Acoustic Guitar Shootout: Collings, Taylor, Pre War, Bourgeois, Martin, Gibson, Yamaha, Takamine

[@marvinmaricic9006]

It's amazing how great every guitar sounds when played clean and expressive. Kudos to the artist!

[@lilycat1694]

Collings D2HA, Martin D-28 Authentic Aged , and standout Bourgeois OM were my favorites! Great comparison!

[@Jaxparoh]

A life-long Martin guy, I felt the Bourgeois had the best clarity and projection note for note. OM wins for me, the others sounded more "airey." Thank you for doing this and playing so beautifully. What a joy to be able to play all of these special instruments.

[@Tbone1952]

Yamaha makes AWESOME guitars it’s amazing what you get for the money, I own 4 Yamahas, a Martin D28, an Alverez Yairi from 1983, and a Breedlove, play the Yamaha Fg180 I bought in 1971 in Japan while in the Navy the most of all my guitars, the best sounding guitar in my collection.

[@scame76]

That's very cool

[@festushaggen2563]

I’ve bought 3 Yamahas. The latest is the FGX3 and it’s fantastic. The sound, build and feel quality is off the charts at its price point. That said, my 1973 FG160 still sounds and plays incredibly well. I’ve never heard anything like it off a music store wall. I still play the FG160 just as much. Yamaha knows how to build em.

[@dougs6433]

For me I liked the Collings D2HA followed by the Taylor 814ce arethe best. They are very different but, my tastes, near equivalent in appeal. Full disclosure: I own an 814ce.

[@66skybluepony]

Very impressive comparison. As a fellow sound engineer, I can truly appreciate the effort you put into setting this up. Favorite guitar is a tough choice: all of them as beautiful and as individual as the woods they're made, their strings and individual setups. My 2 favorites? The Martin was sweet and clear as they always are, but that Takamine was also very impressive and filled the ears. That was some great playing. Thanks!! Now, on to the mic comparison video...

[@rebuiltbyusn]

To my ear the guitar that sounded the best with a full and aged sound was the Pre War. The notes were clear with ring and yet it had a rich full aged tone that spoke to me.

[@hughnguyen1772]

The expensive tone woods combo of adirondack spruce and Brazilian rosewood does sound great

[@karmacharmskittens]

Listening blind, my stand out picks are the Collings D2HA booming bass with balanced mids and buttery highs❤ and also I appreciated the lovely, warmer sound of the Bourgeous. Nothing sounded like the Gibson😊 with its country bluegrass jangle. Nice shootout well done! Looking forward to more.

[@shelovesdisco2153]

"Listening blind, my stand out picks are the Collings D2HA booming bass with balanced mids and buttery highs"....I felt exactly the same !! Great shootout here, especially with Adrian playing the exact same piece of music, combining some different techniques. Looking out for a small-body shootout (maybe some OM or triple-O including Martin, Collings, Eastman etc.)

[@77guitarts22]

Bourgeois OM was to my ears the most balanced, loud and clear in the same time, out of all of them. The Collings were great also.

[@adriangaray4491]

I own that Bourgeois so I'm definitely partial to it too. Also keep in mind the usual projection and mid range of most OM models. This one holds single notes with a lot of weight.

[@jaredharrell6666]

@@adriangaray4491 I've owned a Bourgeois Slope D for 20 years. Bourgeois is my favorite guitar company, that OM is beautiful. I like how you slid an OM in there against all these other big boys and nobody really seemed to notice ha. That's a lot of credit to that guitar (and the player). I would've loved to have heard maybe a bourgeois Slope D or Brazilian backed Dreadnaught next to the other big boys. Awesome video.....thx for doing it!!

[@heatherhiggins5016]

The Bourgeois, was the best sound for this particular piece all the brilliant highs, the entire musical scale of Brilliance on every string in every position. Just a beautiful -sounding Instrument hands down the best.

[@Jaxparoh]

Agreed.

[@adriangaray4491]

Thank you! It's funny you say that, because I wrote this piece on the Bourgeois.

[@waynzwhirled6181]

Thanks for a great acoustic guitar shootout. I listened to these several times over with headphones. There are several great sounding guitars here, but I always come back to the $7000 Collings D2HA. It has all the attributes in a seemingly perfect blend: clarity (note separation), resonance, sparkle, and balance between bass, treble and mid range. What really stands out for me and was the biggest surprise is how close the $300 Yamaha sound is to the Collings D2HA and every other guitar in the shootout (better than some of them) that cost much much more. The Yamaha isn't as resonant as the Coliings, and doesn't have the treble sparkle, but it has great clarity and balance. I would be buying one those Yamahas today, but I won't buy an acoustic guitar with less than a 1.75 inch (or at least 44 mm) nut width. Hell, maybe I'll buy one anyway.

[@burmy1552]

I agree. To me the Yamaha sounded better than the Gibson. To my ear the Collings and Bourgeois were the best with the pre war and 2 high end Taylors and Martin close behind. The low end Taylor and the J45 sounded the worst of all.

[@acurabby]

J45 really a fine just right sounding for a Gibson

[@bradh.689]

I knew that Bourgeois was building some of the best made guitars, available today, but sure didn't see an OM taking down dreads from Collings, PreWar and Martin Authentics. They all sounded great, but for Clarity, note separation and not falling on their face in the upper register, none came close to that Bourgeois!

[@kalleblom5564]

exactly my impression.

[@howabouthetruth2157]

Most well-made OM's are well known for maintaining clarity & good, fat note separation in the higher registers. It goes to show that ya really don't need a large body to attain a rich, full sound.

[@2011Noud]

Even within a same model range, guitars can differ a lot from each other. And it is not always about the most expensive models that will sound the best, even from one brand! But the Collings seems to be a winner here: It has everything in its' tone one could desire for. Thanks for placing!

[@jasongavel2787]

I’d pick the Martin or prewar but that’s just me they are all fine instruments this video proves it’s really all in the hands. The name on the guitar makes a minimal difference. How the guitar makes you feel when you hold it makes just as big difference as the name on it. Cool video 🇨🇦👍👍

[@PEELIO-1]

J-45 baby. I love how rich it is. Everything sounds almost too bright to my ears. The j-45 is super tonally balanced. I own a J-45 and the Taylor 224-ce-k.

[@casabagu1071]

From my smartphone I like Collings D1ATS the most...BUT I should listen directly with my ears... and more than once. Thanks anyway

[@JesseJorgensen]

That mic setup! wow! Great video and comparison of these guitars!

[@adriangaray4491]

Thanks Jesse

[@Johnkostercreative]

just like in real life, the Martin D28 and the J45 spoke to me the most, were the most balanced, along with the Collings. I love my D28 and my J45

[@77guitarts22]

Wow, so many microphones ... Never seen so many together on a guitar Shootout ! Nice job! Subscribed!

[@MarcFonda]

Thanks for making the comparisons so easy to access. A gold standard, if I may say so.

[@adriangaray4491]

Thank you Marc!

[@pcar928fan]

That Yamaha blew me away!!! WOW! For the price, hands down the best choice. The Collings, Bourgeois and Pre War were freaking amazing, but at 20x the price of the Yamaha…buy a bunch of Yamaha and put them in every room of your house to pick up whenever you get the urge to play. I must not be a Martin or a Gibson guy because I did not care for their sound. My FAV Taylor is the 514CE. That Koa Taylor sounds great though too!

[@panfelix2890]

Can’t believe the yamaha one is really outstanding! At such price range, perfect choice for everyone who start with

[@sivadyert]

Nice shootout and nice playing! The Takamine was by far the best value, tonewise. Lacking some sparkle, but respectable sound for $500. The OM wins for best clarity, full response. Collins for best Dread overall, Martin for best sweetness. The PreWar had a really nice jangle, but it had a very hollow sound for the piece you were playing. Reminds me of a maple back and sides J-185 I used to have.... had a place, but not very versatile.

[@sulli9271]

nice review - I was trying to formulate an opinion but kept coming back to "there is no "one" I liked best" - the Yamaha and Bourgeois were probably my least favorites. The Taylors sound a lot like Taylor's sound. The Collings would probably have been my first choice (if forced to make one), but the Martin was on par. And yeah... that Takamine was very nice especially for that price point.

[@nielstrnquist4716]

Taylor 224 CE, so soft and beautiful tone

[@Outdoorandguitars]

Pre War was the best to my ears 👍

[@notmyname3681]

Know you can't have everything, but would have loved to hear an Eastman in there. They make phenomenal guitars.

[@gammaraytube]

I agree. An Eastman was my first guitar at age 50. Still have it and will never let it go. It's the OM and gets better with age. I have a nice Taylor GS with Macassar ebony back and sides. It's great too, just a different voice. Costs about 6 times more.

[@martifingers]

Or any L series Yamaha?

[@jonjepson3650]

@@martifingers I have a LL16 that sounds just like the Collings D2HA. And I also have an Eastman DH10, both excellent guitar's

[@martifingers]

@@jonjepson3650 Hi Jon. I am always amazed at my LL16 - the balance and sustain is wondrous. I cannot dispute your comparison with the Collings but it's good to know. The Eastman seem built to very high standards too - I will check them out when I get an opportunity.

[@nathanweekes355]

Well done! One of the better guitar shootouts I have seen. I appreciate the mic setup, playing the same thing each time, and incorporating strumming and fingerpicking. My favs in order. (I’m excited for you to send one to me in the mail just for listening! :) Collings D2HA Collings D1ATS Taylor 814ce Bourgeois OM

[@fotogmike5887]

What stood out for me was the song. That really sounds great!!

[@adriangaray4491]

Thanks Mike!

[@georgesmartellyjr1840]

Now imagine How a Yamaha FG5 or ll16 sounds if a 300$ fg800 sounds this good … Yamaha bang for the buck is just incredible

[@MarianoPerez]

I have an Ll16D and a cpx1200ii and they sound just as good as guitars priced at 3-7k .

[@isadorealire5722]

Yamaha is fantastic. I was looking for a nylon string guitar last year, and their NTX3 took down every other guitar I tried. Some 3 or 4 times the price.

[@mjolnircarlssen4211]

Agreed!

[@festushaggen2563]

Yep. I’ve purchased 3 Yamahas now. The latest was the FGX3. For $1000, it blows the $1000 Martins and Taylor’s away. It’s not even close. The Yamaha sounds way more expensive, is better built with all solid wood, has better electronics and better tuners. Resonates like crazy. I actually traded my Taylor to get it. Love Yamahas. Never played a bad one at any price point.

[@American-Dragon]

Only yamaha I ever owned was a vstar. But every yamaha guitar I ever played sounded better than I thought it would. Never heard a bad one but I never saw any of there top line models. As rare as a pre war in a guitar center.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Thanks for the comparisons! I'm liking the Martin Authentic. I thought the chords were lush with sweet overtones with the highest chords played sounding the clearest. It was also well balanced. The number 2 to my ears was the Collings D2HA. The Collings was a more percussive instrument, with strummed cords, and was well balanced, as well. If percussive is what you like, the Collings has it. Of course, KZbin compresses the sound, so the true test is to hear them live, in a good listening environment.

[@plefevre]

The best was the Collings D2HA, then the Martin. I also liked the Gibson which was bright without being harsh.

[@StillPointStudio]

Dude yes!! Great video. Gonna have to listen to these for a bit to really get in there

[@MrRumorg]

1st 3 are very clean, almost too clean, J-45 has that rock ‘n‘ roll edge, and Taylors were surprisingly cool! Stoked, that you included the Yamaha...a few upgrades would enhance the sound and playability. Well done!

[@blairclark1297]

Great video. On a "bang for the buck," the Tak and the 200-series Taylors to me sounded a little better than the Yamaha. The 800-series Taylors compared very well with the higher-end models and that would probably be my favorite. But the one that's UNIQUE is the J-45. Nothing sounds like a Gibson but a Gibson.

[@richardstones6445]

Beautiful playing! Beautiful guitars! I think I'd definitely take that PW-Herringbone in Brazilian if someone put a gun to my head and made me choose. But I have one suggestion: I think if you used one additional microphone, you would capture a more accurate artifact. I'm pretty sure you are missing a mic pointing directly at the B-string tuner machine...🙂

[@mjolnircarlssen4211]

I love my Taylors…and although keeping in mind that 2 of the 3 had layered back and sides…they sounded anemic in comparison to everything else. Taylor’s have their sound and place…but…. I thought that the $ 200 Yamaha competitively matched the sound of the Taylor 214ce and 224 Deluxe pretty well at 1/4 of the price (or less). Like others have said-Yamaha gives a lot of bang for the buck.

[@scame76]

My thoughts exactly

[@pulpcitymusic5760]

This was awesome, really great job, nice to be able to really hear the little differences back to back. Lots of great sounds in there, at the moment I think the D2H is the cream of the crop for me. Hoping to see more videos from you down the road.

[@adriangaray4491]

Thank you! That's definitely the plan

[@ahill209]

This will boil down to personal preference, since you've chosen guitars with a vast range of tonewoods and sizes. For my preference the Collings D2 had the best overall sound. Clarity in notes, and overtones that added richness without clouding the clarity. A resonant deep end that wasn't present in most of the rest. The Pre-War to me sounded muffled and muted. The Bourgeois was bright on the top end, but didn't have the low end volume (by design - an OM with mahogany back and sides). The Gibson was classic Gibson - strums well, but when individual notes are played, you just get the clarity of the fundamental with not a lot of overtones. The cocobolo on the Taylor 814ce held back on overtones and stifled the low end a bit.

[@Denon395]

They all sound good. My favorite is the Bourgeois. The ones I liked less are the Yamaha, the Taylor 224ce and the Martin D28.

[@SergeUnplugged]

Great video and lovely tunes played!

[@billpalmer1441]

The Pre War is going to sound awesome when that top opens up. In 10 years or so. Right now you can hear the baked top on the Collings D2HA. Sounds like a played in guitar. Better than the Martin. Best though to me is the Collings D1A, the Bourgeois and the J45. Something about mahogany and spruce that is so present. Would have liked to see a couple of high end Taylor’s in the shoot out. Not quite fair to put the cheap ones against the best makers, best guitars. The Takimine surprisingly held it’s own, considering the price point.

[@staleyexplores]

the collings d1ats, then martin, then taylor 224 ce-k deluxe or the 214 ce for me. I just agree with tones of these guitars. to my ears the yamaha fg830 vs the fg800 is a massive improvement if you have the extra $100. with that said I'd play every one of these guitars and love it.

[@singingflowers3418]

WOW Super! first Collings is awesome

[@davidharrick469]

Great video, I really like the resonance that the Collings, Pre-War and Martin produced. To my ears the Collings D2H had the best note separation and clarity and the Martin and Pre-War guitars had that classic tone of a vintage Martin, WONDERFUL!!!! The Gibson J-45 was outstanding one of the best J-45s I heard in a long time. Dana builds great guitars but I just am not a OM guy, I would have liked to see a dread from Dana in the mix. The others have their place in the guitar market and are more geared to the budget side, except the Taylor 814 and that fell short for that model.

[@vincentmeli2403]

Good video. My favorite was the Collings D2HA. The Martin was pretty good. The Pre War, though very good, for 10K was not better than either the Collings or Martin. The Bourgeois was really good for a smaller body guitar. Very nice demo of some fine guitars.

[@joeholland4936]

The $7000 Collings are both very balanced with treble, mids, and bass not muddy. The $300 Yamaha hung in there well.

[@plecman]

I've been playing for over 40yrs and personally I loved the first Collings and the Gibbo but that Tak at the end was amazing for the money..pound for pound I'm having the Tak and spending the remainder on a shit-hot custom shop Tele..and probably a fender twin as well.

[@markstaggs7342]

In my honest opinion I really liked the Taylor guitars sounds the better.I actually listen to the guitars and I still think out of all guitars I would have to choose Taylor,I love the sound of Taylor guitars.

[@rtracy01]

We all have our opinions, lol. The projection of the Taylor 814 sounded the best to me. I have an 814 made of Rosewood/spruce and was surprised to hear the cocobolo doing so well. As an acoustic player who needs an unamplified sound, I have relied on the projection of my 814 for about 20 years now and have not been disappointed. I was surprised by the Gibson and the Takamine as their sound was acceptable. The others sounded good to me, but I actually expected more from the Brazilian Rosewood. That's my $00.02

[@tedparkinson6892]

Thanks for this! It is an excellent comparison and the piece you played had a great combination of strummed chords and single lines. I think it is one of best 'shootout' presentations I've watched (and listened to). In the "value" category I'd have to go with the Takamine. It had a nice open sound while remaining quite articulate on the single lines. Plus you get the electronics. A *very* good deal for the $500. On the high end category, I liked the Collings D2HA. It was the warmest sounding (particularly with the strummed chords) but was still very articulate with individual lines. But I also really liked the Bourgeois because it had a very 'punchy' sound. I own two Waterloo guitars, including the ladder-braced Stella Deluxe, so my aesthetics tend to go that way. In fact, it would be good to throw a Waterloo into the mix since it's 'mid-range' in price. One thing this shows you, is that spending enormous amounts of money on guitars is highly subjective, when guitars around $1k sound "just fine" to the vast majority of people. And of course I include myself in that "subjective" group since I own some pretty 'high flying' acoustic and electric guitars. :-)

[@williamvanhorn7307]

Bourgeois for me. It had the best note separation and definition. I thought they all sounded good but different strummed.

[@guitardog]

Great video, Adrian!

[@kenster865]

Just had to chime in here. As the saying goes, I've been playing guitar since "Christ was a Corporal" (I'm 70). Most of that time has been dedicated to electric guitars. Just recently have I really started getting into acoustic instruments, particularly the quality built offerings out there. Your selection is stellar. Two thumbs up on your choices. 👍👍

[@obedaguero2842]

Me sorprendió mucho Yamaha

[@CG-gf7ce]

That Martin Authentic really jumped out at me.

[@jrlove1815]

Lot of good sounds there, but that Martin D-28 was tough to beat.

[@budman4137]

Love my HD 28!!

[@westrunningbrook]

That’s why it’s my guitar 😁

[@cllogsdon]

The value Yamaha and Tak were pretty good. It's amazing how good inexpensive guitars have gotten. The higher end I liked the Collings D2HA . The Bourgeois small body was also really good.

[@dvdhnnmn]

To my ear with my Bose qc45 headphones, the first six guitars sound the best. The Collings D2HA sounded the most refined but any of those first 6 are amazing. Disclaimer, I love my j45.

[@jonjepson3650]

Collings D2HA is the first choice and second would be the Yamaha for doing a great job against more expensive guitars.

[@peterheilemann5682]

I tend to agree

[@djsunsunboy]

I liked the warmth of the Taylor 814ce the best

[@andreweiypo6176]

Great work. I liked that Collings but I was surprised how much I liked the J-45, they all sounded great through my headphones but the 214ce probably sounded the worst and thats the one I own haha.

[@zianzian1908]

Please take Yamaha FS5 or FSX5 RED LABEL. I am sure this Guitar blowing all away.

[@jasonbussellsmusic8828]

As a guitar snob, I am horrified to hear how good that cheap-ass yamaha sounds. Granted, I'm listening on computer speakers, so the difference may be more apparent if I had a better set-up. I like the stepwise progression in Taylors, each one sounded better than the previous. My fave though was the bourgeois.

[@epp8382]

thinking the same, I thought at first it was the new red label

[@G_Demolished]

That cheap Yamaha sounded pretty damn good on monitors too. I have a D18 and I’m getting one of those Yamahas to use for away from home purposes. That thing was easily 90 - 95% as good as the rest of the lineup.

[@kdavidwhite8376]

The Takamine, for the $, had a great sound, but in the affordable range, I would have to side with the Taylor 214ce. Maybe I'm biased a bit, because I own a Taylor 214cd-PLUS and a Baby Taylor. I just really like that sound. Of the pricey guitars I have to give a slight edge to the Bourgeois OM. Really sweet sound..

[@carlosreira413]

Ok, awesome show down here. 1. Collings (first one) the holy grail. Dreadnought perfection. 2. Pre War DR: really good, but lacking brightness and punch, too much "baking" of the top? 3. Martin D 28 aged: amazing, shows its complexity with certain chords and passages. The magic of Martin, can't be replaced or replicated. 4. Colling D (mahogany) total dud on the bass, but uhmazing lead instrument in an ensemble 5. Bourgeois OM, way way better instrument than their Dreds which are thin compared to say a good Collings. But here the small body shines 6. Gibson J 45. Hands down best J-45 I've ever heard. Sounds very stringy, lots of brass, which is cool in this case. For a mahogany guitar amazing, and killer lead lines, not too sustainy. 7. Taylor cutaway, sounds like they hacked part of the guitar off. Oh, they did. 8. Taylor Koa, this is what people love about Taylor, but I hate, that dead even response. FM radio compressed sound. As if it was recorded and played back. Keep the J-45. It has presence AND will work with a preamp and get you there. If you like Gibson's neck. Taylors all play great, damn them. 9. Taylor Jumbo. Pretty darn good for a Jumbo. The tight waist and big body of this design is really a flaw that can be fixed. I've built so many of them. The D is just a way better design. All jumbos suffer from boominess (hollow bass) and loss of some frequencies, is it the mids that we're not getting? 10.Yamaha, this is what an overbuilt guitar sounds like. Similar to a Guild. Shorter sustaining note, loss of "shimmer," but some people like the simplicity of the woody choked sound 11. Takamine, this is what a slightly overbuilt good guitar sounds like, pretty darn good, punchy, shortish sustain, and will amplify well, which is why players love them

[@AchillesWrath1]

Takamine's get a bad rap by some guitar snobs because they use laminate wood on the sides. IMO i think that actually makes their guitars sound better to my ears. With stronger sides they can get away with less bracing which affects the tone immensely. They're great guitars for the money. I have one already i would like to have one of their Pro series like a P3DC or a P5DC - WB, whiskey brown. I think that color looks great.

[@MarianoPerez]

I have the takamine ltd 2021 and love it. I don't like their g series much but their f and pro series guitars are just amazing. I feel the same way about Yamaha, their ll and cpx1200ii are just amazing.

[@ocmonman1]

When you compare that high part right around 5:35 for the Gibson to the Taylor at 8:30, you can really tell the note separation is better with these two. With my ears anyway. The mids seem to drop off with all the others.

[@dan04153]

I liked both Collings. And that KOA Taylor. Martin was nice.. and how about that Yammer! Absolutely beautiful playing!!!!

[@kennywiebusch1586]

Wow, way to go Yamaha!

[@kikomarty4337]

Love mahogany and love the D1ATS.

[@40rpt]

Very well done video! I honestly can't really pick a favorite, although I don't really care for the Taylors. I guess the thing that really jumps out for me here is how well the Yamaha hangs with the others, some of which are absurdly expensive. It makes me wonder what a top-of-the-line Japan crafted Yamaha would sound like in this group (something like an LL36 or 56).

[@abiding_ihsan]

The Tak held its own....I think a better comparison though would have been to put a MIJ Takamine up against any of these.

[@scame76]

That Yamaha held its own intresting shoot out...

[@androwerks6665]

What a beautiful video and great piece of reference for later! D2HA after long deliberation, I do like the pre war a lot as well but not so clear and dynamic in the lower mids, brighter but this is where i love the D28 even more (maybe biased because I own it), and although OM is beautiful here it has too flat backend , which j45 does have much more, I love this guitar, owning one from 1956 but all around still a little too light, it's just the guitar model i guess, there is a reason it is so famous i suppose so i have nothing to complain. Other collings a bit too dark imho esp compared to the d2ha in the higher regions. D28 bass not so dynamic and a bit overpowering, but i love love the mids and highs, of my own d28, much more than the taylors so they are all out, also becasue i dont like them in the low end :D Yamaha sounds too much yamaha-ish for me but it is a taste thing, makes for a great guitar, as does the takamine and any carton box with strings attached. D2HA wins here still for me but its still a bit.....lazy and dark on the bass side? Maybe i just dont know what Im talking about, or there are other woods to counter this. (PC -> SMSL SU-8 DAC -> Beyerdynamic A1 headphone Amp & T1 headphone) Edit: funny I got distracted while vid was playing and then heard one guitar thinking ok i dont like this one and it was the taylor 224, I'm just not so into the Taylor sound I guess :D Edit2: lmao I had no idea whatsoever about prices when writing the above, so my comparison with a carton box was without realizing these are much cheaper Edit 3: totally forgot where I clicked and realized hey I love this sound right now - and it was the Collings D2HA. However I did play a Collings once and it was not as easy to play as the D28 I own, felt more "stiff" if you will. Did you notice any big difference in playing these guitars?

[@durdicamac9662]

Gibson at 5:27 to 5:33 so sweet.

[@Swizzenator]

Takamine. . . .But they just legalized pot in Thailand. And that Bourgeois tamed sounds awesome.

[@524coconut]

Collings sound so good you I’m afraid if I bought it I would not sing because they guitar just sounds so good. The j 45 was so sweet. Martin of course always sounds great.

[@Richard_Lush]

I’m a huge fan of Prewar but I think the Martin and Collings are top here.

[@cmakely60]

D2HA sounded best to me. The Taylor Koa sounded surprising good.

[@adriangaray4491]

If you're into the Taylor sound and its use, that one matches it really well in my opinion

[@robdonell9915]

Which Taylor model, the 224ce- K dlx ?

[@jvannatt]

I own the koa. I typically dont like taylors as they seem to bright. The Koa mellows it out and sounds great IMO.

[@rockinran]

Taylor 224ce-k deluxe Koa seemed warmer and not as chimey as the others. I would like to hear them all played fingerstyle. That could make a difference for me.

[@JAY_Guitar]

pre-war is the best for me!

[@RsqSqr]

Takamine/Taylor 214 ce for pound for pound. Pre war the best Next Martin

[@albertpsaros]

i loved collings prewar and bourgeois and martin were great. best bougeois, followed by martin then collings

[@nickmcconnell1291]

Hi Adrian! Thanks for the good comparison video. What model Takamine was in this video? GD10 or GD20 by the price you list. I can’t see the bridge which would be a dead give away. Between the two I think only the G20 has the white binding around the body? I thought this guitar punched at a much higher weight than some of the others in your round up. The D2HA was my fave however.

[@chrislacy1972]

Thank you for making this video great comparison and some very nice guitars. Which one did enjoy playing the most?

[@jamescoughlan8193]

The collings for me.

[@fraz3364]

Great shootout, I think sound wise the Taylor Koa was the only disappointment for me. Any of these guitars played autonamously would sound great but without feeling them in your hands who can make an informed decision? We've all been left disappointed at some stage by a guitar we thought would be amazing but just didn't gel with. Many stories have been told of going into a store to buy a certain high end guitar and coming out with something half the price because to the player it just felt and sounded right. I love Guitars!

[@petergeo9446]

It would be interesting to run this sound test with the guitars blurred out. Still the same Martin and Collings preferences I wonder?

[@guitaaress]

I own a Collings D1 and. Vintage Martin D28 and M38 also a relatively new OM 28 each have their own special characteristics that suit a particular style of music and playing. For bluegrass flatpicking the Collings is a head Turner but the D28 has its own flavour that some may prefer. I’ll stick to my Collings for bluegrass thanks. But for Travis finger picking the M38 is the go too for me. The particular piece of music this guitarist was playing. Collings all the way. It had a warmth in the tone not present in any of the others.

[@adriangaray4491]

At the end of the day it's mostly situational

[@timothyappling9172]

My choice is the Martin D-28. Just a better, more full sound overall. Most of them sounded great. I thought the worst sounding was the Takamine.

[@randytausch3519]

The Martin D-28 has the best overall sound. I thought the miking was overdone. Too much pic noise covering up the sound from the guitars.

[@bobsmith-ji2uh]

I couldn’t hear a difference in any of them with the exception of the Taylor koa model. That sounded a little muted to me but over just listening I don’t think I could pick out which guitar cost $300 and which was 9k.

[@stephen285]

gibson j45 best, clearest, cleanest - go back and listen and you will hear it

[@thecanadianflatpicker]

Which did you prefer overall? Whichbdid youbprefer between the Pre War and the Martin AA?

[@adriangaray4491]

The Martin and Bourgeois were my personal favorites!

[@jamescoughlan8193]

I do think a red label Yamaha say the fg5 Japanese made would have been a fairer comparison though

[@Chricão-05]

actually what he wanted to show is that Yamaha does it with low cost

[@bobaldo2339]

I was surprised how well the Gibson J-45 did against all the rest. I would take that particular J-45 over everything but the D2HA. However, they all sounded good - even the cheaper guitars, the cheaper Taylors especially.

[@jeffhayes605]

Collings D1AT then the D2HA

[@budman4137]

Love my HD 28. 2011

[@SimonK3113]

Bourgeois is firm fav