Gibson J-200 v Taylor 618e

[Jalex]

The Acoustic letter just posted this. They stop talking and start playing at 5m 40sec.  Think the Gibson wins it for me.

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Jalex

[62burst]

That was mean- the poor little (big) Taylor never stood a chance. Right out of the gate at 5:56. What a breathy sound the big 200 had. Of course, it could've been anything causing that noticeable difference. . . even the setup/string height (lower on the Gib?). Or- the distance the outer strings have behind the saddle to the pins on the 4-ribbon superjumbo Gibson bridge. Same strings?  Or maybe one was just loved more than the other.

Seamless blending of the samples, really well done. 

[Leonard McCoy]

Taylor guitars just don't sound good unplugged (to my ears anyways).

[Brucebubs]

Notice the fret markers on this new 618e now resemble the SJ-200?

Here's the previous 618 next to the new version.

 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Brucebubs

[JuanCarlosVejar]

I played the new 618e prototype at NAMM.

I thought it was fantastic  at the show but evidently the one in this clip  falls short to a J 200. 

 

 

JC

[kidblast]

I have a few Taylors  one is a jumbo like the one demo'd  (2006 Grand Symphony) , and... look at my avatar. So there is THAT. 

This is a comparison I can make any day of the week.

In this case, the Gibson hands down.  It sounds warmer, fuller, the Taylor sounds good too, but there's a mid/top end  brash to it that the J200 does not have.

Edited May 28, 2020 by kidblast

[zombywoof]

Although the demo consisted mostly  of open chords  played around the nut  yeah, I liked the Gibson better.  Warmer and fuller sounding although I would give a slight edge to the Taylor when it coms to the lower end.  But I have never been able to make peace with a Taylor's voice  That said, the way I tend to evaluate more costly  guitars  is whether I would trade one of my more costly guitars  for it.   And the answer in the case of both guitars is No.  

[Sgt. Pepper]

So on a Gibson forum the Gibson is going to get praised and the Taylor slagged. I'm shocked.

Why do they even do comparisons online. Two SJ-200's done side by side will sound a bit different. No two of any guitars of the same make and model are the same.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[kidblast]

well Pepps, I don't think it's a "slagging" thing..   But it is a fact that most of the "ears" on this forum are going to lean away from a Taylor.  

but me?  heck I love Taylors, and really do have a couple of very fine ones in my stable,  I would buy another in a heartbeat. 

For this one demo tho.. personally,  I thought  warmer sound of the J200  won out.   But put that pick away, and go fingers only and I bet I'd come away with a different vote.

You're right, no two even of the same make/model will every sound precisely the same

Edited May 28, 2020 by kidblast

[Sgt. Pepper]

I've wanted T guitar. Those 7 and 800 series are nice,but pricy. But what do I know my last guitar was not cheap. But right now I can't even think of anything I want and I certainly don't need any.

[kidblast]

the 714ce and 814ce are really nice guitars.  The 814Cce DLX seems a thing of pure beauty  But yea, they don't come cheap.

Still not as steep as your D41, but that's a horse of a different color!

[Sgt. Pepper]

6 minutes ago, kidblast said:

the 714ce and 814ce are really nice guitars.  The 814Cce DLX seems a thing of pure beauty  But yea, they don't come cheap.

Still not as steep as your D41, but that's a horse of a different color!

Mine was bought new beginning of this year for $3799. Best price on a new one I've ever seen.

Lindsey Buckingham can make those Taylor's sound amazing. I know I was  in row 2. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[kidblast]

47 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Mine was bought new beginning of this year for $3799. Best price on a new one I've ever seen.

Lindsey Buckingham can make those Taylor's sound amazing. I know I was  in row 2. 

wow, that's just about a steal dude...  Great catch....

Lindsey is one of the forgotten gems of modern time.   brilliant musician, who (IMHO) got a very raw deal.

[Sgt. Pepper]

8 minutes ago, kidblast said:

wow, that's just about a steal dude...  Great catch....

Lindsey is one of the forgotten gems of modern time.   brilliant musician, who (IMHO) got a very raw deal.

Yeah when you fire a guy and have to replace him with 2 guys, that says something. Fuk The Mac and Stevie and cokehead Mick. Saw LB  a few years back in a little amphitheater (Green Mountain Lake?) in North Carolina, Holds maybe 1000 to 1200. Un-F-ing-balivible show. He played many a Taylor and his famous weird electric guitar, can't remember who makes it. I hate FM from Rumors on, but that guy makes me want to smash my guitars. What a finger picker with such speed and accuracy.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[kidblast]

35 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Yeah when you fire a guy and have to replace him with 2 guys, that says something. Fuk The Mac and Stevie and cokehead Mick. Saw LB  a few years back in a little amphitheater (Green Mountain Lake?) in North Carolina, Holds maybe 1000 to 1200. Un-F-ing-balivible show. He played many a Taylor and his famous weird electric guitar, can't remember who makes it. I hate FM from Rumors on, but that guy makes me want to smash my guitars. What a finger picker with such speed and accuracy.

Yea  he loves his taylors..

the builder of his electric is a guy named Rick Turner.   its buried in this link: https://guitaraffinity.com/what-guitar-does-lindsey-buckingham-play/

Rick Turner is a legendary guitar maker.  His guitars are handcrafted, with only a handful of models to choose from.  After working with Lindsey Buckingham in 1979. He made his masterwork, the Model 1.

 This has become Buckingham’s primary stage guitar, and with good reason. It’s sound, look, and playability all scream to be played live

[Sgt. Pepper]

6 minutes ago, kidblast said:

Yea  he loves his taylors..

the builder of his electric is a guy named Rick Turner.   its buried in this link: https://guitaraffinity.com/what-guitar-does-lindsey-buckingham-play/

Rick Turner is a legendary guitar maker.  His guitars are handcrafted, with only a handful of models to choose from.  After working with Lindsey Buckingham in 1979. He made his masterwork, the Model 1.

 This has become Buckingham’s primary stage guitar, and with good reason. It’s sound, look, and playability all scream to be played live

He played I'm So Afraid and killed it. That song was electric. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[slimt]

I dont like Taylor. They are built thin and weak. 
 

they all pretty much sound the same. Ive owned a few. Rosewoods, maple and a few mahogany's.  . 

[EuroAussie]

Both still sound very tight to me.  Maple guitars need the shite played out of em first to soften em up before reaching that lovelly maple syrup warmth.

[generaldreedle]

I almost bought a Taylor 614ce, was dithering about the price, etc., It had a really warm sound, but it was also articulate- like Maple is.  But I had trouble justifying buying another dread then Nick Lucas Maple L100 was for sale on the AGF forum at a HUGE discount just because of a finish issue on the side that no one could see due to someone leaving some humidipack in the case next to the guitar.  I jumped on it and don't regret it at all, but that Taylor was also really nice

[Sgt. Pepper]

23 hours ago, slimt said:

I dont like Taylor. They are built thin and weak. 
 

they all pretty much sound the same. Ive owned a few. Rosewoods, maple and a few mahogany's.  . 

You say they are built thin and week and you don't like them, but you have owned a few (at least 5 or more from your statment). I only had to be smacked in the head once to know I didn't like it.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[slimt]

52 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

You say they are built thin and week and you don't like them, but you have owned a few (at least 5 or more from your statment). I only had to be smacked in the head once to know I didn't like it.

these ones were back in the 90s. The first couple the tops collapsed  so they were exchanged for again new ones. Which ended having the same issues.   There were 5 .  The last one  just dryied right out. Just could not keep it properly humidified.   
 

that was it for me with the Taylors.  

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 minute ago, slimt said:

these ones were back in the 90s. The first couple the tops collapsed  so they were exchanged for again new ones. Which ended having the same issues.   There were 5 .  The last one  just dryied right out. Just could not keep it properly humidified.   
 

that was it for me with the Taylors.  

Taylor's are nice to look at but to trebely for me.

Their new bracing is supposed to fix all that.

[slimt]

1 minute ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Taylor's are nice to look at but to trebely for me.

Their new bracing is supposed to fix all that.

ya. Not sure about the new ones. My experience was with the 90s ones and the runaround that took place.    To much of the pointing fingers at someones else.   That turned me off.    Beings these guitars were not even a week in the house  .  They are trebley.     

[ALD323]

Taylor makes great guitars. That being said, the Gibson SJ-200 won over the Taylor by a mile. The SJ-200's looks alone were enough to win the race right out of the gate, but once the SJ-200 opened it mouth, and was played back to back with the Taylor copy of the iconic SJ-200 , the Taylor simply never had a chance.

[Twang Gang]

Listening on little computer speakers I really didn't hear that much difference between them.  I think there may be some bias due to the fact we are on a Gibson forum and we all own Gibsons and generally love them.  I own an SJ-200 Standard and a Taylor 816 which is a rosewood body and Lutz spruce top whereas my Gibson is a Maple body with Sitka top.  So my own at home comparisons are not quite as apples to apples as this video.

However the Taylor 618 is NOT a copy of an SJ -200.  The body shapes are different, the Gibson has X bracing, the Taylor has V bracing, the Gibson has a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, the Taylor has a mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.  Yet in spite of the differences in materials and construction they sound very similar.  At Sweetwater the list price on the Gibson is $4649, the list on the Taylor $3,499.  I did not hear $1,150 difference in the tone.  

Between the two that I own the Gibson has a mellower, richer sound, but is very quiet unplugged.  The Taylor is a little brasher sounding and much louder.  The Taylor plays easier as it has a short scale and light gauge strings.  They are different, as are any two guitars, they each have their strong points, and that is why I keep them both. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by Twang Gang