I am a subscriber to your channel and I have played guitar since I was five years old. I will be 70 in December. I am absolutely sure there is a difference in the sound between these two guitars but I cannot detect it. This is not because it isn’t there but because time, my teenage years playing electric rock too loud, then later combat related nerve damage causing hearing diminution from long term exposure to artillery bombardment when I was in Norway’s Jaegerkommandoen. Then there is time. Simply time causing a bit more hearing loss. I don’t suffer with this because it happens slowly as years pass. I can still hear and not really badly but the edges of high and low tones/notes have been shaved off. I can hear that both of these guitars in your hands sound amazing. I wish I could tell the difference but I just cannot but like I said I know you can hear it and other players with young and/or undamaged ears. I might say I would like to have one but I don’t need another guitar. I have, I think eleven or twelve from beaters to pretty good to excellent and at the top for me my Lowden, Pierre Bensusan “Old Lady” with Ancient Cuban Mahogany and Red Cedar. Oddly my second favorite guitar is a Tacoma C1C Chief of solid Western Red Cedar and solid more regular Mahogany (the type of which I disremember). The Lowden Old Lady and the Tacoma surprisingly sound pretty similar though even I can hear the difference in their sound characteristics. I still play but the other thing going against me is arthritis in the soft tissue of every joint in my body. I sound pretty good, I have very strong theory knowledge as I have two music degrees in Theory and performance but now I am way less than half the guitar payer I was at 30 years of age. But that is the way of life. I can still make music to please family and friends and I occasionally play out to accompany a young singer I know. I really liked this video. Again, your playing is excellent. I tune in every time you have a new post.
I recently went to Lightning Joes Guitar Heaven in Arroyo Grande CA and told him that all of my Taylor guitars have such a more beautiful fuller sound than any Martins that I have. He took me by the hand and helped me find $7,800 worth of quality Martins. Now I'm a member of the Martin family as well. CONVINCED! I picked up the HD-28 retro with Aura Fishman electronics and a beautiful Martin Super D with highly figured Koa. without electronics. My porch buddy first choice now. That guitar was $5,000 and I'm not missing the money at all. The sound that comes out of that beauty is amazing.
Man.. maybe that Wild Grain will still be around when I am ready. I just dig the individuality of it. And it does sound great. I've actually always told myself, and others that I want an HD-35. It's that 3 piece back... and if I did a custom shop 35.. I would make sure the neck was not the 35 neck but a 28 style complete with volutte. ..but really I should just get an HD-28. I am also still thinking about the Guild D50 standard from your previous video. #decisions
I have a 1990 HD-28 BLE with Brazilian rosewood and prewar specs. As great as that thing sounds, these two stack up pretty nicely with it. Great guitars.
That's awesome! I played my 1st HD-28 in the "player's room" at the Martin factory about 6 weeks ago it was lovely! I'm having a 000-28 custom built and the factory said about a 4 to 6 month wait, but time will tell! They had a couple new prototypes to play that were hanging on the wall, but otherwise were a total mystery. Sounded great but not sure what made them special...
Now may be a little slow here, but I can't figure out what the heck is goin' on. 3 guitars - aren't the wildo played is another than the one held up in the outro. Yes, , , then why can't we hear the 2 wildos ? Anyways, , , always a treat to check in - the HD between 8 and 10:10 is my fave. Has more sparkle. Best Thoughts
Cooper, So many on the Martin blogs say that Wild grain EIR isn't quite as stable as straight grain EIR and may crack more easily down the road? Personally I don't believe that the Martin Custom Shop would put out any guitar that wasn't built to last a long long time. Any thoughts on this? They look awesome and have a Brazilian vibe to some of the backs I've seen.
First strum on the CS - wow! IMO - the Custom Shop is equal to boutique guitars! I've got an Adirondack top dread & Sitka top dread (both Martin) - I'm glad you chose Sitka (sounds warmer to me). My Sitka is a rosewood, but not standard series, & I'd like to upgrade...
Its really hard to tell which guitar is which in the demo since they have the same description above them. I had to look closely at the logo to find the custom. Maybe use differentiating labels next time. I like the standard better btw. Better dollor for dollar value and it recorded really well.
Adirondack red spruce top always for dread. Not that much of an up cost. Standard forward shifted scalloped with Adirondack is amazingly powerful articulate and balanced. You guys should grab some.
I liked the Look of the HD-28 Wild better, but preferred the HD-28 Standard in this case because of the brighter highs... or maybe "I'm" just high, and completely wrong! 😄
I bought an HD-28 in 2004 (new) and consider it to be an absolutely outstanding guitar. I DO love the appearance of the “wild” CS and would buy it if I could come up with a good justification to to that (having the spare change for that would certainly help). I was not able to discern a difference in sound between the two guitars. I also have a CEO-7, which has become my go-to guitar for finger picking since I bought it. I’d like to see what you would put together for a CS version of that!
Beautiful guitars, both of them. The second one, to me, has that extra mid punch, probably because all of the wood-wood interaction. I would gladly own any of those, still dont know which sound do I prefer
Both are great sounding guitars. I have a really good Bose speaker system and yes there is a difference. Could I live with either one, yup. However the Custom Wild Grain had the added depth on every count of tone just pristine great. It shows that the extra features you pay for aren't just words its gives the results you pay for! Very good discussion and demo.
Okay, I am impressed...only $6k? That is wild!Yes, I could hear a difference, and yes you played very well (showoff) lol.I suggest that you do something in mahogany for a change. I love my CEO 7. It already has Adirondack top, but you could figure out a way to jazz it up a notch or two...but I don't think Chris likes them.I had to buy mine from Baxter.
So Mr G, this came up in the first half of the CHIEFS practice game. So I will gush over your playing now and watch during halftime. Actually I am not one of the gushers,but you are always fine. Beautiful to see, I will listen in a bit.
Neither sound great. HDs have such a muddy and unpleasant tone. I know they vibrate a ton, but maybe too much. D28 sound way better especially the non forward shifted ones
As an HD owner I would say the HD’s biggest strength is it’s boomy low end. It’s also its biggest weakness. I feel like that’s why these guitars are sometimes perceived as muddy. I prefer a 60s D-28 for a lot of things. I think it’s a more versatile guitar overall, but when I want a lush rosewood tone with lots of low end, there’s no substitution for the prewar forward shifted scalloped bracing of an HD.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I am a subscriber to your channel and I have played guitar since I was five years old. I will be 70 in December. I am absolutely sure there is a difference in the sound between these two guitars but I cannot detect it. This is not because it isn’t there but because time, my teenage years playing electric rock too loud, then later combat related nerve damage causing hearing diminution from long term exposure to artillery bombardment when I was in Norway’s Jaegerkommandoen. Then there is time. Simply time causing a bit more hearing loss. I don’t suffer with this because it happens slowly as years pass. I can still hear and not really badly but the edges of high and low tones/notes have been shaved off. I can hear that both of these guitars in your hands sound amazing. I wish I could tell the difference but I just cannot but like I said I know you can hear it and other players with young and/or undamaged ears. I might say I would like to have one but I don’t need another guitar. I have, I think eleven or twelve from beaters to pretty good to excellent and at the top for me my Lowden, Pierre Bensusan “Old Lady” with Ancient Cuban Mahogany and Red Cedar. Oddly my second favorite guitar is a Tacoma C1C Chief of solid Western Red Cedar and solid more regular Mahogany (the type of which I disremember). The Lowden Old Lady and the Tacoma surprisingly sound pretty similar though even I can hear the difference in their sound characteristics. I still play but the other thing going against me is arthritis in the soft tissue of every joint in my body. I sound pretty good, I have very strong theory knowledge as I have two music degrees in Theory and performance but now I am way less than half the guitar payer I was at 30 years of age. But that is the way of life. I can still make music to please family and friends and I occasionally play out to accompany a young singer I know. I really liked this video. Again, your playing is excellent. I tune in every time you have a new post.
I recently went to Lightning Joes Guitar Heaven in Arroyo Grande CA and told him that all of my Taylor guitars have such a more beautiful fuller sound than any Martins that I have. He took me by the hand and helped me find $7,800 worth of quality Martins. Now I'm a member of the Martin family as well. CONVINCED! I picked up the HD-28 retro with Aura Fishman electronics and a beautiful Martin Super D with highly figured Koa. without electronics. My porch buddy first choice now. That guitar was $5,000 and I'm not missing the money at all. The sound that comes out of that beauty is amazing.
Man.. maybe that Wild Grain will still be around when I am ready. I just dig the individuality of it. And it does sound great.
I've actually always told myself, and others that I want an HD-35. It's that 3 piece back... and if I did a custom shop 35.. I would make sure the neck was not the 35 neck but a 28 style complete with volutte. ..but really I should just get an HD-28.
I am also still thinking about the Guild D50 standard from your previous video. #decisions
The standard HD 28 sounds better to me.
I have a 1990 HD-28 BLE with Brazilian rosewood and prewar specs. As great as that thing sounds, these two stack up pretty nicely with it. Great guitars.
I bought my HD28ez in 2021 and felt fortunate to find a new one. Wait lists were a year to 18 months at that time. Love it.
That's awesome! I played my 1st HD-28 in the "player's room" at the Martin factory about 6 weeks ago it was lovely! I'm having a 000-28 custom built and the factory said about a 4 to 6 month wait, but time will tell! They had a couple new prototypes to play that were hanging on the wall, but otherwise were a total mystery. Sounded great but not sure what made them special...
Now may be a little slow here, but I can't figure out what the heck is goin' on. 3 guitars - aren't the wildo played is another than the one held up in the outro. Yes, , , then why can't we hear the 2 wildos ? Anyways, , , always a treat to check in - the HD between 8 and 10:10 is my fave. Has more sparkle.
Best Thoughts
They both sound amazing!
Cooper, So many on the Martin blogs say that Wild grain EIR isn't quite as stable as straight grain EIR and may crack more easily down the road? Personally I don't believe that the Martin Custom Shop would put out any guitar that wasn't built to last a long long time. Any thoughts on this? They look awesome and have a Brazilian vibe to some of the backs I've seen.
Wood binding is so important! You are right to standby this. What models always have sculpted bracing?
First strum on the CS - wow! IMO - the Custom Shop is equal to boutique guitars! I've got an Adirondack top dread & Sitka top dread (both Martin) - I'm glad you chose Sitka (sounds warmer to me). My Sitka is a rosewood, but not standard series, & I'd like to upgrade...
Its really hard to tell which guitar is which in the demo since they have the same description above them. I had to look closely at the logo to find the custom. Maybe use differentiating labels next time. I like the standard better btw. Better dollor for dollar value and it recorded really well.
Yes agree. Listened without knowing an order of playing. If the second one was the wild custom I thought for sure it had a noticeable clarity to it.
I had a wild grain D-28. Unfortunately, the neck didn't agree with my hand. I liked the warmth of the Custom.
Adirondack red spruce top always for dread. Not that much of an up cost. Standard forward shifted scalloped with Adirondack is amazingly powerful articulate and balanced. You guys should grab some.
I liked the Look of the HD-28 Wild better, but preferred the HD-28 Standard in this case because of the brighter highs... or maybe "I'm" just high, and completely wrong! 😄
I thought the second guitar was noticeably bigger sound. I'm thinking it's because of the forward shifted bracing. Just guessing
I bought an HD-28 in 2004 (new) and consider it to be an absolutely outstanding guitar. I DO love the appearance of the “wild” CS and would buy it if I could come up with a good justification to to that (having the spare change for that would certainly help). I was not able to discern a difference in sound between the two guitars.
I also have a CEO-7, which has become my go-to guitar for finger picking since I bought it. I’d like to see what you would put together for a CS version of that!
Beautiful guitars, both of them. The second one, to me, has that extra mid punch, probably because all of the wood-wood interaction.
I would gladly own any of those, still dont know which sound do I prefer
I am with you, the second one just had a richer tome to me.
Guitar from heaven!
When are you going to do a video on the Martin super D
What is The Nut size on the guitars? Please. And can U get 1.575 nut with super artist taper.. t. You
Both are great sounding guitars. I have a really good Bose speaker system and yes there is a difference. Could I live with either one, yup. However the Custom Wild Grain had the added depth on every count of tone just pristine great. It shows that the extra features you pay for aren't just words its gives the results you pay for! Very good discussion and demo.
I’d like to see a sc-28 or a d-18 with sinker mahogany
I liked the second one better as it wasn’t a clangy on first and second string
For $6k - I’m beyond any HD28 at that price point.
Won't have to worry about the wood binding separating so that's a plus. Do better Martin
What is the price difference between the two guitars?
$3k
Okay, I am impressed...only $6k? That is wild!Yes, I could hear a difference, and yes you played very well (showoff) lol.I suggest that you do something in mahogany for a change. I love my CEO 7. It already has Adirondack top, but you could figure out a way to jazz it up a notch or two...but I don't think Chris likes them.I had to buy mine from Baxter.
I will not stand for such slander - I do like those guitars. Cheers - Chris ;)
@AlamoMusic OK, sorry. I would have bought from you but I never saw any available to purchase. You are much closer to kcmo.
So Mr G, this came up in the first half of the CHIEFS practice game. So I will gush over your playing now and watch during halftime. Actually I am not one of the gushers,but you are always fine. Beautiful to see, I will listen in a bit.
Coop!
Nice 👍
Neither sound great. HDs have such a muddy and unpleasant tone. I know they vibrate a ton, but maybe too much. D28 sound way better especially the non forward shifted ones
As an HD owner I would say the HD’s biggest strength is it’s boomy low end. It’s also its biggest weakness. I feel like that’s why these guitars are sometimes perceived as muddy. I prefer a 60s D-28 for a lot of things. I think it’s a more versatile guitar overall, but when I want a lush rosewood tone with lots of low end, there’s no substitution for the prewar forward shifted scalloped bracing of an HD.
so cool guitar made ny martin,we loved it.thanks
indian roswood so cool and beautiful