Lesson I've learned - You never know...

[drplayer]

...even if you think you do! I posted a NGD recently for my new Martin Custom Shop 0000-14 fret (Adirondack/Honduran Mahogany). As I've previously expressed, this guitar has the sound I heard in my head and have been searching for for quite some time. Yet, it isn't a guitar I would have spec'd for myself, because on paper...

• I THOUGHT, it would be a little too big: But in reality, it's as comfortable as a 000/OM due to having the same depth and narrow waist. The size difference is almost unnoticeable.
• I THOUGHT, I wanted a short-scale: But in reality, this guitar plays great and I don't even think about the scale length when playing it.
• I THOUGHT, a 2-1/4" min. string spacing at the saddle was a must: But in reality, the 2-3/16" string-spacing on this guitar is absolutely fine and has been a seamless transition that I don't even notice.
• I THOUGHT, one of the less-stiff spruces would come closer to achieving the sound I heard in my head: But in reality, this Adirondack top (in combination with the bracing, etc.) provides what I was hoping for...very responsive, nice sweetness & sparkle, beautiful resonance, and just lovely tone overall.
• I THOUGHT, I'd want something maybe just a bit more ornate: But in reality, I absolutely love the understated, restrained, elegance and lines of this guitar...just beautiful to my eyes.

So in this one guitar, many of the things I thought I had learned over the past 25-years about my preferences and what specifically works for me, was thrown right out the window. The moral of the story? Play as many guitars as you can and don't go into a purchase with any preconceived notions. Stay open minded and let your ears, hands, and eyes (in that order) make the decision for you. It sure worked for me this time around!

[madhat]

AND - this guitar is stunningly beautiful!

Have fun

madhat.

[47gene]

It's all about THE "tone"

Comfort is a bonus!!!!

Enjoy...

[Groberts]

Originally Posted by drplayer

...even if you think you do! I posted a NGD recently for my new Martin Custom Shop 0000-14 fret (Adirondack/Honduran Mahogany). As I've previously expressed, this guitar has the sound I heard in my head and have been searching for for quite some time. Yet, it isn't a guitar I would have spec'd for myself, because on paper...

• I THOUGHT, it would be a little too big: But in reality, it's as comfortable as a 000/OM due to having the same depth and narrow waist. The size difference is almost unnoticeable.
• I THOUGHT, I wanted a short-scale: But in reality, this guitar plays great and I don't even think about the scale length when playing it.
• I THOUGHT, a 2-1/4" min. string spacing at the saddle was a must: But in reality, the 2-3/16" string-spacing on this guitar is absolutely fine and has been a seamless transition that I don't even notice.
• I THOUGHT, one of the less-stiff spruces would come closer to achieving the sound I heard in my head: But in reality, this Adirondack top (in combination with the bracing, etc.) provides what I was hoping for...very responsive, nice sweetness & sparkle, beautiful resonance, and just lovely tone overall.
• I THOUGHT, I'd want something maybe just a bit more ornate: But in reality, I absolutely love the understated, restrained, elegance and lines of this guitar...just beautiful to my eyes.

So in this one guitar, many of the things I thought I had learned over the past 25-years about my preferences and what specifically works for me, was thrown right out the window. The moral of the story? Play as many guitars as you can and don't go into a purchase with any pre-conceived notions. Stay open minded and let your ears, hands, and eyes (in that order) make the decision for you. It sure worked for me this time around!

Congrats on your new guitar. Loved your post! its easy to let preconceived notions and intellect get in the way. Your post reminds me to listen with my ears and to let the instrument speak for itself in my hands.

[vindibona1]

Thanks to the OP for bringing up the topic. It's amazing how expectations and actual experiences can differ so much. I can't say that I've had the same experience with the OP as far as guitars are concerned as most of my purchases didn't start with the intention of buying a guitar, but more of a circumstance of running into one guitar or another and wanting to have it. But the point of the topic isn't limited to guitars. Now cars... a different story...

Just this past week we got a new car (Mazda CX 9). And like most times, when shopping for cars almost always came home with something different than we set out to buy. The only reason the CX 9 was on the radar is because I briefly owned a CX 7 when I lived in Mexico. We'd been looking at everything else, but on a whim decided to check out the CX 9... which blew everything else we were looking at out of the water. In the end the decision was both a surprise and no-brainer. [And after driving it for a week are even more blown away]

Getting back to the point that the OP made is that while we all have preconceived notions of how things should be, we need to keep an open mind because reality is often different than our notions, wishes or imagination.

[mickthemiller]

Well, we can't always be right in our assumptions can we? Nice guitar, hope you enjoy it for many years to come.

[rokdog49]

there is a great lesson here for all prospective guitar buyers.
Do not allow any preconceived notions or even a head stock prevent you from buying something. You could miss out.

[brencat]

Nice post, and once again great guitar! My schedule and lifestyle don't permit me to travel around trying all kinds of guitars, certainly not the boutiques I'm interested in these days. So I do the best research I can, pull the trigger, and live with the guitar for a while. Even if something sounds awesome in a store and I walk out with it (rarely), it still takes me months before I truly know if the guitar is a rental or a keeper. So far, the biggest impediment to long term ownership has been neck profile.

Enjoy your new Martin.

[rmyAddison]

I had dreads forever, they were what acoustic guitars meant to me.

Then arthritis said enough of that, and I had to go to smaller bodies to play without pain. Now almost a decade later I LOVE OM/000's and wouldn't go back if I could. A friend leaves his most excellent CS HD-28 Alpine/Madagascar here and I've played it maybe an hour in the last year, no desire.

The last guitar I bought, and probably will buy was an even smaller "00", a CS 00-42 Adirondack/Madagascar, and I play it more than anything.

I try to keep an open mind to everything in life, and that includes acoustic guitars.........

[Greg Ballantyne]

I've been through a little of this also - thinking certain things were paramount, and then finding a really great guitar that had somewhat different attributes...... one of the reasons I'll really look at a number of quite different guitars before adding another one.

[llew]

Sometimes it's funny how things work out. I do know that Martin's custom 0000 14 fret guitars (at east the one I had) are wonderful instruments. That's a beauty...all the right stuff. Enjoy it!

[zmf]

Useful information. I've only played a couple of rosewood 0000's, and have to confess I dismissed them as balanced, "recording studio" guitars, particularly in comparison to dreads.

Your mahogany model makes me want to try one. Maybe my tastes have matured enough for me to appreciate them more.

As you said -- you never know.

[BradleyS]

Well done. Enjoy that tone full Martin.

[gill]

well said! after years of playing, I'm constantly surprised by specs I like but would have ruled out before playing. This is one reason why I'll never custom order a guitar. I still don't know what I like or don't like.
Congrats on the new guitar!

[Borderdon]

I'd never had a guitar that wasn't a dreadnaught, till one day I stopped into a shop specializing in vintage guitars, picked up a 000-18 just because it was there and ----- I knew this was the body style for me !
Congratulations on a beautiful guitar.