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  #31  
Old 01-16-2020, 01:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Treenewt View Post
Jim was referencing the price on Martin's website, which is $1899. $1499 is prob street. Which is too high, IMO, for a laminated guitar, no matter the bells and whistles.
$1,899 is MSRP. $1,499 is MAP. So my guess is street should be under $1,300...
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  #32  
Old 01-16-2020, 01:37 PM
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I’m delighted Martin is innovating like this. I hope they sell a ton of them and draw even more folks into the Martin fold. And if I come across one of these in a shop I’ll probably give it a try just out of curiosity. But so far nothing I’ve seen/heard about this model appeals to me personally...
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  #33  
Old 01-16-2020, 01:38 PM
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I think it's brilliant. There are lots of people looking for a moderately priced laminated electric guitar with low action for gigs and this seems to tick all the boxes.

Certainly the sound doesn't compete with a traditional Martin acoustic, but I don't think it's trying to - different market. And the idea that an electric guitar player can pick one up and feel comfortable only adds to the market.
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  #34  
Old 01-16-2020, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by musicman1951 View Post
I think it's brilliant. There are lots of people looking for a moderately priced laminated electric guitar with low action for gigs and this seems to tick all the boxes.

Certainly the sound doesn't compete with a traditional Martin acoustic, but I don't think it's trying to - different market. And the idea that an electric guitar player can pick one up and feel comfortable only adds to the market.
Yeah, very different audiences and maybe even draw some Taylor-ish people to Martin, much like the Grand Pacific intended to draw some Martin-ish people to Taylor.
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  #35  
Old 01-16-2020, 02:47 PM
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People should get over their aversion to laminated woods for the back and sides. There is nothing wrong with it. Many high end guitar builders have used laminated sides for decades as a feature of their guitars. In the case of this Martin, using koa veneer makes very efficient use of koa which is a limited resource and helps keep the price of the guitar down. They deserve credit for that.
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  #36  
Old 01-16-2020, 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Shuksan View Post
People should get over their aversion to laminated woods for the back and sides. There is nothing wrong with it. Many high end guitar builders have used laminated sides for decades as a feature of their guitars. In the case of this Martin, using koa veneer makes very efficient use of koa which is a limited resource and helps keep the price of the guitar down. They deserve credit for that.
Laminated sides for stability and a laminated back are two different animals. In mass produced instruments, I have never preferred a laminated back over a solid one. The added mass is definitely a factor in the tone IMO. A boutique builder using a double side for added strength is a far different thing than a mass producer using laminates to cut cost.

I’m all for wise use of materials, but there is a tone factor and I don’t think it’s just in my head.
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  #37  
Old 01-16-2020, 03:52 PM
Shuksan Shuksan is offline
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The added mass is definitely a factor in the tone IMO.
There's no reason why there would have to be added mass. A two-layer laminated side can be the same thickness as a typical solid side.
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  #38  
Old 01-16-2020, 04:12 PM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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There's no reason why there would have to be added mass. A two-layer laminated side can be the same thickness as a typical solid side.
I agree, but glue adds weight, too. I'm not saying you can't circumvent that, but I doubt Martin is at this price point. IMO, this is laminate soley for the sake of cost.
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  #39  
Old 01-16-2020, 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Rev Roy View Post
$1,899 is MSRP. $1,499 is MAP. So my guess is street should be under $1,300...
And at that price, it leaves you plenty of room in the budget for a Fishman Loudbox Mini to go with it!
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  #40  
Old 01-16-2020, 05:15 PM
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This looks like a potentially great product. I'm certainly interested in giving it a try out. Kudos to Martin.
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  #41  
Old 01-16-2020, 06:38 PM
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Default New Martin acoustic-electric hybrid: Martin SC-13E review

Was skeptical til I heard the demo. This guitar sounds really nice. For a little more money than a Taylor 214ce???? Would love to play one of these.

Is it possible this is just the entry point for this class of guitar and there are higher end models to come eg SC 18, 28, 35,41????
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  #42  
Old 01-16-2020, 06:56 PM
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I don't think she's gonna have the growl and depth we expect from a Martin.
Nope. This will not be a versatile guitar unplugged.
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  #43  
Old 01-16-2020, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by guitarxan View Post
Was skeptical til I heard the demo. This guitar sounds really nice. For a little more money than a Taylor 214ce???? Would love to play one of these.

Is it possible this is just the entry point for this class of guitar and there are higher end models to come eg SC 18, 28, 35,41????
I suppose that's possible if it sells well.
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  #44  
Old 01-16-2020, 07:02 PM
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I'll bet they are going after the pro musician crowd who play Taylors and Takamines on the road.


To me it seems like a very good concept.
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  #45  
Old 01-17-2020, 12:07 AM
Shuksan Shuksan is offline
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Originally Posted by Treenewt View Post
I agree, but glue adds weight, too. I'm not saying you can't circumvent that, but I doubt Martin is at this price point. IMO, this is laminate soley for the sake of cost.
The weight of the glue that goes into making a two layer laminate is miniscule.

If they decided to do laminated back and sides solely for the sake of cost, it doesn't seem likely that they would have chosen to use koa for the outer layer which is much more expensive than woods like Indian rosewood or mahogany. If the sole objective was cost savings they could have done the laminates using only relatively cheap woods. Then they would have then been able to sell the guitar for an even lower price, but it would have had a less distinctive appearance.

My guess is that they had a price point in mind and in addition they had made the decision that they wanted to use koa for the back and sides for its beauty and to make this new model stand out. Meeting the price point that's been mentioned in this thread would likely have been impossible using solid koa. So I don't see a problem here. Koa is one of the most beautiful woods used for guitars, there's no functional deficiency in having laminated back and sides, and Martin can make the guitar available for a relatively moderate price.

Last edited by Shuksan; 01-17-2020 at 12:35 AM.
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