this is a tough one. I would say I would like the martin for strumming and taylor for finger picking... now to convince my wife that my son and I need both...
Folks, don't forget the HUGE part of these reviews that ALWAYS gets left out. The STRINGS. The Martin comes with Martin strings and the Taylors always come with Elixir strings. This will make as much difference as anything else on the guitars. Cheers.
Changed them this afternoon. To my ears (which aren't perfect at age 73) the Martin strings had a muddiness about them that I didn't like. There was no real brightness or clarity. I've fitted Elixir 10-47 which are lighter than the original Martins. (Not sure what gauges they were). Brightness has certainly been improved but I'm used to Elixirs so wasn't surprised. I haven't really had a lot of time to play them in as yet and also have D'Addario EXP10's in reserve for when I want to try them. I've never used EXP10s before so that should be interesting.
@@alansturgess1324 Martin's aren't meant to be played with coated strings. It's like a sacred thing. Ones it came with might be old, try the daddiaro phospher bronze, 12s really get it moving and ringing. Never played a d. Jr. But theyre the gold standard for most martins
@@Dildobagginses Interesting and valid comment but, as in all things, it always comes down to personal preference rather than received wisdom. Just as in this upload I ended up in the position of being able to compare a Martin D.Jnr against a Taylor GS. In my instance it was the walnut version. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing to play one against the other, and --- although it was a very close run thing --- I opted for the GS. In part my decision was decided by size and comfort. In terms of sound, it's worth explaining that I usually play with my thumb (often with the fleshy part rather than the nail) rather than a pick. The Martin had more depth than the Taylor but in terms of brightness there was little difference - as Tony accurately demonstrates in this 'shoot-out'. For my style of playing which might be described as folky-bluesy-jazz the Taylor just edged it. So that is now the guitar that I have. Anyone else in a position to compare these two guitars would be just as likely to go for the Martin .... it would be a boring world if we all liked the same things, even if we can't ever quite explain why we prefer one thing more than another.
The playability and general feel of a guitar is of great importance to me , especially this size of guitar which implies a comfortable experience . I'd have to play them both .
...Once owned this gs mini. Sold it. Now i have this mart djre. .'Love it. Both have great tones though. Problem with the gs mini is its adaptabilty to climate. Mine easily bellly-swelled the moment i took it home. I had to lower the tone everytime and change to lighter strings. Martin has a better body construction. .'set it up once and it never changed form. Loved them both by the way
When I watched it for the first time I thought the Martin was clearer and the Mini more mellow, but now I've seen it 3 or 4 times I think the Mini is a bit brighter and clearer most of the time, but it is mellower in places and duller. I love the sound of the Martin though. Martin for me.
Been watching lots of videos going back and forth between the Martin and the GS Mini since I need a little travel guitar to start taking around with me. This video helped a bunch! Both sound really good, and the Taylor really shines on a couple of those little ditties, but man... the warmth and tone out of that Martin just sends me to a happy place. Literally just bought one thanks, in part, to this 8 year old video lol.
I have the GS Mini mahogany and love it. Its a balanced guitar that produces overall good clarity and big sound for a small box. Its my travel guitar. However, I do like the Martin sound better because of the rich tonal qualities. In person, you can hear it better than RU-vid. And this dread junior does have some of that Martin sound.
Thanks Tony that was a good video well done. I think the guitars sounded similar but the Martin had a fuller more balanced sound to my ears. The difference really shows up when you strum these two guitars the Taylor just has a clangy sound to me that I don't like. I have a friend that has the Taylor and I got to play it while it plays well I found the clangy sound not to my liking. Martin doesn't sound like a mini guitar it has a pretty full sound to it. Thank you.
Martin, Martin, Martin...now I want one...I was considering GS Mini as travel option, after trying 4 Taylors and selling them off 915c, 65512, 612c, 314ce no midrange loved the action on the 314ce and that expression pick up, but just love the Martins more. So thrilled to see they made a travel guitar with solid woods... I see people saying use Martin strings on the Taylors don't especially if they are the Martin SP strings they are harder tension and Taylor tops are thin and you'll do damage to your guitar. I see the specs on the D Jr. are use SP Lifespan 80/20 bronze medium gauge due to the shorter scale neck... I can hardly wait!!! PS I added GraphTech bridge pins tone booster, and I don't use bone hate working with it smells like burnt hair... GS mini users try D'Adarrio EX strings far better than Elixirs no coating just treated chemically like SIT Royal Bronze...
I ended up with the Martin D Jr it came with pick up, the GS mini does not, and there is no binding on the front. They both sound great but the D-Jr neck feels better and I'm just more used to Martins so there you have it, also had a bone but compensated bridge saddle installed and some black GraphTech bridge pins with pearl dots looks nice, But I had to give it that look and give it some Grover 18:1 Butter bean tuners...I'll probably get it a hard shell case next...really love this little Guitar Guitar with the big sound!
I owned both Taylor GS Mini eRW and Martin DJR-10e. I've done my own setup on both guitars to my own preferences and uses D'Addario XS phosphor bronze string on both guitars. Based on my experience playing; both guitars has it's own unique sound and feel. IMO the gs mini feels small whilst the djr-10e feels very comfortable and natural. I love Martin DJR-10e the most in terms of feel and sound.
I have the Taylor mini mahogany. Sounds great. But then I decided that I need the Martin as well, eventually. I find the Taylor neck width to be a little too narrow for finger picking without feeling a little too cramped. I didn't like the Elixer strings so I put Martin Retros monel to mellow it out.
I honestly don't think you could go wrong with either. They are both excellent sounding guitars. But I prefer the old school martin sound, that's why I bought the Martin.
I'm going for the gs mini rosewood for my daughters Christmas box. Can't wait to see her face. I love Martin guitars as I have a beautiful d-42 and my brother has a d-28 but after looking at both guitars in question here for my daughters best interests I'm swayed towards the gs mini as it will I think be easier for her to learn on with its really good action and 1-11/16 nut and scale length. Both guitars sound superb and play great if I was buying for me I'd go with the junior been a Martin guitar enthusiast but for my daughter it's the gs mini for sure. great video Tony with thanks
I ordered a Taylor GS mini at my local guitar store to test it out. Walked out with the Martin. I love the guitar so much!! Taylor was good but somehow it was not comfortable to play.
GS Minis are usually pretty consistent. I’ve played a few with poor action, but usually they’re easy to play. I prefer the Martin’s sound and nut width, but the GS Mini is fantastic for travel and comes with an awesome case. I own the Taylor, but if I were buying now I’d look for an especially well setup Martin Jr and pay the extra money for a good case.
I think this comparison simply leaves it to individual preference. My preferences actually swing a bit like moods. That can easily be viewed as both a blessing and a curse because all I want to do now is get both! :)
Oh forgot the Fishman Sonitone pickup sounded fairly natural and even better when I plugged in to my Fishman Aura Di pedal... Piezo pickups have really improved over the years...
I played a GS mini recently. It had a koa top, a cutaway, and a built-in pickup. It was the most comfortable guitar I've ever played. And the sound was unbelievable. It was pretty hard to leave the store without it, but I didn't have the funds at the time.
Taylor seem more toppy, less bottom and mids, Martin more bottom & mids; Taylor looks sexier, Martin like a pear, Martin more volume, could be strings. Martin Retro strings are awesome. I'm so confused now!! Why is this always happening to me?
I love that little bit of extra sparkle Taylors have. Taylors don't boom like Martins, but Martins don't cut like Taylors. This video does nothing to quell my GS Mini GAS.
I got the chance to try out both the Martin and Taylor today. The Taylor comes off as loud and crisp whereas the Martin was mellower and deeper in tone. What I noticed on the Martin was that the glue on the neck joint wasn't cleaned or done very well. Also, the fretboard edge (not frets) was sharp on my thumb. I suppose you can sand the edge though if you're really set on it. Another difference I noticed was that the Martin's fretboard radius felt a ton flatter. I love the idea of Martin using all solid wood though. Personally, I was a lot more comfortable playing the Taylor, but the Martin sound slowly grew on me. It's definitely a tough decision that will probably require a few more trips to the nearest guitar store. Either one is good!
Close, but I prefer Taylor Mini (E version) with mahogany top.....sounds warmer and best mid tones. If you like brighter sounds then maybe the Martin. But string choices will affect the sound too...so very close. Not sure of US prices (i'm in the UK).
I played a Martin dread Jr last week, and it was surprisingly good, but it is not as small as I thought it would/should be. Definitely smaller than full size, but not as "mini" as what I expected. For a travel guitar I want something smaller. I have not tried the Taylor, so have no impressions on that one.
went to a store with every intention of buying the GS mini, and then the D JR was put in my hands. The rich, full tone was too much for the taylor to compete against. Also, the full sized neck was perfect, the taylor felt like a baby guitar and the tone was lacking a low boom. The D JR was just the winner.
I recently bought the same Taylor in this video after playing 4 other Gs minis with higher prices and different wood combinations. Even though the one tested is the least expensive GS model it sounded best of all! This was the opinion of several people including the store owner. I have owned and played dozens of low end to high end acoustics over the years and concluded that the same models can vary quite a bit in there sound quality. You just have to play them. More than one of the same model if you can. Can't comment on the Martin other than it sounded a little better rounded in the video maybe able to handle aggressive playing without overpowering the bass as much as the taylor. Take every RU-vid test with a grain of salt
Acoustic Letter I know you guys are very busy but I am torn between the gs mini mahogany and the martin dread junior. If you guys ever find the time to do a quick comparison between those two I would be so appreciative :) if not could you at least tell me what you recommend? I would mostly be taking it on road trips and using it as a practice guitar at home. Can you get the gs mini mahogany that comes with a pickup? And which would you say has a better travel bag?
Hi Tony. I think that a better comparison would have been between the Martin D-Junior and the Taylor Big Baby, since both guitar share almost identical exterior specs. Anyhow, good review.
The Taylor sounds better, so I just bought...the Martin. Going back and forth at Guitar Center for the afternoon, I thought the Martin just fit me a bit better. Anyway, I'm not a Pro, and I heavily process everything through GarageBand, and I love the Sonitone routed through an iRig HD. The difference in sound quality is not that big a deal.
Played both today in the luxury of an empty guitar center acoustic room (had the place for 2 hours to myself almost). Also got to put the pickup systems in both to the test. The Dread Jr. is a very interesting guitar. At first it feels cheaply made but the tone in the lower fret positions and especially open chord positions say something different. It has a very interesting muted thud-clang to it that I really like (you can hear that when Tony plays open chords in this video). The problem is the factory setup and intonation were.... just horrible compared to the GS Mini's they had in stock. Fretted 12th low E was going 75% sharp. Fretted 12th A string was going about 60% sharp. The rest of the strings were where I'd expect them to be (anywhere from 1-5% sharp or flat). The GS Mini's intonation was consistent on all 3 they had in stock and never exceeded 5% sharp/flat on 12th on any string). The intonation problems on the Dread Dr were noticed. When putting a capo on the 4th fret and playing a few tunes I can distinctly hear the low E and A having pitch problems that were not noticeable when playing open chords. I don't believe any of Tony's demo songs in this video move far enough up the neck to really hear how well the one he's playing would compare... Also action on the Martin Jr is god-awful high. On the GS Mini it's consistent. The GS Mini comes with an excellent factory setup, the Martin Jr. will need to be taken in for setup immediately..... The GS Mini has less clang, just clean and balanced (that Taylor sound). The Martin Jr. doesn't really have "that Martin sound" but it has a thud-clang slightly reminiscent of the Gibson thud sound. They both do sound great, but you'll have to put more work into the Martin... Should also be noted that one of Taylor's design goals was to create a travel guitar where the gig bag could fit the overhead compartment of a passenger seat on an airplane. The longer scale of the Martin makes that impossible. The gig bag that comes with the Martin is also cheap and not nearly as protective. Martin's answer to this is to offer a traditional hard shell case for the Dread Jr, although it doesn't come cheap. Plugged in the Fishman pickup in the Dread Jr. wins hands down.
Hmmm... The Martin sounded like a bigger guitar.. and it is, so it does do what it does great. The Martin tones are more scooped lacking the mid-range tones of the Taylor which sounds more balanced overall but it certainly depends on the style you play as to which best suits your needs.. Cant go really wrong with either..these two are tops in my book at an acoustic guitar. I own a Taylor GA8e and now have a mini GSe which is a great lil guitar. Martin has that Delta blues tone typically which NO ONE does better (not Taylor either) but my taste in music is a bit wider and the Martin as great as it is just isnt for me. Great vid!
Finally Martin has a real travel guitar. The GS mini smoked everything Martin had to compete the Taylor til now. I have The GS mini in mahogany ( love it) but from this side by side id have to say the Martin sounds a bit better to my ears. Both are beautiful amazing guitars. No wrong choice
I sold my Martin D Jr - it just sounded flat and dull, no matter what I was playing. Simply did not resonate the way I like. Very flat. Tried out a GS Mini and am going to buy it. Much more resonant, much better feel, narrower waist. The Taylor is beautiful, resonant, and easy to play.
Hola,saludos desde España😄felicitarle por los vídeos,son muy muy buenos y esplicitos,👍como experto en acustica le pido ayuda,tengo una Guild D-140 y la afino en D#,qué calibre de cuerdas me recomienda y que altura de cuerdas poner? Espero su respuesta,Gracias 🙏
I owned both and kept the Martin. The scale length really makes a huge difference most especially as these are travel guitars. I feel that the Martin is more comfortable to play and the sustain is much better than the Taylor. I love the "fullness" of the Taylor (compared to the signature Martin sound-ish from the DJr) but in the end, I went with which is more comfortable to play. My play style is also more on fingerpicking, hence the sustain is really important to me.
++ the Taylor also eventually had a bulge on the saddle part. I am not sure why, but probably still because of the scale length. They were both on 12s string and I think since the Taylor is shorter, there is much more tension on the strings. I cannot use 11s on the Taylor as it affects the sustain.
The GS Mini has a bright sound on the lows and mids plus deeper bass while the Dread Jr. has very clean highs. However, when Tony played the G chord in the beginning on both, I heard almost no difference. It's a matter of personal preference in terms of the sound. I still like my GS Mini though. (but I changed my strings for Elixir Polyweb Custom Lights).
caraddict22 i played both these guitars at my local guitar store and there is no way the gs mini has a deeper bass sound. It is bright and articulate but is very sharp sounding for my taste while the djr has a balanced low and mid range and is far louder than the gs mini
I don't own ether brand of guitar, but the martins always win these comparisons for me. They have a warmt to their tone that is missing in the taylor guitars.
Thank you so much for this really helpful comparison - was not able to try either in person and this (and a few other videos helped so much :)). I initially favoured the Taylor GS Mini (based partly on sound in the video and partly on comments from owners below and on various forums). I got a Taylor but returned it - just too clinical and well, no soul - at least for me. On the GS Mini, build was excellent and perfect intonation (initially by ear but confirmed via two pro tuners). Bag was excellent - few cosmetic issues - on guitar. I have just taken delivery of a Martin Dreadnought Jnr and have to say it is in a different league to the Taylor (IMHO) - build quality is PERFECT sbd the sound is to die for - if you are thinking of getting one - DO IT :):)
From this video I would say, just on tone, the GS Mini has a slight edge, BUT the overall package winner is the D Jr. The biggest reason I picked the D Jr over the GS Mini is there is nothing appealing about playing a 23.5" scale and I am short with short fingers. I have owned two GS Minis and sold them both. I now own the D Jr. The GS Mini is cute and sounds good, but if you travel with your guitar and want to practice a new song that 23.5" scale doesn't translate back to regular scale very well in my opinion. If you use a capo then you can really forget the GS Mini.
If you’re a small person with small hands AND a beginner, would the GS mini be a better choice because of size?? I have a Martin LX1 and I really don’t like the sound. The size is OK but a little bigger would also be OK.
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.
I'm searching for one of these two guitars to buy, and there are a lot of GS Minis, but no DJr on the market (Reverb, eBay, etc.). Why do you think it happens? Can it be because a new GS Mini is cheaper, so people buy it more, or people that buy the Martin guitar don't want to sell it?
I like the tone better on the Martin, but it’s too big for my hands. I tried one yesterday. Petite with small hands/short fingers here. It’s hard to find a small guitar that fits me but that also sounds good.
I see what you mean, Tony. They both sound great, but very different. I'm not sure I'd say either one was better than the other. My preference is leaning towards the Martin, since it has a sound that's familiar to me. My question would be a practical one... is the D Jr small enough to take on flights as hand luggage?
Jesse Watson I put Martin strings on my Taylor, but only 'cause I change 'em twice a week and Martins are the cheapest option of what I call ''acceptable'' quality where I live. T'would get a little pricey otherwise even if I cut down to once a week. (I gig a lot) :)
Joe Bennett Yep, you gotta do what you gotta do for the tone you want. A lot of people really love Martin strings! I prefer nickel strings, and old strings, which is not what most people prefer.
I play a full size dread. So although I prefer my strings after a couple of hours ''mudding in'' for the sake of feel, there's no need to subdue the highs with duller, older pipes for me. Plenty of booty to balance stuff out and plenty of clean mids. Add the fact that I'm heavy handed as crap and liable to bust even a 56 gauge low E after a couple of days fatigue and my methods make sense :P
what do you guys thinking between the GS mini mahogany vs the dreadnought jr? I personally couldn't decide between the GS koa and mahogany but now I can't decide whether GS mini or dreadnought.
Sound wise, my preference goes to the Martin. It wins hands down over the Taylor. However, I like the sexiness of GS Mini body. It'll definitely be "less tiring" to play the Taylor over a long period of time.
Picking, the Martin wins hands down, chords a different story, Mini gets it. Like them both but if you're a bluegrass player I think you HAVE to take the Martin.
Sorry mr.........i am confused very long time and now ....i am can not choice where buy...... martin djr 10 or gs mini..........very confused........and....can you recomended for me.........thanks.....
I think the difference is the balance. The bass is stronger and more present on the Martin, so it's overall tone is more balanced. The Taylor projects well, but the higher strings and their brightness overpower the low strings. Balance wins it for the Martin.
When does a stronger bass means more balanced? Normally, stronger bass means LESS balanced. For me, maybe because I own one, but if you want a BALANCED travel guitar, go for the Taylor GS Mini Koa
