Guitar comparison. The winner is...

[espgnlo]

33 years ago I played my guitar for my wife during our wedding ceremony. So last night she asked me to try something. She wanted to hear our song played on my different guitars to see if she could tell the difference in their sound. I started with my DN-3, then moved on to my Martin D-18, then lastly I played my GS-7. And the winner is: the DN-3! She does not play guitar but does love music. She told me she loved the deep bass and overall sound of the DN-3. She asked if that was the most expensive guitar and I said it was actually the lowest priced guitar of the three. Which just proves it isn't the price you pay, or the bling, it's all about the sound. It was nice to get the opinion of someone who is not worried about woods or pick guards or nut width or bridge pins. Just wanted to share. Isn't guitar playing fun???

[JB12]

Great story, thanks for sharing. Playing guitar is definitely a lot of fun! Especially when you have someone special listening.

[ctkarslake]

Nice story espgnlo!  I will have to try that on my wife as well LOL.  Many folks here will swear by the 300 series all day long.  I've got a GC3 and am amazed by it every time I strum.  No need to convince me about their merits. 

[espgnlo]

You've got that right. And when you can get your wife excited about your guitar "habit" it's a lot easier to look at buying "that last one"! I'm sure she'll appreciate the time spent together too.

[mikeguywest]

Good idea getting the wife involved. That way she won't feel like it's just your thing, and now she has a little ownership. I had a DN3 once and it was a good guitar, but didn't quite do it for me. Then I went to a Find You Fit event to compare some other models to it. The GS8e came out the winner. Definitely more to my liking. What matters is what pleases you, AND your wife

[rlj98]

The DN3 is absolutely an awesome guitar.  I had not played one until about three months ago at my local Guitar Center, and it was really impressive.  After it was sold and GC got another one, I played it and it sounded even better than the first one, so I had to bring it home.  The deep bass is really amazing, combined with the Taylor sparkle on the trebles (so Martin doesn't have a monopoly on a great-sounding low end!).  I wasn't looking for another dreadnought at the time, but I couldn't say no to such a great-sounding guitar.  It's too bad that Taylor decided to discontinue the acoustic series -- I would really like to play some of the other body shapes.  After playing a Taylor jumbo, a 320, a 324, and a Martin OOO28EC (all great-sounding guitars), to me, the DN3 had it over all of them, if only slightly.  It sings out with just a light touch -- and it just looks better without a pickguard.   

[stepchildusmc]

good story. ya really had me there at "guitar" and " my wife wanted to try something different".

[Chedeng88]

good story. ya really had me there at "guitar" and " my wife wanted to try something different".

LOL 

[catan]

I would agree...my friend's 310ce sounds more like what most people imagine a guitar should sound like than my 414ce rosewood. I'm a huge fan of my 414ce-ltd's deep bass and top-end sparkle though, being a longtime piano player, but it doesn't appeal to everyone.

[azslacker]

We recently had some friends stay with us for a few days, from out of state. I played some music for them, on both my 312 and GSM hog. The next day they asked me to play again. I asked what they wanted to hear, and they said it didn't matter, as long as I played the "brown guitar". So we did a blind test with the 312, the GSM hog, and my old Washburn Dred. Both the visiting couple, and my wife prefered the GSM sound over the other two.

[espgnlo]

Great story! Just like my wife, it was the sound that was important since your friends probably had no idea what any of the guitars cost. Don't get me wrong, I love the looks of fancy guitars, but at the end of the day you'll most likely play what sounds best to you.

[beachbum205]

Great story! Just like my wife, it was the sound that was important since your friends probably had no idea what any of the guitars cost. Don't get me wrong, I love the looks of fancy guitars, but at the end of the day you'll most likely play what sounds best to you.

So true- it's the sound that really matters most.  I think we sometimes tend to forget that.

I had a similar event to the OP.  Several years ago I played at my son's wedding.  I had a Martin D16RGTE and a Taylor 416.  As I was preparing, I asked my wife and daughter which sounded better, figuring it would be the rosewood guitar for sure, but they both said they much preferred the 416.

BTW, it's now long gone, but I have often wished I had that 416 back!

[jeffbelch]

My go-to acoustic is a Gibson Songbird for which I paid XXX bucks used...no frills whatsoever; absolutely fantastic tone.  Even though I own an 816ce (which is SUBSTANTIALLY more expensive), I always go back to the Gibson.



edited for price

[pjroberts]

My go-to acoustic is a Gibson Songbird for which I paid 600 bucks used...no frills whatsoever; absolutely fantastic tone.  Even though I own an 816ce (which is SUBSTANTIALLY more expensive), I always go back to the Gibson.

Hi Jeff - Bold on this forum! I like that though, and I'm also an 816 owner. Love it when I want a Taylor (or to quote the world these days "modern") sound, but I'm looking to balance out my "sound portfolio" to some more traditional stuff (Martin and Gibson leading here, but I'm open to everything including another Taylor that sounds more "Golden Era" with "modern" playability). In fact I had a great GS5 that was very dark in tone, but accidentally sold it when I wasn't looking.

What is it that draws you back to the Songbird? I have not had luck in playing Gibsons so far, and I am definitely not a fan of their decor, but, I'm 99% concerned with the tone.

Thanks n advance for your opinions and thoughts!