Another noob X vs. Y - this time, Guild vs. Martin vs. Seagull

[Dloz]

I've had a Martin 0001xAE for years now and I have no issue with it. I'm a chord strummer primarily. The Martin's tone is great, volume is nice for a 000 size and playability is comfortable. I bought used for less than $400 and would be hard pressed to find a better git at that price point. I also own a Seagull entourage mini jumbo. Also a great git for its price. Durable, shorter scale, loud, fun to play.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by TBman

I like Guilds and I like the 000 Martin as I've played a few. It depends on what sound you want as they are completely different to my ears.

Honestly, for acoustic, I'm still trying to sort out what kind of sound I'm looking for. Frankly, I used to always think of "acoustic guitar" as being a single sound. In retrospect, that's not fair nor particularly smart. It never occurred to me that there could be an entire pallet of tones depending on so many variables. Considering the mental image of myself - playing stuff like Syd Barrett or folky David Bowie at open mics - a darker sound would do me well.

More importantly, I've find myself gravitating naturally towards warmer sounding tonewoods - cedar, sapele, mahogany - than the brighter tones of, say, spruce and maple. Maybe it's my personality, maybe it's my constant tinnitus, I dunno. When shopping, I've been mostly interested in whether the guitar feels "alive" and plays well in my clumsy hands, so long as it's not too bright. Most of the guitars I tried out meet that criteria, but the DRS1, the used Guild, and the Seagulls seemed to have these qualities moreso than the others.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by Dloz

I've had a Martin 0001xAE for years now and I have no issue with it. I'm a chord strummer primarily. The Martin's tone is great, volume is nice for a 000 size and playability is comfortable. I bought used for less than $400 and would be hard pressed to find a better git at that price point. I also own a Seagull entourage mini jumbo. Also a great git for its price. Durable, shorter scale, loud, fun to play.

I might have been a bit harsh in my description of the tone of the GPCX2AE. I think my impression might have been due to its body style more than its construction materials, plus I had just played several dreads that naturally would have a fuller sound. I stand by my comments on its neck, although I can admit that it may have been just that one and was not representative of the entire X Series.

The Entourage mini-jumbo is definitely a guitar I'd like to try. One of the shops I hope to visit tomorrow has one in stock although, according to their website, it doesn't have the QIT.

[JGinNJ]

Get the DRS-1. I can tell from your try-out reviews it's the one you like the most. The nice thing about the lower end Martins- they've figured out how to still get the great Martin tone.

[Photojeep]

Admittedly I haven't read every post on this thread so if this has been covered, please excuse my duplication:

I owned and loved a Seagull Walnut 12 string but in the end, the neck was too thin for me. I'm not talking about the width (which I think was 1 3/4 if not wider) but the thickness of the neck itself. I was sad to see it go but in the final analysis, it just wasn't comfortable to play. Other 12 strings do not give me the same issues my beloved Seagull did. I have the hand strength to play a 12 string for a long time but this was simply too uncomfortable to play.

I guess I'm saying it all depends on how a particular guitar feels in YOUR hands.

Let's face it, all 3 brands you list are wonderful guitars with their own unique voice and feel but since you're the one playing it, it needs to feel right in your hands.

Good luck in your search,
PJ