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Old 04-29-2010, 11:18 AM
Daugela Daugela is offline
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Default Opinion needed..

Figured I'd post here to since it deals with Taylor guitars.

I'm about to make a purchase.

I LOVE the neck feel on the 214CE, but the sound of the Martin MMV.

I really want that Martin for tone, but the neck doesn't feel as good as the 214CE. Anybody know of something in between? The Taylor DN series has a 1 3/4 nut width so that out. The 214 is a 1 11/16.

Are the neck shapes THAT different from the MArtin MMV to the 214? thanks
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Old 04-29-2010, 11:49 AM
Scriptor Scriptor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daugela View Post
Figured I'd post here to since it deals with Taylor guitars.

I'm about to make a purchase.

I LOVE the neck feel on the 214CE, but the sound of the Martin MMV.

I really want that Martin for tone, but the neck doesn't feel as good as the 214CE. Anybody know of something in between? The Taylor DN series has a 1 3/4 nut width so that out. The 214 is a 1 11/16.

Are the neck shapes THAT different from the MArtin MMV to the 214? thanks
I may not be able to help you but your timing is interesting as I was thinking of posting something about my recent experience ... just this week a friend of mine asked me to take his Martin D16-GT home for a few days to adjust the truss rod and change the strings ... having this guitar along side my Taylor's for a few days has just re-affirmed for me the following:

- Martin and Taylor have distinctive tone qualities; Taylor is brighter; Martin is more "velvety" and certainly excels in the bottom end ... it would be cool to "cross" these two tone pallets and see what comes out ...

- Taylor has the better feel, mostly due to the neck; as much as I enjoyed the Martin tone, I couldn't get over how much less enjoyable it was to play compared to my Taylor's (and any other Taylor's I've played regardless of model/price). Taylor has a consistently good feel/neck and this is certainly a hallmark of their success IMO

Perhaps I've just never played a Martin that was setup to my liking but every time I go to a guitar shop and play several guitars, I leave with the realization that Taylor continues to stand out when you consider all the important aspects of what makes an acoustic guitar endearing ... I still would like to find a Martin one day that has that signature tone but plays like butter and has a nice neck feel but I have yet to find one ... don't get me wrong, I think Martins are good guitars but Taylor's are just better when it comes to a solid feel and smooth playing neck ...

Interesting post ... hopefully someone else with more knowledge than I can help us learn of other guitars with necks/feel comparable to Taylor's ...
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Last edited by Scriptor; 04-29-2010 at 12:08 PM.
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:05 PM
Daugela Daugela is offline
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Originally Posted by Scriptor View Post
I may not be able to help you but your timing is interesting as I was thinking of posting something about my recent experience ... just this week a friend of mine asked me to take his Martin D16-GT home for a few days to adjust the truss rod and change the strings ... having this guitar along side my Taylor's for a few days has just re-affiremed for me the following:

- Martin and Taylor have distinctive tone qualities; Taylor is brighter; Martin is more "velvety" and certainly excels in the bottom end ... it would be cool to "cross" these two tone pallets and see what comes out ...

- Taylor has the better feel, mostly due to the neck; as much as I enjoyed the Martin tone, I couldn't get over how much less enjoyable it was to play compared to my Taylor's (and any other Taylor's I've played regardless of model/price). Taylor has a consistently good feel/neck and this is certainly a hallmark of their success IMO

Perhaps I've just never played a Martin that was setup to my liking but every time I go to a guitar shop and play several guitars, I leave with the realization that Taylor continues to stand out when you consider all the important aspects of what makes an acoustic guitar endearing ... I still would like to find a Martin one day that has that signature tone but plays like butter and has a nice neck feel but I have yet to find one ... don't get me wrong, I think Martins are good guitars but Taylor's are just better when it comes to a solid feel and smooth playing neck ...

Interesting post ... hopefully someone else with more knowledge than I can help us learn of other guitars with necks/feel comparable to Taylor's ...
Curious what you compared the Martin to. A Taylor dread?
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:09 PM
wooglins wooglins is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daugela View Post
Figured I'd post here to since it deals with Taylor guitars.

I'm about to make a purchase.

I LOVE the neck feel on the 214CE, but the sound of the Martin MMV.

I really want that Martin for tone, but the neck doesn't feel as good as the 214CE. Anybody know of something in between? The Taylor DN series has a 1 3/4 nut width so that out. The 214 is a 1 11/16.

Are the neck shapes THAT different from the MArtin MMV to the 214? thanks
I would try a DN3 and pretend the neck is not 1 3/4. After playing one, decide if it feels right. I discovered that the 1 3/4 inch neck on the Taylor felt no different to me than the 1 11/16 on a Martin. Could be string spacing, could be the neck on a Taylor is just so playable that it negates the difference in width, not sure. Regardless if you have not spent some time with a DN3 I would do that before you pull the trigger on the MMV. The MMV is a great guitar, but I have a suspicion that it will leave you wanting more after a brief period of time. The bracing on the MMV is very simple and does not allow for very complex tone. Here is a picture of the bracing:

Martin A-Frame:


Taylor Standard II with relief rout:
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:14 PM
Scriptor Scriptor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daugela View Post
Curious what you compared the Martin to. A Taylor dread?
I don't own a Taylor dread but I was fresh from the local GC yesterday after playing 3 Taylor dread's (one particularly nice DN3) along side a number of Martins ... I really like the Martin tone but going way back to my teen years and Bluegrass bands, I do not prefer the Martin feel/neck ... I know, it's just me; I'm different ... at least that is what all my Bluegrass buddies used to say ... "he's strange ... there is no other guitar save Martin; send him away" ...
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:21 PM
sachi sachi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scriptor View Post
- Taylor has the better feel, mostly due to the neck; as much as I enjoyed the Martin tone, I couldn't get over how much less enjoyable it was to play compared to my Taylor's (and any other Taylor's I've played regardless of model/price). Taylor has a consistently good feel/neck and this is certainly a hallmark of their success IMO . . .
Remember, Martin does not have just one neck shape. It makes a variety of necks to suit different tastes. I have both a Martin 000-28 EC and a Taylor GC5. The Taylor neck is nice enough, but I prefer the shape and feel of the very un-Taylor-like modified V neck on the Martin. So I think it is a mistake to assume that the Taylor neck will always have better feel, to every player, than a Martin neck.
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:31 PM
Scriptor Scriptor is offline
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Originally Posted by sachi View Post
Remember, Martin does not have just one neck shape. It makes a variety of necks to suit different tastes. I have both a Martin 000-28 EC and a Taylor GC5. The Taylor neck is nice enough, but I prefer the shape and feel of the very un-Taylor-like modified V neck on the Martin. So I think it is a mistake to assume that the Taylor neck will always have better feel, to every player, than a Martin neck.
Good point ... as I said, there are many who have more knowledge than I ... I would very much like to change my opinion one day if I pick up a Martin that works for me ... thanks.
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:35 PM
Daugela Daugela is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sachi View Post
Remember, Martin does not have just one neck shape. It makes a variety of necks to suit different tastes. I have both a Martin 000-28 EC and a Taylor GC5. The Taylor neck is nice enough, but I prefer the shape and feel of the very un-Taylor-like modified V neck on the Martin. So I think it is a mistake to assume that the Taylor neck will always have better feel, to every player, than a Martin neck.
Good info... THe MMV uses the modified low oval. It would be intresting to try the low profile and low oval. I went on Martin's website to see the diffrence and I couldn't find much other than what was in the custom shop.

The Taylor uses a 15" fret radius and the Martins a 16". Don't know enough, but I wonder if that makes THAT much of a difference? Maybe for a super seasoned pro - which I'm not. Piano for 30 years, 1 year on the guitar...
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Old 04-29-2010, 01:44 PM
seannx seannx is offline
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Default Dn3

+1 for the Taylor DN3. You have the big advantage of solid wood, compared to the 200 series. Also, I think there is something about the DN3, where Taylor hit a design sweet spot. From comparing a DN3 to more expensive Martins (up to $800 more), IMO, the DN3 had a more full, kind of Martin like base than the Martins, along with the classic Taylor mid and upper range clarity. The neck is easy to play, and very comfortable. The three DN3's I played were also very consistent sound wise, all equally good.
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Old 04-29-2010, 01:56 PM
JimB1 JimB1 is offline
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If you like the Taylor sound, call Taylor and find out how much a custom DN3 is with a 1 11/16" neck is. It's the same bolt on NT neck as the 210 so it shouldn't be any big deal for them to swap necks for you.

It can't be a huge price difference...

JMHO
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Old 04-29-2010, 02:08 PM
Herb Hunter Herb Hunter is offline
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Since it is considerably more expensive, just for information purposes only, you might try a GS5 to see what that body style with a cedar top and mahogany body yields in terms of tone.
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Old 04-29-2010, 02:17 PM
riesendw riesendw is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daugela View Post
The Taylor DN series has a 1 3/4 nut width so that out.
The Modify-a-model option will allow you to swap out neck widths on that DN3, at no cost, I believe.
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Old 04-29-2010, 07:25 PM
Daugela Daugela is offline
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Well, I took everyone's consideration and actually found a used D-16RGT at GC that I fit me perfectly and had the tone I was looking for. What's interesting, is that the tone was by FAR deeper with a bit more crispyness compared to the new MMV and the new D-16....

It sounded and played better than both of those new.. The only draw back was that the finish on the top was faded or somewhat discolored at the bottom. It still had a gloss top. The rep thinks that the previous owner may have tried to refinished it and stopped or something....

Regardless, it's the guitar I want. The sound and feel was perfect for me. I put it on layaway. Wonder how much it woudl be to get it refinshed?
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Old 04-29-2010, 08:49 PM
310Taylor 310Taylor is offline
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"Martin and Taylor have distinctive tone qualities; Taylor is brighter; Martin is more "velvety" and certainly excels in the bottom end ... it would be cool to "cross" these two tone pallets and see what comes out ... "

I think the 714ce is one of the best sounding guitars taylor makes. I am a big fan of the martin hd28v and I honestly think the 714ce sounds very very similar. Not as loud Im sure due to the GA body of the taylor but the GA body is what gives the cedar/rosewood that refined sound that is similar to the hd28v in my opinion. With the overtones and the note definition, just amazing. I dont think martin has anything on taylor in terms of tone, or design for that matter. They are both equal in my opinion. For people who think martins do not play as well as taylors. I disagree and I suggest playing a d35. The neck on that guitar is almost identical to taylor necks in my opinion.
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Old 04-30-2010, 05:13 AM
JimB1 JimB1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daugela View Post
Well, I took everyone's consideration and actually found a used D-16RGT at GC that I fit me perfectly and had the tone I was looking for. What's interesting, is that the tone was by FAR deeper with a bit more crispyness compared to the new MMV and the new D-16....

It sounded and played better than both of those new.. The only draw back was that the finish on the top was faded or somewhat discolored at the bottom. It still had a gloss top. The rep thinks that the previous owner may have tried to refinished it and stopped or something....

Regardless, it's the guitar I want. The sound and feel was perfect for me. I put it on layaway. Wonder how much it woudl be to get it refinshed?
I suspect that an MMV or a D-16GT would feel pretty much the same after a setup since they are the same neck. Of course the D-16GT is Mahogany so it would sound different then the D-16RGT. The MMV uses different bracing then the D-16RGT so they would sound different as well.

Refinishing from what I understand is pretty expensive at the factory, something in the area of $1000. You may want to see if there are any local luthiers in your area and see what they think of the top.

Maybe the previous owner had some sort of sticker on there and it discolored the area or the rest got darker as it aged so it still fresh looking where the sticker was? That's the easiest to fix, just give it time to even out on it's own. Tough to even guess at without a pic though...

Good luck with it...
-Jim
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