I am now 80 years old and have been playing guitar on and off since the 1970's. I've owned many acoustics but never really one that spoke to me. Why did you buy them you might ask? In this age of dwindling guitar dealers and the remaining stores in my area having limited inventory, most were purchased over the internet.
Anyway, my most recent acquisition is a Taylor 414ce-R with V-bracing, but not the Next Generation model with scalloped bracing and new electronics. This is the first guitar in my fading memory that speaks to me but only in a whisper. Overall, I like the balance of highs to lows clear with a mild though nice resonance.
My concern is that I think a Martin OM21 might build on the sound of the Taylor and take me where I want to be with more clarity and a little better bass end and generally more presence.
ANY THOUGHTS?
Congratulations on your long legacy of playing! I’ll probably get crucified for saying this in this forum, but… You’re right. A Martin OM-21 will build on the sound with more presence. A Martin OM-21 is an OM-28 without the bling around the sound hole. Same size; same woods. (For sound comparison, Paul Simon often plays an OM model in live performances— check out YouTube.) The sound of an OM is huge. Not as boomy as a dreadnought, but huge nevertheless. The Taylor 414ce-R sounds beautiful, but the bass in a Martin OM-21 is more opened up, fuller, than in a Taylor 414ce-R, sorry guys, but it just is. It always comes down to personal preference, but objectively, Taylors somehow compress their bass more than Martins do.
Underneath the hood, so to speak, the top bracing of the OM-21 is more scalloped than the bracing of the 414ce line. This allows the Martin top to produce more and better vibrations. Again, sorry, guys. (For comparison, Martin’s HD-28, which has scalloped bracing, is more responsive than the same company’s D-28, which does not have scalloped bracing.)
Please ignore anyone on a video who tells you Martins are for bluegrass and country and Taylors are for pop or whatever. You can play any kind of music with any kind of guitar. Period.
I could not find any A/B comparisons of these two specific models on YouTube, but there are demos you can look up of both models.
P.S. The OM-21 2018 model was the most recent version of the OM-21, and Martin does not make that at this time but check out Guitar Center’s web site for second hand. Reverb also has several, including a couple in new condition. If you decide that’s what you want. Good luck, and have fun making your decision!