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  #1  
Old 05-17-2010, 07:40 AM
bbshriver bbshriver is offline
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Default Various Martins

Ok, here's a dilemma for you.

Background: I play guitar, but I don't have money... my dad has money but doesn't play guitar (yet).

I have a wonderful Taylor 810 that was my college graduation present, and I love it, but since then I found my "dream guitar", the Martin D-35 "Johnny Cash", I'm a huge JC fan, and love the all black guitar. But typically they cost a lot more than I can justify. Well, recently, one came up on Ebay "new in box", and much to my brother's and my puzzlement, my dad decided to buy it.. ending bid was around 57% below what I've seen them for at Guitar Center etc, so it seems that it was a bargain. He's got it now and through his limited experience with guitars (and my brother was visiting him last weekend so he could play it quite a bit), he Loves the guitar. My dad bought a 200 series Taylor last summer to learn with, but never got around to it... now he's saying the Martin is really inspiring him to want to learn, as it's much easier to play and better sounding than his Taylor (I was surprised at the easier to play comment as that's typically a Taylor strong point, but my brother confirms it's the best Martin he's ever played). Talking to my dad this morning, he was saying he might look for a regular D-35, as he loves everything about the guitar, except for the unique Johnny Cash parts (black finish for instance). So he wanted me to find him something that would be comparable in a standard Martin... in which case he'd probably give me the JC model, ergo, we'd both have our dream guitars, and everyone would be happy.

Problem is I just looked at the differences between the JC model and a regular D-35, and there's almost $2k of upgrades (according to Martin custom shop prices) in the JC model. The main 2 functional differences being scalloped bracing and Engelmann spruce top. The rest is mostly ornamentation it seems.
But the best I can figure there's no other standard production Martin with 1/4" scalloped bracing, or the engelmann top. the Marquis D28 has scalloped 5/16" bracing and an Adirondack top, but also a wider neck.. The D-41 has 5/16" scalloped, but a sitka top.

Anyone have a clue on what the best guitar (used is fine) to be basically a Johnny Cash model, in a natural finish?

Also, the D-35 has the 3 piece back... does this affect sound at all, or is it visual only?

Last edited by bbshriver; 05-18-2010 at 06:10 AM. Reason: no price discussion rule
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Old 05-17-2010, 07:49 AM
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Probably an HD-35. Or else you could order through the custom shop and get only the upgrades you're after.
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Old 05-17-2010, 07:55 AM
Tony Burns Tony Burns is offline
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Id say as well the HD-35

Id take Dad to a Martin dealer and see if anything clicks - but then again he might fall in love with something that costs alot more and thats a problem in itself .Good luck !
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Old 05-17-2010, 07:58 AM
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Chech with The Podium up in Minn.
They had a run of custom Martin dreads made with the Englemann top on them and not sure on the bracing etc. but it could be the closest you might find to your specs in a standard model.
Don't think any of them were the 3 piece back though. But the price seemed to be pretty decent if I recall.
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Old 05-17-2010, 08:00 AM
35fingerpicker 35fingerpicker is offline
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The closest model in the Martin line would probably be the HD-35 which has scalloped 1/4" top braces (in addition to the Herringbone purfling and back "zipper strips") and it has a Sitka top.
I personally find the scalloping of the 1/4" braces to be "too much of a good thing" although many HD-35 owners absolutely love them. I've also found Engelmann tops (especially with 1/4" scalloped bracing) to be more easily overdriven than Sitka when played hard, although they tend to be very sweet when fingerpicked. I doubt any of these would be a big issue for your father, as a beginner.
The three piece back is simply cosmetic. Some folks say it adds to the bass response but most builders and others with sophisticated knowledge of guitar design will attribute the added bass to the top bracing.
Bottom line-- find your Dad a new standard D-35; they're making great ones right now. He'll love it.

Bud
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Old 05-17-2010, 08:02 AM
rmyAddison rmyAddison is offline
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There is no standard Martin that has the same specs as the Johnny Cash. People can argue that you are "just paying for the name" with Martin signature guitars but they always have unique specs versus the standard models, be it bracing, neck profile, nut width, or tone woods.

The closest probably would be the HD-35, but no Engelmann top. And the 35's are the only Martin dreads with 3 piece back and 1/4" braces. Outside of a custom the HD-35 is the closest. Martin occasionally uses Engelmann but not in standard guitars, my OM-45TB has Engelmann and the HD-28KM has an Engelmann top, there may be others but it's rare.

Whether it's the 1/4" braces, the 3 piece back, or both the 35's are the fat bottom girls of Martins dread line, they have low end to spare. I think a used HD-35 would make you very happy. Good luck!
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Old 05-17-2010, 10:21 AM
bbshriver bbshriver is offline
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Thanks for the comments, sounds like an HD-35 may be his best bet. I'll help him watch out for one of those.

I'm concerned though that there may be a little something extra special about the one he got though, since my brother (who doesn't usually like Martin) commented that it was the best he'd every played, and it sounded great as well. I was very surprised that they both thought it played better than the Taylor (which for years was my brother's favorite guitar, but now he wants a Gibson songwriter).
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Old 05-17-2010, 11:28 AM
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Dang your lucky, I wish I had a dad like you. lol

I got nothin when I graduated... I was told.. "good, now go get a Job"

my dad and I both play guitar... and when I saved up and bought a larrivee D-03, he was pissed that I spent the money.


You should call your dad and randomly tell him you love him and appreciate everything he has done for you!!
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Old 05-17-2010, 12:52 PM
bbshriver bbshriver is offline
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Actually I talk to him almost every day! I do like to send a random thank you card every so often though!



Quote:
Originally Posted by acousticaddict View Post
Dang your lucky, I wish I had a dad like you. lol

I got nothin when I graduated... I was told.. "good, now go get a Job"

my dad and I both play guitar... and when I saved up and bought a larrivee D-03, he was pissed that I spent the money.


You should call your dad and randomly tell him you love him and appreciate everything he has done for you!!
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Old 05-17-2010, 01:04 PM
Bingoccc Bingoccc is offline
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Or, since he seems willing to try new things. -

http://froggybottomguitars.com/guitars/index.html
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Old 05-17-2010, 06:57 PM
d2jp d2jp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acousticaddict View Post
Dang your lucky, I wish I had a dad like you. lol

I got nothin when I graduated... I was told.. "good, now go get a Job"....
For graduation I received a big old payment booklet for my college loan, of which I paid back every penny (took forever)....years (and lots of hard work later) - I saved enough and bought/sold/traded a few nice guitars, including an HD-35.

so.. I agree HD-35.

BTW - 810 was my first 'nice' guitar...many have come and gone but its still here
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Old 05-17-2010, 07:02 PM
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Keep in mind that Cash didn't play a signature model in his performing heyday. He used a standard D-35. The signature has some nice upgrades but I would think the standard D-35 would be closer in sound to Cash's.
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Old 05-18-2010, 05:52 AM
bbshriver bbshriver is offline
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Yep, I found various things that he had the black in in 1989, or early 70's, wasn't really clear... Martin website says that he got his first black guitar in 1989, but then later they say he played it for nearly 20 years, which would be difficult since he got the D42 from Martin in 1997... unless he got his first before 1989.
He also had a custom D-45 before any of the black ones..

But of the 2 of us, I'm the big Cash fan, dad just likes the sound of the Cash guitar (and got a good deal on Ebay).
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Old 05-18-2010, 06:28 AM
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Here's a somewhat different, and slightly "unique" option...several of us on the UMGF helped Mary Muelheisen, sister of the late Maury Muelheisen, design a Martin D-35 in tribute to her brother, who as you (or your dad!) might recall was "the band", and some say the inspiration, behind Jim Croce's music (they died together in that 1973 plane crash).

The D-35MM is basically a D-35, but with the slightly wider 1 3/4 nut, an Alpine spruce top, and a center wedge of quilted Mahogany (with the hog as a tip-of-the-hat reference to Maury's other Martin, the D-18). No inlaid signatures or anything like that--though there will be an interior label.

AGF forum sponsor Jon Garon of My Favorite Guitars has been doing the special ordering for these, and hopefully THIS LINK will take you to the page on their site describing the guitar. (Full disclosure--I have one on order myself, and it was I who suggested to Mary the mahogany wedge!)
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Old 05-18-2010, 06:28 AM
bbshriver bbshriver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by d2jp View Post
For graduation I received a big old payment booklet for my college loan, of which I paid back every penny (took forever)....years (and lots of hard work later) - I saved enough and bought/sold/traded a few nice guitars, including an HD-35.

so.. I agree HD-35.

BTW - 810 was my first 'nice' guitar...many have come and gone but its still here
The 810 is definitely a first rate guitar. I actually went into the store looking for a Martin DSR (it was to that time the cheapest solid rosewood/spruce guitar, USA made guitar I'd found), I'd played it a few times at Guitar Center and loved it.. but they didn't have any in stock, so I was just looking around. I'd never been a huge fan of Taylor, but they had one up that looked worth trying, and I started playing with it and they more I did the more I was falling in love... Just for the asking they knocked around 18% off the price.. it was a "used" guitar built in 1998, but looked brand new in every way...
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