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Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
VS
Playability
78
Sound
79
Build
67
Value
85
Score
75
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
78
Sound
80
Build
66
Value
85
Score
75
FIND IT ON:
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Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar

Reasons to Get
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 over Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar

Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Corian
Resistant, good tuning stability and rich tone
Number of Frets
19 vs 15
Allows to reach higher notes
Body Shape
Dreadnought Mini vs Portable
Dreadnought but much smaller and shallower
Scale Length
22.75'' (577.9mm) vs 24'' (609.6mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar over Taylor Baby Taylor BT1

Release Year
2013 vs 2012
From a more recent year
Number of Frets
15 vs 19
Warmer neck pickup
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Body Shape
Portable vs Dreadnought Mini
Compact body made for travel
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm) vs 22.75'' (577.9mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar

Back Material
Walnut vs Sapele
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Walnut vs Sapele
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Ivory Tusq vs Black Tusq XL
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Ebony vs FSC Certified Richlite
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Spruce vs Sapele
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Hardwood
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Richlite
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Corian
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar

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
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 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 both instruments scored 75 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar wins when it comes to sound. On the other hand, the Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

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 5 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 Baby Taylor BT1
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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 Baby Taylor BT1 Overview

  • From Taylor's 2012 Baby Taylor series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 22.75"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Layered Walnut back
  • Layered Walnut sides
  • Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 19 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar Overview

  • From Martin's 2013 Backpacker series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sapele top
  • Solid Sapele back
  • Solid Sapele sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • FSC Certified Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • FSC Certified Richlite bridge
  • Acoustic Backpacker Set neck
  • 15 Medium frets
  • Black Enclosed Gear 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 the Taylor Baby Taylor BT1

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce
Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut

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.

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.

It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops. Find out more about Walnut.

Woods Used in the Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar

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

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 similar to Mahogany in both color and tone. It can produce warm tones, and it's known for its beautiful figured grain patterns. Find out more about Sapele.

Winner: Taylor Baby Taylor BT1.

Electronics

Neither of them come with electronics that allow you to connect them to an amp. This makes them completely acoustic, so you'll need to use an external mic to record with them or play live.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Sustain 75
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 79
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
Sustain 80
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 80

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 Baby Taylor BT1 compares to the Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar.

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 Baby Taylor BT1 has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

On the other hand, the Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar 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 Baby Taylor BT1.

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 Baby Taylor BT1's are Die-Cast Chrome while the Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar's are Black Enclosed Gear

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Ivory Tusq Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1
Quality of materials 71
Features 65
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 67
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
Quality of materials 67
Features 65
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 66

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 Baby Taylor BT1 Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's Scale Length
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's Scale Length
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar's Scale Length
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar'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 Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar has the longest scale: 24". The Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 is only 22.75" long. This is a 1.25'' (31.7mm) 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 Baby Taylor BT1 Neck Profile
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's neck profile
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar Neck Profile
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar'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 Baby Taylor BT1 and the Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar 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 Baby Taylor BT1 Fingerboard Radius
Taylor Baby Taylor BT1's Fingerboard radius
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar Fingerboard Radius
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar'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 Baby Taylor BT1's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar'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 Steel String Backpacker Guitar.

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 Baby Taylor BT1:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 and Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar 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 Baby Taylor BT1
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78
Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 vs Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
General Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Martin Steel String Backpacker Guitar
Brand: Taylor Martin
Year: 2012 2013
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: Baby Taylor Backpacker
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Sapele
Sides Material: Walnut Sapele
Back Material: Walnut Sapele
Bridge: Ebony FSC Certified Richlite
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Die-Cast Chrome Black Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Ebony FSC Certified Richlite
Neck Material: Maple Select Hardwood
Decoration: 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic White Plastic 1 at 5th & 2 at 12th
Scale Size: 22.75" 24"
Shape: Acoustic Taylor Standard Acoustic Backpacker
Frets: 19 Medium Nickel Silver 15 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 16"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Corian
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: