Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: krugjr on May 19, 2015, 05:16:02 PM
-
thought I'd ask.....for those of you with a Martin in your stable of Taylors, did you "sacrifice" one of your Taylors (and it's tone) for the Martin (and it's tone) or did you just add to the collection?
-
More like I got rid of the Martins, in favor of acquiring Taylors.
-
Earl.....which models did you get rid of? and did you end up with some ovangkol cuz it had "a bit" of that Martin tone.......or not really.....
-
The Martin 000-15sm (all Mahogany) I had taught me how much I love mahogany's tone and led me to get rid of a Taylor GS8 (Rosewood/Spruce) for a Taylor 514ce (Mahogany/Cedar) which for me is the best sounding wood combination of the standard issue Taylors. I no longer have the Martin either, but the hog/cedar Taylor is staying, perhaps because the cedar is a warmer sound than sitka spruce. Closer to a Martin? Possibly :)
-
I sold my Martin D-28 so I could buy my new Taylor 814. LOVED that D-28, but that big dread body just wasn't nearly as playable as the Taylor GA. And having two high-end guitars just isn't in a retired preacher's budget. I've never regretted the switch. The new 800 series is fantastic...in tone and bling.
-
I just recently sold my 324ce koa to fund a Martin OM-15 custom all gloss from LA Guitars. Love the Martin, I still have 3 Taylor's, including a recent mini koa purchase.
-
good to hear from ya, awesome.....yup, something about that cedar over hog sound for sure.....
sstaylor.....hmmmmmm, so there's someone who sold a Taylor when they found a nice Martin....Ted's good to work with...
Rev Roy.....I hear ya on the budget thing, tough when one has to go, been there done that...glad you found that 814....do you finger style or strum mostly! oh, and hopefully preachers never "really" retire!
-
Earl.....which models did you get rid of? and did you end up with some ovangkol cuz it had "a bit" of that Martin tone.......or not really.....
I sold a Martin 000-16, an older 80's vintage D-28, and their weird aluminum topped resonator ALT II res. As I got a bit older, my left hand grew to really dislike the Martin neck shape and width - it hurt to play for more than 20 minutes - but Taylor necks at 1-3/4" always worked fine.
In addition, Martin fought me on warranty coverage for two different original-owner neck resets out of four guitars!! One guitar needed a neck reset at one year old and the other at eight years old, and they resisted both times, so I am kinda mad at them permanently. That is why I say "got rid of". The only Martin that I have kept is the custom shop J-40, which is now a great instrument - after a neck reset, bridge relocation, and a bunch of other repairs of factory defects. That guitar satisfies all of my Martin desires for this lifetime.
I ended up with my ovangkol 414 (my first Taylor) because of its awesome and powerful tone, not too bassy but still crisp. And my particular example stood out even against other 414's. I get offers to trade it for D-28's fairly regularly, but see no reason to step down in guitar quality.
-
well stated on all fronts, even about the J40 and the "work" it needed to become a "keeper".......thanks, Earl.....
-
In my case added. None of my Martins have built in pick-ups and three of my Taylors have the ES. Very different sounds. Horses for courses, so to speak.
-
I added the 000-15sm 12 fret to my Taylor collection just for the all hog fix. The 12 fret, slot head was the bonus here. I have been unable to sacrifice any of the Taylors though. I recently added a 518e which won out over the D-18. The 518e is a monster.
Fmb
-
I added the 000-15sm 12 fret to my Taylor collection just for the all hog fix. The 12 fret, slot head was the bonus here. I have been unable to sacrifice any of the Taylors though. I recently added a 518e which won out over the D-18. The 518e is a monster.
Fmb
that 000-15sm you have is amazing...i would play custom lights on it because it had so much growl that it didn't lose much bass and it was so stinking easy to play. Hope you're enjoying it as much as I did mine...
-
I went through a Martin phase about ten years ago. Had a couple different Juber signature models -- Mahogany/Adi OM18c-LJ (tone seemed harsh considering the wood combination), EIR/Adi OMC28-LJ (played through 5 different examples of the model at Elderly to find the right one), a D28 Marquis (baseball bat neck that needed a reset though new), and the obligatory 000-28EC Clapton signature. They were all good guitars, but none of them had the magic combination of great tone and easy playability. The Rosewood Juber was the closest, but was very finicky when it came to humidity levels and needed a half hour of solid play for the top to loosen up and sound right.
End of the day, none of the Martins could provide what darned near every Taylor I've brought home gave me. Lesson learned.
-
I love my Taylor 712e-fltd so much, but I'd NEVER consider parting with my Martin D-28 for any Taylor, I think as a manufacturer they just make an entirely different type of instrument and as much as do adore the Taylor brand more so, but Gibson/Martin just make more woody and natural sounding guitars, whereas Taylor make guitars with great clarity and a hi-fi balanced sound, AND have the best pickups money can buy.
-
When I was shopping for a pro-quality acoustic, I tried Martins and Taylors. I liked both. I think what swayed me toward the Taylor was the NT neck. I still would love to have a Martin someday but I don't think I would sell my 314ce to get it, though.
-
thanks, guys, these are the kind of responses I was looking for, good stuff.......
Willhubbs.....you said it right, Taylor and Martin are just "different".....as they should be.....Bob Taylor didn't set out to make another Martin clone, he went in an entirely different direction and it has really worked out well.....and I hear ya with the never give up the D28....I've gone through just about every Taylor wood combination, size and shape trying to find that D18/D28 sound... without success...the Ovangkols, the all hogs, the adi tops and several GOs came close, but all came up short.....so I've been asking myself as well...will I sacrifice one of my last two Taylor "gems", or break the "family rule" and add to the collection? first things first, try to find one that speaks to me, and fills that "up tempo strumming" need.....like Gutch said, it can take a while to find just the right one, even within the same model.......and like you mentioned, Will, a lot of strummers swear by the Gibsons.......or even a Guild......
"JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS DONE THEY PULL ME BACK IN".............................pacino, and krug!
-
I sold my 2008 Taylor 814ce and other guitars to help fund my custom martin 000-18ge. I have two other Taylors 818e first edition and a 516e musicians friend edition. I also have two Martins a gpcpa1 and a cst 000-28. And a 2005 Goodall KGCC.
-
I've sold a few Martins to fund some Taylors. I used to be a dyed in the wool Martin user, but these days, I prefer the more modern Taylor sound for my purposes. I've owned some wonderful Martins over the years, and they remain a great company. If you're looking for more variety in your toolshed, Martin and other manufacturers are definitely worth your consideration. If you end up trading a Taylor in for something you like more, you've done the right thing. Enjoy the journey!
-
I just remembered reading in Wood & Steel that even Bob Taylor owns Martins. And I guess if you think about it, he actually did sell some Taylors to pay for his Martin.
-
I just remembered reading in Wood & Steel that even Bob Taylor owns Martins. And I guess if you think about it, he actually did sell some Taylors to pay for his Martin.
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!! I can't stop laughing at this one. Very true and very clever. :)
-
LOL also!!!!! and thanks, SF, for your usual words of wisdom!
-
kdirk16.......nice collection....curious, is your 818FE a 2013 or 2014?
-
Its a 14
-
The Martin I sold the Taylor for is a custom 000-18ge ambertone from MFG with a low pro neck, cocobolo binding body and neck/headstock, and no pick guard. Hopefully by October.
-
kdirk16.....the 2014 818 was the last one I let go...hard decision.....NICE custom you have coming!
-
The funny thing is I'm thinking about selling the Martin gpcpa1 to try to get a 2011 Taylor Fall Limited Cocobolo GA
-
The 818 is a great guitar, the biggest body guitar I have. Love it!
-
Recently sold a Martin rosewood dread. Loved the tone and neck but it was only four years old and was soon to need a neck reset, IMO. Since I bought it used and sight unseen (a mistake in hindsight), it would have been on my nickel so I sold it with full disclosure to the buyer.
-
Earl.....which models did you get rid of? and did you end up with some ovangkol cuz it had "a bit" of that Martin tone.......or not really.....
The only Martin that I have kept is the custom shop J-40, which is now a great instrument - after a neck reset, bridge relocation, and a bunch of other repairs of factory defects. That guitar satisfies all of my Martin desires for this lifetime.
Hi Earl, I'm late to this thread as it's been a while since I have been here ... your J40 preference caught me, as I am probably going to sell my HD28 and D18 12-fretters, and the only Martin candidate to fill the openings is a J40. Love these balanced instruments ... got that D28 like sound without the boomy bass, and easier to play than a dread. PLUS, you can pick them up for substantially less on the used market -- kind of a well kept secret. But what is it you like about the J40, and what Taylor do you think fits into that similar vein? You would think the 816 I have, but it doesn't quite have the note separation the J40 has, but it's got the range and thumpy (not boomy) bass, actually better than the Martin.
-
I like the big sound and the depth of it, plus the overall balance. It has a strong fundamental tone with plenty of bass, but still fairly articulate midrange sounds too. As you said, it gives the D-28 sound but with some decent mids too. This is a large rosewood / spruce body, now with about 25 years of aging and play time, so it has mellowed nicely. It's kinda like a smooth scotch - once you know what that is like, most everything else seems rather harsh. When I was auditioning my first REAL guitar I played a number of stock J-40's in various shops. The tone grabbed me, plus I am a big guy and the big body seemed to fit me nicely. I was mostly a fingerpicker in those days, and had a very light touch, so this guitar still produced some decent volume without driving it too hard. But I thought the stock J-40 was kinda "blingy" so I toned it down a bit when I ordered my CS version. The back has some really nice rosewood (one of the benefits of going custom shop, at least in those days). The top started out the same shade as a manilla file folder, but has aged into a nice golden tone by now.
Since discovering Taylor, I have always wished for a guitar with that sound, but with a Taylor neck and playability. The most comparable Taylor version would be something like an 816 which comes pretty close, especially in the newly re-braced post 2014 version. The GO models go a bit too far in that direction for my ear, just a touch too bassy.
Now that my J-40 has had a bunch of factory defects corrected by a good repair shop, it plays and intonates better than it ever has - as it should have leaving the factory. The bridge was in the wrong place originally, and I actually had him move the bridge about 1.5 mm further away, telling him to set it up for medium strings tuned down D-D as the normal use. The J-40 really sings at that tuning. I recently experimented with heavy (59-14) strings tuned down further at C-C, so this is guitar has essentially become my "short scale baritone" now.
-
Added a Martin after I already owned a Taylor. Love both in their own ways. Each have something special.
-
Had to have a vintage Martin so got a 1930 size 2, more for collectability than playing, and bought a mini Martin when its only competition was the baby Taylor. Otherwise I've only had GAS for Taylor.
-
Howdy,
I didn't even consider trading/selling my Baby Taylor for my 2012 D18.
-
Just added a Martin D17M from Ted @ LA Guitars. I had played one at a local shop the prior weekend and thought I'd pick it up this weekend, but Ted had a clearance deal that made it a "no brainer". I'm really pleased with it as it filled a void in my stable. I didn't want to spring for a Taylor 810 due to budget considerations. This one does my old Yamahas one better - a little more woodiness and thump.
Martin D-17M Mahogany Spruce Dreadnought
(https://www.laguitarsales.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/a/mard17m1657796-1.jpg)
-
I wanted to add a Martin and went in search of one of the fabled D-28s. Was willing to part with my GA8 in order to fund whatever I found.
Attended the recent Orlando Guitar Expo, with the intent of coming home with a D-28 (or maybe a D-18). Took my GA8 along so I could compare the two.
I played a lot of D-28's of various vintages, a few D-18's, and maybe even a Collings dread or two. None of them did anything for me that would displace my GA8.
Visited one booth, and spied one of the new 816ce's. It hooked me on the first strum and came home with me and is now my main player.
Still don't know that I might add a Martin one day, but I feel like this 816ce may be 'the one' and really have no desire for anything else at the moment (wife says 'Sure, I'll believe that when you stop buying guitars.....')
D