It's a treat to hear Chris playing demos again. I love the 28

I’m so glad that Chris is doing acoustic demos again!!! I wish I knew what songs he was playing The man is talented

Great video. Helped me make my decision and I ended up buying the 00-28 from you guys last week. By far, best acoustic I’ve ever laid hands on.

Great demo, as usual!

Thanks for this video ~ literally choosing between these two models! Helps a bunch!

Excellent as usual. Like that you play the same 2 pieces that you always play. Especially the one at the fade away ending. It would be nice if you said what you are playing. Your own pieces? Best review of guitars hands down! Thoroughly look forward for more. Thanks

I have the 0-18, sounds perfectly balanced overall but I do prefer the scooped range rosewood gives. But that's why I also have a Lowden WL25. Both are perfect guitars for what they do! Great video. Been watching for a while and I love the content. Hope to see y'all someday, I'm in Dallas, not too far away 😎

Bought my OO-18 from Alamo music in 2020. Been almost 4 years now. Fantastic tone and I love it. Great guitar.

Thanks Chris! Love the playing...

Great comparison and, as always, I really enjoyed your playing. I think I’d go with the 28. I’m sure my preference is strongly influenced by what I already have (a CEO-7). Also, the 00-28 would be a great smaller sibling to my HD-28. Next, I’d like to see a comparison of the 000-18, 000-28, and OM-28. That’s the size that would fit in best between my CEO-7 and the HD-28. I’m interested in the tone wood differences at that size, but also the impact of the scale lengths and different bracing between the 28 and OM.

Beautifully played

Both guitars sound fantastic, but I'll take the 00-18 all day. More articulate, woodier, cleaner... those are just my preferences on a small bodied guitar. Because the 00 body size doesn't thump in the bass frequency range, the rosewood overtones feel a lit muddy to me. This is a great side-by-side. Thanks!

I have a suggestion, every video is 000 vs 000 or 00 vs 00, I can never find a nice 00 vs 000 video on youtube. That said, I love the playing and like this video too.

Thanks for the great comparison. I got a 00-28 last week and I'm seriously in love with it. This guitar sings. I chose it after a two hour intensive 2 man comparison on around 11 high-end small body options available at the shop I went to in Amsterdam and despite I was expecting to buy their Santa Cruz 000 1929 I went home with a Martin. Next to playing on my own I was also able to listen to my brother play in front of me and that pulled me over the fence. In some sonic aspects like dynamic range and resolution, it blew Huss & Dalton, Atkins, Santa Cruz and also Martin 000 28 and 000 18 options out of the water. Not saying those high end luthier guitars aren't amazingly wel made and in some ways much better guitars depending on your use case but the 00-28 managed to surprise me and stole my heart out of all those other guitars. If you are already equipped with a great all-round acoustic you may be better off getting a more specific 00 but if you are looking for an allround smal body guitar like me it is an amazing option. All 14 frets to the body and a short scale length yet still a very powerful voice. The single downside I found is that I have to adjust my style a bit on this neck / string tension combo: on both the 00-18 and 28 the high e-string slips off the neck easily. I had the same gripe with the 000's in the shop.

A very very good comparison video.....doubt that it could be improved upon....many thanks. To my ear the 28 has a deep, thick, and hollow voice where the 18 is right up front and center. They both have that beautiful Martin tone but to my ear, and my finger style playing, I much prefer the 18. YMMV. Thanks again, a very well done video.👍

Tonewise the 00-18 would be my favorite. For me it was like 00-18 = offensive/direct and 00-28 = passive/reserved. Thanks Chris for this excellent video. Very helpful. Great job!

Have the 00-18V for a few years now. LOVE it. I like the 00-28 also .....someday hope to have one .

excellent Chris... Thanks....

In this body style, it’s the 00-18….especially when you demoed finger style. The 18 was more well rounded…fuller sound and made me want one. I like the the 28 in the D style.

Let's face it. They both sound terrific. Pure Martin fabulousness, the both of em. Will have to try them both out before deciding.

Played both of these guitars at my local music store. Both guitars are incredible. I couldn’t say which one I liked better.

Another 28 fan, here, too. Although, the 0018 sounded more rounded and fuller, to my ears. Aesthetically they’re a wash with me. I’d be proud to own either one.

Bought myself a 00-18 today 😊

Great stuff! You’ve probably already done the 0-18 but if not, I’d love to hear that compared to?????

For finger style and picking I like the sound of the 00-18. For strumming I like a rosewood back and sides but only in a bigger bodied OM over the 00-28.

Having a D-42 I would definitely go with the 00-18. Sounds woodier.

That 00-18 is so sweet sounding !

I heard and have sung with both. My voice sounded better with the Rosewood '28 when singing solo. Now, if they made a Sycamore top with Osage Orange (Burdock) back and sides works well. The 00-28 would be my pick between these two. Thanks, Chris

You are really a good player. I like both but the warmth of the 18 won me over but it was so close that if I had the 28 instead I would never look back. Thanks for comparing them. Cheers.

00-18 all day long, nice playing Chris :)

I like the 00-18 better, but both sound great!

I truly believe that in THIS body size Mahogany works just a bit better. And I'm a huge Rosewood fan saying that!

I like the sound of both equally. They’re just slightly different, but hard to say one is better. I just prefer the look of the 28 series across the board, so that’s my choice.

Just noticed that the spacing between the pick guard and the waist edge of the body is different. The pick guard on the 18 looks larger and the one on the 28 looks crooked. Am I wrong?

Great Vid! Always drawn to mahogany, it sounds homey. If I had a 00-18 I'd name it Uncle Fred.

Thanks.

I’ve been looking for the OM styles

I heard that recording the 00-18 is better than Rosewood. Because of the dry notes, very even. But I enjoyed them both, and yes heard the difference, don't know if pick up like JR baggs would've made a difference? I enjoy the elixir strings on my to Martin's that I have. Inhave 000 & Om 28 Martins, i wish i never got rid of my d 18 Martin.

Excellent video...give me the OO-18, please!

I have noticed, by the way you are dressed, the a/c must be fixed. I love the Martins! I would pterodactyl take the rosewood because I have plenty of mahogany.

The 18 comes across louder and more focused when they are brand new. The 28 will develop overtones, and get louder, and more focused once it is broken-in / played-in. These smaller bodied models take a much lighter touch, or you will over-drive the tops. Both are absolutely stellar guitars for finger style and light strumming.

It’s all about what character is appropriate. 8:23, the rosewood is a clear winner. Rustic blues at 9:58, mahogany wins every day and twice on Sunday.

That first fingerstyle tune you played is beautiful. Is that an original song??

I like the 28 more. What type of wood would be a less expensive alternative to Rosewood? Something like Walnut?

I too love the 28 series. However, I highly recommend the modern deluxe versions as that treatment adds so much to any guitar that gets those upgrades.

Martins are so cool!

For recording the 0018 would be my choice. With a tighter fundamental and less overtones Mahogany is easier to EQ. For fingerstyle and live performance I prefer the harmonics and bloom of the rosewood 0028. Both guitars have their strengths, and weakness.

I'm on the fence of buying my first martin Dreadnought as a "spoil myself" present. I'm looking at D18, D28 and HD28. Such a tough choice and would love to hear your take one the benefit musically between them. Depending on what style of playing you do. I already have a rosewood LL6 and a japanese 70's D18-copy with non scalloped bracing. It's so hard it's ridiculous when you only can buy one. There aren't that many shops around that have theese in stock at the same time so any input would be greately appreciated.

It's mahogany for me. Could you also please post the names of the pieces of music Chris played? Thank you!

I have still a long way to go and I have to do a lot of ear training because I do not hear a lot of difference :(

Mahogany 18s - white wine, Rosewood 28s - red.

I like them all?? 😁 Their is no wrong guitar 🤪 I got a great deal on a D18 but I wanted a 28 first. Now I’ll watch for the right D28 and get it later.

0018 has it going on !

I thought the mahogany was more open and smooth. It seemed to bloom more easily

Practice makes perfect kids

Overtones on the 28 are amazing but I prefer the brightness of the 18. The 28 would drive a sound man nuts! LOL

That first strum on the 00-18. Wow

I've listened multiple times now, and I'm not really sure which I would choose. I can hear the dry warmth of the mahogany, but also like the bass and treble overtones of the rosewood. As my experience has grown in the past decades, I've found spruce/mahogany is really nice with steel strings, and spruce/rosewood is great with nylon strings. I almost prefer my CEO-5 (12 fret mahogany dreadnaught) to my HD28V because each string, every note, each part of the chord is the same volume and has the same power. BUT the rosewood HD28V has those bright trebles and that amazingly haunting dark, mysterious, visceral bass response that Martin is known for. Hard to tell my preference without holding them in my hands. Although the extra bling of the 28 is certainly eye catching!!

I love the look of a nice Rosewood, but I prefer the tone of mahogany…

I have always preferred rosewood over mahogany, but then I don’t play with a band.

On the finger picking the OO-18 sounds beautiful. The difference on that is really noticeable. The 00-28 has less depth to my ears

Every guitar is a little different. The one that was demoed in this video was more full across all strings, but to my ear, it seemed dull. The tone didn't seem to have the lovely flavor I usually hear with a Martin. It was like setting the EQ equal across all strings. I have a 000 28EC that has beautiful tone, but I am short and the triple 0 is too large. I have a 00 18 that I play Custom lights on and love it. I wanted a smaller rosewood that sounds like my EC, but that 00 28 you have is not it.

I'm surprised that I don't hear much difference between these two beauties. Maybe it's my speakers? I'm sure you could tell a difference if you were in the room. But that makes you ask if it's worth the price difference.

the demo: I’m not crying, you’re crying. 😂

The 00-28 should have an Adirondak Spruce top, and the 00-18 would have the Sitka Spruce top...

mahogany >

Rosewood > Mahogany 😊

Chris looks a bit like Rick from Pawn Stars.

I've never warmed to rosewood. Scooped mids make it feel empty, trebles are piercing and metallic and it doesn't have the mid range grunt / thrum of hog. It's a hard wood and sounds hard to my ears. Hog for the win here.

Mahogany all the way!

Preferred the mahogany tones of the 00-18......... much better for recording

OO-18

I have a 1956 000-18. Can't part with it.

Oops those aren’t om but oo style which may work

hog

18 was just better

0028 more better sound