Just something I have Noticed

[gunnar1104]

I have noticed within Dave's playing that he uses mostly Taylor guitars when playing with the full band. However, usually when I see him play solo or with Tim Reynolds he uses a Martin and a Taylor in Raised B. If anyone knows or has any speculations on why he might do this that would be fantastic.
Personally I believe the Martin has a richer, fuller sound then a Taylor (therefore better sounding when by itself) but I could be wrong.
Your thoughts will be appreciated.

thanks much,
Gunnar

[MakoMako]

I think you've actually hit the nail on the head with that one. Taylor guitars, or at least the ones he uses, don't have quite as full of a sound when played by themselves. This is also something I personally think, since I played a number of guitars from both brands when I was shopping for a new guitar. I prefer Martin's over Taylors for just about any situation personally.

[Grachi]

Well Martin as opposed to Taylor guitars really just comes down to personal preference, but their are other reasons that one guitar over the other might sound fuller, better, etc.

One thing to consider is that both the taylor and the Martin guitars he uses use different electronics, and the tone is balanced accordingly by his sound guys to get the tone he wants when he plays... Anytime he plays live he is plugged in. A lot of people say the Taylor 914 (the guitar he uses when playing with the band) sounds very snappy, and a sharp tone to it (not sharp as in the musical term) but this is simply because Dave is trying to get the guitar to cut through the rest of the band, since he is on an acoustic instrument. A Taylor 914 unplugged does not sound like that.

And of course the Martin goes the same way, and is probably left to it's more "natural" sound since it is just two acoustic guitars when Dave uses the Martin.

Also, electronics aside, the Martin would have a "fuller sound" as you mentioned because it has a dreadnaught body, which usually produces a bigger, louder, and meater sound then
Grand Auditorium guitars (the Taylors that Dave uses). Not to discount Martin in anyway, since their dreadnaughts are truly unique and have their signature bassy sound to them.

These are all just things to consider why a guitar might have a more "full sound" then another.

In conclusion, the best test would to be to sit down yourself and play a Taylor 914 unplugged and Dave's signature Martin (DM3MD) unplugged and see what you think between the two.

I would personally go with the DM3MD, as I have played a few higher end Martin dreadnaughts and absolutely loved them, but the Taylor 914 is also a great guitar that serves a different purpose tonally I believe but sounds just as beautiful in it's own way.

[ernie21]

The Taylors have a thinner sound, especially with their electronics. So its easier to electronically process that sound through the board to get a powerful thin sound that can cut through the mix of the band and actually get heard. Of course, the easier way to do this would be to use the Gibson Chet Atkins SST that used to be processed straight through an Eventide Harmonizer. Of course that guitar doesn't feel at all like an acoustic, which is why Dave probably shifted to the grand auditorium Taylors. Not that you can't make a Martin cut through the mix, and prevent feedback, but its just takes much more work. A Martin Dread is really boomy on the lower end, but an acoustic guitar bass frequency just isn't going to compete with an electric bass, kick drum, etc, so there's no advantage to using a Martin Dread in that situation. Now for a solo or Dave and Tim concert, Dave's guitar doesn't have to compete to get heard in the mix, so it makes sense to use a Martin Dreadnaught in that situation to provide that percussive boomy sound that Dave is known for. But even then it can be a nightmare to EQ. Take the Radio City Hall CD. Dave's guitar sounds like utter crap in that CD, especially when compared to Live at Luther. It sounds like if they just recorded the direct feed from his pickup instead of mic'ing the guitar for the cd audio. It doesn't sound like a Martin at all, but rather like a Fishman pickup quacking all over the place.