Do you prefer Taylor, Gibson or Martin acoustic guitars?

Elizabeth

I've been playing the acoustic guitar for about three months; I play my Dad's, a beautiful Taylor. But I'm thinking of buying my own. So I'm wondering which of these three brands you prefer or have played. Thank you!

Answer
Brands don't matter, it's the sound and tone of the guitar that does. That being said, I've only played Taylor and Martin. From my experience, the Taylor guitars have a much brighter and crisper sound than the Martins, but the Martin's have deeper bass and stronger mid tones.

The type of strings will make a slight difference to the brightness of the tone, which may influence the way Taylors sound because they come stock with Elixer strings; Martin guitars come with Martin strings, which in my opinion are not as bright as Elixers. The type of wood the guitar is made out of will also influence the sound. Most guitars come with a spruce top, which will make the guitar ring.

It's best if you go to a guitar shop and test these guitars out yourself. You can bring your dad along too to help you choose, since you've only just started. Personally, if it's a high end guitar, you can't go wrong with either a Taylor or Martin. If you're going to buy anything under $1000, go with Martin. I recommend the Martin 000x1 or the 00015 (both are excellent guitars and easy to play because of the grand auditorium body size). Just my 2 cents.

Is it true that Taylor makes the best acoustic guitars?

Q. I want a new acoustic guitar for my birthday, even though I know it's still six months away. I just want an acoustic guitar maybe between $499-$699.

Answer
No one makes the best acoustic guitars because ultimately it's a matter of taste. The very best Taylor guitars, actually, come from a small division of Taylor called "R. Taylor." These exquisitely beautiful guitars are all around $4000 - $6000 but are well worth it. However in that price range are other wonderful guitars from Santa Cruz, Collings, Gioodall, McPherson, Huss & Dalton, Froggy Bottom, and others.

You would benefit and probably enjoy a trip to a high end guitar store - one that carries some of the brands I mentioned - just to see and hear what the best acoustic guitars are like. Good luck.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Are Taylor Acoustic Guitars Good For Advanced Guitar Players?

best acoustic guitar taylor image

aamer2012

Hi, I have been player guitar for about ten years now, and am looking for a new acoustic guitar. Now I've always been interested in Taylors because I've heard a couple online and read good reviews about them. I've never personally played a Taylor Acoustic Guitar, so I was wondering, are they good quality and good sounding guitars for an advanced guitar players, and are they worth the buy/money? Thanks.

Answer
they are excellent for eveyone and very well worth the money. If you can afford it, get the nicest Taylor you can get.

What is the difference between the mid-priced and super-expensive guitars?

B.J.

Would a $1,999 Gibson acoustic guitar sound a lot better than a $199 Ibanez acoustic guitar and $699 Taylor acoustic guitar, or are you just paying for the design and nice finish? If you can be specific, please do.

Answer
A guitar under 200 bucks is, well, no damn good.

200-500 is a GOOD amateur-class guitar.

700-1000 is generally entry-level pro quality.

1000 dollars and up is 'custom' quality. That is, best of everything put together. The highest end guitars can run around 3K. More, and your paying for vintage, usually.

Making that spread a little more complex, some brands are known for having strengths and weaknesses. For example, in the upper end, an Epiphone Les Paul is the real deal, a serious musicians guitar. At the lower end, Epiphone makes junk. Ibanez guitars are famous cost/value guitars... they make cheap guitars of notable quality for the price. Some guitar makers are famous for one model and everything else they do is junk. Some make great acoustics, lousy electrics. Some the other way.

The differences are in woods (although, in guitar woods, it is usually good vs cheap) hardware (chrome is cheap and wears fast, plastic loses finish and eventually breaks, while graphite and steel last forever) electronics (cheap components and wiring over quality) and craftsmanship (a guitar made by human hands will cost more than a manufactured one... usually any guitar under 500 bucks is mass-produced). Finish depends in intended material/look. Some finishes are soooo deep that scratches don't make it far and never show, and are easily filled and buffed.

Rounding out the price factor will be options: passive vs active pickups, locking bridges and tuners, one way or two way trem bars...

So yes... there is a real quality difference between a 199 guitar and a 1999 guitar.

It is generally accepted that NO ONE should buy the cheapest guitars. Novices should start in the 200-300 range. After a year or three, move up to the best guitar you can afford, especially if you intend to play in front of people for money. If you never intend to leave your room no matter how good you get, you can get buy with guitars between 300 and 800 bucks, depending. A novice usually can't appreciate a GREAT guitar. As soon as you play well enough to know the difference, one should start to seriously begin trying as many guitars as possible, to learn your preferences.

As far as cost, you are paying for a guitar that will sound better, physically play better, and require less fanatical care (although you really should be a fanatic anyway) to remain in good condition. TO keep a cheap guitar going, you have to replace some of the hardware every five or so years, depending on use. A 1000 dollar and up guitar is usually configured JUST as you want it, and will never require repairs if you care for it well.

EDIT: Kab's analogy is very good... most of us have 700 dollar guitars that will 'get us there.' And Mikey's right about Gibson acoustics. They are an example of a manufacturer that has a few pet beauties, and their acoustics ride on that reputation without living up to it.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Is Taylor a good brand of acoustic guitars for beginners?

best acoustic guitar taylor image

I can sort of play the keyboard, I do not really play any other instruments. I cannot read music notes but I know the basics. I want to become a singer/songwriter and I want to learn to play the acoustic guitar. As a beginner I found two Taylor acoustic guitars online at Best Buy that are cheap enough for me to save my money and buy one of them. I would like to know if it is a reliable brand for beginners.

Answer
Taylor makes great guitars so in general, you can't go wrong with that. However, buying guitars online can be something of a hit and miss affair when you're just starting out.

You really should be able to try the guitars first before you decide to purchase the instrument or not.

I suspect you've been looking at the Baby Taylor guitars. Although these are good guitars, they are not full size. They are somewhat limited in volume and tone. You should really go for a regular full size steel string acoustic. And again, you definitely want to try this out for yourself...

You will definitely do best if you buy from a dedicated guitar/music dealer. Oh, and stay well away from First Act instruments. These are nothing but kids toys.

Edited for spelling errors...

What type of acoustic guitar should I get?

Secaucus

I have been playing electric guitar for about 3 years now and I would say I'm at an intermediate level of playing. Recently, I've just been wanting to get an acoustic guitar. And I have been listening to a lot of folk and country and I think I want to pick it up and learn. I have a budget up to $350 max, lots of people recommend the Baby Taylor? How is the Baby Taylor? Does it have good quality and good sound? I'm not sure what I should get, but I'm open to any suggestions within my budget.

Answer
The Baby Taylor has a really nice sound, but it's a tiny guitar designed for traveling and portability. If you plan on playing at home, rather than at shows, it will probably serve you very well. I use one frequently for writing, since it fits nicely on the couch and saves me the trouble of getting out my full-size guitar. But if there's a chance you'll be playing publicly, there are better choices. Here's a video showing how small the Baby Taylor actually is, as well as how great it sounds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v57fXKp5lY0

Ibanez has a model called Sage that's incredible and would be a bargain at three times the price. I picked one up and played it at Guitar Center and was amazed at how beautifully it played and sounded. It has a solid spruce top, so the sound is rich and resonant. And it has a thinner neck and lower action than most acoustics, which will make it more comfortable for you to transition from electric to acoustic, since electrics have much thinner necks. When I glanced at the price tag and saw that it was only $180, I thought it must be a mistake, since the Sage played and sounded as nice as guitars costing much more. I've always been a fan of Ibanez electrics, but had no idea how great their acoustics are until a few years ago. Turns out the acoustics are also built like rocks and sound beautiful.

I'll post a link to the Sage so you can read the reviews and see that I'm not exaggerating. But I'd recommend going to a guitar store and test driving a bunch of different brands, since there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all guitar. The neck widths vary greatly between brands (Ibanez being the thinnest, Gibson/Epiphone being the fattest), so if you handle a lot of different guitars, chances are you'll find that one brand just feels more comfortable and natural in your hands than others. A lot of players struggle when transitioning from electric to acoustic, since acoustic necks are so much fatter. Trust your instincts, since they'll serve you better than anyone else's opinion. Most guitarists are somewhat brand loyal, but that's only because we've found the guitars that best fit our requirements. My brother swears only Gibsons and Martins are worth owning, but I'm female and have small hands, so both brands are physically impossible for me to play. But Fender and Ibanez electrics and Ibanez acoustics feel like they were custom made for me. Ultimately, the way a guitar feels in your hands is more important than the name on the headstock.

Here's the link to the Sage at Musician's Friend:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-SGT120NT-SAGE-SERIES-Acoustic-Guitar-?sku=512326

Powered by Yahoo! Answers