Martin D28 vs Guild D55 | Guitar Battles #4 | @ The Fellowship of Acoustic

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Sorry guys! There's a small mistake on our (Coen's!) part. The Martin D28 doesn't have scalloped bracing, but good old Martin X-Bracing ;) I guess you could say that makes the Guild a little bit better... All jokes aside, thanks for watching. Cheers! - Maarten

[@Mr.Pink1996]

The Fellowship of Acoustics hd-28 has scalloped bracing, like the pre-war d-28s

[@sbolfing]

While the re-imagined D-28 still does not have scalloped bracing, they are forward-shifted

[@amr8567]

I totalt agree - one person should play a song, and swich to the other guitar and play the same song. Your playing is as differentiere as the guitars 🙄

[@dakas74]

The Guild rings brilliantly. Almost a league of its own.

[@rclakeman7453]

might just be the angle of the camera but I wish the mic placement was more equal.

[@HenryPipes]

Great video, but I have a suggestion. Only one (or both) of you should play EACH guitar. As it stands we aren’t just hearing the difference in guitars, but in players. It’s just really hard to judge differences in instruments with the variance of the player as well. Fix this and I think the guitar battles will be even better. 😀

[@NytronX]

The Guild has way more bass. They should have switched guitars halfway through so the guy that first played the Martin could see the difference.

[@shawnsnow6413]

I have both of these guitars and the guild definitely doesn't have way more Bass.

I have both! Guild D-55 built here in Oxnard California. And a Martin HD D-28 both 2018. Love them both. The Guild has a bommier bass sound but the Martin has a higher chimey , bright sound!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Exactly José! They both serve their purpose ;)

@@thefellowshipofacoustics Indeed . The Rosewood sound is there different than many Gibson's that are notorious Mahogany guitars. Good post!

[@justinray9895]

That guild has nowhere near the bass of the Martin.

[@richardmorgan7246]

@@justinray9895 Wrong, it's got way more bass.

[@richardmorgan7246]

@@justinray9895 Martin's are incredibly over rated and over priced.

[@Mar-a-Lago_Ketchup_Cleanup]

I like the Guild sound better. I would love to see you compare the Gibson Songwriter to the Martin HD28 and Guild D50

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@markbarnes6806]

Sadly, what could have been an illuminating comparison fails here. The mics are positioned differently. The D28 has its mic proximate & pointed at the sound hole, while the Guild demo has the mic further away and off-axis. Too bad, because the D55 is amazing.

[@FredArchtop]

Great video guys. The guitars aren't positioned the same way towards their respective microphones. The Martin microphone is placed at the sweet spot, in front of the 12th fret, 30 cm far and roughly perpendicular to the table top. The Guild microphone makes a wider angle with the tabel top, giving less punch, bass and dynamics. All D55 I've tried so far had more character and I guess it's due to the recording. Anyway, 2 great guitars I could live with.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for the tip Fred! We'll make sure to work on our mic-placement :)

[@FredArchtop]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics You have wonderfull guitars and I love your dedication to make them shine. Also your enthousiasm isn't fake when you play. Great job guys !

[@kalleblomkvist4173]

I own the new guild d55 from california and I must say that cordoba music really made a great job ( got ren ferguson to recreate the guilds) superb craftmansship, lightweight, very easy playing neck, great looking and the sound is kind of a mix between martin, gibson and taylor? if this make sense. for me best of all brands in one guitar. dont forget: you cant get a martin with all the bling bling at this pricepoint. you would have to buy a d42 or d41...Its a keeper!

[@Rob-hv9kt]

I ordered a guild D 20 e from California facility. but I’m looking seriously at that guild d 55 ...I have a Martin DCPA 4. I’m going for that woody deep bass sound with the guild . I believe in my opinion with the bass and low Mids guild has a better well-balanced sound. The Martin has that super crisp bright cutting sound and I find it a matter of preference. I like my Martin for certain playing but overall I love the woody bass and well balanced tones that the guild provides. I think the Martin DCPA4 compromises the tones and it’s overshadowed by the Tremble that cutting sound.

[@kalleblomkvist4173]

@@Rob-hv9kt I recently sold my D55 to buy a Martin D18, better for singer songwriter stuff. the guild is like a jumbo guitar. it has a huge bass wether the martin is more treble midrage sound. both are great guitars

[@annandalehighschoolclassof6600]

I have used a Guild D50 since 1977, and it's like an old friend. The sound is rich and it's great for recording. I have never regretted the choice I made with that guitar. It's awesome to see Cordoba breathe new life into this brand and to raise it to one of the finest American guitars arywhere. As far as the "guitar battle" I would say one would have to leave that decisoin to the indivicual as a matter of personal taste. How can one not love the sound of either guitar? That Martin sound is still around for a good reason. I always thought the 28 had a very warm, balanced tone. The D55, on othe other hand, is deep, dark and soulful. The latter, in my opinion, is not a bluegrass guitar but will fit well for many other styles. Thanks for presenting the video and I look forward to future presentations!

[@hr2186]

Guild acoustics are some of the best recording guitars you can buy and still afford vintage. The bass is 3 dimensional and doesn't "woof" when finger picked. I also prefer a non scalloped guitar.

[@bobaldo2339]

As far as which sounds better, it depends entirely on which D-28, and which D-55. Older ones sound better in both cases. The Martin has a flatter fretboard radius at 16", the Guild a rounder fretboard radius at 12". The Martin now has a 1 3/4" nut width; the Guild a 1 11/16" Nothing sounds better to me than a very old D-28. But, some of the D-55's are absolute killers too

[@snuffyballparks6501]

I'm a huge Guild fan. I have a 1979 Guild F212XL NT 12 string. It has incredible tone and is a total powerhouse cannon. Just an amazing guitar. I also have a 1996 Guild JF-55 jumbo 6 string with a rare 1 3/4 nut width. I like it but the tone is not what I had hoped for. My go-to guitar is a 2008 Martin D-28 Marquis (Adirondack top). Love everything about it. 1 3/4 " nut, 2 5/16" at the saddle, scalloped adirondack forward shifted bracing, mahogany neck (LOVE the neck feel), adjustable truss rod and that special bass whomp only a Martin has. I'll check out the D-55 when they come with a 1 3/4" nut.

[@bobaldo2339]

I have a D-20 from CA, and a D-40 traditional also from CA. They both sound great on different things. It took a few years for each of them to open up.

[@jswear2077]

I have an 80s D-25 Guild and a 2016 D-28. I keep the Guild tuned half a step down, and almost everything sounds good on it. It is warmer and easy to play (mostly because of the tuning). The D-28 is a functional tool for producing sound that people (including the player) expect to hear when listening to an acoustic guitar. I've played all styles of acoustic guitars and prefer dreads because they can kind of do it all with the right techniques applied. I will not claim that I've noticed a huge difference in sound between these two, but I definitely hear a difference between these two and other brands.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

There probably is a big difference between the two as well! Every guitar is different, Guild and Martin have their unique characteristics for sure.

[@nickrandall7938]

The mike positions are really different as well as the excerpts played - no fair comparison really possible. Having said that I also have this Guild and a Martin. The Guild is much more resonant with a thicker bass, and with more overtones. The Martin sound is possibly more balanced, making it easier to control especially with rhythm parts, but for any finger style or melodic lines the Guild is head and shoulders better.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Fair point Nick, I think we've stepped up our game a bit since the last one. Thanks!

[@ejr2716]

Liked both! though the classic Martin sound can’t be beaten! Maybe Atkin vs Gibson or Martin soon?!

[@rudibults2493]

Thanks Gill for the suggestion!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Atkin sounds like a great plan Gill, thanks for suggesting! :)

[@sonofprovence]

I admit this video surprised me. I have played both guitars many times, one after the other. The guild D-55 was always the winner for me. I wonder if using two distinct players really makes this comparison a fair one.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

That's a good point Marcel, we've changed up the format a little in our newer video's :) Thanks for commenting!

[@billkilbourne6409]

the Martin is only 4.25 at it's deepest point, the guild is a full 5". The Guild has more volume and sustain as a result. The Guild is more prone to feedback. Both are great guitars, and it just comes down to preference

[@jazz_addict7079]

It would be much more helpful if you both played BOTH guitars! The guitars are only part of the sonic equation.

[@snrose33]

I don't own either. To my ear, Guild hands down. Didn't hear compressed heard more dynamic and interesting tone at all frequencies.

[@sbolfing]

I love both guitars, but I bought a Martin Model America 1 (basically a custom D-18 with Adirondack over Sycamore) and was surprised how similar it sounded to a D-28 (at least new). I'm probably going with the D-55 - simply because it does sound so much different than the Martin

[@bennytse7072]

Hi, I am from Hong Kong and honestly I do have only poor skill despite having guitar many years. However, I really wanted to have a high-end guitar because I love the sweet sound from guitar. Last October, I decided to buy another one; my choice is between Guild D-55, Martin HD-28 or D28, I went with a friend of mine who has excellent ears for music and sound quality. I went to try a Martin HD-28 and a D28, which are respectively HK$5000 to 8000 cheaper than a Guild D55 equipped with pickup. I think the pickup costs about HK$2000. That means the Guild D-55 is still dearer. I just played the same notes and some strumming as I did with those Martin models. I love Guild D-55 much more than those Martin models I tried that day. I asked my friend's opinion and he said the Guild D-55 is obviously better. I have no disrespect for Martin. In fact, I have some preference for Martin that I tried the Martin models first.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for sharing your story and opinion Benny!

[@TateJenson]

I’m also from HK and I have a 40 year old Guild D35. I thought about getting a Martin but I think I better practice some more first!

[@BarryBernau]

A month ago, I set out to purchase a 2018 reimagine Martin D-28 and ended up purchasing a 2008 Guild D-55. Both are great and different. Here is my 2 cents... As a feel, the Martin was fun to strum and the Guild feels more articulate for finger picking. Just 2 great guitars.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for sharing Barry!

[@chrisbotelho7212]

I have a D55 and bought it after comping it with many Martins. Sounds great no matter what style I'm playing. It has a nice smooth sound, I love it. Obvious props to Martin but my D55 is a special instrument. Way more bass than any other acoustic I've played. If you don't like alot of bass it may not be the guitar for you. That said I'm saving up for an M36. Now there's a different guitar. Hopefully get it this fall.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Lovely to see such praise for the D55! I get the choice to switch to the M36 though, a hidden gem in their line-up!

[@chrisbotelho7212]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics I'm not switching to Martin, just adding it. Always wanted one and finally going to get it. I also have a Taylor 615 maple jumbo that is really nice. Bought it in '94 with an englemann top. Has a great neck, super easy to play. I have a Guild D50 that I also like alot.

[@jonlieberman997]

Having owned both here is my quick take. The D28 can really hold up when digging in aggressively when playing with others. I think that the chord tones and single notes of the D55 are prettier. When playing with others, it is easy for the beauty of the D55 to be masked or over shadowed.

[@lorenjo]

I vote Guild because I like it better.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Good enough!

[@ozarkpipertony8396]

Guild all day every day. So much character in that model and is just a cut above the Martin in this video.

[@Andre1069]

Two different guitars that need different player. Martin is a bluegrass cannon...and need to be hammered! Guild...beautiful sound even when played with a feather! Ok...I want both them! :)

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Haha, then our video worked! :p

[@cm6534]

You could probably fret my guild with a feather...

[@PageMarker1]

I've got a Guild GAD-50L and a D35, the Guild is heavier and is noticeably louder. Prefer the D35 to the Chinese made Guild, but a US made Guild is also a personal treasure.

[@raymundo4638]

Did he just say'd "scalloped X-brace " ? 02.05 a Martin d28 has NON scalloped bracing

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Must have been a slip of the tongue! It's non scalloped indeed!

[@Zangdienst]

Perhaps an Irish battle will be fun. Lowden vs McIlroy vs Avalon.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

It sounds like you read our mind, stay tuned, we filmed Lowden vs McIlroy this week.... ;)

[@bigdaddy3919]

Love Guild guitars but this one sounds a little thin next to that Martin cannon ! Very nice I love them but Martin rules the roost here.

[@My6091]

Not a very good demo at all fellows. The Guild is a bit out of tune and the positioning and distance of the mics differs greatly. The mic and player are positioned perfectly for the Martin and the gentleman playing the Guild seems like he's a mile away from the mic and at quite an angle as well.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it Chip! We're doing our best to improve with every video, hope you enjoy our newer material :)

[@davidscotbrown3241]

Martin again! More complex and detailed. The Guild is indeed compressed/contained by comparison. Net... as you seem to be in a body style mode, how about Grand Auditorium. Martin vs Furch, Taylor vs Furch, Eastman... well, you get the idea. Thanks!

[@rudibults2493]

thanks for the suggestion!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Sounds like a plan David, noted! :)

[@patfix]

Hard to beat indeed.

[@melcarney5946]

Both very nice but hard to go past the Martin.

[@scottsummers684]

Man, its really a tough choice...if money is of no issue might as well get both...!!!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

If only the world were that easy... :(

[@styliz1418]

I own a GUILD D55 2002 made in Corona USA, its a beast !

[@pplareppl]

Don’t mean to be offensive but this video haven’t really captured the power of Guild D-55. I own a Guild D55 and tried multiple times of Martin HD28/D28. I think Guild wins, by miles.

[@shawnsnow6413]

Martin.

[@cran1129]

I like Guild D55 sounds.

[@ChristophHenrici]

I did’nt like the comparison.... i think the whole analysis is tendentious. We have definitely a strong opinionated Martin fan boy here.... both are great guitars and completely different , but in my opinion the Guild is far more versatile, checkout videos by Wildwood with Greg Koch and others. Also the fingerpicking sounded superior on the Guild. Well the Martin exactly has it’s typical Martin sound .... a very narrow application

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Hey Christoph, sorry you didn't enjoy it. I tend to lean to Martin indeed, but that's exactly why this Guild surprised me so much. I had never consciously played a D55, I was blown away to say the least. ;)

[@ChristophHenrici]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics No, prob .... my reaction was maybe a little strong, sorry about that, because generally i really like your reviews. They are really great quality and give insight. But i think that's the point: Your surprise about the Guild. The fact is that many just shrug, when hearing about a Guild. I think it would help the market, if we have more serious players , that just Martin.

[@emilychristoff9404]

I liked them both...they both have scalloped bracing, the Guild was was more imaginative by using Adirondack for the bracing though... it does have that mellower tone for the singer song writer. But put 80 20 bronze on the D-28 and it will cut the brightness down... we can do a lot with string choice...

[@bobaldo2339]

The regular D=28 doesn't have scalloped bracing - just the HD-28, and other higher cost 28 versions. I like the regular D-28 because it likes to be strummed hard - plenty of headroom..

[@nathanmiller9785]

80/20 is brighter than phosphor bronze in my experience.

[@pplareppl]

If they have switched guitar to play during the video you would notice how unbalanced the microphone for the 2 guitars, the mic for Martin is louder than the mic for the Guild. I have owned both dreadnoughts, I also have Gibson J-45. All I could tell you is Guild D-55 is really something special, but it’s sweet bass and beautiful tone is not being heard in this video :(

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Sorry about that! I believe we've stepped up our mic-game a bit in our newest video's :)

[@vintagestrings6]

Every guitar is unique in its own way. I would suggest trying out many different Martin's, Guild's, Taylor's and other guitars from other manufacturers. They don't always have to be high-end guitars to sound good. There's going to be a dull sounding Martin Guild or Taylor. Just because they have the big name on the headstock with a Hefty price tag doesn't mean you're guaranteed the best tone and sound. Before you lay your money down go to different music shops and play different guitars of the same model have the music shop put on some new strings so you can really hear how it sounds before you lay your hard-earned money down.

[@nostromo4269]

Guild all day

[@jeanlucboireau4555]

La Guild colle la branlée à la Martin sans problème.

[@ole7236]

There are so many fantastic guitars out there, but in my opinion nothings beats a Martin.

[@yeahpat]

D-28 with Monel retro strings. The best sound there is !!!

[@sc5759]

Traded my 89 HD-28 for a Guild F-50. Haven’t looked back. The Guild sounds so much better to me.

[@xkukubax]

I’d love to see a battle of guitars woth torrefoed tops including an Eastman.

[@xkukubax]

Oh, and by the way - I’d go with Martin based on this battle.

[@someguy5035]

Guild sounded muddy in that first run. Martin was clear. Not sure if it due to the microphone, distance, position, etc. Fingerpicking was different, both sounded pretty good. I just wish the D28 didn't look so plain. Give us some inlays or something, Martin.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

If you're willing to spend the cash, you can always go for a D45... ;)

[@someguy5035]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics If I could find a great deal on a used one I would for sure. Everything below the D40 looks super plain.

[@vladimirverline8251]

very good!!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks!

[@jamescoughlan8193]

Hmmm the guild sounded more like a Gibson j45 ish than a Martin sound, guild for my ears in this one

[@RobertJohnson-cc5cp]

Nice Video

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks Robert!

[@Funkybassuk]

Wow. I always thought Robert Johnson played a Gibson. 😜

[@Hrcak1]

Hi, I’m in Australia and want to buy new guitar. I tried to see on KZbin comparison between this guitars but It’s always one expensive guitar mostly Martin against less expensive one. They will be nice if we have comparison in this range. My choices are Blueridge BR-160CE ($1999), 140 ($1500), MARTIN DCRSG ROAD SERIES ($1999), MARTIN DCPA4 ($2199) GUILD D-150CE NAT WESTERLY OR YAMAHA A5R ($1999)? I can’t try this guitars because COVID situation, any advice or experience? Playing mainly fingerpicking blues or strumming some punk stuff, thanks. P.S. I got one good advice is about Bluridge, I’m not interest in re-selling guitar just in sound.

[@MYdjANDkaraoke]

Guild d150ce is a great choice! But I don't have the others to compare it to. Next to my gibson j150xtra or j100xtra, I forget the model, it's my 2nd favorite guitar. Look at Eastman as well, they copy the big names and models. They are only 1/3 or 1/2 the cost of what they copy but are 9/10 as good and maybe equal if you get a great one. I've played the j45 copy vs a gibson j45, and the d45 copy vs the Martin D45, the Taylor 414 copy vs a real Taylor 414 and they are close, very close.

[@Hrcak1]

@@MYdjANDkaraoke Thanks

[@scottgentile1663]

Two different mic placements and two different players make the comparison impossible for KZbin listeners

[@worldwide1376]

I’ll take the Guild. Clear focused tighter bass and brighter highs. The Martin has a boxy boomy sound, not to my taste.

[@W1ndy1227]

2:50 3:29. 0:55 1:25

[@davidfloyd4472]

Guild is amazing, it kills the Martin

[@sonofprovence]

I so concur David. I own and play a very expensive custom Martin D-42 with an adirondack top and amazon rosewood back. I love the sound of the Guidl D-40 or D-55 better. My only problem with Guild guitars is their neck width. I really wish Guild would listen to its customers and consider doing what Martin did just a couple years ago--increase the neck width of their standard guitars to 1 3/4". I'd buy both the Guild D-40 and D-55 in no time if the company made this decision.

[@jasperbouman516]

When is the lefty comparison coming? haha

[@banjodenjo]

Martin sounded better to my ears.Suprised me as I am a guild guy.

[@ryanbloom1738]

Martin d28 reamangiend but I own one lol.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Always have a backup haha :p

[@billkilbourne6409]

Now do this test with a Taylor 810!!

[@cayancelik]

I didn't know Harry Potter could play guitar... 😁

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Because we're wizards?

[@cayancelik]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics ahahaha ❤️🎸☺️

[@michel559]

Great video Coen and Maarten! Thanks. The real winner though, looks wise, surely are Maarten‘s Sunglasses in the breast pocket 😉

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Haha you got me there Michel! TFOA-signature sunglasses for sure ;) - Maarten

[@willbalance]

I’m a Guild guy and have a D25 that feels and sounds great. I’ve never played a Martin that felt right to me, but I have to say I enjoy the way the D28 sounds much more than the D55 at least in this example. It sounds fuller, richer and more amplified.

[@eppynt]

Guild wins it, deep, shiny and more dynamic range

[@phyfts]

Felt like guild had more bass to me

[@PreacherAtArrakeen]

same strings?

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Always!

[@PreacherAtArrakeen]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics The D-28 sounds better to my ears. I tried a D-55 in 1976, but have no memory of it, except it looked nice.

[@bigtorrisi]

Guild everyday.

[@dakas74]

No the Martin doesn’t have more bass.

[@trailcrawlerpr9648]

Guild👍🏻 No doubt!

[@TheGrasspond]

Martin easy win here

[@jasperbouman516]

haha mooie acda en de munnik ^^

[@tommoyer4697]

guild all the way

[@PipeLawyer]

Martin all the way.

[@justinray9895]

I'm just gonna come out amd say it... that martin sounded 10 times better!!! Way more bass. Much fuller thicker sound! Hands down Martin stole that by a mile

[@cm6534]

I heard the opposite

[@The35jackal]

MARTIN SOUNDS MUDDY COMPARED TO GUILD.

[@denisprieur7944]

That the worst D-55 that i've heard so far! Something is wrong maybe with the set up, or the strings are dull, but not as good as other test on youtube that i' ve heard with the D-55!

[@markbarnes6806]

Bad microphone technique on the Guild, as compared to the Martin. Not fair.

[@defaultuser6498]

D28 sounds like tin can..its 700euro guitar for 2700eur. But for fingerstyle guild is not designed.