Can't go wrong with either one. For me, I love the tone of the Martin with the solid back. But the mahogany face on the Taylor gives it a great sound as well.
I went with the GS mini (spruce top) when making this choice a little while back. It just sounded better to me than the Martin. I like the mini so much that I acquired another one (mahogany). I was fully satisfied until I played the Yamaha short scale parlor/travel guitars (CSF1 and CSF3). Both minis have been sold and now a CSF1M Yamaha is my go to travel and also my everyday guitar. I've got to stop trying other guitars...
I currently have a Martin Djr Streetmaster, and I used to have a Sitka top djr and the Taylor GS mini mahogany. Both are excellent. I slightly prefer Martin over Taylor, but . . . Buy both of them. You’ll enjoy both.
First, you could not go wrong with either. However, I own the Martin Djr and I pick that up before any other in my arsenal. It's the only guitar I own that if something happened to it I would leave the house immediately and go buy another one (given I could afford it).
The Martin is all solid, the Taylor has a solid top laminate back and sides. These two guitars are the very definition of tradeoffs. Taylor real wood fretboard and wooden bridge and good gig bag but laminate back and sides. Martin, solid body but richlite bridge and fretboard. Now the Shawn Mendez Jr000 is all solid all wood everything for $800 with a gig bag as good as the Taylor so that might be the right answer.
You better try them out your selves at a guitar store! I ordered a few cheaper guitars online which I had to return cause I either didn't find them sound nice enough or simply because they are not setup at all and play heavy. Didn't like the hustle at the end. I finally went to a proper guitar shop that holds both Martin and Taylor and compared the Martin Dreadnought junior & 000JR-10 and Taylor academy 10-12 and the GS mini. They all sound great and play great but at the end I went for the Martin Dreadnought junior for how it felt playing and for it's slightly richer overtones with it's all solid body. I also love it's slightly more mellow-retro tone with it's original strings. The Taylors are a bit more open with the Elixir ones. At the end is personal preference. From the Taylor GS mini I like most the balance of the solid spruce top with Rosewood back and sides.
I would have liked to hear some bass runs to be sure, but I think the Taylor had rounder, richer bass sounds which could be attributed to the different woods used in the construction. But, nice demo. Thanks
Hmmm....its tricky, i believe the taylor sounds more top end with the martin giving more bass.....i think. Id be very h ppy with either, to be honest. Ive never had a taylor and i love the look.
I've always hated the midrange of the GS mini But I want that Taylor heel joint design no dove tails If I got a cheap Martin its gonna be the Martin 000-JRE Shawn Mendes Custom Signature Edition Acoustic-Electric Guitar That thing feels like a higher end Martin just with a satin finish. Mexico made and doesn't have that metallic body wood weird thing cheap Martins have
I did the opposite. . First the Taylor but couldn’t bond with it. Exchanged it for the Martin Jr. I’ve loved it well for the past several years. Now have other (full size) Martins as well.
@@sintasusi3753 Back and sides are solid. That's how they market it and have an edge over the GS mini. Taylor has responded with the Grand Theater model. These two companies have a great competition going that drives them both to get better continuously.
The Martin top indicates it's new coz it is pale yellow. I have both of these guitars and the Martin stika spruce top will age and turned brown. Then the Martin overtones superceeded the GSmini with layered sapele back and sides
