Martin Surprise

[WindKnot]

Went to a guitar show today and the first booth through the doors was Martin.

Walked-in and low and behold, there's the new D-28 sitting out. I picked it up, played it over and it sounded good. It was difficult to hear much in the way of nuance with so much other noise. But even with the noise, you could tell it sounded good.

I put the guitar back and went over to pick-up what I expected was a D-18. However, turns out it was the new Model America 1. To my ear, the America 1 knocked the socks off the D-28. I was pleasantly surprised. For those unfamiliar, the America 1 is built the same as the D-18 but built with an Adirondack top, sycamore back and sides, cherry neck and black walnut fingerboard and bridge. (https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars...del-america-1/)

The rep agreed with me that the Model 1 sounded a bit more open and full than the D-28.

I'm not trying to put down the D-28, because it sounded very good. The takeaway for me was that with all the talk of CITES etc., a guitar built with alternative woods sounded fantastic, and that's a great thing. If I was in a position to buy a guitar today, that Model 1 would have come home with me without second thought.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by WindKnot

...with all the talk of CITES etc., a guitar built with alternative woods sounded fantastic, and that's a great thing...

For a couple decades Godin has been making all-North American wood guitars that rate at the top of their class...

I've been very impressed with some of Martin's SW cherry instruments - almost walked out of MandoBros with a stellar-sounding (pretty much what you described for that Model America, in addition to considerable volume) SWD-GT about 15 years ago...

I've never met a Gibson J-15 I didn't like...

Andy Powers has completely changed many players' perceptions (my own included) of what maple guitars can be/do with the recent Taylor 600-Series...

During its New York days Epiphone built some of its iconic archtops with carved walnut bodies, and multi-piece cherry necks were routinely fitted to their lower- and mid-line models until Gibson acquired the brand in 1957...

Ovation used walnut bridges and fingerboards on its first-run Adamas and Elite models...

Get used to it - there's going to be a lot more to come...

[dmckean44]

I wish more placed stocked these, I'd love to try one out. These types of guitars using North American tonwoods are the future. The supply of mahogany isn't what it used to be and more and more restrictions will be placed on rosewood until it's not worth it.

I really love my SWDGT, never understood why it wasn't more popular. They don't hold their value at all either, I got mine used for $675 and it looked like it had never been played.

[HHP]

Isn't Indian Rosewood already an alternative tone wood?

[Nyghthawk]

The little mom and pop store in town has one an SWOMGT. I think it sounds great! Now it looks as if it has been discontinued. Since they are available used, I'll likely pick one up used for cheap.

I think walnut has a lot of potential and is just beautiful to look at. The J-15 is an excellent example.

[dmckean44]

Originally Posted by HHP

Isn't Indian Rosewood already an alternative tone wood?

It's a can of worms, there is sustainable rosewood grown in India, but suppliers are mixing in illegally harvested rosewood from asian jungles because it's cheaper for them to get. This is what the Gibson raids were all about. They did DNA tests on all the confiscated Rosewood and it didn't match what their suppliers claimed it was.

Gibson now works with farms directly to supply their rosewood and also use katalox fretboards on some models. At some point in the future though, it could become illegal to import any rosewood.

I got to play several of the NAMM guitars at the factory back in August. The Model America 1 was the standout in my opinion. I personally wish for a more substantial neck, but I realize that is not the current trend. Otherwise, I liked everything else about the guitar.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by WindKnot

Went to a guitar show today and the first booth through the doors was Martin.

Walked-in and low and behold, there's the new D-28 sitting out. I picked it up, played it over and it sounded good. It was difficult to hear much in the way of nuance with so much other noise. But even with the noise, you could tell it sounded good.

I put the guitar back and went over to pick-up what I expected was a D-18. However, turns out it was the new Model America 1. To my ear, the America 1 knocked the socks off the D-28. I was pleasantly surprised. For those unfamiliar, the America 1 is built the same as the D-18 but built with an Adirondack top, sycamore back and sides, cherry neck and black walnut fingerboard and bridge. (https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars...del-america-1/)

The rep agreed with me that the Model 1 sounded a bit more open and full than the D-28.

I'm not trying to put down the D-28, because it sounded very good. The takeaway for me was that with all the talk of CITES etc., a guitar built with alternative woods sounded fantastic, and that's a great thing. If I was in a position to buy a guitar today, that Model 1 would have come home with me without second thought.

Good to hear! I hope to play an America 1, one of these days.

Already having my OM28-V and all-solid flame mahogany E10-OOM, I'm quite open to alternative tone woods, including ovangkol, walnut, maple, sycamore and others. I see no reason why a well-built guitar of alternative tone woods can't sound great, perhaps a bit different but still great. I had a Taylor dreadnaught with ovangkol back and sides that sounded great - probably should not have sold it.

[L20A]

When rosewood and mahogany are no longer viable tone woods, good guitar makers will use what ever they can and will still make great instruments.

If and when the day comes that guitars are no longer made from any type of wood, there will still be great sounding guitars made from synthetic materials.

They will not sound the same as our old favorite woods do but they will sound good never the less.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by L20A

When rosewood and mahogany are no longer viable tone woods, good guitar makers will use what ever they can and will still make great instruments.

If and when the day comes that guitars are no longer made from any type of wood, there will still be great sounding guitars made from synthetic materials.

They will not sound the same as our old favorite woods do but they will sound good never the less.

There already are great sounding instruments made entirely of Carbon Fiber. I just added one to my Martin OM28-V and Eastman E10-00M wood acoustic guitars and the RainSong OM1100NS sounds and plays fantastic. Great clarity, very responsive, beautiful overtones - and importantly, no cares of any kind with regard to temp nor humidity changes.

[tippy5]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I've been very impressed with some of Martin's SW cherry instruments - almost walked out of MandoBros with a stellar-sounding (pretty much what you described for that Model America, in addition to considerable volume) SWD-GT about 15 years ago.....

I remember a very open, loud, responsive tone monster, Martin CS Cherry OM that I couldn't put down back then at McCabe's. If it wasn't $4K I would've thought about trying to have that one. It is my fondest CS memory out of 20 or 30 that I have tried.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by DHart

There already are great sounding instruments made entirely of Carbon Fiber. I just added one to my Martin OM28-V and Eastman E10-00M wood acoustic guitars and the RainSong OM1100NS sounds and plays fantastic. Great clarity, very responsive, beautiful overtones - and importantly, no cares of any kind with regard to temp nor humidity changes.

Pretty much the same reasons I got my "his-&-hers" Rainsong JM1000/JM3000 6- and 12-string jumbos back in 2004; BTW if you've never played a Rainsong jumbo, you should - I like to think of them as the sound Bob T. hears in his head but can't quite nail down with wood construction...

[WindKnot]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

I got to play several of the NAMM guitars at the factory back in August. The Model America 1 was the standout in my opinion. I personally wish for a more substantial neck, but I realize that is not the current trend. Otherwise, I liked everything else about the guitar.

I've been trying to get some time in playing the new D-28, D-18 and D-18GE for an upcoming purchase. I've played them all and I really keep thinking about that Model America 1. If it had the neck of the GE, it'd be a done deal.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by DHart

There already are great sounding instruments made entirely of Carbon Fiber. I just added one to my Martin OM28-V and Eastman E10-00M wood acoustic guitars and the RainSong OM1100NS sounds and plays fantastic. Great clarity, very responsive, beautiful overtones - and importantly, no cares of any kind with regard to temp nor humidity changes.

Good to hear the Rainsong guitars are quality these days. I tried them many years ago when they were first introduced and they were pretty mediocre.

I agree with other posters that carbon fiber and other non-wood materials are likely the future of guitar making.

[ohYew812]

I love the idea of alternate tone woods.

Walnut, sycamore, oak, cherry... bring them on!

I wonder why hickory isn't used? We have some large hickory trees here in WV, certainly big enough to make dreads.
And it has a really nice looking brown center.

Does anyone make an acoustic guitar out of hickory?