[MBE]

Had some time on my lunch break, and work near a music store that carries some well-maintained Martins and Taylors.

Played a half-dozen Martins in the $2500-$3300 range (Canadian, FYI) including an HD-28, 000-15M, 00-28VS and a couple more whose names escape me because I'm not a Martin guy and the model names aren't all that catchy.

They were all superbly put together, and felt great. Nice necks, nice setups, and quality instruments to be sure. I just don't "get" the Martin tone, at least for my style and ear.

The 000-15M sounded muffled and short-sustained to me, the HD-28 was bassy with what felt like a giant hole in the sonic spectrum where the midrange ought to be, and the 00-28VS, while certainly the nicest-sounding to my ear, seemed very plain in its sonic signature, as though the essence of the note was there, but without the detail or overtones that draw me in to a guitar's tone.

By comparison to my Webbers and Halcyon, these guitars seemed short on sustain and detail, and quiet. I felt like I had to fight the guitars to bring the notes out, instead of them jumping out of the guitar willingly as on my instruments at home.

The experience reaffirmed my belief that handbuilt guitars can offer greater responsiveness and volume. This is not to imply that pricey customs are the only solution; My $999 Halcyon OM could drown out even the HD-28 I played, and the notes jump out with far less effort than even the small 00-28VS. Even my most expensive Webber lined up in price with the Martins I tried today; I just feel I got more for my money.

This is not meant to bash Martins or those who enjoy them. I played factory-built guitars for my entire life until just a few years ago. This forum convinced me to give handbuilt instruments a try, and I'm so glad I did. After a few years of playing them, this was my first venture back into the high-end factory instruments, and I was so shocked by the contrast that I felt compelled to come and post my observation.

And to prove I'm an equal opportunist, the Taylor 514ce, 714ce, and 914ce in the shop fared no better; they felt quiet, stiff in their responsiveness, and had a brittle edge to the treble that irked me the most on the 914ce.

TLDR version: I implore anyone looking in the $1-3k price range to find and try some of the more affordable handbuilt/small-shop guitars (Halcyon, Webber, Kronbauer, etc). You don't have to spend more money, but you may find you get "more" guitar for your money. For my tastes, I know I did.