The Recording King vs Martin answer!
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- #1 WAS THE RECORDING KING, #2 WAS THE MARTIN!
JP breaks down some stats on the 95 responses to date, and addresses some biases.
#jpcormier #martin #recordingking #comparison #acoustic #fingerstyle
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www.levysleathers.com
www.recordingking.com
Love to all.
Bravo JP!! Regular musicians cannot afford the big guys anymore. I had to sell my OM-21 to help pay for recording an album and I'll never be able to buy another because of how stupid the prices have become. You have given all of us hope that quality materials, flawless craftsmanship and superb sound are within reach. The big boys seem to have forgotten who got 'em there.
I sittin' here listening to you just chucklin my head off......you are 100% spot on!! 100%
So the fella I watch building log cabins and keeping “ Bush radical” is watching JP the same as I am! That’s cool!😊
I love your channel for what you do. I have been following different channels that review guitars for over 10 years. But this channel is definitely one of the best channels if you are looking for honest opinions about guitars. Obviously it has something to do with the fact that you are an awesome guitar player!!!
Well said brother! I am glad these recording King guitars are out there. Truly incredible. The sound of the recording king is very impressive.
I bought a Gibson G 45 after testing the mexican Taylor and Martin, and I lover her. Great sound and playability and... pretty affordable for a US build. Can you review one of those in the future?
Which do you like better? Alvarez MD60BG or this Recording King?
Recording King - better quality
@@terminalergeistesklarer1182 I really doubt that the recording King is better Quality .. we need a shoot off between them in 6 months with the same strings... Alvarez does not make any low quality guitars for what you pay that I know of.
@@dangatton7138 About 5 years ago 2016 at a music store in Laguna Beach of all places (Hi rent district) a friend of mine for only $225 bought a 70s Alvarez Fox Hollow, Flame Maple Sides , Back and neck with solid spruce top...a dread just like Martin with the same shape headstock with diamond volute. The lady said it was rare and limited and she sold it that cheap! The sound, playability and low action rivals my 1991 USA Guild GF30 maple.
Difference between Martin and Eastman? In 20 years if you buy a $6,000 Martin it will be worth what you paid for it or more your $1000 Eastman will be worth $500 same with your Recording King !
I dreamed of owning a D-28 like the one my teacher had when I was 15. It took me 38 years of owning a $120 acoustic (Woody), a Strat (Brownie) Rickenbacker 360/6 (Blondie) I had the money and I was hell bent on buying that D-28. I didn't see anything else in the store. Tunnel vision. I was going to bring it to its new home. Were going to stay up all night and play every song and then some. Whoo Hoo......Then I saw the D-18 tried it and told them. Wrap it up. This one is mine.
Will you be reviewing the RD-318 with the 30 year old spruce top?
Acoustic guitars are organic. No two are exactly alike. There is no absolute as to how an acoustic guitar must or should sound. Acoustic guitars are constantly in some state of change.
Human hearing is not consistant. Human hearing is effected by many things- do you have a cold?, air pressure, how clean are your ears? how old are you?, what is the humidity today? many things.
Should you buy a Martin?, Gibson?, Taylor? Also, ask "...will that made in China company whatever be in business in five or ten or twenty years?
There are some good $500-700 MIC guitars out there. More than that and you really need to answer a number of questions. What are going to use the guitar for? If you perform in rowdy taverns you don't need to play a Martin or Taylor. What will the resale value be in 20 years? My 25 year old Martin is worth $1000.00 more today than when originally purchased.
Acoustic guitars are like most things- subject to the law of diminishing returns.
In years gone by the RKs we’re ok but not like these new ones, thick poly finish, not well set up etc. By the sounds of it, they and their Chinese factories have got it all going on these days. I heard from the Australian supplier they have three factories in China with the all solid ones coming from a very good facility with highly skilled luthiers.
Sad as hell . A gallon of milk. Ten dollars dozen eggs five bucks. Cheap guitar. Two thousand dollars. Expensive guitar twenty thousand bucks Sad. I’m done now I’m old anyway. Seventy years old ..
A name on a headstock is NOT how I pick my guitars. I pick the ones that sounds the best. Guess what, the best sounding acoustic guitars I ever played just happen to be....you guessed it.....Martin.
I agree with you j.p. all my bluegrass friends are playing Alvarez recording king Yamaha it's a ashame the big 3 are so well respected in the music industry and they take full advantage of it but guess what people are losing their respect for them too.
Came here being a Jimmy Page's fan.. But I'm poor hahahahaha So your video is perfect!
You my friend are 100% correct. The prices the big three are demanding for their guitars are ridiculous. One of my guitars is Yamaha FG735S. I've had it 18 yrs. Its sounds amazing.
My Recording King "Dirty Thirties" OOO is played along with Taylors and Martins. I don't ask for more. Its my sound and it its consistent to all others.
I’ve consistently found Recording King guitars to play well and sound great.
I have two Martins and a Collings D2H custom. The Collings to me has better quality than the newer Martin guitars!
For Collings or Martin money, I'd go Collings every time. Actually I am spending that kind of money and I just ordered the Yamaha LL56. It comes down to voicing really. I don't need a guitar with massive grunt on the low end. The loudest guitar I ever played hands down was the D2H. I loved it!
Great comparison, and a cool video. If you REALLY want to see "bang for the buck", try this same taste test with the Recording King RD-T16. This is a mahogany laminate dread, with the torrified Addy top. New retail is $529.00. I paid $325 for mine pre-owned on Reverb. I'd be very interested to see you do the same comparison with that model of Recording King. Great work, subscribed!!
I Do Not like the way Chris Martin is directing Martin Guitars. His Hybrid offset guitar this year is horrible, and his Mexican line is just plain Junk. JP - you are correct to guide players to Boucher, Bourgeois, Thompson guitars. They are exquisite guitars. That Recording King is a really great buy.
I think Chris needs to lean towards promoting the Custom Shop more. CS makes great guitars - for a price of course.
I remember seeing a CS D18 with Alpine Spruce and Sinker Hog. That guitar impression still haunts me 7 years later. I believe it was around $4k at the time.
No. The DRS1 for example is a great guitar with a very good neck, and the all sapele body is a very nice dark sound.
You should compare the Recording King against a similar priced Martin like one of the road series to see exactly what both companies would give you for 1K
good point.. the rd-328's sell for 750$ and the rd-318's sell for 600$ in the USA
Based on what I'm hearing, the Recording King would absolutely wipe the floor with the Road series guitar. And I own 2 Martins.
@@alexcorll90 one thing i have noticed, is the fret wire on the recording king is inferior to a mexican made martin. I own both, also a taylor. The fret metal is just softer and I will be replacing with evo gold or another alternative.. other than that.. yeah the recording king would win in the volume department for sure
You're an absolute savage on those guitars!!!!
Ah ha I got it right. I could tell #1 had more punch and sounded new. And #2 was more blended and settled. However I preferred the RK for lead punch. If I played rhythm and wanted that sweet tone that blended with the band then the Martin would be the answer. However the price difference is insane. I would like to hear the RK 50 years from now.
Greg Rich knows how to turn companies around. Chinese and Koreans take more pride in their work and get paid way less than Americans. We should think about that.
So J.P.., which one was it ? Did I miss the answer ?
I kind of thought the 2nd one was the most Martinesk of the two...but it was splitting hairs, I admit. I have an old Martin D 35 from the 1970's (and an old Guild D-25 also). Even though I was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pa (right outside of Nazareth), I still play it now and then. But, now a days, I mostly play the Taylors I have accumulated over the years. ( I don't flat pick acoustic much though; I mostly fingerpick.) Most of them are pre 2003 The newer Taylors...well...mostly... well they don't seem to do anything for me lately.. For the most part, I think I have been done buying new guitars since 2002.)
Even so, we did buy a new 714 cedar in Bozeman, Montana in September. I don't have a rosewood/cedar, or any guitar with cedar, so it was a little different from the other guitars I have.
But I agree with you 150%, the price of these guitars has gotten ridiculous. I refuse to pay more than about 3 grand for any guitar....if I spend that. And that is too much.
But I guess at 67 and 72, my wife says we can't take it with us. So the cedar has been a nice diversion and has gotten me to play more lately, as streaming and the pandemic have chilled a lot of my enthusiasm for playing and performing out. So that's worth it....I guess.
Ironically, it's in the shop right now having the action looked at because the high E has an annoying fret ping or buzz when I tune down to D for standard tuning. I can't sing most of my repertoire in E pitch any more these days. Haven't been able to for a good 10 to 15 years. I did try a different saddle, but not the nut yet. I guess I'll let the tech take a look at it first. And I went from light gauge to medium lights with a .013 swapped out for the .012 for the high E. Still pinged on the frets from the nut up to about the 6th fret. But only the high E string. I had to relax the neck a bit to sort of get rid of it, but then the action got harder. Frustrating.
Glad we bought them when we bought them because they are all way too much now days.
Like your videos...Keep it up.
Oh, I wanted to tell you that you kind of remind me of John Renbourn. He was a great player too. Miss him.
Recording king just sounds thin and weak it just dont compare to the martin at any point
That Recording King has a great voice. Martin needs to lower their cost to tailor to the working musicians. All I can afford is the X or Road series and they're not real Martins. I have an Epiphone Texan that I payed a little over $ 800 for and it blows most guitars out of the water. My Alvarez will do the same! All well built instruments. All solid Texan and Solid Sitka Spruce top on Alvarez. You don't have to spend a ton, to get a ton.
I guessed right. But yes they are very similar and his points are very good.
But I think the test would be better with just some strums of chords. Hear the harmonics not just fast bluegrass notes.
American made!! I would never spend $1300 on a guitar made in China... I don’t care if it does “almost” sound as good as an American made instrument... and now people are probably going to start thinking these China builds are just as good as American made builds.. I would spend $3000 for made in America over $1500 made in China every single time... I get what you are doing here, but now these Recording King guitars are going to go up in price too...
Exactly🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I still have my 1973 Martin D-41 bought new in 1976 at a music store for $900. A few years ago, Martin paid $700. to have have a Martin certified luthier re-set the neck and of course I paid for worn parts; nut, saddle and frets. While it was fairly easy for me to tell the Martin in your test, you still get what you pay for. My old martin has recently been replaced as I get ready to retire and play out full time. I bought a 2018 Martin HD-28e reimagined with the 1938 style scallop shifted bracing. While the older martins were intended to be played either in front of a mic or acoustic, the new martins have electronics with EQ built in that sounds like an acoustic, only louder. A dream guitar that's a player with a faster neck and playable action, adjustable trust rod and sounds of a vintage guitar. Hate to say it but a better guitar than my D-41. All of that for under $3,500 including the onboard electronics. Only guitar I need and would rather have it than in keeping a dozen guitars and not playing most of them very often. Martins seem to sound best for me using .013 -.056 strings. Maybe it was just the recording but your Martin didn't sound as good as it should have, even though the playing was stellar. And while I get you shouldn't have to get a loan to buy a guitar, usually in September, people really wanting a martin can get a interest free loan for 4 years, and they typically drop the price about a grand. For something that is a heirloom and one of the best sounding guitars, what you get as a long term investment should be considered. They are still hand made and much improved over the older models in the standard series . I really enjoy the JP Cormier site and see where some would benefit from the Recording King. Thanks!
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on the topic of the Recording King sounding and or playing anywhere near any Martin D -28 or D-18. I suspect that the reason why folks couldn't tell the difference between the Recording King and the Martin is due to them being amateur/novice musicians. Any seasoned guitarist can and will immediately identify a high quality instrument.
I have been playing since last fall and it was not close to me.
Martin fuller, rounder, better sound.
I guess I learned my lesson in the Alvarez v Martin from the other month where I actually got it wrong.
I also disagree on the disparaging comments in re the Mexican Martins. Played a D10 last weekend. Blew me away.
I got it right! It was a total guess though. I actually liked the sound of the RK better. Guess that means I gotta get me one!
You say that Martin, Taylor, Gibson should be charging what they're worth? A hand-made guitar, built by master craftsmen, of whom it takes decades to reach that level of craftsmanship, and an instrument that uses hand selected, specific tonewoods, and 100's of hours of dedicated craftsmanship to fabricate, is somehow not worth their asking price.
The market will set the value. Not your own ill-conceived perception of value. Bear in mind, too, that those "Big 3" companies do in fact have very price competitive models to choose from.
We'll see how much of a value that Chinese knock-off is in 10 years from now when the bridge is pulling off and the neck has a twist in it.
Yeah JP is making some rather large claims about Martin without any evidence backing it up.
Claiming 1 out of 5 factory guitars (assuming Martin) are duds? I mean come on - where is he getting information regarding sources? He even claimed a Custom Shop Martin will set you back at least $30k - absolute Bull and they can be had as low as $3k depending on the tone woods and features used. He even told someone in the comment section on another video that Bouchers are cheaper than Martins - totally not true and Bouchers are AT LEAST $5k starting.
I mean - if he said he liked brand X over Martin due to tone, playability, overall feel, I would have no problem with that and thats just preference. But him lying and trying to discredit Martin is what I take issue with.
Guitar prices have almost doubled over the last bit .
AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. That's why I love Yamaha so much. Not just for their superb affordable guitars, but bc of how important that is to support musicians and music.
What about production in low cost (read: low wages) countries, and other countries like the US and Europe, buying everything only made in China can't be a good solution?
Hey JP update on my rd328 just had a professional set up and put tony rice monel strings medium gauge strings on it and man it woke up the adi top, great tone with no loss of volume and actually gained volume
I agree with the sound comparison! Just subbed too.
But it’s supply and demand and those companies are running businesses. Other companies will rise up that have great products that are affordable for normal people like us. The value of a guitar isn’t only based on the sound but the legacy and supply/demand.
Great advice, I am playing Recording King by myself. Brilliant guitars at a reasonable price!
The recording king sounds better hands down!
I'm a builder/fixer (mostly fixer) in WNC where a ton of bluegrass pickers reside and I can tell you that for the past 4 or 5 years most of them that I know are sittin' their Martins aside and playing the Recording Kings. I've had 8 in the shop, some for set-ups and so on but the main thing that makes the most difference is the finish on the top...it's thick! It's also a bear to get off but when you do it really, REALLY sings. Afterwards I apply a sunburst or a aging die & a very thin finish and they're good to go. One of the guys emailed RK to ask them to skip the finishing process all together and they will not do that. They called that a "custom" order. anyway, take off that top finish and you'll really be blown away!
A a fellow Canadian, I can understand your point regarding value-for-dollar but, the fact is, despite these guitars being very close in quality, like most of our clothes and electronics, the Recording King was manufactured using nothing short of Slave Labour in China. The simple reality of labour costs in Western countries is this: If these guitars were manufactured in Canada or the U.S. , there is no way they could retail for $1000 U.S or less. There is probably some middle ground here as far as pricing, but there is no way a Western labour market can compete with foreign labour markets, which are mostly devoid of any regulations as far as health and safety or wages. That said, if I could afford it, I wouldn't think twice about buying a COLLINGS, which would easily set me back $10K Canadian. Then, IMO, I would be getting a guitar that is easily 2-3 times BETTER than any Martin. But, I agree with you, the best bet is to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LUTHIERS! There's a guy here on Vancouver Island, who could build me a hand-built acoustic for under $3000. Check out Lone Tree guitars in Lake Cowichan, BC. They're beautiful, modern and sound fantastic!👌😁
Maybe it is slave labor. I don't endorse it but it's not the first or last thing I am forced to buy from a communist country. You will buy much more Chinese in your lifetime. Unfortunately.. But that's how it goes. I try to tell everyone to buy American. Or local. Maybe even Canadian. Lol. Just kidding. But I hear your point. At the end of the day, they have to sell the guitars. We aren't going to change anything over there. If you live in the States, you are pretty much forced to go shop at Walmart or Harbor freight at some point. That's sorta the position some of us are in. It's like a snowball effect after a while because more jobs and factories go away. Try to buy local more when you can and only send money over seas when you have no other options.
You're right that Recording King and some others can provide sound very close to Martin. However, Martin is not charging a premium only for its name. Their cost is for American labor. And what you're getting with RK, Eastman, Blue Ridge, etc., are great guitars built by workers who are being paid extremely poorly. I'm not suggesting we all have to suck it up and pay for Martins, Taylors, etc. I'm just saying we need to think about the humanity involved here. We're taking advantage of sweatshop labor in order to get good guitars for a $1000 price point. Someone is paying for that, and in this case, it's the laborer working cheaply in a factory in Asia. I'm not trying to make a political point here, just bringing something to the fore.
I got it right. The second guitar sounded to me more ... deep and warm and “round”, not just bright like the first one. So I picked the second one as the Martin
I got it right too, the second being the Martin. Because I thought the first one was the Recording King, because it sounded the best all around. Just like my Blueridge BR-160A.
Recording King vs Yamaha in this price range (FG3 Red Label or FG840)?
Anyone with experience?
Note the answer is in the description! They sounded similar (and good) to me. I guessed correctly because JP sounded slightly more comfortable on the 2nd one, like an old pair of shoes. (Other channels have blindfold tests and we learn to listen for non-tone indicators :) Thanks for the videos and amen for small, organic guitar builders!
They sounder very different to me! I knew right away that the Martin was played after the RK.
Damn JP. You're the definition of flatpicking
Let's remember they are made in China (like Eastman and Kepma) -- which has nothing to do with their quality but everything to do with cost, just like Martin making their road series (and I've played some that are great) in Mexico for reasons of affordability. Heck, I have a Kepma that I use for gigging in less than optimal situations (like every Sunday in our way cold and dry Adirondack church from late fall 'til spring!). But I suspect if the Recording King guitars were designed AND built here in North America we might be talking about a different story.
If they were made here doesn't matter. They're not and a great value because of it.
I'd guessed the Martin was #2... but I did prefer #1. Thank you for the comparison!
I agree that martins are overpriced. But the company's charge what people are willing to pay. You are right to point out that other guitars have equivalent or superior quality at lower prices. Unfortunately people care more about the name brand. But you have misplaced the blame on Martin. The buyers determine the market.
Now, I know I am a month late. I saw this video start, then went to the first one with the test, then back to this one. Unless I missed something, you never did say which guitar was #1, and which was #2. For me, and I will not name them yet, I could tell a HUGE difference in the guitars, but in this video, when you played the Recording King, I preferred it over the Martin, and I have owned 4 over my lifetime. I cannot afford the Recording King right now since I have been out of work for 2 years, and have had to sell my HD-28 and my D42 to pay the bills. Anyway, please let me know which was #1 and which was #2. I am pretty sure I know, but would never bet money on it. I also just subscribed.
#1 was Recording King, #2 was the Martin.
@@JPCormier I was wrong then. I thought the louder one, the 1st one was the Clarence White due to the larger sound hole, I have heard them next to a standard D-28 and they were always louder, so that one fooled me. When you played them both in this video, I preferred the Recording King. Thanks for an awesome test.
There are local luthiers who are building quality instruments that are making nice stuff. Mandolins and fiddles ect. Just have to ask around.
Hey J.P. , Thanks a lot for this series!
Which one would you pick between the Alvarez MD60 and this Recording King? Many thanks!
I'm just wondering how we , with a 1001 different sound systems would critically asses tonality on guitars played with flashy lead breaks like that. Just not the way to demo an acoustic guitar. Yeah, obviously, US built instruments are way over played, and far eastern builders are attacking the markets of the US builders. I use Collings and Eastman and they are both extremely good.
Was interested in a Martin OMJM (John Mayer Sig). It was $3799 retail … When the shop brought it up on the computer, I happened to see their cost from Martin was $2399! That sorta killed it for me. I also owned a Martin OOO-15M… very basic but sounded good, I played it very little & baby’d it… neck separated after 1 year… discovered Martin uses a bolt (behind serial plate) to attach neck and very minimal glue. Boy was I disappointed in the lame construction of that guitar. So I settled on the new Martin sc13 (new design, Mexican made) but when I compared a bunch of guitars, bought a Taylor 224CE-K DLX (Koa) and couldn’t be happier. Also, have a 1970’s Goya dread (owned by Martin-same construction/neck,etc) and that tone is just amazing.
-I think the new Recording King sounds better.. deeper, fuller, rounder tone... what an absolutely, GORGEOUS-SOUNDING guitar !!!! Good on, Recording King !!!!!!!
Because China. Not sure what you do for a living, but someone in china can do it cheaper. So….
I didn't know which was which, but I liked the second better! The Recording King! Just a very minimal miniscule difference in sound. An awesome sound! Thank you for doing these videos...
I can tell you why you pay more for a Martin. It’s simple economics, a subject that most people will never understand. You pay more because American labor costs more. American labor is more regulated and taxed. The name on the headstock means something - they’ve been making these things for two hundred years. They have perfected the craft. No one will care about your off brand guitar fifty years from now. But that kind of longevity in thinking is completely foreign to most people. Economically I can tell you a lot more but I will resort to just saying you get what you vote for. Who’s in charge in most of the developed world in recent years and what are the results? Energy is more expensive, inflation and taxes, wars, less freedom… but most people don’t want more liberty and freedom and don’t want to be unplugged from the Matrix. And they’re happy playing a Chinese copy and who can blame them - they can’t tell the difference, geez people can’t tell the difference between a man and a woman and you want them to hear the difference between these two? And to be fair - Martin guitars or a new house are really expensive. You get what you vote for. And probably most of all, voting with your dollar is the strongest way of voting. You people want cheap imitations, not the real thing - you get what you pay for. Thanks for the good video 🙌🙏
The tone is clearly different.
The Martin sounded a hair sweeter- not warmer - just rounder on the highs. The RK? -clearer and more even. Less muddy. For not being broken in, amazing.
I owned a D18 back in the '70's. Very soulful. Not a great neck. $ 300 used at the time. So I appreciate Martin. But they have lost the plot on providing affordable guitars of real quality.
At $649 or $ 799 US for the Recording King 318 or 328, no real competition now. Hard to even find a great used guitar at that price now.
Here in the states in October of 23' the RD-328 goes for $799. If you can find a Q-stock, it's $649., the Q-stock has a defect if the finish supposedly. And is covered by warranty unlike certified used. On Amazon for example, if you click on used like new in the listing, it's is usually actually Q-stock, which it will say. So for 700 bucks basically I got one of these on order. You could buy 4 of theses for the price of one new D-28 and still have some money left over. That is a little ridiculous on Martins part. They could mass produce guitars like this even if they were Chinese. But they give you plastic for that price. I get the labor cost difference but man. There are plenty of cheaper wood options that could be used to make great guitars these days and cnc machines that are widely available these days to do a lot of the work. And even Fender of all companies is making budget solid guitars now. Their Paramount series. And the prices are actually really budget. We all live the sound of a Martin but I think all these newer cheaper guitars are going to age and sound even better. Some better than Martins in various opinions. It will be interesting to hear an RD-328 in a few decades.
Great perspective! Thanks! I get more comments about how beautiful my Yamaha FS-TA sounds than I do w my Martin 00015. Got the yamaha for $300 off craigslist and paid a luthier to install bone nut and saddle. It's fun to play and I take it everywhere without worry. I wanna try the recording king 11 series.
Hi JP! One question brother, how has the RD 328 held up over time? I’m thinking about getting one. Thanks for your reply!
Yamaha FG800 is my go to guitar. I'm in a house with Martins (my uncle's) and STILL go for my Yamaha. Can't afford a Martin. I AM, however, looking for a nice Yamaha FGX5.
Same the fg800 is my first acoustic, phenomenal guitar if $200 gets me this much guitar I can't imagine how much better the Japanese red label will be
Was going to get a FGX5.. didn't want to wait, so i got the RD-328.. taking it tomorrow to get a setup and bone pins fit
The v-neck is going to take a bit to get used to, but it sounds amazing. and already is opening up on just a couple hours of playing
When I bought my recording king Randy Curry at the store , called it " the Martin killer " that was in 07. I love my RK
I went in a small music store a while back, they had 12-14 Martin D18’s and D28’s, I played most of them with the exception of the cherry wood ones, I noticed an Eastman D28 style guitar in a beautiful sunburst hanging on the wall, I got it and hit a G chord and my mouth dropped! It was the best guitar in the shop hands down, Adirondack top, forward shifted scalloped braces, solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, beautiful guitar. Around $1100 dollars! The fit and finish was immaculate.
What’s the model of it?
E20d?
I just got an Eastman OM style and love it.
Eastman makes stellar guitars...electrics and acoustics alike
Just ordered one of them. I don't think they're better than the D28, but they definitely can be used for all the same things, and I'm sure the Eastman shines in some areas the martin doesn't. It's just some warm tone in the mid range that I pick up from the martin vs the Eastman.
After viewing this video. I went to the local music store , they had 2 RD328 and i was really disappointed. Maybe because they were brand news . Just came out of the box.🤷🏼♂️. A few days ago a played a used eastman e20d , selling for 1400$ canadien. I was blown away. Wasn’t as good as my bg-52 Boucher but pretty close. I wish you would do a video on a Eastman. And like always, great Fun video 👍
I have two new Martin X models. An OM and D10. They are laminate but have a decent sound. It has a Martin feel, but laminate. Doesn’t sound as good as natural for sure. I want a Martin OM but don’t have $3-6 k for one. Considering Recoding King OM. Hearing good things about the brand. Would like to find one to test. I’ve had to drop the action on a few guitars and changed out tuners, bridge pins and saddles/ nuts for bone and that can turn a decent guitar into a rather nice sounding guitar. Thanks for video.
I’ve always wanted a Martin but couldn’t afford it. Playing a Guild for 30 years until the bridge started to separate and needed a neck reset . My cousin turned me in to Zager guitars . I bought their ZAGER 80 1,300 and am totally blown away by the tone , volume , balance , craftsmanship and superb neck angle and low action not to mention wonderful customer service . After a year playing it I had the chance to play a $ 5,100 Martin in a music store . No comparison ! Very nice guitar but my ZAD 80 blew it away in so many ways. I just could not justify 5 to 6 figures on up for the name . I’m thoroughly.pleased with my gorgeous 80 with its nice case for 1,300. I get a lot of compliments at our jam sessions .
I think the name Cormier would make a cool a brand name for some high fidelity guitars, "The Cormier Guitars" also as logo it would read nice on headstock.
You are so right .I started playing when I was 14.im 61 now .iv never been able to afford a martin always wanted one...but I want a nice sounding guitar not a parcel of land.
I have an RK ROS-16. I can play it with total tonal love after just having played my $2300 Martin and my $5000 Lowden. The RK cost me $100 mint used.
The Main Reason the -RK Dreadnaught is so cheap!!! I have pointed it out before- China factories pay their Workers probably $5 /$10 -a day!!!!’ It’s just the reality’s of it. The RK’s are great guitars for the $$- same with Eastmans. It is not Rocket science-No secret to why these guitars are so good-- they ‘finally used all Solid Woods’- and copied the exact building specs of Pre-War Martins.
I have a Recording King RO-328 engelmann spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides. It sounds very good, sloppy workmanship $800.00. I also have a Martin OM-21 $3000.00, sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, impeccable workmanship, it also sounds better than very good. The Recording King looks like a Chinese guitar, too much lacquer some poor fitting joints etc... The Martin? It just looks like and sounds like a very good Martin. You get what you pay for.
Wow man your a great player I love your playing and tone. Thank you sir!!!
The free market determines prices, if people are willing to pay top dollar for Martins, Gibsons, & Taylors, those builders would be idiots to arbitrarily lower their prices...
Also, you can't pay your labor force in the US $100-$150/wk like they can in Southeast Asia.
Beautiful work in every respect, straighforward, no nonsence breakdown of how to make an amazing value guitar even more playable and sweet as a nut, rings like a bell. And on a larger note (no pun intended) you add something possitive and beautiful to peoples lives in doing so.
I've never played any Recording Kings other than my series11 dirty thirties single 0. I can attest to the quality. I also have a Larrivee, two Martins, two yamahas and a Fender Tele. Recording King can compete.
I guessed it right: guitar #2 in the blind playing test was the Martin. I didn't cheat either. I really don't care if I had picked the Recording King over the Martin, because I'm also dead-set against big name guitar makers charging far too much money for even mediocre guitars. I think it's a slap in the face to all guitarists and hard working people.
5K just buying the S&P 500 15 years ago would have paid about 3.8K in dividends and woul;d today be worth 20K in you pocket and you got 85% of your money back with the dividends to spend how you wish...I did not buy 6K worth of S&P so you could have 1K to buy the Recording King. Just a fun exercise.
I have a really sweet Blueridge BR160. I got new old stock at my local music store a few years back... From 2002... I went into the local high end guitar shop and I had a hard time finding a guitar that I thought sounded better. (Maybe this one bourgeois...) But I liked my Blueridge better than the majority of what they had on offer.
I've owned Martins my whole life including a D-45 made in the 1960's and they all had a distinctive and wonderful sound. I recently was turned on to a Recording King RD-06W by a good friend (guitar buddy) that just played and sounded as good as any Martin I've ever had. The only change that was made was to replace the machine heads with a set of Grover 18:1 sta-tite open gear tuners. I paid $186.00 for this guitar! I could not agree with you more about the prices of these high end guitars! $6,000 IS NOT A REASONABLE PRICE!!!
You are telling the truth, Martins became to expensive, it`s a crazy market.
BUT ! I just have here this guitar (328) a big tone combined with a bad finish.
I`ll send it back to the store.
I haven't seen a 4000.00 D28... Standard D28....3000.00 yes. Problem is recording king is hit or miss....you can't bank on getting a good one especially through the stupid online buying system. Last three guitars I bought I returned them before I left Guitar center. I get them from GC cause I can ship them to the store...take my tools and test them before I walk out with it....if it's bad I get my money back in 3 to 4 days.
Between the Epiphones you showed and the recording king? will you get the Epiphone J200? Thank you incredible playing AAAAAAAAAA
Still having to tune it, huh? I’ll stick with my (2) Martin’s. My HD-35, and my D-18 MD. MADE IN AMERICA…JP! I can afford Martin…so, my mainstays are Martin However, I did buy an Alvarez, MD60EBG…which is amazing, btw! I would love you to play my Martin’s. Would love to get your response on those. BTW, quit saying you don’t have anything against Martin. You do too!
Here in Greece, I have the opportunity to test the RD-328 one...
The other one is Epiphone Excellente Mssterbilt, which you have tested too....
Which one is better, no price comparison included.....?
SDR 45 Sigma with 013 Martinstring _ also great!
I did with 2 people a blindfold hearing and playingtest with vs an J45 Gibson. Same result as here the recording king with the Martin. The Sigma comes out better! But look at Thomann at the only response from a user about this Recording King Modell RD-342, he becomes not a good one.
Which guitar to choose Recording King RD-318 / RD-328 or Epiphone Masterbilt Texan?
Come on! The difference between both guitars was so-o-o obvious. The Martin was played after the RK, which is lacking in bass and has a far less fuller/richer sound than the Martin...I wrote this before the answer was given. ... The Martin sounds a lot better (does age have anything to do with the BIG sound difference?) After watching this entire video, I still don't officially know which guitar was played first; however, I say it was the RK!!!!
Just found your channel, couldn’t agree more. Bought a KYairi in 1986, as good or better than any Martin I have ever heard or played. Have owned Gibson and Taylor both. A mistake I won’t repeat. Also owned Fender telecaster and Stratocaster, both now gone with no remorse. I agree, the best place to find a quality guitar is an individual, independent luthier. Have never owned a Martin but have dropped thousands of $$$ on the other big 3. Live and learn. The name on the headstock may sell the guitar but it doesn’t necessarily mean superior quality, only superior price.
My brother n law has 17 Martins and showed me a 1935 D-28 he picked up from his dying cousin last week. He had it appraised and is one of 82 made in that year. It was appraised for $95,000. I was flippin shocked! The rarity came from being one of fret count in that year. Yes, I said $95k.
Recording King factories and labor are Chinese.
U.S.-based builders (Martin, etc.) and their labor can't compete on price.
Spot on man. Bring it. I had a Martin endorsement for a while. I love them. But as you said, they are terribly expensive. I have a bunch of Eastman’s now and a hand selected Martin 000-18.
The RD328 has been sold out for pretty much the whole pandemic, but 2 weeks ago Thomann posted a B-stock (return)! I ordered it right away, got it 5 days later, stringed it up with new 12's, took it to a jam and was blown away by how well it sounded, put up with much more expensive instruments, AND how well it cut through in the jam situation! These videos where VERY helpful! Thanks J.P.!
Yeah. If you're going to spend thousands... Definitely go to a builder... Someone who puts a whole lot of love in each and every guitar and really knows how to pick specific wood and tune a top! Factory guitars for thousands.... Just doesn't make sense. They crank those things out on an assembly line...
Super eyeopener.. but there again : I do feel JP could make any guitar sound a million... Those fingers just land the right tunes. THANKS JP
I bought a Blueridge BR240A a couple of years ago.... I wouldn’t trade it for 10 Martins! This thangs a beast!
I guess it how we react to a guitar and if the guitar speaks to us maybe I’m not in the same league but my searching is over when I bought a Takamine . I swear it has energy of Zen . Everyone says I play differently with it . Every note is a story and a feeling.
Just curious to know what guitar you think sounds and plays better between the Alvarez MD60BG and the Recording king RD-328? Thanks.