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Martin GPC-13E
Taylor 214ce DLX
VS
Playability
73
Sound
84
Build
74
Value
77
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
73
Sound
85
Build
77
Value
73
Score
78
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoAmazon logoMusician's Friend logo
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Martin GPC-13E vs Taylor 214ce DLX

Reasons to Get
Martin GPC-13E over Taylor 214ce DLX

Release Year
2020 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25.4'' (645.2mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
77 vs 73
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor 214ce DLX over Martin GPC-13E

Nut Material
NuBone vs Corian
Hard and self-lubricating nut to keep it in tune
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25.4'' (645.2mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Martin GPC-13E vs Taylor 214ce DLX

Back Material
Ziricote vs Rosewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Ziricote vs Rosewood
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Ivory Tusq vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
FSC Certified Richlite vs Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Hardwood vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Richlite vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Corian vs NuBone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Martin GPC-13E vs Taylor 214ce DLX

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Taylor 214ce DLX is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Martin GPC-13E's 77 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor 214ce DLX wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Martin GPC-13E has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Martin GPC-13E
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor 214ce DLX
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Martin GPC-13E Overview

  • From Martin's 2020 Road series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Ziricote Fine Veneer back
  • Ziricote Fine Veneer sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • FSC Certified Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman MX-T (Preamp/Active)
  • FSC Certified Richlite bridge
  • Acoustic Performing Artist Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 4.8lbs (2.2kgs) and 5lbs (2.3kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor 214ce DLX Overview

  • From Taylor's 2014 200 series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Layered Rosewood back
  • Layered Rosewood sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Taylor Gold tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Martin GPC-13E

Hardwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Hardwood
Richlite wood pattern used for guitar building
Richlite
Ziricote wood pattern used for guitar building
Ziricote

Hardwood is just a generic wood that can come from many species. This type of wood is used to build guitars because it provides a rich, warm sound. The wood also has good structural properties, making it durable and long-lasting.

It's very similar to Ebony, but it is much cheaper to make. The main reason is that it is made from resin-infused paper. It is very durable and soft, so it's often used for fretboards and tops.

It's a rare and exotic wood native to Central America and the Caribbean with a unique appearance. It's commonly used for instruments as it produces a tone similar to Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Taylor 214ce DLX

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Taylor 214ce DLX.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Martin GPC-13E
Sustain 80
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 84
Taylor 214ce DLX
Sustain 85
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Martin GPC-13E compares to the Taylor 214ce DLX.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Mexico.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Martin GPC-13E has a Corian nut. It used to be the go-to nut for Gibson, but it's slowly being replaced by Graph Tech (Tusq). It's a synthetic material made to be similar to Bone, but it doesn't have the same self-lubricating properties, and it's less resistant.

On the other hand, the Taylor 214ce DLX comes with a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

Winner: Taylor 214ce DLX.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Martin GPC-13E's are Chrome Enclosed Gear while the Taylor 214ce DLX's are Taylor Gold

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin GPC-13E
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor 214ce DLX
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • Electronics
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Martin GPC-13E
Quality of materials 62
Features 85
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 74
Taylor 214ce DLX
Quality of materials 76
Features 75
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 77

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Martin GPC-13E Nut Width
Martin GPC-13E Nut Width
Taylor 214ce DLX Nut Width
Taylor 214ce DLX Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Martin GPC-13E has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 1.6mm (0.062'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Martin GPC-13E, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Martin GPC-13E's Scale Length
Martin GPC-13E's Scale Length
Taylor 214ce DLX's Scale Length
Taylor 214ce DLX's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Taylor 214ce DLX has the longest scale: 25.5". The Martin GPC-13E is only 25.4" long. This is a 0.1'' (2.5mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Martin GPC-13E Neck Profile
Martin GPC-13E's neck profile
Taylor 214ce DLX Neck Profile
Taylor 214ce DLX's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Martin GPC-13E and the Taylor 214ce DLX have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Martin GPC-13E Fingerboard Radius
Martin GPC-13E's Fingerboard radius
Taylor 214ce DLX Fingerboard Radius
Taylor 214ce DLX's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Taylor 214ce DLX's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin GPC-13E's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Martin GPC-13E.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Martin GPC-13E:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor 214ce DLX:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Martin GPC-13E and Taylor 214ce DLX Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Martin GPC-13E
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Taylor 214ce DLX
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Martin GPC-13E vs Taylor 214ce DLX
General Martin GPC-13E Taylor 214ce DLX
Brand: Martin Taylor
Year: 2020 2014
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: Road 200
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Ziricote Rosewood
Back Material: Ziricote Rosewood
Bridge: FSC Certified Richlite Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Chrome Enclosed Gear Taylor Gold
Fretboard: FSC Certified Richlite Ebony
Neck Material: Select Hardwood Mahogany
Decoration: Mother of Pearl Pattern Style 28 Small Diamonds
Scale Size: 25.4" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic Performing Artist Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 15"
Nut: Corian NuBone
Nut Width: 44.5mm (1.75'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman MX-T (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)