Rosewood vs. Mahogany backs and sides on acoustic guitars! Which is better? Martin 000-18 vs. 000-28
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
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In this video Sasha puts two nearly identical guitars head to head. The Martin 000-18 and the 000-28. The main difference? One has mahogany back and sides, the other rosewood. Let us know what you think in the comment sections!
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Played both for hours - went away with the 00018. Never looked back. Its really great. And I have owned many high end Martins, all Rosewood. It took me years to realize Im a mahogny guy :-)
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000-18 mahogany back and sides 1:05
000-28 rosewood back and sides 1:48 you're welcome
It's almost like all the sound comes 'out'of the mahogany body but a lot of it goes 'in' to the rosewood body and swims around in there. The perspective of the player and listener is possibly quite different.
They are both fabulous sounding instruments, but my ears prefer the the 000-18. Both will bring joy to their owners. Solid comparison video with nice demos.
Mahogany all the way, complex midrange is a standout for me.
I definitely want both! That said, I had the opposite opinion in that I much preferred the clarity of the 28 for fingerstyle, all of it, but the 18 for strumming....... Yea, I need both obviously.
Nice comparison! Both sound great! My preference is for the 18.
Mahogany all the way. Clarity is way better. I bought a D18 back in the 80s when a student and always wondered whether I should have got the 28. Recently took it to the Martin store for a set up and tried a bunch of other Martins. My D18 (a special with scalloped bracing) slayed everything they had in the shop. Was thinking of changing but nothing sounded as good as my 35 year old mahogany dread.
I sold my 000-28 and kept the 000-18, if I want that more refined “rosewood sound”.., I pull out the OM-21...the 000-18 in its raw simplicity is just unmatched in my opinion...
great comment! it seems the 18 is so pure and honest....!
OM 21 is a great option with the 18 both get my vote.
Too high frequency on the rosewood. Mahogany really gives a better, warmer tone which is just unmatchable.
I prefer the 000-18 because it’s more pronounced in the mid range, and the 000-28 sounds muffled.
@Ross G Not to my ears it isn't. I fully expected it to be, but from the first A/B the 28 sounded muddy and muted. Particularly surprising was how it sounded in strumming. I expected the 28 to blow the 18 away in strumming, whereas I thought the 18 might shine in finger picking. But even in strumming I thought the 18 sounded better. (I will say this...in the second demo where the notes had a chance to ring out I thought the 28 sounded a little richer, but the 18 sounded more balanced. Again...to my ears.)
@Ross G So...you're going to tell me what I'm hearing. Got it.
@Ross G As if I needed any further proof you don't know what you're talking about. Thanks for that. We're done.
@@skaybaltimore Totally agree
000-28 for me
i didn't cared for the 000-18 after i played it in the store
This is at least the second demo of these two guitars in which the 28 did not sound fuller and richer than the 18, even though all logic indicates it should. Instead, it sounded muted and muddy compared to the 18. It blows my mind. I would have bet -- and lost -- that the 28 would ring out, have deeper richer bass, and overall be a more impressive instrument. Live and learn.
I was thinking exactly the same thing!!
@@MikeBravos Great minds (and ears) think alike. 😉
Scalloped bracing working its magic.
To my ear, the 000-18 is the clear choice. Both beautiful but its no contest for me, I choose the 18.
I have one of each, a 000-28 and a 000-18, except my 000-18 has an Adirondack top. Both are excellent for playing on the couch.
As a rule mahogany has a drier, livelier snap, great for chords and hybrid picking. Rosewood is richer and packs more punch, especially in live acoustic sessions. Rosewood is denser, more prone to humidity/atmospheric changes which can make it sound muffled and dull.
I'd take the 00018 any day.
The thing to remember is that the guitar sounds different for the player holding it and the person standing in front of it.
My suspicions were correct. I prefer the crisp and direct sound of the rosewood
I used to favor Rosewood when I was young and naive to acoustic guitar simply because it was more money , and higher model numbers ; now I'm all in for mahogany as my preferred and favorite tonewood, forty years later and having gone through sixty plus guitars ; but both standards are essentially great anyway ‼️☑️👍☻️😎😊
Wow.. rosewood bigger: fuller sound strumming, fingerpicking mahogany was more punchy.
I hate that I likes the rosewood more, because they're so expensive! The dynamics just sounded better to me.
I’m trying my best to hear the difference and it is so finite that I doubt I’d know the difference without hearing them next to each other or using my eyes as well. And I’ve played acoustic my whole life
Thanks for this demo! What strings are on each of these?
👍 000-18
Great video Sasha! The top on that '18 looks stunning... ;)
Thanks guys! Quite a marvelous guitar indeed...!
000-28 sounds boomy to me.
Just give me black walnut and a cedar top.
Any idea why the 28 is so much more than the 18 though? In the uk the 18 is £2500 and the 28 is £3200 - if it’s just the back and sides, is RW that much more expensive than M?
Hard to say, both have their own beauties.. Although I think it is a waste to use mahogany for back and side. It is better to reserve it for the neck. The wood has become so rare that many Spanish makers have to use Spanish cedar, which is a lot softer than mahogany. .
Martin 000-18 for me :)
Blue grassers like the 28 s
Great comparison. But I can’t stop listening because your playing is awesome and the tones you recorded are incredible!
The mahagony is chearfull and very bright...the rosewood is very warm !!!
rosewood sounds better to my ears.
4:30 5:08
I have been a rosewood guy all my life but I must say the mahogany guitar simply blew away that rosewood guitar. The clarity and note separation was quite impressive on the 18 and the rosewood 28 sounded quite muddy by comparison.
18th and general sound better than 28s to me. Not a fair comparison imo ty for pointing this out I didn't realize.
Pozdrav Saša, I need guitar but can't make decision, need one good for finger picking and strumming.
Zdravo! What's the price range? -Sasha
@@maxguitarstore I probably can stretch to $2500 US, maybe even little more but $1000- $2500 is ideal. Thanks
I thought they were pretty close, until the fingerpicking, then I thought the 28 better.
I play Rosewood and have forever; but honestly I don’t think my old ears can even hear the difference. You have to have and touch and hold and play each;then you will know.
I go back and forth on which back/sides wood sounds better. But I prefer the look of rosewood.
i vote for the rosewood but i would not pay two grand for nither,,
Back in the ole' days, the beginning of AM radio, the studios would mix & EQ the music for the target playback box, a 5 inch cone usually found in most automobiles 😅 I'm wondering if that's what's happening here. Playback over internet on decent cans ? Me thinkist i has to hear them in person 😊
The 000-28 has 5/16” bracing while the 000-18 is 1/4”
which one looks more like a taylor 114ce rosewood or mahogany on the sides and back in sound?
The Mahogany sounded less clearer than the Rosewood but I'm wondering if both would have sounded better if that mic wasn't pointed so close to the sound hole.
I prefer the rosewood. Have you heard of Zaar guitars? Just purchased a Z420SE solid rosewood Zaar.
Good try to make a valid comparison... It may be guitar variability in build even though they are supposedly the same, but the rosewood guitar's bass strings were far more thuddy and less defined than the mahogany in this comparison... that's not always the case when these two woods are compared...
Both guitars sound wonderful but I prefer the warmth of rosewood more.
Very similar that I wouldn’t say one sounds better than the other, although 28 looks nicer with the bindings.
To my ears, the 28 sounds a bit sweeter and gentle, it's weird though cause it should have been the other way around.
Its a really tough call but I'm taking the mahogany home with me. Cheers
really good comparison
my heart please don't like the expensive one
Nice conclusion! I like it.❤
Bravo pour vos essais comparatifs sur les guitares acoustique. Bravo l'artiste. Jean (FRANCE)
Mahogany!❤
4:05. Love the RW sounddddd
Muchas gracias, desde mi percepción auditiva el palo de rosa es más moderado y menos presente que la caoba aunque también emite un tono muy bueno, saludos
I love my 2016 000-18 except the binding is coming loose at all points on the waist.....haven't contacted Martin about it.....don't have a year to wait if I send it in......not sure how many I have left...
Same here with my '14 . Not great on such an expensive guitar.
Great video Sasha !
2:41 - 3:41
My choice is 28,balanced,sweet,cozy,and warm, just what the rosewood sound is. And of course the mahogany is brighter and harder, solid. Nothing wrong with both guitars and I still prefer 28's sound, and if choose one, of course 28. I'm always a Rosewood guy.
Rosewood is both harder and brighter than mahogany.
18 is brighter, and chimes. 28 mellowed resonates sweet full. However playing the mahogany is more responsive brighter, I love them both, always thought I was rosewood all the way but the mahogany won me. Thanks for the demonstration.
I probably can stretch to $2500 US, maybe even little more but $1000- $2500 is ideal. Thanks
The 000-15M might fit the bill. That's a very sweet sounding guitar that is right in your sweet spot price-wise. It's different than these two but depending on your style might just be right for you. It's mellow but clear. Amazing guitar. I just happen to prefer the kick of the 000-18.
@@skaybaltimore Thanks
@@Hrcak1 Any time.
If you are strumming singer who loves to chop, your best with mahogany. If you want to play complex chords, single notes, or fingerstyle then you’d be best with rosewood. In general. It’s really not that different in person, but to others standing 10ft or more in front of you, or to a microphone, you’ll be safe to just go through life with that general direction.
Says you lol
I got a Yamaha A3R, solid sitka top and solid redwood back and sides. It has this metallic zing and very trebly. Too bright for my taste. Strumming chords feels very noisy. Its perhaps only good for fingerpicking. Gonna return it to get the mahogany version.
Funny you say that. I tried it twice at GC recently and "at first" I loved the A3R. After a while however, I did notice exactly what you are saying. Then I tried a slightly larger size Taylor 714ce and liked it much better. They call that size Grand Audition- yours is the smaller Concert size. Grand Aud. is a great size. Not as boomy or big as a dread but big enough to move enough air to sound "right" or balanced is the word.
IMO, any A3 or A5 Yam. is simply too small- that is why it is so bright. Even in MOH, it will be boxy. The A5 is the same size BTW.
The Taylors look and feel amazing. Even the less expensive 314ce or 414ce models are nice. I came very close to getting one HOWEVER they went to a new V bracing system. Most say, and I agree that the new ones severely lack mids and base unless you can find one before 2018.
I landed on and bought a beautiful MOH Larrivee LV-03e. You should really look into it- even if you bought the other A3R (and you are within your return window.) Email me if you need more info., but safe to say, you will be very happy. Just read the reviews.
The Larrivee is a mostly HAND BUILT guitar (CA- USA.) This is big- it also has a real hand fit, Dove-Tail neck joint (not bolt-on like Taylor) so you get more sustain. Just read the reviews. It is about $2k but it's an investment that can last you a lifetime- and their warranty is limited LIFETIME- not the case with Martin or Taylor or Yamaha. It is one of the best values out there. The used ones are going for more than some used new ones so people must love them. The LV-03e also comes with the much better LR Baggs Element pickup system- which can be upgraded to the highly regarded "Anthem" without much effort. Unlike the Yamaha, it has a nice easy to use tuner and EQ. It also come with a hard case. I wasn't sure what was going on with that A3R- too many knobs and special effects. Just give us tone!
@@MOAB-UT Great points. Thank you for sharing.
I think you're confusing AC3R with A3R. AC3R is the concert size and A3R (which I got) is the Dreadnaught size.
I'm basically looking for a dreadnaught style guitar with cutaway and all solid wood preferably Mahogany. Most affordable Taylors and Martin ( around $1000 range) all have either layered or laminate wood.
The Taylor 714ce you mentioned is a $3000 guitar, lol, a bit unfair comparison to A3R as it costs 3 times as much.
Lemme know if you have other suggestions. Thanks again.
@@Gman44044 You are right- my bad. I was aware of the larger A3/5R's. I still recommend you check out the Larrivee's. The LV-03E is what I just bought (after a ton of research.) It meets all your requirements. Also, in their world, the V means Venetians (soft cutaway) and Florentine is their sharp angled cutaway style. There is an upgraded LV-09 (Rosewood) on Reverb now for $1,400. Retail is about $4480...but small crack on top which can happen over time with a lot of solid wood guitars unless they are stored near perfectly. Remember, too much humidity can be even worse for a guitar so be careful if buying from a high humidity state like Florida (74% avg. humidity.) It can ruin a guitar unless they have it inside with the air on 24/7. Guitars need 40-50% humidity.
Like all of Larrivees guitars, the LV series is all solid wood and MOH is available. What is very nice is that you can very easily upgrade the existing LR Baggs system to Anthem- simple swap that reuses the existing pup and hole in the guitar. It adds a new module and a very accurate mic that goes inside. If you buy it new (not sure about used) Larrivee will sell you the upgrade (Anthem system) to you at around cost so $200'ish.
Forget Taylors unless you find a good 314ce used- pre-2018. The new ones lack base. The 714ce is the same guitar as the 314ce and the more ornate 414ce. It's just cosmetic upgrades. To me, the 714ce easily looked the best. Even the new one's do sound good but it was tinny- to sterile and clinical for my tastes.
Another popular option could be a Martin GPC-16E or even better (and more $), GPC-35E...if you can find one (next to impossible and it will be over $3k.)
The GPC-16E is a relative bargain since it is only going for $1,799 and you might be able to find it on sale. Plugged in, the Larrivee will likely sound better since it will have superior electronics (if you upgrade to Anthem- I highly recommend doing this.) Unplugged it should be close.
One thing to be aware of is that although Martin calls the GPC "Grand Performance" the depth is 000. Not only that, they reduced it (probably to save $) from the standard 4 1/2" depth to 4 1/8" depth. The Larrivee is a tone master with a full 4.75" depth. That said, bracings are different- you just have to play them and see what you like- even the same models can sound different for a variety of reasons, different trees, glues, storage, humidity, etc.
The only thing I will mention about the LV is that the fretboard definitely does run a bit wider and flatter than most. I hope I can get along with that. I have big hands so I should be ok but if you have small hands it might be uncomfortable fretting barre chords.
As everyone says, you just have to get out and try a bunch and see which one sings to you- and also feels right. You can also keep an eye on the USED section of Guitar Center. You can sometimes find a good deal and you could probably be able to physically return it (no shipping) to a local store if you don't like it. It can be harder to do if you buy it private on Reverb.
So there you have it. I think your two best choices right now are Solid Wood, MOH (new) versions of the Larrivee LV-03E or the Martin GPC-16E. You should be able to get either for under $2k. Don't be afraid to negotiate.
@@MOAB-UT Great, thanks a lot. Very helpful
Nice comparison. The warmth of the rosewood sounds better to my ears
First, thank you for the excellent, consistent playing on both. I prefer the 18. Smoother to my ear.
Great comparison --- if you had to pick one, which would you go with?
I'm all for rosewood back and sides :) - Sasha
Truly blown away how good the 000-18 sounds. I would have expected myself to like the 28 the best. I feel like when he strummed that C chord on the 18 it felt like America!
I had a Larrivée OM-06R and I loved it. Some moron fell on it and pushed the back through the stand it was on. It had a neck reminiscent of an electric, wide but thin in depth. I replaced it with a Larrivée D03R. 26 years later and I just found the same year (the neck was discontinued) and same model but mahogany. Your video reminded me of what I liked about my dads Hummingbird and D28. I’m really starting to consider that guitar now. Thank you.
For me, Rosewood B and S is better Mahogany.
Which one sounds more like a Taylor 114ce?
I have a 000-18 and have always regretted not getting rosewood. But that would have added and extra $1000 to the price tag. I prefer the warmth of rosewood.
To me the rosewood is a more gorgeous wood 🪵 but I prefer 💯 % the mahogany back and sides tone
beautiful playing sooo different yet very Martin!
Gain is way too high on the mic! Sounds like it's almost clipping at times.
I'm only amateur but did both guitars sound out of tune to you? It was like the first and second strings were off on both. I don't see an electronic tuner on either instrument, but that doesn't mean he tuned by ear. Maybe I'm out of tune ha! I'm asking you as it seems you have a sensitive ear.