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From: abefroman007
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  • I would vote for maton but the richness of the bass of the martin guitar is the unparalleled.

  • I think it's all personal opinion on which guitar is the better sounding. Some people love warm sounding guitars, others like very bright sounding guitars, and still others love something in-between the two (as I do). For me at least, I think the Martin sounds the warmest, the Taylor is quite bright, whereas the Maton is somewhere in-between yet quite clear and crisp. They are all lovely sounding however.. just depends on what one would prefer.

  • @ jvmalum: I agree, the Martin is deeper and richer sounding while the other two sounded too brittle for my ears. I'm a Martin lover , anyway. Especially in the dreadnoughts. I haveowned four Martins. My current one is a D-28 Marquis. I know Justin Sandercoe plays a Maton, but I prefer a Martin any day.

    Ken, Toronto

  • Martin...by a mile

  • These are not competing models of each of these guitars - the Maton is higher end compared to the other two - put a Taylor 514 ce up against either of these and it just blows them out of the water - then again a martin 000 28 would stack up well - have a look on acoustic guitar magazine website - Taylor guitars are the gold standard no question - but higher end models - people just love knocking Taylor its become fashionable and almost Cliche : )

  • It's good to hear the same song on the three guitar. Martin sound good but less clear. Maton have not the same kind of sound than the other. I know that Tommy plays only with Maton but from the sound of the 3 guitar i hear on your video, i like the Taylor better than the other. I find the taylor more precise, more clear on the high notes and the sustain is longer than the other. It makes the sound more rich. This is only my opinion.

  • @bizarre41

    Thanks for the comment!

  • @bizarre41 and abefroman007 I agree with you, I'm looking for one of these guitars, thanks abefroman007 for this good video !

  • is it just me or does all Taylor guitar sound alike :D (mid range and much definition) and martin took the win on this one.... maton came close though

  • I think for overall richness and depth both in the highs and lows, it sounds like that Maton is superior. Nice nice tone. I would go with strings a little bit less "bright". But that guitar holds and broadcasts some really fine depth. Your playing is very good.

  • @timalexwar

    Thanks for the comment! I appreciate that.

  • The martin of course. They always sound better than thier copies. And i dont know what taylor does but thier guitars seem very fragile and sissy'ish, with a sound to match. There is but only one king in the acoustic world and he goes by the name of Mr. Martin.

  • I think that last one was one of the best but it has less bass, but it's loud as heck.

  • The Martin and the Maton leave the Taylor behind

  • what's the tittle of the song you played,., it's very very nice to hear

  • @Hachirokuist

    Mombasa by Tommy Emmanuel :)

  • Comment removed

  • Maton sounds great , nowander tommy always use Maton

  • All are very solid performers but in my humble opinion the Martin took it all home, deeper lows, nicer chimes and more volume. Just one mans opinion ;-)

  • @jvmalum

    Thanks for the comment!

  • it s a tough call,the martin dounded a little deeper,the taylor has more definition,surprisingly is a step behind in the contest

  • PS, one other guitar in the running for me, and it is apples to oranges to these, is the T5. I wouldn't have been even curious until I saw Doyle Dykes play one at a local music store last year. Chet stuff, loved the sound he got. I know it is 99% in his fingers, but the action is or can be real nice on those guitars, in my experience.

  • Yes, the bolt on neck is/was hugely appealing. My 412ce was high out of the box and I had a luthier bring it down as best he could. The idea of a higher action to get more tone to me is not workable. One other thing I saw Tommy say, at a workshop, in relation to low/vs higher action was "playing guitar...it's already hard enough", I felt he was as usual, right. Anyway thanks again for your comments.

  • Thanks, my mind is swiss cheese. I had a question for you. I can't find the video but somewhere on utube is a Tommy backstage clip. He is asked to sign a Taylor (can't see what flavor). He plays it for a moment and says he'd like to compliment who set it up, it plays nicely. "Normally Taylors are too stiff for me" Tommy says, I think that is verbatim. What do you think he meant by that? Action too stiff? Overall guitar not resonant like the Maton? Thanks! (last question haha)

  • @cwsgershwin

    Hmm...I am not exactly sure what he means by "stiff". I believe that Taylors are known for having high string action. This was definitely the case with mine. I had to lower it quite a bit. Also, there seems to be problems with "deflection" below the bridge on Taylors. My guitar is roughly two years old and it already has some signs of this problem. The good thing is that with the bolt on neck, the fix should be realatively easy.

  • "Exotic" doesn't mean anything in this context, thinking about it. Let me ask you this- which is an easier action? I know you have them setup yourself- but after doing that, between the Maton and the Taylor, which plays easier? thanks again

  • @cwsgershwin

    Exotic eh? I have played as many brands as I could to find the right guitar for me. I knew I wanted a smaller bodied guitar for fingerstyle. And there were some great ones. Martin 000-28 would probably be my second favorite, but the Maton I have still win in my opinion. And the Queensland maple is a beautiful back and sides. For the action, the Maton seems to be the most consitant up and down the neck. The Taylor is close though. I hope this helps. Thx for commenting!

  • Hi I'm back a few months later. I bought a 412ce taylor (wanted the smaller body and scale). I liked it fine but it didn't seem to have a personality- albeit I didn't keep it long enough to hear it begin changing. It was a spruce top. I played the 512ce with a cedar top and loved it. Was your Maton "nuanced" when you first got it, or have to play it in? I am leaning towards a Maton now, based on seeing Tommy agains since I last wrote, and your demo as well. I want "exotic". Any thoughts? thanks

  • @cwsgershwin

    Hey, glad to hear from you! I too have played the 512ce and loved it! As for the Maton, I went to the shop just to try it out and if it blew me away I would consider buying it. As you can see, it blew me away. The clarity and sustain are amazing. I have played on many guitars and nothing has compared in that catagory. I think for fingerstyle it would be tough to beat. And plugged I would say that is beats any guitar I have played on.

  • the taylor has the best botom end the maton doesn t have much bass tone the martin is simaler to the taylor

  • Whats the title of this song

  • @Scraxkat

    Mombasa by Tommy Emmanuel

  • I don't think one is better than the other, they are different. But good guitars in and of themselves. I have a taylor, seagull and a takamine. sometimes i get sick of playing the taylor sometimes i get sick of the takamine. depends on the sound I want. I love the sound of all of these

  • @Scraxkat

    Me too! :)

  • the question is,,, how can yu afford all of these ? :/ are yu jesus? :/

  • @DarrenTimlin

    Haha! Good one! No, definitely not Jesus. I have a wonderful wife who supports my very expensive hobby :)

  • Martin

    Marin

    Taylor

    Great video! This helped a lot !

  • @acousticbeats808

    Cool thanks!

  • the maton was the "worst" surprising enough !

  • If the Martin was first it is definitely the winner and a very long gap to second and third

  • 1. Martin

    2. Maton

    3. Taylor

    this is true in all cases.

  • @bunfoo96

    Haha! Good comment.

  • Almost tripped me up with Tommy Emmanuel Autograph on the Taylor. I have a Martin D45 and hard picking up my other guitars because it sounds far superior. I have been looking at a Maton simply because it is rare here in the states. The Maton you have sounds awesome but still second to the Martin. Martin has a richer sound although wood is different the wood in the d45 would have been better to compare and contrast the Taylor and Maton you selected. Great video.

  • @grfulsted

    Thank for the comment! I was fortunate to find the Maton at a shop a couple hours from my home. I know that the shapes and the woods do not make this a true wood for wood shape for shape comparison. I agree that the Martin is tough to beat. Martin guitars are my favorite for sure. When the Maton is plugged in it absolutely blows any guitar away. The pic-up is amazing!

  • The Martin sounds much more balanced to me. The Maton would be my second choice.

  • I love Maton when TE plays it, but in this case... The Martin sounds amazingly clear and very well balanced.

    Thanks for posting.

  • @savedeluca

    Thanks!  Tommy could play on a plywood toy guitar and still smoke me playing any of those three :)

  • FOR SOUND QUALITY :

    1. MARTIN = FAT 2.MATON = MEDIUM

    3.TAYLOR MIDIUM THIN

  • GUITAR IS LIKE EQ ..DIFFERENT SOUND & FEEL ...DEPENDING ON HOW A GUITAR PLAYER DO HIS MUSIC

  • Great playing! The Martin had the best articulation. Would probably even have more clarity with a 000 but you probably prefer the body and tone of the D.

  • @brandon71085

    Thanks!

  • Taylor was the worst, Martin was okay, but i loved the Maton one.

  • have to go with the martin in this case...but they all sounded great...and great playing too...nothing like a good Tommy song to get the fingers moving

  • @TheZebra555

    Thank man! I totally agree about the Tommy song!

  • You need to make one with a Breedlove and the rest will be blown away.

  • the maton was my choice in sound ty for posting

    which model was it by the way? thanks

  • @Nez40z

    That is the EBG808TE. It is a great little guitar! Thanks

  • Never had the opportunity to play a Maton, but from this video it sound great, so much that would be difficult for me to choose between the Martin and the Maton. I don't know about the Taylor today, usually fantastic guitars, but not this time around.

  • note that all three guitars are quite different body shapes and wood combos, which makes a huge difference.

  • People's tastes are interesting, to me, the clear favourite is 1, Martin and fender, my pal is take mine and Gibson , very interesting

  • @strabbs1

    This is true.  Although, I have yet to see an Australian pick anything other than the Maton :)

  • @abefroman007 I'm Australian and I play Cole Clark and Gibson, my mate plays Martin and Ibanez. My boss owns the largest collection of Maton guitars in the world, but we don't all play Maton.

  • @EpiphoneArchtopLover

    Haha! Great comment! Out of all of the comments that have been made on this video, I have not seen an Australian choose anything other than Maton. I did not believe that all Australians played Matons :) Matons are pretty great. I have nothing bad to say about them. I have yet to play a Cole Clark and I hear they are fantstic.

  • @abefroman007 With my boss owning the number of Matons he has, I have played my fair share of them, I can say they are consistently fantastic sounding, and extremely lightly built guitars. Current Cole Clarks are quite similar, but the older ones (pre 2006) had very thick soundboards, making them very feedback resistant, but acoustically a little dead. I like the neck shape on Cole Clark a little more than Maton, but I guess that's just personal preference.

  • I actually think the first guitar sounds the best, then the second guitar, and then the third one.

  • last one's best by far

  • Martin wins.

  • may i have this song's score?

  • @Eraink

    I got it of the internet at Tommy Tabok. The song is Mombasa.

  • I would prefer the first, it has a deepest and more equilibrated and friendly sound. The trebbles in the second one sound beautiful. The third is good.

  • That was useless

  • not a fair comparison! not all the same tone woods and shapes!

  • @KMCIPRIAN70

    If one was comparing the sound of similar shapes, then you are right. If one is comparing similar tonewoods, then you are right. But can one just compare guitars or the difference between different shapes and different tones woods? I say YES and you are wrong :)

  • Martin, Maton, Taylor :D

  • Martin! I play it on my Taylor.

  • Get A Takamine!

  • @MrJOTAMOTA

    Haha! If someone gave me a Takamine for free, I woud probably play it :)

  • @abefroman007 you should try one...quality stuff

  • @MrJOTAMOTA

    I will do just that :)

  • The middle one sounds the worst to me, the first sounds better, and the third one sounds the best.

  • @superskwrl

    That is the Martin and it is not a bad choice :)

  • The 3rd guitar is my favorite. It has such a 'full' sound.

  • Martin !!!!

  • your playing made me forget about the guitars

  • Don't they have a lot of problems with the top of the Taylors lifting up in the bridge area.

    I hear that they went to a bolt on neck and shims are available to comphensate for this problem..

    Repair guy in Ontario repairs a lot of them...High end ones included...

  • @luvkountry

    Unfortunately I found this out after my purchase. But you are right, with the NT neck the problem is fixed fairly easily. I have had my guitar for 2 years or so and I have almost run out of bridge saddle.

  • Hi,

    Not at all knocking your ability to play the guitars you are demonstrating in your video. You play very professionally.

    I enjojed hearing the sound comparisons of those three guitars you are using in your video.

    Just curious how a good sounding Hummingbird stacks up against the ones you are playing.

    I was wondering how the Matons sound. I have watched Tommy E playing these and he makes them sound awsome...

    Not many dealers in north America that carry the Maton.

  • It saddens me to hear that the Hummingbird didn't rate...

  • @luvkountry

    Haha. I unfortunately cannot properly rate a guitar I have never played. I am now on a mission to play this Hummingbird in order to see where I believe it should go :)

  • @luvkountry

    Haha. I unfortunately cannot properly rate a guitar I have never played. I am now on a mission to play this Hummingbird in order to see where I believe it should go :)

  • @luvkountry

    Haha. I unfortunately cannot properly rate a guitar I have never played. I am now on a mission to play this Hummingbird in order to see where I believe it should go :)

  • Hi Mike,

    Which one's your favourite?

    I think that in a way you have to be the player to understand. I played a beautiful Maton Messiah today - very beautiful, in ways I really can't put into words.

    Thanks for sharing!

  • @BirdsAtDaybreak

    I would go with the Maton for fingerstyle. Everything rings out so clearly. But for strumming I definitely would choose the Martin or the Taylor over the Maton. I really enjoy playing all three! Thanks for the comment!

  • I guess if you add an old Hummingbird to the mix there would be no contest...

  • @luvkountry

    No contest...Hummingbird dead last? Haha! J/K

  • martin, without a doubt

  • hahahaha epic youtube name

  • @cnashrun5

    Thanks! Sausage King of Chicago!!!!!

  • martin....

    

  • Comment removed

  • Uhm...Taylor....nuff said.

    Nice guitar playing tho. All the guitars are very nice.

  • @therevjpk

    Cool. Thanks!

  • The Maton stands out but isnt it a much higher quality (more exspensive wood/craftsmanship) than the Martin and Taylor? The Martin and Taylor you were playing are around 1k-1.4k guitars and I'm guessing the Maton is a 3.5k to 4k guitar.

  • @Pr0fess0r582

    The Martin is $300 under the Taylor, which is $600under the Maton.

  • @abefroman007 the matons size i believe it is called a concert size :), if they are all your guitars you are very lucky!

  • @JohnFreshjiive

    They are and I am ;)

  • show what guitar your using , great video

  • @silverjunky999

    Thank you. The order of guitars, the model and make, and the type of wood they are constructed of are in the video description. I hope this helps :)

  • Hi. For those who want to know the name of the song, its called "Mombasa" from Tommy Emmanuel. Nicely played btw :)

  • @DreamOfSilence

    Thank you!

  • That first guitar sounds like a thousand dollar instrument, the other two are still nice but not even close.

  • i have played all 3, and Martins have once of the deepest, loudest, and best overall sound. Which is what i would recommend for a more rhythm based guitarist, but also a percussive or finger style guitarist. Taylor's have generally less depth, but are great for a lead guitarist in an acoustic type band because the often have the cut away bodies. Maton's are a nice hybrid of the two because they do have a richer tone than Taylor like a martin but still maintain some of the sound of a Taylor.

  • @7or6

    Nice observations. Thanks!

  • 1. Martins always sound good--well balanced bass and treble--perfect sustain.

    2. Taylors seem to have carry more bass and slightly more sustain or ringing.

    3. Maton is very bright and has the most sustain.

  • wow all great guitars, im torn!

  • My favorite is definitely the Martin. Warm rich sound. The Maton sounds cheap in comparison to the Martin. Taylor is pretty good too but still not as good as the Martin.

    Nice playing, man!

  • The Martin!

  • Eastman......

  • Taylor wins this time.

  • taylor hands down!

  • martin

  • the Taylor is clearly the pick of those. Beautiful tone.

  • The Maton is clearly the best tone. I've had Martin's ( waiting for them to be so called "opened up"). I've had Taylors (very pretty guitar, but that's about it, too many overtones). Awe, finally a guitar with spirit and tone where you want it .....MATON all the way! good job by the way. you play well

  • @ChampionBass198

    Thanks man!

  • maton, the way to go !!

  • Maton is wonderful!!!

  • Nice demo, and clear enough to hear the difference: the Martin sounds warm, the Taylor sounds brittle and harsh, just like the 314ce I bought and didn't like. The Maton sounds very boxy and cheap. I'd take the Martin, shame it isn't a little brighter. In fact, for mass-produced guitars at this price, I'd go for larrivee every time

  • @DrToneControl

    Thanks!  I tried out a Larrivee and it just didn't feel right. They sound nice though!

  • I'm a Cole Clark fan, with my FL2AC, but shit the Taylor is amazing, what model is that?

  • @SpookInherint

    I hear Cole Clarks are pretty nice. I hope I get the chance to play one. The Taylor is the 314ce.

  • great guitar playing stick to the Tsylor you sound much clearer and better you seem at ur ease with the taylor its no way tinny just right bass

  • martin no.1, maton no.2, taylor 3. i prefer them in that order as well.

  • Martin warm,deep.balanced clear tone. Taylor a more bright tone that is tinny and muddy buzz. Maton clear rich mellow balance soothing tone.

  • @bluegrasssingingman

    Good observations.  Thanks!

  • @abefroman007 Boy, after listening, learning, and playing acoustic guitar since the mid 60's as a young boy, I have learned to appreciate good playing, tone, and finger gymnastics~! While mainly a Martin player, your demonstration of the crisp Taylor is great, and the Maton is pure creamed bautter to my ears! Thank you !

    Dale

  • @Martin00028Guitar

    Cool comment!  Thanks Dale.

  • You play well, Man...fun to listen to.

  • @primeVibe

    Thanks!

  • Beautiful interpretation. Thank you very much. I'm thinking get a new guitar, I love the Taylor, because it has good apperance and good sound, i think; but the most important for me is the price. Do you think, really, the Taylor 314CE is a "very good guitar" for its price? Thank you again.

  • @danteneira

    Thanks! I really like the brightness and clarity of the 314ce. However, if had to do it over again I would probably go with another Marin at the same price range. I am a fan of Martin's boomy sound. This is personal preference. I think all guitars are too expensive. The 314ce is priced fair enough :) I hope this helps you.

  • @danteneira Been playing (studio and bands) for 35 years and I have owned a lot of guitars (I mean enough for nearly getting killed by my wife about 20 times) I own a 310CE for 12 years now, amongst all the others, and she'd really have to kill me to take it away from me. Aside from the wood varieties, hardware and detailing the 300 series sounds nearly as good as its big sisters and it matures INCREDIBLY WELL(except for the mat finish on the back that has a tendency to peel. believe me.

  • is the maton more difficult to play than the martin and taylor please be honest

  • @refrigeratemypoo

    The Maton is equally as great to play as the other two. Any guitar that is not set up properly will be difficult to play. When I first got the Maton there were some minor adjustments to be made. After that, it is great to play!

  • what are you playing? do u have tabs?

  • @s8rje its mombassa by tommy emanuel just look up tabs there everyewhere

  • The martin sounds amazing. I am yet to pick up a Taylor that has really blown my mind but my d28 has big shoes to fill.I am looking for a smaller guitar that has great low action with a full detailed sound for finger picking since I never use a pick.What model is the Martin?

  • @monsterlabeffects

    The Martin is a DC-15e. I definitely would not go with that model for fingerstlye. It sounds great, but for fingerstlye there are better models.

  • Maton sounds best for me :)

  • The Martin had a more complex bottom end and even mids and highs thru my speakers. The Maton's smaller body size had more mids and the highs were more pronounced than the other two. The Taylor seems to need some adjustment and/or fresh strings.

    For what I heard, the Martin seemed better voiced, but this awesome song was written by a friggen genius on a Maton, so I guess most would probably say the Maton wins in this comparison. I can't argue that, cuz I'd lose!

  • @guitartec

    Nope, I do not believe there is a loser in this bunch :) Good observations here. I had just replaced the strings on the Taylor with some demo strings from AER. They were not so good :) The other guitars have new Martin strings. Thanks for the comment!

  • I noticed the signature on the Taylor!!!!!! :-) So did you buy the TE after you saw his show??

  • @TeslaMe2

    Yes. I really got interested in fingerstyle guitar after watching a video of his. I then went to a couple of shows and had to have a Maton :)

  • The maton sings! the second guitar did not do it for me at all. Almost felt "cold" thanks man for the video.

  • @mattnsim

    Yeah, that Maton is amazing! Thanks for the comment.

  • i like the taylor the best

  • is Maton one more expensiver?

    

  • @wkm1130

    Yes. It is about $500 - $700 more.

  • i like all...lol!

  • @praise20088888888

    Ha! Me too!

  • where did you buy the maton guitar? i live in canada and i'm looking for one myself.

  • @jamestigger888

    I purchased it at Music Mart USA in Southern California. There is only a few dealers in the USA. I was lucky to live relatively near one. Hope you find a place.

  • Hey! Great sound! And really good piece of music! Is it your own composition? I'd love to get tabs and play it :P Thanks in advance! :)

  • @astonmarcins

    I wish I could write something like that :) The song is "Mombasa" by Tommy Emmanuel. He is a great guitarist. There is a blog that has all of his songs. just google Tommy Emmanual tabs and you will find it.

  • Comparing a dreadnaught, to a grand auditorium, to an orchestra model, is really not a good comparison as it sheds no light on the different manufacturers differences pertaining to similar models.

  • @collinsamps

    Ok :)

  • I find taylors tend to have a better mid-range clarity, if not lower end, especially at the low end of the frets (frets 1-5 on 3rd-6th strings) but matons have a better all round clarity everywhere else. Matons tend to be easier to use with just your fingers too and they sound amazing with new elixir strings!

  • Ever heard of Cole Clark, it was started by the guy who used to be maton's top luthier

  • @ctagzfsx

    Heard of them yes. Played on one, no. But those I have heard sound really great!

  • the maton has a much richer sound so i would go maton marton tayler

  • I've heard that Taylors sound best with elixer strings? I personally like Taylors over Martins, but in this video, the Martin sounded better. Martin, Maton, Taylor

  • @vgp66

    I have tried Elixer strings and did not think they were all that great for the price. I don't think the Martin strings can be beat.