The Recording King vs Martin answer! 

Bravo JP!! Regular musicians cannot afford the big guys anymore. I had to sell my OM-21 to help pay for recording an album and I'll never be able to buy another because of how stupid the prices have become. You have given all of us hope that quality materials, flawless craftsmanship and superb sound are within reach. The big boys seem to have forgotten who got 'em there.

I sittin' here listening to you just chucklin my head off......you are 100% spot on!! 100%

I love your channel for what you do. I have been following different channels that review guitars for over 10 years. But this channel is definitely one of the best channels if you are looking for honest opinions about guitars. Obviously it has something to do with the fact that you are an awesome guitar player!!!

Well said brother! I am glad these recording King guitars are out there. Truly incredible. The sound of the recording king is very impressive.

I went in a small music store a while back, they had 12-14 Martin D18’s and D28’s, I played most of them with the exception of the cherry wood ones, I noticed an Eastman D28 style guitar in a beautiful sunburst hanging on the wall, I got it and hit a G chord and my mouth dropped! It was the best guitar in the shop hands down, Adirondack top, forward shifted scalloped braces, solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, beautiful guitar. Around $1100 dollars! The fit and finish was immaculate.

Checking out more of your videos and being entertained while learning. Your helping a lot of players that other wise would have spent money they didn't have on a logo rather than a great sounding more affordable acoustic. Thanks JP

Thank you for this excellent video, your reflections, and for making the point so clearly.

Awesome sir! Amazing comparison

You my friend are 100% correct. The prices the big three are demanding for their guitars are ridiculous. One of my guitars is Yamaha FG735S. I've had it 18 yrs. Its sounds amazing.

The RD328 has been sold out for pretty much the whole pandemic, but 2 weeks ago Thomann posted a B-stock (return)! I ordered it right away, got it 5 days later, stringed it up with new 12's, took it to a jam and was blown away by how well it sounded, put up with much more expensive instruments, AND how well it cut through in the jam situation! These videos where VERY helpful! Thanks J.P.!

Amen! Great points. I've got a Recording King rd-10 and never been happier with an acoustic guitar.

What GREAT info J.P.! It`s makes a lot of sense to listen to someone who is honest and says it like it is!!!!

Good comparison keep it up!

It’s because of you, JP, that I bought a recording king rd 328, to replace my old $500 Mexican made Martin custom x series dread., about 3 weeks ago now., it only took a few hours to get totally comfortable with the v shape neck profile, as I’d never played one before., this guitar is amazingly good!, love your channel, great content!

Thank you for letting us know!

Great advice, I am playing Recording King by myself. Brilliant guitars at a reasonable price!

Wow man your a great player I love your playing and tone. Thank you sir!!!

Great video. My feelings exactly. Thank you. And you are quite a player!! Happy Holidays :)

I dreamed of owning a D-28 like the one my teacher had when I was 15. It took me 38 years of owning a $120 acoustic (Woody), a Strat (Brownie) Rickenbacker 360/6 (Blondie) I had the money and I was hell bent on buying that D-28. I didn't see anything else in the store. Tunnel vision. I was going to bring it to its new home. Were going to stay up all night and play every song and then some. Whoo Hoo......Then I saw the D-18 tried it and told them. Wrap it up. This one is mine.

Hey JP update on my rd328 just had a professional set up and put tony rice monel strings medium gauge strings on it and man it woke up the adi top, great tone with no loss of volume and actually gained volume

Thanks JP!

Great to hear that! Greetings from Norway 🇧🇻

Note the answer is in the description! They sounded similar (and good) to me. I guessed correctly because JP sounded slightly more comfortable on the 2nd one, like an old pair of shoes. (Other channels have blindfold tests and we learn to listen for non-tone indicators :) Thanks for the videos and amen for small, organic guitar builders!

Thanks for this, JP. Last month I decided I wanted a small-body guitar, and I was torn between a Little Martin and a Recording King Single 0 parlor guitar. I ended up getting the Recording King, partly because it cost less than half as much as the Martin...but I love it, and this video makes me even more glad that I made the choice that I did. RK really does make great instruments for the price.

I didn't know which was which, but I liked the second better! The Recording King! Just a very minimal miniscule difference in sound. An awesome sound! Thank you for doing these videos...

I love your stuff JP, love your family. Stack 'em high boy.

Thanks so much! Saw a RK on reverb, had never heard of them before. I definitely am buying it to try.

Great perspective! Thanks! I get more comments about how beautiful my Yamaha FS-TA sounds than I do w my Martin 00015. Got the yamaha for $300 off craigslist and paid a luthier to install bone nut and saddle. It's fun to play and I take it everywhere without worry. I wanna try the recording king 11 series.

Great vid !

I was blown away by this Recording King RD-342 I played the other day. Cannot believe how great the instrument sounds. Heading back to Guitar Center and pick that wonderful instrument up.

I bought a Gibson G 45 after testing the mexican Taylor and Martin, and I lover her. Great sound and playability and... pretty affordable for a US build. Can you review one of those in the future?

You're an absolute savage on those guitars!!!!

Great points JP Enjoy your Picking

Love your videos brother your so knowledgeable

Great comparison, and a cool video. If you REALLY want to see "bang for the buck", try this same taste test with the Recording King RD-T16. This is a mahogany laminate dread, with the torrified Addy top. New retail is $529.00. I paid $325 for mine pre-owned on Reverb. I'd be very interested to see you do the same comparison with that model of Recording King. Great work, subscribed!!

Hey J.P. , Thanks a lot for this series! Which one would you pick between the Alvarez MD60 and this Recording King? Many thanks!

Am pleased I got it correct (am fortunate owner of 67 D16 in very rough shape but love it & got it yrs. ago through trades...& very fortunate also have a nice Santa Cruz that I knew little about when traded for it at a shop, except the rosewood was great & the Gibson I traded for it, though also R.W & great sounding J60, was bulky as heck with tiny neck). Have followed you for years (you are a true master of the craft) very much appreciate your comments & sharing on here. Best to you & yours, stay healthy & hope to see you in concert, down the road.

You play the strings so amazing. I keep trying to do this and keep replaying. Mad respect. Love both guitars. I picked up a maple top guild that is just my favorite to date. Just need to get some high speed picking skills. Thank you for sharing

Wow! Thank you so much JP! I’ve been looking for a good guitar that’s affordable for months and haven’t found one that I like. I am going to order one of these

Excellent follow up video on the results and your philosophy value.... when you said "Decal", was expecting Bubbles, Randy and Julian to barge through the door.

Sweet!!.thanks John

I got it right. The second guitar sounded to me more ... deep and warm and “round”, not just bright like the first one. So I picked the second one as the Martin

AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. That's why I love Yamaha so much. Not just for their superb affordable guitars, but bc of how important that is to support musicians and music.

proud to finally be a member here

My Recording King "Dirty Thirties" OOO is played along with Taylors and Martins. I don't ask for more. Its my sound and it its consistent to all others.

Lovely sound, great playin' bro!

I love you dude.......what a great video.....you ain't lying brother....my best to you sir!!

I am happy that i stumbled on to this video. I had actually never thought about all these factors that you mentioned. I wanted to own a Martin myself, i know very little about guitars. I seen a brand new Martin in the store yesterday that had really bad problems, i mean an actual check in the wood on the face. I thought then WTH? they still had it marked at over 2800.00. Led me to ask, what is going on with Martin. I certainly applaud Taylor for all their efforts of planting trees and using as much of the wood as possible. After watching this video though I will go back and check out the Recording Kings that i seen hanging there. Thanks for all your efforts, possibly saved me from making a horrible decision.

Great reviews on the Recording King sir. I just purchased a RD-328 myself and damn does it sing... My uncle owned a Martin D-28 that was made in the late '20's and I remember how the sound of that guitar enveloped the room when it was played. These Recording King guitars are built with the quality materials an craftsmanship that you'd expect from any of the top 3 for a fraction of the price... Another guitar that I purchased recently is my Lag Tramontane. It plays like an electric, the action and satin neck is so good for under $800!

Hey JP just found your channel and boy am I glad I did! Going through your vids now but I was wondering if you have played any blueridge guitars? I am debating on either the recording king or the blue ridge and would love to hear your opinion if you would suggest one over the other. Thanks!

I don’t just like this channel, I love it!

I am going to purchase the MD-328 now that I watched your video. Great video.

Not the same guitar but my 2016 Recording King ROS-10/000 12 fret is a gem! Solid Spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides. Plays like sweet butter, perfect intonation, wonderful resonance and very well built, I love fingerpicking on this guitar! Have not played my Taylor 317e as much as I used to, this RK is just so nice. I will be buying another Recording King, an RD-328! Thanks JP for your videos.

I'm no great player but have gigged for years. I have owned many guitars. Among them Martin, Takemine & Taylor. A couple of years ago, I wanted a cheap but good quality guitar that I could play in pub sessions and hand over to unknown persons without fear and hold my Taylor in reserve. I found a chinese made Framus Legacy, Solid Rosewood & Spruce Top with a Fishman Prefix T preamp. I purchased for a ridiculous €650 ($690) on Thomann. It was AWESOME! So much so, I sold my Taylor & kept it as my main guitar. I took it to my luthier, highly renowned & experienced with over 40 years in the business and he was simply blown away. You are 100% correct in everything you say. My next high end guitar will be made by the same luthier. I have just added the Recording King to my basket and have to wait 3-4 weeks before it is in stock. Thanks for the time and the review.

You are so right .I started playing when I was 14.im 61 now .iv never been able to afford a martin always wanted one...but I want a nice sounding guitar not a parcel of land.

Spot on man. Bring it. I had a Martin endorsement for a while. I love them. But as you said, they are terribly expensive. I have a bunch of Eastman’s now and a hand selected Martin 000-18.

Amen brother!

Thank you for this ! :-)

Well said! I picked my guitar out based on the right material etc etc and saved a fortune and sounded and felt great compared! I have the Johnson version (same company as Recording King and name had to change) but I've had it for a while now and it needs something as it doesn't play like it used to.. as the wood ages what should I be doing to improve the feel and possibly the sound? Nut needs sorting as G string rattles. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Great video. You just got yourself another subscriber.

Wow great review. I just picked up a Recording King Raj-26 which looks like a Gibson J45. I bought it at a pawn shop for the unbelievable price of 80$. It has a built in pickup which sounds great. There is a top hairline crack/separation from not enough humidity but can be fixed and definitely doesn't affect the sound. It appears to have been road hard and put away wet, but it's a fantastic guitar. I own a Gibson and several other high end brands, and the feel and playability of the RK is amazing. These are great guitars for the money.

JP, Starting to really like you as I see you on RU-vid. I hope you are healthy. Would be very nice to have you around for many more years.

Great video.

I got it right! It was a total guess though. I actually liked the sound of the RK better. Guess that means I gotta get me one!

I still have my 1973 Martin D-41 bought new in 1976 at a music store for $900. A few years ago, Martin paid $700. to have have a Martin certified luthier re-set the neck and of course I paid for worn parts; nut, saddle and frets. While it was fairly easy for me to tell the Martin in your test, you still get what you pay for. My old martin has recently been replaced as I get ready to retire and play out full time. I bought a 2018 Martin HD-28e reimagined with the 1938 style scallop shifted bracing. While the older martins were intended to be played either in front of a mic or acoustic, the new martins have electronics with EQ built in that sounds like an acoustic, only louder. A dream guitar that's a player with a faster neck and playable action, adjustable trust rod and sounds of a vintage guitar. Hate to say it but a better guitar than my D-41. All of that for under $3,500 including the onboard electronics. Only guitar I need and would rather have it than in keeping a dozen guitars and not playing most of them very often. Martins seem to sound best for me using .013 -.056 strings. Maybe it was just the recording but your Martin didn't sound as good as it should have, even though the playing was stellar. And while I get you shouldn't have to get a loan to buy a guitar, usually in September, people really wanting a martin can get a interest free loan for 4 years, and they typically drop the price about a grand. For something that is a heirloom and one of the best sounding guitars, what you get as a long term investment should be considered. They are still hand made and much improved over the older models in the standard series . I really enjoy the JP Cormier site and see where some would benefit from the Recording King. Thanks!

Will you be reviewing the RD-318 with the 30 year old spruce top?

Great playing

Ah ha I got it right. I could tell #1 had more punch and sounded new. And #2 was more blended and settled. However I preferred the RK for lead punch. If I played rhythm and wanted that sweet tone that blended with the band then the Martin would be the answer. However the price difference is insane. I would like to hear the RK 50 years from now.

thx helpful review

Thanks for the video. First time Watching... I’m guessing you are in Canada? I have a Canadian made Norten guitar that I really like curious if you have played one of these?

I'd guessed the Martin was #2... but I did prefer #1. Thank you for the comparison!

Good info!

Amazing playing btw!

ah man, i got it right. I honestly was getting excited that I had gotten it wrong (I just ordered the OM model of this RK), as he was describing the percentages! Honestly it was the crazy complexity of that final strum of the second guitar that made me go "whoa that must be the martin," and then the rk was obviously a little more spanky and bright on that attack, though that Adirondack will be playing a small role in that

Thank you for clearing up the information upon the martins nowadays as opposed to the 40's and 50's. Martin is my dream guitar the D-18 to be specific but ill settle right now for my takamine

Great guitar THANKS.

Holy crap....I was not expecting that from the RK.... I'm not a dread guy, but this made me order the RO-328...thanks for the video!

Hey JP, Mike here, really, really nice playing. I am essentially an electric guitarist and have been for the last 36 years but I have a Telecaster and it's made in Mexico it's the only non-American guitar I have and it's the oldest electric I have and I swear by that guitar, despite just a few mods I made it's an incredible guitar with rock solid tuning and a beautiful sound ...and only now am I really getting seriously into acoustic guitar territory, after 36 years of playing guitar ...O well better late than never. Take care JP. Mike.

Your great !! Just subscribed!! Wow you can pick !! I am a working musican and all 4 of my stage guitars are recording Kings I love them and can afford them !! Your Great. stay safe

My 000-328 has opend up within a week too,crazy much. Sanded down the saddle just now and now its even better.

Awesome playing I don’t know what fiddle tune was that you played when you picked up the recording king but it was great thank you

Hello JP, I'm a fresh big fan of yours! Based on this video (and the further research) I committed to order my own RD-328... I am looking forward to to try it out in October when I should receive it. I'm very thankful for your channel and your insight into guitar world. Some guitar brands do not have to be THAT expensive as they are! Once again thank you very much!

You're a terrific flatpicker! I listened, and instead of trying to decide which was which, I chose the one I preferred. It was the Recording King - a fuller, more solid tone. The other one sounded brighter, more brash. In my experience guitars, even if they're the same model, can vary depending on I suppose factors such as wood density, stifness and so on. I've owned several D-28s, and they've varied. I've long thought that the only way is to go into a music shop with a wall full of guitars, and just choose the one you like best - whatever the make. Interestingly, so far I haven't played a boutique guitar that I thought would suit me. Another factor to consider is I think the player's style and touch, as well as string choice. Decisions, decisions!

Hey JP! Thanks so much for this video! So true! I agree wholeheartedly! Such great instruments for an affordable price!! I was also wondering if there is a video you put out on how you learned to scale like you do. Is there a way to start out with those G scales and licks? Thanks for everything!

Hi Sir, nice video. By the way, could you tell me which pick you use to play acoustic steel guitars?

Thank you and by the way I got it right.....a Martin just has a sound that screams Martin! I had a Recording King about 10 years back. Wish I had kept it.

JP , thanks for this video. It’s just made me want an RK even more. Do you where to get em in Nova Scotia? Closest I’ve found is a place in Quebec?

What do you think about Seagull guitars? I recently purchased a Seagull S6 original, with wild cherry back and sides, and solid cedar top. Seems to be well made for the money (that’s all I can afford). Would love to get a Martin but way out of my price range. I have owned a couple of Martin D28’s.

I chose the wrong one. I went back and listened again. I would still make the same mistake. I own a Martin D15 so shame on me. I think it is the player that fooled me. :) Great job! Thanks for doing these, it's fun to learn about different brands that perhaps I don't have in my local shop that are really great sounding.

Amen brother.

Makes me want to jump in my car and go try one. Great playing and honest review.

I’ve consistently found Recording King guitars to play well and sound great.

When I bought my recording king Randy Curry at the store , called it " the Martin killer " that was in 07. I love my RK

Just found your channel sir. Very pleased to see these comparison videos. I won't ever (I'm almost 60) pay the thousands that the big companies require for their products....especially when they attempt to compete with lesser, hard to use that word...because Yamaha, Ibanez, RK, Washburn....they aren't really small companies....but the biggies, try to make affordable instruments....but use crap material and cheap labor....but still cost more... I will at this point say, that the player...makes a huge difference....hand that Recording King to another, less experienced player....won't sound the same.... At your level, your brain immediately adjusts attack, even slight bending to correct tone and intonation.... I've been experimenting with some cheaper guitars...and have found some really interesting stuff about acoustics, and what has always been the gospel....hoping to try my own design, crafting one next year... But thank you for your insight, knowledge and god love ya, straight forward approach to guitars.

Amen to those wise words. I do not know much about acoustic guitars, but I quite do within the electric guitar's world. And I have the same opinion (based on my experience playing them) as yours regarding electric guitars and the big names within the industry. Cheers! Marc

I agree with you j.p. all my bluegrass friends are playing Alvarez recording king Yamaha it's a ashame the big 3 are so well respected in the music industry and they take full advantage of it but guess what people are losing their respect for them too.

Thx for your honest opinion!

Interesting indeed. I own a Martin and I had picked #2 (Martin) as "better" but really not by much. JP, looks like you played a Recording King during the recent Celtic Colours with D. Gunning. It sounded incredibly good. What was that guitar and how did you amplify it anyway? Cheers!

Going to get one!

You got me to buy a RK single 0 and am not disappointed. I’m an Eastman fan and have an E6D for a dread. Your playing is off the chart.