Martin to Taylor…!? A Change of Faith…

[colins]

Originally Posted by The Real Jake

..... I think with Taylor you might get more bang for your buck.

What’dya all think? Taylor vs Martin…

-TRJ

Bang for your buck? Two large and successful companies competing with each other for decades will offer similar bang for the buck overall. I’d be more interested in what your ears and hands are telling you about a guitar. Do you like the sound? Do you like the playability and the tone, clarity, overtones, balance etc? If you had two guitars on stands in front of you, which one would you pick up and play more frequently? If you shut your eyes and ignored the name on the headstock, which guitar makes you happier?

I’ve owned Martins and Taylors and been very happy with both builders. Maybe I’ve been lucky but in owning numerous new and used guitars over the past 20 years I have never had a neck reset, so compared with everyday tone and playability, the cost of possible one-off repairs is way down my list.

As for brand loyalty, I grew up believing in it and as a result I have been comprehensively done over in recent years by insurance, power and internet companies that see brand loyalty as a marketing tool and nothing more. High levels of “trust” in a company these days doesn’t guarantee they are any good, it generally just shows that they have a huge advertising budget.

Martin and Taylor are both great guitar makers. So, buy the guitar that gives you the most enjoyment and is within your comfort zone cost-wise. Ignore the rest!

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Heroditus

I don't see it as a Taylor vs Martin situation. Both are great companies making fantastic guitars. I have each in my modest little collection and like them all.

Buy what you like and can afford. Don't pay too much attention to the name on the headstock.

I’ll second that opinion.

[Ed66]

I agree with this^^^^ Play what works for you and don't worry about anything else.

[RalphH]

Companies spend a lot of money on marketing to build a brand identity and foster loyalty. None of that money spent makes the guitars any better.

Just play what you like with an open mind.

[Silly Moustache]

Tribal? Well maybe - we humans are tribal in so many ways.

I gave up drums for acoustic guitar sometime in the '60s, and the guitars I fantasized about were those I saw no the front of the 12" albums of the artists I was following, and so it was about Gibsons, Epiphones, Guilds and Martins.
but back then in the UK you didn't see those names on the walls of music shops and most guitars were made Germany, Sweden or Italy.

So, I went ,via Harmony, to Gibson, to Epiphone to Guild and finally Martin by about 1970/71.

Trouble was, in my ignorance, I bought the guitars that people needed to pass on, and I knew only one luthier/repairer who became a great friend, but he was still learning - some terrible things were done to guitars back then.

Eventually, I got my keeper - a '73 D35 that stayed with me for 21 years. I'd been "stalking" that guitar through two bands. A friend has it now, and it still sounds remarkable.

the first time I saw and heard Taylor guitars at a Nanci Griffith /Crickets concert and they sounded horrible. Big gig, pro sound system and it was the trebly /whiniest /quakiest sound I'd ever heard .... and they looked funny.

They still look odd to me ...because they don't look like Martins or Gibsons and, yes, I must be "imprinted" by those two company looks.

Before the plague, I used to go to a lot of local clubs and ran my own where I didn't allowed plugging -and all used a large condenser mic with no fx.

I'd mc and introduce people on stage then go to the back to listen , do whatever, I needed and was often surprised positively and negatively by all the guitars I heard.

Martins, Taylors, Yamahas, some Gibsons, old Levins, and Eastmans, most common in recent years, and with all some sounded good, some less so.

I only own one Martin now - a rebuilt '64 D12-20 which is lovely but "eccentric". Martins are high maintenance.

I perform with Collings, sometimes a Santa Cruz, and play my Eastmans at home.

I don't think Taylors or Martins are in my future.

[Elder Gail]

I think you pick the one that you are the most comfortable with.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by sinistral

There is a fair amount of academic research regarding materialism, insecurity and brand loyalty that you might find interesting. These debates seem to take place on every discussion forum (watches—Rolex vs. xxxx; cameras—Nikon vs. Canon; bicycles—Campagnolo vs. Shimano vs. SRAM; etc.).

Campy every time.

[dnf777]

Like Edward said, why even have “teams”?

Im a “Martin guy”, but I play my Maton when I play like Tommy Emanuel.
Im a Martin guy, but I play my Gretsch when I play like Chet Atkins.
Im a Martin guy, but I play my Tele when I play like Bill Kirchen.

Oh, and Im a BeautyRest mattress guy, but sleep on a Stearns&Foster when dreaming all the above. Cheers! Enjoy your Martins and Taylors. There are many who can only dream of either!

[Teherie]

Buy the one that sounds the best and take a guitar playing friend with you who can play it while you listen.

I have five Martins, two Larrivees and an Alvarez Artist and my son has three Taylor’s including one rare electric that was only in production for a year or two. None of these guitars were impulse buys but all were selected because they felt and sounded the best.

I agree with Silly Moustache’s post and think that companies like Santa Cruz, Collings And Huss & Dalton make great guitars which also command premium prices, at least in my area.

You can probably take my comments with a grain of salt. Unlike Silly Moustache and many others on this forum who are fine players, people usually pay me to stop playing. So I will continue playing on my couch or in my backyard or on a rock while I’m on vacation.

[egordon99]

Originally Posted by sinistral

There is a fair amount of academic research regarding materialism, insecurity and brand loyalty that you might find interesting. These debates seem to take place on every discussion forum (watches—Rolex vs. xxxx; cameras—Nikon vs. Canon; bicycles—Campagnolo vs. Shimano vs. SRAM; etc.).

Omega! Oh wait, this isn't the watch forum.

What an odd thread. Does it matter? I prefer Martins but I really don't care what other people play or prefer. At the end of the day, we're all making music and that's what it's all about.