thank you, for this test!

Thanks guys, great service

Awesome video as always thank you!!! loved the Eastman and martin and the breed love you played first

Thanks, helps take the guess work out when looking for a guitar. :)

Enjoyed that! Great comparison. Loved the Breedlove sound & the Eastman. Two guitars I’ve never played! Many thanks! 👍

I have an Eastman with the rosewood body and aged sitka spruce top. It sounds great and has unbelievable sustain. Love it.

Glad you took on the challenge

Great comparisons!👍👍👍

I was not surpried that Eastman came out on top. The quality of workmanship, the tonewood choices, and attention to detail all come together to make a great instrument. I own an Eastnam E2O-OM-SB which is a sweet knockoff of a vintage Martin OM.

Cool comparison. I think doing this at NAMM would be difficult with all the noise.

Hard to tell with all that NAMM background noise. I am a huge fan of Eastman and that one has gorgeous back and sides a well as a side port yet, in spite of my built-in bias, I'm still going for that plane Jane Martin. There is less background noise and your voice in the recording of the Martin has more clarity, so that might account for my choice. I'm agreeing with @ahill209, I liked the Breedlove best. There was also a whole lot less background noise in the Breedlove recording. It would be fun to stage a re-match between the top four guitars in a controlled studio setting to find out how much the background noise swayed opinion. Fun video.

Nice group test! I bet if you would have tested the Eastman E1 specials they would have been the best value easily. I find the tone very similar to the fancier model. And with TC top even sweeter.

Eastman coming out as the winner doesn't surprise me at all. Would have liked to see a Yamaha in the race...

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately the booth had a brass section playing when we were by there BUT we can confirm, they had some awesome guitars!

The Alvarez and Guild are the best looking. The Guild sounds surprisingly good and the price is hard to beat.

@finemeat

5 ай бұрын

One of my favorite guitars, Guild f240e. $275 on sale. Didn’t even need to change the strings out of the box.

On the screen the Alvarez is the MPA66SHB but, like the man says, it's the MPA66ESHB. The price includes a pretty good pickup system. Mine was £550 in Scotland last year, 2022.

Thank you for doing this! I have several guitars under $800, Yamaha L16M, Yamaha NTX1200R, Bridgeport BG400 and Alvarez 12 string, I'm very happy.

@bmac5085

5 ай бұрын

Is that the maple 12 string?

@Arkramn

4 ай бұрын

whats your favorite?

I own 2 Eastmans and absolutely LOVE them. Play one and you will understand. 😊

sounded great for the first impression !

I bought a D35 Herringbone Martin In 1979 and it’s just Like New The Sound will never be duplicated just had the action adjusted To this day it looks brand new and actually sounds better

The tone port is an idea I really like. I haven't played the Eastman, but now very interested.

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

It actually makes a bigger difference than we thought it would!

@PatrickWillshire

5 ай бұрын

Gibson G- Writer also has a tone port - adds a much fuller and richer sound for the player, in my opinion.

Good selections and judging. I liked the Eastman the best.

For me, it was Breedlove No. 1, Eastman No. 2, and Martin No.3. I'm spoiled with a Martin D-28 Marquis, though, so anything less than that sounds like someone playing two rooms over.

@im58woody

Жыл бұрын

I picked the Breedlove as my #1 too

@markbutikofer5207

Жыл бұрын

@@im58woody Ditto!

@ralfybaby

Жыл бұрын

​@@markbutikofer5207 ditto ditto.

@bekeneel

10 ай бұрын

Oh I remember that name, cuz there are quite a few special editions (of d28), along with custom shops too. The Marquis is with sunburst & adirondack?

@ahill209

10 ай бұрын

@@bekeneel Adi, yes. Sunburst, no. East Indian rosewood back and sides. It's a real beast, volume wise. Sustain lasts for eons.

No Yamaha, Larrivee, Furch… $500 guild to $1500 Eastman… Not exactly apples to apples. It would also have been better comparing somewhat similar body styles. Still appreciate your work and the content!

@1deadtoe707

Жыл бұрын

I don't know about Furch, but Larrivee has no acoustic guitar with a Street price less than $1500. However, they have many really good options for less than 2K.

@samuelosterloh6502

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. No Larrivee represented? I was at the Acoustic Shoppe in Springfield, unfortunately right during NAMM. Most high end guitars and personnel gone to NAMM. Bad timing, I guess. I'm personally not sure what to think of Eastman, but Acoustic Shoppe seems high on them. Martin is what it is...a yes, and yet?

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately the booth had a brass section playing when we were by there BUT we can confirm, they had some awesome guitars! Also Larrivée & Furch were not at NAMM this year, we tried checking out what we could find!

The obvious glaring omission was Yamaha which would easily surpass each of these entries. Of the entries in this grouping though the Eastman would be the one I would choose.

@sooparticular

Жыл бұрын

yes yamaha is king of the cheapies I played them all!!! owned a bunch

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately the booth had a brass section playing when we were by there BUT we can confirm, they had some awesome guitars, specifically the FG9's!

@Wobbz9413

Жыл бұрын

Not a comparison without a Yamaha. Would blow them out of the water.

@12babyapes59

Жыл бұрын

@@Wobbz9413 ll16 ARE

@dwebs1340

3 ай бұрын

Cordoba bought Guild from Fender and now Yamaha bought Cordoba. The quality of the Guild Westerly guitars is quite impressive especially the 100 series solid wood. The older GAD series were nice guitars, but these new Westerly Guild/Yamaha are legit players.

I like the truck bed liner finish on the Ibanez top

Thx for doing this. My vote was: Breedlove, then Eastman and Martin.

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

That's how I would have rated them except for Breedlove being higher than expected. The Martin had the Martin scooped sound that became the acoustic standard, but at $550 Guild would be my choice though I agree Eastman was best sound & quality.

@tomformanek3312

9 ай бұрын

You mean your acoustic standard? Not all acoustic players are Martin lemmings

A *question for you* ... When you say, for example, 4/5, what are you comparing the 4 _to_ ??? What would be a "5" ??

Why am I not surprised that the Eastman came out on top??? Pleassssse!

Nice job.

I have a 2005 Blueridge BR160, solid body and sides Indian Rosewood. I would like to see you do a show on Blueridge.

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

We've been wanting to get some Blueridge guitars for reviews for sure, hopefully soon!

also curious about Faith guitars as well

I thoroughly enjoyed this review! Your value rating, however, befuddles me. To me, value means how much you get for your money. Low score means that axe should be priced lower to be commensurate with all you get for that model's street price. Good example is that Ibanez, which sells for $649 everywhere, yet your 2.5/5 Value score might imply that it is comparable to guitar half that price. If the Ibanez was street priced at $325 would the value be 5/5?🤔 Further, the Martin & Eastman are over double the cost, which puts them in a much higher tier. So ... With all that being said, great job! 🙂

I think the Breedlove came across really nice through the mics...

Strictly from the audio in my headphones I thought the Breedlove was number two and Martin number three. Martin was thin sounding compared to the Breedlove. Eastman did win in my ears. I think the Guild won on price vs sound.

@ralfybaby

Жыл бұрын

It's hard for a $500 guitar with laminate back and sides to compete against a $1300-1500 all solid wood guitar. The all solids just blow the laminates away ....

Enjoyed the video. While it is obvious none of us viewers could feel or play these guitars, our only mode of actual experience was sound. Sound is very subjective and what sounds good to me may not you and vice versa. I thought the Martin, Breedlove, and Takimene were the best sound with the tak being third. But again, I was listening through ears with a lot of exposure to loud industrial noise. Great job.

Honestly, if I couldnt have a Martin, Id go Eastman E8D all day, if you wanna spend a little more money the TC version/s. If you wanna spend even more money yet? Eastman E20D- TC or Martin

Great video. Personally, I thought the Breedlove was the best sounding of all, which was a big surprise to me. The Martin and Eastman were also equal second on sound but I reckon the Eastman is way more guitar for the money. PS. How about the Gibson Generation guitars?

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Gibson did not attend! 👀

@kevinmauch5622

Жыл бұрын

I have two Eastman guitars, an E20 OOSS and an E20P. Both are wonderful instruments of exceptional build quality and worth every penny.

@enigmabletchley6936

Жыл бұрын

@@AcousticShoppe Weird! Thanks for the explanation.

I too would like to see a Yamaha included in the competition. I liked the tone on the Breedlove and was surprised that I liked the Takamine. Where is the Acoustic Shoppe?

@AcousticShoppe

7 ай бұрын

We're located in Springfield, Mo!

I like the Breedlove name... Breed love not war! ☮️

That Guild is a great value

Definitely not apples to apples. You either love all the choices or become overwhelmed. Enjoy the hunt!

Curious - was Orangewood guitars there? Have they ever been before?

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

they did not have a booth there & I'm not too sure if they've ever gone.

for under 1500 I would buy a guitar you did not pick up - the Martin SC -12e - a REVOLUTIONARY guitar that Martin has invented with X and scalloped bracing, S -shape that is so comfortable, and the neck has NO heal anymore so high frets are so easy to reach. Its amazing, not the same old acoustic guitar!

Also the Orangewood Hudson Torrefied Spruce Live

@johnchapman4232

Жыл бұрын

Not at NAMM

the breedlove was my favorite

Sounds about the same as my Seagull Entourage Acoustic/electric, for which I paid around 500.

The Martin 15m is awesome.

You should have included the Sire A3 and Sire A4. The Sire A3 is $400 and sounds as good as any of these and better than some of them. Mohogany back and sides. Roasted spruce top. Mahogany neck. Bone bridge and nut. Rolled edge fingerboard. Quality electronics.

why no zaglers?

No mention of Yamaha FG5 ? Has to be in the top 3

How did Yamaha LL16D not get in the competition? Solid value for around $1200

@bmac5085

7 ай бұрын

I totally agree 👍

@PatrickWillshire

5 ай бұрын

Great guitar!

tuff to tell with all the noise But Im spoiled with my amazing guitars ...these sounded small tiny plinky....needs to be an under 2 thousand category and honestly yamaha would have killed these!!! great shirt btw u look kool my man

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

I bought a 700$ Breedlove that sounded better (amplified) than every acoustic in Guitar center including the 2000 and under but after 5 different trips to 5 techs I could not get it intonated

Breedlove sounds great.

I bought a Yamaha FG5 Red Label a few years ago. I thought it sounded better than Martin's that were 3x the price.

I would also submit the Recording King Tonewood Reserve Elite Dreadnought

@johnchapman4232

Жыл бұрын

Not at NAMM

Breedlove for the win. Oh mah ..... Much fuller and brighter at the same time then the other contenders. If that Martin didn't have the Martin label it would be a middling mid level finisher. And it goes to show Japanese and Chinese guitars rock. Disappointed at the Godin and Seagull. Thought they would fare better. I appreciate that the ambient noise and perhaps the strings on the guitars probably made it harder to judge. And you should have featured a Yammie. The FG5, FG3 and the LL16 are all under $1500 and either would be top 3 if not top 1 here. And the Alvarez MD60 and 70 would be right up there as well. Those are my favorites in this price range

Your playing posture is absolutely shocking

I am disappointed that there was no First Act CocoMelon guitar. Only $29 and it really is a gem.

Nice review. I wish they had tested a Yamaha. I bet it would have beaten them all.

What's up with no Yamaha??

@jpobrien5418

Жыл бұрын

I love eastmans but an LL 16 would blow the doors off of any of those by a long shot! They play and sound like a very expensive guitar.. cool comparison though.. love these guys.

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately the booth had a brass section playing when we were by there BUT we can confirm, they had some awesome guitars!

How can you judge the sound in such a noisy room?

I dont know what it is with John's picking but he makes most guitars sound exactly the same. Not sure if its the type of pick or how heavy he picks. But it's probably both. For example, the first guitar demo'd by the Guitar company sounded warm and full. Then he hands it to John and it sounds bright and like it has zero sustain. So strange. I guess just a further example of tone being in the hands

Would like to see one on Kepma guitars . Around 2-300 dollars . Also one on acoustics without amplification. Thanks . Overall , the breed love sounded the best . There's more to a guitar than tone . It's an overall sound ( lows - highs ) and also the feel of the neck . Never played breed love , my go to guitar is a takamine SL 281 .

@johnchapman4232

Жыл бұрын

They weren't showing at NAMM

The styles (body shapes) are just splatter shot and all over the place. Not a completely fair test, but ... I actually appreciate the presentation of whats out there on the price bracket.

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Yeah it was kinda hard to gauge everything that the various companies brought to NAMM, but we worked with what we could find in the price point we chose to highlight. Thanks for watching!

I like the tak

I know many Martin fans who have said Eastman is the best bang for the buck. Wish Larrivee would have been in the running. Love my OM.

Yamaha Fs5 red label is another great option

@AcousticShoppe

5 ай бұрын

Have you seen this years? kzread.info/dash/bejne/hGSCltCko9HLks4.html

No Yamaha????

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately the booth had a brass section playing when we were by there, we totally look forward to checking them out in the future though!

Eastman was my pick.

good review , i noticed their was no martin's on this list , that's a good thing since martin's craftsmanship has gone to shit in the last ten to twenty years , Great review ,

I can't help it man, I'm Martin all the way

@johnwashburn3793

Жыл бұрын

Amen brother!

@ralfybaby

Жыл бұрын

I fancied the D15 so much after seeing a KZread review some time back. Then I played one at a GC in Omaha NE. (Nice peeps there btw) Disappointed. Muffled,flat sounding guitar. I'll take an Alvarez or Yamaha over one any day.

@marcus31599

11 ай бұрын

@@ralfybabyme too, Boutique makers make significantly better guitars than Martin. You get lucky once in awhile but most of the time you’re buying the Martin name not the best guitar.

@ralfybaby

11 ай бұрын

@@marcus31599 yeh and if you spend over say $2500 you may be better off having a luthier built guitar. That is how it works with classical guitars anyway.

@pepe3675

7 ай бұрын

martin religion

EASTMAN is a weird way to spell Yamaha 😂

No Yamaha, no blueridge br160 and no recording king rd 328. These guitars are great and well under 1500

Comparing a parlor guitar in sound to a dreadnaught in the same video is crazy. I (personally) find Breedlove almost unplayable at all price points, even though they sound great. Alvarez and Seagull have my pick personally when it comes to value and overall sound. None of them have decent pickups at this price point. All of them need to have Lyric or Anthem pickups installed when they jump over about $900.00

@sooparticular

Жыл бұрын

yeah Im spoiled with what I own but these were all avg to me

@johnchapman4232

Жыл бұрын

The scoring system didn't discriminate against small body sizes. We were limited by what the companies brought.

The Recording King RD-328 with solid Adi top, solid RW back and sides at 799 would have smoked all them.

@johnchapman4232

Жыл бұрын

They weren't at NAMM

Bring on a Blue Ridge???

what you found was what was best for you/to you and thats all you found ,,

What's the best under $5,000. classical?

You would think that at a big time guitar show all of the companies would remember to bring a few stools so you wouldn’t have to kneel on the floor to play their instruments

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

Some of them did, to be fair, every booth was pretty packed.

how about slow down a bit so i can hear what it sounds like

Confirms once again what I already knew - Martin and EASTMAN are the best bang for the buck!

That guild seems best value for only 500 bucks

It sucks if I can’t reach notes above 12 fret. Acoustic should not limit fretboard. I’ll never understand telecaster or strats 21 fret? Fender strat was always my favorite but noodling 21 frets doesn’t allow essential silly string slinkiness

Martin ftw

Martin 😊

Every single one of those guitars was out of tune. You’d think that at a NAMM Show they would at least tune the guitars they are showcasing. I hate to admit it, but the Martin sounded the best to me. The Eastman was my second pick in sound but looks the best. You’re a great player.

Martin all the way😊

Try a Yamaha ll16…under $1500.

What a surprise 🙄...you picked an Eastman. You do not fake objectivity very well.

I bet, the fact you sell Eastmans but not Martins didn’t play a role at all 😉

Where were Taylor and Yamaha?

@AcousticShoppe

Жыл бұрын

The Yamaha booth had a brass section going on when we were by & Taylor had no guitars available to the public. We are very excited to check out Yamaha soon, we can say that they had some great instruments there, just kinda a hard space to capture them!

No Taylor?

What's the use of comparing guitars with different body shapes and sizes? Comparing apples with oranges. Moreover, several major brands are missing. This should not be titled "found the best guitar", but "I just picked several guitars at random and as I like Martin best, it won, no matter what".

@johnchapman4232

Жыл бұрын

We used a scoring system that allows all body sizes. We were limited by what companies were showing.

@SaintsPurgatory

Жыл бұрын

The title says best under $1500. Not best parlor, dread, grand concert etc. The comparison is not between brands or type, it’s best for your money.

Good competition ! I know it's a pretty unknown brand, but i wish you could play a China made Merida Extrema Poison Jumbo guitar. They sell new for 1100.-1400. I bought one from an Ebay seller. Specs below. Love your channel. SPECIFICATIONS: Model: Poison Body Shape: 42 inch GC Top: AAA solid Engelmann Spruce Back and side: Solid African Rosewood Neck: Maple Fingerboard and Brdige: ebony Tuning Machines: Gold Merida Pickup: JustPro JC-A1 w/ Volume and Mic Adjustment wheels Color: Natural Finish: Gloss Binding: wood Body Inlays: wood Nut/Saddle: Bone Scale Length: 25.5 inch Number of Frets: 20 Nut Width: 1 3/4 inches or (43 to 44 MM) Center to Center String Spacing at the nut is 1.345" or 1 11/32 Includes Merida Poison Soft-case

Yamaha LL16 would outscore both Eastman & Martin in my opinion

At the beginning of the video, I thought "if there is an Eastman in the competition, it is gonna win".(edit: after watching a couple of videos of T A S I see you are Eastman fans, but I did not know that).

Honestly, the only guitar about $1500.00 that I would consider is the 000 15sm.

@sooparticular

Жыл бұрын

overrated I own several martins it was tiny and lacked depth when I was gonna buy it last week....didnt have the mojo

@johnwashburn3793

Жыл бұрын

@@sooparticular so, what would you buy?

@johnwashburn3793

Жыл бұрын

@chris rocco the thing is, I have dreadnoughts and a jumbo (or mini jumbo perhaps).I play a lot of fingerstyle blues I like mahogany and an all mahogany 000 sounds right up my alley. The 000 15sm is a 12 fret and has a wider nut. I truly enjoy my CEO 7 and it is a 00 with Adirondack over mahogany. When I need more depth I play the D-18GE. These are my thoughts on my comment. I would want to play one first.

@sooparticular

Жыл бұрын

@@johnwashburn3793 u have amazing stuff!! Im possibly about to buy the Martin koa super d?? do you like it

@sooparticular

Жыл бұрын

@@johnwashburn3793 love the ceo 7!!!

No Epiphone OR Gibson ?

@AcousticShoppe

6 ай бұрын

They did not attend NAMM this year.