Martin designs the PERFECT guitar!
 

Chris Martin has given his young designers autonomy...and they've used it to create something MODERN and FUNCTIONAL. This instrument will probably upset the traditionalists...but this guitar was not designed for you. The street price will be circa $1500.

This and more at NAMM 2020...

Lots of discussion already from earlier this week: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=569406

Without a cut-a-way, how could it be the perfect guitar! I didn't watch all the way to the cut-a-way, that's worth giving a strum then.

I love the neck idea. That's why I'd been considering a pro series Tak. I wonder how it'll sound plugged in though.

Thanks for posting that. I don't have half an hour to watch that whole video. Faster to read about it than spend 32 minutes watching those guys jabber.

Um. It does have a cutaway.

Old news. The D-18 has been around for over 80 years!

Kidding, but only partly ;)

First thought that came to my mind also. :D

I got the chance to play this on Thursday and Friday and I’m gonna go back to Martin Monday to play it some more. :guitar:

It’s VERY easy to play and sounds meatier than I expected it to. As a gigging musician, I’m very tempted to own one.

YMMV.

It's not a dread. It has an asymmetrical body shape, a cutaway and a bolt on neck. Shaped more like a 0000 or GA with an offset body curve. As for how it sounds, look up the video of Don Carr from Sweetwater playing it. One guess.....

Quack, quack

"Groundbreaking" new guitar with budget Fishman UST. :confused::rolleyes::rolleyes:

You can jump straight to time index 17:06, but you'll miss the other Martin 'goodies'.

This Martin representative is the head of the design team and he is doing a good job, considering he's not a salesperson. He has 'personality', and I think Martin has found the new Diane Ponzio.

The irony is so palpable as to be pretty hilarious

Now we can in all "objective fairness" level the same emotional subjective, ranting, criticisms, against Martin and their "design guy" and their "Marketing claims" that have been repeated ad nauseam at Taylor and Mr. Powers .

In the video the design guy paraphrases or repeats almost verbatim much of what Powers and Taylor have said .....

"Years in development"... "Solve some problems in acoustic guitar design" ... "Inspire players to do more rather than be limited " " brand new Platform of guitar" " represents a ton innovation" bla bla bla.

In reality bolt on is not "new" or "innovative".... dovetail is not "new" or "innovative" .... elongated cut away for more access" is not "new" or "innovative" ....beveled carve on heal for more access is not "new" or "innovative" ....

"New" for Martin OK great .. "New or innovative" in the guitar world ? Sorry not ....

Now unlike the Taylor "ranties". I personally don't see a problem with a design guy being excited and singing his own praises. And think it is great that Martin is doing this, and wish them all the success they deserve.
It would in fact be a Martin I would very much like to try.

Definitely interested in this and.looking forward to trying it out.

I am more excited over What the future iterations of this guitar could be. As many have said, I’d love to see it in a standard series configuration (with a better pickup!)

Perfect, well, I dunno, but I’d love to play one, and it just might be the guitar for lots of folks.

I'm pretty new to Martin Guitars so I don't have too much "stuck-in-the-mud" feeling about straying too far from tradition. I find this new asymmetrical guitar VERY intriguing! I'm a dread guy and always will be but have always been on the look out for a non-dread model that can give me a great sound that is dread-like in sound yet still a bit different.

I think I may have found my new guitar! Who knows, I may sell my 2 Martins and get this...

I can't wait to get my hands on one to hear and see for myself!

Best,
PJ

The new body shape reminds me a lot of one of the guitar shapes that Danny Ferrington came up with. It’s very similar.


Wade Hampton Miller

A neck joint that can do everything that Taylor's NT can PLUS adjust intonation! Now that's cool! Wish I would have thought of that!

At first glance the neck joint reminded me a bit of Washburn's ill-fated Steven's extended cutaway guitars from the late '80s, except the Martin design might actually work.

The X-braced back is cool too.

At first I was turned off by the road series designation and the strangeness of it, but watching this video just blew me away - they really, really thought of everything and did things with very deliberate intent.

New GAS incoming!

At first I was turned off by the road series designation and the other video which suggested its really intended more for plugging in (and strangeness of it), but watching this video just blew me away - they really, really thought of everything and did things with very deliberate intent, and it sounds good unplugged.

Even their laminate is all quality solid woods not just poplar cores.

Wow!

New GAS incoming!

Linear dovetail joint, held together by a couple of bolts - that's a great idea (that Matsomoku had in the early 1970s . . . .)!

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...highlight=Conn

Well I think it's a direct response to Taylor's NT neck design - he even talked about not gluing the fretboard to the top - ala Taylor's NT. But this does improve on that with the scooped heel and length adjustment screw.

When CFM IV & Co. design the perfect guitar - not likely in the present era of kiln-dried woods and a "chicken-in-every-pot" market-saturation philosophy - I'll let you know... :rolleyes:

Sounds like the Martin Builder's Edition...[emoji16]

I was going for a "everything old is new again" vibe thing, but I agree with you that these are positive features. I like electric guitar in part because of the complete adjustability that's allowed, so this Martin acoustic model appeals to me (and I have 3 acoustic Taylors).

One thing I learned from the video is that Martin, on its "regular" models, deliberately creates a significant fallaway on the extension in order to accommodate neck movement due to weather changes. This amount of fallaway results in "higher felt action" and that, it seems to me, is why people seeking lower action on their Martins take the saddles down to nubs and then seek an early reset (or sell). It's a design thing, apparently. I've loved Martins' sound, but have previously balked because of that issue, so this new model bodes well, especially if they can carry the neck joint design over to their higher-end models.

Why are they on this kick of making so many guitar with 2 5/32 saddle spacing? Takes me out of the game right there.;)

Not here. As an avowed Martin fan and player, I look forward innovation and to playing one of these. I doubt however that I will think more of it than any other Martin. I'm always dubious of those seeking to greatly improve anything where there was no recognized need for improvement. The neck, heel & cutaway have all been done in one way or another, by everyone, and the vast majority of guitars still employ different building techniques.

My biggest concern is when anyone claims "It was designed from the ground up to be plugged in...". EVERY guitar can be plugged in. I want my guitars to built from the ground up for amazing tone, playability and quality. If this model guitar provides all of that - AND - amplifies well, it may be worthy of purchase. But, since I need and want for another great guitar, if/when I come into contact with one, or two or three, I will give it the once/twice over.

Additionally, I generally couldn't care less what a handful of trade-show "evaluators" think about any guitar until well after I've had it in my hands.

Hearing you say that, I feel that Martin isn't aiming at you with this one. Without speaking for Martin, it's my belief that they'd point you towards their acoustic/electric Modern Deluxes for your needs. Those (again, MY opinion) are guitars built for amazing unplugged tone first and foremost- and they're wearing a really great pickup system. This SC-13E sounds like it's aimed at folks who want THE best plugged in acoustic experience - in terms of feel and feedback rejection.

My .02 and worth it. ;)

Possibly. But for a guitar (new or otherwise) to be successful it has to appeal to, and satisfy the needs of, many guitarists not a select few. Just like when Taylor unveils a new or different bracing pattern or shape, they rely on their stalwart supporters to continue to be interested in new products as they have with the older products. Otherwise the new product dies on the vine. I'm hopeful that the tonal characteristics and qualities will appeal to me and the many other Martin guitar players, who have purchased and supported Martin Guitars, as well as to those previously uninterested in or unfamiliar with Martin guitars. That's what makes for a successful new guitar design. Hyperbole aside, the proof is in the sales. Early and continued.

All good points. Luckily, to my ears this SC-13 has the Martin tone. It's not going to make you forget what you love about an HD-28, but it's not wimpy by any stretch.