Blindfold Challenge - Acoustic Guitar ICONS Battle - Which Sounds Best??

[@RJ-lf8ex]

Absolutely love the warmth of the J-45. That's my next dream guitar, no doubt about it. As always, this was a fun video, thanks fellas!

[@johnwbanjo]

Such a fun demonstration! I play a D-18 in real life and was pleased with how this one sounded. That J-45 sounded phenomenal too!

[@WoodworkerDan]

To me, the D-18 sounds the best. I also liked both of the Gibsons for different reasons and I really can't pick a favorite between the two. The Taylors did not appeal to my personal taste.

[@uvp5000]

Yes, I agree with your comment overall.

[@scottbalsai]

Neat test. I own 7 Taylors, one Martin D 35 (1978), and one Guild D25 (1974). The Taylors I own are all GA's and GC's from between 1996 to 2004. I do agree with some below that the Taylors in this video did not sound as good as the others here, but as one astute commentator below noticed the Taylors are GA's and the rest are bigger guitars (Dreadnoughts) and an even bigger Jumbo. Also I believe an important factor is how a guitar is going to be played. I am a fingerstyle player almost exclusively on an acoustic guitar. And to my ear, for fingerstyle, Taylor GA's and GC's often sound better than others for that style. However that is not to say that a Dreadnought can't sound good finger picked. I have also heard many play them that way with wonderful results. I would always choose a Dreadnought for flat picking or strumming over a GA if given the choice. Also as I get older, another factor that has become as important as sound and playability for me is the ergonomics of a guitar. As a small person, sometimes a Jumbo or Dreadnought can feel so big and...uncomfortable. So a smaller guitar from Martin or Taylor, or any other maker for that matter, can often be my first choice.

[@ia5662]

D-18 wins all! I'm calling it - I think mahogany is having a renaissance in a big way these days. It's completely equal to rosewood in my opinion and has more woody, natural tone.

[@travisniles6800]

I've always preferred mahogany

[@ericlewin5989]

Yep, I proudly own an HD-28, the D-18 took the cake on this demo. hands down.

[@RogerThat902]

The funny thing is I've actually heard that mahogany is a rarer wood than all the types of rosewood they use these days.

[@gijsbertuslaurensvandevooren]

No way!

[@rzh3443]

Of these , to my ears, the J45 and D18 are tied for the best balance and depth.. But, you couldn’t go wrong with any of them depending on how you balance tone, balance and note separation.

[@ansgarness]

aaand the winner (in my opinion) is: Martin D18. Along with the 00018, the D18 is the best Martin from the Reimagined (New Standard) Series.

[@ia5662]

THE best! I have had the pleasure of walking into Martin's guitar room at the 1833 Shop in Nazareth and playing every standard model and even the CEO editions and that was the day I figured out the new D-18 was the best sounding guitar they make.

[@xetexuk12]

Love these comparisons. These are very good because it also helps us, the consumer, partly make a purchasing decision on these models. Amazing how (to my ears) the Taylors sounded so rough compared to the Gibsons and Martins, particularly the 314. That D-18 sounds immense.

[@sbolfing]

Taylor sounds kind of "off" to my ears - but, I grew up listening to Martins and Gibsons. Taylor has it's niche, and I think make great finger-style guitars. After a lot of searching, talking, and deliberation, I bought my granddaughter a Baby Taylor for her 1st guitar (9th birthday) - she loves it!

[@BaktaBak3]

The Martin D-18 was my favorite out of all of these. The J-45 second. Great video guys !

[@phyfts]

Please make more long videos like this, I love it.

[@sharantab1786]

Thank for making these longer :)

[@alann5003]

Omg I always thought the D-18 was the greatest guitar ever but that J-45 just changed my mind.

[@jacobmorgenstein6788]

Welcome my friend

[@christhee68]

That was a great video. Lots of fun. I have a D-18, an HD-28, and a 314ce, and the only other guitar I really want is a J-45.

[@soofitnsexy]

cmon dont be lazy...get it!!!

[@jed1166]

Fun video! The D-18 sounded great!

[@matteodondi7554]

D-18 Reimagined & J-45 Standard, best guitar in the world. Spruce+Mahogany simply Love

[@FionaMisty]

Martin all the way! That 18 is gorgeous sounding, so much depth and warm tones, love love it!!.

[@tlove9125]

That was fun! Great job!

[@RogerThat902]

I like Martins and have a bias against Gibson due to quality control issues w/ electrics...but I have to say I am really going to have to make it a point to the try a J-45. Every time I see a comparison the players always seem to gravitate to the J-45. It has a sweet sound...somehow w/ a low range thump.

[@StephenRybacki]

Just bought me a new Martin 000-28 from the boys in Bozeman last month. Such an excellent place to go and the folks are super nice and helpful -- and more importantly patient while you search!

[@CoolCat11]

I loved this. But I truly feel that a Guild D55 should have been there too.

[@elbamainline2223]

nice , i like watching you guys talk about cool guitars

[@kyleskidmore9381]

This is going to be good ....going to have you get out the good headphones for this

[@uvp5000]

I should have used headphones, too. With an older computer, I can also turn off my monitor. I would have liked to see how poorly I would have done. I think I would have picked out the J-200. The rest? Even watching it was not easy for me to figure them out.

[@Randorita]

That is a really good 18! The 28 is very stiff and needs some breaking in to start sounding good.

[@sbolfing]

I agree - all of these guitars will sound a lot better after a few years of playing (especially the Martins and Gibsons)

[@elholt7095]

Near the end of the video. The J45 had a softer nicer blend tone vs the D18, which seemed harsh perhaps because of the strumming :) So I did a double take during this. hmm J45? :)) Thanks guys!

[@chrisoltman1253]

You guys make such a great duo! It's cool watching the banter, hearing the specs, and hearing the guitars demoed. And Paul is right, everyone should own a SJ-200. Such an amazing guitar!

[@edp6679]

D18 FTW

[@Dannick]

Wonderful you deserve more views 🎸🎸🎶🎶🎶 bless you 🙏🙏🏿🎶🎶

[@wheninroamful]

Paul pretty much nailed it!! hard to hear of course, but with memorizing order and whatnot, well done Paul. This was super fun to watch, be a part of.

[@tedwade6322]

My 1st acoustic guitar was the Gibson J45 (bought MANY years ago - 1954, but I still have it here) and then secondly the Martin HD28. The Martin is the one I play most of the time, both at home by myself and professionally. There's definitely a big difference in the sounds. The Gibson is a J45 model that isn't made anymore - the ADJ45. The bridge can be raised or lowered with a couple of set screws which makes it more playable for individual hands - kind of custom setting the action.

[@texhaines9957]

Not sold on the SJ 200 compared to a Martin 0000 for sound. Not giving up my J45 or D28 or my 812ce 12 fret. I like having Paul work with 5 or 6 guitars. This is the one you want for buying a guitar if you can describe the sound or tone you want, Paul would be the one who can lead you to the guitar with the sound you want. :)

[@reverb508]

I played along and failed miserably. I thought it would be easy to pick the Taylors out since they're so pronounced in the top end, but I screwed that up too. Goes to show that I listen with my eyes more than my ears.

[@uvp5000]

I read the encouragement to close my eyes in the comments after I had watched for a while - curses. I was not surprised with either the Gibsons or the Martins; they sounded the way I thought they would. I was pleasantly surprised with how the Taylors sounded. Like Kyle Skidmore commented, I should have used headphones for this. Even as I was watching, it was not so easy to distinguish which model was being played. I have played enough new Gibsons to pick those out. I struggled to pick out the D-18 against the D-28 despite watching them both being played, The Taylors were surprising but not out of character. Sapele is a tonewood I'm going to listen to a bit more than I have previously. Not easy for me with sight and considerable familiarity with all the brands and most of the models played. This video demonstrated quite nicely how differently, different guitars can sound even with Sitka spruce tops all around. What helped greatly was the brief period Quinton played all of the instruments. I would have thought playing a little more would have been helpful but this is what was the most eye-opening part of the comparison for me. Personal preference among this specific group of guitars? 1) Martin D-18 2) Taylor 814ce 3) Taylor 314ce 4) Martin D-28 5) Gibson J-45 6) Gibson J-200 What would I purchase if the funding was available? Only the D-18. Possibly the 814ce. The rest are nice guitars but they don't fit what I prefer - the D-18 & 814ce do which is odd because I prefer Rosewood (the 814ce) & Maple over Mahogany (the D-18) back & sides. Again, prefer. What am I most likely to purchase? Any guitar, of any material that strikes me nicely regardless of builder. I have brand preferences but am most dedicated to any particular instrument that "fits" me very well. In other comments, I've detailed playing two brand new, of the same year, Marting D-28 Authentic 1937, model instruments. One was resonant and projected forcefully while the other was strangely more subdued. It's all about the spcific instrument I play at any given moment - how it plays, how it sounds.

[@rollinover]

Great job. Paul probably would have got them all if that blindfold wasn't covering his ears. I enjoyed the 18, 45, and 200 the most.

[@braddharris264]

What a great comparison! Thank you.

[@elholt7095]

I'm looking for a smaller body guitar a 00 or even a parlor size. Would love to see comparisons with an Eastman, Martin, and another brand. I have the E20P (Eastman) the only small body (the rest I have are Martin Dreads and a J40). I gotta say the Eastman stands out with clarity and bell like sounds. But i cannot compare it to the dreads or the J40 just not fair! So help me out guys. Thanks and Cheers!

[@AdjacentJustice]

Don't know if you're still looking, but Ibanez makes the Daytripper and the old ones (DT10NT) are great! And cheap enough you really can kick around with them without worrying too much

[@rmzzz76]

I know tone preference is a very subjective thing, but over the years my ears have acclimated to the difference between expensive boutique built instruments and less expensive models where some compromises were made on craftsmanship and/or materials to get to a more value oriented product... I did this blindfold test along with Paul and called all of them successfully except the D18 and D28, which I guessed were both Martin's but got them flipped. I have tried to give Taylor the benefit of doubt, but my god do they disappoint. Keep in mind that Taylor 800 series is almost $1000 more than the Martin D28 retail and the tone doesn't lie. It just doesn't deliver for the price point. The 300 series doesn't either. I really feel your ROI with Taylor caps with the 200 series. I do very much like their GS Mini, 100, 200 series but their higher end guitars don't seem to tonally advance beyond that.

[@ole-ol1ok]

I’ve watched your videos a few times . Narrowed my next guitar down to the J45 mahogany standard. Love these comparison videos. And that statement is correct “ listening to someone else play them “ gives a different perspective.

[@BobDorfman]

This is at least my 3rd time watching this particular comparison. My confirmation bias is more evident than ever. Of the six, I thought that the D-18 was the clear leader, though if an HD-28 was included instead of the D-28 I probably would have picked that one as my favorite. Not coincidentally, I happen own an HD-28. I’ve also been playing that in for 18 years. The J-45 is second on my list of those compared. To me, the Taylors simply sounded like Taylors, and we’re the last on my list. The Gibson Jumbe….I’m not so sure….certainly above the Taylors, but it has its own very unique character. One thing is consistent. When I bought my HD-28 in 2004, I was on the fence between the Martin and the J-45 and leaning toward the j-45 until I played them side by side. I’ve never been more sure that I made the right decision (for me).

[@VaughnFelixMusic]

In the video, all of them sounded good except for the Taylors, I say that because that always happens even when shopping for a guitar comparison online… In these types of videos… Things change

[@wadecooley]

Paul has a talent, no doubt . Kinda like an audio wine taster. Interesting video

[@primdmit4154]

It’s not the first competition when the Taylor cutaway GAs are compared to the Martin dreadnoughts. Why not a Taylor 810 or 717? Why not a Martin GCPA4 instead of one of the Martin dreads? There’s a lot of questions for me and it’s a little unfair competition for the Taylor.

[@jed1166]

Taylor had quit making the 10 body by the time this video was made. The 717 I agree with you though!

[@edfulginiti8798]

Paul...amazing! Well done, sir.

[@Adrenasport]

I'll keep choosing my j45 standard evertime.

[@leroygodzicki2266]

All great but i found out my ears prefer Gibson tones.

[@sbolfing]

That's what is so great about acoustics! Gibson, Martin, and Taylor all have their own vibe and fans - you cannot go wrong with a good acoustic guitar. To me, as much as I love the smell of rosewood, it's a toss-up between the J-45 and the D-18 (I have a custom D-18 with adi top).

[@championhairpuller]

I also gotta go with the D18. Pure tone, baby! The Taylors sound terrible.

[@jjmuni]

It proofs that the optical and the haptics are also crucial in making a choice.

[@hcavn]

D-18 on my shitty laptop speakers. Next time, give Paul a blindfold that is not covering his ears too.

[@drack1997]

its so boomy, why put the mic right in front of the sound hole? all of them are blowing up the mic

[@mikelewis2707]

Martin's all day long.....

[@williamcole9040]

How about 12 fret slope demo……PLEASE!!

[@ramonaviles1582]

Which J45 was use in this video. The regular J45 or the 42 banner historic?

[@soofitnsexy]

regular

[@warriorz88]

Got the last 4 correct. I tot the Taylor 314 sounded much worse than the rest it was easy to pick out.

[@charlesamery-behr3153]

Great fun comparison! I love these, but I wish you would compare like body styles. This is not the first time you've compared a bunch of dreadnaughts against Taylor Grand Auditorium shapes with a cutaway. What about the Taylor Grand Pacific Dreadnaughts, mahogany or rosewood. Not really a fair comparison when playing a bluegrass lick either.

[@ted197210]

Martin sounds great, Gibson very warm, Taylor, we woud say - in german - very emotionless. I woud prefer the J 45

[@555Gear]

Great concept!

[@redmc3614]

100% the d18 is by far the clearest best tone

[@maxwellfan55]

So this is only a bit of fun guys, to make a proper assessment you have to be playing these guitars yourself. But wow, really exciting blindfold comparison. Hats off to Paul, he REALLY knows his guitars, so reassuring to know this is the guy selling them. Big congrats to him. Without question, both Taylors seriously underperformed against the others. But why? Is it the bolt-on necks, the cutaways? Fair enough, folks love 'em, and they do sound and play great, but seriously... Would have liked to have seen both cedar and mahogany top examples in the mix, maybe next time.

[@aleksik4028]

Wheres Guild =)

[@soofitnsexy]

miami ...vacation

[@kareljongejan]

To be honest, the only guitars I could recognise were the Taylors, they have such a unique sound! I'm a proud Taylor 12-string owner yeah!

[@robbarker9878]

6 out of 6! Musta got lucky. But i own or have owned almost all of these or a variant over the years (35 instead of 28)...

[@raymondperez1110]

I tried a J-45 yesterday and really liked the sound, next I planned on trying the 2020 D18E which has medium gauge strings as opposed to light gauge strings on the J-45, would that make a difference and is that, the Martin that was used in this Test, I'm trying to decide between those two Guitars.

[@raymondperez1110]

Wish I could afford both, but not sure I can afford one of them much less both of them, if I win the lotto for sure!

[@SenfMustard]

@@raymondperez1110work harder and smarter. Not wishful thinking over lotto. Go get ‘em champ. Show ‘em what you’re made of, you’ll get both if you really want them 💪

[@grubb910]

I feel like the Taylors have a nasaly sound... it's not great to my ear. I agree with their assessment.

[@joelcrow]

Wow really felt like taylor showed up on this competition! Im a Martin mahogany die hard, but that 814 sounded ace!

[@mylerism]

J-45 for the win.

[@gregorycarpenter]

In general, the J-45 has the strongest character, the D-18 comes next with it's overall fullness and readily recognizable "Martin sound", and (sorry) Taylor still isn't really sure who it is and is therefor unconvincing...

[@R.L.Humpert]

I think the Taylor’s had the brightest nicest sound. The Gibson sounded nice too when he hit it but to Taylor doesn’t know who they are I don’t quite understand. They are so good at what they do that they make a variety of sounding guitars to fit a persons style. I have the 324ce and it is amazing and mohagany top as well and sounds better than the guitars they just played. IMO

[@robertspada9251]

I’m curious, Quinton, during his “which one is my guitar” challenge, gushed over the Guild D55. He said it was the best sound, loved the playability - yet it’s not there in this challenge. So, a guitar that your guitarist loved the most, you not only did not highlight in this video, but on the ‘find your guitar’ challenge you didn’t even mention it again. In fact, in the other video you guys discussed the Martin etc yet the one he thought was superior you guys ignored after his comments. What gives??? Something against Guild??

[@robotsongs]

Whoa, I think you found the lizard people, bro.

[@sorumluluksahibidakikdakti5840]

314ce is the best one among them c’mon guyz let’s be honest not just only I have that one xd FREAKIN D18 GOD DAMMMNNNN!!!

[@TheJpep2424]

Jesus is Lord

[@BaktaBak3]

Paul did great on this with this 6 guitar comparison. Speaking for myself I'd probably do ok with 2 or 3 on a comparison. It is best (if possibly) to have someone along to play a guitar your interested in so you can hear what it sounds like from audience ears ....not a players ears. Instruments do sound different when you play them ........vs.......listening to others play them. :-)

[@edyue1]

I’m surprised I picked the D-18, full, balanced and sweet treble. If I was not able to listen to them side-by-side I would pick any of the six guitars on their own. If I’ve heard 20 Taylors acoustically unplugged, I’ve only likes maybe two but these were reasonably decent sounding Taylors, still not as cool as a Martin. I have a 1984 Martin HD 28 that I just adore and will pass it onto my daughter when I’m gone.

[@de1vos]

Think the mic direction affected tone a lot. The same guitar sounded different depending on which way you were facing imo

[@uvp5000]

Those times I have commented on the various videos on this channel have largely been: A) The soundboard (the top of the guitar) is where most of the sound comes from, and B) No two guitars are alike. Typically, I compliment Taylors as they sometimes surprise me with how good they sound, but not this time. I found them both "thin" sounding despite single not clarity (their strummed sound was not appealing to me). I also notice that I was steeped in confirmation bias here; I don't typically like the sound of cutaway guitars and this confirmed that (note to self: be more open-minded). Before I wrote this comment, I agreed with Dan David's comment. This particular D-18 sounded best to me as well. The D-28 was a distant second to my taste. My order of preference for this specific batch is: 1) D-18 2) D-28 3) J-45 4) J-200 5) 814ce 6) 314ce It was interesting to me to see how well the mahogany back and sides guitars stood out. Typically, I incline in the direction of maple and rosewood back and sides. I do like mahogany; I just like maple better in general.

[@ramspencer5492]

Maybe you guys would consider using the D28HD as your Martin reference instead of the unscalloped version? Is closer to the classic Martin sound, in my opinion.... The regular d28 is a bit more vanilla and even sounds a little overbuilt these days, in my experience to really resonate.... I guess it's really good for bluegrass..... But when you're doing this guitar comparisons.... It doesn't seem like that's the focus. Maybe many a bluegrass player will grab the regular d28 for flat pickin'.... What it really doesn't have that resonant, super rosewood harmonic tone for a lot of different kind of playing.... Martin has a lot of other fans besides just bluegrass players... And they don't really need an example of what a Martin d-28 sounds like

[@ramspencer5492]

The $30,000 Martin's have have picked tone woods for tonality on the front and beauty on the backs.... And they are actually very meticulously hand tuned and hand scalloped for maximum tone resonance.... HD28s are a little better for resonance, in my experience than the job scalloped... But they do air on the side of caution with thickness you a small degree...so they're not as resonant... Taylors are more likely to be aired on the side of thinness for resonance.... But That can also affect tone negatively in other ways.... As well as structural integrity... But rather than getting a $30,000 Martin, There's better being for buck for going boutique, in my opinion... Getting the soundboard of the guitar hand tuned by a Master luthier, by a smaller company with a small staff, that makes smaller batches. Like a bourgeois.... There's a lot of good options. With the high end Martin's a lot of what you're paying for is the brand... And the desirability of the smaller batch runs of instruments with that brand.

[@jjmuni]

I’m glad Quinten mentioned that everyone should own a J-200. Really! I have plenty of that guitars, few fine Gibson’s but none of those yet… 😉

[@G_Demolished]

The D18 has its own song.

[@arieltherealify]

It's really cool this blindfolded challenge, but there's a small flaw with it. The blindfold is also covering the ears, so this would definitely affect the true sound of each instrument. The challenge would have better results if you just only cover the eyes.

[@christhee68]

I was about to say the same thing.

[@KommammoK]

I like it

[@A2an]

Interesting, Nice 👍

[@MauriceCondie]

Suspect the D28 will gain bass and volume with age. New 28s are tight.

[@Winterfr0st]

Judging from the comments it seems I have very different tastes in sound profiles. I personally really loved the sound of the D-28 and the 814ce, can't pick the one I like more. The D-18 was my 3rd favourite but it sounded a little boomier than I would want. The Gibsons sounded muddier than the D-18 to my ears, maybe I just don't like the sound signature of Gibsons or maybe it doesn't come off as well through the microphone. The 314ce was the worst of that bunch by far though.

[@demolitionwilliams7419]

I really don't think I like Taylors the way I used to. And Gibson has been taking Martin's place as my favorite lately

[@TheGrasspond]

Wow, I could not have done that Paul. Great job. I am a martin guy but those taylors sound great!!! I'd put the J 200 dead last for tone. Too muddy. Be curious how a Martin 0000 21 or Martin Jumbo stacks up against those Taylors. But I give the taylor tone the win here

[@auramac]

Not a Taylor fan and hate cutaways. Have a J45, love it, trying to choose between a 28, HD28, and CEO 7 for my next Martin.

[@BaktaBak3]

BTW..........it was not boring at all.

[@gingeoram]

This isn't fair to Paul. His ears are covered too! You really need to be able to hear clearly to notice the differences. Also should have written down his choices as it went along. Trying to remember them is an extra task in addition to listening and choosing. This was a good comparison though. Really liked both Gibsons and the Martin D18..

[@gijsbertuslaurensvandevooren]

Where's Guild?

[@septilevg6897]

Oh!

[@TheTopGun920]

I haven't watched it yet, but I'm guessing these Martin lovers are going to pick J-45 as the best 😁

[@martinkleinman2522]

the taylors sound adenoidal

[@martinkleinman2522]

I loved the d18, j45, and the j200. the 28 was meh. the taylors? oy.

[@clementnade972]

J45 sounds the "crunchiest"

[@soofitnsexy]

always!!

[@ArielCardona]

Acoustic Letter followers don't have Taylor love, which it's kind of a shame

[@Whitty43]

D18 by a mile

[@R.L.Humpert]

The Taylor 324ce mohagany top beats them all.

[@williamcole9040]

They all sound better than the Taylors……200 is the ultimate acoustic…then 18….followed by 28.

[@bonitoludi]

No Guild???? 😱 😱 😱

[@RahulSharma_JaiMataDi]

Any DAY All DAY always Martin

[@mikeadams4605]

4 iconic Acoustic Guitars and 2 wannabe's that sound awful. I'm sure Taylor must make some awesome guitars but when compared to Martin and Gibson they always seem way inferior.

[@Jadar...]

It does take to know the various models precisely to get things right...Päul did better than I would have done...Interesting remark that D-28s are non-scalloped ; not my first choice there then, though I'm fond of D-28s, but when scalloped AND forward-shifted it seems...I sometimes didn't like it much here (not as much as others here), and sometimes liked it... Instructive video then... The (Taylor) 314 is not as good as the others to my taste, but it's a cheaper guitar...Other four did well each time I listened, and I found myself a small preference for the Gibsons ; does MV gets a neighbourhood special treatment or are they improving (smile) ?

[@Jadar...]

Weird how things can change using different systems ; first run I had used cheap but good (JBL) headphones designed for telephones or similar devices I think. On a second run I used a much better system (designed for music -stii JB-), and all guitars went sounding pretty neat and more even...That time the D-18 went best and the J-200 still above the rest by little...The 314 was there, and the D-28 still a bit short - to my taste...The other three sounded good and hard to choose from ! (might as well have shut my mouth (smile)...

[@rdickinsondickinson]

Martin sounds the best hands down

[@giuliotoffano4763]

814 the best

[@soofitnsexy]

agree if you like that sound!!!

[@G_Demolished]

@@soofitnsexy True! I like bass frequencies in my guitars though. 😊

[@jryan2313]

Martins, J200, the J-45 wasn’t the greatest, I had one that sounds better.

[@deborahmcalister3936]

Gibby, D18, and the rest.. who cares?! Andy Powers ruined Taylor for me. Hate the V bracing. Sounds thin and tinny.