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Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX
Martin GPC-X2E
VS
Playability
73
Sound
85
Build
75
Value
78
Score
78
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Playability
73
Sound
84
Build
71
Value
81
Score
76
FIND IT ON:
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Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX vs Martin GPC-X2E

Reasons to Get
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX over Martin GPC-X2E

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

Reasons to Get
Martin GPC-X2E over Taylor 214ce-BLK 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
Avg. Weight
4.65lbs (2.1kgs) vs 4.85lbs (2.2kgs)
Tends to be lighter
Value Score
81 vs 78
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX vs Martin GPC-X2E

Back Material
Flame Maple vs HPL
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Flame Maple vs HPL
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Synthetic Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
West African Crelicam Ebony vs Select Hardwood
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Maple vs Hardwood
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Hardwood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
NuBone vs Corian
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX vs Martin GPC-X2E

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

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Martin GPC-X2E's 76 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Martin GPC-X2E 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

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

New Player Friendliness

Martin GPC-X2E
  • 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.

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX Overview

  • From Taylor's 2014 200 series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Layered Maple back
  • Layered Maple sides
  • Hard Rock Maple neck
  • West African Crelicam Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • West African Crelicam Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Satin Black tuners
  • Weight around 4.85lbs (2.2kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Martin GPC-X2E Overview

  • From Martin's 2020 X series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • HPL back
  • HPL sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • Select Hardwood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman (Preamp/Active)
  • Select Hardwood bridge
  • Acoustic Performing Artist Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 4.6lbs (2.1kgs) and 4.7lbs (2.1kgs)
  • 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 Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Flame Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Flame Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

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.

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Woods Used in the Martin GPC-X2E

Hardwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Hardwood
HPL wood pattern used for guitar building
HPL

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.

HPL is a high-pressure laminate made from multiple layers of paper or fabric that are impregnated with resin and then fused together under high pressure and heat.

Winner: Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX.

Electronics

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

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX
Sustain 85
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85
Martin GPC-X2E
Sustain 80
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 84

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 Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX compares to the Martin GPC-X2E.

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 Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX has 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.

On the other hand, the Martin GPC-X2E comes with 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.

Winner: Taylor 214ce-BLK 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 Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX's are Satin Black while the Martin GPC-X2E's are Chrome Enclosed Gear

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor 214ce-BLK 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin GPC-X2E
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX
Quality of materials 76
Features 75
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 75
Martin GPC-X2E
Quality of materials 58
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 71

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

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX Nut Width
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX Nut Width
Martin GPC-X2E Nut Width
Martin GPC-X2E Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Martin GPC-X2E 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-X2E, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX's Scale Length
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX's Scale Length
Martin GPC-X2E's Scale Length
Martin GPC-X2E'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-BLK DLX has the longest scale: 25.5". The Martin GPC-X2E 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

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX Neck Profile
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX's neck profile
Martin GPC-X2E Neck Profile
Martin GPC-X2E'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 Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX and the Martin GPC-X2E 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

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX Fingerboard Radius
Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX's Fingerboard radius
Martin GPC-X2E Fingerboard Radius
Martin GPC-X2E'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-BLK DLX's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin GPC-X2E'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-X2E.

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 .

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin GPC-X2E:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX and Martin GPC-X2E 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

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Martin GPC-X2E
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX vs Martin GPC-X2E
General Taylor 214ce-BLK DLX Martin GPC-X2E
Brand: Taylor Martin
Year: 2014 2020
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: 200 X
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Flame Maple HPL
Back Material: Flame Maple HPL
Bridge: West African Crelicam Ebony Select Hardwood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Satin Black Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: West African Crelicam Ebony Select Hardwood
Neck Material: Hard Rock Maple Select Hardwood
Decoration: Small Diamonds Mother-of-Pearl Pattern Style 28
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.4"
Shape: Acoustic Taylor Standard Acoustic Performing Artist
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 16"
Nut: NuBone Corian
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active) Fishman (Preamp / Active)