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-   -   MARTIN gpcpa4 Vs. TAYLOR 314ce (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235230)

eden 12-05-2011 08:54 PM

MARTIN gpcpa4 Vs. TAYLOR 314ce
 
Hey guys, I can't decide between these two.. are there any real differences between them that make the Taylor a few hundred bucks more expensive?

kats45 12-05-2011 09:45 PM

Do you have a chance to play both and compare?

lmacmil 12-05-2011 09:50 PM

I have not played either plugged in but acoustically, to me, the 314ce sounded way better. If you going to play primarily plugged in, it probably won't make much difference.

SteveA 12-05-2011 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eden (Post 2851063)
Hey guys, I can't decide between these two.. are there any real differences between them that make the Taylor a few hundred bucks more expensive?

I A/B'd these 2 guitars quite a bit last month when I finally decided on a new Breedlove American C25 SME...(1/2 the price of the Taylor).....

I personally don't feel this particular Martin is much of a guitar at $1199....at every store I picked it up, I was really disappointed.......The action was lacking, playability was average & the neck a little big for me.....To top it all off the guitars really sounded rather anemic........

I kept giving these guitars a chance only because it said Martin on the headstock. I finally stopped looking at the Martin GPCPA 4, & simply realized this model is not for me at all......My Breedlove American C25 SME is far superior in every regard and I paid $899 new.........

On the other hand the 314 CE is an incredible guitar.........a great all-purpose guitar.....great action, tone, playability......neck is sweet.......if I didn't get such a great deal on my Breedlove, the Taylor was my choice, but it was way out of my budget..........

My personal opinion is these two guitars are not even close......the Taylor is superior in all aspects.......I'm guessing you probably need to check out the Martin GPCPA 3 to approach the Taylor 314 CE.....

I would definitely spend the extra money, because to these ears and hands it's not even close.............

hotpocket 12-05-2011 11:19 PM

Soley between thesetwo, I would say definitely the Taylor. Acoustically it sounds much better to me.

usb_chord 12-06-2011 12:56 AM

The 314ce by a mile. And I typically prefer Martins..

Mr Peebuddy 12-06-2011 02:54 AM

martin preferer here.

314ce is the better guitar of the two to my ears; i'd like to own one one day

BUT
in the price range, i'd have to go with a Sustainable Wood series martin. i find the tortoise color appointments, top toner, and solid cherry back and sides very appealing, and most importantly, it sounds great(i actually prefer it over standard 18 and 28 martins); with added electronics, i believe itll be around same price as the 314ce

eden 12-06-2011 04:26 AM

I can get a s/h 310ce for about $500 less than a new 314...It plays really well but I wish it wasn't a dreadnaught. I'm really tempted to buy it because of it's price. It is the best quality and best playing guitar I can get for the money but it's not the ideal body shape. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is it worth to spend an extra 500 and get a new 314ce. This guitar will be my all around giging and recording guitar so I want it to be versatile. My heart wants to go with a 314ce but financially a 310 seems like the best option.

Mr Peebuddy 12-06-2011 05:11 AM

well, if the martin sounds good, you can just get that.


you might want to try 1-series martins too then, i actually prefer them over the performing artists one; they just sound alot better to me as they tend to be brighter and clearer(i owned one.) try one and you'll see what i mean, if you don't mind the simple aesthetics, you may like what you see/hear

an om1gt with cutaway and electronics, solid top, back and sides with laminated neck(which is good as its stronger and more stable than mahogany.) would for a little over one thousand new. also made in USA, which is a big plus. this guitar would be the size you're looking for

the fingerboard and bridge is rosewood, unlike the gcpa, which is plastic.
http://www.guitargalleria.com/images/1389346a.jpg

pandaroo 12-06-2011 05:19 AM

I also did try these two out. 314 is more responsive I thought. I also agree that the 1 series is sounds better than the gcpa4. From the specs, the 1 series is scalloped braced, maybe that is why it sounds bigger to me.

kats45 12-06-2011 07:26 AM

I'm glad it's not just me because I thought the Martin sounded dead too, and I like Martins. The Taylor wins by a long shot.

pitner 12-06-2011 08:16 AM

I have a 314CE 12 string. It is really a great guitar both unplugged and plugged in. Nothing real fancy but a good tool to have in the box for those songs where a 12 really shines. As far as the 6 string version I can't say as I never played one. The ES system is cool and can go right into a pa without any DI needed.

BT55 12-26-2016 09:33 PM

Different Guitars - Different Sounds
 
My favorite guitars are Taylor's BUT I appreciate Martin's for their unique sound. For comparison I used a Taylor 414ce and a Martin GPCPA4. I had to work on the Martin's neck setup but when I finished it played as well as the Taylor. As far as the sound they couldn't be more different but not in a bad way. Taylor's and Martin's have different tonality - bright vs. deep. That's their personalities and they should be appreciated and compared with that in mind. For plugged in sound the Taylor has the ES1 vs. Martin's newer Aura. Again both have excellent sound. I had to reset he Martin's jack socket so that my cord seated properly. I think that Martin's separate jack is a better solution than Taylor's jack in the strap button. Overall both are excellent guitars. My only negative is that the Martin's neck setup was poorly done and the jack setup was frustrating. An hour of tweaking put the guitar in the setup that it should have been delivered in.


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