TAYLOR 214CE-CF DLX AND MARTIN DCRSG £1,439 & £1,450
This has been the year when guitarists were forced to come to terms with the increasing scarcity of traditional tonewoods. New CITES regulations placed stringent controls on the export of guitars with rosewood ’boards and bodies and even major names like Fender were forced to look for alternative woods for fingerboards. While the initial hue and cry may have died down a bit, it’s clear that a watershed point in guitar making has been reached. It means, among other things, that we can expect to see even more alternative woods being used as the industry tries to adapt.
But sustainability isn’t the only reason for using non-traditional tonewoods, especially in the acoustic market. In a packed marketplace, where many brands and models vie for our attention, unusual tonewoods can open the door to striking new visual and tonal possibilities. And that’s not lost on the two biggest names in the market, who have both championed the use of sustainable woods for some time now.
That said, as such things go, the construction of these two guitars is relatively conservative: the dreadnought Martin DCRSG features mutenye back and sides, while the Grand Auditorium Taylor 214ce-CF DLX uses layered copafera. Both come with solid Sitka spruce tops, a more traditional choice, and when Taylor describes the combination as producing a “clear, dynamic response”, it is a description that could fit any number of its guitars, which should reassure traditionalists.
The DCRSG is part of a Road Series that boasts certified sustainable wood parts. Martin describes mutenye as an African tonewood similar to rosewood and ovangkol, lending the DCRSG what it calls a “beautiful even tone with good bass response and clear mids and trebles”. Again, a typical dreadnought all-rounder. So it’ll be interesting to find out how close to established tonal norms the DCRSG comes.
Taylor, meanwhile, has used a natural process to enhance the layered copafera’s mix of mocha, auburn and cinnamon hues. The effect is reminiscent of rosewood, but subtly overlaid with horizontal shadows. The DCRSG’s mutenye has a grain and hue that does indeed recall ovangkol, with a lightly rippled flame at the sides and higher contrast grain at the back. And while the Martin’s hand-rubbed neck has a worn-in
The use of unusual tonewoods can open the door to striking new visual and tonal possibilities
texture, Taylor opts for a smoother satin feel. Both builds exhibit the quality we’d expect from mid-priced models from these brands, so we’re really looking forward to discovering their tonal qualities.
Feel & Sounds
Interestingly, there’s a softness to the Martin’s mids, especially with single notes. And though its highs may not offer the bright attack some players used to rosewood want from a dreadnought – the action here is low enough to contribute to that – they do offer something else. The highs instead lend an airy feel to chord work while the bottom end adds plenty of depth for that harmonious hi-fi spectrum players expect from a Martin. It’s a mellower take on higher-end shimmer. Rhythm work is where the Martin really shines, though the resonant lows from the body also lend welcome authority to bass notes in fingerstyle. The DCRSG proves especially responsive to low volume playing with fingers or pick, and that in turn brings out a more sensitive playing approach – as well as being ideal for sneaking away for some late night practice.
There’s immediately more projection from the Taylor aided by the higher, medium action of our test model. The classic bright Taylor balance soon reveals itself; a confident, clear voice for picking single notes with the lows more rounded and punchier than the Martin. The character here could easily be from layered rosewood, and we found the wider string spacing makes fingerstyle a little more comfortable than with the DCRSG.
Our previous experiences with both the Fishman Sonitone and Taylor Expression System 2 hint at how these guitars will sound plugged in – and the reality conforms pretty much with that hunch. The Sonitone has proved a very popular third party system for a number of brands, especially