jt Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I live north and south of several tracks, but none of them are Martin. Among vintage acoustics, my clear favorites are Gibsons (I've got about a dozen of them, ranging from 1906 to 1943) and the instruments of the Larson brothers (my instruments are from the teens and 1920s). If pushed, I might choose the Larsons over Gibsons. These are incredibly rare instruments. I've estimated that the two Larson brothers built fewer instruments than there are pre-war Martin D-18s. Here's my matched set of Larsons: a mandola, Maurer 541, Maureer 551, and Dyer Style 7 Symphony Harp Guitar: For more info on Larson instruments, here's a reproduction of my Fretboard Journal article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I have had and owned many guitars. Gibsons are my first and only love. I like the looks and tone and playability. I can,t wrap my brain around Martins. I have played a couple of d-35"s that I like.....but I am a Gibson dude thru and thru. I like Fender electrics as well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I was mainly an electric guy for years and started switching over to acoustics about 12 years ago. Unfortunately I cannot make an absolute decision based on a few test runs and rather get a guitar I think may be the one and keep it a year or so to give it chance. I'm really having a problem deciding on what acoustic I'll like. None of them have grabbed me. My Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman blows me away and is the absolute semi-hollow body that I love and will not get rid of. My Fender Tele Select is the same way. It took me quite a few electrics (Strats, Teles, LP's) to find this one. I have a beautiful Gibson LP Custom that I will be selling off. Now with the acoustic - I've tried a lot of them, bought a few of them. None have blown me away. The Martin D41 Special has been the best so far, but it still doesn't blow me away. The J200 was the biggest disappointment and just put it in the shop last week to see if they can get it right. I hope to give it another chance. So I'm living on both sides of the track trying to decide which side I want ot live on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Ideal track straddle? J45 TV 1939 J35 Ren Martin M21 Martin D-18v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Guilty... and lovin' every minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Guilty... and lovin' every minute. Dan, you've got a real nice assortment there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I like Gibsons and Martins. Gibson is what I usually lean-toward. I've owned a lot of guitars, different brands, they come and they go, but I've always had 2-3-4 Gibsons around. If a Gibson leaves, usually another one takes its place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Dan, you've got a real nice assortment there. Thanks Nick - and the most "vintage" of them all is a 2002 And two on that list I attribute directly to hanging around with you Gibson addicts. I will always need a Martin dread - love that Neil Young drone, and never has it felt right coming out of a sunburst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubee Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Played & owned a number of Martins, Gibsons--mostly vintage stuff--plus Fender. Ended up about 10 years ago back where I started: Gibson flattops. Have three after getting out of a buying/selling frenzy & haven't strayed. Still look & play but like what I got. Only oddity is that a Tele has become my mainstay for the past several years, a huge change for this old flattop player. But I just live it. Enjoyed every guitar I've owned though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyReb Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I love Martin and Gibson. I had to give up my Martin to venture into the Gibson world because of financial limitations. Someday soon I plan on having both. Kinda like having a Ford Mustang and a Corvette in the garage. All ill have to do is pick which American icon I wanna enjoy at the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I love Martin and Gibson. I had to give up my Martin to venture into the Gibson world because of financial limitations. Someday soon I plan on having both. Kinda like having a Ford Mustang and a Corvette in the garage. All ill have to do is pick which American icon I wanna enjoy at the time Sell the AK-47 Johnny and you will afford the Martin mate .. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Respect, love and own both brands - They shine on one another and become 2 sides of the coin in the big pic. Mirror complementarity and make the pendulum swing. Top summit - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Sell the AK-47 Johnny and you will afford the Martin mate .. ;-) Ok, that was funny. Either way, the AK' could be an income (outcome?) generator. As far as which side of the tracks, I think most here are appreciative of both sides. Now. An interesting thing coming out in the thread, however, is a progression from electric to acoustic (?). Also- started out on Martin, & worked up to the harder (more subtle nuance, less obvious than ringing rosewood overtones) stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyReb Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Sell the AK-47 Johnny and you will afford the Martin mate .. ;-) Good one Aussie With the current administration launching a war on law abiding gun owners here, I think I will hang onto it. I got the rest of my life to add another Martin to the stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 With the current administration launching a war on law abiding gun owners here, I think I will hang onto it. All the proof you'll ever need to show that people who say "Americans don't do irony" are dead wrong..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 With the current administration launching a war on law abiding gun owners here Trust me PM, the majority in the US do not believe this for a nano-second. Oh, btw, acoustically I like both Gibsons & Martins, as well as '70s Guilds & others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Own both Gibson and Martin. Love them. The Martin is my take anywhere and don't worry guitar though. I'm careful with my Gibson acoustics but play them primarily, when home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 While far across the tracks, here is a Music Villa video of a 'sinker' wood guitar model: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miwVpvc-wdw Have a look at some of the other Taylor videos from MV - some are very nice.... I have yet to ever touch a Taylor guitar - I see one of my local guitar shops has a whole new range advertised (and also the new Martin D18 and D18 Retro....) I must make an effort - every time I have looked at a Taylor in a shop, a bunch of Dorks have been banging on them and I didn't want to push in.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Sorry PM, BUT you mistake us for a country that really gives a **** what you' think'(in the loosest sense of the word)...Carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Sorry PM, BUT you mistake us for a country that really gives a **** what you' think'(in the loosest sense of the word)...Carry on! Well, you're certainly not speaking for me or many others folks in this country. How the U.S. is perceived globally has a significant impact on everyone, either directly or indirectly. To think otherwise in this day & age of instant communication & global interdependency constitutes a shortsighted view of reality. But back to the original topic, forgot above to mention Larrivee guitars. Haven't played one in quite a while, but the 'L' body shape is a particular favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMELEYE Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I've been back and forth with Martin and Gibson. A couple years ago Gibsons were just about all I owned. Then the pendulum swung, my shoulder went south and I had to say goodbye to my jumbos. Now own several vintage Martins (000s,00s,0) and one newer one, the 000-18NB. Until my recent L-00TV purchase my only Gibson was a dobro from back in '96. So, now I have six Martins and two Gibsons (and a few others). Life is good. Ce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I only have one guitar, a j45mc. I was looking at Martin rosewood models when I settled on the j45. I would still like to have a rosewood Martin, the AJ just did not do much for me. Unfortunately I do not have anAK-47 to trade. There are two things we do not sell or trade in our house: musical instruments and firearms. chasAK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyC Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I have two Gibson acoustics, a J180 Everly Bros, aka Billie Joe Armstrong that I removed the truss rod cover and replaced with a plain one since I did not feel the need to see his name on it! I love this guitar! And my favorite guitar, a Gibson 2004 Western Classic SJ200 which I recently purchased from Daves Guitar Shop. The guitar looks and sounds amazing! It is in near mint condition and the price reasonable. Love the older style pick guard as opposed to the new one. I couldn't be happier with it. It is truly a very special guitar. One I'll never part with! I own one Matin, the GPCPA1 Rosewood with spruce top. I haven't really bonded with this guitar as I hoped I would. It may be on the way out to help pay for the Western. I'll also admit to having two Taylor's which I do love even if they get a bad rap here. My very first guitar, the 314ce a very nice guitar at a moderate price with a beautiful warm tone to it. I keep this one at my daughters house in Nederland, Co. so I don't have to travel back and forth with a guitar each time I visit. The second is a 714ce Cedar top which has a beautiful sound and finish. It's particularly nice for finger style. This is the one I use when I play when outdoors as I don't want either of the Gibsons going in the heat and humidity here in Miami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I'll also admit to having two Taylor's which I do love even if they get a bad rap here. My very first guitar, the 314ce a very nice guitar at a moderate price with a beautiful warm tone to it. I keep this one at my daughters house in Nederland, Co. so I don't have to travel back and forth with a guitar each time I visit. The second is a 714ce Cedar top which has a beautiful sound and finish. It's particularly nice for finger style. This is the one I use when I play when outdoors as I don't want either of the Gibsons going in the heat and humidity here in Miami. Cindy: We mostly joke about Taylors here...most of us don't think of them as bad guitars. Most who are into the Gibsom thing (or even the Martin thing) have a certain taste for a certain sound, which Taylors seem to be the opposite in many ways. Also, Taylor makes a lot of different 'priced' guitars. The Taylors that would compare to the Gibsons in quality are not as popular as the the lower priced ones. Taylor does make some nice stuff in the upper ranges (as you probrably well know). To be fair, I think you really have to get into the 8 series (or whatever it is) to be comparing quality. Guitars are a 'fun' thing, and if you can't make fun of others or other guitars, you aren't having enough fun. Oh, and by the time you spring the cash for a Gibby, you should have the right to make jokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyC Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Stein, I completely agree with all you said. The nicest ones I own are the two Gibsons and the Martin. It's true you need to move into the 700-800 series of Taylor to get the finish and appointments that make a finely crafted guitar what it is. As my ear develops more I am able to appreciate the sound of the finer guitars. I'm really wanting a Martin that has the well know droan so well associated with Neil Young one of my favorite artists. Maybe somewhere down the road on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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