What's The BEST Acoustic Guitar Brand? (Tier List)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2024
- Not long ago, I put together a brand tier list for electric guitars. A lot of you guys requested an acoustic list, so here I am, stirring the pot on which acoustic guitar brand is the best of the best (and the worst of the worst)...in my humble opinion.
To be fair, I’ve only included brands where I’ve had firsthand experience with their guitars. I know some of these products are made in the same factories, and some companies might have both entry-level products and high-end products, so I’ve created these tiers based on how I’d rank the brand as a whole.
Let the pot-stirring begin!
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Brands Featured:
Collings Guitars www.collingsguitars.com/
Breedlove Guitars imp.i114863.net/Breedlove
Taylor Guitars imp.i114863.net/Taylor
Martin Guitars imp.i114863.net/Martin
Gibson Guitars imp.i114863.net/GibsonAcoustic
Yamaha Guitars imp.i114863.net/YamahaAcoustic
Seagull Guitars imp.i114863.net/SeagullAcoustic
Larrivee Guitars www.larrivee.com/
Ovation Guitars imp.i114863.net/OvationAcoustic
Alvarez Guitars www.alvarezguitars.com/
Epiphone Guitars imp.i114863.net/EpiphoneAcoustic
Takamine Guitars imp.i114863.net/TakamineAcoustic
Gretsch Guitars imp.i114863.net/GretschAcoustic
Guild Guitars imp.i114863.net/GuildAcoustic
Fender Guitars imp.i114863.net/FenderAcoustic
Ibanez Guitars imp.i114863.net/IbanezAcoustic
Washburn Guitars imp.i114863.net/WashburnAcoustic
Mitchell Guitars mitchellguitars.com/
Rogue Guitars www.rogueguitarshop.com/
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apparently you haven,t played a high end takamine,
Zager!!!
Luna wasn't there...
No Maton?!
@Guitario I used to have an Aria acoustic when I was younger. It’s been a while and I was young so I don’t know if I was just ignorant but I remember it having a great sound and really comfortable to play. It’s been probably 25 years since I had it. Have you ever played that brand before?
The very best guitar is, the one you can afford. IMO
I can afford 200 different ones.
@Gerald Dixon Cummings
There’s nothing wrong with an Epiphone. Not everybody can afford a $3000 guitar.
But almost every brand has cheaper versions.
This is an empty platituden
@@JacaboBlanco empty platitude
Would save my money until I can buy a good one. Just drink less beer at the pub
I recently bought a Martin after playing on Tanglewood and Yamaha for years, The Martin is a whole different animal, it has a beautiful tone quality and feels great to play.
I prefer the D-18 to the D28 for the warmer sound from mahogany, but that's a matter of taste.
A buddy of mine just purchased one and it sounds incredible and is super light.
I picked up an OM-28 back in 2015 from Guitar Center. What I did (which I highly recommend if they still do it) is purchase a new guitar (order if necessary) during their black Friday sale. They offered a 15% discount on anything, and I took advantage of it to order a new Martin. I save over 400 bucks that way (about 2800 vs 2400).
I bought a 000-28 about 6 months ago and couldn't be happier! Never thought I would spend that much on a guitar but it will probably be the last one I buy. I have a Yamaha which I still like and play often but I thought it was time to step up! Very happy with my choice!
I bought my first Martin in 1971 and still own it and have added to the collection since then. For me their warmth, pronounced bass and playability make them a joy every time I pick them up. Taylor’s are just a bit behind but still wonderful to play. Your guitar life is a journey, enjoy them all.
That video was sensational. I wish more people with a broad range of experience would do this "tier" sort of breakdown, whether that be Power Tools, Lathes, Scuba Diving gear or anything. It is very handy for when you're just trying to get a feel for a particular market before buying and it helps reduce the overall amount of research you need to do when getting in. Cheers
^^^^
I agree. Would make an informative, overall valuable list for beginners to continuous, advanced, professional enthusiasts. There would be a lot of branches on the acoustic tree. Classical, Spanish, Folk, Western, Rock, Rock, Blues, Jazz...etc.
Buying a Martin after almost quitting was the spark I needed to fully learn guitar. Didn’t realize how good I had gotten until I actually played on a decent guitar - you’d be surprised by the difference. They are incredible in terms of playability
Had a buddy buy a Martin - and depending upon the humidity it went in and out of tune constantly.
@@dbpool I guess every brand no matter how good can have a dodgy one. It's not indicative of the entire brand. Asz for electric guitars I recognise that Gibson are a good guitar but I'm not a true fan. I had a LP but it was heavy and it had some quality issues. Played fine but absolutely not worth the money they charge. I am a big fan of Fender electric even though they at times also have quality issues. For me they sound better, feel better, look better. It's all personal taste isn't it?
@@dbpool I have 3 Martins and never have had this issue. You probably live in a climate that favors one humidity extreme or something.
Probably loose or bad tuners.@@dbpool
@@dbpool That is normal. Wood is a living thing and moves with the weather and temperature changes. Even with the best instrument tuning can vary, even during a playing session. I check my tuning between every song when I am on stage, always tune up before playing and just expect to do that. It is automatic.
The first step to learning to play a guitar is to learn how to tune it. I am old enough to have used a tuning fork as the only accurate option. Clip on electronic tuners are cheap and awesome today. It does not matter if I pick up a cheap electric or my D35, first thing I do is tune it. It is the most import part of your playing. Tune early, tune often, sound great, be happy player!
I have a Takamine pro series made in Japan that I regularly gig with for about a year now. It was 1500.00 US dollars. I’ve owned and played everything from Rouge to Martin and in between. My Takamine plays and sounds better than all of them. Of course that’s subjective, but that’s been my personal experience.
I once bought a Takamine because I thought it was beautiful. I thought I would learn to play... I never learned. I sold it 10 years later for full price. Resale tells you plenty about any instrument.
There is a big difference between the G series guitars and the guitars made in Japan. Night and day. the Japanese Takamine guitars IHO are right up there with Martin and Taylor. With the best ones costing over 5K. Takamine wrote the book on acoustic guitar pickup systems and they still are ahead of the pack.
Cort is a very underrated guitar company
He probably overlooked Cort which have many good affordable ones n the Earth 300ss is Wow!
Was the very first guitar I bought. Still love it, has a great sound for blues and it’s in my office at work and gets plenty of attention every day!!
Yeah Im lucky to have two of their high end Gold series - blown away by response from a couple of different luthiers about quality and tone especially for the dollars -come setup well but truly come alive after a good setup. I love the sound and feel and that I don’t have to be too precious with them.
I think Cort stand on par with the Yamahas?
I am a Taylor fan. Owned a 310CE and traded it for 412E and sold it. Bought myself the Taylor Mini GS and it blew my mind. I played this guitar every day in the last 6 months of owning it than the 2 previous Taylors that I had when I owned it. It doesn't matter what brand or model or price of the guitar you get as long as it is comfortable and it has that connection to you.
Hear that, picked up a mini 6 mo back and its all good, great bang for the buck. Though that action on the fretboard, i just gota laugh/ha ha! Multiple forums ive seen people complain about it, though easily fixable hitting up the truss rod. That being said; I occasionally mess around with a slide and some blues, which actually goes great with high action /so haven't done any adjusting for the time being. The couch guitar is a thing.. a strange and cool phenomenon, anything that gets you practicing more is a win. -Cheers
Yep I have the Taylor gs mini in koa and same experience blew my mind had to buy it
Putting in a shout out for Epiphone. I am a beginner/intermediate guitarist picking it back up again after it sitting around for years when I bought it back in college and have an Epiphone DR-100. I see everyone complain about what goes wrong with cheap guitars (bad tone, buzzing, not staying in tune, etc) and have not really felt held back by this guitar yet so for the price I'd recommend it to anyone for getting starting under $200 a la your comments about Yamaha (who I've also heard is fantastic for the price point). Your analysis seems fair and perhaps YMMV with quality and consistency but none the less I will always remember and love this old Epiphone on my guitar journey.
Although I am not feeling held back of course my eyes are looking towards moving up soon. Have had Martin, Breedlove, Taylor and Yamaha all on my radar so glad to see I am on track to get something solid there. Good video man
Proud Yahama owner, good bang for my buck and helped get me jump started playing. ❤️
Same here.
same here...i have a very good ovatin as well as a greg bennet too...these are are well made and very nice..
Yahama? Anything like my Yamaha?
same here
For the money you can't beat yamaha.
For me the Taylor necks and fretboards are just perfect. They just feel right. I think how the guitar fits your particular body makes a big difference.
Agreed. I have had a Taylor 315 for 18 years, it is my partner. I chose a Breedlove 12 for when I want 12, it's good enough... if not great. I will stand by classic Gibsons though, I have a family hand me down S-25 that just has the most amazing tone, doesn't get the playtime my Taylor does, but it's still a great guitar. Sad that Gibson is no longer as good as they once were.
@@sabermoon5393 Gibson's quality control is a lot better now. In 2022, I bought a new Les Paul Standard, and in 2023 I got a new J-45 Standard. Both these guitars absolutely dominate my old '90s era Gibsons. I also have a Taylor 414ce that I love, but this J-45 is in an entirely different universe. I was shocked that this or any guitar could be that much better than the Taylor.
@@f3uibeghardt522 Good to hear Gibson is getting that under control. My S-25 is a real jewel and I have played many Gibsons that were the best of the best, but in the 2000's though that seemed to change. The S-25 (Folksinger) is a vintage 64.
@@leefranklin3054 Oh yeah, definitely. Gibson was awful during all those years. Every one I picked up and played was just utterly terrible, and I pretty much completely wrote Gibson off and saw them as an irreparable lost cause. But even I can't believe how fantastic my new ones are. And it's not just the tone or fit and finish/QC that are superior, the playability is unbelievably good. I can't believe I'm actually hearing myself say these words right now. I would've been thrilled if they were simply able to return to the quality of my '90s 'good wood era' Gibsons, but these new ones are actually even better - and better by many orders of magnitude.
gc ukulele
I have a Taylor 410CE made in the late 90's. This guitar is absolutely amazing. It's my lifetime guitar and I've gone through a lot of guitars over the years. I will never replace it. I've played with other musicians who've owned Martins, Yamahas, Gibsons, Fenders (and the list goes on) and they all raise an eyebrow when I play this guitar. It cuts through like nothing else.
I’m still fairly new at playing guitar but I did recently upgrade to a PRS Angelus. I played one at a guitar center in Nashville. But I also played an Alvarez there too and thought it was really comparable to the PRS at about the same price range. About $750 price range. Great list
Seagull guitars have such an inspiring sound to them. Makes me want to play it all day.
The cherry with the cedar top has the most unique sound of all that warm mellow sound that sings to your heart
Couldn't agree more. I have a Seagull Entourage...basically an S6 with a burst top. The quality you get for the price is extraordinary.
I have an S6 for over 13 years now, and I've written so many songs on it I can't remember. I take it with me everywhere I go and it's got a beautiful woody sound to it now after a decade of being loved. I have all the other guitar models and makes, but I always take my Seagull with me everywhere I go.
Agree, I have played just about every Seagull guitar models and they're excellent. I liked the Maritime SWS CW GT Q1T more than the D16rgt.
I think Seagulls sound great, but for the life of me, I can't get over the goofy headstock.
I had a Yamaha FG 335 for over 40 years, it was great for what it was. I did a lot of work on it. Then I got a Collings this year, wow. Fabulous. I liked it so much better than all the Martins I tried and I honestly never thought I would get any guitar other than a Martin. I agree with so much of your review. Thanks
My first guitar when I was 14 years old was aK Yairi for like 500 Euro, back in 1982. I Still Love It And Will Never Sell It 🥰 Incredible quality
I totally agree! I bought mine (Yairi) in 1997 and when I was searching for one I tried lots to finaly choosed between a Gibson at 2500.00$ CAD and my dear Yairi at 1300.00$ CAD. The Yairi wins all the way not for the price but for the deep sound she provides. This instrument is still is my best guitar ever!
Those are lifetime keepers.
I have a Taylor and a Martin. Love them. You can include Collings, Furch and Lakewood guitars in that same level. Personally, my other favourite guitars that I have tried and are a notch higher are McPherson, Goodall, Charis and Kevin Ryan guitars. Ones I have not tried yet are the Froggy Bottom and Olson guitars. But the reviews are superb.
Don't forget Boucher guitars as well!
If you like an Olson, try his protégée, Brian Applegate. He built me two acoustics (and two Teles as a personal favor) and they are AMAZING.
Larrivee needs to be A for real. Such super quality parts and build quality. These really are some of the best guitars out there
Larrivee is a much better guitar than where you put it....consistently far better....A for sure....I own a Larrivee L04....incredible guitar....superior to any of the new Martins or Taylors I tried out (I also own two vintage Martins....a 1941 D-18 and a 1955 D-28....prefer using Larrivee for everyday playing to Martins)....the Larrivee is my go to acoustic guitar
That one surprised me the most too...
YES, YES, YES - the only guitar that sounds better to me is a Collings - but they are way outside my price range
Awesome guitars. When they were made in Vancouver. A little stiff in the beginning
Larivee and Gibson are A tier guitars. I've got a Martin 00018 and a Taylor 810 and they're both amazing guitars but Ive played Larivees and Gibsons that are definitely in the same league. Martins are woody and lush, Taylors are very hifi and chimey, Larivees and Gibsons are kinda somewhere in between with their own unique voices.
The BEST acoustic guitar brand is the guitar that you can afford and the guitar that INSPIRES you to pick it up and play every day. There is no BEST guitar brand. Just my opinion, of course.
I'm with you there Tyler. I have had some good Martins, but I'm currently play a Taylor 522 Hog, love this guitar, and haven't found a Martin that sounds as good to me. It's a matter of choice, I don't think you can pick a "best" brand.
Spot on. Period.
Great point, if your ear doesn't like it, don't buy it.
Well said
I totally agree! When I first started playing a couple of years ago I started with a cheap £60 guitar from Argos. The strings were so hard to push down and would buzz even if your finger placement was perfect. It ended up gathering dust for a few months until recently. I just couldn't play anything on it and had become unmotivated. A couple of weeks back i decided to pop down to my local guitar shop and start learning again from scratch and I've brought a new guitar for about £200. It is a Vintage solid top and I love it!! It has a really nice sound and the action is much lower so pressing the strings is so much easier. I've practised every day since buying it and will hopefully be able to play something soon like a full song 😂
This list is really well done. I own a Taylor and 2 Breedloves,all 3 are excellent in their own way. I agree with every placement!
I found this list well thought--out.
My own favorites are the Breedloves. Taylors come close, and in a way they're close cousins in that a couple of members of the Breedlove family had actually worked for Taylor. To me, Breedlove guitars come across as what Taylor would have evolved into if they'd stayed on their original path.
Gotta hand it to Taylor and Martin too, though. Taylor is pretty well known for innovation, and Martin is way more willing to experiment and take chances than they get credit for.
gibson has the distinction of being the worst and best guitar I've ever played
Wich guitar is the best and the worst?
@@marty9221 no specific models - I've just had varying degrees of success with Gibson -
@@MrSmackdab okay, i m actually searching for a new accoustic guitare but i m still a beginner and i don t know which one choose so if you can help me😉
@@marty9221 what's the budget?
@@louismachin9681 around 350$/€
Seagull guitars are the best value period, change my mind. It plays like a thousand bucks and you only pay around five hundred for it, every guitar they've ever made has a solid wood top and solid maple neck, and you can get solid wood body ones for under $1000. Action is set up very well and the tone is warm and full. Long live Seagull
I agree! Seagull S6 original are great guitar for the money. Sound is bright and built quality is fantastic.Godin makes excellent instrument for the money.I play on the S6 most of the time.
I agree if you cant afford a Martin or Lowden Seagull are a great alternative
Bought my Seagull S6 when I graduated from high school and still absolutely love it to this day (15 years later). I’ve got some nicks and dings in the finish from not properly placing it on guitar stand through the years, but that thing sounds better than I say I bought it. Would never get rid of it.
Just bought a Taylor 114e as my intro into the Taylor world. A lot people say the Seagull S6 is better, so I will soon find out. Either way, I’m sure I’ll love both for their separate personalities.
Bought a Martin 12-string for just over $800 then brought it back and exchanged it for a Seagull Coastline 12-string and saved $200. Maybe just a tad brighter than the Martin but still warm and room-filling sound. The build materials and quality of construction has no match at this price.
Absolutely agree! I have several Martins, all nicer ones (i.e., solid wood bodies). The only other guitar in my collection that comes close to them is a lower-end Seagull (Entourage Rustic). Even with a laminate body, it's nearly as enjoyable and satisfying to play as my Martins that all cost considerably more - several times more in some cases.
Sorta fun list and seems pretty fair on the whole, esp. since it's 'personal' and based on instruments you have played. FWIW I have an 86 Ovation & 92 Taylor - love 'em both. A couple of other brands I would recommend any player check out are K. Yairi (hand crafted in Nagoya) and Lowden (Ireland). I own 3 Yairis (2 from the 70's) and they are exceptional. I've also played a couple of Lowdens belonging to a friend (steel & nylon) and they are also lovely instruments. Thanks for the review!
I bought a Ovation plastic back one for $35 bucks almost two decades ago. Just loved the sound for some reason. It was so beat up and handed around many camp fires and parties way before I purchased it, and it is still going strong. Just easy to pick up and jam on without too much worry of hurting it.
I bought a shallow depth Ovation back in the 70's carried it around in the trunk of my car until it cracked behind the bridge, sent it back to the factory and they replaced the top free of charge, played it until around the early 2000's and the top went south again so I got in touch with them and they said send it back and they would see what they could do with it, about 3 months later they notified me and said it was ready but I had to purchase a new hard shell case, so I asked what happened to my old case and they said my new guitar will not fit in my old case, they had built me a brand new mid depth ovation because the old one was discontinued, the only thing I got back from the old one was the neck and head, they sold me the case at cost around 80.00 bucks and I'm still playing it today, great customer service & they stand behind their lifetime warranty for material and workmanship.
I bought a plastic backed one at a house party a few years back. Absolute tank of a guitar. Bit of a dust collector but makes it down to the beach regularly for summer jams.
I'm a breedlove acoustic owner, it is absolutely an amazing instrument, and the breedlove family is awesome and have great customer service!
I have an awesome Breedlove. Wasn't looking for one. Saw it hanging in the store, took it down 'cause it looked good, met my other more critical criteria...sounded good, intonation was good, played easily.
Did A LOT of research and ended up buying a Breedlove concert cutaway. Had to string it with .10 Ernie Balls (to save my finger tips) but it is great! glad you ranked it.
You should check out Giannini.
Very fair assessment of these guitar brands . I've owned five of those brands you listed and thought you were almost spot on. Cheers.
It really depends on what music I'm playing, I own a Martin and a Yari. For taditional coutry the Martin, it has a twang. For smoother sound I love the Yari, it fits my hand better and I can play much longer. Loved your reviews and I think you are spot on in all of the acoustic's. Good Job
The best acoustic I ever played was a $600 range Alvarez jumbo acoustic - spalted maple. I compared it to every taylor and Martin I could get my hands on, and the Alvarez sound is just amazing.
Yep, I'm a pro bass player and just play acoustic guitar for shits and giggles around the house. Got two Alverez's that sound great and didn't bust my wallet.
I bought a 12 string about 45 years ago for $125 at a pawn shop. Had it for about a year and it got stolen. Now, I play my late fathers 1920 Sovereign.
Alvarez are under rated tbf
My mom has a 12 fret Alvarez that’s pretty incredible.
My 40 yrs experience finds this list VERY accurate... find the sound you like, that you can afford and can’t wait to practice!!
List looks good. I'd include Santa Cruz near the top.
Started playing a Martin last year after playing an old Guild D-50 for four decades. As much as I love my old Guild, I must say that the Martin is now my favorite guitar.
Same. Went from a Guild D-30 that I played for many years, sold it and bought a Martin HD-35. Spent all day in the store (which, incidentally, was in Nazareth, PA, about 2-3 miles from the factory) playing about 10-12 different Martins. Each had their own appeal...it was a difficult choice.
I played one of those high end carbon fibre ovations with all the holes after seeing Roy Harper playing one. It was totally awesome to play but it does have that sound that is not like an acoustic guitar sound but it is a great sound but could be limiting over time.
Love the video. Over 50 years of playing I progressed from an Ibanez (OK), to a Guild (good), to a Taylor, which I chose after comparing with similar priced Martins. The $2700 Taylor had the edge on the Martins in terms of transparency, but in terms of playability it did not grow on me and I intend to sell it. Played an Ovation for a night and disliked it. When I had enough money I bought an Olson (JT model) and picked it up at Jim Olson's place (wonderful man). The Olson guitar is the love of my musical life: just superb.
Very interesting and honest tier list. Too bad most responders didn't pay attention when you stated numerous times that this was based solely on your own personal experience with playing different guitars in their range. Though I didn't agree with the Guild placement, I only have experience with their upper tier models and not their lower tier, so I really wouldn't know the overall picture. Good job.
All TH-cam reviewers are sponsored or hoping to be lol. He wouldn't have looked as insane if he did it by price range at least. Lol
Are you here to share your experience or just to brag about your fancy guitars by bashing other people opinions on their humble guitars?
Bought a Washburn D10SCE from a factory outlet on ebay, 15 or so years ago, for £160. What a great guitar it has been for me, and still going strong.
Might need to get the tuners replaced in the next few years, but apart from that, everything is spot on, and it sounds lovely.
I’d put fender in B just because of how good their playability is, even for the cheapest ones. Best beginner guitars out there. Great list!
I bought a new Ibanez V300MH (with a solid mahogany top) back in '81 - a couple of my friends had it as well. They were apparently very popular, Long and McQuade had over half a room with them hanging on the wall. They would send you in and say "try a few out and pick one". These were about $250 at the time if I remember correctly. I had the action raised on mine because I use thicker strings, which does make it hard on the fingers, but for a cheap guitar it really sounds awesome. But not all V300MH's will sound good. If you want one, get one with a natural finish (defective ones may have painted to hide the defects). Also, now that I remember, the tuners were not very good and had to be replaced eventually. But really, I love the sound of mine.
Great post!
I own a Simon and Patrick acoustic made by a Canadian company in Quebec called Godin. It has a big full sound and also sounds great plugged in.
Godin are amazing guitars! I would love to have a Godin, Bedell, or Maton. Or of course Martins, those are my favorite more well-known guitar company
Good list. I agree with your opinion of Yamaha. I have a D25 Guild that I bought new in 1977. I own a Martin D28 and a Gibson J50 but I keep going back to the Guild. I love it.
I bought a Guild in 1968 and I believe it sounds a lot like the Taylors I’ve tried. It has good solid bass without losing the clarity of the mid and high strings. I found out much later that it was the first year they made this model, and there were only 900 made that year. I have no idea if it is the aging effects or it’s just really well made. I think the sound is like a great California Chardonnay, rich and buttery.
Quick lil flex hood for u gang gang. We the new crips
Thanks for great video. I think you should add Furch quitar on the list 😉
I'd have put Eastman acoustic guitars on here, perhaps in the B category of this particular list. I own a couple of high endMartins and a couple of high end Yamahas. They are great, but so is my Eastman E20D, and it is the least expensive of my collection, although, you wouldn't think so after hearing and playing it. Anyway, fun list. Always fun to do that exercise!
I think the Seagull SWS (Solid wood series) should be in the A class. Beautiful sounding and looking guitar.
I haven’t played many Washburn acoustics but found two over the last couple years that are something special, especially being used for only 200-ish each! I was super surprised at the volume/action/etc.
Love my Washy. Everything else I use as a basis for comparison. Many are better, most are not.
I have a 1973 Gibson Gospel with a repaired neck break. New compositions just seem to appear out of nowhere when i play it. Its wonderful.
As for me, _Furch guitars_ would be very high on this list, fully comparable to Martin and Taylor concerning quality, and with excellent quality-to-price ratio.
Yesss for the Yairi love. The guitar I've used longest in my life has been a K. Yairi YW-600, which I bought when I arrived in Japan and was basically the only acoustic I played for 13 years.
Kazuo Yairi, their head luthier, died a few years back. I hope the quality stays good!
Thank you for the list. I am in the process of trying to decide. I would have loved to see Orangewood, Cort and Morgan compared as well. Cort and Morgan have surprised me. Cort is explainable: they have been producing for practically everybody for many years. They seem to have learned.
I have a parkwood which is a cort guitar renamed for guitar center 15 years ago which I find quite impressive still for how affordable it was.
Hello there, just to let you know I have two acoustic orangewood guitars. One is the orangewood echo and the other is the orangewood 12 string electric. I love them both. The action on them is great, easy to play and they sound beautiful. I wouldn't hesitate to get an orangewood. They're really good! I also have a Yamaha FG830 which I like. But I'm always gravitating to the orangewood. The action on the Yamaha is high. But that's just my humble opinion. I'm no expert. Have a great day.
Agree with Tony and others on the Larrivee. I have a Taylor 614ce and a Larrivee LV-03re, also a Larrivee parlour. I always go for the Larrivee LV over the Taylor for sound. The body sizes are similar, although the Larrivee is rosewood and the Taylor is maple but the little parlour is mahogany an it also has a killer sound for the size of it. All really fine instruments but Larrivee should definitely be a tier higher in my books. The rest of the list is pretty accurate. Well done
I own a Taylor, but Larrivee beats it in bass tones. I find the Taylor extremely well balanced, but lacking “punch” in the first string.
I own a Martin and it was my third guitar, it just feels so good with age I’ve had it for four years and it sounds better each year.
What a review
Excellent!!!
Just subbed
I understand everyone will have their own opinion but I've owned a few Larrivee guitars and i think they're every bit as good as Martin and Taylor and their build quality is really nice as well. Last time I checked they only use solid wood on all of their guitars from the cheapest to the most expensive. Right now I only have a Taylor 714 V class and love the sound of the new bracing.
Hi Nate. I own a Seagull S6 as a beginner, and love it! I understand James Blunt owned this model as a fun trivia fact. :) Had my S6 set up at a local independent guitar store and he loved it--was very impressed with its sound. Looking forward to learning from you. Thank you, Nate!
I played an S6 in a guitar shop in Grapevine, Tx... What a fun playing guitar. It had a great sound also !!
I would include Bourgeois in the very top tier
I own a '90s Taylor and I think it is an excellent guitar, both in build and in sound. I also have a vintage 1982 Ovation and it is magnificent. Ovation guitar necks, at least those from the same era as mine, are very similar to the early Less Paul guitar necks, chunky and round but narrowing significantly as it approaches the head of the neck. I never played one but I would love to try out a Martin one of these days because I love the deep though very well balanced sound they produce. Interesting video and thanks for sharing.
I have a 35 year old Takamine which started as a japanese Martin copy, and it is an amazing guitar. It was fairly expensive at the time. I also have a Taylor Classical great guitar, sounds and plays awesome. One tip I would give to people looking for guitars, especially if you are budget constrained, is try a lot of mass produced guitars like Epiphone and low end Fender, because sometimes you get lucky. I was looking for a very inexpensive classical guitar years ago and I couldn't find one that I liked, then one day I walked into a shop and found an epiphone for $189.00 and it was amazing. It had a solid top, played beautifully, and played amazing. It just goes to show, that sometimes everybody who works on the guitar has a good day. What it lacked was it was very plain looking. Another tip (and I've done this for friends several times), if you are just starting out playing, take a friend who is an experienced player with you and can give you an actual evaluation. Also, if you are just starting, good luck in your quest, it can be an amazing journey.
I have one of the pre-lawsuit Takamines (actually, I gifted it to my oldest son). I had bought it used around 1991 for about $150 and it sounds great. I can understand why Martin sued them. It was clearly based on the Martin design and sounded darn good. Even though it wasn't expensive, I don't want that guitar to leave the family. When I gave it to my son I did so on the condition that I get first right of refusal if he ever decides to sell it. I bought a Takamine EN40C in the late 90s or early 2000s. Still have it. I think it was around $1200 new back then and I would put it up against anything in a comperable or even somewhat higher price range. I am about to buy a new Martin D35 Commemorative model. Excited to get it.
I bought a Takamine in 1984 for half price, some special model. Bought it for round about 5000$. Sounds good,. Must, for that price. It´s got a lot of bling
I've got to stick up for Larrivee guitars. I have a D-05 and my brother-in-law has the LV-05. These are both superb hand built guitars of very high quality and compare very favourably to high end Martin guitars. I think they should have made the A section particularly as the woods they are made from are sourced by a world renowned expert in tone woods. Jean Larrivee.
Mine is over 40 years old, never played one I didn't like.
I played 'em all, one right after the other. Kept coming back to the Larivee. The Larivee sound tops 'em all.
I love my Larrivee! Never played one I didn’t like.
I just bought a Taylor a few weeks ago, and the whole time I was shopping, I was on the fence between a Taylor and a Breedlove. I'm happy to see I was thinking about both "A" tier guitars! Breedlove is a local company here in Oregon, so that really appealed to me, but the sound of the Taylors is just amazing!
Jason Brown Both have bolt on necks...that is a plus with me...very easy to re-set a neck
I've owned a good many of those from Washburn to Martin. I know nothing of Collings and have a special edition Martin (so top tier) I think your list is pretty spot on. My friend though has a vintage Yamaha that the company was sued over. It is a spot-on copy of a Martin D28 and at now around 50 years old it sounds like a vintage Martin.
You have great comparison skills and I think that you absolutely nailed this one. I've never owned a Martin but I've played a few and IMHO they sell primarily based upon name and it's almost as if people choose them because of the Martin logo. Taylors...I've owned several and loved them all but sold them for one reason or another. I still love Taylor's 312ce-N for a nylon stringer but I don't miss the rest that I've owned. Collings....after years of buying and selling I settled on a Collings 02h and a Parlor. I also play a National Deuco that was run through National's patented electric coloring process. My guitar is gold and it's one of only a handful in existence. Wish I had the dough for a similar finish in silver.
My first guitar was a student epiphone which I carted everywhere for years. To the beach, to the mountains,to the desert etc. I had nothing to compare it to so to me it sounded good. Fast forward 50 years and I know own two martins, D15m and a 70s D35 as well as a epiphone master built that was setup by one of the best luthiers in socal at that time. And I find myself picking up the master built more so than the others. I think it’s a personal thing and like anything it’s not always about the tool but the soul behind the tool.
I think your very spot on with your acoustic guitar analysis. A lot of acoustic guitars up to 1200 even have too much glue, laminate, and not enough solid wood even though they can be made to look awesome to the eye. I found that the best basic acoustic is the martin dx1 with the solid top and synthetic sides and back, it is a bargain for its sound quality. Personally I wouldn't buy any guitar unless all solid wood. And the woods themselves create a lot of difference in sound quality to the discerning listener. My preference at the moment is all solid Mahogany. My next acoustic will probably be a OMC15ME.
I think you’re off on Guilds, especially on the higher end Guilds. I have a F47ce that just is such a pleasure to play, very responsive and warm sounding
Great list. I own a lot of guitars and I played a lot. One day I'm going to get a Martin, I can never get their sound out of my head. They are amazing. But a couple of years ago I played a Collings. It truly was on another level.
Good job and a tough one at that..I wish I still owned my Alvarez Yari I got it new in 1982 to best of my knowledge ..wow hands down 1 of the best I ever laid my hands on!!!!! ***** !!!!!
After putting Alvarez on the 'B' line, you'd mentioned that the Alvarez Yairi series ranks as an 'A' and I agree, being the proud owner of a Yairi Masterworks DYM-70CE. You should separate the Yairi Series into the A category, from the generalization of Yairi overall being a B-level acoustic. While there are tonal differences, I would pair my Alvarez DYM as equivalent to my Taylor 414ce-R ... definitely A-level instruments.
For other brands he as well gave a median ranking for the full range.
If he used an $8,000 Martin, I would expect it to be rated higher than my lowly OM-28V, which only cost $2,500 but still is A-plus.
Why should Alvarez receive preferential treatment?
i have a rouge for my first guitar and I love it so far! been playing it for about a month now using my older brother's electric and it has helped me build calluses and finger strength very quickly. It does take some tenacity though due to the quality of it
My first guitar was a 1950's double F hole, arch top Aria jazz 6-string guitar with a thin neck I bought in 1969 for $35.00. Then I fell in love with the sound of a 12-string guitar that my friend Billy had. I asked for 1st 'dibs' on his guitar. Like many eastern NJ hippies, he needed money to go to California and sold me his Seagull for $75.00.
I started in 1974 on a Seagull 12-string. Great sound, sustain & feel. Bought a Gibson Epiphone 12. Was very heavy and had no sustain! Sold that and bought a Yamaha 12 that is lighter with low action and super sustain. I love Yamaha! I also gig with an Ovation "Standard" that can we played for hours w/o the usual 12-string finger pains.
I hope to buy a 12-string Taylor bc the sound is one of a kind. Great video.
Pretty good list overall and Collings is my favourite from the list, I personally would switch Takamine into the B tier though I think they are certainly above the other C tier options.
Collings are good guitars but way overpriced for what they are - the frets also wear too easily
I played a Martin D12-28 a very long time ago. Wonderful, bell-like tones. I'd have the scratch at the time. I had a Ovation shallow body 6 string which was pretty good. One of my favorite guitars is a Carlo Robelli acoustic-electric I got as a premium (free) when I bought some other gear at Sam Ash. I also have a Yamaha 12 string I rare9 play.
Personally I’m enamored by all of Guild’s guitars-top to bottom line. They’re just so good. But everyone has their own opinion that I respect fully!
Nick Drake played a Guild. That's it. S tier. 8--)
@@alexandrealphonse69He did not play a Guild. He is seen on the album cover Bryter... holding an M20, but this guitar did not belong to him. He played a Levin dread and later a Martin D-28.
@@andygump724 thanks
I own a 1996 Guild Bluesbird electric (LP style) that was made in the Fender Custom Shop in Corona ,CA shortly after Fender acquired Guild. When I want to play some blues she sings. I have played a lot of Les Paul's from studios to R9 Custom Shop level. They never lit up my ears the way this Guild Bluesbird does and I just loose the awareness of the guitar as I play it. It becomes transparent to me.
Never owned a Guild acoustic but my sister has 2 of them, a D30 and a maple jumbo 12 string both USA made. She also owned a Bluegrass Jubilee for a while, a really sweet axe. I have played Guilds there and elsewhere a good bit. I started with a Gibson J50 and now have several Martins and others. A Guild D50 or D55 would be a prime addition.
I found Guild guitars are not as well crafted as some others that ranked above Guilds like Taylors, Martins, and Gibsons. However, Guild guitars are way better crafted than most of other guitars in the C group. Sound wise, Guilds should be in the B group but with Guild guitar price going up in recent years I think Guild doesn’t deserve to be in the B group. I have 4 Guild guitars (f512 rosewood, f512 maple, f55 rosewood, d55). Needless to say I’m a Guild fan. I’m sad to say C group is where Guild should be given its craftsmanship and price tag nowadays.
Thanks for your channel, verY insightful. If you had to treat Epiphone Masterbilt as a seperate brand where would you place it?
I can't speak for the newer models, but I own a 1976 Guild D35, and it is hands down the best guitar I've ever played. When I bought it new in 76 I played several Gibson's and Martin's and to me they didn't even come close. I wouldn't trade my Guild for any other guitar. I feel like they are the most underrated guitar on the market. I think part of the problem is that they have been owned by a number of different companies and that has hurt them. I'm hoping that Cordoba can bring them back where they belong.
My main guitar is yours' twin. Same year too! It's a great, great instrument.
I'm 68 and have been playing since 70, Guilds, were great and even cheaper than Martin's and Gibsons. Guilds were made in NY. But I went with a Martin D 28. Many is.the time I questioned, did I make the right decision.
I have a Guild D40 (solid spruce and mahogany ) from 1977. The tone is really good. After some action work and some better machine heads, it's a wonderful guitar.
If Guild was good enough for Stevie Ray Vaughn (Life by the Drop), it's good enough for me. That guitar sounds amazing. It is a 12 string though. I'd love to play a few Guilds but like everything else, it's hard to find much these days in stores.
I like how you looked at them as whole with each brand it would be interesting if you compared the most top tier guitars each brand offered
I agree with your assessment of Guild overall. Oddly, I have three Guild acoustics which all are over-achievers! One is a glorious beast of a 12-string, from the mid 70's. People are blown away with its volume and its sound! Another is a mahogany topped red guitar from the early 70's. It sounds very good, and is part of my history. It was the guitar which I WANTED to buy while I was in high school, but I could never afford (I played Yamahas at the time). The third, is the most unlikely great guitar. It's a Fender-built Guild jumbo from about 20 years ago. I picked it up at a guitar store and started playing. Folks that heard me commented that the guitar "spoke to me". So I took it home. In theory, it should have been absolute crap! But it's great. Other folks looking for Guild acoustics will likely not find guitars are good as Guilds I have.
Fun List! I would put Orangewood as a C category. Played 3 of them recently from the $290 $450 and $700 range. 2 were beautifully set up, one was just ok and wouldn't intonate. The sound on $450 model was very pleasing, while the other two were just alright.
My Maton made from QLD Mable is a thing of beauty, I named her Eleanor, same as my birth year Mustang 🐎 😍
My "go to" guitar is a 22 year old Martin HD-28. It just sounds better every time I play it. I put Santa Cruz "mid- tension" strings on it and that combo sounds fantastic. But my best sounding guitar is a Santa Cruz Tony Rice Pro with Italian spruce top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides. My luthier/guitar tech said it was the best sounding guitar he ever played. I did have a Collings OM guitar and it was very "tight" and didn't have the sustain I like, so I sold it. Thanks for your list.
I own a ZAD80 Zager , I wouldn’t traded it for nothing else. Great sound great action. I really like your list, good job.
I own a 1970 Gibson Hummingbird, a Martin auditorium sized guitar, and a Zager ZAD80CE OM that I purchased a couple of months ago. I’d put the Zager up against my Martin and Gibson in all respects. They have an unconventional marketing program, but they make some beautiful guitars!
Thanks for the information. Just wondering is a Taylor Big baby with a LRbaggs pickup a good beginner guitar? Thank you for your time.
I had a Yamaha as a child, and it was great quality. We upgraded to a larger Yamaha, as well, which again had gorgeous quality and sound. After 25 years of not playing, I recently decided to get back into guitar due to covid. I wanted to try another brand, just in principle....but then I found out about the Yamaha Transacoustics, and I couldn;t NOT get one, lol. My concert body FS-TA Yamaha Transacoustic is amazing, and cost about $600 American. It's gorgeous, quality build, and sounds great.
I have the same model, great feeling guitar. My favorite guitar a own
I would move Larrivee and Gibson up to "A". In the "S" class, you mentioned Santa Cruz and Olson. There is also Huss and Dalton, Bourgeois, and a few overseas brands...Furch, Henkes and Blazer, and B&G.
Larrivee is a great build. The build is great but they are really tight guitars. Ive owned two of them and initially loved their tone (L-09 and D-60). The problem I had with them is that they never really opened up and sounded too tight which affected the overall sustain. Build quality - I'd put them over standard Martins any day and right up there with Collings and most other boutique makers. I could be wrong but I read somewhere that they use a poly finish instead of a nitro finish. If true, thats their problem.
I would also put Martins Custom Shop in the S class as well.
There is also Andrew white guitars
Totally agree. Huss and dalton and bourgeois are amazing.
My first guitar I bough from a guy who lived in Hermosa Beach CA it was a steel string guitar but I had to put nylon strings on it so it wouldn't curl up in a ball when I put the strings on. That was over 50 years ago but the way I remember, it had a sweet sound to me. Now my favorite is my Sigma (Japanese Martin) that has aged really well.
I played a guitar in a store and it was an otherworldly experience, i forgot what brand it was the the store doesn't carry it anymore but the most notable thing was that it has 2 screws in the neck, 2 visible screws on fretboard that connects the neck to the body. Does anyone know what brand it is cause neither google or TH-cam are helping
Yamaha FD01S still amazed at how well built and the quality of the sound, sounds better than a lot of other Guitars in the $400/500 dollar range and it was only a under $200
I think the list makes sense on a lot of levels. I happen to be a Yamaha guy. Played an FG for over 25 years and just bought a Yamaha classical. Used to have an Ovation 12 string that I loved but you’re right, people love them or hate them. 😂
I've been a Breedlove geek for a long time. My first one, I got used off of ebay and was just blown away. I remember the first time I ever played a Taylor, I was like "oh, that's why these are expensive", because it felt so natural. Well, that's exactly how my first Breedlove felt. I just got my 3rd model (a 12 string) and I just have no desire to buy any other brand. I actually already owned 2 Alvarez (an Artist Elite and a Parlor), and they're very nice, as well. I used to work for Sweetwater and have played lots of brands.
But, I won't even look at another brand now that I'm a Breedlove player. Even the Chinese made laminate top model I have feels so nice in my hands.
Breedloves also blew me away...still have one. Now I favor Parker.
I too have an Alvarez Yari. I bought it in the late 70s and it is a wonderful guitar. I also believe that it has gotten better with age.
I too, have a '86 DY62c and love it
Agree on tier A with a needed inclusion of the Kauzo Yairi guitars, which as AWESOME. Also, James Goodall, a brilliant luthier would DEFINITELY fit in with that Superior category as would Huss & Dalton. Thanks for the vid.
I think you're spot on with everything here. I would highly recommend to check out Godin Acoustics, they are not widely distributed in the US. That is changing... really great craftsmanship, sound, playability, etc. Thanks!
I have an old Hohner HG 360 R cutaway that I bought 47 years ago.
I keep it in open D tuning and it still sounds great. Looks good too.
Thank you for the review. Hey you worked at Guitar Center and got exposed to a lot of guitars. I did pick up a Breedlove Myrtlewood and it blew me away. Great tone......
This is one of few lists like this that I totally agree with! Bravo!
I spent about $400 on my first acoustic guitar about 15 years ago and I still love the way it sounds (plugged or unplugged). It is a Yamaha, and they’ve made a fanboy out of me. Definitely a lot of value for the money.
If you're a guitar collector like me you have a regret story. One of my first guitars an acoustic Yamaha Guitar made in the 80's. I wish I could remember the model but it was medium size dreadnought style. I sold it and have regretted it since. It had a perfect sound the action was perfect it was easy to play. Then. I was fixated on name brands. I say if you ever find a guitar that sounds great. Never part with it. You'll end up like me 40 years later looking for that same sound. Don't get me wrong. I play Taylor's and Ovation's because I like the sound too. I just recall how smooth that Yamaha guitar was. Not all Yamaha's have the same effect. I've tried others and did not have the same admiration.
Both of my acoustics would be in the "F" category. But both of my acoustics ,6 and 12 string, are electric and have been on stage. What I do to keep a better sound is tune them down capo. The 12 is a whole step and the 6 is a half step down. My secret is a BBE Sonic mini stomp and wireless. Less volume knob on the guitar keeps a better acoustic sound ;cleaner clearer. More like a miked acoustic guitar sound. Also I use a small mixer as my guitar pedal; wireless going into mini stomp going into mixer going into P A channel. This way I can use mixer effects to whatever point sound go out in audience land. With wireless I can check my sound before each performance. And that's just for A / E guitars. My electric setup is totally different.
I am a ' late beginner' at learning guitar and 'splurged' $255 on a used Yamaha acoustic and think it's a great guitar to play and learn with, to your point. Sounds great and I recommend it
I'm playing a Breedlove Oregon since 2019 and I'm really happy to find the brand quite high in your ranking. I really was willing to spend a fortune on a new guitar and of course tried several Martins that day... Then the shop guy came up with the Breedlove and it convinced me from the first chord I played...This is not to say that Breedlove is better than Martin, however, the very warm and soft sound of the Breedlove totally convinced me personally (and saved me roughly 2000,-- €) 😉
Dear stranger whoever reads this: may your mother live over 100 years...
That just sucks, living over 100 years will be pain and what about our dads
Sorry mate, already gone
I appreciate the wishes, but I doubt my mother would want to live over 100 years...nor would I. That's too long and too old lol.
Too late
Martin for sure. I have a om 18e . Been playing a lowden o10 for years. The Martin has the best tone . I feel like I’ve missed Out . Martin Tone is something special
I'm excited the Breedlove is ranked so high. I've had mine for about 5 years now and love it. I had gone into a GC never having heard of the brand, looking for an acoustic with a big full tone. Most sounded thin to me. Then the sales guy handed me a Breedlove and the volume and richness blew me away. I tried every Breedlove in the store. Half an hour later bought the first one I had tried.
I had exact same experience.