Atkin essential D and Martin d-18

[goodry]

I'm beginning to become a huge fan of Atkin... I was curious if anybody owns both or a/b'd them in a store. What were your impressions

[kizz]

Buy the guitar you like best, they all sound different, spending time on the internet will not make you wiser than your own opinion.

[guitarman001]

I've found both brands' output to be variable.

In that some (same model!) I've liked, some not.

I urge to play the specific guitars in person.

[JohanEA90]

Hello Goodry,

There's a few A/B's on Youtube, but one thing to always keep in mind is whether the Atkin is being compared to a regular D-18 or an Authentic/GE braced guitar (with Adirondack top). With that being said, I think Atkin to a large extent manages to work the baked Sitka tops into the Adirondack registry, but there'll always be that small difference on screen/via headset or if you're sitting in the room. I have seen a few Essential D's with Adirondack tops on the website of Chicago Music Exchange.

A short note:
The Alvarez video on the difference between Sitka and Adirondack is a good resource - essentially, they find that Sitka has a deeper bass than Adirondack, but what gives Adirondack the upper hand is the headroom it provides. This headroom can give the opposite impression that Adirondack has more bass / a fuller sound that the Sitka, but this is not always the case. What sets the two types of spruce apart is that it (Adirondack) generally speaking projects the sound better than Sitka because of its stiffness.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sZgMDWZMKw

Here's a few links of comparisons between Atkin and various Martin guitars:

(From Andertons.co.uk) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2g7c5HHJx8
(From The Fellowship of Acoustics) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1E6C4vWCBo
(From a Youtuber called "In Love with Guitars".... Aren't we all? ) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5owJKtLx-2c