Om28 vs 00018 GE

[T268]

Thanks to the folks who kindly replied to my om28 vs omjm thread. I realized this morning I should have done more research before taking your time. Thanks for not calling me out for being lazy, and thanks for the good info. I'll chalk it up to a long week I suppose.

Anyhoo, I know the above guitars are fairly different under the hood(Sitka/EIR sitka braces for the om28, adi/hog with adi braces on the 000). both are 1/4 inch scalloped, albeit the 000 in GE fashion. I understand the GE effectively just means more material is scalloped off to add to the responsiveness. The EIR should have more overtones vs the dry more fundamental sound of hog. The Adi top( and braces) will take longer to break in and may need to be driven harder than Sitka to really make it shine.

So, with the differences summed up, has anyone A/B'd these similar bodied Martins? One would expect (if assumptions are to be believed) that the OM28 should have more overtones and be more versatile being driven hard or softly, and the 000 to be slanted towards being driven hard, more lively, dry/fundamental sounding guitar, with headroom punching above its weight for its size.

Then again, you know what they say about assuming...What say you?

[rmyAddison]

I don't think you can say either is "more versatile", versus them just being different.

I am a huge OM fan, a few years ago I had an OM-28V, 000-18GE, OM-18 Authentic 1933, custom shop OM-28 Alpine/Madi and OM-45 Tasmanian Blackwood all at the same time, and a couple years to play/compare them daily.

They all have their own voices, and which is most versatile would be strictly opinion, and influenced by playing style(s). Nobody can state as fact the OM-28 or 000-18GE you are considering is more versatile.

In my case the better "to me" rosewood (CS OM-28 Madi) and better mahogany (OM-18 Authentic 1933) became my keepers, but they bested like model woods, not mahogany versus rosewood, which to me are "complementary" not "comparable".

Both the OM-28 and 000-18 GE are great guitars, the GE is inactive by the way, for some folks the 28 may be a better choice for others the GE, but there's no black and white answer and I've had years playing/comparing Martin OM's.

I always have rosewood and mahogany guitars in my core collection for that reason, I don't think one is better than the other, I enjoy both, and they sound wonderful being played together versus two same woods guitars to me.

Just to answer your question I would take the GE of the two, but those necks are not for everybody, and it is a very dry woody fundamental sound, which I enjoy.

A long answer to say there's no "right" choice, just what works best to your ears, in my case "both" would be my choice........

Best of luck !~!

[T268]

I had forgotten about the neck. I played a V on a 00028EC, and I wasn't my favorite, but I didn't hate it either. It seems like something I could get used to.

Planning on putting up one of my electrics for trade in the next couple of months, and think these two might be what I'm shooting for. I'll certainly be keeping an open mind, but I imagine these will be the two at the top of my list. Thanks for your feedback.