I believe the M36 body is a 0000 and the 714 is a 000

Bass strings sound better on Koa, but the Mahogany has some magical tone in the treble strings that I've never heard another guitar match, and I played like 40-50 different Acoustic guitars before finally deciding to buy one. Which was a Mahogany GS Mini lol

What was the first fingerstyle song you played?

David sounds great. I was searching U tube for info about a couple of guitars you've posted about. I would love to chat about your guitars before I buy one.

You made a great choice purchasing the Martin M-36 it’s one of the “ go to guitars “ in a studio setting for some reason ask anyone who works in Nashville they usually keep one of those in their studio. I can’t remember the technical reasons why that guitar is so well matched for studio setting recording especially with other musicians in the mix. Anyways I love my Martins , I have a 00016c Nylon Crossover guitar and it is a cannon and I recently purchased a 00028VS -12/ feet slotted headstock actually both guitars are . There’s something about a 12 fret Martin steel or nylon. Hell I even occasionally play nylon on the 00028VS and it’s also a cannon no matter what strings are on it. Although I think it does sound like a piano or organ with those Nylon strings on it. I love both of my Martins , never had a Taylor. I have a Gibson J-45 and it’s still a newer guitar isn’t but about a year old so it’s going to be a real cannon after 5-7 more years of playing it and it opens up… whereas both my Martin’s already have the 8+ year break-in period behind them and they have opened up wonderfully. That’s the coolest thing about acoustic guitars, the day you take it new out of the box is probably the worst it will ever sound acoustically, they improve with age and being played, similar to an aging bottle of fine wine. It’s why the 100 year old Martins sound like they do .

I like Koa’s overtones better but mahogany does have more low end, thanks a lot I’m picking koa!

I’m going to get two of each, just to be safe

Do you prefer the J45 or the J185?

Very nice sounding J45!!

It’s almost like you intentionally made at least one mistake each time you played the Koa but not one single mistake when playing the Mahogany.

I like the picking sound of the OMJM!

mahogany for better and warmer sound, koa for harsher sound less bass.

Wow what a sustain

It's kind of like asking if you prefer your driver or your fairway hybrid club in golf. Need the big boomer, go with the J. Need something a bit more nimble, but still with good thump - thinking Bluegrass leads, the 0000 would do quite nicely. Cool to hear the difference in tones. Hard to go wrong with $9k worth of Martins... Great stuff!

Excellent video, thank you.

I think that I like Taylor better, because it has more articulation in the sound. Martin also sounds nice but wider and strings blend more. Lets see what a parlor and a dreadnought can offer to the table. I like mid sized guitars the most because they have the best of both worlds.

Difference is very minimum. GS mini KOA is better as high frequency sounds are prominent. I like this type.

The Koa is gorgeous

I don't know about the newer forward shifted J-40's but the sweet spot for overtones on my '95 J-40 is over the sound hole right up near the end of the fret board.

VTS all the way for me.

I swapped my bridge pins from ebony to bone on my GS mini Koa and I’m never looking back! Made it sound so much better. If I ever have to take her in for work I’ll have the luthier replace the nut and saddle with bone as well

If you switched the Taylor saddle and nut to bone I think it would compete better. I had a 414 and it was so much better with bone nut and saddle. Taylor continues to use plastic mikarda saddles because of their pickup system but plastic just sounds worse than bone

Man, I can feel the sound projection even through my iPad. Perfect tone and playing. Love those 12 fretters. Thanks. (PS, I have the M36, a custom shop model in Koa and Italian Spruce top. Great guitar.)

I feel like Mahogany has fuller deeper bass tones while Koa has brighter and more separations between each tones. Both great guitars.

Tried both… Mahogany won.

I am not into loudness nor brightness, but for a mellower sound and soft to the ears. I prefer the koa...

Since I am just learning I got a mahogany to sooth my ears and soul along the way.

They're both great, the VTS certainly makes an OM growl and roar with more bass. Biggest takeaway is the OMJM is less fatiguing to listen to maybe, and certainly easier to record in an untreated room. I can see why John and other artists like Engelmann for guitars they record and/or plug in live.

Very well played

May lose two frets but the tone is otherworldly

Super film :)

thanks for the video, for the price Mahogany is a great option!!!!

In this video comparison, I prefer the mahogany. It sounds warmer and fuller. The Koa sounds a bit brighter and less warm.

Second comparison I have heard between the GS Mini Mahogany and Koa. Better tone definition in the Koa both times. If you are playing by yourself in a coffee shop it probably doesn't make a difference. If you are trying to cut through with a group, the Koa might be a better choice. If you are recording and guitar is going to star at some point, definitely the Koa.

Dig the 12 fret a ton, but both beautiful instruments & grand playing brother. Extra props for the Bloodline shirt, one of my favorite shows! 🚤

Thank you for posting. I went and bought a Mahogany today when I heard the sound. I have been eyeing the Koa with ES2 but I couldn't justify spending $600 more.

Basically the same tone color or a very very slight owned quality sound nuances could be be detected by a curious hearer …generally small still imo

is this a real Taylor 714ce ? It looks good, but Jesus, it sounds terrible ! Why is it so boomy? All the notes are mixed up into low mid noise! . M36 sounds great! Thanks for the video.

Thanks for this video. Love the M-36's tonal qualities, and bet that by now, it has opened up some and you're getting even richer sound.

Cowgirl in the Sun has Dm - Em - C - F

I think the Martin has better tone over-all and wonder how much that cutaway on the Taylor is taking away from the treble strings. They sound weak by comparison. Thank you for mentioning that the M-36 won over the Eric Clapton. Due to the wonderful tone I had been leaning heavily towards the Martin 000-28ec Eric Clapton and last week even made an offer which was accepted. I just couldn't get past the soft V shaped neck on the EC. An M-36 just moved to the top of my list.

No contest. Martin way superior. Taylor nice but not in the same league.

OMJM is great if you play really quiet and have a gentle touch. The engelmann is very responsive that way. I have one and like it for that purpose. In a band setting, or playin live solo, I choose a sitka top.

Sounds incredible! I have a 714 and I love it but a M36 might be on my next wishlist!

The J-40 takes 10 minutes or so to warm up before the tones really sing. Best place to pluck is over the sound hole, 1/4" -1/2" from the end of the neck. That's where overtones sounding like a choir of angels are hiding.

Man, I gotta say I liked the mahogany better at many points but the koa is just so sick looking. Still got my eye on the koa. Thanks for the review!

Purely personal preference but I thought overall the Mahogany sounded better. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the Koa I really enjoyed your playing style too. Thanks for a very good comparison

Super great review! Great playing man! That koa model be hard to beat Is my ears tell me thanks again

I wish you could redo the comparison and EQ them the way you would if you were playing out

My goodness! I have the same setup: J-45 2019 and strings. This guitar is just lovely! Id love to see a video your entire collection. I'm actually starting to build up a little acoustic guitar collection.