Finger-Style Martin vs Taylor vs Washburn

[wksoh]

I think S stands for "solid top" for Washburns.

[newname363]

try the larrivee before you buy a guitar made by machines

[xfalcon100]

washburn= sucks martin= ok

taylor=cool

but what about seagull and gibson

[rrrrockin]

the Martin is best cause its cheaper $ and ya get the full sound as the Taylor ya loose a bit cause of cuta way and prob costs bit mor ,,,i go Martin ,,peace

[41scelzi41]

gotta go with taylor

[70goldtop]

Throw a Gibson into the mix and you'll hear a major difference

[mautsukuda]

i like the taylor sound the best. at least from the video. i want to upgrade to a mid to high-end guitar but not sure which one to get. there's just so many brands and so many models... >.<

[mjeffbr]

like specially how the high e sounds with the washburn, the taylor is kind irritating hehe

[mjeffbr]

this martin is beautiful, but its sound is weak, the taylor is great, way more expensive though, this washburn has a very nice sound

[byzofsumma57]

That D-15 Martin is a guitar I own and I personally think it smokes the comparable Taylor line like a cheap cigar.

[notasaint4sure]

Sure Martin, that's why i have it :o)

[wisesatyr72]

Never bought a Washburn that I liked sorry..

[wolf69a]

@wisesatyr72 I thinked the same way, until i got a Washburn F48SW as a gift and sound very very good

[wisesatyr72]

@wolf69a Yeah Im gonna get Guild Gad 25. Good value those gad guitars.

[Wiggin992]

@wolf69a Holy crap man, I love my F48SW. It's probably my favorite guitar I've ever played. You can't find them anymore, so hang on to that thing man. It's tone is just so distinctive and punchy, it really cuts through a mix. I wish Washburn would reissue them, since they are seriously some of the best guitars they've ever made.

[wolf69a]

@Wiggin992 i'm so glad to have a f48sw partner :-), i love it too, no other guitar has that distinctive sound, and is so beautiful made, we are lucky to have one

[Wiggin992]

@wolf69a Same here man :D It's definitely an unsung hero among acoustics. I got mine after a local Doo Wop Shop caught fire, and they had a sale trying to get rid of all their inventory so they could remodel. It caught my eye, and then my ear, and after I bought it I've yet to see another one available, online or elsewhere. You and I both are seriously blessed to be able to play these :D

[skanerost]

I would say Taylor as a personal preference, but the Washburn actually sounds really nice as well!

[rightwingted]

I'm going with Taylor sound, but not price.

[garydupuis]

The Taylor sounds really really great but the Washburn sounds really good too!

[ihdeag]

Nice comparison idea, but the principal difference is due to body styles. The Washburn and Martin are dreadnoughts (and have sounds that are somewhat similar) while the Taylor looks like a "Grand Symphony" style. The pinched waist will produce a different sound: the brighter highs that were evident in the video.

Thanks for the post.

[norbi1997]

Martin



[greaser1987]

it would've been better if it were a martin made with different wood. i like the taylor though

[aragon667]

i love taylors but own a martin but i did like the sound of the washburn never played one though

[eeveefan14]

Taylor wins for me, but the Washburn is close too, but then again, the Taylor is 2007, the Washburn's 30 years old. I'm not a huge fan of the Martin, though, but it sounds beautiful too.

[MultiParasite]

I used to like the Matin the most, now i kind of like the Washburn...

[jessiemusicfreak]

i'd definitely go with the taylor but you can't judge all there guitars if they don't have same strings

[ivnoh]

@jessiemusicfreak what about the types of woods used to construct them? Different woods give off different tones as well. The first guitar had mahogany front, back and sides while the other two were not constructed with the same stuff, so I think that needs to be looked at as well

[jessiemusicfreak]

@ivnoh true... i didn't think of that before however both brands are good

[LuvMeDeux]

Taylor wins for me, but I love the crisp sound of that Washburn!

[HD28MG]

The Washburn sounds great! Keep that guitar..

[vettezeppelin]

Martin EVERY TIME they are just THE Guitar!

[fezzard]

i think the taylor beats both of them... its bright and bassy at the same time, you cant get any better than that... such a versatile guitar!!

[kd8ux]

Impossible to compare those three guitars.They are completely different.

The Washburn to me sounds best but it's a Dreadnaught with a spruce or cedar top.

The Taylor is a GA guitar not a dreadnaught.They all have a place,I believe over all am dreadnaught with a spruce top "cannon" guitar is best.

[DeiseSkelly]

Bought my D28S/N in 1987. Always wondered what the S stood for! Any idea about the N? My guitar has wicked diamond shaped 'things' on the fretboard. Recently got the poor old dear brought back to life by LA guitars luthiers in London for 200 quid which is just about what it cost me in the first place. Best money I ever spent. Was going to get myself a Lowden but guess I'm stuck with the D28 until one of us carks it! Cheers for posting. What are those 'things' called by the way?

[HD28MG]

@DeiseSkelly

Call Martin, they could tell you the particulars.

[Jakhe734]

take that Washburn and throw it in the dumpster, doesent deserve to be compared with taylor and Martin guitars

[CarsonsGuitarLesson]

Taylor ftw

[Mailman987]

Taylor!!!...i love my 314ce GA

[sowafication]

Man i love that fudge brownie!!!! Sooo classic!!!

[sebasguit]

Taylorrr !!!

[m0sesm01]

the taylor sounds best

[ThaiSpeedo]

I have the washburn cumberland jumbo and my grandpa has a taylor and my uncle has a alvarez and if it was up to me i wouldnt trade my washburn for either of them you just cant go wrong

[71MARTIND28]

To me, its more than just tone. Playability has to be considered when purchasing a guitar. You can hand me a $5,000 Martin that is nice to play, but just doesn't "feel right". Same goes for $3,000 Taylor. However, I've played both and to me, the Taylor out-performs a Martin in terms of playability. If you're looking for resale value, you can't go wrong with a Martin guitar, especially 30+ years from now. Martin's will hold their value. Taylor's too, but not as much. Just MHO...

[rvjayoung]

Cool. Thanks! Man this thing looks mint! no scratches or any flaws that I could detect. It has gold keys (couldn't remember if your did or not. Do you when these model was made? The music store didn't seem to know anything about.

[rjeroots]

@rvjayoung I bought mine new in 1980. It has silver hardware.

[rvjayoung]

I love that Washburn sound. My daughter found this exact model at a music store for $199.00! Gonna look at it today and see how it plays.

[rjeroots]

@rvjayoung If it's in good shape, buy it!!! It may be the best D28 clone out there IMHO...

[rvjayoung]

@rjeroots It is the D28S. Not sure what the S stands for but I played it and it is nice!!!

[rjeroots]

@rvjayoung The 'S' means steel strings.

[pelivann]

@rjeroots

s means solid top-spruce

[pugilist10]

@rvjayoung I'm pretty sure the S means solid top

[rvjayoung]

@pugilist10 It does. I looked it up. Sweet guitar!

[AnotherHembree]

@rvjayoung I thought it meant solid wood top

[AnotherHembree]

@rvjayoung I read the S is for the solid wood top.

[lazeas]

i can hear some difference in the sound .. i think that washburn was the most balanced in sound.. actually taylor and washburn sound almost the same..nice.. i didnt like the martin

[wackerboo123]

Going With Taylor

[redifreddy14]

Martin did not have the depth that either the Talyor or Wasburn had...

true tie for the later two.

[rvjayoung]

@redifreddy14 I wonder if it is that particular Martin. Look at Neil Young's Martins. The two he plays with have an incredible sound!

[ETAteMyDog]

I think this is proof that it's it's the player and not the guitar. On this Mic they all sounded basically the same.

[lovindablues]

I agree... They sounded the same to me too...so it's either the mic or our speakers...

[lorenzino1]

Hi ! I like the 3 differents sounds, but I think that I prefer the Taylor's sound. That's the kind of things that you can't explain, I thought that the Martin will be my prefered one, but no, I prefer the Martin colors of woods (Koa?), but the Taylor's sound. Well done, this comparison. BYE !

[edwardtang1977]

sometimes visual clouds judgement

[stephenpoi]

My personal preference would have to be the deep woody sound of the Martin D15. Then again, it's near impossible to judge which guitar is best as it really all depends on the preference and playing style of the musician. The three of them sound great depending on the style of music you prefer to play........Nice collection by the way !

[chicagochris1988]

Ok. I'm a huge martin fan but imo I think the washburn sounded and looked the best

[MultiParasite]

For me Martin, Taylor and last Washburn. Odd, my Wash is gonna be mad at me.

[methodinsane]

Landslide?

[wee0424]

1st guitar soung better...

[jackberger123]

i think the taylor sounded abit better would deffinitly switched it out with i think its the 700 series with the maple top? amazingly warm, rich, fingerstyle tone to those guitars

[xxflipxxstylexx]

strings make the difference also. I know the taylor comes with mediums nanoweb elixer's .. you should try putting the same strings on all three then make the comparison.

[dejavu3552]

taylor all the way

[felixnoir]

iirigo, in Washburns I have a WS-18M which is a lovely guitar, good for a cafe performance but not really a pro guitar, and a J56 which is being shipped to me. In Tangles I have a TW 28SW Indiana, very nice but not a pro guitar, and a TS 28 CSR which is so different you'd hardly think it was made by the same company. It has a sweet, complex sound almost indistinguishable from my 1984 Guild D17 mahogany rush. I'd call that fantastic value! Getting TW55 jumbo tomorrow.

[bmd900]

@TheReckonman ok fine but it does not kick their ass its actually all the way around..

[bmd900]

@TheReckonman hahahaha your funny..

[christopherhillmusic]

@bmd900 yeah he is lol. yamaha>taylor and martin? whattttt

[mcavoyfam6]

he should have put a martin hd28, d41 or even a d16 in the comparison. there wouldn't have been a comparison.

[Sointula2]

I played a high end Washburn a couple weeks ago - blew the doors off my 710 Taylor. That was a surprise. But keep in mind, most guitars would benefit from a tuneup by a recognized luthier.

[felixnoir]

I've got a d 28.  It rocks. But my Tanglewood was cheaper and I like it even more.

[krninstrumental]

That Taylor costs 2000-3000 dollars more than that Martin.

[binhbui]

what song is this?

[alwayslooking4space]

I think it's Landslide by fleetwood mac but I'm not sure

[thirddayfreak]

i think it is too

[1carp]

Funny to come across this. I have a 1979 Washburn D25. Every so often I make the rounds of guitar stores to try the Taylors and Martins and muse about getting a new guitar.

Then I come home and play my Washburn and realize it's comparable to these $1,500 and $1,800 guitars.

I bought my Washburn in 1980 for $360.

[rjeroots]

I bought mine in 1980 or 1981 for $100 plus my Epiphone SG. It has a surface crack in the front and a couple of shipping damage dings. Those love marks are still there. I played every acoustic in the music store that night. Finally he put the Washburn in my hands and gave me a deal because of the damage. It's still one of my favorite guitars 29 years later.

[reindeertigerteam]

Taylor wins again.  Wish I could afford one.

[GUITAR1212112]

taylors the best im buying 1

[XxColdFusionxX]

I'll give the 411 on the tendencies of the three brands.

Martin's are known for their warm low and mid tone, but most people fans or not will normally admit they can sound muddy even in the hands of a pro.

Taylor's are on the opposite spectrum, and are known for their very bright tone, and also have enough bass to not sound tin like, but are normally not as warm as Martins.

Washburn's have no real trademark sound and, but are just as pleasing to the ear as the other two brands.

Preference

[gooseCha]

taylor, martin, washburn. Own neither so unbiased and sad

[12Radius]

are u sure about your washburn D-28S ?maybe D-25S more likely.

[AndresRomeroBlog]

taylor 4 ever

[Thejbirdy]

None of these are any better than the other, all three make fantastic guitars. They just sound different from one another and you sir have excellent taste!!

Nice collection.

JB

[AndresRomeroBlog]

Taylor best guitar ever.

[FrodoDojo]

I'd love to see you work up the neck for a comparison like this.

[dragophone69]

Washburn :)

[rjeroots]

I bought this Washburn new in 1980. It is a model D-28-S. Years ago, at a bluegrass festival, I had a Martin D-28 guy put his guitar in it's case because he wanted to try my Washburn. He got pretty ticked because he liked the Wasburn better. That's nothing against Martin at all. This is just a darned good D-28 clone.

[Berlusfan]

1)WASHBURN-MARTIN 3)TAYLOR

[JmJones2]

the last two are more to my pallet, however, when that martin gets played in (mahogany tops do seem to take forever, aparently, upwards of 10 years, normally more, they only get better) it will be quite a beast i think. then you will have a nice problem, 3 great guitars - which do you play first?

[shawnruby]

Taylor :)

[alistairproductions]

sorry to get off topic, just wondering: name of the song?

[rjeroots]

That is the chord and finger pattern I used for Landslide by Stevie Nicks using the Taylor guitar.

[nsaretard]

that particular martin i do not care much,, too soft and kinda dull,, the taylor is brighter but like shopping for the right fit shoes, best to try and compare at guitar shop rather online!

[tubbyteleman731]

I am wondering what gauge strings you are playing on those guitars? The martin sounds like the action is set to low because I am hearing a lot of fret buzz! if you decide to have the martin set up with mediums then it will project much better and if the action is set up well then it will still play well! my D15 sounds wonderful but i had to go through trial and error before it was dialed in! I think the Martin is a sleeper!

[rjeroots]

To be fair, the artist has shortcomings. The buzz is actually against my fingers being placed not quite accurately. The strings are the factory originals. The Taylor neck is wider making the guitar more forgiving of finger placement.

[Jvideo12]

the martin sounded like a sitar on the high e

[skotty92]

I love Taylors, especially this one right there, I dont really know why but for me the Martin was the "worst" (all were pretty cool sounding though)

Thanks for comparing!

[changingone77]

Martin sounds best to me, followed by the Washburn. Still, it would be more appropriate to compare the Taylor and Washburn to a Martin equivelent in cost; the D-15 is a lower end guitar.

[rjeroots]

I still have trouble thinking of a $950 guitar as low end. I just compared what I had for my own curiousity. I bought the Washburn in 1980 for $100. It's the best D28 clone I have ever played. It tickles me when a real D28 owner tries it. The reaction is priceless.

[stripeyninga]

martin probably gets my ears buzzing the most. it has a nicer tone, can't explain it very well... i'd say 1.martin 2.taylor 3.washburn (didn't really like washburn)

[pretourious]

Gotta say the Martin gets my vote here as well. Thanks for the test and comparison.

[khmerguy22]

Martin sounds better to me

[theaaronimal]

The martin sounds great :)

[garynjo92]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Anybody could make an argument for any of the three guitars and would be justified in the argument. I have owned a Martin and three Taylor guitars. I personally liked the sound of the Washburn on this song. Would love to hear all 3 play this song in its entirety.

[singingabc123]

Finally, someone with a vivid statement.

[ckaybiker]

FWIW:

Having owned both Taylors and Martins, the Martin is without a doubt better sounding, while the Taylor had easier action.

Also, my Martins appreciated in value while the Taylors depreciated.

[giulianiAD17tampa]

drumhero2008 is completely wrong, cuz if he knew anything about guitars, he would know that the taylor is the best seeing how it was made for finger-picking, and then between the martin and the washburn, martin takes it.

not really a good choice in guitars for comparison.

[forevergrounded]

taylors are the way to go. i love 'em. martin's aint got nothing on them.

[drumhero2008]

for people who actually know about guitars. with out a doubt the martin sounds best. in 2nd comes the washburn. 3rd taylor.

taylor has a ways to go if they wanna compare themselves to CF Martins. & i dont think we'll even have to get started about the pickups. piezo pickups are awful&cheap sounding. thats one thing taylor needs to change.

[crunkykong]

Taylor and Martin. Apples and Oranges.

[Ragpicker81]

I think you can't compare a fingerstyle guitar like the taylor with an all-mahogany dreadnought

[rjeroots]

I think you're right. I should have named this video something else. I was just learning fingerstyle and did the comparison cause I was curious. On this side of the video camera lense, the Taylor was way better (as expected). Plug it in and it just gets better...

[Ragpicker81]

You may make a strumming comparison! :)

[charuk2005]

If you want a clear and crispy Martin dreadnaught with still a warm bass and full midrange try the Martin HD 28 or HD 35 and that's more in the same price range. They have Sitka spruce top. In the end it's all about taste. I think there are no bad guitars made from the top brands. It's that particular sound that you want from a guitar and that's very personal. Enjoy playing.

[charuk2005]

See YouTube user LJUNGWALD for HD28 and HD35

[charuk2005]

This Taylor is for fingerpicking, the Martin is a Road Serie ( a take a long guitar) and is made all of Mahogany to produce a warm tone, not espially for fingerpicking. Compare the same body styles for correct judgement about brands. These are three totally different guitars.

[Miksogi]

This Taylor is so young, so fresh :) In 2045(like your washburn now) it will be sound much better, that for sure :)

Thanks anyway.

[rjeroots]

You are correct of course. I will be 103 years old by then and may have some trouble with finger style picking by then. I will likely just strum it for that video.

[Auburne]

Its all preference I think, Martins with a more woody and deeper sound stressing bass, Taylors with a more bright tone emphasizing treble.....not too familiar with washburns, but from the sound it seemed more midrange.

[MIZZOUJT]

I have a Martin D12X1, and a Taylor 414 CE. I love them both equally like my kids!

[Teledude1972]

I'm a fan of Taylor guitars myself, but I'd have to say that your Martin won this one. :) Martin's just have that natural 'woody' tone that we've all come to know and love. :)

[guitarstrummer9009]

hmmm...have you tried the 714ce for fingerstyle? if not, you should try it.

[calherp]

now u plug them in and the taylor wins by a mile

[jimmythefish]

It's about what you'd expect...typical mahogany thump from the D-15, more balanced, brighter sound with longer sustain from the Taylor, and midrange rosewood dreadnought punch from the Washburn. I'd take the Taylor for this application...

[rjeroots]

Right on. You have described what I hear live. I purchased the Taylor for finger-style. The Martin left me longing to hear the upper stings. The Taylor fixed that for me.

[lliicckk]

very nice.....the taylor was a 614ce??? hmmm it sounded like an 814 because the 614ce models are alot brighter? right.

well great man all beautiful guitars

[rjeroots]

That is a 614ce for sure. The camera microphones are probably not the best for this type of test. To my ears while doing the playing, I hear the high strings best on the Taylor and the Washburn. The bass strings sound best on the Martin and Washburn. I suspect the musician does not do the Taylor justice..

[BarneyFife00]

Martin

Taylor

Washburn

Just curious.  Are the strings the same brand and age?

[rjeroots]

Good question. Washburn strings are new this week. Taylor strings are about 2 to 3 weeks old. Martin, hmmm, uhhhh, not so new but virtually unplayed and only by a little old man on Sundays. I use 12's..