So, I have a 514CE Cindy Inlay. Love my Taylor. I also Have a Gibson ES339 Semi Hollow. and a circa 1980 Ovation Ultra. That's just a few from the collection. Listening, I found so slight a difference that I really wanted both guitars. The classic Gibson J-45, much like a hummingbird, has its distinctive sound and look. The new Taylor AD17E redtop has a new more modern look with a refreshing attitude toward modern style. Like Chris, I want to take both home in time for Christmas. To me, both are exceptional, and I've learned over my 68 years of life that the value is in the person who holds and plays a particular instrument. You could not go wrong with either of these for sure.
Dreaming of getting a J45, but for the difference in price I think the AD17 won me over. Wish it was short scale like the Gibson, but I can live with it.
Do like I did and play both before you buy. Most agree that the Taylor has very nice string tension and playability. Taylor had more bass and volume via Ovangkol and Sprouse
Really enjoyed that comparison!! I'm in Ireland... can't afford the j45, but bought the ad17e based on your review... not in red though!! Class guitar!!
I guess I am in the minority on this one, but the Taylor has it for me. Both are no doubt great guitars, but I like the bright crisp sound of the taylor.
I actually own a Talyor AD17e which I love. When I went down to the local store I wanted the J45 so bad and I played it a lot. I tried several guitars upon Martin (not the expensive one though), Gibson, Taylor etc. The best sounding one was always the Gibson no matter what. Between all of them my second choice was the AD17e. The moment I plugged in the guitars I had no doubt and went for the Taylor. I can't really stand the piezo sound, to my ears it is so unreal compared to the sound of the Gibson unplugged instead the Talyor sounded very good plugged in as well. I still dream about getting a J45, but the Taylor is really great and I saved 1.000 euros that is a lot. So to sum up those are 2 great guitars but the Taylor considering everythings wins.
Very informative - thanks! Have you reported on the change from Ovangkol to Walnut on the AD17e Blacktop? I'd love to hear your feedback on the sound differences.
The Taylor had a bit more low end and more articulate in the mids and highs. I really like gloss finishes but satin finish is growing on me. I’m a Taylor guy so I would choose the Taylor. They play great out of the box.
I prefer the tone of the Gibson. The more I hear the J-45, the more I like it. I am going to buy another guitar in the next year or so, and J-45 is on my short list. The Taylor is a really good guitar, but the tone doesn't grab me the way the Gibson does. The price difference is $900, which is not insignificant, but if I"m going to shell out a fairly large sum of money for a new guitar, I'm going to get the one I want.
Very impressive, informative, well articulated differences!!! I feel you've been overweighted toward big budget manufacturers lately, but this was quite excellent imho. Beautiful, worthy, differentiated axes!!! Good recordings. Thank you so much for all that you do and explain!! Great stuff!!! I happened to like the Taylor. Best & cheers, Sean
For the money, Taylor takes the win hands down. Having played both in the same store. The Taylor smokes the j45. Much more mids and lows, way more volume. The j45 was brighter with less string tension giving up overall volume. It's all about personal preference. Taylor won me over with this guitar.
Both sound good. The Gibson is just giving you a bit more of that clang. I'm kind of surprised how close they sound and would be curious if you put the same type and gauge of strings on both (both restrung same day) how close they would sound. For ~$2k the AD17E is one of the better values in the Taylor lineup for sure. The AD17E just has a little less depth to its tone, but its a dullness I suspect could be the strings.
I am biased toward the J45, and you just cannot beat that red Nitro lacquer! Another major difference besides the woods/bracing/radious is the scale length.
Love the reviews from Chris and cooper...To keep it simple, I thought the j-45 was the winner in looks and sound... oh and by the way good day to all my fellow Americans and fellow guitar pickers!!!
I have an AD17E Blacktop. Predominantly a finger style player. Felt stiff to me, even after putting on a set of 11’s. Tuned it down a whole step and placed capo on the 2nd fret. Much better feel for me. Anyone else report this to you? Just curious. Just feels more responsive to me and a little easier to play.
Actually I have a set of 12's and played everything between fingerstyle to strumming after an hour of playing my finger felt very tired. I am now playing some grunge stuff and I put the guitar half step down and sounds great, my finger are ok even after 2 hours of music
Preferred the J45 in tone, mostly, though I like the pounce in the midrange of the AD17. Having played the J45 vs. the 517e in the store I love my current 517e most for the SS dread style.
The Gibson is more complex and warm. I wanted a J 45 but ended up with AD27 fame-top. I’ve owned many Gibson electrics over the years and time and again I found them to be too sensitive to the atmosphere. Hell I had Custom shop ‘57 Gold Top the had an extremely loose fret. The Taylors especially this AD27 Flame top is really solid not temperamental in any way. Important when yo gig alot. All that being said I still love Gibsons. Just afraid to spend the $ and have a clunker.
The J-45 seems to have more bass, presence, and definition than the AD17e. I prefer the all red look of the Gibby. The red mahogany back and sides are gorgeous.
I’m digging on the Gibson a little more on this shootout. I’m a Taylor guy (2002 414ce) but I think the strong upper mids might not make this Taylor the best choice for singing with.
Nice comparison - thanks! I'll take them both as it seems this needs to be explored in more depth hands on! Been eyeing the Red J-45 for about a year and a few other guitars jumped ahead in line. While I want one, this Taylor sounds different than the 414's I hear frequently, and i like it a lot! In many ways, (at least in this compressed online delivery, I like the Taylor sound better). If I lived nearby, I'd surely come in to play them. Enjoying your channel and hopefully be snagging some gear from you again soon. All the best, from Oregon
As a slope dreadnought I thought the articulation of the Taylor was better and, if you factor in the value price it's the winner. Not usually a Taylor's fan, but that model is very nice.
2 different guitars that look the same. Every taylor ive played has a more trebly and mid focused response. That is much more bold and the GPs have very much a tight low end similar to a Martin. The j45 with walnut sounded alot better than the one i played when i bought my Gibson Songwriter. Ive had alot of High end acoustics, id take the J45 in this one. Better low end and more mellow in the low end, and more present. Both great guitars.
Prefer the Gibson overall, both for looks and sound. But for twice the price, I would buy the AD17e and be very happy with it. I didn't hear Chris mention scale length, but isn't the Taylor a longer scale length?
I thought the Taylor was much louder the first time I listened, which surprised me so I listened again and the difference was negligible. Maybe the Taylor was just brighter. The looks of the J-45 puts the AD17e to shame, but it costs so much more.
2 года назад+2
I'm considering the red Gibson J45. The lacquer finish is what leads me to buy the Gibson. I can't stand satin finish guitars especially Taylor's. Gibson all the way!
hate Taylor after Bob Taylor sold out and Andy Powers took over. All of Powers guru BS chatter is totally describing the sound of a Gibson.. and now Powers is copying Gibson.. Choose the leader.. would chose GIBSON any day over a Taylor! Martin are for "good ole boys", Taylor's are for "choir boys" and Gibson's are for "bad boys"!
To my ear, the J45 is a more balanced sound through the lows, mids and highs. All sound nice but none overpower the others. The Taylor is crisp and bright with a nice tone but just doesn't stack up with the rich evenness, especially in the folk and blues. The J45 doesn't sound like it is working, it just does it. It really comes down to matter of preference...seriously picking nits. Considering price and it's nice tone, the Taylor is a viable contender. *Full discloser: I did just pick up a 2009 J45...so take my opinion with a grain of salt*
The comparison is between two different animals so the only thing in common is red, and body size, otherwise nothing. Just saying.......its more of contrast than a compare. I don't think viewers will have a difficult time deciding how they feel about them.
J45 really overtakes the Taylor here. Taylor sounds very flat with no bass response. Not hating on it just to hate; that Taylor isn’t anywhere close to the J45
I totally disagree with you a thousand percent in my opinion the Taylor killed the Gibson in sound wise,And I've been playing guitars way over fifty years,I call it honestly may the best sound win and in my honest opinion Taylor hands down and a much cheaper guitar.
So, I have a 514CE Cindy Inlay. Love my Taylor. I also Have a Gibson ES339 Semi Hollow. and a circa 1980 Ovation Ultra. That's just a few from the collection. Listening, I found so slight a difference that I really wanted both guitars. The classic Gibson J-45, much like a hummingbird, has its distinctive sound and look. The new Taylor AD17E redtop has a new more modern look with a refreshing attitude toward modern style. Like Chris, I want to take both home in time for Christmas. To me, both are exceptional, and I've learned over my 68 years of life that the value is in the person who holds and plays a particular instrument. You could not go wrong with either of these for sure.
The taylor sounds like a clearer J45 to me. They both are beautiful and I'd love to own either.
Dreaming of getting a J45, but for the difference in price I think the AD17 won me over. Wish it was short scale like the Gibson, but I can live with it.
Save a little longer.
You’ll regret the compromise.
@@powbobs maybe, but for every nice Gibson I’ve played, I’ve played a couple duds. Taylor seems to win on consistency.
Do like I did and play both before you buy. Most agree that the Taylor has very nice string tension and playability. Taylor had more bass and volume via Ovangkol and Sprouse
@@tinkeringwithtone
Never played a Taylor that was worth the price.
@@powbobs I can say the same about Gibson. It's personal preference my guy.
Really enjoyed that comparison!! I'm in Ireland... can't afford the j45, but bought the ad17e based on your review... not in red though!! Class guitar!!
I guess I am in the minority on this one, but the Taylor has it for me. Both are no doubt great guitars, but I like the bright crisp sound of the taylor.
I actually own a Talyor AD17e which I love. When I went down to the local store I wanted the J45 so bad and I played it a lot. I tried several guitars upon Martin (not the expensive one though), Gibson, Taylor etc. The best sounding one was always the Gibson no matter what. Between all of them my second choice was the AD17e. The moment I plugged in the guitars I had no doubt and went for the Taylor. I can't really stand the piezo sound, to my ears it is so unreal compared to the sound of the Gibson unplugged instead the Talyor sounded very good plugged in as well. I still dream about getting a J45, but the Taylor is really great and I saved 1.000 euros that is a lot. So to sum up those are 2 great guitars but the Taylor considering everythings wins.
Pickup can be replaced anytime.
Very informative - thanks! Have you reported on the change from Ovangkol to Walnut on the AD17e Blacktop? I'd love to hear your feedback on the sound differences.
The Taylor had a bit more low end and more articulate in the mids and highs. I really like gloss finishes but satin finish is growing on me. I’m a Taylor guy so I would choose the Taylor. They play great out of the box.
I prefer the tone of the Gibson. The more I hear the J-45, the more I like it. I am going to buy another guitar in the next year or so, and J-45 is on my short list. The Taylor is a really good guitar, but the tone doesn't grab me the way the Gibson does. The price difference is $900, which is not insignificant, but if I"m going to shell out a fairly large sum of money for a new guitar, I'm going to get the one I want.
I’m sold putting my order in now 👊🏽
Thank you brother Chris
Is there a sound difference between the ad 17 natural and the red Taylor ?
It’s just a color difference 😊
Very impressive, informative, well articulated differences!!! I feel you've been overweighted toward big budget manufacturers lately, but this was quite excellent imho. Beautiful, worthy, differentiated axes!!! Good recordings. Thank you so much for all that you do and explain!! Great stuff!!! I happened to like the Taylor. Best & cheers, Sean
Both nice, but I liked the sound of the Taylor better.
To me I would take the Taylor over the Gibson,The Taylor got that sound I much prefer. Definitely the Taylor for me.
PS: Great presentation- again - Chris.
For the money, Taylor takes the win hands down. Having played both in the same store. The Taylor smokes the j45. Much more mids and lows, way more volume. The j45 was brighter with less string tension giving up overall volume. It's all about personal preference. Taylor won me over with this guitar.
Both sound good. The Gibson is just giving you a bit more of that clang. I'm kind of surprised how close they sound and would be curious if you put the same type and gauge of strings on both (both restrung same day) how close they would sound. For ~$2k the AD17E is one of the better values in the Taylor lineup for sure. The AD17E just has a little less depth to its tone, but its a dullness I suspect could be the strings.
We have acoustic Gibson and Taylor guitars. I feel like the Gibson has a richer sound and the Taylor is brighter. We enjoy your videos 🎶🎸
I am biased toward the J45, and you just cannot beat that red Nitro lacquer! Another major difference besides the woods/bracing/radious is the scale length.
8:37 / 11:09
Love the reviews from Chris and cooper...To keep it simple, I thought the j-45 was the winner in looks and sound... oh and by the way good day to all my fellow Americans and fellow guitar pickers!!!
I have an AD17E Blacktop. Predominantly a finger style player. Felt stiff to me, even after putting on a set of 11’s. Tuned it down a whole step and placed capo on the 2nd fret. Much better feel for me. Anyone else report this to you? Just curious. Just feels more responsive to me and a little easier to play.
Actually I have a set of 12's and played everything between fingerstyle to strumming after an hour of playing my finger felt very tired. I am now playing some grunge stuff and I put the guitar half step down and sounds great, my finger are ok even after 2 hours of music
I'm running 13-56s on my red top and it really does play great, sounds incredible drop tuned running mediums.
Could you do a Gibson G-Bird vs Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird?
Gibson sounds been played to death nobody gona stand out playing them, Taylor are consistent, articulate and not a marketing ploy.
Preferred the J45 in tone, mostly, though I like the pounce in the midrange of the AD17. Having played the J45 vs. the 517e in the store I love my current 517e most for the SS dread style.
The Gibson is more complex and warm. I wanted a J 45 but ended up with AD27 fame-top. I’ve owned many Gibson electrics over the years and time and again I found them to be too sensitive to the atmosphere. Hell I had Custom shop ‘57 Gold Top the had an extremely loose fret. The Taylors especially this AD27 Flame top is really solid not temperamental in any way. Important when yo gig alot. All that being said I still love Gibsons. Just afraid to spend the $ and have a clunker.
The J-45 seems to have more bass, presence, and definition than the AD17e. I prefer the all red look of the Gibby. The red mahogany back and sides are gorgeous.
I’m digging on the Gibson a little more on this shootout. I’m a Taylor guy (2002 414ce) but I think the strong upper mids might not make this Taylor the best choice for singing with.
Nice comparison - thanks! I'll take them both as it seems this needs to be explored in more depth hands on!
Been eyeing the Red J-45 for about a year and a few other guitars jumped ahead in line. While I want one, this Taylor sounds different than the 414's I hear frequently, and i like it a lot! In many ways, (at least in this compressed online delivery, I like the Taylor sound better).
If I lived nearby, I'd surely come in to play them.
Enjoying your channel and hopefully be snagging some gear from you again soon. All the best, from Oregon
I like the Gibson J-45.
I love Taylor But I have to pick J-45. Its sound is really balance and warm
Red line around the thumbnail sort of gives the impression the video has been seen....
As a slope dreadnought I thought the articulation of the Taylor was better and, if you factor in the value price it's the winner. Not usually a Taylor's fan, but that model is very nice.
2 different guitars that look the same. Every taylor ive played has a more trebly and mid focused response. That is much more bold and the GPs have very much a tight low end similar to a Martin. The
j45 with walnut sounded alot better than the one i played when i bought my Gibson Songwriter. Ive had alot of High end acoustics, id take the J45 in this one. Better low end and more mellow in the low end, and more present. Both great guitars.
Prefer the Gibson overall, both for looks and sound. But for twice the price, I would buy the AD17e and be very happy with it. I didn't hear Chris mention scale length, but isn't the Taylor a longer scale length?
Yes, it's 25.5in rather than the Gibson's 24.75in.
You know, the more balanced Ovangkol sounded better to me. The bases weren’t as deep and the trebles a bit brighter. I’m drawn to the Taylor.
yes me too but very slightly
Red or burst, fine guitars. My choice: J-45 with the growl and better (for my ear and voice). Taylor AD17e, nice neck but longer scale. Thanks Chris
J-45 every time.
I thought the Taylor was much louder the first time I listened, which surprised me so I listened again and the difference was negligible. Maybe the Taylor was just brighter. The looks of the J-45 puts the AD17e to shame, but it costs so much more.
I'm considering the red Gibson J45. The lacquer finish is what leads me to buy the Gibson. I can't stand satin finish guitars especially Taylor's. Gibson all the way!
I seriously don't enjoy that Taylor but that Gibson has style, too much for me, but for the right person, not much is cooler.
hate Taylor after Bob Taylor sold out and Andy Powers took over. All of Powers guru BS chatter is totally describing the sound of a Gibson.. and now Powers is copying Gibson.. Choose the leader.. would chose GIBSON any day over a Taylor! Martin are for "good ole boys", Taylor's are for "choir boys" and Gibson's are for "bad boys"!
To my ear, the J45 is a more balanced sound through the lows, mids and highs. All sound nice but none overpower the others. The Taylor is crisp and bright with a nice tone but just doesn't stack up with the rich evenness, especially in the folk and blues. The J45 doesn't sound like it is working, it just does it. It really comes down to matter of preference...seriously picking nits. Considering price and it's nice tone, the Taylor is a viable contender. *Full discloser: I did just pick up a 2009 J45...so take my opinion with a grain of salt*
The comparison is between two different animals so the only thing in common is red, and body size, otherwise nothing. Just saying.......its more of contrast than a compare. I don't think viewers will have a difficult time deciding how they feel about them.
Both have Sitka spruce tops… a very important similarity.
J45 really overtakes the Taylor here. Taylor sounds very flat with no bass response. Not hating on it just to hate; that Taylor isn’t anywhere close to the J45
I totally disagree with you a thousand percent in my opinion the Taylor killed the Gibson in sound wise,And I've been playing guitars way over fifty years,I call it honestly may the best sound win and in my honest opinion Taylor hands down and a much cheaper guitar.
Yes, the J45 is superior. However, it also costs much more.
Uhoh! I smell another Gibson lawsuit!