The problem with finding the one...

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Well, my D-18 sounds so amazing at everything it does that I think I have a problem. I suddenly don't want to play anything but this guitar. That's a good thing right? Well, maybe not...

I'm already working to sell my 814ce because the D-18 just has something special. It's what I want to grab for playing my church music, what I grab for singing Jason Isbell covers, and even what I've started preferring for my Celtic DADGAD noodling.

What's a man to do when you find that single guitar that sweeps you off your feet and demands so much attention that you forget your other guitars?

I also want to apologize for the forum for talking about selling my 814ce so often. I know some of you are like "go ahead and sell it already!" But it isn't that simple.

I'm not wealthy, blessed sure, but I am not "rolling in the dough" haha. I'm just a regular guy with expensive guitar tastes and while I wish I could own several different guitars, I just can't afford it so in order to feed my proverbial GAS, it's one in one out.

So, at the moment I'm infatuated with Martin guitars. I love my D-18 so much that in my mind I know that the Taylor will sit in the closet. I just can't let a guitar as expensive as an 814 just sit in the closet...

I know exactly where your at with this issue. I took almost 40 years to find THE one. When I found it I kept my #1 Goodall for almost a year, going largely unplayed until I was certain the McCollum was as great as I thought it was. When I was certain, I sold it and I've never missed it.

Good luck!

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

I know exactly where your at with this issue. I took almost 40 years to find THE one. When I found it I kept my #1 Goodall for almost a year, going largely unplayed until I was certain the McCollum was as great as I thought it was. When I was certain, I sold it and I've never missed it.



Good luck!

I played the D18 again tonight while my 6 year old daughter worked on her "Darius Rucker chops" as she calls it lol. Pure magic!!!

[Starter]

I'm curious: is it your particular D18, or do would you be equally enthralled by others. You make me think maybe I need one after all...

Will

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Starter

I'm curious: is it your particular D18, or do would you be equally enthralled by others. You make me think maybe I need one after all...

Will

I can't point to any one thing. The strummed sound just sounds right. There is a perfect mix of pick noise and girth in the tone, but perfectly balanced. What I've come to love about Martin guitars is the woodiness and the width of sound that comes from each string. My daughter says it sounds like a "real country guitar." Single flat picked lines are present and honky, and there is a perfect amount of shimmer and low end WITHOUT THE SCOOP.

The real joy is how I feel when I play it. Music happens. Maybe some of you can relate, but when I play my Taylor, my right ear is close to the sound hole and I'm listening. I enjoy the tone, but I'm constantly paying attention to what is coming out of it. I focus on what I like or don't like about what I'm playing that moment.

With the D18, music just happens. I'm just playing and singing and I'm focusing on the FUN. It just sounds right, feels right, looks right, and it just is an amazing experience. My eyes shut and I'm just into the moment. There is no point at which I focus on the sound and whether or not I like what I'm hearing....It's perfect.

If there is any weakness at all it would be in the fingerpicking. Great tone, but I feel like I need more volume to get where I want to go, whereas on the Taylor (or 000s I've played) the notes just jump out. But, I can tell that my 814 is very lightly built, and I'm not sure I like that. I can't hit it very hard before it starts to flub out and clang around on the frets.

[Swamp Yankee]

I wonder if "finding THE ONE" is actually a matter of realizing that none are perfect and you're losing money buying new guitars, falling in lust with them, then finding another, falling in lust, selling the first one to buy it ....etc.
Maybe it sinks in eventually, that the guitar you have in your hands, the one that you've bonded with, the one that you know just what to do with to get the best sound..that guitar is THE ONE...
signed by the guy with 8 guitars who's still sulking because he missed the guitar he wanted in the AGF classifieds

[Truckjohn]

It seems like the die is cast and you have resolved to sell it.

Don't play it anymore or you may have second thoughts. Simply clean it up and prepare it for sale.

A bit of advice.. Don't assume that because you like one offering by a company that you will like all the rest. There is a considerable difference between the OM and the D sound wise. Thats not to say Martin doesn't make good OM's - just that their OM's are quite different from D's.... Hopefully you will like that difference too...

Best of luck on your quest. I hope you find what you are looking for.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Swamp Yankee

I wonder if "finding THE ONE" is actually a matter of realizing that none are perfect and you're losing money buying new guitars, falling in lust with them, then finding another, falling in lust, selling the first one to buy it ....etc.
Maybe it sinks in eventually, that the guitar you have in your hands, the one that you've bonded with, the one that you know just what to do with to get the best sound..that guitar is THE ONE...
signed by the guy with 8 guitars who's still sulking because he missed the guitar he wanted in the AGF classifieds

I can TOTALLY relate to that. Honestly though, if we are honest with ourselves (or at least me) there is generally some sort of minor disappointment in every guitar we've ever sold. Heck, I bought the Taylor already knowing I didn't want the ES2, but the guitar particular guitar with the ES2 was cheaper than ordering without.

With the D18, there hasn't been an ounce of disappointment or regret, and I've been impressed with every aspect of this guitar. Every guitar I've ever kept has been one that made me feel like the D18 makes me feel. I'm not saying I won't ever sell it, but does anyone really plan on divorce???

[ChrisE]

Like I mentioned before, I thought my 314ce would be the only guitar I would ever need. But a great deal came up on the D-18 and I thought, "Well, if I don't like it, I can sell and not worry about taking much of a loss because I got a good deal on it."

When I first played them side by side I thought there really wasn't that much difference. They both play great, same size neck, etc. But each time I play the D-18 it just sounds better and better. I find myself composing a Craigslist ad in my mind for the Taylor every time I play the D-18.

"For sale--2013 Taylor 314ce. Great condition with only one slight scratch that can only be seen from a certain angle. ES 1.3 electronics system...professional setup...new bone saddle...etc....."

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I

If there is any weakness at all it would be in the fingerpicking. Great tone, but I feel like I need more volume to get where I want to go, whereas on the Taylor (or 000s I've played) the notes just jump out. But, I can tell that my 814 is very lightly built, and I'm not sure I like that. I can't hit it very hard before it starts to flub out and clang around on the frets.

If you sell the 814 you should maybe consider an Eastman 322ce or 422ce.
the Eastman version of the GA is a louder guitar than the Taylor and is more balanced. The bottom is rounder but not fluffy and it will give you similar attributes as the Taylor. You could still ahve a GA and money in your pocket.
Before you laugh and dismiss either one:

[Old Poseur]

I know where you're coming from. When I bought my 2016 Taylor 812ce 12 fret (Sitka/EIR) I thought I'd found the one - easy to play, comfortable, sounded great. Then six months later I found and bought a 2007 Santa Cruz OM/PW 14 fret (Sitka/Mahogany) in great condition. Just as easy to play, even more comfortable, really sounded great - substantially better IMHO. So now I'm going to sell the Taylor since it's just gathering dust. Could it be that the OP and I just love the sound of Mahogany? I'm guessing that's the case since I also love my Taylor 552ce 12 string.

[TBman]

I was playing my J-45 exclusively for months and then put my Larrivee into Csus2 tuning. Wow.

[Gordon Currie]

I didn't see how long you've had the Taylor.

If you've had it a year or more, and you haven't bonded with it like the Martin, sell it. It is unlikely that you'll ever bond with it in that way, IMO. And it will ALWAYS be in the shadow of the Martin.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

I didn't see how long you've had the Taylor.

If you've had it a year or more, and you haven't bonded with it like the Martin, sell it. It is unlikely that you'll ever bond with it in that way, IMO. And it will ALWAYS be in the shadow of the Martin.

I think I've had it since March of 2016. I bonded with the 814ce originally, but it's just not for me anymore. I have been an electric player all of my life and I was really drawn to Taylor guitars during my electric days because they seemed to all play more like an electric.

But, my style and music ventures have changed considerably in the past couple years. All of my favorite artists play Martin, I like the Martin tone, and my entire family plays Martin acoustics. I tried so hard to go against the grain, but I just prefer Martin these days. They just sound right.

I'll be the first to say that I think Taylor has amazing branding. I dig what they stand for and Andy is doing wonderful things. I myself identify more with Taylor as a company than I do their product. I don't know if that makes any sense at all.

[rmyAddison]

....and the D-18 is the best until you play a D-18GE, and then until you play a D-18 Authentic, and so it goes.............

IMHO there is no best, just choices, and we all have different preferences.

I have what I call my "keeper" list, but no guitar is exempt if I find a better comparable instrument (same size/wood combinations), that blows me away, but my keepers have survived numerous A/B's, Martins and Collings/Bourgeois/Santa Cruz, that's how they became "keepers".

I am open to finding better, they have all lasted years now, not missing anything I'm looking for at all, but I personally never say never.

There is no "The One" to me, and every guitar I own is a different wood combination (mostly Martin OMs), variety of voicings.

I'd like a dollar for every "I found the one" post guitar that shows up in the classifieds down the road, enjoy the journey more than the instruments....

[Zissou Intern]

I felt the same as the OP about my >2012 D18. Then I got my Gibson J15. It may well be my all-time favorite guitar. I hate its mini-Grovers, but now I don't even notice them because I like the guitar so much. It's a crazy good slope shoulder.

And as far as the D18GE goes, it's not a step up from the D18 or D18V. I've tried to like two GE's and sold them both. Whereas, the D18A is on a whole different branch - way up the tree -from the rest of the D18 family.