Whenever I go into my local guitar store, out of all the different models in the room I always pick up a D18. I’ll just sit and play with it for an hour or two if I can. Then I go home to play on my D18.
There really is something special about a d18... simple, classic, pure beauty and clarity. I love them so much I ordered a custom shop. GE bracing, adi top, sunburst finish... I call her Harvest Moon.
I don't always play other peoples instruments, but when I do I prefer your future d18 in a music store near you! Look for the one with the old dead strings on her! Like granddaddy used to say "Why put miles on mine when I can put miles on yours for free!"
That's not bad. D18's are gloriously happy sounding. I think a D28 can also apply to songs that make you cry as there's something slightly mournful about those rosewood overtones.
Both are great guitars. It depends on what the purpose is. If you are playing Bluegrass or instrumentals, I think the D-18 is the guitar. If you are backing vocals, the Gibson has a nice boost in the 300-400hz range which provides a "hammock" so to speak, for the voices to nestle into, in that those frequencies support the human voice very well, without overpowering it. Back in the early '70s, Gibson made a set of HEAVY strings that sounded like a piano when newly installed, and mellowed down to a completely different, yet equally beautiful tonality after a week or two. Sure wish they were still making THAT set. So, strings make a big difference, too. That D-18 will get thicker and richer as it ages, yet will not lose its top end. It's 26 June 2019 for me; but Merry Jesus, no matter what the day!! Thanks for the demo and God bless!
just got a new 18 j45 standard and it is so awesome! the video truly doesn't do it justice! The tone is so incredible! Martin sounds beautiful too, I just love guitars!!!!!!!!!!!!
Both are superb instruments with totally different personalities. The Gibson is a bit darker and emotional. The finish is an extension of her sound...that beautiful tobacco burst. You can almost hear it with your eyes. The Martin is a bit more even tempered. She isn't flashy but she is reliable. She does everything really well. Which one? Thats a personal choice....and there isnt a wrong answer.
Gotta go with the Martin. Just sounds so much brighter and crisp. It just rings. I owned a D35 several years back, and to my ears it was the finest sound I've ever heard from any guitar. Unfortunately, 2008 happened and I was forced to sell it.
I play my D-18 daily. I bought it new in 1973 for $325. I had the neck reset and bridge re-glued a few years ago, about half was covered under the lifetime warranty. I bought my son a D-28 when he graduated from college. I told him to take it through life with him, like I did with my D-18. If you take care of them, they last forever and sound better with each passing year.
I play bluegrass and have for over 40 years. I've owned 12 different Martins throughout that period of time. My last Martin was a hd28 I've had for 7 years, but when I walked in the music store 3 weeks ago they had a J45 setting on a stand. Just for the heck of it I picked it up. After playing it for an hour, lol, I traded my hd28 for the J45. I really wish I'd tried the J45 years ago.
To be honest, when listening to the recorded sound of the two, to me the Gibson is the brighter more open sounding guitar! I do prefer the J45:s brilliant top end combined with it's steady and articulate bottom end. The D18 is nice, but tend to sound un-articulate and boomy in the bottom end which smears the overall impression I think.
I'm not sure what you mean by Gibson being "darker" in tone. To me it's brighter with more mid-range fullness. More bass and higher highs with the Martin. I think of the Martin being a great instrument and the Gibson being great for vocal accompaniment. For what it's worth, I've had a D18 and D28 and Hummingbird.
Joseph Liptak Yes you do. I have both. Those who say the Martin wins are voicing a personal preference. My J45 has more bottom than his and it will out punch my D18 all day long. Two different guitars. Both are excellent instruments.
I do love my J45 standard. it just has a great warm sound. Took me a while testing and going back and forth but it got me the one i loved the most. The D18 sure sounds amazing here though, will give it a try!
Both sound great. I own a Martin D18 so I am partial to the Martin sound, but that Gibson sounds awesome too! I would be happy with either one of those!
4 года назад
I have both! 4 Gibson's & 10 Martin's! Love them for the different sounds. My Gibson's feel better to my hands due to their shorter scale length yet the Martin for being a Martin
Your Martin has that wow 3D sound compared to the J45. I'm very impressed with it's big yet warm sound. Having said that, I have a J45 and a Hummingbird. When you played the J45, it gave me that sweet warm feeling like a hug from a friend from heaven.
TheJ45 is great. I always love playing them at a music store, I always find that they’re the best guitar that I’ve played that day, but I also am in love with the D-18, I bought one, and I don’t regret it. I think it sounds fantastic
I own a beautiful J-45 that I really love. It looks incredible and it sounds amazing. But to be fair, If I could afford the D-18 at the time (this was seven years ago and back then there was a €1200,- gap between the two guitars!) I'd probably have a D-18 right now. I'm a strummer and I use a pick, and for some reason (maybe the scale lenght?) the sound of the D-18 suits me better. Having said that, I'm perfectly happy with my J-45 and although there's a noticable difference between the J-45 and the D-18, they do have a lot of similarities as well. When I think of the perfect Martin sound for pick using strummers like myself, I think of a D-28. In my humble opinion, nothing beats the D-28. But then I hear a J-200....... Man, I wish I just stuck with electric guitars.
Although they use the same basic woods the construction is much different. Martin (the choice of flat pickers and most bluegrass players) has a very firm back and sides and a very responsive top. Basically, the top is the speaker and the back and sides is the cabinet. This makes them a loud, bright, punchy guitar. The Gibson has a more delicate back and side set that work in conjunction with the top, both working together. That gives it that fuller, more rounded "Gibson" sound. Neither is better. They're both excellent guitars!
And rose wood will change the sound. I however have a Brazilian rosewood and love it. But mahogany back sounds great too but it sounds just a bit different.
I've played a J45 for about 16 years now. It has been my #1 since I bought it. It is the only guitar I have ever owned that I knew the moment I picked it up I would never sell it. That said, I still want a Martin.
D18's generally have more clarity in both the highs, and especially the booming bottom end. There's a reason bluegrass players go for the D18/28, those root-5 patterns in the bass register are very clear and accompany the higher notes in the chord quite well. Single note/melodic/comping clarity is fantastic, so they dominate bluegrass and similar styles for this reason. J45/Hummingbirds are mid machines and are the go-to for delta, acoustic and folk blues. Sound great in alt/open tunings, and with a slightly higher action are about as good with a slide as you'll find outside of going to a resonator. They are such different animals that their similarities stop and start with being dreads and having the same tone woods. Its really like comparing a 000 or parlor with a jumbo... Both are great at what they do and are pretty much irreplaceable, but not interchangeable.
Nice video. It looks like the Martin won for all those who assume it was a vintage Martin, and a vintage Martin just naturally has to sound better, or their world will fall apart
I have an 000-15SM 12 fret Martin that I adore… particularly for fingerpicking and open tunings it’s remarkable. I’d love to add a J-45 for standard tunings because it sounds articulate and more midrange(y) on comparison videos. The shorter scale might feel nice too, and they look killer in black!
Both are lovely guitars. The J-45 seems to have more complexity to its sounds with a more compressed, focused, and haunting quality. While the D-18 is an excellent guitar there is something about its big openness that needs more focus.
I have a J-45 and a D-42. I love them both. Very different sounding and I think the J-45 is more of a rock n roll guitar and the Martin is more bluegrassy or folk. If I had to choose one of yours it would be the D-18.
First of all, thanks for the comparison. I have to say, at the outset, I fully expected to be wowed by the Martin, especially an older legacy D18. And, truth be told, I have a 65 year old J-45 that just came back from the luthier and is an amazing, iconic guitar. Oddly, I've always been drawn to Martins, mainly the D28, because it's rosewood, and I love the rich, lush sound of a D28. However, in this comparison, I honestly preferred the J45. It sounded fuller, clearer, and deeper. And I agree with Freethinksman...J45s are so mellow that depending on the song and the chords, if you're not careful, you'll find yourself crying. They have this deep soulful quality. And yet when I hear a D28, I find myself saying: "Yeah, the J45 is super mellow...but the D28 is how a guitar is supposed to sound". That's why folks who can afford it have more than 1 guitar. I have an inexpensive Yamaha FG830 solid spruce top/laminated rosewood back and sides that cost me $265. And it RINGS! At times it almost sounds like a 12 string. Full, lush, rich balanced sound. So that guitar satisfies my need for a rosewood guitar but doesn't break the bank. (Plus, in the back of my mind, I know I have the J45 locked away in the humidified room for special occasions.)
You really play beautifully! That is one of the best sounding J-45s ever! And the D-18GE is one of my favorite guitars, but a perfect J-45 is just the best! Wish you would do a tutorial on what you played between 2:18 - 2:38, please?
Hey Man!! Incredible! I have a D18 and a lot of years ago, had a Gibson J45!!! (around the 70´s) Great video!!! I love both guitars! ( It was great to hear again a J45!!) Best regards fron Argentina!!
Both guitars sound amazing, each one has it own sound. Personally, I love how warm and rolled off the Gibson is at the top end, I'm a sucker for the J45
You all need to understand that the Gibson is a new guitar that hasn’t began to open up. The Martin is older and the wood has had time to open up and it has been played more so sure it’s gonna sound fuller and more rounded. If he were playing my 1954 Gibson it would be a completely different story. Don’t get me wrong I have a Martin a Gibson and 2 Taylor’s and I love them all. Let’s just take all factors into consideration
They both are great. I feel the martin has the more perfect sound, But funnily for me it’s the Gibson . It just has beauty in its chaos,. A bit like a Picaso painting continually drawing you into its story. There seems to be a new delicate edge to its sound everytime you listen. Maybe that’s why so many singer songwriters gravitate to it. As it really can lead a story. I have both and love them. But when I’m feeling moody and wanna shut my eyes, I grab the Gibson.
I prefer the J45 over the D18, buuuuut.... it took me over a year to decide between the D18GE Golden Era and the J45. I got a Southern Jumbo that has has hand scalloped X-Bracing and is a little bit louder and brighter than a Standard J45 and still want a J45 and a D18GE :-P
I was dreaming to get a Martin D18 for years also had an eye on a J45. When i finally got the money went to a shop and played it. The D18 Sounded fantastic. Tried a J45 too which was really weak but it had a PU. Insecure I went home without a guitar. Then because of dollar exchange both guitars gone up about 500€. I was pissed. Then a big music store had a Christmas action with wine red J45´s. Wich was about 1000€ cheaper than a D18 back then. So I bought one. And my J45 sounds amazing. Never regret it. I love it. I completely stoped looking at other guitars. But why I'm watching your video right now.
SpezlvomAnneNr1 maybe one is not enough haha. I never played j45 before so i dont know how great it is, but yeah i have 2 Martin and i really love them, they like best buddies for me, love them since day 1. But yeah i think that both martin and gibson have their own voice, so it’s really hard to say that which one is better
If you play Bluegrass, the Martin is an easy choice. For most other genres, the J45 is hard to beat. Warm, and the top end not to bright, there is a reason the workhorse J45 is one of the most widely recorded guitars in history. It sounds superb, and to my ears, better than the D18 here.
When I bought my D18 I was actually intending on buying a J45 but the ones in stock didn't really do it for me. They just so happened to have a used D18 on the wall and I was sold after one strum. That said, I've played other J45s and been blown away and wished I had the cash to buy them on the spot. Funny thing is, I actually play my Yamaha Red Label the most. DO NOT sleep on Yamaha!
Back in 2012 I decided to treat myself to a good acoustic guitar and tried several models including a D28, a D18, a Hummingbird and a J45. I the end I bought the J45 as I thought it had a more balanced sound. Obviously, the age of a guitar can make a difference to its sound as the wood dries out over the years and becomes more resonant. I would wager that you D18 is older than your J45. Also the body shape will make a difference (round-shouldered v square-shouldered). I'd be very interested to know what strings you use (make, model and gauge). That too can influence the sound. Either way they both sound great.
I had a D-18 in the 1960s and I hated it. I did not understand the tonal differences between the Martin models then. Bright, loud. I tried everything to mellow it out (various string gauges, padding inside the box, etc.) - nothing worked. It did not mix well with the other guitars (Gibson Hummingbird, and J45) in our folk group. I managed to sell it and got a Epiphone AJ-100 (or equivalent back then), which I loved. Your miking is very kind to both guitars, making the J45 sound more balanced - highs vs lows, while making the D-18 sound more balanced and mellow.
I own a 1958 Gibson j-45 and a 1967 Martin D-35 both are great guitars. The 35 is way heavier than the older Gibson. Both are great guitars, but playing that Gibson is really fun and easy it was my dad's.
I have bought and sold lots of acoustic guitars and I was always looking for one that sounded as good as a Martin and I came close with of all things a Yamaha F G 75 ( folk size guitar with a laminated top) from 1960 ? I kept looking until I found one that did sound as good as a Martin and it was a Martin D 18 ( 1994). I will NEVER sell it. That Gibson is a fine guitar as well and I would probably buy one if the price was right of course but in my mind the Martins are the best guitars ever made and that is why so many copies where made to Martin specs. Thanks for the video.
After years of searching I ended up as a Gibson/Mahogny guy - also with a lot of high end Martins (rosewood) on my belt. Have to say that this Martin sounds truly amazing...
I've had pretty limited experience with Gibson acoustics but every Martin I've ever tried really sets itself apart from the other brands, at all price ranges. Not to say the Taylor's and Takamines don't sound great, they're just missing a little something.
Wow- great comparison. J-45 looks relatively new, has got a darker, resonant bass tone character. The mid range notes are muffled, will probably open up with age. The D-18's reportedly an inheritance and looks older. It's got a lot more depth of sound, overtones, and a nice shimmer to the trebles. I've noticed that in general, Gibsons have a different string action feel vs Martins. It's like the Gib frets are higher/wider (?), so chords and single notes almost seem to float, and make contact with the fretboard very differently. Martin's feel dead-on fretting wise, so you can feel the string and fretboard when doing slurs, pull offs, and hammer-ons. Both guitars are iconic, just depends what you're looking for. My two cents, thanks...
The D18 has more sparkles and overtones. It covers more of the harmonic spectrum. The Gibson’s sloped shoulders always seem to add a certain punch the tone. The Gibson is darker but in a good way. Really depends on the player and the context they’re playing in as to which one to pick. I’m a Martin guy at heart but I’d be happy to give the Gibson a new home.
Thanks for a very good comparison of these two iconic guitars. I hear people say you are either a Martin or a Gibson person and in my case certainly more the latter having three Gibsons to my one Martin I have a J185 and a Hummingbird both of which are great sounding guitars but there is something unique about the J45
Both guitars are fantastic and iconic. Neither is better than the other...it’s not a contest. Really depends on the player and what type of tone he/she is going for. Strings and picks are also HUGE factors here. Changing brands and or the gauges will have massive impact on the tone as well as pick types and thickness. Changing string brands and gauge is something I do on occasion just to give my guitar a totally different flavor. I’d say you’re blessed to own both of these guitars.
ty for sharing..... enjoyed your playing... I own Martin but am saving for a Gibby.... love their sound so much.... I am also thankful you are introducing our younger leaders to a QUALITY instrument..... so sad to see so many young guys with good talent playing on horrible cheap junk...... hopefully this will help them understand a good ax is worth it:) Blessings:)
j-45 way more punch, and occupies the mid-range with a beautiful dark character. love that up front and vocal quality. Martin seems to be scooped with lows and highs, not much in mid range. over all the martin has a shimmer to it, that works in stumming situations. at least to my ears. Enjoyed the Video! two Thumbs up!
I find that the only time I like a Martin over the Gibson is when we get to the Martin D-35. That’s when Martin takes the j45 down and I love both. I think I’m gonna go with a Martin D 35 Johnny Cash signature if I can find one!
I personally like the Gibson sound on those two guitars … I’m ready to purchase a used (50’s) Montana made j45 . If I played with those banjo players … that Martin is probably a better choice … imagine it cuts … especially outside . Love the videos … I will keep an ear out for more .
I noticed “Custom” on the Gibson headstock. I thought that was put on J45’s with rosewood back and sides from about 2011 to about 2018 or so but not on the standard mahogany J45?
Your grandpa's Martin sounds the best between the two. Not to say all Martin's sound better than all Gibson's. Every individual guitar is different. That's the fun of it.
I currently own and really like my 2012 Taylor Custom GS BTO that I use to lead worship with but I would really love to own a Martin D-18! Not sure what to do....In my opinion, the Martin in the video sounds smooth, balanced, projects well and is warm.
I’ve playing a Gibson J-45 professionally for 17 years. I want a Martin D-18. The thing is my Gibson is a nice compliment to my two band mate’s Martin guitars. The Gibson adds a nice warmth and bottom end. I still want one.
Great playing! Wow! I play a rosewood J45 because I like the short Gibson scale. To brighten the rosewood the sound-person usually changes the eq from the board, I’m thinking about getting the Baggs Venue DI.
