Cheaper Martin and Taylor vs. Guild, Eastman and others

[Nannicantipot]

Hi. This is my first post here, so I hope I will do it right.
I'll try to make it short.
I'm looking for an acoustic with cutaway.
My budget goes up to a Martin GPC 11E or a Taylor 114CE.
This Martin is not really a high end one and this Taylor has layered wood on sides and back.

My doubt is if Guild Westerly Series (for instance OMC 150CE), guitars made in solid wood but more affordable, can compete in quality whith these second-line Taylor and Martin instruments. The fact they are made in China makes me fear quality control might be worse.

I have also thought of Eastman or Seagull recently, but didn't have time to browse through models. I will thank any opinions on these or other more affordable brands whose instruments are at the same level as Martin Road Series or Taylor 100's or even better.

I haven't been able to play any of them until now (I will before I buy it but I have to travel 600 km from Galicia to Madrid, Spain) so my question is just about construction quality and durability: should I stick to non-high end instruments of the major brands or are there good choices in other manufacturers.

Thanks everybody for your help

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I'd say for $800, Eastman will give you your best bang for your buck.

[dnf777]

I cant comment on Chinese Guilds, but in general, I wouldnt let “made in China” dissuade me from a guitar. My Eastman PCH dred has lami b/s, but has tone and playability of guitars costing 4x as much. And it was around $500.

[edward993]

Welcome aboard!

1. Do not overlook a guit with lam b/s any more than you should give too much credit to one that has solid b/s. There simply is far more to a guitar's tone than mere wood species and composition. This "it's a laminated b/s" thing is far overblown. Let the corksniffers continue sniffing; its their prerogative, but it doesn't have to be yours.

2. Lots of guitars in that price range. But since you mention build quality and durability, it is very difficult not to give that to Taylor. Their QC is arguably the best in the business (certainly among the major players), their commitment to their customers regardless of what you buy from them is genuinely second to none. And their NT neck system all but guarantees you will be enjoying a perfectly playing acoustic forever as it is the only system of its kind that mitigates against age and humidity (within reason, of course).

3. It is very easy to point to this or that guitar brand/model and say "better deal than a Taylor," and on the surface, it seems so. But not all is plain to see as Taylor makes superb instruments that have shaken up the industry (no hyperbole here as their impact speaks for itself); implemented design features like the NT that was a sea change in the industry; their QC and consistency is hallmark as evidenced by everyone who remarks how well Taylors play (even if they don't care for Taylor's tone, which is subjective of course); and their superlative CS support is echoed nearly ubiquitously. Clearly trying a guitar is the best bet. But if buying a guitar "blindly," there are precious few makers who I'd dare even consider doing this, and Taylor is right on the top of my list.

4. Ignore what may sound like "fanboy" talk here and consider what I say as objective observations. You asked for feedback, this is mine

Edward

[Ed66]

As has been stated before, don't presume that a guitar not having solid wood back and sides can't perform exceptionally. Some builders even choose to use layered wood sides and backs on high end models to achieve certain design and/or integrity goals. If you're looking at guitars under $800 that are a real value, it would be hard to miss if you look in the Seagull, Alvarez, Eastman and Yamaha direction. All of these companies produce exceptional guitars at that price point. There are others that do so as well, but my experience is that these are the better options.

[neilca]

Pickup a used Yamaha AC3R or A3R from GC you won't regret it.

[mrjop1975]

I have a Guild M-140 which is in the Westerly series, all solid wood, and yes, made offshore. I personally love it and it fit my needs and criteria perfectly. My piece of advise, though, is do not let the name on the headstock tell you what you are getting. Go with the sound, feel, comfort, am I getting bang for my buck, then go, oh, it's a Guild, oh it's a ......

[blakey]

If you can only afford a Mexican Martin or Taylor with laminate back and sides. Def get one of those over an indistinct lower end Chinese import guitar. Why settle for generic cola when you can have classic coke.

[jp2558]

Double your budget and go for the Martin GPC-16E. You’ll be glad you did.

[Pdubs76]

I have the Martin GPC11e and it’s the most easy playing guitar I’ve owned. Lacks tone and volume though.

[Cibby]

Eastman and Alvarez Masterworks...I just bought a Alvarez MD60BG it is already in my rotation of the guitars I play for live bluegrass events. The MD60BG is right beside my 2004 HD28 and 2006 Eastman E20D. I've recorded several songs using it with the band and solo to check if what my ears heard was what others are hearing. I bought the MD60BG at first to just play around with at home but it is flawless made very well and sounds well like a D18 of which I had 3 but decided years ago to go with the rosewood HD28 for bluegrass. Now I've added the MD60BG and it cost $1600 less than a D18..

[cc132]

I think a good approach might be to start by figuring out what exactly you're looking for in a guitar. If you were just comparing, say, Martin and Blueridge, I think we'd be able to have a good discussion, but you're naming so many different brands who build such different styles of guitars with so many different tonal qualities that it's difficult to answer your question.

[Dru Edwards]

Nannicantipot, Welcome to the AGF! Great first post.

Very difficult for us to answer but the Taylor 114CE is a great guitar. Do not let the fact that it has layered (laminated) back/sides negatively sway your decision because Taylor does a great job with laminates, as does Seagull (made in Canada).

When you make your 600km trip to buy a guitar, play every guitar in the store you can, and visit as many stores as you can. You may be surprised at what will be the best for you. That said, it's great that you are doing some research now.

[rmp]

if the MIC Guild F1512E I have is any indication of the quality coming out of China for the rest of the comparable models, I would say they are on par with what you would expect.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by Nannicantipot

Hi. This is my first post here, so I hope I will do it right.
I'll try to make it short.
I'm looking for an acoustic with cutaway.
My budget goes up to a Martin GPC 11E or a Taylor 114CE.
This Martin is not really a high end one and this Taylor has layered wood on sides and back.

My doubt is if Guild Westerly Series (for instance OMC 150CE), guitars made in solid wood but more affordable, can compete in quality whith these second-line Taylor and Martin instruments. The fact they are made in China makes me fear quality control might be worse.

I have also thought of Eastman or Seagull recently, but didn't have time to browse through models. I will thank any opinions on these or other more affordable brands whose instruments are at the same level as Martin Road Series or Taylor 100's or even better.

I haven't been able to play any of them until now (I will before I buy it but I have to travel 600 km from Galicia to Madrid, Spain) so my question is just about construction quality and durability: should I stick to non-high end instruments of the major brands or are there good choices in other manufacturers.

Thanks everybody for your help

Welcome Nannicantipot

So, to help you, we really need to know some more important information...

How much is your budget $$$ what is the MOST you can spend, and what are you really hoping to spend?

How well do you play, and what style or styles of music do you like to play...are you a strummer, a fingerpicker/fingerstyle player, a flatpicker?

What are you looking for in the tone of a guitar, what is your current ideal tone?...are there any recordings of a guitar we could listen to on Youtube that show the sound you really hope to have in your guitar?

What brands will you have available where you will be buying...in Madrid...to choose from?

If you can give us answers to these questions, we can really give you more precise and better answers.

As far as the Made in China guitar quality vs the lower line Martin/Taylor quality, if you stick with the major Made in China brands like Yamaha, Eastman, Alvarez Masterworks or the Seagull line made in Canada, the quality is just as good as the lower end Taylor and Martin guitars. Eastman and Yamaha are very well respected for their Made in China instruments and have been for many many years.

Give us the answers to the above questions and let us help you even better!


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher