Martin OM-21 vs OM-28

[000JB]

I am unsure, partly because I have been reading all the hype about another Martin that is very elusive to find! (and made of different woods) Ideally I would like a rosewood 000/OM and a mahogany 000/OM.

[Mizdeb]

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

This might help. Someone was wondering the same thing back in March so Pierre recorded a short a/b comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1rQleFhTI4

Which one did he play first?

[nacnac]

Originally Posted by Mizdeb

Which one did he play first?

28 first, 21 second.

My local shop had both in stock a few weeks ago. Back to back I preferred the 28. Felt like it sounded bigger, fuller. Maybe it was just a little more played in and had opened up a little but I preferred it.

If you get a chance, try any of the Bedell orchestra guitars. Very, very good IMO.

[gfirob]

This is a little silly because two OM-21's are not going to sound the same. If you have a great OM-21 and compare it to a dud OM-28 the 28 will win and vice versa. Guitars are individuals and you have to look beyond brand and model and just play them and see which of them rings your bell. I started my rosewood OM saga with an OM-21, traded up to and OM-28 and sold that to get an OM-42. They were all pretty similar but each was individual. I probably could have just kept trying OM-21's until I got one I really liked. As an aside, that OM-42 was my go to guitar for 20 years til one day I found a Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe reissue that was a better guitar for my current self.

[Wade Hampton]

Thank you for posting what everyone else has been overlooking: it just comes down to the individual guitars themselves. There are great OM-21’s that blow away merely good OM-28’s, and vice versa. It’s not as though one model is always better than another.


whm

[sinistral]

The construction of an OM-21 and an OM-28 is basically the same. The main difference is that Style 21 appointments are closer to Style 18, e.g., the binding is either faux tortoise or black, there is no diamond on the headstock, and the top wood is graded like Style 18 guitars (a slightly lower visual grade than Style 28), etc. There is no objective reason why guitars of one style would sound better than guitars of the other style. A comparison of an OM-21 to an OM-28 is no different than comparing two OM-21s or two OM-28s. I have a Custom Shop OM-42 DeLuxe that has an extraordinary amount of chime and sustain, but I suspect that, if anything, that is more likely due to the extra weight of the banjo tuners, and not the pearl or the prettier wood on the soundboard. Or it just happens to sound that way.

[Baoluo]

Wow! 10 year old thread!

[caperrob]

Originally Posted by Baoluo

Wow! 10 year old thread!

I thought the same and am by no means a fountain of knowledge on Martin comparisons but....I had an OM-21 for a very short time. I actually thought about getting a Tone Traveler but couldn't justify having to use it on a $3K plus guitar. It might have helped, who knows? The one I had sounded like it had socks in it. My Boucher blows it out of the water.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by sinistral

The construction of an OM-21 and an OM-28 is basically the same. The main difference is that Style 21 appointments are closer to Style 18, e.g.,

Originally Posted by gfirob

This is a little silly because two OM-21's are not going to sound the same. If you have a great OM-21 and compare it to a dud OM-28 the 28 will win and vice versa.

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Thank you for posting what everyone else has been overlooking: it just comes down to the individual guitars themselves. There are great OM-21’s that blow away merely good OM-28’s, and vice versa. It’s not as though one model is always better than another.
whm

All of the above IMHO. The models are so similar differences are going to be down to the individual guitar and not "appointment" differences. (Unless one thinks different binding is going to consistently and noticeably produce a superior or inferior result...) PS.: yes a 10 yo thread but still of interest to current responders.