4 Great American Acoustics - Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Collings
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- Опубліковано 3 лис 2024
- I felt so blessed to have four amazing acoustic guitars in one place made by four great American makers, I thought I'd do a quick and simple video on them. This isn't a "shootout" as each one is totally different and unique, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to hear them all together.
1: Gibson 2: Collings 3: Martin 4: Taylor. All great-sounding guitars though. I'd love to own any of them!
Thanks much for watching and the feedback!
Martin Girl here ! thanks for sharing
I cant look at all these masterpieces becouse of your playing. For a long time i didnt hear anyone who plays with such feeling. I wana dance hearing your play.Thank you. Nice guitars. Every guitar in your hands sounded amazing. Gibson amazing. Greetings and blessings
Thank you for your kind and generous words!!
The J45 and Collings really spoke to me. All are awesome instruments. Nice presentation. I'm now a subscriber.
Hey Jim, thanks much for your feedback and for listening - Have a great day!
Beautiful guitars, I mostly liked the Martin and Collings
Thanks for the feedback and for listening!!
Great collection and playing. Beautiful instruments. The Gibson and Collings were my favorites.
Thanks for the feedback and for listening!
All sounded amazing! You brought out the destiny of those beautiful guitars, thanks!
Wow, thanks for the kind words and for listening!
Good stuff !! Can I borrow that martin?
I've never heard anything so similar to my j45, from another manufacturer. Eye-opening. That Collings had a very similar sound and I was impressed. Loved the demos. Collings and Maton are on my list.
Thanks for taking the time
Hi Bobby, I appreciate you listening! I really like the Collings too. I do hope to try a Maton one of these days. Happy picking and Merry Christmas!
I’m assuming that you are referring to the j45 vintage. The one with the thermally aged red spruce and hide glue etc.
because the rest are just hopeless.
That Collings is outrageously good.
Thanks much for watching it!
My 2008 OM-1 certainly is.
A remarkable collection of American classics which frankly left me drooling. Each one strikingly beautiful and uniquely toned.
My favorites in your collection include the J-45 and the Collings for tone. Even so, one could justifiably argue the Martin is the clear winner as it possesses a perfectly balanced ideal in American craftmanship beauty and tone. Aesthetically, no one could dispute the flawless good looks of Taylor's Koa head turner.
All in all a noteworthy 'guitarsenal showcase.' Leaving little doubt of your blessings and taste.Thank you for sharing your talent time and collection.
Hi Will, thanks for your kind and well thought out comment - I do appreciate that as I do appreciate you listening to the video. It sounds like you really know your guitars! It would be hard for me to pick just one. Have a great day - Frank
For me, the Gibson and Martin shined! The debate will rage on forever about which is better but they are and always will be the standard! The Collings was next on the list and sadly the Taylor although beautiful sounded hollow and harsh next to the Kings!
Great assessment, thanks for watching!!
Like others have said, they all sound great, and I’d be happy to own any of them. My preference is the Gibson. It seems to have the most attitude and personality. As always, the Taylor is the sweetest, with the Martin and Collings falling in the middle.
Thanks for listening and I appreciate the feedback!
Your taste in guitars is unparalleled, as is your exemplary talent for bringing out the beauty in each one. Kudos to you!
Wow, that is quite kind of you - thank you for the encouragement!
Lovely! The Taylor and Collings speak to me.
Thank you for watching~ I hope it was helpful
(For myself)
Gibson 5:05
Martin 6:46
Taylor 8:23
Callings 8:51
I really like the J-45. It was the Most impressive to me followed very closely by the Collins D2HS. It to was very impressive. All sounded , I must say Great, but that is just my top choices. Thanks for a really great Review of Super Guitars. I certainly would not say NO to either one for sure..
Thanks much for listening and for your feedback!
That 12 fret Collings!! All four were fantastic! Can't go wrong with any of them, keep on strumming:)
Thanks much for listening!
Martin is the best with sound and appearance.
Thank you for watching!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Gibson ≥ Collings > Martin > Kay > Taylor
@@iowafocus1383 Taylor guitars are the best. Come on man.
@@markchavez738 they are the best at marketing, I'll grant that
They all sound very nice. My favorite guitar though was my dad's 1943 Gibson Southern Jumbo Dreadnought "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" banner guitar...that I have and still play to this day.
Wow, you are blessed... what a guitar and what amazing meaning it has for you!
A modern day Mark Twain on the great guitars of our time
LOL, thanks for listening!
I like them all.
Thanks for listening~
Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed the tonal differences. They are all beautiful!!
You bet, thanks for listening!!
I took a second watch/listen, and although tough to discern the difference with the B&O speakers on my laptop, I'm inclined to favor the Gibson. I'll have to check it out on my PC with a decent sound system, but I did like the Gibson the best. Now if they can only overcome their QC issues! Which do you like playing the best?
Hey James, thanks for watching... as for me, each of the guitars have something to offer... but if I HAD to choose only one, I would take the Collings as I thought it did great for both strumming and fingerstyle... you are right, each was unique
Great fun watching this vid! LOVE your collection of acoustics there. I would be thrilled to have just one of those sweethearts - and you have 4 (that we now know of). Money well spend my man!. Just a few days ago however, I did bite the bullet and threw down a little money for a Gibson J45 Studio.
Thanks for watching! It was fun to compare them. I do a lot of buying and selling, and being I happened to have those 4 in one place, I thought it would be interesting to A/B them before they sold. Congrats on your J45 - enjoy!
Those are the big brands but guitars like Goodall are on par with all those brands. Larivee is another brand that has great guitars.
I absolutely agree!!!!
Great review! When you have all 4, this is what you do!!! I even have a Kay!!!
:-) Thanks much Stephen!! Haev a great day
Thanks for the great review. All superb guitars. Would be happy to have any of these. However, the different shapes, different manufacturers and different woods make it difficult to hear what of the 3 parameters make the difference in sound.
Thanks much for watching!!
All four have such richness and clarity. I had to put in my good earbuds to hear the difference.
I appreciate that, thank you for taking the time!!
The Taylor sounds more like a Martin than the Martin did!!
1. Taylor
2. Martin
3. Collings
4. Gibson
Love the Gibson
Thanks for watching Bill!
That was a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks much for listening! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you as well.
I love Martins, but the Gibson and the Collings sounds great. Thanks for the vid.
Thank you for checking it out!!
Guild.
I have a 2008 Martin D-28 Marquis... love it. I also have a 1979 Guild F212XL NT (Mahogany 12 string). Guild makes the best 12 string acoustic guitars. Incredible tone with a magical chime & the power of a cannon. Played hard it just won't top out.
Sounds like an exceptional guitar - thanks for listening!
Taylor is the best for you!
I liked the Gibson J45 the most. I like also the Collings too and I found the Martin beautiful but too loud!
Thanks for taking the time to listen!
All beautiful guitars. All very different sounding. The Collings sounded a little more classic old school Martin than the Martin, very full. Might beat the Martin at a Bluegrass contest. The Martin was maybe the bloomiest, with good shimmer but not much growl. The Koa sounded amazing and different, a little weaker in the bass but not notably absent, and so warm with good trebble. The Gibson brought the Beatles later stuff to mind. Fabulous collection. Preference will steer people more to one than another. How great to have them all. If I had to pick one I'd probably go with the Collings, well rounded, great projection and sustain. Though maybe that's just in this moment....
Nice breakdown, you have a good ear for tone! Thanks for watching!
The Taylor w/solid Koa and the Collings did it for me.
I must say, the Koa does sound very different from the other Taylors I've heard.
Thanks for the feedback and for checking out the video!
Collings mainly because I much prefer 12th fret guitars, great job buddy thank you for taking the time! 🤘🏻
Thanks for the kind words and for listening!!
I began going to folk music coffee shops about 1963, and the J-45 and J-50 were very popular. The D-18 and -28 were king. Guild was USA made and quite good, especially the 12 strings.
Thanks for watching! Yes, I remember in the 60s and 70s the Guild 12 string was the industry standard!
You have a nice collection. I'm partial to the Martin over any other acoustic. I own three. I've been on the look out for a good sounding Gibson. I once found a J45 that I loved but was not able to afford it at the time. I think I'd choose your Martin Custom Shop D45 over your other guitars, including the Collings.
Samuel Clemens. What a fine name your parents blessed you with.
It's funny you mention your J45 experience... I once played a 40s J45 at Norm's and it struck me like a thunderbolt... I felt a real deep attachment to that guitar... but it was 11k and I couldn't even come close to affording it... thanks much for watching!!!
You want a good sounding Gibson, that would be the (trite) Hummingbird. It defined a generation of what an acoustic should sound like. And I´ve still got to find anything to beat it. BUT, and that is a big but, just like my wife´s, never trust a guitar from its first sound; if it is a new one, it´ll sound all harsh and disjointed up top. Most guitars will just go dull, but The Hummer will go sweet and mellow. The thing is, they never got it to sound big and boomy on the PA:s of the time, which was what they were goin for back then. Nowadays, you take an aged one into the studio, everyone goes quiet in admiration for The Sound of perfection. They will look at each other and wonder: "Why don´t all guitar makers make them sound like this?"
All in his own language. Like I like to hear a beautiful french girl speak to me, well I prefer Martin...my beautiful D-35. Cheers from Patagonia...
Wow! Just found your video. Awesome collection of some very nice and VERY different instruments. Great idea to just play and let the guitars speak for themselves. The Gibson sounds like she’s played 1000 bars all over the place. Great bluesy and warm tone. The Martin is a cannon and probably the best one for strumming and big powerful tones to me. The Collings was astonishing how great it was. I don’t think there’s anything you couldn’t do well with that one. I didn’t enjoy the Taylor at all. It’s gorgeous but sounded thin and nasally compared to the others. If the money was there I’d get the Collings. Again great job with the video sir.
Thanks for listening and I appreciate your input... you see to really know your guitars... and I agree... Koa is an acquired taste!
4 great acoustic guitars. Martin, martin, martin, and martin.
Like the red spruce top on the Gibson J45, the Taylor Koa is good, but doesn't fit my voice, the Martin with that Ziricote back is my choice with Collings is also great especially playing with banjos
Thanks for listening Tex... you have a good ear!
That Martin D45 sounds really good!!!!!
I agree - thanks for listening!
Four exceptionally fine guitars, but based on the sound test, I would select the Gibson or the Collings.
You have excellent taste! :-) Thanks for listening!
I agree, Jim. Although I'd never buy a guitar based solely on a recorded sound comparison, to my ear the Gibson and the Collings have a discernable advantage in this enjoyable overview. Both have an organ-like fullness that I don't hear in the voices of the other two. Would love to play them all myself; that'd be a real treat!
@@jamesevans9007 I agree with all. As he seemed to say, the mike placement may not be ideal for each instrument. I was just going on my initial gut response to what I was hearing. Playing each would indeed be a treat. I have had experience with playing a guitar, my Martin D-35, that was my favorite while I was playing it. Out front it never sounded the same, if that makes any sense.
@@sundownsigns It makes perfect sense, Jim. Often, the sound from the "business side" of an instrument is quite a bit different than one hears when playing it.
martin is hands down the best.
Thank you for checking out the video!
Me ear said Collings, Martin, Taylor, Gibson sounded best. They all are amazing, I think I said wow too, especially on the last one
I really liked this video,clear and concise without prejudice and excellent choice of guitars. I loved the J-45 and the Collings, the Martin sounds great but just too much bling for me and I found the Taylor’s tone to have a mid and high end projection . But that’s just my opinion. Oh, I have a Martin HD28VS so no bias there.
David Pomella agree about the D45 bling - not for me.
Wish you could have included the Guild D40 as I always liked them and the Gibson J45
Very nice playing. Thanks.
Thanks much!!
If I had to pick one it would be whichever one felt the best to play. In other words the feel of the neck would decide it. By the way, I liked the sound of the Koa top more than most seemed to. So, although I usually do not like Taylors very much, I liked the sound of this one. The Martin & the Collings sound best for bluegrass. I would find it hard to deal with a wide neck or a thick neck at this point in my life (old & with tendinitis). The Gibson might sound best for accompanying vocals - but that inch thick neck! I'd want to shave it a bit (horrors!).
Hey Bob, thanks for listening! I think that you have a good ear and I agree with your assessments. Koa can go either way and yes, a 1" neck is a challenge. I too have a wrist issue and necks that are too THIN bother me and cause pain. Keep piking and God bless!!
More calm energy from Martin. Collins pick sound become second. Wild energy produce by Taylor.
All beautiful guitars each with their classic tones that are evident when played immediately side by side. I would really love to hear an higher end Yamaha LL or LS in comparison. I realize they didn't invent the genre of guitar shapes, but nethier did Taylor and Collins. :-) Curious what your thoughts are if you have played them?
Hi - thanks for listening and for the feedback. I am afraid that my only experience with Yamaha guitars is their lower level instruments which I think are excellent values for the money
@@theguitarczar1 some are certainly entry level, but some compete with some of the best in the business. LL36, LL56 etc. i have an LL16D. The most sustaining and balanced sound I have ever had, including a custom Martin at $3200.
nice video , I loved the Collings , but I am bias. I fell in love with Collings the first time I played one.
What kind of mic did you use to record with, you captured the guitars sound very nicely.
Thank you kindly for listening... the mic is a Rode N1 I believe
I'm a Martin guy.. absolutely love their deep notes and mids plus their history would just make anyone want one.. but that aside the j-45 wiped the floor with all of them.. they would have to be the best sounding acoustic guitars available.
Thanks for the feedback - I agree that the 45 is exceptional sounding - thanks for listening!
Without a Guild, this conversation doesn't matter...
IMO the Gibson just has a nice warmth or bottom that sits under the attack of the string. I found the Martin a little too bright and thin for my taste,the Taylor was also a bit bright and thin The Collings was my second favourite as I could feel some warmth, not as much as the Gibson but not as bright as the Martin, almost like a cross between the two. Please keep in mind that sound preferences is a subjective, what I look for in an acoustic guitar may totally the opposite of what you are looking for. Nice to have the chance to see and hear them all lined up like this. Thanks for the demo
Thanks for taking the time to listen so closely... it's people like you that makes doing the video worthwhile... you have a great ear!
Four awesome guitars and each one has its particular tone, although the Gibson J45 and the Collings D2HS sound somewhat similar. I'm a Taylor guy and a koa lover, although seeing a Grand Orchestra with a cutaway doesn't work for me that much. After listening to it, I REALLY want it! Even with the cutaway, this K28 killed it! The Gibson J45 is "my" typical "bad boy" guitar and Martin's bass is captivating. My experiences with Collings guitars have been limited (where I live I've never seen or heard one), but this Collings is powerful, lovely, balanced and a GREAT guitar, period.
Wow, you have a great ear and great knowledge of guitars! I appreciate your wise feedback and for listening... BTW, I absolutely love koa as well! Have a great day
Guitar, Guitars, Guitars thanks! I became a koa lover since I got my GS Mini. Of course, a Grand Orchestra and a GS Mini is like a watermelons to oranges comparison, but on both, the koa tone shines brightly without sounding harsh
Thanks for showing off these beauties! The Gibson for my money, hands down was the most inspiring and looking to my ear! Btw, my main strummer happens to be a '62 H1260. Love it! Quirks and all. Bless you to.
Wow, a 1962 - very cool - thanks for watching!
I must be one of the very few who prefers the Taylor, but then again it's all down to personal preference. I own a Taylor 114e and it sounds sweet.
That's the beauty of all of these different guitar... you have to go with what sounds good to YOUR ears and what inspires you to make music - thanks for watching
4 different types of guitar, regardless of brands. The Collings is a 12-fret, so that makes the ballgame to change entirely, since a 12-fret has a resonance no 14-fret guitar can equal, regardless of brands. That Taylor, and I'm a Taylor fan and proud owner, needs a setup, because it's somewhat buzzy when strummed hard. I bet you that, with a setup, it will sound amazing. Here, it disappoints me a bit. Both Gibson and Martin sounded as I expected.
martin for me, its warm and has a nice "clicky" tone when picked. I like that a lot
Nice choice, thanks for watching
What a great video! I do kind of feel that Collings is a different class of guitar than the others. Gibson, Taylor, and Martin seem like the BMWs, Porsches, and MBs of the guitar world (in no particular order) while a Collings is perhaps more of a Ferrari - a well-known exotic. I would have loved to have seen a Guild thrown into the mix - but then what about Breedlove or Ovation? I guess you have to draw the line somewhere.
Andrew, you have great taste in guitars! I would have loved to have a Breedlove or the others on hand, but this is what I had at the moment. And I like Ovations and Guilds too! Thanks for watching!
I on can only tell by actually playing the guitar to judg wh egg ber you like the tune
You forgot Bourgeois! If you haven’t played one do yourself a favor a try one.
Collings is super focused, dry and articulate, the Martin very restrained, underwhelming, the Taylor bright but strangely muddy, the Gibson thin and tinny. The Martin will open up after years of playing. The Collings sounds fantastic out of the box, played in. I'd say my Gibson Dove blows them all away, though.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the feedback!
Love them all but am a TAYLOR GUY...GODSPEED TO ALL OF YOU...
Isn't everyone? ;-) - Thanks for watching!
The Martin is gorgeous 😍
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Good day Samuel, Mate if you have to picked one. which one would it be? cheers from Down Under
Good question Robert.... if I had to pick one, I think it would be the Collings as I think it does everything I need! Thanks for watching!
Colins martin taylor gibson
Wow...that Collings!!!
She is a cannon! Thanks for watching!
Great video Sam. Loved all the different qualities in each guitar.
I have owned many Gibson Acoustics (2xJ45 standard, J45TV, Hummingbird, L00, Bluesking...), 2 Taylors, 2 Collins (Waterloo), and several Martins (D-28, 000-18). They all have their sound pluses and minuses - but NO ONE beats the build quality and overall sound of the Martin. I used to be a Gibson acoustic bigot - for year and /i still love the sound of my J45. But all the bad things you hear about Gibson build quality are true. Only about 1/3 of the Gibson's I've played are any good.
If I had to own only one - it would be a Martin. Best built (but not overbuilt). Top sound for overall music. But I don't know if I'd buy a new Martin - with their new emphasis on "sustainability". I like real wood.
If you can only afford one guitar - but can spend ~1,500-2,000 - buy a used Martin - I really like their OM's/000.
One last comment - My J45 loves to be strummed with a pick - and my Martin loves to be finger picked.
First, thanks for watching!! Second, it sounds like you have a great great ear for fine guitars... also, the experience you have because you have owned a wide variety is very beneficial... you should consider doing a blog... thanks again!
Martin Dan Tyminsky custom edition D28 is my prized axe. Have a Gretsch Tennessean and an old strat but the Martin is my favorite. Has tremendous punch. Throw an LR Baggs in the sound hole when I can't get an instrument mic. Gets lots of attention in a jam. I tell folks it must be the new strings that I haven't changed for the last year.
LOL... I am going to use your strings one - good one~!
To me the best sounding was the Collings, Taylor, Gibson, Martin. I like the easy playability of Taylor tho. It’s easy to play at least the baby Taylor I played.
You know your guitars! Thanks for listening!!
All .....very nice ! ....you make em sound great ! :-)
That is kind of you to say - thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing. :-)
They are all great. That’s the point!
Claudio I agree. The D45 rules.
Hard to beat a D45!
I think Santa Cruz guitars have covered enough ground to top Taylor And Collings for sure. Probably be definitely rocking martins and Gibson’s boat. Probably stop there because they’re the Authentic people.
Thanks for watching!!
I like hucklberry finn the best. it has that old broken-in feel to it.2nd is the dj-45.
Cool, thank you for taking the time to listen!
1) Gibson
2) Martin
3) Collings
4) Taylor
Listened thru and thought the Gibson sound best, seemed to have a warmer sound, though would say it’s the least attractive of the guitars ,
I appreciate your input and thanks much for listening!
songwriter is a beautiful guitar!
There is a fifth great American guitar company (there are probably others as well) that deserves a mention: Larrivee.
Agreed!
I have a beautiful early 80's L'arrivee 12 string that is a boomer. Perfect Rosewood . Just a beautiful sounding guitar, but a bit difficult up high on the neck.
Aren't Larrivee's Canadian?
I’ve been playing guitar for a little while, baught my first nice acoustic and it was a Taylor 324ce loved it for awhile then a played a Martin d18. It blew me away so I baught it used them I never played the Taylor so I traded it for a custom shop Martin 0021 I absolutely love my martins but I’d like to play them all
It is hard to beat a good D18... what a classic!
It's bought - BOUGHT!
@@bohma7519 Don't be a soy boy bohma..
Beautiful guitars.....and you play well.
Thank you for watching and for the kind words!
Collings won, (after the Kay of course!).
A very nice collection of premium guitars. Congratulations on your choice.
The American guitar with most intrigue, and missing here is the Guild D55 standard. In a class of its own.
Thanks for watching and yes, I love the D55 but sadly didn't have one on hand... and thanks for kudos on the Kay! :-)
Caused by your excellent performance, it is possible to get the experiance how good these instruments are, and what is the difference. Great Video - thank you very much !
Thank you for the very kind words!!!
Collins has to be best Fit for Me of these although hardly a bad one in this grouping
Thanks for checking out the video! Happy picking!
Great Video! I thought the J45 sounded better on the blues. I liked the Martin on the bluegrass stuff. The Collings to me sounded similar to the Martin but almost too resonant. The one that sort of surprised me was the Taylor, sounded similar to the Gibson. It had a nice midrange sound to me.
I like your assessment! Good job and thanks for listening... also, Taylor seems to do wonder with koa!
To me Taylor makes the best guitar out there and Martin used to and I have three Taylor's and one Martin four great sounding guitars 2015 816ce 2015 614ce 2018 814ce dlx v brace and 1980 Martin d28 and I have to say I'm very happy with these guitars I will have another Taylor as soon as they get it in if you have not tried the Taylor v brace I highly recommend it I think mine is the best sounding guitar I've ever owned it is that good
I hear ya... I have been a Taylor fan/player since about 1998 and they have only gotten better since then! Thanks for listening!!
The Taylor looks the prettiest but sounds the worst,just so tinny and no warmth to it at all,your Gipson on the other hand sounds absolutely lovely 👍
Hey Paddy! I appreciate you checking out the demo... I agree with your assessment, just keep in m=ind that the Taylor is a hardwood top and isn't going to project like the sitka models.... happy picking!
@@guitarguitarsguitars1711 Yes it's right to point that out. I played a K28e and its sweet, complex tone just blew me away, so important to know these subtle tones don't always get carried by a mike.
Martin is probably the best looking and sounds like a king. I also like Collings which is quite close to Martin.
Thanks much for watching!
Excellent, excellent review. Wish you’d do a Lowden guitar review as well. I loved the sound of the Taylor. Gracias.
Me too - I love Lowdens!
I appreciate that this is not a "shoot out" but if you had featured a Larrivee ( from California), the Gibson and the Taylor are off the table.
Fourth runner up: Taylor. Third runner up: Collings Second runner up: Gibson First runner goes to: Martin
Nice call!
Gibson 1st for me then the Collings would be my next choice.
Cool, thanks for watching!
You missed another great American guitar company, Guild...
I wish I had one at the time! Thanks for listening
agreed
I agree. I have a 1970s Guild D40 that has a beautiful sound, and it's been all over the country with me - special memories. I also have a Martin HD35 that I enjoy just as much; two completely different and great sounding guitars. So many guitars, so little time (and money)!
Thanks for the comparison. I'd have to go with the Martin.
Totally agree, I have a 76 Westerly made F-50RNT, my goodness what an instrument. It's been broken in to perfection, bar fights, divorces, heavenly jams, coast to coast tours, you name it, it's done it. Only in death shall we part.
Aden Hinds nothing like my D55. My favorite but I also own a J45 which I also love but 2 different sounds as my J45 is walnut.
I know you mentioned that the 45 was custom shop. But to include a 45 in a comparison that isn’t rosewood isn’t a very good example of a Martin 45 dread. Js