Guild D20 or Martin D15M or Guild D120

[Chas007]

Looking to purchase a new guitar.
I have narrowed it down to three, in this order.
1. Guild D-20
2. Martin D-15M
3. Guild D-120
The first two are very close in price, but I really like the looks of the vintage starburst edition D20. That being said there is a big price difference between the top two and the D120. The D120 does only come with a gig bag though.

I'm trying to compare the Guild D20 (12" radius) to the Guild D120 (16" radius). There dosen't seem to be that much difference, except of couse in price and appearance. Which one is the better guitar and is there any difference in playability because of the radius difference or shape of the necks? My hands are small/medium sized. Money is not a real big issue between these models for me, although I do want to get my money's worth, I'm more concerned with wanting a nice mellow/earthy sounding guitar, if that makes sense. You know, no twang from the higher strings.

[pagedr]

I haven't played a D20 or D120, but have played an M120 and an M20...the M20 is definitely the better guitar, so I would imagine the D20 is better as well. The finish Guild uses on the 120's is pretty thick vs the satin finish on the 20's. The 120's are also built overseas whereas the 20's are built in the US. Where they are built, satin vs gloss finish, and the 20's using better mahogany are the biggest differences, and I think the 20's are well worth the extra money.

I've played a number of D15's as well, and have always felt they were still kinda bright, even though they're all mahogany and have a pronounced bass. Maybe the strings just weren't dead enough on them, and it probably doesn't help that the tone I hear in my head leans more Gibson. Nice guitars though, and I'm sure if you put some monels or something on one you could mellow it out pretty nicely.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by Chas007

Looking to purchase a new guitar.
I have narrowed it down to three, in this order.
1. Guild D-20
2. Martin D-15M
3. Guild D-120

Well, I'm a Guild fan, so....

The D20 is U.S.-made. The D120 is made in China. Guilds coming out of China are typically quite good, but I'd go for the D20.

[anjoga]

I recently got a D-120e, and it is a beast of a guitar. Huge tone, and loud! Plays great too! Paid a low price on it as it was leftover stock on clearance. I'm very happy with it, but if I was looking for a new guitar, I would go with the USA made model. Fit and finish could be a tiny bit better on my D-120e, but I'm not complaining because of the huge tone and low purchase price. I have to believe the USA models will sound every bit as good or better, and generally have a finer attention to detail that should give it a higher quality feel.

If you come across a Chinese made all-solid wood Westerly Collection Guild for a low price however, snap it up!

[Chas007]

Thank you. This is why I joined this forum....
Does anyone have any opinions on the 12 inch radius vs the 16 inch?

[anjoga]

Originally Posted by Chas007

Thank you. This is why I joined this forum....

Does anyone have any opinions on the 12 inch radius vs the 16 inch?

I can't really comment on the difference in the radius, as my Taylor's have a 15" I believe and while they are slightly easier on the fretting hand, I really like both the nut and bridge spacing of the D-120e that I have.

Just checking the differences quickly:

D-20:
1 11/16" nut
2 1/8" string spacing at bridge

D-120e:
1 3/4" nut
2 1/4" string spacing a bridge

Now knowing this, I actually prefer the specs of my D-120e. The wide string spacing makes it a great fingerstyle guitar for me, especially with that wider spacing at the bridge.

[Wellington]

I think all three would be good guitars, but I've never played any of them, maybe the Martin but if I did I don't remember anything about it.
But as a USA Guild owner, I want to say go with the D20! It's a different model than my D40, but the neck on my D40 is really really nice. Keep in mind the nut width on the D20 is 1 11/16, the D120 is 1 3/4, incase that's an issue.

[Chas007]

So now eliminating the 120. I see where in the poll the Martin is winning, but in the replies the Guild 20 is winning. I really like the burst design and I've looked on the internet and can't find the burst version of the Martin. So now it's the design difference, a little on the price, and the Martin has a 16" radius neck vs a 12" radius neck on the Guild.
I'm excited, I love the search!

[Greg1075]

I never considered the D-120 but both the D-20 and D-15M have been on my short list of potentials for a while. The problem I'm running into is that fewer and fewer ships seem to carry Guilds and the only one that has a D20 in stock by me recently closed its showroom again. D-15Ms are not super easy to find right now as the Martin factory is way behind on orders and dealers' stocks are low, but in normal times you can easily them. They're great guitars, and if the dark all mahogany tone is what you're looking after, it will deliver especially after the strings lose their early zing. I've never played the D-20 so I can't comment on it, but I won't buy a model I can't even try beforehand, so by default I'd say Martin.

The D-15M burst has been discontinued.

[evening_crow]

The burst option for the Martin is the D-15M Streetmaster, which can be a bit of an acquired taste. When it comes to the neck, that's something you should go and try out. I own guitars with both radius and don't have much of a preference but some people find one or the other difficult to play. Might be more noticeable with smaller or larger hands. As far as sound, I think the Guild is more balanced, whereas the Martin is brighter and has more thump imo. Even then, they're still similar.

EDIT: as mentioned above, the original burst is discontinued but the Streetmaster is their "worn in" look which has a bit of a burst to it.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Chas007

Does anyone have any opinions on the 12 inch radius vs the 16 inch?

If you are coming from a background playing electric guitars the 12-inch radius might feel more natural. For example, standard radius for Fender guitars is 9.5". If you're coming from a classical background, a flatter radius will feel more natural. Many classical guitars have no radius at all. Personally, I don't feel effected by radius nearly as much as I'm sensitive to nut width and string spacing.

Of the three all-hog guitars you specify, I would select a 4th, the Martin 000-15m. A lot more fun to play than a dread, and still with great depth of sound. It gets a lot of love on this forum. If you like wider nut spacing, consider the 000-15sm.

[Quebec Picker]

I see you've eliminated the D-120 based on poll results. I'll overcomplicate things for you and suggest you don't discount those Chinese made Guilds. They're pretty great guitars! I know they're cheaper and not made in USA, but I bet in blind side by side sound/feel comparisons, they're not "worse" than a D-15 or D-20. Different, sure. But, much of the time buyers just let price and which guitar we thinking "should" be better determine their choices. Just sayin!

[dnf777]

If youre down to the martin v. Guild D-20, those are both fine guitars, and only you can decide which one is best for you. Personally,
Ive never been disappointed with any of my American Guilds. They may not have the reputation or numbers of Martin, but in my experience they are just as fine of guitar.

[Chas007]

Originally Posted by dnf777

If youre down to the martin v. Guild D-20, those are both fine guitars, and only you can decide which one is best for you. Personally,
Ive never been disappointed with any of my American Guilds. They may not have the reputation or numbers of Martin, but in my experience they are just as fine of guitar.

I'm just learning to play. I have a Yamaha FG700S. I know several chords and practice finger picking also. I am leaning towards the Guild D-20 because of looks and the darker sound. I hope the 12" radius helps me a little with bar chords, my hands are a little on the small to barely medium size. The string spacing on the Guild and the Martin are the same so that's not an issue. I used to have an electric guitar and felt it was easier to play than my Yamaha. I do feel the 120 would be good enough for me, and I would be very proud to own a Martin, but I know I will not stop wanting the D-20. It's an itch I know I'm going to have to scratch. Maybe someday if I get good enough I'll have a collection of guitars the way you guys do, but right now I'm saving up for just one nice one. This post has helped me so much. I have a lot more information now than when I started and I got it from people that know what they talking about. Thank you guys.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Chas007

I'm just learning to play. I have a Yamaha FG700S. I know several chords and practice finger picking also. I am leaning towards the Guild D-20 because of looks and the darker sound. I hope the 12" radius helps me a little with bar chords, my hands are a little on the small to barely medium size. The string spacing on the Guild and the Martin are the same so that's not an issue. I used to have an electric guitar and felt it was easier to play than my Yamaha. I do feel the 120 would be good enough for me, and I would be very proud to own a Martin, but I know I will not stop wanting the D-20. It's an itch I know I'm going to have to scratch. Maybe someday if I get good enough I'll have a collection of guitars the way you guys do, but right now I'm saving up for just one nice one. This post has helped me so much. I have a lot more information now than when I started and I got it from people that know what they talking about. Thank you guys.

Chas, there is a ton of good free info here and a lot of generous folks sharing it. I'm glad you enjoy your visits.