Is A Vintage Martin Better Than A New Martin?

I thought the new one sounded better

I like the sound of the Vintage better. A little fuller. More sustain.

A luthier once told me “It takes time for a guitar to forget it was a tree”, and I believe that. But some guitars definitely age better than others. I was at a festival a few months ago and compared many vintage and newer Martins to my ‘85 Mossman, which comfortably bested most of them. The one that blew me away was a ‘68 D-18, which I bought. I was traveling with the D-18 for a bit and took it to several shops, comparing it to high end new guitars, to see if anything could beat it at its own game. The only one that really hit me was a specific Santa Cruz, but that would have been a BIG investment, even if I traded in the Martin for it. That ordinary ‘68 Martin was better than just about anything I tried - including a few Martin Authentics, which have always impressed me.

What I got from this is that really fine examples of vintage guitars are as good as or better than anything made today, but most aren’t THAT good, and the consistent quality of makers like Santa Cruz, Collings, Bourgeois, and Martin is as good as or better than many vintage guitars.

The new one sounds like its moving more, more bass response, more body, etc. The old one seems like.its drier/stiffer...maybe a little more pronunciation at times, but an overall more restricted sound. I think its hard to beat a fresh, new guitar, built on the most experience Martin has to offer. Aging guitars are special to.those that may have owned and played them for 30yrs, but for me...I kind of want to grow that relationship with it, from new.

The old one sounds amazing... The new one just sounds like a pretty good guitar.

Nice! Love both of them

new one is way better. louder, richer, more bass, more balanced, more clarity

New one sounds better!

The new Martin sounds much more agreeable to my ears. To me, it just sounds much more open and resonant; it has more bass end that both compliments and bolsters the midrange much more; and it sounds more powerful with more dynamic range, and more picking dynamics. The new one just sounds like a much more complete guitar.

By comparison, the old Martin is woodier sounding, most likely due to the decades-long aging of the woods, but it sounds boxy and closed in, and much less dynamically alive. It lacks the openness and resonance of the new one, and is lacking in the bass response that I expect out of a Martin dreadnought. To me, the vintage Martin sounds more like a laminated guitar, or like a smaller-bodied guitar than it actually is. It's not a "bad" sound per se, but it's not what I expect from a Martin dreadnought. Regardless of era.

Keep in mind that these are just two individual examples from their respective eras, and I know that there are many vintage Martins that sound MUCH better than this one example, but I am also of the opinion that Martin is currently making some of the best guitars they have ever made, regardless of era. I think, given enough time, people will look back at today's current production of guitars and see them as a second golden era in Marin's history. With the way they're making them now, that golden era could be extended far into the unforeseeable future if they stay on this path. They seem to have things nailed down pretty well right now. Ultimately, I think the future is bright for one of all of guitardom's most revered, celebrated and sought-after brands.

Old oneounds like crap compared to the new one. I've been noticing this across all models too nartin doing something new after 2019-2020 with their guitars. I dont know if they doing different bracing different material something's going on.

I like the new one better :)

Hard to tell when someone plays something already nice. Playing only one or two open chords, then doing the same across the fingerboard could give a better idea or the instruments sounds quality.
However, it seems that the old one has more ringing/extratones/more life.
Still it seems that there's a huge level difference between 2'36'' and 3'29. Is it the guitar, is it the player, is it the recording gear? At this moment we can hear lots of bass from the new one, while the old one seems tiny, like half the size of the other.
So, in conclusion, I have no idea which one I would choose if I only had this video to decide.

That’s a tough one

Damn, I like the old one...

Great vid, but pick harder! I wanna hear that tone shine through

The new one sounds more nasally. The old one sounds more woody but a little dull.

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