What are your two favorite Martin guitar models?

[Wade Hampton]

I'm a huge fan of Martin guitars, and always have been, though I've often gone many years between owning any. Right now I have one that I never intend to sell, quite simply because it's probably the best example of its type I've ever had my hands on, much less owned.

I thought it might be fun if we each wrote about our two favorite Martin models, and what it is about those models that makes us like them so much. I'll start:

1. The Martin 000-28H.

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Here's another one with an Ambertone top:

2. The Martin 000-28H Ambertone.

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The Martin 000-28H is structurally identical to the Martin Eric Clapton model, only without the V-shaped neck and without Eric Clapton's signature in pearl inlaid into the fretboard. But it has the same pre-war style scalloped braces as the Clapton model, and the same tonewoods, too: Sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides.

Some folks foolishly sneer at those tonewoods, apparently because they're not rare enough or expensive enough to impress self-appointed tonewood experts. But they're great woods, and this body configuration is the perfect showcase for what they can do.

For me, rosewood Triple O's are the perfect stage guitar, because they mic like a dream. Even the druggiest, most whacked out sound guy can get a decent stage sound from one simply by running the EQ completely flat. There's no need to boost or cut any frequencies with a Triple O, unlike with most dreadnought guitars.

Anyway, once you learn how to coax the full sound out of a rosewood Triple O, you can produce as much bass response that a stage mic can handle, while also have a lively and lovely treble response. They do take a little more work and a bit more technique to coax out their full sound, but once you do, they're marvelous guitars.

The Martin 000-28H was only briefly in Martin's standard product line about fifteen years ago, but it's such a great instrument that some dealers, like Elderly Instruments and My Favorite Guitars, make it a point to keep some in stock as special Custom Shop runs. It basically offers all the advantages of a Martin 000-28EC but at a significantly lower price.

My second favorite Martin guitar is:

3. The Martin D-18.

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And since I love Ambertone tops so much (it's true, I really do,) here's one with an Ambertone finish:

4. The Martin D-18 Ambertone.

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My D-18 has the Ambertone top (what a surprise!)

Ever since Martin redesigned their Standard Series D-18 to follow the company's pre-war D-18 design more closely, it's been one of the finest-sounding and most musical Martins you can buy. The clarity of the mahogany back and sides give the D-18 a less bass-heavy sound: it's more tonally balanced overall.

Mine is a great guitar. I'm hugely impressed by it. I essentially gave up on dreadnoughts for decades after I got a superb custom pre-war style 000-42, but these most modern D-18's have reawakened an interest in dreadnoughts in me.

Those are my two favorite Martins. There are a bunch more that I really like, but let's keep things simple for this thread, at least at the start: What are your two favorite Martins? The next question is equally important: Why are those your favorites? What specific musical contexts do you use them for?

Just curious...


Wade Hampton Miller

[OMO]

Favorites are the OM's and 000's.

The M-36 is also an unsung stunner as well.

I think dreadnoughts have become less popular due to less need for the instrument to project with easy amplification these days - if that is not the case in reality, then it should be! (LOL).

The medium (000 and OM) guitars record SOOOO much better than the big ones due to bass response being appropriate in the OM's and 000.

[OMO]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

For me, rosewood Triple O's are the perfect stage guitar, because they mic like a dream. Even the druggiest, most whacked out sound guy can get a decent stage sound from one simply by running the EQ completely flat.


Wade Hampton Miller

LOL, it sounds like you have lived that!

Reminds me of that funny Sweetwater Cartoon "Raymonds Last Day as the Band's sound technician" as he turns up the "suck" knob.

"Suck" knobs don't work on 000's!

[brianmay]

My two favourites are oddly enough the two I own:

2008 D-28 Standard
2008 000-28 Standard

I shall not change them, they remain until I peg out . . .

I don't own any other guitars now as they are superfluous - lucky me.

[Mbroady]

I recently played the updated D-28 and felt the GAS rising. However when viewing vids on line, in each case the D-35 sounded better to my ears. So this week I'm off to sample and compare the D-28 and the D-35.

As far as favorites, there are 2 many models I have not sampled so the jury is still out. However, I do appreciate my D-18

[ChrisE]

The only ones I really have any experience with are the D-18 and HD-28, since that's what I have. I got them both in 2017 and I don't really think there is much that I could like better, although I'm sure the D-28 and D-35 are awesome also.

[Parlorman]

I’ve owned a couple dozen Martins over the years and my two favorite models are the 0-28 and the 1-28. The 1929 OM28 prototype I owned (and foolishly sold) gets an honorable mention because it was one of the greatest sounding guitars I’ve played, but I prefer the smaller bodied models.

[Silly Moustache]

I don't really play Martins any more but I prefer their designs to Gibson or any others.

For me their best designs were produced prior to 1934 when the 14 fret dreadnought came out - very successful I know but the pre "rhythm guitar stylings do it for me.

so, because I play them mostly - it has to be the 12 fret dread :


However the most aesthetically beautiful and ergonomic must be the Martin 12 fret 000 and/or 00


edit, my inserted mages didn't work - see next post::::::

Why ?

[RP]

If I won the lottery, and the inclination to buy a couple of Martins, the D-28, OM-28, and (sorry Wade, couldn't keep it to two) a 000-28 EC would top the list...

[Silly Moustache]

Here are my two favourite shapes as mentioned above :

[Kerbie]

That's tough... so many to choose from.

Strangely enough, I'd probably say my favorite isn't one of the usual iconic choices. I think the 00-15M stole my heart... and I'd still own it if it had been a short scale. Loved that guitar! So simple and yet so sweet.

Other than that... the 35s for the big bodies and probably the 00-18 next in smaller bodies. Great guitars all...

[billder99]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

However the most aesthetically beautiful and ergonomic must be the Martin 12 fret 000 and/or 00

I'm with you Andrew, 12-fret tone is the schnizzit... combine with short scale, a wider neck, and a slotted headstock... and you have both aesthetic and tonal beauty that is wondrous. So, the D-18S and the 000-28VS would be my preferred Martin guitars.

[Swamp Yankee]

The ambertone 000-17SM I own, and the 000-15SM I hope to own. Other than that, the only other Martins I've played that I really liked were a SWOMGT and a CEO.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Easy! The two I own. D18 & 000-15SM

[llew]

Problem is there aren't many Martin models I don't like? And while I've owned a couple smaller Martin's (00/000/0000/OM) the dread is king in my world. So in no particular order:
D-18
D-28
Is it fair to include ALL the different variations of those two models?