by macrae11 » Fri Jun 03, 2011 4:52 pm
I don't have much more to say than what's already been said, but I'll chime in with a few things.
For Taylors, I have to agree with Clinton, and seemingly the general consensus that Taylors are a bit bland particularly the dreadnoughts. But therefore also very safe, and will work in just about any situation. They're also extremely consistent, due to some of their patented construction techniques, and are the only acoustic guitar that I would ever order online, without playing it. Their smaller body models I find much more interesting (although I usually prefer smaller body guitars anyways). The -12 and -14 body size guitars can really sing with some of my favorites being the 514, and the 612, and the GS series. Those models seem to have a little something special about them. I'm like Malcolm, I really enjoy the sound of the ES, much more than just about any other pick ups I've ever heard. It's the only studio acoustic that I've ever plugged in that actually got used in the final mix. I've never had any reliability issues with them, but have certainly heard the horror stories from a few players. Another thing that may cause issue is that the ES system is balanced and virtually all guitar gear is unbalanced, which throws a wrench in things that is often overlooked.
For Martins, there are a few that I have loved, and a number that I haven't been so crazy about. One big issue that I have with Martins is their consistency is just about at the other end of the spectrum from Taylors. Can't confirm if it's true or not, or if the situation has improved in recent years, but here's an explanation I got from a Martin rep several years ago. Basically when the big acoustic guitar boom of the 90's happened, Martin didn't have enough wood keep up with demand and had to start using younger wood, which was not as dry. I forget what the drying times were, but I believe it went from somewhere around 10 years, to 3 years. So the higher moisture content wood with increased production led to less stability and therefore poorer consistency. Again can't say this is the gospel truth, just what I was told, but it does mirror my experience. Also with Martins, there are some large differences in models that seem like they should be very similar. For example a (middle of the road) HD28 will sound quite different than a (middle of the road) HD-28V. Personally some of my favorite Martins are the D-18, OM-28, and 000-18.
Both company's also make very nice budget guitars as well, that are made in other plants, but have some of the best value in their price range.
Personally if I had to pick one of the two.... I would probably buy a LariveƩ.