...do you hear significantly more depth from your maple DN over the GS? I can't directly compare my two because the back and sides aren't the same species....
Hey Scott,
No way I can answer this as my old GS8 was a sitka/rw and my current DN (my go-to live guit) is sitka/maple: so very different! My GS 12-string, however, is killer: deeeep, solid bass tone and became my preference over my 655 (both sitka/maple), prompting me to sell the latter.
It's a generalization, but I'm going to say it anyway: Taylor DNs in my limited experience tend to have more mids, and the trebles sound a bit thicker; the GSs tended to sound a deeper (like the lower bass freq tend to be more pronounced), and more high-end sparkle, thus a bit "scooped" by comparison. So much in wood differences and builds affect everything I just said, so take this thought with healthy skepticism.
The one thing one can absolutely expect between the two, however, is the GS shape is easier/more comfortable to play when seated. The narrower waist puts the guit lower in your lap compared to a DNs wide waist which makes the guit sit higher in your lap, which is why folks with shoulder issues tend to ditch their dreds. I play standing most of the time, so body shape makes little difference to me. That said, the Grand Orchestra's big and
deeper body
really feels big to me even standing ...as a side note, fwiw, as you did mention a 618 in your op.
Edward