparison with the taylor which sounded big and open. Both guitars are great.
Before the test I closed my eyes, put on my Superlux HD668B studio headphone and start listening and only open up my eyes to see when I feel the sound come from the best guitars, and it was Yamaha., it still maintain clarity and auditory composition while resonating nicely.
Ain't even close. Yamaha all day. I picked my A1R over a Taylor 316ce because it sounded better and was HALF the price. With a bone nut/pin/bridge saddle conversion, sounds like a pro axe
God bless you. If a Yamaha did it for me I'd have a lot more cash in the bank.
I had a Yamaha A1M. It was $500 made in China guitar. The finish was amazing as well as the sound of it. The strings “felt” like they took them off some farmers barbwire fence someplace. Lol. I didn’t care for the frets and fretboard either , but it looked great in transparent black.
Nice demo. But when you're talking about guitars with more premium pickups as opposed to basic piezos, a direct plugged-in demo would make it more helpful. I want to hear which one can sound the closest to its natural, unplugged tone through its onboard electronics.
Can't go wrong with either. I think they are two different animals though. My love for Yamaha goes back to the 70's. I've had an FG six string and two 12 strings. Wonderful guitars. Even at the $200 mark, Yami's are impressive.
That being said, I just got home with my new 114CEW and it is stunning. Never have been a Taylor guy. I strummed this particular guitar about a week ago at GC and it turned my head. Strummed an open E and others in the room turned around. I came back every day this past week to make sure my ears weren't playing games. GC knocked them down to $750 and 36 months financing. It was too good to pass up. Taylor's just have a distinct sound. Martin is the King still in my book but way out of my price range.
Good to hear your thoughts on Taylors coming from a respect for the Yamaha Acoustics. I'm looking at taylors also. I like their Acoustics with spruce top / mohagany back-sides for sound, but the neck on their 314ce felt too thick to me. Any thoughts on that versus your yamaha's ?
Hmm... ...Could've pitted the AC3M against the 114ce. Not sure why the mic was moved further away (off-axis) from the sound hole for the Yamaha (which is one reason the Taylor sounds louder even tho' you'd expect the dread to have more volume). Finally, why not give us a chance to hear the pickups?
well that was embarrassing to taylor...THE YAMAHA UTTERLY DESTROYED IT...I was shocked because I like Taylors but in this comparison The yamaha had depth warmth and brightness and balance wowwwww
Agreed
MAGNIFICENT MASK I’m a huge Yamaha fan! My fgx800 sings like a Taylor and hums like a Martin for a fraction of the cost. However, the higher end 400 series and up Taylor sound on par with the price tag and Martin guitars are legendary in their own right. If I had the $$ I’d buy one of each, but on my teacher’s budget ...my Yamaha was a damn good investment!
Concert body against a dreadnought of whats the comparison?
To me Taylor sounded more naturaly, like it's not amplified. I liked it better than Yamaha.
I agree, Taylor didn't have a real acoustic sound and was crap on the bass end where as the Yamaha was pretty even across the board.
Proud owner of a Yamaha A3M. It’s my favorite guitar for the past two years. I’m a bit biased, but in this video I think the A3M sounds more “full” the 114ce. The A.R.E. wood treatment that Yamaha uses gives the guitar better resonance right out the box
I just got the A3M and returned it. After trying a bone nut and saddle and wooden bridge pins. It was way too quiet even when strumming the living daylights out of it. Went to GC and tried the new walnut back and sides Taylor 114ce and was blown away by how much better it sounded (strumming or picking) than the A3m was. The playability and action is far better too with the Taylor. Also my cheap Kepma acoustic with a cheap Kepma brand preamp sounded way better plugged in my Fishman amp than the Yamaha SRT electronics could deliver.
@@jasonkennedy2348 sometimes it happens. Sorry to hear about your experience. The A3M has a “warm” tone, or what is audibly quiet compared to rosewood guitars. The A3R, is made from rosewood was probably what you were looking for. Or perhaps just a higher quality brand in general. But I do stand by my word that Yamaha is still quality. I’m sure out of the thousands of guitars they manufactur, a handful of them have to be defective and I’m super bummed for you 🙏🏽
@@Bryan_Lion Those are kind words. Thank you. I probably should’ve gave it more of a chance. I really wanted to like it. It just didn’t have that sound after changing to Elixir Nanoweb Phospher Bronze (my standard for strings lol). It wasn’t bad tho. Maybe in the future if there’s a good deal on one I wouldn’t be opposed to an A5M or an AC5. Enjoy the A3m I’m sure it’ll be a long lasting guitar.
I've played both, and although they are both excellent, I'd buy the A3M first.
Really getting a lot of great feedback for this video. The A3M is indeed a stellar instrument.
I would only but all solid wood at that price point. So the Taylor would be out.
@@ramspencer5492 you would be outing a very good guitar for superficial reasons
@@thejgod4982 I've played that Taylor. It's nice, but it doesn't feel as big as a good solid wood offering. Nothing wrong with it. It feels like a mid-range guitar. The Yamaha was more full and big sounding. Taylor makes good guitars..... But they don't really take off yet in that tier, IMO
@@ramspencer5492 Fair enough, was just saying you shouldn't dismiss something because it does not have solid back and sides, rather you should dismiss it because you tried it and don't like it like you said
Made in the USA or North America means nothing any more. People have been making stringed instruments in Asia for much longer than anyone in America. The Yamaha sounded much warmer than the Taylor which sounded anaemic. Yamaha gets my vote.
Agreed, and you don't need to know anything about music to know that, lol. Japanese have been expert craftsmen and engineers for ages, and all instrument manufacturers clearly have gone to countries and regions close to them - but with cheaper labour - to lower price points (i.e., China, Mexico). I have a Yamaha made in China. It plays beautifully. I've never had a Taylor, but I AM curious about the neck that some people so rave about.
I don´t care about the guitar, all I want is to play like him someday.
Me too.
Seriously? Pls reconsider
Well if you put a little work that might happen. Nothing bad here but nothing unreachable...
for me the Yamaha sounded more even and the Taylor was "thumpy" on the bass end.
tried Taylor, Alvarez and Yamaha guitars at this approx price point a few weeks ago. I bought a Yamaha A3R, because the pick up system just sings joyfully when put through a clean, flat, wide frequency range amplifier system.
Mostly paying for the name when you get a Taylor. I owned both high end Martin and Taylor guitars. I also owned low end guitars like the takamine g series. I bought a lot and sold a lot of guitars because I have not yet bought one that truly resonated to my ears. I purchased the Yamaha concert ac3r yesterday. Yamaha does sound beautiful in my ears. So let’s see how the purchase goes.
A year later...your thoughts on the Yamaha? Thanks
@@itsthatsimple7237 really good. If you are looking for a solid rosewood guitar for a good price I would buy it
@@itsthatsimple7237 I’m very iffy about Taylor “layered wood” basically HPL wood “high pressed laminate” you have your pros and cons for solid wood vs laminate wood. Laminate is good because you don’t have to adjust the neck as much (weather conditions play a huge role) solid wood guitars tend to have a bow when the weather is cold. Wood breaths that’s why. Solid overall has a better tone. I’d rather go with a solid Yamaha then a layered wood Taylor. In the end you are just paying for the name of the brand.
@@gagerdrg thanks for the feedback. I have the Yamaha FG 800 and was looking to upgrade either the AC3 or 5. In this video I liked the 3 much better.
@@itsthatsimple7237 5 is better
Could you do a comparison between Yamaha A series vs their L series? Also what songs do you play for these reviews?
L is better
Should have used a Yamaha AC3M... ail have been a more balanced comparison.
Nicholas Lim I was thinking the same thing.
I thought the same. But then that's also a Concert size Vs a Grand auditorium.
I was thinking LJ16 which has almost the same size of gran auditorium taylor 114. They have similar price point too.
This is so subjective....
I think the Taylor won the stuff that was more nuanced and required less digging in, but not by a mile. It was much closer than that.
This surprised me a little but the Yamaha held it's own all the way through and actually won the little Blues segment. It just had more guts, while the Taylor sounded a little anemic in that area.
I couldnt pick an overall winner without playing them both... but if I had to pick an "Island" guitar I would likely pick the Yamaha because I plays me some Blues and I tend to dig in quite a lot. If I were an "easy touch" finger style player I'd go for the Taylor.
Yamaha looks more comfortable to play. Think it's in the neck
You know you're American when sounds divide into "losers" and "winners"
Both great guitar.
Taylor 114ce is better if your more to fingerstyle playing and want a modern sound .it sound is so detailed and by the way i was just playing it earlier .
Yamaha a3m is your more to singing and jamming with friends coz it will blend in like a harp ..
Both guitars playability and action are good.
Thats just my opinion.
4 years ago , I have both guitar ..now I only have yamaha and sold the Taylor... I'm in love with the yamaha Japan made guitars
I’ve never been a Yamaha fan until recently. Just bought a Yamaha FGTA. Love it with or without the effects. That being said I’d take the Yamaha A3M over the Taylor. Yamaha just got a new customer 👍🏾
did anyone notice or is it just me who notice he gets more into groove when he plays yamaha than taylor.
Yes he doesn't like the way Taylor's are set up... He has big hands! Most people are the opposite, he even says he likes a 1 3/4 nut on some of his reviews. I can tell playing Taylor's are kind of uncomfortable for him, I bet he's secretly a Martin guy. lol!
That's just the wood speaking.
Is it really relevant to compare a Dreadnought with a Grand Auditorium ? I think the difference in sound comes mostly from these different kinds of guitar, rather than the brands.
the mic doesn't do Yamaha justice. It is overwhelmed with how full the sound is. might've been better to also showcased the plugged-in version as well. Otherwise - amazing video from these guys.
Much appreciated!
I have a yamaha fgx730sc and a taylor 114ce
They're both amazing for different reasons.
For home playing and dynamics the taylor is my favorite
Gigging live i like the yamaha with medium strings (for what i do). I like the pickups eq board, i can really dial in how i want to hear myself despite the locales board set up.
The taylor is magical though
I have a 45 year old Yamaha, and the A3M comes pretty close. I would put a $240 Ibanez Mahogany that I have over that Taylor. Sorry.
Which Ibanez? The artwood one?
Superb comparison video! How about one between Sire R7 and Yamaha AC3R/AC3M (Both being in the same price range) ?
Depth goes to Yamaha......but there's something about Taylor's bright sound that talks to me loudly....that voice has made me by a number of Taylor guitars....picked up a mini bass today
You may lose some tone with a Taylor, but it is hard to beat for the string balance and smooth playing neck.
this is hard, i like the neck and body design of the taylor, but the yamaha sounds more clean to me, but the neck piece really matters to me and im stressing out on which one to buy
I'm a Taylor fan but this Yamaha to my ears just sounded brighter and fuller. Yamaha wins.
I like them both. Two great guitars!
We agree wholeheartedly!
The Taylor 114ce just sounds so much more crisp to me. The highs and mids are so much clearer to me. The Yamaha has a warm sounds that sounds wonderful... until you hear the Taylor.
This is not a fair comparisson due to different shape of guitars. Because of this Yamaha has better sound for strumming and Taylor for fingerpicking.
Wow, great options
It's really hard to compare since they are distinct in shape. But I like more the Yamaha. And Im a fan of dreads.
This is a hard one. I don’t care for the Yamaha body but I love the solid wood and heat treatment. I prefer the Taylor’s sound and overall look.
all solid with treatment at this price.
yamaha will get even better as time goes on.
yeah this is a very easy decision to make no doubt.
Sound is HIGHLY subjective and when you figure in other variables such as mics, pre's, the YT audio and your speakers it's impossible to tell much about the true tone from any instrument over the internet. However, there are other parameters that you can discern about specific sounds which is helpful. I watched numerous vids before I bought a Taylor 314CE V-brace. Based solely on YT vids I probably wouldn't have bought it. Bought it anyway online and am happy to say it's one of the few things I'm in love with. I've a Martin GPCRSGT as well and it still has a place but the Taylor is what I always pick up. I bought a Yammy A3M and returned it immediately. Primarily because of the putrid odor of the Chinese glue. Hard to play a guitar that literally stinks no matter how decent it may sound. That doesn't come through on a youtube vid either. Just my $.02.
I have owned a Tobacco Sunburst A3M for just over 2 years, i feel like I needed a change in sound (my playability is outstanding with a good local set up).I just tried the Taylor 114CE in store, I can attest that the Yamaha plays way better (granted the action was higher on the Taylor in store). The Taylor does have a different sound but honestly I prefer my Yamaha to it and won't be changing
A better comparison would've been between the AC3R and 114ce, the A3M would definitely sound bigger and brighter with the dreadnaught body.
To my ears the taylor is more defined especially with the finger play, the bass and midrange are more present, sharper and dry which gives a better definition in the mix. The Yamaha has a more muffled sound at finger play.
But as said is always a matter of taste, both are good guitars.
Very true!
Agreed. Well said. That being said I tried the Yamaha at a local music store and preferred it. Basically prefer the playability.
Yamaha seemed like it would sound best by itself or with a singer because it is so smooth and balanced.
It's not trying to have its mids and highs cut through its trying to have a smooth balanced between all frequencies so it does better in silo playing like this.
Huge fan of Yamaha, and Taylor , I just bought a Taylor 114ce .. honestly it is super comfortable to play, ... It really depends on what you are doing .. the Taylor is a little brighter, but it does seem to lack some of the depth the yammy has ... It really depends on what you wanna do .... Either one could beat the other out on different varieties of style you apply, Both excellent guitars ..
What is your thoughts in regards to the Taylor 114ce and fingerstyle guitar
@@0409isaac so far i think the Taylor is excellent for finger style ! It has that bright sound, so every note comes out really clear . And keep in mind that it is a 900 dollar guitar, so it's not going to sound crappy. It all depends on what you can afford .. the 114 is worth the money in my opinion.
Would be great to know the microphone you're using to record these acoustic examples. Nicely done.
The taylor is such a beautiful piece of instrument. why does most manufacturer's add these monochromatic paint jobs to their guitar tops instead of leaving the wood grain visible?
Both wonderful guitars at this price level, and whilst sound can be very subjective I think most players would go for the Yamaha on sound .... It's difficult to compare as the Yamaha is all solid woods, and if the Taylor had all solid wood then it would be a much higher price point. Value for money and sound it's Yamaha ... maybe the Taylor has a different feel and is easier to play. I wouldn't say no to either! Great review as usual
any Taylor I've ever tried under about $1200- $1400 sounded tinny to my ear ( that one is not quite as bad-maybe because of the walnut as opposed to sappelle ) The Yamaha has much nicer bass response - and best all round tone.
One is a dreadnought and the other a grand auditorium? Not sure if it is a fair comparison, but the Yamaha killed the Taylor, the sound is deeper, richer and more complex. Perhaps is due to the size difference, if not, one guitar is underrated and the other overrated for the price you pay.
Thought the same. 👍
Taylor is nice, bright tone would match vocals of very high range. The overall projection is clearly in favor of the Yamaha. I'm more attracted to the mid and low range. Both are excellent instruments.