Gibson vs Martin acoustics

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I've noticed that most live performers I've seen recently are using Gibsons. Interestingly, in the acoustic guitar poll on this site Martins were about four times as popular as Gibsons.

Do Martin guitars lend themselves more to recording and Gibsons more to live sound?

I'm considering the purchase of a new acoustic for recording (folk / alt country) and prefer a darker tone over a shimmering one. I've read that Gibsons best fit this role but have no direct experience with them.

Any experiences you've had with these guitars (or others) that you could share would be great - especially if you're recording warm/darker acoustics with a lot of strumming. Thanks!
 
Find you an early 80's Yairi DY-45 or DY54 for warm and dark and probably pretty cheap if you can find one. Great playing guitars. I found an old DY-45 with a cracked top in a store recently that played better than every Martin on the wall and sounded better than most of em. I have an '83 DY-54. and just did some comparison recording with the Yairi and a Martin D15. The Yairi was a lot darker and warmer.

Anyway, this may not help you but I just felt like typing something. Good luck.
 
I play alot of different acoustics in studios I travel to and play in.

Gibson and Martin guitars both have their place, they are famous for different things. The Martin guitar is the original dreadnaught. The D-18 and D-28 are the dreds upon which all others are judged. The dred has a sound that is loud, boomy, loud. ha ha. It is nearly always the choice for bluegrass music, and often for country. Their sound covers alot of midrange and can be pretty detailed, depending on the player. The bracing of these guitars makes it where the harder you strum one of them, the more the guitar comes alive. You just can't play a Martin dred too hard.

The (arguably) best Gibson acoustic is their Jumbo , especially the J200, which is one of my personal recording favorites. It has a different overall feel and sound than a Martin dred. It's warmer, a little more detailed in certian end frequencies. It plays really well with electric guitars in the mix...which is why they are very often used in rock music. They are a heavier guitar with stronger bracing, and I have experienced, better sustain and more even tone when recorded.

The other option you should look at is the Grand Auditorium size guitar. It's kind of a cross between a dred and a jumbo, kind of a small jumbo. They make great strummers, and are excellent recorded. The volume is not as loud as a dred or jumbo to me, but there is more detail and balance across the tonal spectrum. Taylor guitars has had success with this in it's -14 sized guitars (314, 414, 514, 614, etc..). Martin makes an OM sized guitar that is similar and Gibson makes a small jumbo that is also a similar size. They are very popluar with live performers because they are very comfortable to play in a live show, and are slightly less prone to feedback because the bodies aren't quite as big for all that sound to resonate in.

Lots of choices, lots of fun. As always, it's the best (and the most fun) to play them all and find what hits your ear as "it" to you.

H2H
 
By the way.

A good guess as to why Martin was much more poopular in that poll is that you can get into a Martin guitar for under $500 these days and they are easily available. A Gibson acoustic will still run you $1200 or more and less people have experience with them. I own both and like them both for their purposes. But my Taylor is my favorite. BUT I like the shimmering clear tone they produce. If you're looking for dark and warm, yet still clear and pronounced (NOT muddy likt alot of cheap acoustics are, which can be mistaken for warm) I'd say play a Gibson J-200 and see how it strikes you. A cheaper alternative is to check out a Guild jumbo model, very similar in construction and sound to a Gibson.

H2H
 
I agree with most of H2H's post.

I play a Martin D41. I wouldn't compare a D15 to anything when comparing something to what Martin is famous for. That isn't the guitar that they are famous for. That isn't the "Martin" sound. The D28 is the instrument.

The Gibson J200 is my favorite Gibson aboustic. I really want one because I think it would complement my D41 well.

I can't say what the difference is that well, but I could see the Gibson sitting better in most mixes because the Martin, imo, covers almost every frequency and the J200 seems to cover just enough to be great...leaving plenty of other range for more instruments.
 
I agree with H2H also. My J-200 holds it's own very well against my Guild F-50R Special (Brazilian) yet you really can't compare them because I have them set up for different styles. Over the years I've had a lot of Martins, Gibsons and Guilds and for some reason I've tended to not keep Martins as long. Never had a Martin dread though. Hmmm, that's something I should address.

For a darker tone I'd go with a Gibson or Guild jumbo. Taylors tend to be bright, sometimes harsh, yet my friend's 915C is very even sounding. I guess it's best to play the usual suspects till you find the one that's right, you'll know it when it happens.

I don't know where you live but I'd highly reccomend used over new if there's a way to play them first in a big enough marketplace. Around here there are the Recycler ads and I've picked up great deals over the years. Just about my favorite steel stringed acoustic is a Guild DV-52 I picked up a few years ago for 5 or 6 hundred....can't remember....but after a set up, it's a wonderful player, great recorder, and comfortable live.
 
philboyd studge said:
I don't know where you live but I'd highly reccomend used over new if there's a way to play them first in a big enough marketplace. Around here there are the Recycler ads and I've picked up great deals over the years. Just about my favorite steel stringed acoustic is a Guild DV-52 I picked up a few years ago for 5 or 6 hundred....can't remember....but after a set up, it's a wonderful player, great recorder, and comfortable live.
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I'm 15 minutes from San Francisco so I'll check out some used guitar shops. I'd love to get a Gibson but after checking into prices they're too steep at this time. I have about a $600 budget; it sounds like a lucky streak with a used Guild might be the best bet.
 
Look at used Guilds and also look for a Gibson EC-20 (or EC-10 or EC-30, theyre the same guitar with different trim). It was made a few years ago and they're not very popluar so when you find them, they're usually not too much. I think I paid about $600 for mine in red. They're a small jumbo/GA with a cutaway, and most have built in electronics too. I think this is the best Gibson acoustic "sleeper" guitar out there.

H2H
 
To make DTB feel better, there are Martins besides dreds, too, that you can look at. There is the fairly rare J-18 jumbo, then there is the JC-16, which is a jumbo cutaway in the 16 series. Neither of these fall into the $600 category. Also play some MArtin OM's if you get the chance, they are fine guitars.

H2H
 
nuemes said:
I've noticed that most live performers I've seen recently are using Gibsons. Interestingly, in the acoustic guitar poll on this site Martins were about four times as popular as Gibsons.

Do Martin guitars lend themselves more to recording and Gibsons more to live sound?

I'm considering the purchase of a new acoustic for recording (folk / alt country) and prefer a darker tone over a shimmering one. I've read that Gibsons best fit this role but have no direct experience with them.

Any experiences you've had with these guitars (or others) that you could share would be great - especially if you're recording warm/darker acoustics with a lot of strumming. Thanks!
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Generally, I have found Martin guitars to be overpriced for the good ones and underbuilt for the cheaper ones. I can't even talk about the old ones as they are far too much $$. Gibsons are certainly not cheap, but are better in build quality for the lower cost versions.
 
A great guitar to try is the Martin 0000hd28 if you can find one. They were only made in '97 & '98. Sound is bigger than the 000 series and have a great playing neck.
 
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