Honestly I love Martin guitars because they sound more deeper and more warm, but the Taylor in this video sounds way better and the Martin just sounds like a cheap guitar. Between both I like how the Martin looks over the Taylor.
He's my favorite artist of all time. Amazing poet when it comes to song writing. Taylor just sings songs that are written for her and I'm not really a fan
Martin, Rich and mellow...Taylor crisp and a rich clarity...both beauties to me...just different sounding. I would play one, one day and the other, another....depending on my mood...love em both!
I have to say I'm a Martin person, but just to be fair, I closed my eyes to see if I could really hear the difference. I definitely like the louder and longer sustain in the Martin. The Taylor sounded a little muddy to me. Thank for doing this comparison! It helps me make my mind up for my next purchase.
This guy knows how to do a review. I wish all reviews were like this. Comparing them right after each other gives you the best comparison in sound. Bravo.
thanks for this...im a very petite woman and ive struggled greatly trying to use full sized guitars, even hurting my hands to do so. very glad to see a clear video explaining these two instruments
I wouldn't say that one sounds better than the other. They both sound amazing, just different. The Martin seems to have a little better low end extension than the Taylor, while the Taylor seemed a bit brighter. Would be a hard decision between the two.
Here is my hands-on experience with both. Played a few baby Taylors and little Martins. Tone wise , perhaps not so far from each other , but the built quality of little martin is way better than baby taylor. Taylor seriously dropped the quality while reducing the size. If you are looking for a guitar of this size , get Martín LX1e with pickups. Top is spruce and you can feel the spruce in the tone.
I Just Watch why would anyone ask him anything. I played lx Martins all over the US before I bought mine. Most had a great Mid but sounded a little dull in general, but they were all over the place. The top delaminated 2 yrs in and I've had nothing but problems with it...for under $300, it sounds good and I guess it's alright, but wish I would've gotten a Taylor. And I'm a die hard Martin fan. Finding out Martin's budget guitars are shit produced in foreign countries
Alex Paclin so get the GS Mini Mahogany :D and watch mids blow your mind.. I kid can’t go wrong with either, so it just depends on the ear.. to me Taylor rings through your loins while Martin feels riverbank.
I'm litteraly watching this at a shop trying to decide on which to buy... not a bad afternoon but dam, this Martin is REALLY calling to me... Something just about the weight and the feel of the low register... ARGH!!!!!!!!!!
I'm in the same dilemma. Leaning towards the Martin as well... I didn't like the weight balance of the Taylor (it is lighter) and it sounded more Twangy to me, which if you like it sounding slightly banjoey then i guess thats cool. I'm gonna get the Martin...
Me too. I ended up getting the Martin and definitely no regrets. The Taylor does feel a little cheaper but the Martin feels solid. Good choice in my opinion!
I love my little Martin to death. It's tough. Sounds great. And it fits me perfect. It's one of few purchases that I look at and consistently feel good about it. No doubts. No regrets. It's an amazing little instrument. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll feel the same way :)
A key difference of the LX1 is that it will not absorb moisture or dry out therefore the sound will not change over time. Both brands have nailed the accuracy and get great resonance from the small size. I prefer the Taylor because it is real wood and looks gorgeous!
I have a Baby Taylor in Mahogany, bought it about 6-7 years ago. I've compared it to Little Martin neck to neck and while I wanted I came to buy a Martin - I bought Taylor, for overall attention to details, playability and sound(I think elixir strings are big part of it, they used to be stock), and never regret it, it has been around the world in the mountains, winter camping, etc, held up well, never had any issues with it. And I beat on my guitars :), it could be as loud to support about 10-15 shouting-screaming people.
Martin is scooped in the midrange making it kinda nasally where the taylor is a little boosted in the mids. Top end is nearly the same on both. Imo the taylor had more definition on the bottom and mids but I agree the martin seemed more full on the bottom. But go back to the scooped mids and that would be why the martin was seemingly brighter and fuller in the bottom
Alot of it comes down to the wood being used. The Taylor is offered in 5 varieties of wood combinations where the martin is only available in 1. I prefer how the martin is built but the taylor has enough variations in wood combos to fit most anyone's preferable tone. Pick your poison I suppose
I own the LX1E and it is such a trusty little guitar. the only difference between the LX1E and a full size martin is the volume. It is truly an amazing guitar. I would definitely go for the martin if you're looking for something to rely on
+Daniel Malone JR. I love my Little Martin. I take it everywhere with me. It is super easy to travel with and it's got a tone like none other. One of my favorite guitars.
Octavio Serrago well, that’s completely ridiculous 😂 the ONLY difference between the lx1e and the lx1 is the electronics. Nothing else. They sound exactly the same because it’s the same guitar. The lx1 just doesn’t have the option of plugging into an amp. I’d definitely recommend an LX1E against just the LX1. Means that you have the option to use it with an amp and do performances etc etc. Plus it’s only 100 quid more. Just ordered one and I would of regretted it if I’d bought the LX1 instead of saving up the extra money.
Octavio Serrago are you sure it wasn’t an lxme which you bought? These do sound different, not as nice in my opinion but it’s completely down to preference on this one. After researching the lx1 and lx1e the only difference between them is electronics. Literally no other differences.
Both the guitars are amazing for different genres of music and i can not compare them on their sound. But if i were to choose one i would go with the taylor based on the cleaner visual aesthetics
I tried both; what discouraged me from the Martin was the significant weight difference which seemed to all fall on the neck. The huge neck dive was the deal breaker for me, unfortunately.
I bought a Martin LX1E (electric) from a pawn shop for $300 on a whim. Not a scratch on it, and it was one of the best investments I've made. I be had so many compliments on its sound at gigs. Really comfortable too.. For me personally.
I’m looking for a good “locker guitar”. I work night shift at a hospital, we get most of our work done fast and have nothing much to do for a few hours. Hard to pick between these two guitars, I’m leaning towards the Taylor because I like the sound but the Martin also sounds good.
The Baby Taylor has been my go to guitar for the last 5 years and love it. Such a sweet little thing in every regard. As a guy in his mid-40's I don't even mind having the Taylor Swift variant. It's as pretty as it sounds and only cost me £100 unused. I've been looking to upgrade to something even sweeter sounding, but I've already made a misstep. I purchased an Art & Lutherie Ami Spruce parlour guitar. Nicely made, but not nearly as sweet sounding. And because it has a full scale neck I find it harder to play. I think I'd like to try a Koa Baby Taylor, as that is supposed to be a touch brighter and sweeter sounding. Also, I'm considering drilling an extra sound port in the side of my baby, just to let her direct a little more volume towards me. Ramble, ramble, but +1 for the Baby Taylor.
I've tested and tried both guitar here in the philippines. I'd say, this video is just a guide. It would definitely be good if you could try both personally since you could differentiate: how the guitar feels; its action; the tone; and to determine how the wood of the guitar would respond to the climate and humidity of your environment.
I have an LX1 and have played the Baby. Just can't get over how fragile the neck looks and the screws drilled into the fretboard. Voting for the Martin. But the GSM beats them both for parlor guitars.
I've just bought a baby Taylor superb but did not like the martins too boxy whilst the Taylor rings out like a much bigger guitar. The Taylor has a free bright sound with warmth.
I love the fact that you have better access to the upper neck because of the screwed neck. If you don’t need a very compact guitar, the GS mini is a different world, it sounds awesome acoustically and still has a short scale that is comfortable to play
@@janettedewar6617 both are great, but more guitar for the money with the gs I personally think. But the baby is a better travel guitar due to its smaller size.
To all of those saying the Martin "wins" in build quality and durability... Consider this... I love my Baby Taylor. I've had it for 15 years and it's aged wonderfully--beautiful patina, perfectly stable, and a better tone than the day I bought it. I've played the crap out of it (to the point of finish wear) and taken it to Mexico, countless service projects all over Texas, and several airplane flights. It's been on bumpy rides, hot vans, and played IN the van and on the beach. So even though it's not built like a tank it has CERTAINLY taken a beating over time and held up perfectly. I still have it and have it ready for my kids to learn! ALSO: The low end and volume on the Martin is because it wears stock MEDIUM strings and the Taylor wears LIGHTs. If the strings were the same the comparison would certainly be more level. Either guitar can easily switch string gauges. My Baby Taylor wears HD Lights--a step between Medium and Light with more balance.
I've been playing on the Little Martin LXME for a few years and I like it, but I recently decided to look into getting a Taylor as well to add to my arsenal - but watching this I prefer the Martin sound! Still going to grab a Taylor to have both options for different songs. Maybe for Minor songs I'll play the Martin and Major songs play the Taylor! lol that's the ticket.
They both sounded very different from each other but I'm having a hard time deciding which I like better. I thought the tone of the Taylor favored the higher frequency ranges giving it a more articulate sound and the Martin sounded balanced around the high-mids giving it an more even temper. Could I have both?
What a great review. I have always been drawn to Taylors and own a 412ce, now looking for a smaller guitar for my son and I hear the same things in the baby Taylor that I like about my 412.
Great side-by-side comparison. The Taylor really shines in the higher frequencies where it absolutely destroys the Martin in clarity and tonal separation. The Martin is really muddy on the higher end of the frequency spectrum. However, the depth and presence in the lower end of the spectrum is absolutely owned by Martin. Depending on what's played, what your preferences are for sound, and what kind of playing you're going to do, either would be a solid choice. I can't say that one's better than the other. They just have their own unique character and whatever you prefer is what you should get. Or, if you have 'the sickness' where you just can't stop buying guitars (common among guitarists) then you could just get both. 🙂
La Baby Taylor es más sonora u tiene más brilla, pero la Little Martin abarca más frecuencias y mantiene sustein en los graves y medios. Entre ambas escogí la LM lx1e
The long sequence of back-to-back comparisons starting at 2.01 over a wide range of styles and technique are VERY useful and happen fast enough so that it's easy to make direct comparisons. Many thanks. For me, the Taylor just wins --- but as I already have a GS, 562ce and T5z I admit to having something of a bias!
I've been looking at parlour and travel guitars for a while now. I have a Gretsch Jim Dandy and have been considering an upgrade. I have to say, having seen a few comparisons, I keep coming back to the martin as the best balance of size and tone. I just don't want to seem like a Sheeran Fan-boy. Mind you, having just watched him totally own Glastonbury festival on the pyramid stage in front of 20,000 people armed with nothing but an LX1e and looper pedal, he's gone a long way up in my esteem. I think it's fair to say Ed knows his stuff. It's pretty much the same rig he established himself with playing in pubs and clubs! A travel guitar that's caught my ear, besides the LX1, is the Faith Nomad Mini Saturn but with all said and done, I've come to the conclusion that my Jim Dandy offers just what I need, and having already spent just a third of what these beauties cost would cost new, I'm satisfied I spent well and there's little to gain from coveting another flashy traveller. I'll save instead for a nice fuller toned mid size acoustic.
LX1 - Earthy character, stronger mid tones and dulled highs, great for blues and jazz. BT1 - Balanced tone, high clarity, great for all kinds of music specifically pop.
I think the LX1 had the weaker midrange. It sounds scooped with big boomy bass. That's the opposite of what jazz players look for. Most jazz guitarists I know turn the bass knob off or very low so the guitar isn't sonically competing with the bass player. The Taylor here clearly has a stronger midrange projection which makes it better for cutting through a mix and stating melodies boldly, or playing rhythmic chunk chords in traditional music. I would take the Taylor here, any day, but I can see the Martin being useful for strumming behind vocals and staying out of the way of the lead player.
Alex Hand also need to keep in mind the method of recording audio. Boomy bass but what would it sound like in person? I’ve played both, and I like the warmth of the Martin over the crisp highs of the Taylor
Absolutely, that's what I found. It's a good guitar for picking notes, if a little boxy sounding, but as soon as you start hitting all the strings the lows almost totally overwhelm the highs. Then, it's boomy and boxy at the same time. I traded mine for a Taylor GS Mini, well worth the extra £100 for a much rounder tone with clearer highs.
Not covered in this review is the construction... specifically, how the neck is attached. Martin LX1 has a traditional, arguably more enduring, warp resistant mortise and tenon joint & on mine (bought new in 2004), there is a truss rod. The Baby Taylor is just bolted on by two black screws, may have a truss rod? & lacks a neck heel. The neck design was what made my decision.
The Martin has more 'oomph', but the Taylor sounds better and clearer in the context of playing a song, at least in this video. The Martin's mid-range sound just seemed too boomy and harsh, especially under fast strumming. But anyway, once you install a nice pickup and run it into a decent preamp, I'm sure either guitar would be quite workable. =)
The Martin has a lot more resonance, but it also sounds a bit metallic. I actually prefer the LXM, myself, with the laminate top. Seems to remove some unneeded brightness.
I agree and I think you hit the nail on the head. The laminate top has much better bass response and overall balance. In the version I have there are also wooden bridge and fingerboard which are apparently Bolivian or East Indian rosewood. I found at a shop the new ones are super heavy in the neck too.
After a lot of research, I ended up buying the Taylor Baby Taylor for my granddaughter's first guitar. Actual ebony fretboard and bridge and solid wood neck were 2 big selling points. In the end, she would have been happy with either guitar - but lovers her Baby Taylor! (And - that's the guitar Molly Tuttle started with, so...)
The Taylor sounds very cold and too bright in tone. The Martin sounds very warm and thicker. Both sound great but I prefer the sound of that Martin. This was extremely helpful. Thanks so much for these videos
I'm a Taylor guy. I own a 414 35th anniversary and a Custom GS with Laurel back and sides, which is fabulous! I went in my LMS (The Fret Shop in Huntsville, Alabama) thinking I would buy the GS Mini with the Koa top. I decided I didn't want to spend that kind of money on a student guitar that I would probably have loaned out most of the time. When I settled on the price point that the Baby Taylor and the Martin LX1 are in,I ENDED UP WITH THE MARTIN. I was just as surprised as anyone. In person, on that day with those two guitars, the Martin just won.
Honestly I love Martin guitars because they sound more deeper and more warm, but the Taylor in this video sounds way better and the Martin just sounds like a cheap guitar. Between both I like how the Martin looks over the Taylor.
I tried both these guitars in store today. Theres a crispier (if thats a word) sound when the Taylor's strings are picked individually though I thought it sounded janky when strummed. The LX1 sounds better strummed, Taylor better finger style, thats just my opinion
I think the baby Taylor wins this match. It sounds brighter, and overall better, like projects more and the sound waves seem so clear and tight, whereas the Martin sounds messier, not as clear and not as bright eighter.
Now listening to it again, I really cant say, its hard. The martin actually may sound brighter, I dk. Tough call. At times the martin sounds way less brighter. I go back and forth.
Folks will go on and on online about comparisons. I come here just to waste time, which is the stuff of life, anywho. I like Tony and his playing, but what I am hearing through my computer speakers moving all that bass is not in these guitars in reality. When you walk into a store on a good day, one will speak to you and you will not be able to leave without it. I thought I was a Martin guy, but have walked out the store with a Taylor 210 DLX in 2015 and a Mini today. On that chosen day, on those walls, those were the best sounding guitars under these fingers.
I was thinking the same thing. The Martin seems to project and sustain better especially with open chords. The Taylor sounded too bassy on the low end.
I own a Martin LX1E. I love. I had previously owned a Baby Taylor but felt it sounded a little sharp. The Martin sounds more mellow. I prefer that. I did upgrade to a hard shell case for better protection. By the way, a great comparison of the two.
The GS Mini beats both hands down. I probably should have waited a year because they have the Expression pickup system now. I have an ES Go pickup. I may think about a contact pickup as a secondary.
I have played both in guitar center and walked out with the Martin. I couldn't really tell the difference in sound, but I found the feel of the Martin's neck better, it's wider. Plus, the guy suggested I go with the Martin although he's a Taylor guy.
Omar. Everyone has the right to their opinion. My ears are mine, your ears are yours. I would never be so arrogant in my assumption that I am correct and everyone else is wrong.
I usually prefer the Taylor sound but between these two I think Little Martin was the better one. Baby Taylor was overly muddy and bassy whereas the Martin was more well balanced. Excellent comparison, would really like to hear Tony's opinions though. Don't know why reviewers nowadays avoid the actual review?
Sad that these instruments are type-cast as "TRAVEL" guitars. Many of us armchair pickers play ONLY small guitars. My expensive standard-size guitars all stay asleep in their cases while I pick up my cheap little Martain LX1 4 or 5 times a day. It's no beauty but is incredibly handy and playable. I do wish they made a finer instrument in the same small size.
Buck Weet you glad you went with it ? I just the Koa baby Taylor and debating on whether to exchange it for Matin or just get the baby Taylor with the mohganey wood instead.
The Martin had better note separation and better resonance. I was hoping that the more natural materials used in the Taylor would outperform the man-made materials used to make up the Martin. Martin still won that competition in my mind. I wish there was more info on the neck profiles for each one (probably similar). Thanks for a great and very useful review.
idk if they turned up the bass while recording the Martin, but it sounds fuller/thicker. however the Taylor sounds brighter. (and is lightweight) even after this i don't know which to pick.
I think the Taylor BT1 blows away the Martin LX1 but I prefer the brighter sound that it delivers. However, I do love the sound of some of the other Martins I've played.
Nice comparison. You sacrifice a lot in terms of sound quality with both guitars. I preferred the sound of the taylor for chord strumming and the sound of the martin for note picking.
Seems like an awful shame to not save up the extra £100 to get the lx1e (lx1 but with electrics for those of you who don’t know). Just got mine today and it sounds so nice even with my cheap practice amp. When not plugged in, sure it sounds lovely but the main beauty behind this guitar is the sound it can produce when plugged in. I honestly sold my PS4 to afford the lx1e instead of just the lx1 but it was totally worth it. I recommend that anybody else planning on buying a little Martin does the same!
