Taylor feel vs sound

[RosewoodJoe]

So, in connection with the perennial and correct advice here and elsewhere, I went and played a bunch of acoustic guitars yesterday to try to get a feel for what I like. All the Taylors I played, I really liked the feel of the necks and fretboards. They just fit my hand well. Problem was, I preferred the sound of the Martin's and Gibson's more. Not that they Taylor's sounded bad, they sound beautiful, but in a way that I'm not looking for. They were bright and shimmery, the nice overtones seemed to come out of the treble and upper mid-range areas. I prefer richer lower mids and lows.

So, the question sort of is, do I stick with the neck that I really liked and try to a) get used to the tone (this happens, I eventually love all my guitars) b) try to look for the taylor with the wood combo that gets me closest to what I want, and/or c) try to do what I can to change the tone with strings.

Or, just get a different guitar. The neck was my favorite neck, but some of the Martin necks worked for me too, and the sound was great.

Now, some people will say sound is the only thing that matters, but its gotta feel good for me to be able to make the sound.

[rokdog49]

What "some people say" is just an opinion like anything else.
I have a Larrivee and a Taylor. I prefer the Taylor neck, but I am glad I have both. If you can have only one acoustic guitar, you will just have to decide which one is "calling out to you".
As an aside, my grandson likes the Taylor neck and when he comes over to visit, that's the guitar he grabs.

[Shades of Blue]

I'm a Taylor guy at heart who always wants a Martin once he has a Taylor. I can't really afford both, so I try to have one really nice acoustic at all times. Once I play a Martin, I realize that even though I LOVE the tone, the guitar itself just isn't for me. I just don't play or sound as good on a Martin guitar.

[rgregg48]

You liked a Gibson ??
Amazing!
I guess Henry Junk-O-Wicz
Puts out a good acoustic now and then!

[Atalkingsausage]

I'm all about sound first, and must admit i've never been super picky about neck shapes. But everyone is different, and you are really the only one who can answer this question for you.

But typically, when I play a new guitar, I'm focusing on sound characteristics. Usually I only notice the neck unless it's way too wide or way too narrow, or the edges of the fingerboard are way too sharp. It has to be an extreme difference to even get my attention. Usually I Just adapt. ymmv

I will say there have been two guitar necks that still stick out in my mind as far as being super comfortable. Neither of them have been on high end guitars. They were both pretty thick with beautifully rounded edges, with binding.

[Pixguit]

If some Martin guitar "worked" for you and you liked the sound, seems like you could choose one of those. But if you feel you be yearning for the Taylor neck,
keep looking until you play one really speaks to you and feels right. Perhaps you just haven't hit your favorite yet in Taylor, Martin, or Gibson. Good Luck!

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by RosewoodJoe

So, in connection with the perennial and correct advice here and elsewhere, I went and played a bunch of acoustic guitars yesterday to try to get a feel for what I like. All the Taylors I played, I really liked the feel of the necks and fretboards. They just fit my hand well. Problem was, I preferred the sound of the Martin's and Gibson's more. Not that they Taylor's sounded bad, they sound beautiful, but in a way that I'm not looking for. They were bright and shimmery, the nice overtones seemed to come out of the treble and upper mid-range areas. I prefer richer lower mids and lows.

So, the question sort of is, do I stick with the neck that I really liked and try to a) get used to the tone (this happens, I eventually love all my guitars) b) try to look for the taylor with the wood combo that gets me closest to what I want, and/or c) try to do what I can to change the tone with strings.

Or, just get a different guitar. The neck was my favorite neck, but some of the Martin necks worked for me too, and the sound was great.

Now, some people will say sound is the only thing that matters, but its gotta feel good for me to be able to make the sound.

Please trust me on this one... Buy for tone. Period. Martin and Gibson offer models with Taylor like necks. I have two Taylor's I really like. But, I could not find a Taylor dreadnought that sounded like a Martin. So, I bought a Martin that plays like a Taylor. New Martin guitars are Plek'ed and play pretty effortlessly. I'm a fan of the Retro series, which I consider a best of both worlds option.

[slice]

The guitar that had the best neck and easiest to play for me (and also was absolutely gorgeous) was my Taylor 516e custom. Although all my Taylors sounded great, I always gravitated towards my Martin and eventually sold all the Taylors and kept only the guitar that sounded best to my ears. I figured if I played enough I could become accustomed to any neck, but I couldn't play a guitar knowing that I had another one that sounded better as I'm usually a one guitar at a time guy. Everyone is different, but that's how I decide on my guitars.

[WHguitarNYC]

Originally Posted by RosewoodJoe

Or, just get a different guitar. The neck was my favorite neck, but some of the Martin necks worked for me too, and the sound was great.

This. Martin offers 8 different neck shapes - I think the Low Profile or Performing Artist necks will be most similar to what you will find from Taylor. Personally, while I own 3 Taylors, I find myself reaching for my Martins far more often. Buying one guitar with the hopes that it will transform into another or you will "learn to love it" will only leave you wanting. My advice is to not settle - continue searching the Martin and Gibson lines until you find "the one".

[ntotoro]

I spent a looooooong time trying to make a Taylor feel like a Taylor, but sound like a Martin. Bottom line, a Taylor is a Taylor and a Martin is a Martin. As it is, I have a couple of each now and there are several different neck carves Martin has which will allow you to come as close to feel as possible.

Nick

[GibbyPrague]

I cant imagine how anybody would not choose tone first.

[tomiv9]

My advice is keep searching, dont compromise. It's easy to find a guitar that plays well or one that sounds good. The hard part is finding one that does both. Keep searching, try additional martins to see if one has the playability, try additional Taylor's to see if one has the sound, and try other brands too.

[Kettil]

I'd lean to the Taylor. The tone will soften as the guitar ages and you choose a set of strings to your tastes. If you haven't had a Taylor or been around many Taylors before, there is also a lack of familiarity with the more balanced tone it presents. This will grow on you and for many of us Taylor converts it becomes a preferred tone over time.

The "feel" of a guitar is less malleable since neither the structure of your hand/arm, nor that of the guitar normally change much over time.

A 3rd option is to try some different Taylor models, as there is a fair amount of variance, and typically more bass response in the rosewood models (7xx, 8xx, 9xx).

A 4th option is to shop around with some other makers to find a guitar that combines optimal "feel appeal" and "tone appeal" right off the hop.

[clkbk]

I don't know which Martins you tried, but if you haven't yet, try out an MMV - it's a Guitar Center exclusive. I thought they had a similar feel to Taylors where they were easy and comfortable to play.

[TBman]

Tone is first, but don't buy a killer tone that is uncomfortable to play, that defeats the purpose of even having the guitar.