Help with acoustic guitar! Taylor or a Martin

[Khairi]

Hi there, i am in a dilemma, i want to get a acoustic guitar. My budget is about 2k.
Currently i own an ovation l777x and i want to get a full wood bodied guitar.

Was thinking of either a taylor 314ce or a 310ce
Or a Martin D16-RGT.

I am tending towards the martin. any other recommendation guys? Lakewood?

I play all kind of music, from scorpions, to eric clapton(learning though) to Oasis and so on.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[shioks76]

Honestly speaking all 3 guitars sound great. (youtube viewing). The 314 seems to have a touch more bass and more mids compared to the other 2. The d16 and the 310 sounds similar. Lakewood sounds great too. JUst bought a m18 cp. Itll be down to the indivdual guitars and what type of sound do you prefer. Checkout the action and feel of each guitar. Which guitar is most comfortable to you when holding it? Has the guitar been maintained well at the store level? All 3 distributors have gd reputations of good after market service. Lakewood (luthermusic) martin (citymusic) taylor (sinamex). Seriously can't go wrong with any of the 3 brands listed.

I chose lakewood cos im a fan of lrbaggs pickups. Also really like the feel of the finish of the lakewood guitarsTRy it and you'll see

 

[relinquish69]

You should check out BGW guitars man. spoilt for choices with that budget of yours.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

i was at brendon's from bgw the other day. there were a bunch of great guitarists playing some of the acoustics there and all i heard was awesomeness. maybe you'd like to check the guitars out yourself over at his show room?

 

[champion]

the martin will give you a more traditional tone while the taylor will give you that modern tone you will hear on many cds today..


however ...having said that.the Martin given time will aged in the tone...that means after a year or two ..it sounds like its been played in well..that's why you don't see many martin guitars on sale in the used market..if they are good..they sell fast..

the Taylor doesn't aged that dramically compared to the Martins...

take this test.if you strum both the Martin and Taylor for a minute...you will like the Taylor first..

play both guitars for 30-45 mins and you will take the Martin....why??? you ears get tired of that Taylor tone...many have tried and concur with what I've said.

By the way...I have both Taylors and Martins with me....

cheers Jarvis

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Well I'm no expert, just my personal impressions on this... I've played a Taylor and a Martin before and have to agree that the Martin sounded more traditional (fuller and richer sound, but warmer as well) while the Taylor had a more modern sound (more shimmering highs, brighter tone that cuts through the mix better). If a warm, rich tone for stripped-down sets is what you're looking for, then perhaps the Martin would be a better choice. But if you're going to be playing in a full-band setting, I'd say go for the Taylor.

Also, the Taylor I tried was a 214ce and it cost a lot less than the Martin I also tried, and the Taylor was much, much more comfortable and easier to play. Taylor playability is just incredible... But of course tone-wise, it does depend on specific model as well.

 

[senn_liu]

At that price point, I personally think that something like a Larrivee LV-03R will give you the best bang for your buck. Tonally it's in between those two brands.

I was in your position once upon a time, when I was getting my first mid-high range acoustic, and I got a Larrivee. Probably the best gear buying decision I've ever made.

If you go through many Martin vs Taylor vs Larrivee threads, at this entry price point, you'll find many recommending Larrivee.

Just compare the 314CE in terms of specs to an LV-03RE. Do you want sapele back and sides or rosewood back and sides?
Of course this is personal preference, but I prefer rosewood.

OK, I realise I'm starting to sound like a Larrivee sales rep by now, but my impression with Martin and Taylor is that their lower end models are just riding on their brand reputation, which is built on their higher end models.

 

[Ized]

At that price point, I personally think that something like a Larrivee LV-03R will give you the best bang for your buck. Tonally it's in between those two brands.

I was in your position once upon a time, when I was getting my first mid-high range acoustic, and I got a Larrivee. Probably the best gear buying decision I've ever made.

If you go through many Martin vs Taylor vs Larrivee threads, at this entry price point, you'll find many recommending Larrivee.

Just compare the 314CE in terms of specs to an LV-03RE. Do you want sapele back and sides or rosewood back and sides?
Of course this is personal preference, but I prefer rosewood.

OK, I realise I'm starting to sound like a Larrivee sales rep by now, but my impression with Martin and Taylor is that their lower end models are just riding on their brand reputation, which is built on their higher end models.

Going by the thread title I can tell the TS has his mind already set on acquiring either a Taylor or a Martin.

I share the same opinion as you btw about both brands riding on their brand names at this price range. There are so many other good names you can consider at a sub 2 k price point - Seagull, Simon Patrick, Breedlove, Larivee, Cole Clark and even Yamaha.

For a killer line out sound with a dedicated preamp I'd consider a Yamaha... you can easily get their LJX or LLX series at this price point. Solid Engelmann Spruce and solid rosewood back and sides. Ebony/Mahogany neck and fingerboard. Killer plugged in sound with Yamaha's propietory ART and SRT contact mics. Imo, this kills the facebrace/expression/piezo system used by most Martins and Taylors, which in my humble opinion sound rather uninspiring plugged.

I go for what sounds good and not what's on the headstock, and Joe Bonamassa and Steve Lukather agrees with me (both are using the Yamaha LJX26CP) and Joe has an especially killer acoustic sound.

 

[undryoasis]

I may wish to purchase and collect a Martin OM/000 in the near future.

Which is the best representative of Spruce/Mahogany model? 000-18GE?

the martin will give you a more traditional tone while the taylor will give you that modern tone you will hear on many cds today..


however ...having said that.the Martin given time will aged in the tone...that means after a year or two ..it sounds like its been played in well..that's why you don't see many martin guitars on sale in the used market..if they are good..they sell fast..

the Taylor doesn't aged that dramically compared to the Martins...

take this test.if you strum both the Martin and Taylor for a minute...you will like the Taylor first..

play both guitars for 30-45 mins and you will take the Martin....why??? you ears get tired of that Taylor tone...many have tried and concur with what I've said.

By the way...I have both Taylors and Martins with me....

cheers Jarvis