Taylor GS Mini vs Martin DJR-10 vs Guild Jumbo Junior - What's the Best Small Acoustic?
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- čas přidán 14. 05. 2019
- Can the Taylor GS Mini be beat? Today we compare it to 2 powerhouse, best-sellers… the 2019 Martin DJR-10 and the Guild Junior Jumbo Maple. Which sounds best to you??
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I love how I always close my eyes and I when open them, it's the Martin one!!!
I really like the way you did these comparisons! The graceful transitions and no talking makes it very easy to concentrate and hear the differences between these great instruments. Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I revisited it after some time and having personally had the opportunity to own all THREE of these. For me, the Guild had the least to offer in sound range ( but also was the most affordable) but still a nice guitar. The GS mini is hard to beat. A great guitar with amazing projection. For me, the Martin had the most true , resonating range of sound. Just my take on it playing each over a period of time. Thank you!
Gs-Mini Koa owner here.
Sounds so good, it convinced a player/friend of mine to buy one to travel with.
His Taylor 314 sits at home, where it is played in safety 😉
Love my GS Mini spruce top. I've owned it for 5 years and It's a keeper. Nice video. Thanks. 👍
I’ve got a GS Mini with walnut back + sides. Love the tone!
The sound comparisons we very well done.
Martin, Taylor, Guild ... in that order. Although, FWIW, preferred the previous iteration of Martin’s JR., especially the Sapele topped version. They lost something with the shallower body.
The D-Jr pulled away by the end. The 7:10 mark sealed it.
The Taylor GS Mini is my choice.
I wish they made one with a 1 3/4 nut. It would be perfect.
I ended up with the Dreadnaught Jr because I liked the wider neck. The Taylor Minis were extremely nice. Everytime a store had a Guild, it was sold before I could try it.
I have severe physical muscular pains and some forms or osteoarthritis and a smaller guitar is what i'm looking for because I think they would be easier to play less string tension, neck smaller so easier on fretting hand etc. i've been out of a guitar for nearly 7-8 years now and even at this price range its a lot of money for me. so I really enjoy these videos to help me decide which one I should be considering!
Get super light strings and get it professionally set up to be extra low action.
I owned the GS Mini spruce. It was a great guitar. Reluctantly sold it but always planned to buy the hog version. Then I decided to buy a Martin Dr Junior for the all solid wood build, wider nut and classic sound.
I think the Martin sounds best as it’s more of a classic sound and is tighter.
The Taylor is also good with a wide range but less controlled and has slightly open mids.
The Guild is not my cup of tea at all.
Loving that Taylor!
Nice review and performance!! This Guild Jr is not fancy tone. Martin Jr is the best for me which is deep, warm and wide range tone, but I own GS mini koa.
Definitely go for GS mini !
Great comparison video! Tried to look away and only look up when I heard one that I liked. That was most often the Taylor or Martin. The Guild sounded like AM next to those two, and I really wanted to like the Guild! I’d probably put the Taylor first. Seemed the have the most balanced sound. That’s coming from a Martin guy, too! Again, great job with the comparison, guys!
Martin, not surprisingly, has the fullest body tone in my ears.
To my ears the GS Mini had the most "presence", especially on the low end. The Martin was very close but a bit harder to tell since it didn't immediately follow the Taylor. The transition from GS Mini to Guild felt like a total let-down.
Excellent. Thank you Paul and Quinton. From Chuck Lamb
Interesting, thanks. With so much focus on size, it would be helpful to tell us what the scale and nut width is for these guitars.
Just remember that Martin is all solid back and sides so it will only get better. I preferred the Martin
didnt realize this...so the guild and taylor pretty much dont change???? thanks
I really LOVE the way you compared these. This is the way it should be done. Very close for me but, as far as sound, I say Taylor, Martin then Guild. Can't go wrong here.
Martin had the tone for me.
They all sound great.
I am keen on one of these - the guild - as my only guitar, uograding from a cheap parlor. Does strumming overdrive the top? I like the general tone in this size but an overdriven top with medium strumming would annoy me
All three are wonderful instruments... I have the GS Mini in Koa and Mahogany both are amazing...Played the Martin at Guitar Center instant Love there...The Guild just seems correct for a Mini with a Jumbo body and Maple wood just wish they did on board tuner and you didn't have to reach inside the sound hole for V and T but it still probably offers best bang for buck.. lastly pick the one that gives you the biggest tickle and you won't be disappointed.
I have both the Guild Jumbo Junior mahogany and the older version Martin DJR2E.
They sound very different and both are great guitars for the money.
The Guild JJ opened up significantly after some play. It is brighter and louder than my Martin DJr, possibly due to Ernie Ball Everlast 80/20 medium light strings vs the Martin Retros on the DJr. Also solid spruce top vs all solid sapele. The Guild is a really nice looking smaller guitar. I have more room on the Martin neck and I prefer the wider string spacing, slightly longer scale, and flatter fretboard on this guitar vs the narrower Guild nut width.
I am glad that I have both. If I kept only one, it would be the Martin because it is less cramped for my larger than average hands. Again, both the Martin and Guild are great, just different.
Wow!.........excellent video! The Guild just not my cup of tea,while the Taylor and Martin are killer! You both are right (imo) about add-on guitar, and insurance guitar. Most likely my next purchase.i have a road series but one of these or a ooo model is in the cards. Love your videos, keep up the good work......and thanks!
2 years later I bought the ooo- jr. C 10e and it is sweeeeet.
GS Mini takes the cake here. Martin is a close second. Guild, although a handsome entry, disappoints with it's subdued - almost muted - projection. Taylors do brightness best. What is their secret?
Yes, I have the Guild and does sound as you describe-but, I found it's really sensitive to what material and thickness your pick is. With anything approaching 1.00 or heavier it sounds as in the video, but it really wakes up and brightens up considerably with .73 and .88, either Tortex or my preferred Ultex. It's a nice little thing, although it needed a LOT of setup work, especially the frets which needed crowning and levelling. My main guitar is a 2018 D-18.
I'm curious how the guild jr compares to the f30?
I wonder which guitar has the better intonation? You can hear it when you play a standard open C and E Chord. I only tried the Taylor GS Mini and it was not satisfying for me. I wonder how would it be with a Martin Jr.
Love my GS Mini. The Guild is surprisingly good, here... to my ear, Martin finishes 3rd...BUT... all of em are AOK.
GSmini Mahagony for me... it is sweet and mellow helping balance the range of lows mids and highs.
What about Yamaha CSF3M?
Good comparison between three scaled-down guitars. Have to say the Taylor sounds the best, then Martin, then Guild. But consider these two things: First - price. Up here in Canada, the GS Mini with electronics is $850, the Martin with electronics is $800, and the Guild with electronics is $580. Second - playability. Do you buy guitars based on sound, or how they play? I know, it's usually a combination of both. I owned a GS Mini, but took it back, as I felt that even though it was a very nice little guitar, it wasn't worth the premium price. I ended up buying a Simon & Patrick Songsmith Folk - about the same size (touch bigger, scale length of 24 3/4"), for $550 (Guild wasn't available at the time). Much bigger sound than the GS Mini, but a slightly larger body also, and better preamp. And the S&P Folk is made in Canada, which is important to me as I like to buy products made in my own country (GS Mini made in Mexico, Guild made in USA, not sure about the Martin).
can we get an old DJR vs the new DJR10?
Mark Torzar that would be a good comparison. I own an old model drj sika spruce top
I don't know if it matters to anyone, but I recently picked up the Martin. It came strung with their MONEL strings, which is a tone-changer. Now I DON'T know what strings were on the Martin for this comparison, but I suspect they were Monel strings. Just FYI. Strings can make a big difference on a small guitar.
Well said. I only use Martin Retro strings.
The Guild sounds anemic compared to the other two.
I own a GS mini hog but I think the Martin had the best tone here. The Guild sounded boxy.
If you’re using these for performance it doesn’t matter what they sound like if you have the ability to use IR’s. Find the one that’s most comfortable, easiest to play, eye appealing if it matters to you etc. I’ve got 3 large body acoustics and one little Martin. I can make that Martin sound close to a D-45, trust me on that and it’s the one I use the most! So my pick of these 3, is the D Jr. Not a particular brand preference but when you add in size, playability, looks, and looks to the audience, real solid woods and wider nut width, then I’d go with the Martin any day of the week!
Sizes almost made those necks look too small for Doc's hands. One of those sitches where Taylor shines, overall (depth, volume, base, mids, etc) and their made "just" on the other side of the border, from Westland Music's (Taylor!) El Cage-in facility in Tecate (and, no, they don't have Tecate Party's ... at least not during working hours!)
I’ve always preferred Martin’s tone vs Taylor’s - though I keep trying Taylors in case I find one that grabs me. I love my Martin Dreadnought Junior 2e (sepele top, back and sides). I prefer it over all three of these. Got mine last year before the design change. Glad I did! Thinner body now. You can here the difference on my channel. I actually prefer Lowden. But I’m too young (11) to play the lottery so... 😁
Arjay’s Journey GS Mini Koa and flip
@Han Sagan koa has a nice warm tone. If I had to play a Taylor, it would be made of a warm tone wood. But I still prefer a warm tone Martin to a warm tone Taylor. I prefer the Martin sound. To me, compared to Martin, the Taylor sound is a little flat. It lacks depth. Taylor sounds great if there isn’t a Martin playing before it, after it, or with it.
Arjay’s Journey cheers, i enjoy Martin for blues rock, but the Taylor rings through the loins in a way only a Taylor can
I have a gs koa and enjoy it, great for traveling as I attempt to play everyday. I liked the Martin in this comparison. The Guild just didn't impress me. So maybe a Martin is in my future
Martin is my pick
Martin all the way!
Based off this video, and personal experience, I would choose the Martin! When I was looking into buying my first guitar a couple years ago I swore I would get the Taylor GS mini, but every one I played (at multiple stores) I just didn’t like it at all. I really liked the Martin D Jr but I ended up buying a Martin 000x1ae and LOVE it! I now own my Martin and an Eastman PCH1-GACE. Both are incredible guitars and I even gravitate more towards the Eastman now! All great guitars for the prices!!!
Wow that's the first time I've heard anyone say they didn't like a GS Mini. After testing several of these, I like the sound of the GS a tad better but I'd probably buy the Martin because I think it is solid wood back and sides and the GS Mini isn't.
Wang Chung I was just as surprised! But in all of the ones I really didn’t like the way the bass responded. It was just too bright sounding for me, and not enough bass response. I know that the Martin is a laminate back and sides. The gs mini has more back and side options but I think they are all layered.
Wang chan. The Martin is all solid mate.
I am disappointed in the Guild (being a Guild kind of guy). I call it a tie between Taylor and Martin. My wife has a GS Mini, but all Mahogany. There are many different wood choices with the GS Mini.
Not a real Guild, made in China. Then again, I guess the Martin and Taylor aren't built in their main factories either (Mexico, not USA), so maybe they aren't the "real" ones either! Definitely not bad guitars at all, just not the same. Have to wonder what American versions would sound like.
It probably would not have crossed my mind before I was very badly injured with a broken shoulder, right arm and all the ligaments torn in the top half inside my right arm that designing a guitar for others similarly injured might be some kind of a business model? If you already spent fifty years making your fingers bleed and then you can't get your arm around a full sized guitar ever again, Mimi and travel guitars start taking on the only light in the forest toward a personal musical future.
Tried them all in the shop, bought the Faith mini-Neptune. Much better value for money and really attractive in all mahogany.
Mark Stanbrook
Love my Faith guitar punches way above its weight👍
Martin, Guild, and Taylor a distant third. I just went to guitar center and played the Martin and Taylor’s under a grand… the Martin was like $589 and the Taylor was $800+. The comparison was similar to this review… the Taylor did not sound as rich and a bit twangie (is that a word?) it didn’t move me or draw me in. The guild was way more balanced in this video than the Taylor and the Martin sounded more toneful and soulful in listening in this video and when I played them both yesterday.
It is not the same categorie. Cus the martin is all solid wood. And that make a big deference. Thats way the martin is beter amazing tone.
but the Taylor gs mini has more bass
It's hard to tell from these videos, although the Guild sounds simply awful over headphones. I tried the Taylor and Martin in person, several of them actually. The Martin to me was a far superior guitar so I bought one. I find I use it more than my standard Martins due to comfort. It doesn't sound like a standard Martin dread, but with a bone nut and better strings, it's quite easy to listen to.
For me playability is more important than sound. Controversial eh?! For this reason I would choose the Martin because of the wider neck.
I love Canada
Taylor sounds most balanced, Martin comes closer to a full size, and I like the unique focused sound of the Guild.
To my ears, the DJR-10 is the best sounding overall of the three, however, the GS mini's accentuated mids might be the better option for singer-songwriters.
Taylor is tinny, Guild is not defined enough, Martin is balanced but soften the pick a bit.
I think ,that the guild sounds brighter.
i ve played only mini taylors, but i believe hog or koa version sound better, make the small guitar sounds rounder and bigger. and if you want like more sofisticated travel guitar , take a look on Furch LJ 10. it comes with suitcase, its can be take appart and from what i know, some musicians are actually using it as main gig instrument since its all solid wood. i believe it should be something like 1300.
they're all ok and the guild is $50 less, and has an internal pickup...
Differences as well is that the Martin DJnr is an all solid body, with Solid Sapele back and sides, and the Taylor GSMini has layered, arched Sapele n sides.
This means that the Taylor will project better immediately, while the Martin will eventually deliver a more full sound as the years go on.
The Guild Jumbo Junior isn’t really much to talk about.
Taylor seems brighter and more vibrant - then the Martin then the Guild - damn this is tough but…… I’m going to buy the Taylor
Martin sound on struming is massive, Taylor sound so much clear and Guild give to you so mucho for less money.
Gs mini is the Sansui, the Guild is your little transistor radio, and the Martin is your Bose in car entertainment, but where is your Krell Hifi? Anyone over 50 will get the analogy.
Are the new gs minis better than the old ones?
I'm not aware of any major changes to the GS mini since it was introduced.
same
The original Dreadnought Junior sounds a lot better than the Jr-10.
Disagree
DJR ✌️
I've got Guild Mini Jumbo. It is poor quality. Gs mini is another level
What was wrong with the Guild?
@@jpdiddy8876 it is poor quality.
To me the Taylor sounded thumpy (muddy?), the Guild sounded thin, and the Goldilock's choice was the Martin.
Taylor
DJR10 had me sold. They should pay you guys for selling me on it
I am not a fan of the dreadnought shape. To me the Taylor sounds the best but I understand the neck is narrower than the Martin and Guild. So, I guess I'd have to go with the Guild in this comparison. Wish the Martin 000 jr.would have come to the party.
the taylor blows away the 000 jr though. The dread jr is a better comparison imo. I'm a Martin buy but I actually prefer the sound of the Taylor in this comparison. The Martin sounded fuller but hte Taylor was definitely clearer while having just as much bass and even punchier imo. The guild sounded terribly tinny and chinsy and low volume imo. But I'm about that powerful bass in a guitar so to each his own.
Sure wish you would have done some fingerstyle.
he doesnt do that
Martin all day long here
Martin is the only solid wood offering…. I had a GS several years ago, it was one of the most unstable guitars I ever had. Temp and humidity would throw it off mid song. When it sounded good, it sounded good. When it didn’t, it was meh. Wouldn’t hold tuning….
The Martin sounds closet to a standard size acoustic.
Martin #1--Taylor #2-Guild #3.
My friend has a Taylor Baby, I think it sounds crap, just all mid freq., in complete contrast to this GS Mini which sounds great on this recording ....... to my surprise.
Check out the Art and Lutherie Roadhouse series, a subsidiary of Godin www.artandlutherieguitars.com/roadhouse
Martin and Guild one, two and like both. You can keep the Taylor, too tinny.
are you sure you were listening. The Guild was the thinnest and tinniest man. The Taylor had as much bass as the Martin lmao. what?
@@RichACBlues how I hear it. It's why people like different ones.
The Guild has the fullest sound, to my ear.
For me
1-Martin
2-guild
3-Taylor
The Taylor through my speakers sounded like it had to much treble. The guild sounded similar but a bit better rounded. The Martin sounded more like it’s big brother. But with less projection. I would love to hear a original wider drj compared to the new dreadnought junior with the narrower body. I think the older ones would win. But it would be interesting to hear the difference. Guitar sounds are all subjective and we all come in with some biases. The guild surprised me.
Guild is out of the league here, thin and wimpy. Taylor and Martin are about equal to me, HOWEVER, if Martin used their SP's instead of the Retro strings (which have a darker sound) the Taylor wouldn't stand a chance. BTW I am listening through room balanced studio monitors in my music studio.
Agree. I bought DJR 10 and put a bone saddle and Authentic 2.0 PB, and it really improved the sound. Not a big fan of the Retros.
Martin DJR is my choice. Taylor sound hurting my ears....
Agreed. Funny, I thought I was the only person who's ears are actually truly bothered by the chimy-ness of taylor and other such modern sounding guitars. Most folks rave about the sound while to me it's just this side of nails on a chalkboard. Cheers!
a 7:37 minute video.......we wait until the 4:43 mark before we get to the sound comparisons.
MARTIN DJR -10 sounds fuller. gs mini louder. guild sounds not that full or loud
The Guild looks the best and sounds the worst. :( Not bad, just no depth to the tone. I have to wonder what an American Guild Jumbo Jr. with all solid wood would sound like.
That Guild was fantastic.
Sounded a bit floaty.
Yes indeed it is!
LOL, 4 1/2 minutes into a 7-minute video they actually start the comparison. Kudo's for the homage to Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain".
Bad mic recording in general
I'd take the guild first then the martin. Not a Taylor guy but they are still good guitars just not my thing
Martin wins, followed of Taylor. In this video Guild is the loser