It's a bit like asking a guitar player, would you rather keep your left or right arm? Well, we would like to have both!
But we do understand that most people do not buy two of these world class acoustic guitars, so we do our best to try and help anyone faced with this dilemma. But as always with guitars, we must say: try for yourself. You can do so in our shop in Dedemsvaart, because we are open and we do our best to keep this classic dreadnought and slope shoulder in stock.
Looks
To want to own a guitar, it has to stand out. That may sound a bit superficial, because the ‘inner side’ is of course also very important, but we will come to playability, sound and all those things later. First: the outside. A Martin D18 looks classic as a guitar should look: beautiful spruce top, nice vintage lacquer on top for some more character and a sleek, recognizable Martin headstock. You could call it ‘ordinary’, but it is more than that. It is the power of simplicity. That never gets boring.
Then the Gibson J45 It starts at the top, with those curves on the headstock that remind you of a kissing upper lip. Jet black headstock plate, with the Gibson logo popping off, pronounced 'dots' in the fretboard, no chunky, but beautiful round shoulders and then... that showstopping sunburst! *Sigh*. We have a winner!
Gibson: 1 vs Martin: 0
Playability
This is a bit precarious, because playability is very personal. One strummer swears by a slightly narrower neck, while the other fingerpicker prefers a slightly wider nut, to give the fingertips a bit more room. Small, or jumbo frets, a matte or smooth neck: there are just as many 'lovers' as 'haters' for all of these options. But there is one decisive factor that we cannot ignore. The J45 has short scale. This means that the neck is slightly shorter, hence creating a different distribution of the frets, bringing them slightly closer together. This results in less acrobatics for your fretting hand. It also reduces tension on the strings and that makes bends easier. Nine times out of ten, a short scale guitar is just easier to play.
Martin is aware of that and uses the same trick for a reason on smaller orchestra models, like the one for Eric Clapton. But it is no longer standard for the D18. If you want to, you can order a short scale at the Martin Custom Shop. Want a Long Scale J45? This is also possible, through the Gibson Custom Shop.
But for the 'playability' component, the judges limited themselves to the 'standard' models, bringing the score to:
Gibson: 2 vs Martin: 0
Finish
How a guitar feels also has a lot to do with the finish: are the frets nicely rounded and polished without sharp edges, is the action set up correctly, do the tuning mechanisms work and does everything look and feel solid. It's no secret if we tell you that this is a bit of a thing with Gibson. On the internet you can read a lot of stories about poorly finished Gibsons. We have to say, that in our experience, these criticisms are not entirely justified. Gibson is built in Bozeman, Montana at high altitude, on cold soil and in dry air. When such an instrument ends up in our cold, damp and low country, such a guitar will always swell up a bit. This will make the action a bit higher, but with a professional set up this is easily solved. We set up every guitar that leaves our store for free and we'd love to see you back for an extra set up within a year. Because almost all new and used guitars of all brands can use a nudge in the right direction. Because most, if not all, guitars continue to 'work', throughout their lifespan. That is not a problem, it just requires a little extra attention from time to time to make sure they stay in shape. We offer this service in house for all guitar brands.
Most Martins are built in the lower situated Nazareth and they also leave our shop only after a set up. But, thanks to the climate they have a slight edge over Gibson. A very slight edge.
Gibson: 2 vs Martin: 1
All of the above you can also say about a Gibson J45. It is a real workhorse with which you can go in any musical direction. From the moment you buy it and for many, many years to come. It is a gift that will just keep on giving.
Are there no differences at all? Oh yes! Just watch and listen to this video by Iain Meadows
The Gibson is the powerhouse in the middle, just slightly better for vocal accompaniment, because the bass and trebles do not compete with the voice at all. But if you want bluegrass or fingerpicking, you will be tempted towards that thick, warm sound of the Martin, which also sounds great when you just play chords and sing ….Aaarrrrgh! Impossible choice! But we must! Then we choose......
Martin, but only because you have to! With a torn musical soul, that gives us the score:
Gibson: 2 vs Martin: 2
Based on playability, finish, looks and sound, we cannot identify an obvious winner. Especially if you consider the number of available options. D18 with a sunburst? Yes, please!
A very light sunburst on your J45? Why not? Adirondack top instead of sitka for some extra power? It is available an and much, much more.
Can you help us choose between a D18 and a J45? Let us know in the comments or stop by Dedemsvaart and pass your own judgement on these two iconic guitars.
Sound
Both models have a mahogany body with a sitka top which makes them very similar in terms of sound. With the D18, Martin has set a standard that can be heard on hundreds of hits and is used in many studios to this day. Whether you want to play barky bluegrass, strum some nice chords by a campfire or play fingerpicking: on a Martin D18 it all sounds fantastic. A D18 will give you volume, without sounding overly loud or annoying . And the best gift for anyone who buys a D18 comes later: it will only get better through the years. We are always amazed at how these guitars develop, when we see older models in our store. It really is an instrument for life.