Taylor 214ce or Martin Road Series?

[WCTrail]

I would say go play both then decide if that,s a possibility.

[acbert]

Thanks everyone!!

I just assumed solid wood beats laminate but i need to try them side by side. This should be interesting.

Thanks again!!

[Shades of Blue]

In your situation with your current lineup, Martin all the way!

The new road series stuff is a bargain now that they have replaced the stratabond necks with solid select hardwoods. I just bought a new Martin 000RS1 with all solid wood (of course they still have richlite boards) and I can't wait to try it when it gets here.

[Beanctr]

I tried a lot of guitars and bought the Taylor 214 dlx. Taylor's laminates are as good as solid wood. R

[6L6]

FWIW, I prefer the sound of a Taylor 214 with a K&K pup over the factory system. That's the way I went and I'm really happy I did.

I agree with the above statements that the laminate 214's sound as good as the all solid wood 214's made prior to 2007.

[Jeremy]

Solid wood can be overrated. Taylor makes great laminates. Don't think too hard about what they're made of and go with what you like best.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Beanctr

I tried a lot of guitars and bought the Taylor 214 dlx. Taylor's laminates are as good as solid wood. R

I really contemplated buying the 214ce dlx before I picked up my 414ce. I really liked both, and the 214ce sounded like it had a touch more mids whereas the 414ce sounded like it had a bit more highs and lows. I just heard more range in the 414ce, but the 214ce really made the decision difficult. If I hadn't had the cash on hand for the 414ce I probably would have gone with the 214ce.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by acbert

Thanks everyone!!

I just assumed solid wood beats laminate but i need to try them side by side. This should be interesting.

Thanks again!!

It's a huge factor, but shouldn't be the sole deciding factor. If you are equally stuck on 2 guitars, maybe it's the tiebreaker, or 70% of the equation. Sound should be first and foremost followed by feel in my opinion.

That said, Taylor's laminate isn't exactly the same as Martin's laminate, and I personally feel that Taylor's laminate is superior to Martin's HPL.

[The Growler]

I'm looking forward to your NGD post and the pics of your new Taylor.

Kidding aside, I'd agree with the choir here going for the Taylor. Have fun trying them out and be sure to let us know what you get.

[kaos]

If you like the 210 ... can you get it without electronics. I don't like pre-installed electronics where they put holes in the body. This way you can install a K&K ... then switch to something you think is better down the road ... without having to leave holes in your guitar.

[CT77]

To me the most interesting comparison is the Taylor 214ce to the Martin GPCRSGT (Cutaway). It's not a difficult one to try because many GC locations currently carry both. Often overlooked is the nut-width - 214's all have 1 and 11/16th while the Martin GP has 1 3/4. Might seem like a small detail, but to me that makes more difference than all-solid vs. laminate (Note that the 000RSGT has 1 11/16th's like the Taylors, but no cutaway).

Also keep in mind that Martin factory strings die MUCH more quickly than Taylor's (Elixir PB's) and this has a big impact on initial impression. I suspect that given the same strings, the subtle qualities of the All-solid might be somewhat easier to tease out.

Oh, and the Martin comes with a hard shell case, vs. the Taylor gig bag for the 214 (non-deluxe models).