Martin DR Centennial Adirondack VTS LE

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by PiousDevil

My local shop has one of these. The temptation is unbearable, to finally own an adirondack/rosewood Martin Dread. Unbearable, I tells ya!

LOL. Gas is a terrible thing to waste. If it makes you feel better, the DR is not at the same level as the Marquis or Authentic, obviously. So, if you're looking for a lifetime guitar, $3500 will buy you a Marquis that you'll NEVER want to sell. Otherwise, once the stock of the Marquis are gone (now discontinued) you'll be in $5500 for the Authentic. The $2000 (perhaps lower if you negotiate) DR Cent is a very nice guitar, but even an HD-28 or HD28V ($2800) will punch above it. Make sure to A/B your options. For the PRICE (new) I don't think you can beat this DR, especially if you need the 1-3/4" nut and wider spacing as I do.


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[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by llew

My DRC has a McIntyre Feather GF-30 passive bridge plate transducer. Most of my guitars have this with a JJB-330 and K&K Mini thrown in the mix. Glad the Trance is working for you. But more glad the DRC is to your liking...enjoy!

Thank! I've was considering the feather too. It was too wide for the Marquis or Authentic bridge plate. But it was on my list. I ended up with K&Ks in both those guitars that sounded great.


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[llew]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Thank! I've was considering the feather too. It was too wide for the Marquis or Authentic bridge plate. But it was on my list. I ended up with K&Ks in both those guitars that sounded great.


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Yep...I've had that same problem too. And your answer to it was the same as mine...K&K or JJB. So the Feather won't fit the bridge plate of the D-28 A 1937?

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by llew

Yep...I've had that same problem too. And your answer to it was the same as mine...K&K or JJB. So the Feather won't fit the bridge plate of the D-28 A 1937?

Nope. The plate is TINY. The K&K hangs off ever so slightly on the 3rd transducer. That little plate is one of the reasons they sound so good.


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[llew]

Good to know since there are a few used 37's floating around out there. Thanks!

[SpruceTop]

David,

Glad to hear the Trance is working out quite well for you, even with the temporary tape. As far as installation, players can skip the temporary tape, and per my instructions, which are on this forum somewhere, go right to the permanent installation. In short, using Trance's instructions for initial location should get a good tone BUT I suggest moving the BASS Amulet outward another 1/32" (.0315") along the saddle line and installing there. Also, optional would be to move the TREBLE Amulet outward, along the saddle-line another 1/32" (.0315"), and install. For those even more adventurous souls, locate the Amulets per what I just wrote but also move their locations toward the soundhole about 1/32" (.0315"), and permanently install in these new positions. These positions should make sure you're getting good BASS and TREBLE response with a bit more tonal warming on the first installation.

[martingitdave]

Excellent! I wish I'd seen those instructions. I'd have saved myself some time. On an unrelated note, I saw you listed Mogami cables in your rig. I never considered paying more than $20 for a cable. Is there a discernible difference? Does the "no pop" connector really work?


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[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by llew

Good to know since there are a few used 37's floating around out there. Thanks!

If you like the neck, they can't be beat. That is, unless you have a "bone" lying around the house going unused.


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[Song]

Congratulations!
Nice Guitar!

[Ken Olmstead]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Excellent! I wish I'd seen those instructions. I'd have saved myself some time. On an unrelated note, I saw you listed Mogami cables in your rig. I never considered paying more than $20 for a cable. Is there a discernible difference? Does the "no pop" connector really work?


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Lots of experience with electric cables and the snobbery have led me to the conclusion that, yes, some high quality cables will loose less high end over longer runs. However, in the case of an acoustic guitar pickup system, the preamp in the guitar buffers the signal and will punch a strong signal a long way through a garden hose!

However, a passive pickup after about 10ft of cable will begin to noticeably loose top end. The buffered signal from a preamp will not be affected nearly as much (almost indiscernable to my ear.)

Yes, anti-pop jacks work!

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Excellent! I wish I'd seen those instructions. I'd have saved myself some time. On an unrelated note, I saw you listed Mogami cables in your rig. I never considered paying more than $20 for a cable. Is there a discernible difference? Does the "no pop" connector really work?


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That was my photo-enhanced Trance-installation thread on this forum back around September 2016. It's likely somewhere in the archives.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Excellent! I wish I'd seen those instructions. I'd have saved myself some time. On an unrelated note, I saw you listed Mogami cables in your rig. I never considered paying more than $20 for a cable. Is there a discernible difference? Does the "no pop" connector really work?


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Mogami is all I've used over the last 10 years so I'm only used to its qualities. Likely there is a discernable difference compared to cheaper cable but why not use something that is considered among the best, which Mogami is, when you've got an expensive guitar and pickup system?

[Ken Olmstead]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Mogami is all I've used over the last 10 years so I'm only used to its qualities. Likely there is a discernable difference compared to cheaper cable but why not use something that is considered among the best, which Mogami is, when you've got an expensive guitar and pickup system?

Agreed. I do enjoy my quality cables for many reasons, including sound!

[martingitdave]

Dang you guys are expensive influences on me. Used my amazon.com credit to buy to mogami 90 platinum with no pop connector. Hope 12 feet is long enough! I'd have to sell the new guitar to afford the 20 footer. Honestly, it's the hot swap cable ends I'm interested in. I always forget to shut it down before swapping for the 12 string. I guess it's an investment in the longevity of pa equipment for forgetful people. I thought for sure last week I had killed my Line 6 that way. Don't want to kill the new Carvin line array. Cables with those connectors are expensive. I just sprung a little extra for the better wire, presumably. When you consider the conductor advantage of the standard low Z XLR, you're essentially trying to replicate the same signal path clarity in an, otherwise, high Z instrument cable. Me thinks we engineers are "overthinking" it a bit, however. :-)


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[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Awesome post. Use it in good health, Dave!