Cheaper Martin and Taylor vs. Guild, Eastman and others

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Such doubt is misplaced. But really, if you spend the equivalent of $1,000 on any one of the mentioned guitars, you'll get a pretty nice guitar. On the other hand, if you spend the equivalent of $1,000 on an excellent condition, used, American-made guitar, it will sound better.

Thank you for your help. I appreciate.
In fact I'm beginning to consider a used American-made guitar. But it may not be so easy since I live in Spain and the second-hand market here may be smaller than in the USA.
I will check out the possibility, anyway!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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

Hi Edward, thank you very much for your feedback. It confirms some things I have read on Taylor's quality. Ant the NT neck system is something I will seriously take on account. In fact, between 'the two big ones', Martin and Taylor, Taylor was already beginning to take the head of the race.
I will definitely include some Taylors in my list of tryouts and we will see who wins!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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.

Hi Ed.
Thank you very much for your help. I will take your opinion in consideration and add those brands to my list!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by neilca

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

Hi!
I must recognize I didn't know GC, which now I see is Guitar Center.
Looks great, but the fact I live outside The United States might be a problem.
I will check the Yamahas you're telling me about anyway and maybe I can get a friend to bring the guitar from there.
Thank you very much for your advice!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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 ......

This is very good advice and I will do so when I go trying out the guitars. The fact is that I like the Guilds, not only for their price. But there are not enough comparisons with first line brands and I didn't want to make the mistake of buying something worse because it was cheaper and looked good

For all the answers I'm getting here I see Guild and others deserve attention and I will take a desicion based on this premise.

Thank you very much for your help!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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.

Hello Blakey.
Thank you for your advice.
Considering all the answers I'm getting here today, all helpful, I will make a list of guitars to try out and the Martin and the Taylor will be included. I'ts true the others offer solid wood and other good things and many people say they deserve attention. We'll see who wins!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by jp2558

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

Hi, JP
I'd love to be able to do that
I'll write down the model and try one if I find it. I could always postpone the buying and try to get some more money or look for a used one.
Thank you for your help!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

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

Hi! Thank you for your opinion. I will definitely try out a GPC11 before taking a decision.
Playability is something I want to test and Martin is often said to be harder than Taylor and others, so this helps

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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..

Hi Cibby.
Thank you very much for your answer. I will include your guitars in the list of tryouts. Very useful!

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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.

Hi, CC
Thank you for your answer.
You are not the only one who tells me I should be more precise and I understand you are right

The fact is that I'm mainly an electric guitar player. Recently I have concentrated on a classical with nylon strings and a small parlor which is probably the nearest thing to an acoustic I have had in my hands.

I still have to try acoustics to decide on tonal qualities and it may still take some time or I might choose the wrong tone and change everything later, I don't know, I'm learning.

The reason for my question was that I was determined to try a Martin and a Taylor since it's easy to conclude they are both very good. But there is not so much information out there about other brands and not enough comparisons. And of course all manufacturers say their guitars are great and I don't have a close retailer I know I can trust.

The question I was making to myself was should I reject an all solid wood guitar made by an apparently reputable brand because it was foreign-made and affordable or not.

Right now I think this question is being answered here with the help of you all.

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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.

Hi Dru, thank you for your answer!
I take your word on the 114CE and I also will try some Seagulls.
I'm already designing a route of dealers in Madrid based on the information I've collected on Youtube, the answers I'm getting here and what those dealers say they have through their websites. I plan to enjoy the experience, even if it take some days and more than one visit to each store! And I hope I will be able to do it with well tuned ears and no preconceptions

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by 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.

Thank you very much, Ray. I will keep this in mind!

[TBman]

Originally Posted by 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

Funniest post I've read in some time, thanks for the laughs.

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by mcduffnw

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

Hi Duff, thank you very much for your welcome and your answer.
I will try to answer all your questions the best I can

1. Budget: my budget is en euros, so it's very different from what would be in dollars, because prices are about a 30% higher due to customs duties on guitars made in the USA.
I have fixed it in 1.000 €.
It could go up to 1.300 €, the price of the Martin GPC-11E.
The Guild OMC 150 CE costs about 1.000 €.
The Taylor 214CE (I wrote 114, but in fact this guitar is discontinued and I should have written 214CE) is the same price as the Guild, but as I said, it's layered wood in back and sides while the Guild is all solid wood.

2. Playing. I think I'm an intermediate player, at least that's where I stand in jam sessions. I'm still working to grow up from sloppy to nice and clean. I know an amount of concepts I still have to do the way they must be done. I've been playing mainly electric guitars, so I've been using mostly a pick. For a year now I've been working on my fingerpicking. It has to improve but it looks like it will. I also use strumming when necessary. I know one thing: I don't want a guitar for beginners.

3. As for the tone, that's difficult. Yes, I know it's crucial, but coming from electrics, my decision relies on the tryouts still to be done. I hope I'm not wasting your time with this, but I have always liked the sound of this guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAt1b21S97k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq-bcFOI56E

And I also like this (mostly the main guitar, not the necessarily one doing the fills):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIoj8KJdboI

But would like to have the possibility to produce this sound (and the live version I have seen of this song is played with a Guild):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7u0bBrLZsE

Don't know if this makes sense or I have to choose one sound and forget about the others.

4. As for the brands to choose from, if the stores websites tell the truth the choices are not bad:
Martin,
Taylor,
Eastman,
Guild,
Seagull,

And others:
Sigma,
Gretsch,
Takamine,
Cort,
Furch,
Yamaha,
Ibanez,
Alvarez,
Hagstrom,
Fender,
Gibson, of course...

Your advice on the Made in China guitars is very useful, I will keep that in mind.

Thank you for your interest and your time. I hope my answers are more or less focused

[Nannicantipot]

Originally Posted by salsarev

I have nothing to add to the comments already posted but I do want to welcome you to the forum! This is a great place to find the information you want/need as well as opinions, which you may or may not need 🤪! You’re off to a good start!

Thank you very much! I have already received a lot of useful information and advice. Lots of fun too! It's a pleasure to be here!